Category iOS

May 13 2014

Now Playing: Hearthstone (Heroes of Warcraft) for iPad

IMG_6207

It took me longer than it should to share my thoughts about this amazing new game, Hearthstone (Heroes of Warcraft) from Blizzard, best known for their incredible and genre-defining games, Starcraft, Warcraft and Diablo. While these games are serious affairs, Hearthstone takes on a lighter note as its ordinarily fearsome and powerful characters are reduced to gorgeous, animated cards in a deck.

Hearthstone is a card game. If you’re not a big fan of these games (like I am) or if you’re new to them, then Hearthstone is by far the best introductory game you’ll find. Basically, you have a hero with his/her own respective skills and strengths, represented by specific cards. To boost your hero, you also have ‘neutral’ cards or cards that can be used for all classes of heroes. You have a deck of 30 cards and starting health of 30. Each turn gives you a specific number of mana corresponding to the mana required by the cards to be played. The goal is to defeat your enemy who may be AI (in practice mode) or a fellow player who is online (play mode, ranked mode or arena mode).

Continue reading →

May 3 2014

Now Playing: The Cursed Ship, Collector’s Edition HD for iPad

appSIZED the cursed ship
Dark, disturbing horror tales are a favorite subject of many hidden object games (HOGs). The Cursed Ship, Collector’s Edition HD by G5 Games is no exception. The story about Ondine, a Titanic-like luxury cruise ship, disappears in the late 1970’s and you step in on an assignment to search for the missing ship.
As the name implies, the ship Ondine is indeed cursed, and you have to navigate a treacherous and downright creepy environment searching for clues and a way out alive.
appSIZED the cursed ship 2
Continue reading →
Apr 27 2014

Now Playing: (Prime World) Defenders for iPad (On Sale for a Limited Time)

prime world defenders appSIZED evolve cards

Gorgeous

Prime World: Defenders was released for the PC/Mac sometime in 2013 – last month, this card collecting tower defense (TD) game, now simply called Defenders was released for the iPad (you can also check out appSIZED’s review of Man At Arms TD, which employs the same mechanic).

There is a story to this game and your mission mainly is to defend powerful and valuable prime (crystals) from the Touched (enemies or creeps, in TD parlance) who want to take it for themselves. Caught in the middle of two warring groups trying to control the resource, your job is to keep them away using various powerful towers.

Continue reading →

Apr 2 2014

Now Playing: Man At Arms TD for iPad

 

man at arms TD It has taken me a month before sitting down to write this review largely because I’ve been doing nothing with my free time except play Man At Arms TD for iPad ($4.99). After many hours logged in making maps, playing online, replaying levels and combining cards, I have finally finished the lengthy campaign mode and am left wanting even more!

IMG_5766

At first glance, Man At Arms TD is not as slickly designed as its tower defense (TD) counterparts. In a genre where games are getting more attractive by the day, Man At Arms TD is rather plainly designed with some awkwardness in the animation. Gameplay wise,  Man At Arms TD does not reinvent the wheel with its gameplay.

Continue reading →

Feb 23 2014

Now Playing: Hidden City – Mystery of Shadows for iPad

I haven’t got much patience for hidden object games (HOGs) of late, but I do appreciate most of them for the gorgeous design and interesting storylines. Hidden CIty: Mystery of Shadows (Free) by G5 Games is their latest title to hit the App Store. While there are plenty of HOGs out there, not many have explored the free to play model. In the past, HOGs were far more expensive than your usual games, owing to the depth and richness of the content. It also takes a lot of time and patience to finish one, hence a single HOG could last you for months, depending on how busy you are and how many games you play on average.

Continue reading →

Jan 30 2014

Five iOS Games to Get Excited About in 2014

Before January ends, let me share with you an awesome guest post by fellow blogger Jennifer Birch. She sent me an email awhile back with her own take on games she’s excited about this 2014. Thank you, Jenni! Enjoy!

The year 2014 might be in favour of those born with under the horse sign according to feng shui experts, but we can all agree that Apple users are the luckiest ones. Exciting new games are debuting on the iOS platform this year. As early as in the first quarter, new titles are already raring for their release. Below are some of the most highly anticipated and most-awaited games for iPad and iPhone enthusiasts.
frontline+commando

Frontline Commando 2

Coming from Glue (who also made the app store hits such as Zombies Ate My Friends and Eternity Warriors II), it won’t be surprising if this turns out to be an equally brilliant ‘freemium’ action game. While some absolutely abhor this type of business model, others are actually sensible such as the case of Frontline Commando. The original boasts of clean-cut animations and good-enough targeting mechanism, but it is not your run-of-the-mill indie game for the iPhone. It feels deep and immersive with the constant content updates, unlike others that lie rotting as an icon on your gadget until they inevitably turn into a massive byte-waster.

From the previews of the game and the first look of our Kiwi friends (New Zealand got the game last December), it seems like it will be a massive hit.

Continue reading →

Jan 28 2014

Now Playing: Bardbarian for iPad and iPhone

appsized bardbarian review

conga line … charge!

In any fantasy adventure, the bard usually plays a supporting role, providing inspiration and support to the rest of the party with his songs about war and heroism.

In my current game of choice, and one I highly recommend, Bardbarian for iPhone and iPad (by Bulky Pix and Tree Fortress), it’s Brad the Bard who takes centerstage in fighting off nasty baddies invading his village. However, Brad can’t directly attack them, but his battle axe turned magical musical instrument generates notes which lets him summon allies who do the fighting for him. What Brad can do is to activate special powers to boost his units, such as increased damage, speed or protection.

appsized bardbarian

channel your inner slash

It’s not easy to classify Bardbarian as one type of game but not another – the best way to put it is that it’s a crazy mishmash of different genres such as castle defense and a bit of RPG – crazy in a good way, of course.

If you still know the likes of Slash (Guns N Roses) and Kirk Hammet (Metallica), you’ll know that this Bard plays a mean guitar solo. So on top of a crazy, frantic game you get a pretty awesome soundtrack.

Continue reading →

Jan 23 2014

My Most Anticipated Game for 2014: Battleheart Legacy

To be honest, I haven’t been into games lately because not many catch my attention nowadays.

BUT this is one game this reviewer’s been waiting for since it was in development back in 2012.

If you’ve ever played the original Battleheart (released in 2011), I consider it one of the best iOS games ever. What made it so unique was its party approach to real-time combat. The genius behind this game is how Mika Mobile, the developer, made an incredibly hectic game so easy to understand and simple. By simply drawing lines you can do a lot – damage enemies in battle, heal an ally, unleash special powers, etc. Battleheart has been imitated many times over but it’s still in a class of its own.

For Battleheart Legacy, Mikamobile has clarified that it will not bring its party system to the table, which I will sorely miss but offers instead a deeper and more complex solo RPG game, with 3D art (still the same cute cartoony characters, though, which is great), lots of quests and tons of new stuff to unlock and upgrade.

This game is on my watchlist and I really hope Mika Mobile will be able to roll it out within the month (it was initially set for release last December) or early next month.

In addition, I hope the original Battleheart will also be updated with more stuff. It’s been around since 2011 but I’m still playing it. Dear Mika Mobile, please hear this fan’s desperate plea. Love you, guys!

 

p.s.

Don’t forget to check out their other games!

 

 

 

 

Oct 8 2013

Supermarket Management 2 HD for iPad: Let the Time Management Madness Begin!

Supermarket Management 2 HD from G5 games is a brand new entry to the iPad casual gaming scene. I still have the original Supermarket Management HD and while I never quite got around to finishing it, it’s high on my list of time management (TM) games.

Seems like a typical day at the supermarket to me!

Seems like a typical day at the supermarket to me!

Continue reading →

Aug 21 2013

appSIZED Updates and a Freebie Alert: Inbetween Land

Dear All,

I’ve been off the grid lately due to my busy schedule, but I hope to be back soon with a Plants vs Zombies 2 review as well as some catching up with other games and apps that came out since May.

In the meantime, here’s an announcement from G5 games:

News Alert – G5 Giveaway: Get FREE Inbetween Landon iOS – Limited Time Offer

Get a FREE FULL copy of Inbetween Land on iOS through August 25th and journey on a mysterious adventure to another world! Inbetween Landacquaints you with the plight of a missing childhood friend, possibly aboard a mysterious flying island hovering just above our world. Through mini-games and fragmented hidden object areas, you piece together the details of your friend’s disappearance and how it ties into the floating Sky Island. The game begins as a science-fiction story and soon involves players in the rescue mission for alien creatures.

The city’s mundane rhythm is suddenly disrupted by the emergence of a flying island high in the sky. Though the island initially appears to be deserted, the citizens realize that they are not alone in the universe. Before long, the island becomes a tourist attraction, increasing revenues and crime. Then one day, Mary, who works at the city orphanage goes missing after a beam of light is seen coming from the island above. And, that’s where you come in. You play as her friend, and soon find out Mary bought some mysterious artifact from the island and then vanished. Following the clues Mary left, you will have to open a portal to the flying land, save her and help extraterrestrial civilization that desperately wants to restore their home. Explore the creepy island, make friends with the spirits of the island’s people, solve challenging puzzles, find missing crystals and take your friend back home in this absorbing adventure.

Inbetween Land has all the key features to provide a delightful gaming experience: soft music, engrossing Sci-Fi themed plot and three game modes – Casual, Normal and Expert – so you can adjust the desired level of difficulty. You also have a useful journal add-in that keeps track of the story and tasks to accomplish. But what really makes this game stand out, is its glorious visuals. Fantastic scenery, comic-like cut scenes and witty puzzles will glue casual game fans to their iOS devices and let them fully enjoyInbetween Land. The game is developed by Specialbit Studio and published on iOS by G5 Entertainment.

Key Features:

  • 52 Fascinating locations to explore
  • 19 Thought-provoking mini games
  • 3 Game modes: Casual, Normal, Expert
  • 4 Engaging comics
  • Out-of-this-world storyline

You can download Inbetween Land for FREE from August 20 to August 25.

Download:

Inbetween Land for iPhone

Inbetween Land for iPad

 

Enjoy! —> appSIZED