Category iOS

Apr 27 2013

Where Angels Cry in Review: A Hidden Object Adventure That Falls From Grace

It’s been a while since I last picked up a hidden object game. The thing is, for a hidden object game to sustain my attention, it should be driven by a really interesting storyline. Minutes into Where Angels Cry HD for iPad, I was simply hooked.

Where Angels Cry HD puts you in the shoes of a young monk sent by the cardinal to investigate a mysterious occurrence – said to be a miracle, in a remote monastery. Coincidentally – or not, the miracle coincides with the unexpected death of a resident monk who is believed to have been killed by wolves.

Sounds great so far? I thought so, too.

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Apr 14 2013

Magicka in Review: Quirky and Cute, But Not Quite Magical

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Magicka for iPad was featured Game of the Week by Apple. It is a sidescroller where you constantly move forward in a linear fashion with enemies attacking you from both sides. At your disposal are elemental runes which you can combine into various spells, each with their respective properties. For example, lighting and water don’t go together, but if you combine lightning with fire, you can cast a thunderbolt spell. Some spell combinations produce powerful spells – you can create meteor storms, blizzards, explosions, which are unlocked as rewards after completing a level. (Like it so far? read on …)
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Mar 24 2013

Ivory Tower Defenders in Review: The Classroom is Your Battlefield!

ivory tower defenders on appSIZED

The race is on to beat the slackers and achievers to their seats!

You are running late for class and try to sneak into the crowded classroom as quietly as you can. Unfortunately, that snarky grad assistant who gives you dagger looks is waiting by the door. Not too long after, you are deluged by bluebooks and exam papers being lobbed at your head. You make it past her, barely, only to be confronted by the dean, who is quite a heavy hitter himself.

No, this is not a stress dream related to college. Welcome to Ivory Tower Defenders a new tower defense game for the iPhone and iPad.

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Mar 2 2013

Art Mogul HD in Review: A Rare Find

If there’s one thing that the App Store lacks, it’s more art-themed games. The ones I’ve tried are usually stealth games which means they focus on stealing gorgeous paintings rather than actually appreciating them. Art Mogul breaks out of the art-meets-stealth-game mode by doing two things: combining hidden-object game mechanics with tycoon-style sim gameplay.

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Feb 18 2013

Myth Defense (Light Forces) in Review: Too Damn Hard!

As I’ve said many times, tower defense games are a dime a dozen in the App Store and it takes a lot for one to stand out.

Myth Defense – Light Forces sounded intriguing enough when I first checked it out. Unlike most games, it offers extensive customizability of its towers and offers a skill tree of sorts where you can choose what kind of upgraded towers you want, say whether you want it launch arrows or fireballs. You can also boost tower performance by combining various runes and enlisting the aid of dwarves, elves, etc. to create more powerful towers.

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Feb 4 2013

Royal Envoy 2 HD for iPad: Is the Sequel is Just as Good?

As with great movies, coming out with a sequel is always a tricky affair. It’s either you change too much (e.g. making gameplay too complicated) or too little, resulting in a sequel that’s not as good or fun as the original.

With the release of Royal Envoy 2 HD for iPad, the burning question is whether the sequel lives up to the original. Read on to find out!

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Feb 3 2013

Heads Up! Majesty: The Northern Expansion & Royal Envoy 2 HD Are on Sale!

Heads up! Two awesome games are on sale!

The full version of Royal Envoy 2 HD is on sale for a limited time:

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If you loved Royal Envoy HD and gorgeous building sim/time management games, you will love Royal Envoy 2 HD.

Download Royal Envoy 2 HD for iPad ($3.99 down from $6.99) for a limited time.

Majesty: The Northern Expansion, the sequel to one of my all time favorite games, Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim is also on sale for a limited time:
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Download Majesty: The Northern Exposure (Universal) for only $0.99 (down from $2.99) for a limited time.

Jan 31 2013

Heads Up! Penultimate for iPad is FREE for a limited time!

On appSIZED: Penultimate for iPad is FREE for a limited time
I’m happy to announce that Penultimate for iPad is FREE for a limited time!
If you don’t have it yet, go and download it now while it’s free!
Penultimate is one of my favorite note taking apps, and I’ve gone through a LOT already. (Second favorite would be Noteshelf) It has an excellent handwriting engine and wrist protection that minimizes stray marks on the iPad screen. Unlike most apps, you don’t need to select a certain area to write on, or conversely, keep stray marks out – Penultimate bases its wrist protection on the angle or position of your wrist. So far this is the best set up I’ve experienced.
What makes it hugely popular and the go to note taking app by default is its simplicity and elegance. Plenty of writing apps offer a lot more features but Penultimate is the one that really lets you focus on the writing. It has introduced a couple of new features since I first purchased it in 2010, such as the ability to add photos, select and move something you’ve written, and a store to offer free and paid kinds of paper. You may prefer a different, more feature packed writing app, but at the end of the day, it’s Penultimate that you come back to.
H(app)y shopping! 🙂
App: Penultimate
Device: iPad only
Price: FREE (was $0.99)
Publisher/Developer: Evernote
Dec 16 2012

iOS Weekend Alert: Angry Birds and Diner Dash Games Go on Sale!

angry birds and diner dash go on sale appSIZED

As Christmas approaches, more and more sales are popping up. Notably, Rovio (of Angry Birds fame) and Playfirst (of the hit Diner Dash series) have put up their hugely popular games on sale for a limited time. If you have only a few dollars left in your account, here are appSIZED’s picks for you:

1) Angry Birds Space HD ($0.99/iPad only) – I am not a fan of Angry Birds at all, but I loved what Rovio did with this installment. The laws of physics are at work in outer space, making gameplay more challenging and fun. It’s still the best looking AB game in my opinion.

2) Angry Birds Star Wars HD ($0.99/iPad only) – I like Angry Birds Space more but this is Rovio’s latest game so getting it on sale so new is a great deal to me. Also, if you are a Star Wars fan, an avian Hans Solo should be fun to look at.

3) Cooking Dash Deluxe ($0.99/Universal) – I am probably one of the few who prefer Cooking Dash over the original Diner Dash franchise. Buy it because it’s universal so you can enjoy it anywhere. Unfortunately it’s not optimized for the taller iPhone/iPod screen and you do have to pay for additional levels on top of the standard 50 – not to mention . Again this is a small price to pay for Dash addiction.

4) Bad Piggies HD or Angry Birds Seasons HD ($0.99/iPad only) – I haven’t tried out Bad Piggies yet but it looks promising, and offers a different type of gameplay from the standard Angry Birds fare. Take note however, that Bad Piggies HD has in-app purchases for additional maps. On the other hand, Angry Birds Seasons HD only offers a single in-app purchase for unlimited use of the might eagle (to solve levels) and it’s the kind of game to make you feel a little festive all throughout the year.

5) Wedding Dash Deluxe ($0.99/Universal) – Frantic gameplay and some wedding day drama make up this unique time management offering from Playfirst. Having played Wedding Dash 4-Ever and its tiny people on my iPad, Wedding Dash Deluxe is a welcome alternative.

H(app)y shopping! 🙂

Dec 2 2012

iOS App Review – Build-a-Lot 4: Power Source HD for iPad

Keep track of your power consumption, make money, reach the level goals before time runs out!

Keep track of your power consumption, make money, reach the level goals before time runs out!

As I write this review, the lights in my entire area have gone out. If you build one too many literally power hungry houses without a wind farm in place, you will find yourself unable to earn rent from the houses that your own and pretty much unable to build anything else. Shame on you for not being environmentally conscious about your real estate tycoon dreams. In Build-a-Lot 4: Power Source HD, the emphasis – as it should be, is on going green. Read the full review after the break!

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