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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.

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Mar 12 2014

Now Playing: Doctor Life for iPhone and iPad

I once dreamt of becoming a doctor when I was a kid. The dream quickly dissipated when I realized I couldn’t bring myself to dissect a live frog when I was in high school. Now, the closest I get to playing doctor is by playing iPad/iPhone games revolving around a hospital theme.

Doctor Life ($2.99/Universal for iPhone and iPad) by WIGU Games came out recently, the kind of hospital-themed time management/sim game that will make you feel like a doctor. Having played a fair number of hospital/medical themed games in the past, such as Hospital Havoc 2, Are You Alright, the Amateur Surgeon series, Hollywood Hospital, Doctor Life is the first of its kind to actually focus on real medical conditions and treatments.

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Feb 27 2014

Now Playing: Bug Heroes 2 for iPhone and iPad

Did you play the original Bug Heroes game? I did. Years later, Bug Heroes 2 ($0.99/Universal) is Foursaken media’s latest addition to their lineup, following Bug Heroes Quest.

I must admit that while I played the first game extensively, the unlockable characters via in-app purchase threw me off. It didn’t help that I sucked at the game and it seemed that no matter how hard I tried, I just didn’t have powerful enough characters to use.

As for Bug Heroes 2, there are significant improvements and more problems compared to the original. It’s still the same game as the original – you control an arsenal of fighting bugs (spiders, ants, etc.) and use them to fend of waves of aggressive enemies who are out to steal your food stash (a.k.a. your base). This time, however, you have two (2) heroes to control. These heroes are obtained randomly (slot machine style), and more heroes require a certain number of stars to unlock further.

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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.

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Feb 19 2014

Now Playing: Forces of Nature for iPad and iPhone

Forces of Nature (on sale at $0.99) by Mean Bean Games is a game that will catch your eye immediately because of the art. There’s something fairy-tale like and compelling about the hand drawn art that reminds me of an animated film I saw when I was a kid, The Iron Giant. Another thing common between Forces of Nature and The Iron Giant is the fact that they’re both sending a strong environmentalist message.
Mother Nature’s champion is Sprout, a feisty little seedling who plants various defenders to fend off heartless robots that have taken over his world. Sprout’s mission is to protect the giant tree from land and air units. Water is his main currency for planting seedlings which can be fixed (tower defense type) or moving. Sprout does damage on his own, and strategically dashing behind enemies can even score combo points.
At the heart of Forces of Nature is a side-scrolling castle defense dressed up rather beautifully and quirkily.

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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.

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Jan 1 2014

The Year of the Apple: 2013 Games, Apps and Gadgets in Review

2013 IN GAMES AND APPS: THE HITS AND MISSES

appSIZED was a bit quiet this year in taking stock of the gaming scene. Nonetheless, these titles are worth looking at. Some are big names and some are quiet wonders:

appsized 2013

1) Tower Dwellers (Universal/$3.99) – While I am a huge fan of tower defense games, I am not a huge fan of Kingdom Rush, the game which Tower Dwellers is often compared to. Tower Dwellers boasts of a gorgeous art style and nice voice over narration which gives the game some humor. The similarities are there, but I like the interesting twist in Tower Dwellers where you build support towers (blacksmith, carpenter and mage) to boost your default defenders. Certain combinations produce new types of defenders, which is my favorite part of the game. The game is pretty hard to beat even on a normal curve, but what keeps me going is the thought and effort required to build certain types of defenders to defeat waves and waves of various enemies. There’s also a sandbox mode where you can practice.  One thing I love about this game is the micro-level management which lets you place your defenders along rally points to meet your enemies and adjust accordingly. (HIT)

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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!

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May 20 2013

Tips and Tricks: Robot Unicorn Attack 2 the Always Edition

I was incredibly excited when Robot Unicorn Attack 2 came out two weeks ago. Being a huge fan of the original Robot Unicorn Attack, the sequel which is awesome on so many levels, has no doubt captured our collective imagination. Having played the game extensively for some time now, let me share with you some tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way.

If you’re new to Robot Unicorn Attack 2, read on for a bit of a walkthrough.

Dashing through the rocks

Dashing with the stars

Robot Unicorn Attack 2 (Universal for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad/FREE with in-app purchase) is an endless runner type of game, the sequel to the insanely popular Flash-turned-iPhone game Robot Unicorn Attack. In Robot Unicorn Attack (Universal for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad/$0.99), you are a robot unicorn soaring to new heights in a fantasy world tinged in pink and purple, flying with metallic dolphins, dashing through obstacles and collecting fairies in the process – set to Always by Erasure, which makes the whole experience surreal and laugh out loud ridiculous. Robot Unicorn Attack 2 is true to its roots, but adds a whole new level of complexity and depth to the gaming experience similar to Adult Swim/Pik Pok’s later outings such as Extinction Squad. In Robot Unicorn Attack 2 there are individual goals to achieve in order to level up (rank 15 opens up a new environment, the Ice World) as well as community goals (Team Inferno vs Team Rainbow). The main currency here is the unicorn tear which allows you to buy robot unicorns and their corresponding upgrades as well as boosts to improve your performance.

That said, read on for some tips to improve your gameplay and boost overall performance.

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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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