Our Rating: 8.3/10

[Screenshots]

Version Reviewed: 1.05.14
Developer: PlayScreen [iTunes Link]
Price as of Review: $3.99
Current iTunes Rating: 4.5/5
Size: 9.6MB
Lite Version: [iTunes Link]

Match 3D Flick Puzzle is a creative pick up and play game which adds a few new concepts to classics like Bejeweled [iTunes Link].  The objective remains the same, score as many points as possible by matching three of the same objects or more.  To do this simply tap the first object and then an adjacent object, the two will swap and (hopefully) form a pair.  Like word search puzzles you need a good eye and in the case of Match 3D, you need fast timing.

The quicker you scout for matches the longer you’ll last in the game, once the timer reaches the end in either Classic or Survival mode, the game is over.  By racking higher combination’s and more matches at the same time, you’ll receive time bonuses.  The unique and spectacular concept for Match 3D Flick Puzzle is the completely 3D gameplay.  Rather then matching objects on a 2D surface, you have to match them on six faces of a cube.  You can even select a specific part inside the cube and look for matches internally.

The entire interface uses full multi-touch controls that allow you to pinch to zoom, rotate, and swipe around the cube to manipulate your perspective view.  Combination’s can be created from multiple planes making this a very intriguing game.  The graphics are excellently rendered and don’t become pixelated when you zoom in all the way on the cube.  The sound effects match the theme perfectly however a lot of people will find the background music annoying, you can easily play your own iPod music without stability problems.  The only glitches I’ve been able to find are a few touch interface glitches (unresponsiveness, etc), all of which are pretty rare and shouldn’t affect gameplay.

All in all Match 3D Flick Puzzle is an amazing new perspective on the classic match ‘em up gameplay concept.  For four dollars Match 3D can provide you with hours of fun – definitely check this one out.  This app will not be deleted off my iPod for a long while.

Final Ratings:

Gameplay: 9.2/10 – A whole new gameplay concept.

Enjoyment: 7.8/10 – My judgement is a little biased here as I’ve played so many match ‘em up games, however Match 3D has trapped my attention.

Graphics: 8.5/10 – Excellently rendered and friendly on the eyes.

Sound: 6.4/10 – Not the greatest.

Technology: 9/10 – Excellent multi-touch interface.

Replay Value: 8.7/10 – Can be very addicting.

Overall Rating: 8.3/10

Further Improvements: (Note to the developer!)

• Tilt controls to manipulate cube
• Multiple background music tracks

Screenshots of Match 3D Flick Puzzle on the iPhone App Reviewer Flickr Page.

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Our Rating: 7.5/10

[Screenshots]

Version Reviewed: 1.0.1
Developer: Artificial Life Inc. [iTunes Link]
Price as of Review: $1.99 [On Sale]
Current iTunes Rating: 3/5
Size: 53MB
Lite Version: [iTunes Link]

iSoccer Backstreet is a creative soccer themed application with a few different mini games and one major course of gameplay.  The goal is basically to beat the game and have as many points earned as possible by the end of it.  Once finished (or even before so) you can go online in the Trix mode and beat all the competition (global high score boards).  The journey to being successful is long however, you’ll go through vigorous training and need some serious skill to beat the whole game; though it is rather short.

The main gameplay style is basically a version of hackey-sack…on steroids.  Keep the soccer ball up as long as possible while scoring points by making different combination’s.  Executing tricks will take some practice but luckily iSoccer Backstreet has a great interactive tutorial to help you along the way.  Then you get to cool off with some mini-game action.

Although gameplay can run a little short, repetitive and trivial at some points, it can be generally enjoyable.  The developers over at Artifical Life have done a great job on the graphics and especially the control scheme…although future enhancements would be nice.  Some people I’ve tested the app with have not liked the way you manipulate the ball, a tilt control interface would be a great option.  The sound effects are very immersing and really give the backstreet soccer ambiance.  The game is all about indy soccer and iSoccer Backstreet takes real soccer down a peg.

All in all iSoccer Backstreet has some intriguing indy soccer gameplay and is definitely worth taking a look at.

Final Ratings:

Gameplay: 6.5/10 – It does mix it up quite a bit but things get very trivial.

Enjoyment: 7.7/10 – Nonetheless this was a unique app that provided a refreshing experience.

Graphics: 9/10 – Greatly detailed 3D graphics.

Sound: 9/10 – Truly spectacular sound effects.

Technology: 7/10 – We dock some points due to some sluggishness and glitches -especially on loading time and on menus.

Replay Value: 6/10 – Things can get very trivial, very fast.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Further Improvements:

• Longer overall gameplay
• More mini games
• Additional control schemes
• Fix misc. glitches
• Improve speed and loading time.

Screenshots of iSoccer Backstreet on Flickr.

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Our Rating: 8.3/10

[Screenshots]

Version Reviewed: 1.2
Developer: Mediatonic [iTunes Link]
Price as of Review: $0.99
Current iTunes Rating: 3.5/5
Size: 6.7MB

Must Eat Birds is a new game with a phenomenal pick up and play paradigm.  The goal of the game is to defend your picnic from birds but launching cartoon monsters at them through a slingshot.  In either Mission or Challenge mode this sounds incredibly stupid but it’s really incredibly good fun.  Mediatonic did a great job on the theme of the app, I was expecting some awful stuff when I read the game description but the first impression and beyond really got to me.

The mission mode contains 18 levels, most of which will leave you incredibly frustrating and you’ll receive the “oh-so-close” addictiveness.  An average level will take several tries and there’s enough gameplay material to have you playing for days.  Unfortunately you don’t get any skip levels which means quite a few will throw away this game instantly, and I can’t blame them, although cheating it does restrict the gameplay to the players who just can’t beat certain levels.

Gameplay is a little bleak, pretty much you’re tapping and sliding, there’s a lot of angles and strategy.  The rules go a little beyond just hitting birds.  If you want to earn some serious points you’ll need to take advantage of the multipliers, the moment one of your monsters has missed it’s target(s) you lose your multipliers.  This makes the gameplay very challenging, especially in some of the missions which limits the number of monster ammo you have.

Challenge mode is very freestyle but also very trivial, the goal is just to score as many points as possible before losing all four lives.  Unfortunately it’s a tad pointless as playing in mission mode is pretty much the same thing but more rewarding.  The graphics in Must Eat Birds are probably some of the greatest rendered cartoon graphics I’ve seen on the iPhone.  Everything is smooth and colourful, the game is meant for Japanese viewers as well which means there’s some Japanese text around the game but it actually fuels the theme.  Some people however may not like it (would recommend a Japanese or English option in settings).

All in all Must.Eat.Birds is a great game that’s considerably addicting and perfect to play anywhere.  I’d highly recommend picking this one up – only a buck.

Final Ratings:

Gameplay: 8.5/10 – Pick up and play with lots of concepts.

Enjoyment: 7.2/10 – I did enjoy it quite a bit but it’s no Trism.

Graphics: 8.6/10 – Great cartoon graphics.

Sound: 8/10 – Not very annoying and really fits the theme.

Technology: 9/10 – No stability problems or glitches.  Open Feint support.

Replay Value: 8.7/10 – Addicting and 18 different missions.

Overall Rating: 8.3/10

Further Improvements:

• Even more missions
• More gameplay modes.

More screenshots of Must.Eat.Birds. on our Flickr Page.

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Our Rating: 7.5/10

[Screenshots]

Version Reviewed: 1.21
Developer: Wim Haanstra [iTunes Link]
Price as of Review: $0.99
Current iTunes Rating: 3/5
Size: 2.5MB

You’re going to need a large amount of music on your iPhone for this app.  MusIQ is a trivia app that pulls music from your library and plays small segments of random songs.  Your goal is to select the correct song corresponding the what’s playing, before the time runs out.  The amount of time left also corresponds to the amount of points you’ll receive for choosing the correct song. Based on the round mode, an incorrect answer will either end the game or defect your points from rising.  MusIQ has a local score board, and if logged on to the Open Feint system, a global high score board, and even achievements.

MusIQ is a highly enjoyable game to kill loads of time and can be very addicting. It’s unfortunately flawed by some serious stability problems and an annoyingly glitchy menu.  The Open Feint integration is really cool, it allows you to send comments to friends and the developer, track high scores, and personal achievements.  MusIQ has a bunch of achievements for you to strive for, some which can be quite challenging!

Overall MusIQ has a beautiful but glitchy interface, and amazingly addictive gameplay that the whole team at iPhone App Reviewer has enjoyed, we’re looking forward to anything else the developer comes out with.  For only a buck, MusIQ is a great deal for any music lover.  What’s next for MusIQ on our devices? Well we’re gonna sync hundreds of classic music pieces and have one frustrating challenge.

Final Ratings:

Gameplay: 8/10 – Simple but effective, an awesome concept.

Enjoyment: 8.6/10 – Really enjoyed this one.

Graphics: 7/10 – A very aesthetically appealing interface.

Sound: 8.2/10 – Plays your iPod music perfectly directly from the library (requires 3.0 firmware)

Technology: 6/10 – Due to all the stability problems and glitches I’d give it a 0 but the whole game’s concept is built on using some cool features of the 3.0 Firmware – and the Open Feint Support is cool.

Replay Value: 7.5/10 – Really addicting and even has personal achievements.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Further Improvements:

• New gameplay modes
• Multiplayer modes
• Fix glitches and stability

More screenshots of MusIQ on iPhone App Reviewer’s Flickr Page.

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Our Rating: 8/10

[Screenshots]

Version Reviewed: 1.0.0
Developer: Artificial Life, Inc. [iTunes Link]
Price as of Review: $0.99
Current iTunes Rating: 4/5
Size: 34.2MB

iSink U is an intuitive and interactive battleship style game. It takes the classic game and puts a whole new spin on how things work, adding new features and cool weapons to make things just that much more exciting. From the loading screen you’ll get a sense of where this game is going to take you.

Once you choose your game you get to choose a map to play on. This doesn’t overly affect gameplay but offers a cool twist on normal gameplay. Once in gameplay you get to place you ships, this can be a little hard since the control system is really touchy and hard to use. The shooting menu is kind of touchy too and doesn’t always like to work (thats for me anyways) sometimes i find myself tapping 10 times before it realizes I’m tapping.

Now that being said this is a great game, and I would highly suggest for any Battleship fans out there. This offers some cool new features and an intriguing experience for newbies and veterans alike. At the least it’ll keep you amused for a few hours and will keep you coming back when all your other apps get boring.

I mean overall this app destroys other apps in the same genre *cough*ibattleships*cough* so it’s AOK in my books!

Final Ratings:

Gameplay: 8/10 – Very fun and intriguing, but the touch issue set me off

Enjoyment: 8/10 – I like blowing things up .. pretty simple there

Graphics: 8/10 – Great graphics, simple lines and colours, works perfectly

Sound: 8/10 – Cool effects, fit the game well.

Technology: 6/10 – Touch based, sensitivity drove me insane, hence low rating.

Replay Value: 8/10 – Great game, keeps you coming back when you need something not boring.

Overall Rating: 8/10

How to sink your opponents battleship:

-Fix the sensitivity issue with the tapping, or is it just my phone?
-An update with further maps woudl be really cool, or maybe the ability to upgrade ships .. newer cooler weaponry..

More screenshots on iPhone App Reviewer’s Flickr Page.

Thanks for listening,

-thetraynor

Folow me on Twitter @thetraynor

Wanna talk bad about me? Email Me

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Our Rating: 7.5/10

[Screenshots]

Version Reviewed: 1.0
Developer: Readdle [iTunes Link]
Price as of Review: $0.99 (On Sale)
Current iTunes Rating: 2.5/5
Size: 3.8MB

Penetrator is a flight obstacle avoidance game similar to the iPhone hit iCopter [iTunes Link].  The goal is to get as far through the tunnel as possible without hitting the boundaries of the tunnel or obstacles in between.  To control your vehicle simply tap the screen to fly upwards (gravity pulls your plane down towards the boundaries).  Along the way you’ll encounter many power ups that will benefit or destroy you. Penetrator contains three difficulty levels (two and three needing to be unlocked) so this app provides an addicting challenge.

The game itself is pretty small – there isn’t much to do, in fact without the addictive gameplay many would probably delete this application the day after purchasing.  The app is extremely quick to load and gives you a great pick up and play paradigm.  This allows you to just get right in the game, an since a game can take mere minutes – even seconds, fueling your addiction.  To motivate you, there’s a local high score board – which unfortunately is only local, no online mode to compete against others.  Given that this app has been created by the programming gods at Readdle, an online high score board should probably be implemented soon.  No guarantees of course.

Penetrator’s graphics provide a perfect arcade style, it sets the theme for a ship going through some sort of tunnel.  Everything is at the perfect resolution and is really detailed.  Each level will provide a refreshing new background (was excited about the new stuff that came in Level 2 when I finally beat Level 1).  There isn’t much sound in Penetrator, a few sound effects and no background music.  You’re able to double tap the home button to play your own music without the app crashing so it’s still acceptable.

All in all, if you’re a fan of iCopter you’ll definitely like Penetrator for a refreshing new change that’s a little more challenging than the iCopter series.  $0.99 is the perfect price but unfortunately this is only a sale selling point, I wouldn’t pay much more for it.

Final Ratings:

Gameplay: 8/10 – Short. Sweet. Awesome.

Enjoyment: 7/10 – Can’t complain – awesome pick up and play game.

Graphics: 8/10 – Sets a great theme.

Sound: 6/10 – Nothing annoying, unfortunately lacking.

Technology: 8.5/10 – No stability problems or glitches.  Online scoreboard would be nice.

Replay Value: 7.6/10 – Fairly addicting.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Further Improvements:

• Online leaderboard
• More levels
• More power-ups
• New gameplay modes

More screenshots of Penetrator on iPhone App Reviewer’s Flickr Page.

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Our Rating: 8.9/10

[Screenshots]

Version Reviewed: 1.2
Developer: X2 Games/Exient [Interview with iPhone App Reviewer]
Price as of Review: $6.99
Current iTunes Rating: 4/5
Size: 81.1MB
Lite Version: [iTunes Link]

X2 Football 2009 is the kind of game you’d see on a system like the Playstation Portable, it’s completely 3D with amazing graphics and an excellent control scheme.  This app is a full board sports app which allows you to play soccer (or football for our British readers out there) against a computer opponent.  You’ll start by learning the controls and strategies in a training area with many different options and scenarios such as free kick and left corner.  When done you can quit training and launch tournament mode or penalty shootout.  You can also just go ahead and play a quick match with teams of your choice!

When creating matches you can choose starting positions and other team management abilities.  Afterwords you’ll be thrown into the playing field in a fully 3D environment.  For control there’s three side buttons for passing, sliding, shooting and other actions.  You then have a very responsive touch joystick for movement of the player.  The artificial intelligence is excellent – the computer opponents are challenging and even details such as red/yellow cards have been added.  You can tackle other players and steal the possession of the ball.  Not to mention you have in-game replay’s which are saved and can get zoomed in, panned and rotated around and played and multiple speeds.

The graphics are absolutely stunning for an iPhone app and the game runs them with perfect stability.  The field is clear and all the player’s animations are perfect.  The sound effects include dynamic commentary – roaring crowds and even the swift sound of that soccer ball hitting the net.  Unfortunately there’s no accelerometer controls, nonetheless the touch control scheme is amazing, X2 Games has done an excellent job.

All in all X2 Football 2009 is an amazing sports game app for any fan of immersing gameplay and detailed 3D graphics.  Definitely seven bucks well spent.

Final Ratings:

Gameplay: 9.4/10 – It’s a complete soccer game!

Enjoyment: 9/10 – Awesome to see something like this being so well executed on the iPhone.

Graphics: 9.7/10 – Probably the best in-game graphics I’ve seen.

Sound: 9/10 – Stunning, love the commentary.

Technology: 9/10 – Have I said wow yet?

Replay Value: 7/10 – This is the only part of our review that is not simply excellent.  Without a full tournament mode, unless you simply love soccer, you won’t play games a lot.

Final Rating: 8.9/10

Further Improvements:

• Full tournament modes
• Multiplayer Mode

More screenshots of X2 Football 2009 on iPhone App Reviewer’s Flickr Page.

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Our Rating: 7.8/10

[Screenshots]

Version Reviewed: 2.0.0
Developer: Konami Digital Entertainment [iTunes Link]
Price as of Review: $1.99
Current iTunes Rating: 3/5
Size: 2.7MB

Konami Entertainment has ported Atari’s classic game, Frogger, to the iPhone – yes that means even more nostalgia for the older gamers out there.  For those of you who never got the chance to play Frogger while it was still around the game is about controlling a frog and guiding it to it’s destination.  No this isn’t a puzzle game where you’ll have to logically figure out a path, instead you must have fast reflexes and timing to avoid all the obstacles that you will encounter.

The unfortunate part of this app is the immense lack of new environments, although there are several levels which each provide a new obstacle or two, it’s the same map over and over again.  None the less, the gameplay is quite enjoyable and provides a great pick-up-and-play addiction.  A game lasts from a mere few minutes to an hour (if you’re really good).  Only a few people I’ve demoed it with have been able to get a score over 20,000 so this is a great challenge too!  The environment can get pretty crazy with all the obstacles, making for an excellent immersing gameplay.

The graphics are quite friendly and smoothly rendered.  I don’t think photo-realistic graphics would suit Frogger and therefore the current ones provide the perfect environment.  Sound is a little dull but nothing annoying (which can be rare for an arcade game).  Konami has done a near-perfect job on the control scheme, you can control the frog via three ways, tap (touch), slide (touch) or tilt (accelerometer).  The touch control schemes are awesome – each have their own personal advantage so whatever suits you best.  However the accelerometer controls are a pretty large bucket of fail.

All in all, Frogger is a highly enjoyable arcade game but won’t entertain for long and is very limited.  For a couple of bucks though, definitely check this one out.

Final Ratings:

Gameplay: 6.9/10  – Frogger provides very immersing gameplay but lacks multiple environments

Enjoyment: 9/10 – Just utterly awesome

Graphics: 8.7/10 – Sets the perfect theme.

Sound: 7/10  – Nothing to complain about…

Technology: 8/10 – Excellent job on touch control schemes, great stability and the only glitch I’ve found is a very small irrelevant animation glitch.

Replay Value: 7.2/10 – This only gets a 7.2 due to the addictiveness, the only competition is a local score board – no online mode – no new maps.

Overall Rating: 7.8/10

Further Improvements: (Note to the developer!)

• More. maps.  Have a whole adventure for our frog!
• Create a better accelerometer control scheme – anybody who’s played with it will know why this needs to be changed.

More screenshots for Frogger on iPhone App Reviewer’s Flickr Page.

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Our Rating: 8.4/10

[Screenshots]

Version Reviewed: 1.1
Developer: Mindlube Games:
Price as of Review: $2.99
Current iTunes Rating: 4/5
Size: 17MB

Chickie Dominos is an iPhone version of the classic domino’s game “Chicken Foot.”  I’ve had the lucky opportunity to play chicken foot before every seeing Chickie Domino’s, and let me say Mindlube Games have done an excellent job porting this to the iPhone and iPod Touch.  The goal of the game is to use all your dominos before your opponent does, the rules can be complex however Chickie Dominos teaches you perfectly how to play.  Now it’s just strategy on your part.  For competition, you can play against a very well programmed computer opponent of three difficulty levels, or a hot-seat mode where you can pass your phone over to a friend and play.

The game overall is very enjoyable, the entire thing is on a multi-dimensional board with ability to pan, and zoom.  Even though the board can get very cluttered, whenever you place a domino it will automatically adjust the board to fit.  A game can last for around 20 minutes, each game consists of seven rounds and points are added to the loser every round.  This scoring system can change the face of the game at anytime, Chickie Dominos is pretty hard to get bored of.  Even if you do and want to come back a few days later, your last game will be saved for you to pick up off.

Chickie Dominos has a global score board for the best games to be uploaded to – it does this fast and quick; the entire app doesn’t seem to have any stability problems.  The graphics are farmyard themed, a lot of people aren’t going to like this so secondary theme options would be nice.  Nonetheless the graphics are all pretty smooth and render perfectly in the immersing environment.  The background music is extremely annoying, luckily it can be turned off separate to the sound.

All in all, Chickie Dominos is one of the best domino games I’ve seen on the iPhone, and Mindlube Games has done an amazing job porting this to the iPhone.  This app will not be deleted from my iPhone – how about you?

Final Ratings:

Gameplay: 9.6/10 – Tons of gameplay, perfect rendition of Chicken Foot.

Enjoyment: 8.9/10 – I really enjoyed playing Chicken Foot in the non-digital world, Chickie Dominos has not disappointed.

Graphics: 7/10  – Could be improved just a tad, additional themes would be nice.

Sound: 5/10 – Sound effects are all right, background music is deplorable but luckily can be turned off.

Technology: 9/10 – Great job, perfect interface including pan and zoom multi-touch controls.  No stability issues found.

Replay Value: 7.9/10 – A game can last quite a while (for iPhone app standards) so you won’t get bored of this for at least a few days.  I’m still addicted anyways…

Overall Rating: 8.4/10 – 0.5 bonus points added.

Further Improvements (Note to the developer!)

• Additional themes
• Additional background music
• Wi-Fi/Bluetooth multiplayer rather than just hotseat

More screenshots on iPhone App Reviewer’s Flickr Page.

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Our Rating: 8.4/10

[Screenshots]

Version Reviewed: 1.0.2
Developer: SkyZone Entertainment [iTunes Link]
Price as of Review: $0.99
Current iTunes Rating: 3.5/5
Size: 6.7MB
Lite Version: [iTunes Link]

Extreme Hangman adds a creative twist to hangman. It is played on a virtual chalk board and there are many situations your stick-figure may find itself in. From the classic hangman situation, being hung from a noose, to getting your brains eaten by zombies, Extreme Hangman will keep your attention with the variety of creative animations. You get six false choices and two hints before your stick-person dies. From actors to supermarket, there’s a category for everyone. With a variety of categories and ranging difficulties, Extreme Hangman is great for the novice or veteran player.

What I like most about Extreme Hangman is the creative situations your stick-person is put in. Instead of just enjoying guessing the word, I now also have fun seeing how my stick-person will react to my guess. The graphics are smooth and flawless. The local multiplayer is great for playing with a friend, but the word you choose must be at least five letters long. The options allow you to greatly customize the game. You can choose which animation you want to use or just change the difficulty. Extreme Hangman is extremely fun and addicting, even losing is fun!

Even though Extreme Hangman is a great game, it isn’t perfect. The sound fits the game but is very annoying. The online feature is a good idea, if it can be fixed. I tried it a few times with a friend and out of the many times we tried, we only got into the game once, and got disconnected within a minute. Those are really the only two things I can complain about with Extreme Hangman.

Overall, Extreme Hangman had me from the beginning. With the addicting gameplay, and creative animations, Extreme Hangman is one of my favourite apps. Hangman is a common game that has been remade countless times. I can honestly say that this is one of the best, if not the best hangman app out there. If you like hangman, you’ll love Extreme Hangman!

Overall Ratings:

Gameplay: 9.5/10 – Very addicting and impressive

Enjoyment: 9.5/10 – Even losing is fun!

Graphics: 9/10 – Smooth with very creative animations.

Sound: 5/10 – Fits the animations but VERY annoying.

Technology: 8/10 – Only uses touch controls but very effectively.

Replay Value: 9.5/10 – Never gets boring.

Final Ratings: 8.4/10

Further Improvements:

• Fix the online mode glitches.
• Choose less annoying music!
• Continue to increase words and categories

Until next time,

-Mike.

More screenshots on iPhone App Reviewer’s Flickr Page.

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