Fruit Ninja

Fruit Ninja – Had your five a day? Slice it and dice it!

I had heard that to practice how to cut and wield a katana or sword, samurai would chop through bamboo to mimic the impact of a bone. So bearing this in mind, I was interested to explore the game of Fruit Ninja.

As fun as it indeed would be to pretend your iPod/iPhone’s a sword, of course you don’t have to thrash your arms around in some elaborate way – but I do recommend making some decent sound effects to go along with your slick slicing (just maybe do this in less public locations). Instead, you must use your finger around the screen in record quick time and with lethal accuracy to chop all the fruits that fly into view of the screen.

Your reflexes are crucial in getting far in this particular game. You have three lives which you lose should you let a piece of fruit get by you unscathed. Each piece of fruit you miss will cost you a life and once your third one’s gone, it’s game over and your score’s tallied up.

The whole time you play the best score reached is highlighted just below the score achieved in that game, and of course should you beat your high score this will move in sync with your total.

Your skills are really put to the test with the introduction of lethal fused bombs, should you accidentally mistake one of these for a fruit, the screen will white out and the handset will vibrate and most importantly, your game will automatically be over. Needless to say as you progress through the game the fruit to bomb ratio can get pretty screwy and you will be a true ninja should you be able to progress through the first few minutes of gameplay.

If beating your high score in a seemingly endless game mode gets a little too repetitive for you then why not give yourself another challenge, slicing fruit up against the clock?! In this second mode you get to frantically take revenge on the hapless fruit. Thankfully there’s no bombs in this setting, just as in the other setting, you may wish to slice three or more fruits together in a combo to score higher points.

This game is pretty repetitive but therapeutic and a brilliant way of taking out some of your days pent up energy. What’s more, you’re rewarded for your efforts by being able to unlock different features like backgrounds and sword effects.

Positives

Entertaining

Light relief and a good distraction

Watch the fruit fly!

Interesting fruit facts after each game

Negatives

Very repetitive

Sometimes the slicing action doesn’t work vertically terribly well

Some of the unlockable features aren’t that brilliant

Rating 70%

Russian Fishing

Russian Fishing – It’s like fishing anywhere else, just Russian!

Having played quite a few different fishing games in my time and actually fished in streams and the sea before now, I was intrigued to look at Russian Fishing and work out just how this particular game differs from the real thing and compares to the other similar titles on the market. I’m pleased to say that on both counts it’s just about as real as you could ask for.

There are lots of prettier titles to play with which offer more pleasing or cuter graphics, but these tend to favour the less patient gamer who’s used to putting a bit of bait on a line and reeling in a catch of the day with relative ease. This game behaves much more realistically than any other I’ve played with.

Yes, of course you have the option to sell your catch for money which you get to purchase better equipment with and unlock more features of the game. Where this game really wins though is in its realistic quality.

Waiting for a nibble is nearly an epic game in itself, depending on where you go to fish, you have locations up and down different coastlines. Casting the line is easy, simply tapping the OK button does this automatically, as is the option to reel the line back in, is either done by tapping the left soft-key or OK button again. As mentioned, getting a bite is never assured and usually takes quite a while. Should you be lucky enough to get a fish hooked, it’s a battle of wills to land the catch on your boat.

Tapping 8 on the keypad or down on the joystick will lift the rod up and help snare the fish, but then you must relax the tension on the line or you will end up snapping the line and letting the fish get away. To loosen the line, pressing 2 on the keypad or up on the joystick will lower the rod down again. The whole time you’re mastering the rod movement (up, down and side to side) you have to try to reel the line and fish back in.

Overall, as your skills improve and your equipment is upgraded, the chance to land each fish also improves. However, you mustn’t get too complacent as there’s bound to be the one that got away, so keep your wits about you.

Rating 80%

Positives

Very realistic

Quite a tactical game to play

Challenging

Negatives

It won’t satisfy the less patient players

Very repetitive

Graphics are pretty basic

0.03 Seconds

0.03 Seconds – Quickest finger wins...

Have you ever looked at contestants on the television shouting out the answer ages before anyone on screen even hits the button and think just how much better you could do if you were in the hot seat? Well if so, then this is possibly a game worth looking at more intensely.

Well alright, it’s not quite the same as shouting out the answers as this is much more about you being the fastest on the trigger than testing your general knowledge. There are plenty of variations in both the free and paid for versions of 0.03 Seconds to keep you enthralled.

There are three levels for you to test your abilities at, and as you would expect the harder the setting, the harder the test. For example, you have some games where you must hit the button as soon as it changes colour or frantically tap the screen when a certain vehicle comes into in to shot. At the basic setting, you will probably find it quite simple in achieving higher marks; whether it’s due to having more margin for error or there’s a larger allowance for slower reactions – in either case, you will probably whiz through the basic setting.

All the games remain the same no matter what level you care to challenge yourself at, the only thing that alters is the time you’re given to react, too soon or too slow and you’re going to have to start that game over again from scratch. After each game you are shown the results and graded accordingly.

This is a pretty good app in terms of offering a distraction and testing your speed, either in hand to eye co-ordination, or sheer rapid-fire tapping of the screen. Some games are a bit fiddlier to do, for example the dead-man switch style game (where you must release the screen as soon as the colour of the button changes) is just about impossible to see it change colour under the fingertip so it requires moving the finger around the screen. This motion offers a bit of a distraction from the task in hand and especially on the more advanced levels, it was nearly impossible to do. The task in particular was made even harder as I found the screen would not always react to the touch (or lack of in this case).

Overall, if you like the challenge of trying to beat yourself or your friend’s reaction speed, then this is one heck of a game.

Rating 77%

Positives

Infuriating and totally addictive

Plenty of challenging levels to keep you entertained

Simple and pretty innovative

Negatives

Sometimes the controls would let you down

To be successful on the hardest level is more down to luck and superhuman speed

Not as much variety between some levels as I’d liked to have seen

Mani Golf

Mani Golf – Crazy golf at its craziest!

For those of us who find golf just a little too serious for its own good, we have crazy golf. For those who find the rather lame challenges provided by the usual windmill and inanimate objects a crazy golf course provides, there’s Mani Golf.

I’m almost loathed to use the often overused terms like ‘off the wall’ and ‘zany’ but this golfing game is definitely an unexpected and very amusing find in the Appstore.

As with golf, you have a par for each hole. Some of the challenges aren’t that oddball to begin with, in fact they are simply to show you the ropes, but no sooner are you able to judge distance with the power to use and the angle to apply, you are confronted with some of the trickiest challenges applied to golf.

Everything from bouncy mushrooms, rickety ramps, dinosaur fossils, oil slicks and platforms are just some of the variety of objects to overcome or use to your advantage. You swiftly become aware that there is almost always more than one way to approach each hole. If you apply a bit of puzzle solving and a modicum of luck and a pinch of skill, you might just pull off a hole in one.

At the end of each course you are awarded for the amount of time you spent on each hole as well as the number of strokes. You receive a bronze medal for a birdie (one under par), silver for an eagle (two under par) and gold for an albatross (three under par).

What makes this game nudge into the very playable and amusing category is that it doesn’t seem to take itself nor you too seriously. Indeed, Gaylord Mulligan (the character you play with) says some witty things or just cracks up laughing when you play a poor shot.

The best way to describe this game is to think of the game Worms and apply it to the golf course (except clearly the balls aren’t explosive).

There’s only a couple of small niggles I would say let this title down a bit. The main one is the controls do sometimes have a mind of their own as you may need to zoom in and out to guesstimate the shot but it could easily end up with you taking a shot if you’re not lucky. Similarly the angle and power of the shot can be quite hard to get right when you’re tucked up in a corner – as this means that pulling back your swing and getting the angle right may be impossible as you can’t get enough power on the shot. However, this shouldn’t really put you off too much as this helps make the game challenging and unpredictable.

Ultimately, if you like a bit of a giggle and fancy a challenging round of crazy golf then don’t look much further than this game.

Rating 75%

Positives

Very entertaining

Pretty addictive

Lots of challenging holes to keep you occupied

Negatives

The cartoon-like appearance may not be to everyone’s liking

The controls aren’t that great some of the time

Courses range from ridiculously easy to the near impossible

Pachee

Pachee – Peg moving board game entertainment brought to your mobile phone!

We’ve all been stuck somewhere twiddling our thumbs and scratching our heads trying to fend off the inevitable boredom of a cold winter evening or just seeking a distraction which will keep you occupied for long enough to take your mind off work, the journey ahead of you or whatever it may be. For me one of the best distractions is playing a game of some sort.

If all this high action, speed and so on are not your cup of tea then why not go back to basics and play a board game? Sure everyone’s heard of Monopoly but what about Pachee? Well, this game’s been named by other companies and slightly different rules have applied to it over the years, but this game is certainly entertainment and relief all in one handy little bundle.

You have two different settings; quick game and journey mode. As the name suggests, quick game is just the straight forward mode which allows you to play against three other computer opponents in a race to get all your four coloured pegs from the start zone, around the board and back home safely. To do this, you must roll the highest score on the dice to see who goes first then to get your peg on the board you have to roll a six. In a clockwise motion you take it in turns to roll the dice and move your piece accordingly. If you roll a six you have the choice of moving the piece you have on the board and taking another roll or launching another piece onto the board.

To complete the game you must bring all four pieces home safely by moving them into the four slots at the end zone but be careful, the whole time the piece remains in open play your opponents can take your slot and bump you back to the start, where you must roll a six to get launched again. The good news is, you can return the favour and be as tactical as you wish.

In journey mode, it’s largely the same but by successfully completing each stage you will be able to unlock new features and rules. This is a good thing that will keep the interest levels quite high.

I will say that I did find myself just pressing the OK button repeatedly and not really thinking about tactics too much as it never made much difference too much either way as ultimately it’s down to plain old luck as to whether or not you get to start or move your pieces and whether or not the AI will pick on you too much (although on harder settings it seemed less likely to get the numbers on the dice and it was all too common to find the pieces back at the start).

Overall though despite the repetitive nature of this particular game, I did find myself enjoying it and could certainly find it a welcome distraction to the day to day activities and could certainly imagine any board game lover out there would feel the same way too. There’s only one thing however, you can’t pick to play any friends on this game as the only opponents you had are AI ones. For me this was a bit of a blow against what board games are about. True, on mobiles it’s largely geared towards one player, but it could have made this game jump rapidly up the stickability rankings.

Rating 72%

Positives

Pretty addictive

A good distraction

Something that old and young can play

You can modify the game and its appearance as you unlock more features

Negatives

Graphically it’s pretty tame

It’s all too easy to just tap the OK button and not really think about your next move

Games seem to go on forever at times

iRoach 2

iRoach 2 – Bug squishing, err... fun!

Now before any animal rights activists decide to flock onto their bandwagon and preach to me or anyone else about how wrong it is to squish bugs, absolutely no real bugs come to harm from playing this game (apart from the ones you may tread on whilst distracted by playing it).

I admit that I have occasionally splatted the occasional creepy crawly when I was younger and didn’t really know much better. Now I know better but don’t wish to get my hands dirty I was intrigued to play iRoach 2.

The premise of this app is pretty simple; squish any bug that scurries across the tiled surface on the screen. Each hit you make results in a rather gooey, mushy and disgusting bug-like mess. If you fail to make contact, each attempt costs you points! So ultimately, be as accurate and as fast as you can to get the highest score possible in the allotted time.

Weirdly the different bugs make different sounds, which to me didn’t really resemble the real thing much. Although the sound effects were quite good, it would have encouraged me to hit them more if they mocked me if I hit them or missed them.

The creepy-crawlies appeared pretty realistically and watching them scurry around as they did was a little stomach churning. Thankfully in the back of my mind I was able to remind myself that this was just a game and not the real thing.

If you don’t like cockroaches, spiders or flies on the one hand you’ll be pleased to note you can squish them all, but on the other hand you may not wish to look at this title as there’s loads of those ugly critters.

Effectively you are scored on the speed and accuracy of each kill. The faster or tougher the bug, the more points you get (as you’ll require either one quick kill or three good hits to kill it). You must also try to avoid hitting the ladybirds which cross the screen as they will cost you even more points than a miss.

After your two minutes are up, you can check out where you ranked against all your other attempts. You will see how many points you received as well as the total kills you notched up.

For me, this is not a very expansive game and relies purely on our sadistic nature of squishing horrible bugs. The game can’t be modified in any way, so no new bugs will appear to offer some variety, you can’t alter the surface or take a picture of your floor or wall and have the bugs scurry over that surface image. What’s more, there’s only the one game mode so you can’t even alter the length of time you can squish things.

So to sum it up, it’s a nice idea in lots of ways but falls short of being genius but I hope that as the game gets updated, the producers will use the suggestions above as well as any others to improve it.

Rating 55%

Positives

A creepier version of whack-a-mole

Very realistic

Moderately entertaining and does offer a bit of distraction

Negatives

No way to change any settings e.g. time or mode

Very, very, very repetitive

Not to be played with anyone of a squeamish disposition

Cut the Rope

Cut the Rope – Puzzles galore!

There’s a very good reason why this game happens to be one of the most popular crazes on the Apps store... it’s brilliant!

Now I’ve got your attention - for anyone who’s not downloaded or played this game, you really should stop missing out any longer. The game is a puzzler of the highest order which will tax every brain cell you have and push your reflexes pretty hard too.

What you must do is try to feed the rather cute looking hungry frog like creature which appears around the screen with the candy provided. To do this, you must try and work out which rope to cut and when to cut it. Don’t be fooled though, this simple task is made quite tricky and to make this more challenging than it already is, there are plenty of devious obstacles to overcome or make use of.

You must aim to collect the three stars that are dotted around the course with your candy. To do this you must swing the candy around using the various ropes, bubbles, moveable objects and so on. For example, some of the ropes are elastic and will need to work out how to aim the candy in a slingshot fashion by cutting the chords in the right sequence.

Although nearly every level will test your abilities to their limit, some levels will require your reflexes more than your brains. In these instances you must move your fingers in a fast frenzy to either collect the stars or do it safely or else you’ll likely see your candy smashed on spikes, blown up by electricity, stolen by cheeky spiders or simply drift off screen due to the bubbles – and that’s just some of what awaits you.

Overall this is a really nice game to play, mentally stimulating, frantic action at points, but always entertaining and a really amusing game that keeps you playing for hours on end. If you only fancy playing this for a few moments, then be advised you will probably end up playing for a lot longer than you had originally bargained for.

Rating 89%

Positives

Hugely entertaining

Very cute graphics

Devious levels which will keep you playing for hours

Negatives

A tad repetitive

Sometimes the cutting can be difficult as ropes overlap

The replay button can be easily tapped when bursting the bubble as it hits the top of the screen causing you to replay the level instead of what you may be intending

Vikings Row!

Vikings Row! – Row, row, row your boat...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to row a longboat through fjords and rivers? Well if you have then take a closer look at this little number called Vikings Row!

I must be honest, I was wondering when I first clicked on downloading this title if it was going to be rowing Vikings, as in arguing or rowing as in paddling. I was a little relieved at first to discover that it indeed was the seafaring option, but after using the controls I was questioning if I was going to prefer the other one. It’s a miracle that the Vikings would have got much further than the dock if they relied on the controls that this title tries to use – but more about this later.

The object of the game is to try and row the longboat through a twisty-turny course, collecting gold coins along the way and trying to beat the clock and also not lose all your crew in the process. To do this you must utilise the visual indicators on the screen. The bar along the right side of the screen shows you how far you are through the course. Above this is the clock which you must try to beat or you otherwise lose the game. The amount of gold you collect is marked in bronze, silver or gold shields (which are awarded once a certain amount of gold is gathered). Lastly the helmets indicate how many crew members you have, and these get depleted for various reasons as you go along the course if you’re not lucky – and yes, if you lose all your crew, the ship sinks.

One thing I did like about this particular game is that it actually has a bit of originality and the challenges are certainly no walkover. Indeed the getting through the course in one piece or within the allotted time is quite a challenge that Odin would be hard pressed to achieve.

Thankfully there are other objects you can collect along the way which will improve your chances of a successful voyage. For example, you can gain valuable seconds by gathering the time boost.

Now, back to the rather cumbersome controls. As anyone who’s rowed a boat may know, you have an oar (or more) on both sides of the ship. To go forward, you must push both simultaneously in the same direction, and do the reverse to go backwards. To turn, you can either stroke on the one side or to turn more quickly, stroke in a clockwise or anti-clockwise motion.

After quite an amount of time trying to row in a straight line and making corrections to the direction, the adjustments can be either too much or too little, usually resulting in facing the wrong way or getting stuck sideways – costing valuable time. To be honest, it’s no wonder the Vikings all had such long hair and beards as they probably gained these through being stuck going around in circles for epic amounts of time!

As mentioned before, this game is a novel idea and one that should be commended for its efforts. The controls did let it down somewhat but I’m sure given enough practice it will become second nature.

Rating 68%

Positives

Novel idea and challenging

Quite a few courses to master

You can change the designs on the ships sails

Negatives

You can’t skip the long intro – which is a bit tedious whenever you just want to play the game or replay the failed mission

Controls are not all that responsive at times

No mini-games to pillage villages

Splode

Splode – Exploding Spores

If you enjoyed watching pond skaters skimming around on the surface of a pool, you will no doubt find yourself entranced by this little gem of a game called Splode.

In this game you must tap the screen and set off a chain reaction. Wherever you touch causes a ripple, this in turn sets off the little spores in different directions and these then burst. If they burst next to other spores this will in turn set off another ripple which will trigger off other spores nearby to keep this process repeated.

The aim of the game is to clear the screen of these spores by using a well timed and placed tap of the screen to cause this domino effect.

There are two versions of game to play, one (challenge mode) which is a seemingly endless mission of clearing a certain amount of spores off the screen. The number you have to clear off screen increases with every cleared stage, but so too does the number of spores on the screen.

The other mode (score attack) starts off with a small number of spores, and with only five ripples to use. As you play, you will need to reach a certain checkpoint and you will either be rewarded with another ripple or replenish the whole five attempts fully.

There’s virtually no real control over the game apart from the initial ripple and in the end it’s purely down to luck, chance and a bit of judgement as to where to set the ripple off and watch the turn of events unfold before your eyes.

I wish I could pass on some pearls of wisdom about how to improve your chances of success. In truth however it doesn’t work out that way. Some turns it is better to tap right in the middle and shoot spores out in all directions to try and trigger as many spore explosions as possible. On the other hand, sometimes it’s best to pick one spore and fire it towards the general direction of the other spores in a hap hazardous effort of bursting everything on the screen.

The game is more like a therapeutic session of sorts, the harp strums, and flowers coming to life as the screen turns from the black and white moonscape to a beautiful summer scene are quite impressive and I found myself playing the game more and more even though I wanted to put it down.

So if addictive, puzzle solving sorts of games are your kind of thing then look no further. This game is a little frustrating and seemingly endless, so apart from the mild sense of accomplishment received by clearing the level is replaced by another sense of ‘here we go again!’ with the onset of the next level.

Rating 72%

Positives

Highly addictive

Pretty graphics

Nice music

Negatives

The game relies on nothing but chance

Extremely repetitive

Quite a passive game as you only do one thing each level

Dead Runner

Dead Runner – Dead Scary or Dead Boring? You decide!

This happens to be a superbly atmospheric game, with chilling music, plenty of mist and unexpected twists and turns.

This title offers two types of gameplay; distance and points. Essentially these modes are the same but there are a couple of distinct differences. What you must do is try to run through the misty forest as far as you can without hitting any obstacles (trees mainly and the odd gravestone). To do this, you tilt the iPod/iPhone from left to right to turn that way. Moving forward is done automatically, the only thing you can’t do with the device is slow yourself down (unless you happen to run into a bush which will slow you down momentarily).

As you go, the speed picks up and so your reactions must get quicker to match otherwise you’ll end up face first into an object.

In distance mode you are purely marked on how far you manage to get before you hit something (which ends the game). In points mode, you get scored on the distance and on the bonus coins (yellow orbs), and the multiplyers (2x purple orbs and 3x green orbs). Needless to say you can try to just go the distance but you might score more highly if you take the riskier route and gather all the various point boosting pick-ups along the way.

Although the game never really does do much in the way of offer any real variety, it does offer a challenge nonetheless. For me, it would have been good seeing some moving objects come into play and really make the most of the entire creepy atmosphere. So for this reason I think the developers missed a trick and I can only hope that in a future update it will have zombies, ghouls or bats – even if these are just to make it look more spooky rather than kill you.

Ultimately, this is a title that is certainly going to do well for Halloween and with anyone who likes the thrill of the chase but it just seems like it could have gone a little bit further. For some it’s bound to be highly addictive and for others it’s probably a little bit dull and repetitive.

The most frustrating part for me was that the turning isn’t razor sharp and when trying to collect orbs or dodge objects, the space or orb can be seen but not reached – which normally results in a rather untimely end.

The only reason I found that I would keep playing this game is to achieve all the goals, but to do this could take you quite a while.

Rating 66%

Positives

Good graphics

Very atmospheric

Perfect for Halloween

Plenty of goals to strive for

Negatives

Extremely repetitive

There’s no plot

Seemingly endless

Not enough variation between the two modes

Super Mega Worm

Super Mega Worm – The worm has turned!

If you enjoy taking a trip down memory lane and reminding yourself just what good old fashioned gaming entertainment is, then look no further than Super Mega Worm.

This game is a pretty simple looking game by today’s standards but it certainly doesn’t take anything away from the simple and addictive fun that you’ll get from this title.

Your mission is simple, take control of a mutant worm and munch your way through the human infestation until every last human (and anything else you can mention) are wiped from the face of the planet.

To do this, use the directional pad on the left hand side to rotate your worm around to the desired direction and get munching. Humans, cattle, emus and other random creatures all are running around oblivious to the terror that lurks beneath their feet. When you come to the surface, the poor people and animals react (usually by running away from you or trying to fire at you).

It’s a game of survival. You must eat everything that’s possible to keep yourself alive and health at maximum, because as soon as you lose your health, your game’s over. Tunnelling around through the underground and being attacked will impact on your health. Fortunately, by eating humans and animals, your health will be topped up.

What starts out as a simple and rather laid back game swiftly develops into a fully engaging and pressured experience; as getting the balance of finding and eliminating anything on two or four legs before you run out of energy makes the levels more and more challenging.

As you are Super Mega Worm, you are a worm nonetheless and must use objects to your advantage. For example, jumping onto a truck will give you additional jumping energy which helps you get higher in the sky (where some crafty humans are hovering around attached to balloons). Additionally, as you progress your way through the game, your worms abilities are improved, including spitting (which allows you to shoot at targets – but at the cost of not eating them and getting the energy replenished), and atomic drops which cause massive destruction as you hit the ground.

There’s only one glitch that I can see from this title, which is once you complete it, you can’t go back and start the game over from scratch and you will only be able to appreciate the end credits. Whether this is just a way for you to download the game again or just a problem that’s gone unnoticed (how could this be unnoticed?) I think is a bit of a pain.

However, otherwise this game is superb and all the humorous things the humans say (in speech bubbles and sound effects), all add to the mix of what makes a retro game fun, exciting and hugely entertaining.

Rating 82%

Positives

Retro gaming fun

A great time-killer, but you’ll find it hard to put it down once you’ve started

Challenging and entertaining

Negatives

Unable to play the game again once you’ve completed it

The controls at times are a little fiddly

Pretty repetitive

The Sims 3 Ambitions

The Sims 3 Ambitions – Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy?

It’s a little known secret that the most popular game ever is The Sims. Not only is this game popular with players of just about every age but also due to the actions and random events, it opens itself wide open to boys and girls alike.

As with all Sims games, you get to spend an age tweaking your character. Everything from the gender, appearance and character are able to be altered. If you are pushed for time and haven’t got a character to start with, don’t worry, you can randomise a Sim with one deft press of the appropriate button.

Now that you’re satisfied with your Sims appearance, attitude and ambition, you must apply these in the ‘real’ world. Starting out at your home, you have all the basic things you could need, from living-room, bathroom and bedroom. Although your home is pretty sparsely decorated, with a settee, fridge, bed, phone, shower, lavatory and TV, it’s your computer you must swiftly get familiar with to search for a job – after all, without a job, you can’t afford to eat, buy kit to improve your skills (which improve your job) and generally enjoy yourself with.

One thing to remember is that all work and no play does make for a bit of a bleak future, so it’s important to try your Sim’s hand at anything possible. Whether it’s learning to paint using an easel, through to playing guitar or cooking, you must try to ensure your Sims needs are met. To do this, you must not just follow the ambitions but also pick up friends along the way and be social or as antisocial as you wish.

Thankfully this game does have a bit of depth to it as it’s not just about working your fingers to the bone. Instead, you can be a layabout and do as little as possible if that is your wish. The most important thing of all is to ensure every criterion is met and not to let it get on top of you or your Sim.

Ultimately, this game can be as straightforward or as complicated as you wish from the start, but it can be more than a handful as the game progresses and the stresses of work, home and social life all take their toll.

Although this game is a bit of a stripped down version of Sims 3 game, all the main things are there for you to enjoy and is pretty good even so.

Rating 77%

Positives

Plenty of Sim action to keep your thumbs and brain active

Good graphics

Random events and things to keep you guessing

Negatives

Repetitive

Some of the other enjoyable elements of Sims 3 are missing

It can take a while to get your home and career where it needs to be

Axe in Face

Axe in Face – Vikings are pretty attached to Daffodils, but don’t lose your head!

Vikings have always tended to strike terror and fear into the hearts of anyone who ever stood in their way. Although the horde have long since given up raping, pillaging and generally being a pain in the butt to unsuspecting villagers, we still don’t know much about what they did in their downtime. Well thankfully to this little game, we have a bit of an insight, if slightly more tongue in cheek than anything else.

You play the part of Redbeard who likes nothing more than to tend to his fields of Daffodils. Rather than going berserk with a bloodlust triggered off by a horn, your character is too sensitive about his garden and woe betide anyone who dare cross through his beloved Daffodils!

Fortunately it’s down to you and your trusty axe to stop the waves of Vikings from trampling their way through your fields. What you must do is draw a line from Redbeard to the desired destination. Once you release your finger from the end of the line you’ve drawn you get to watch your axe fly. If you’re on target the Vikings will become a little detached from their heads, if you’re not accurate, the Vikings will continue in their path to your Daffodils.

You only have the one axe so you must wait for it to return to you after each throw (which it does in a boomerang operation), before you can take another attempt in beheading the Vikings again. As you play your way through the levels you will see a range of different looking Vikings which all have strengths and weaknesses. For example, Vikings in sacks make big jumps, but stop for a few seconds before each jump. Other Vikings, have shields and can only be killed by using the axe from behind. Meanwhile, some Vikings use trees as defence and can only be stopped should you ignite your axe in a fire beforehand.

You are graded quite simply by the number of Vikings you kill in each level and this is increased by the combo of how many you bump off in one throw. However you will lose the level should you fail to prevent the Vikings from treading on your flowers!

Although this is in essence a bit of a violent game, it’s not gory or disgusting and actually is quite cute and as such lends itself to anyone of just about any age to play. And yes, even when you lose Redbeard looks so cute when he cries!

Overall, this is highly addictive, a real steal at only 59p and one you could easily get hooked on playing.

Rating 88%

Positives

Simple and entertaining

Addictive

Cute and amusing

Challenging, particularly at later stages

Negatives

Quite repetitive

The graphics never change so the levels never really alter

Fantasy Warrior: Legends

Fantasy Warrior: Legends – Anything but legendary

As a huge fan of Zelda type games, it always feels like taking a journey home as soon as I switch on the game and watch the intro kick in, knowing that the top-down slash, dash and collect objects type game is going to kick in at any minute. Unfortunately this title isn’t quite in the same league, but it shouldn’t be written off entirely.

You of course play the role of the hero who starts off telling you just how much of a lovely day it is (whilst brandishing a sword?!)... err, like you do. Suddenly, you discover that bandits have ransacked your town and it’s down to you to find your brother, the mayor and inform and protect the king and the kingdom through battling your way around the maze.

Unlike some games of this type, the controls and action is very simplistic. Moving around the screen is just a case of up, down, left and right. Attacking someone is also simply pressing the corresponding key in the direction you are being attacked from/would like to attack. As you roam around the levels you will stumble upon various objects which help you along your way. A glowing pouch provides you with either health (replacing any lost in battle) or gold (five gold coins gives you +1 XP).

After each successful mission your score is summarised, detailing any improvements achieved and also if you missed any hidden boosts. As you would expect, the more XP you gain the better you are at fighting and avoiding being hit.

Unfortunately, no matter how much XP you gain it will never improve the crippling effect the basic controls offer. I lost track of the number of times I found my character stuck behind a tree (which seemed to be out of the way), or unable to collect objects quickly and easily due to getting jammed on some invisible wall.

I will say in its defence, this game does have quite an interesting story to keep you muddling your way through. Also for the more junior players, it will no doubt give quite a bit of entertainment. For the more advanced player, the challenge is quite rewarding especially due to overcoming the control issues.

Rating 55%

Positives

Engaging story

Quite a basic but pretty game to look at

Plenty of levels to play your way through

Unlimited continues

Negatives

The controls are quite dreadful and the bugs to get through are frustrating to say the least

The maze-like courses are pretty one dimensional and force you to follow the linear story of the game

Your hero’s abilities never really improve with the XP upgrades

Long hanging time for loading

Screen doesn’t dim – could waste battery if you forget to switch off

Gangstar 2: Miami Vindication

Gangstar 2: Miami Vindication – Think GTA or Saints Row on your mobile

For those of you who are familiar with Gangstar, it picks up right where the other left off. For those not so familiar, you must help your brother out by dealing out your own uncompromising law and order to the crime syndicates in the city.

Beginning right from the bat with basics in how to run, drive and fight, you will swiftly become a mini crime-wave with one mission in mind, annihilate all who stand in your way. To do this, you have the assistance of a small circle of friends who give you tasks to follow which will end up in the desired effects in a flowing, gritty story.

Starting out with very little other than your set of wheels (which sadly become toast right at the start), you must then seek an alternative means of transportation, but to do this you must use your bare fists to beat down its owner. Without much thought, your slippery decent into the underworld and crime is set.

The tasks are all pretty straight forward. You are told to either use a vehicle (which may or may not be provided), escape the lynch mob which come in all shapes and guises (both mafia and police) and safely make it to a designated place. Once you’ve managed to arrive safely in one piece you’ll be rewarded with cash, arms or, more usually, another mission.

This game is pretty entertaining and the short missions all offer quite a challenge. For more hardcore gamers, it’s possibly not quite as challenging as GTA or Saints Row games which tend to have a bit more depth and free-play to do things outside the box. However, you can deviate from the script, particularly once you’ve gathered enough funds and built up your arsenal. Once you’re more kitted out than Rambo, the A-Team and the whole army put together, the chances are you will be able to dictate the game as you desire – after all, no one tends to meddle with someone with a bigger gun than theirs... except in this case, they do, and yes, if your aim’s pretty good (which it is, thanks to auto-aim), you’ll see plenty of carnage.

The game is mature, plenty of blood and swearing flow throughout it. It’s not obscene and gratuitous, but for a younger gamer, it may be advised to pick something else more suitable.

Overall, it’s entertaining and after a tough day at the office, I can relate (but don’t condone) with the no-nonsense action the hero of the story does. It’s well made, although a little fiddly flipping between using a thumb-control joystick for walking and running, and the tilt controls for the driving parts. The game has a decent script and although the missions are pretty short, there are lots to do and plenty of things to keep yourself occupied with if you feel like just kicking butt!

Rating 85%

Positives

Short missions allow for quick games

Plenty of music to go to choose from on the radio (with commercials)

Entertaining story

Negatives

The controls and aiming aren’t terribly great

Quite easy to complete if you have the funds to buy your own arsenal

Glitches cause you to get stuck if you aren’t lucky

Galaxy Golf

Galaxy Golf: It’s golf Jim, but not as we know it!

Space, the final frontier, golf is boldly going where it’s never been before!

I’m sorry for all the Star Trek type puns but this game is definitely what the aliens would be choosing to play if they had a bit of time to spare whenever they weren’t too busy having wars and abducting people... if you believe that sort of thing.

Obviously golf on earth is a little different, there’s bunkers, fairways, the green and natural hazards like trees, water and even the wind to take into account. Space however doesn’t quite have the same obstacles, in fact apart from sun which can cause your ball-like comet going supernova, there’s only the boundaries and barriers you can use to your advantage as you move your way around the course.

Basically what you are tasked to do is take aim and fire your comet at the black holes. To do this, tap and hold the comet, drawing back your thumb to get the power (which is read from 0 to 100) and moving the thumb around to change the angle (360 degrees). Once you’re satisfied with the angle and power take your finger off the screen and watch your comet fly! If you get the angle right, along with the power, you’ll watch the comet streak across the sky leaving a pretty trail in its wake towards the target. As it enters the gravitational pull of the ‘hole’ it will either go straight in or do a rotation or two around the hole before going in (which not only looks pretty, resembling a spiral flower pattern, but also gives you lots of points).

To make this more challenging as you progress there are more holes and they become colour co-ordinated. The additional problem with having more holes in a restricted area is that you will need to use the gravitational pull of the holes to your advantage, or try to do one of two things, power your way through or use after-touch to pull off some amazing shots.

After-touch is where you touch the screen to trace the path you wish your comet to take. This has to be used sparingly however as it not only allows you to pull off some amazing trick-shots, but heats up your comet and speeds it up the longer it follows your path – which means you’ll possibly blow up and have to replay that level again.

The game is pretty addictive and offers plenty of courses to work your way round. Judging the power and accuracy is a breeze to do using the controls as they are. Zooming in and out is possible, as is moving the camera around the course if you so wish. In truth, this game is a nice spin on the traditional golf scene and I wish there was something similar to play on the more usual surroundings.

The most irritating thing for me is that it wants to hook you up with ‘friends’ from Myspace. This for me simply invades my space and breaks up the flow of the game too much (as it would happen whenever it likes at random moments around the course). If there was a way to switch this off, I would give this a superb rating but for this reason alone, it goes down in my estimation.

Rating 70%

Positives

An interesting take on the golfing idea

Challenging and addictive

Plenty of courses

Good controls

Negatives

Repeatedly interrupted by MySpace friend requests during the game play (which causes mistakes during play)

Very repetitive

Different appearances would have spiced it up a little

Real Golf 2011

Real Golf 2011 – It’s golf, just better!

Do you enjoy smashing golf balls as far as you can and fancy yourself as a bit of a pro on the circuit? Well if so then you have every chance to prove your skill by trying your hand at Real Golf 2011.

As the name suggests, this is the most up to date golfing game around. Pick from some of the biggest names on the scene, both male and female. Each player has their individual attributes and therefore allow you to play to your strengths or develop your skills to remove the handicap.

The controls act as you would probably expect. Changing your angle of approach is a case of tapping the side of the screen left or right. If you fancy being just that touch more accurate you can even look at the area you’re aiming to land the ball. By moving the grid around your position is planned to the finite degree, however your accuracy all depends on the power.

Striking the ball is a case of tapping the ball icon on the bottom right hand side, tapping it again opens up the power-meter. Dragging the ghosted ball icon from the top down to the desired amount and pushing it back again to the top will swing your club accordingly and the ball will whizz through the air. If you drag your thumb to the left or right or too far back, or not enough, you’ll end up miscuing the ball and more than likely cause the ball to swing to the left or right (off course) or over cook the shot or cost yourself an attempt with little ground made.

When on the green the principle of the aiming and power is much the same, but using a different club (the putter) means you will need to be much more accurate with the stroke. Rather than having to take into account the effects that wind may have on the flight of the ball, you must try to judge the distance and the undulations of the terrain which will have a huge impact on your putting attempt.

In short, if you enjoy Tiger Woods games or other more serious golfing efforts, then this game is just what the doctor ordered. If you are more interested in the more quirky, and light hearted efforts, then you may just wish to try Let’s Golf 2 instead. Interestingly, both of these titles are made by the same game producer and apart from the obvious graphics and different take on the game (one serious, one fun) there’s very little between them.

Rating 84%

Positives

Captures the best and worst parts of the game

Great graphics, in game animation and commentary

Very detailed and entertaining

You can play others via Bluetooth and Wifi

Negatives

Quite in depth, which may deter some players

Putting can be quite a task as the controls are a little unpredictable

The animated scenes can drag a little

Long loading times

Save Betsy

Save Betsy – Can cows fly? Apparently not but they can hurl poo and bounce!

In a total Doodle Jump rip off, let me introduce you to Save Betsy. You are tasked with the seemingly endless challenge of jumping from platform to platform upwards. Armed with cowpats, your comical ascent is only made difficult by the moving obstacles (meat grinders etc.) which litter your path. To clear the way, tap the screen and watch the brown stuff fly!

Movement is a simple tilt of the iPod from left to right. Moving it gently and Betsy will bounce gracefully (well, as gracefully as a hopping cow can) in that direction. Move the handset more vigorously and your Betsy will be boinging like a mad cow virtually horizontally!

As with these platform jumping style games, it’s very simplistic. Some platforms are firm, others will give way after one touch, others will give way before you even get to bounce off them (usually resulting in your a cow patty!) Likewise, it’s not just judging your angle in your climb upwards but also judging the timing (especially when platforms move from left to right or up and down).

In a way to keep the levels progressively more unpredictable, you will find little objects which will help you on the way. Springs propel you upwards, helicopters will give you a helpful lift too! Disguises (either a haystack or a horse) will help you avoid being captured and ending up as a burger.

The game is pretty addictive and does certainly offer some light relief. It’s also pretty amusing watching poor old Betsy tumble to the ground when you miss the platform and come crashing down. Most impressively are some rather obscure facts which you can learn about our bovine friends; like a cow can drink a bathtub of water in a day! These factoids make the bitter pill of defeat easier to swallow and also improve the addictive quality of the game.

Overall, if you appreciate these platform styled games, you will certainly find this title well worth playing. However, if you have Doodle Jump or another one of these sorts of games, I would struggle to see any real difference that would make you want to add this to the collection as nothing really different sets it apart.

Rating 70%

Positives

Good fun

Responsive controls

Highly addictive

Interesting facts about cows

Negatives

Doesn’t really offer anything new

Very repetitive

The frustration could result in a flying iPod!

Road Hog

Road Hog – On your marks, get set, go!

Are you a bit of a petrol-head beneath it all? Well, if so, you have this enjoyable and simple little app which will keep you entertained for a little while.

The aim of the game is just about as simple as it gets, try to go as far as you can. There’s only a few things that stand between you and a world class ranking, namely road signs, oil spills and err, moving walls?!

Fortunately it’s not all dangers as there are some power-ups which will help you in your challenge. Driving into boxes with rockets and ice symbols on will either let you blow an object out of your path or slow down time and let you pull off some demon driving stunts for a brief time.

As you drive around, you have stars littering the highway which you can pick up to add to your score. The fiddly thing about these stars are they’re usually put in a near collision course with objects so you must rely on some pretty dexterous reactions in moving your car around the screen (by dragging your finger side to side, forward and back). The other thing to remember is that you can cause your car to jump and hurdle low lying dangers (oil spill spots, manhole covers and boxes etc).

Although you are usually looking out for the road signs (and avoid them as they move into your path) you are need to also read the symbols as they give a clue as to what lies ahead! To be fair, I never really mastered the reading part and it just meant I made the game a whole load more unpredictable.

The game is pretty entertaining and certainly helps pass the time. I won’t say that it is the most inspired and original title on the circuit but it’s certainly got a bit of an addictive quality as per all the retro and more basic titles have. If you basically think back to the classic LCD games where you had to weave your way around obstacles without crashing too many times, you have a pretty good idea what this title is like.

Overall, if you’re looking for a more in depth driving experience, then probably keep looking. However, if you fancy some light distraction then give this a whirl.

Rating 69%

Positives

Pretty addictive

Good sound and music

Responsive controls

Negatives

Not a very progressive title

Very basic graphics

Adding some twists and turns and chicanes to the road would have made this more like Spy Hunter (aka better!)

iBomber 2

iBomber 2 – Blow those little tanks (and just about everything else) to pieces!

Did you ever wonder what it would be like to look at everything from a bird’s eye view? No?! Well, me neither, but it’s actually quite fun – especially when armed to the teeth with bombs and looking through the sights of a bomber!

iBomber 2 is set in WW2 and it’s down to you to save the day doing death defying missions to blow the hell out of anything that moves and anything that doesn’t. It’s pretty safe to assume that anything on the ground is fair game for you to use as target practice. Buildings, tanks, planes, boats, anti-aircraft gun turrets and so on are all there for you to blow to kingdom come.

In your campaign you have a number of key objectives which you must destroy to progress to the next level. However, should anything else come into range, it’s almost impolite to let it not join all the rest in flames.

 The controls are pretty straightforward. Tilt your iPod/Phone to the left or right to turn in the same direction. Tilt the device towards you and you slow down and tilt it away from you and you speed up. Releasing the bombs is a case of tapping the red button on the right hand bottom corner.

You need to gauge the fall of the bomb to ensure you hit the target. For example planes and objects on top of mountains will obviously come into contact with your bombs sooner than things further away. It does take a bit of guess work but judging the speed and distance can be done pretty accurately. Honestly however it’s just as well that your bomb supply is unlimited. For your reward of hitting the mark, in addition to the points, you’ll be given different power-ups like multi-bomb and restore health.

 The game is pretty amusing and it takes the usual ‘shooting through a scope’ type game to a different level (about 30,000 feet ha!)

Rating 71%

Positives

Lots of atmosphere and detail

Challenging even on easy setting

Cool music which is more like a war movie than a game!

Lots of additional challenges e.g. friendly units to protect (not blow up)

Negatives

Very repetitive

I wish there was an auto-fire option

There’s no AI so everything goes around in circles and make the targets sitting ducks

The Secret of Monkey Island 2: Special Edition

The Secret of Monkey Island 2: Special Edition – Yo ho ho! Pirates tremble once more at the name of LeChuck!

It’s with great pleasure that I get to announce to you the Lucas Arts classic, The Secret of Monkey Island 2: Special Edition is available for your iPhone/iPod Touch!

I have been an avid fan of the series ever since the rather humble beginnings and sketchy graphics of the first game back on the old Amiga some 20 years ago or thereabouts. And not wanting to sound like a sad gamer, I’ve been unable to play the games on my powerful PC as they’re incompatible. So seeing this in the App Store is something of a rare find; a bit of a treasure even (if you excuse the pun!).

So, where to begin with the game? Well, it starts at the end where you unravel the mystery which got you dangling at the bottom of a rope in the first place. Your rather hapless hero is once more on a bumbling mission to become the greatest pirate ever, this time by unearthing the huge treasure of Big Whoop! There’s only a bit of a problem, to find Big Whoop you must try to defeat Largo (who’s the biggest bully imaginable), find a ship and a of course work out where exactly Big Whoop is in the first place. To do this, you must navigate your way round the island solving tasks along the way and picking up objects and clues as you go.

This game is very heavy on interaction and so it should be played when you can’t be distracted, although should you miss some of the conversations you can usually pick up the clue by speaking with the person again (who don’t seem to mind your amnesia and repeated questions).

True to form, the same tongue in cheek amusing quips and wit flow throughout the game and will reward you for your endeavours. Although it’s not as clear to see what you can interact with, you can use your gesture control (as if you were to zoom in) and all objects that you can interact with will glow briefly.

Where this game suffers mostly is that the controls are a little frustrating at times. For example picking up a monocle took the best part of a minute or two to manage as I inadvertently kept talking with the character and looking at objects rather than grabbing it. This wouldn’t have been a problem on a big screen with a mouse cursor. However, this isn’t too terrible and can be forgiven due to the sheer entertainment the title offers.

Overall, if you were a fan of the original game then this is going to definitely be right for you. If you enjoy searching and solving puzzles and following missions then this is a great one for you to play. Also if you like playing games that have plenty of humour then this is certainly going to fit the bill perfectly. For me, it’s just a pleasure slipping into something as comfortable as your old slippers and taking a trip down memory lane.

Rating 94%

Positives

Good script with lots of humour

Enjoyable music and atmospheric graphics

Addictive with loads of missions to keep you hooked

Negatives

Controls are a little tricky to get right

If your patience is thin then you may get tired of the talking bits (although there’s a skip button)