Big Bad Flower

Publisher: Big Bad Brush  |  Cost: $0.99



Big Bad Flower is one of those games that's so simple it's boring, but also sooo cute, you'll put up with it. Although simple, this game is very polished in terms of presentation and entertainment values.

While as simple as it is, the action actually gets intense and you might hurt your fingers if you're careless.

Big Bad Flower gameplay is simple, cute but evil animals will pop-up seeking to put you back to the soils and so do defend yourself, you must draw a circle around them before they attack to encapsulate them in a bubble. After the animals have been captured you simply swipe the screen to "blow" them off into the far E.T. lands (outer space).



You can draw big bubbles and capture multiple evil creatures at the same time but the bigger your bubble is, the quicker the bubble will burst (yes, the bubbles DO burst after a certain amount of time if you don't blow them off).

The level and action is quite easy at the beginning, fits quite nicely with the friendly and happy theme. However, as you progress in the game different funny animals will appear and the actions start to get a bit fractic.



The mechanics of Big Bad Flower is quite simple, but the vibrant graphics and fast-paced gameplay is not for the weak-hearted ones. So if you think you can take a back-seat grabbing this game you're totally wrong.

AppApps Rating

Game Play:I think we need a "finger-sorer" category because of this game

Graphics:So cute, but yet so evil

Can Knockdown

Publisher: Infinite Dreams  |  Cost: FREE



Love theme parks and fairs with all sorts of games you can play? Ever spent that extra buck just to have another crack at knocking down all the bottles (cans) but failing miserably? If you do, Can Knockdown will bring joy to you like Christmas.

The goal is simple -- to knock down as many cans as you can before you run out of balls. For each level you pass you will gain 1 additional ball and by scoring strikes (completing the level with your 1st ball) you'll get a score multiplier that carries to the next level.



You may be wondering how is this fun or any better than "paper toss" games? Well, trust me it is. The awesome graphics and physics touch on the game is so immersive and pleasing it'll make you glee with joy even if your ball hits nothing but the wall!

The game also has "bullet time" animations once in a while so you can feel the impact and awesomeness of your throw with extra emotions. Every time this triggers it has me going "Ohhh yeah. I'm GOOD baby."

Can can placements are quite smart and you will also come across different cans such as the red one below, which will explode upon direct hit. The explosion combined with bullet-time effect, man it's like Santa himself is in town.



By default the game only has 1 mode but you can make an additional purchase (Winter Play) to play a different theme / setting. But of course being cheap, I didn't buy it you guys will have to find that part out on your own. My record so far is 133, let's see if you can beat that!

AppApps Rating

Game Play:
You won't stop until you get that strike

Graphics:
Oooooh so satisfying combined with the animation

UltraDeep

Publisher: ViquaSoft  |  Cost: $0.99



Like vertical scrollers? Not me. But by luck I've ran across UltraDeep while it was free when I snatched it up. However, instead of going up this one dives down deep below to the depth of the Earth in search of female's best friend -- diamonds. Like Mega Jump we've reviewed, collecting $ $ $ is always fun.

The art style is your usual doodle graphics but it works for this game as the pace is fast and interesting. Your objective is to collect diamonds as you traverse deep down while avoiding fires and spikes.



By collecting enough diamonds your power gauge will fill up and you can tap the screen for special abilities that will help you get through the dangers coming your way. At the end of each level the diamonds you collect can actually be turned into other power-ups.



Although there are some different power ups you can collect along your way to get through the terrain and spikes, your biggest threat is actually the "ceiling" that keeps coming down. If you're too slow, you get crushed splat.



It's a pretty interesting game if you're a fan of vertical-scrollers and it will sure keep you going for a number of hours.

AppApps Rating

Game Play:
Money. Money. Money.

Graphics:
Slightly worst than my 5-year-old cousin

Three Kingdoms

Publisher: ASTEPGAME  |  Cost: $2.99



I don't know how much Chinese history you guys know, but for me, this is THE GAME that I've been wishing for. The elements and characters of the 3 Kingdoms AND Tower Defense. Whether or not you are into all the history stuff but this TD is definitely an interesting spin and take on this genre.

It doesn't get better than this.



Three Kingdoms TD incorporates the epic historical story with good illustrations so if you are not familiar with the event, you'll get tuned-in.



The gameplay is very much your standard Tower Defense, with pre-determined routes and places to place your army in order to vanquish the waves of enemies. Of course there are upgrades to all your units (or "towers") which gets unlocked as you progress through the game, but what sets it apart is the thing below.

HEROS.



There are hero units in the game with special abilities that you can execute by spending energy points, and occasionally you'll get DUELS that actually portrays the actual history events. The hero units (war generals) are very powerful "towers" you can build with their individual statistics and skills.



At the end of each level you'll see the progression on the heroes as well as a chance to obtain special items that you can equip to your generals to boost their stats. This is great because it creates an interesting mechanic to the tower defense genre and also adds RPG elements to the game -- so you actually start caring about your "towers".



The developer has also done a great job in mapping the war zones and cities in history to their actual geographic locations to the history (more knowledge to those unfamiliar with history) and for Sango (3 Kingdoms) fans like me, it just couldn't be any better.

So pick this up now, and get a piece of the 5000 years of Chinese History.

AppApps Rating

Game Play:
One of its kind in the Tower Defense genre

Graphics:
Not exactly historical, but it sure has that "Chinese" aspect in it

Mega Jump

Publisher: Get Set Games  |  Cost: FREE



Mega Jump is a well-polished vertical scroller. It's as simple as any other of its kind you try to reach as high as possible by tilting your iPhone to get through the obstacles in your way. Having said that, it's one of my favorite vertical scrollers to date and here's why.

Being an eye-candy whore the awesome graphics grabbed me instantly -- then being a sucker for all-things-cute the cuddly characters had me going for hours! But that's not all, Mega Jump offers a wide variety of elements in the game but yet it is so simple. Other vertical scrollers have obstacles that you'll run into or random platforms that you'll likely to miss. However, in Mega Jump there are COINS ($$$!!) that you have to collect -- each coin you collect, and only if you collect it, will propel you upward.

Sure feels better than hitting your face or missing that damned platform huh?


The coins you collect along the way gets translated into stars and with the stars you are able to unlock new contents such as power-ups or new OH-so-cuddly playable animals!



Aside from collecting coins you will also come across different power ups such as magnets which attracts coins to you automatically, or stars which propel you further than a coin would do, or some crazy stuff that just shoots you straight up for a long-time ignoring all obstacles in the way (my favorite), and a whole lot more:



Besides the fun mechanics of the game, there's also another interesting design in Mega Jump -- there are multiple levels like any other games, but each level is also "connected". Once you reach a certain height you can always come back and start from that height (level) afterwards. The vertical-world is one big connected theme park for your pleasure!

Like cute things? like money? like a well-polished vertical scroller game? Then download it now and you can have it all.

AppApps Rating

Game Play:
Simple, entertaining, and unlockables that keep you coming back for more

Graphics:
Don't think it supports Retina Display yet, but about as good as it gets!

Reckless Racing

Publisher: Pixelbite Games; Cost: $0.99



If the words "drift", "rally", and "arcade action" make your heart beat faster, then Reckless Racing by Pixelbite Games is for you.

Gameplay

Pixelbite have done a great job of finding that sweet spot in the middle of what I like to call "the margin of fun-ness." The controls here are responsive and vary between cars, giving you plenty of different combinations to play with and challenges. I found the default set up of the steering controls to be a bit close to each other (fat fingers?) but Reckless Racing not only offers you FIVE different steering options, but they've also provided you the ability to customize your own steering configuration! I was flabbergasted when I saw the option.



The player is offered the chance to position the buttons wherever they like. +1 Pixelbite!

Single Player mode

Single Player mode offers 2 levels of difficulty: Beginner and Advanced. The difference between these modes is the handling of the car, with Beginner mode allowing for a lower learning curve and Advanced offering all the drift and sliding of a rally car. In Single Player mode, the player can race on ten "original" tracks (some have to be unlocked) and 4 "extra" ones. There are 3 types of races: "Dirt Rally" - a 3 or 4 lap race against computer opponents, "hot Lap" - a race against yourself, where you race against your own best time (represented by a ghost car), and "Delivery" - a time-based challenge where you have to pick up items and deliver them, making as many deliveries as possible within a limited time. These alone will keep you busy for a while and hone your skills for the main course: Multiplayer mode.

Multiplayer mode



I wasn't expecting much from Multiplayer mode, but I was pleasantly surprised. So much so, I spent a good hour and a half playing against opponents from as far as Europe and Asia. Polarbite has set up 3 dedicated game servers where you can join a race or start your own. Despite some lag issues, some jumpiness (especially when cars are really close to each other) and getting my butt kicked, it was awesome and well-executed. There are online leaderboards to keep the competition fierce around the world and a simple chat function which allows players to slag each other off or congratulate one another.

Conclusion

Reckless Racing is an awesome arcade-style drift racing game. The controls are good, and despite some issues I had with button placement, it's customizable! Both Single Player and Multiplayer options will keep you playing for a long time. It's only a buck, so why are you still reading this?

AppApps Rating

Game Play:
Smooth slippery, slidy arcade-style drift racing, configurable controls

Graphics:
Great 3D and camera movement!

Dino Cap

Dino Cap is a quality title from Trinity Interactive that I picked up recently while it's free. It's basically a side-scroll button-smasher but with high entertainment (gore) value and unique art style.

The control is as familiar as any other side-scroller -- LEFT, RIGHT, SHOOT, WHACK. 4 controls for you to beat the crap outta any crazy reptiles that come your way. Part of what makes Dino Cap so entertaining aside from its art style is the character you control being a South African kid -- it's just not something you see everyday in games and I appreciate it.





You have the option of hammering the crazy dinosaurs with a stick (upgradeable to an axe and others later) or with your weapon. At the end of each level you can spend money you have collected to buy new weapons. The weapons are very deadly but requires ammunitions that can only be collected by luck (random drops from dinosaurs or by entering different buildings).

Personally I find this a bit of a nuisance because I'd like use the gun all the way but cannot get any ammo even with my phat cash! As a result, often you're left with your melee attack and only using the guns during critical moments.



The key to Dino Cap is to keep moving AT ALL TIMES. You do NOT want the dinosaurs to catch up from behind or you'll be surrounded and cannot beat them fast enough before you get chewed up like below. Download it now and start whacking!

AppApps Rating

Game Play:
Whacking is fun, but when shit comes on both sides the controls are too slow for it

Graphics:
Awesomely gritty and gorey