Best Iphone Apps Review

HBR Today is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Harvard Business Review Today provides a variety of content from HBR’s renowned digital and print media. The home screen reveals the twenty-five most recent blog articles, along with four three other menu bar items: audio, video and extra. All sections can be refreshed with a Twitter app-style pull down feature. A progress bar then informs you of what’s happening.

The blog articles are presented cleanly, against a white backdrop, and focus entirely on the content that it provides. The majority of articles are hyperlink-heavy, frequently referring to a number of other sources or quotes. A clean in-built browser means that these links are clickable without leaving the application, and there’s an option to view articles in Safari. Tapping the screen twice will remove the top menu bar, allowing more room for the content to be the centre of attention. The removable menu bar provides buttons to go back, go to the next or previous article, send to Twitter / Facebook / e-mail and to view the article in its original web format in HBR’s built-in browser.

The audio and video sections are relatively similar, the only difference being both of these sections offer the fifty most recent articles, rather than twenty-five. Both the audio and video content are relatively quick to load. The video quality is commendable. The extra section provides a number of book excerpts and magazine articles.

Where HBR falls is in its poor integration. There is no search; you can’t cut, copy and paste unless you view an article in the in-built browser; and tapping the status bar will not bring you to the top of the screen like it does in most other applications. In addition, the constant “give us your feedback” bar takes up precious space on the iPhone’s 3.5″ screen – reducing the area you have for reading articles without scrolling. The lack of certain features almost forces you to visit the web version – which is free. Once these problems are cleared up, the application will become much better value.

It is the extras that make it worth $2.99 – book excerpts and magazine extracts. If you’re just looking for HBR text, audio and video, viewing it in Safari is the wiser option.

[ HBR Today is a post from 148Apps ]

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Turn-Based Strategy Game ‘Highborn’ Free for a Day, iPad Version Now Available is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

One of our favorite turn-based strategy games, Highborn, has just received a new update and has gone free for today only. Released in early June of this year, Highborn has a wonderful art style, clever writing, single player campaign, and an asynchronous multiplayer mode. Using the typical top-down grid view of most strategic games like this, once you engage in battle with an enemy the game switches to a 3D animation of the ensuing fight between your troops and the enemy. It's a really neat effect, and the overall presentation of Highborn really impresses. As you can see from this excerpt, we really loved the game in our full review:

Highborn comfortably sits as one of the best turn-based strategy games we have played on the iPhone. Beyond its dialogue and characters, which raise the bar entirely for humour, creativity and personality (and ability to plough right through that fourth wall); Highborn looks and plays fantastically, with a depth and attention to detail in its presentation that constantly surprises (just take a look at the character descriptions to see what I mean). If you look past the Facebook integration (which we understand some of you won't, though we strongly urge you to), Highborn also has a lasting and engrossing multiplayer mode that is excellently paced and perfect for portable devices. With additional campaigns promised beyond the 8 lengthy missions currently available (they'll take you hours to complete), Highborn is a robust and content-heavy turn-based strategy game that will surely leave you impressed.

What you can also see from that snippet is that while we loved the way the multiplayer mode worked, we absolutely hated that it forced you to use Facebook to take part in it. I'm sure many other players felt the same, and likely shied away from the multiplayer aspect because of this. Developer Jet Set Games recognized this, and in an update released a couple days ago Facebook was taken out in favor of the OpenFeint social network. While not everyone is a fan of OpenFeint either, it at least affords a way to enjoy the multiplayer in the game without having to add strangers to your own personal Facebook friend list, and doesn't even require an email or any personal info to sign up for. There's even the inclusion of player chat thanks to OpenFeint, not to mention the 30 million strong user base.

Besides Highborn for iPhone being free today, there's also an iPad version that has just been released. The iPad version adds the usual benefits of sharper graphics and a larger play area due to the bigger screen, but essentially the two versions are identical. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though, as the iPhone version is of such high quality and the introductory price for the iPad version is only $2.99. And while Highborn has a fairly decent single player campaign already, what I'm really waiting for is the addition of the second chapter that is hinted at in the game. Still, for one of the best strategy games available on the App Store there's no reason not to at least grab the iPhone version of Highborn while it's free for today only.

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‘Graveyard Shift’ Review – A Fun Physics Puzzler with Great Style is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Graveyard Shift [$2.99/Lite] is a new physics puzzle game where you are literally working a graveyard shift in a graveyard putting back skeletons that have inexplicably decided to pop out of their coffins. It features a charming art style that's Retina Display ready, a multitude of levels, and best of all some great level designs that are hard not to appreciate. It also doesn't hurt that the game is universal, and there's a lite to try before you buy. If you like games like Saving Private Sheep, Angry Birds, and Ragdoll Blaster, then Graveyard Shift should be right up your alley.

The premise is that you're a boy looking for a job to earn some extra cash, and you come to find that the local graveyard is hiring. For some odd reason, the skeletons from the graves have popped out of their coffins and perched themselves precariously amongst objects throughout the graveyard. It's your job to use the different properties of these objects and the physics in the game to get the skeleton back into their coffin homes. Some blocks can be touched to make them disappear, some must be touched by the same type block to eliminate them, and some just can't be removed from the level at all. There are also boxes of TNT that can be used to launch objects or the skeletons themselves to aid the task of getting them back to their eternal resting place.

The graphics in Graveyard Shift are nice, with lovely hand drawn backgrounds and crisp in-game elements that look especially great on the iPhone 4. The music is also very catchy and fitting, but the thing that really stands out about the game is the excellent level designs. Some levels are very straightforward, with the skeleton on top of stacks of blocks that must simply be cleared in order for him to fall into the coffin. But others are more complex, and almost Rube Goldberg-esque in their execution. For example, you may pop a box of dynamite that sends a ball rolling down an incline, that will then cause a latch that is holding back a giant pendulum to disappear. Gravity will then cause the pendulum to swing, and once it hits it's apex another box of dynamite is used to blast the pendulum further upwards into a platform where the skeleton resides, catapulting him into the nearby coffin. There's plenty of examples of situations like these during the game's 72 levels, and I certainly had my fair share of laugh out loud moments as I stared in amazement while the level played out.

As much as I enjoyed playing through Graveyard Shift, it's not without a couple problems. The biggest issue is the extremely finicky physics system. While it does create for some hilarious moments with the ragdoll skeleton, it can also cause objects in the game to behave wildly different from one play to the next. As a result, some of the levels can be frustratingly hard as you try to get things to do what you want them to, and completing each one is more luck than anything else. Somehow this doesn't really hinder the enjoyment though, and levels are easy to instantly replay at any moment, which you'll be doing often. The other issues with the game are very minor glitches where sometimes graphics don't display properly or levels load without any objects. These are easily fixed by simply reloading a level, and the developer is already working on an update to iron out these kinks.

Minor issues aside, I had a ton of fun with Graveyard Shift. The moments of figuring out how a level should work and then executing it, all while the ragdoll skeleton is flailing about the screen, brought a smile to my face every time. As an added challenge each level has a par for completion time and taps used, so beyond just completing each one you can also shoot for these goals. Unfortunately there's no sort of social network like OpenFeint to tie these accomplishments together, but at the very least it still adds replay to the game. If you are a fan of these physics games you should definitely try out the lite version of Graveyard Shift, and join in on the forum discussion for further player impressions and developer responses.

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‘Gravity Hook HD’ Review – A Great Universal Game From the Makers of ‘Canabalt’ is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Semi Secret Software seem to be making a name for themselves as developers of games with great pixel art graphics, fantastic music, and high-score centric gameplay that in the case of Canabalt [$2.99] has kept me coming back for just one more try for the better part of a year now. Gravity Hook HD [$2.99] hit the App Store tonight, and provides much of what I loved about Canabalt, only in a vertical climb instead of a side scrolling run. In the game you play as a lovable little robot with a grappling hook who ascends to, well, wherever he's climbing to, by grabbing on to a randomized series of orbs, reeling himself in, then flinging to the next one. Unlike Canabalt which you could hand to anyone with it running on your phone and say "tap the screen to jump," Gravity Hook HD has a bit of a learning curve as you get used to the physics of the game.

The different orbs you can latch on to have different properties, ranging from the green orbs which you can touch without issue, grey orbs which are chained together and fall if you hold on to them too long, and blue orbs which turn in to bombs and explode if you get near them. You're also able to kick off the wall if you can swing your robot towards one, and mastering wall jumping as well as how to handle the different orb types are all required to get very far in Gravity Hook HD.

Just like Canabalt, Gravity Hook HD is playable in its entirety online for free in any browser with the Flash plugin. We've even embedded it below, just make sure you either have your speakers muted or are in an area where you can play sounds before clicking:

Gravity Hook HD is universal, and looks great on both the iPhone and iPad, although I've found myself leaning towards preferring it on the bigger screen. Scores are tracked online via Semi Secret's proprietary system which breaks scores out in to top daily, weekly, and monthly submissions as well as the best scores of all time. Gravity Hook HD translates very well to touch controls, and while you can play the whole game for free with a mouse, it really is a much better experience with your finger.

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Sega’s ‘Shining Force’ Sieges App Store is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

If you've been waiting for a game wrapped in Sega's mediocre emulator that's finally worth buying, that day has come. Shining Force [$2.99] hit the App Store mere moments ago, and as mentioned in our preview yesterday, it's amazing how much the overall experience of playing these emulated games is improved when playing a slow-paced game that doesn't depend on emulator performance or precise controls. In said preview, I explained the basics of Shining Force:

Shining Force is a tactical RPG with turn-based battles that take place on square grids. Originally released in the USA in 1993, Shining Force is about as classic as you get when it comes to a Sega RPG. Not only has it been included in various classic game collections that Sega has released on numerous platforms over the years, but it also saw a remake in 2004 for the Gameboy Advance. This is the original Genesis version of the game, set in the land of Rune where you play a silent protagonist who recruits allies to the Shining Force to ultimately prevent the evil Darksol from resurrecting a Dark Dragon, destroying the world, and doing all those other things which have since become entirely cliche for RPG villains to do.

While Shining Force may seem a little basic if you haven't played it before and your first exposure to turn based strategy games was Final Fantasy Tactics or later games, Shining Force has everything it needs for a great old school RPG. Each character has their own class (and personality which is often revealed throughout the story) along with special abilities. As you battle your units level up, and my favorite feature of Shining Force always was that there never really is a game over. If your party falls in battle you retain all your experience earned and just try again. Of course there are all kinds of items to buy, treasure to find, gear to equip, and everything else you'd expect as well.

Surprisingly enough, this is the first emulated Genesis game on the App Store I can recommend without issue. Shining Force is an excellent classic RPG, and the turn based gameplay makes the touch controls extremely forgiving. It would have been nice to see Sega put a little more effort in to this game and either port the Gameboy Advance or Sega CD release, but I'm just glad they've moved on to RPG's instead of sticking with the classic lineup of action and arcade games. Now, how about Phantasy Star next, eh Sega?

(International link)

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Sega’s ‘Shining Force’ Sieges App Store is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

If you've been waiting for a game wrapped in Sega's mediocre emulator that's finally worth buying, that day has come. Shining Force [$2.99] hit the App Store mere moments ago, and as mentioned in our preview yesterday, it's amazing how much the overall experience of playing these emulated games is improved when playing a slow-paced game that doesn't depend on emulator performance or precise controls. In said preview, I explained the basics of Shining Force:

Shining Force is a tactical RPG with turn-based battles that take place on square grids. Originally released in the USA in 1993, Shining Force is about as classic as you get when it comes to a Sega RPG. Not only has it been included in various classic game collections that Sega has released on numerous platforms over the years, but it also saw a remake in 2004 for the Gameboy Advance. This is the original Genesis version of the game, set in the land of Rune where you play a silent protagonist who recruits allies to the Shining Force to ultimately prevent the evil Darksol from resurrecting a Dark Dragon, destroying the world, and doing all those other things which have since become entirely cliche for RPG villains to do.

While Shining Force may seem a little basic if you haven't played it before and your first exposure to turn based strategy games was Final Fantasy Tactics or later games, Shining Force has everything it needs for a great old school RPG. Each character has their own class (and personality which is often revealed throughout the story) along with special abilities. As you battle your units level up, and my favorite feature of Shining Force always was that there never really is a game over. If your party falls in battle you retain all your experience earned and just try again. Of course there are all kinds of items to buy, treasure to find, gear to equip, and everything else you'd expect as well.

Surprisingly enough, this is the first emulated Genesis game on the App Store I can recommend without issue. Shining Force is an excellent classic RPG, and the turn based gameplay makes the touch controls extremely forgiving. It would have been nice to see Sega put a little more effort in to this game and either port the Gameboy Advance or Sega CD release, but I'm just glad they've moved on to RPG's instead of sticking with the classic lineup of action and arcade games. Now, how about Phantasy Star next, eh Sega?

(International link)

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Paradise Quest HD Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to review match three games, as they have become so plentiful on iPhones and iPads. Still, Paradise Quest HD manages to maintain some originality in the face of so much sameness, and that has to count for quite a lot. It’s a good game for adults, but there are many features that make this an even better game for kids.

I’ve never imagined that match three games could be even in the least bit educational, but Paradise Quest has some educational elements that add to the atmosphere of the game without, fortunately, standing in the way of the play mechanics. The premise of Paradise Quest HD is that you are an explorer/scientist (the two get a bit confused along the way) attempting to revitalize a failing rainforest ecosystem. Matching three in this case allows you to gather precious resources (water, food sources, trees, etc) that you can then use/spend to rebuild the suffering landscape. I give the developers points for making the game eco-friendly; as the ecosystem is improved players are notified of life forms that have returned to the rainforest. These are then catalogued in a scrapbook along with achievements you’ve unlocked, leaderboards and other relevant discoveries. The animal pictures are nice, but it would have been a good idea to provide some information about the animal as well. If you’re going to have an educational element in a game, you might as well go all the way with it.

The designers also include a few variations on the classic match three formula. The main one is that you cannot see the entire board at one time. Each time you make a match, the board shifts subtly in the direction of that match. This, along with attempting to gather specific resources on the board, causes shifts in strategy in terms of which items to match. It’s not a major innovation, but it’s a welcome change.

Visually, the game is extremely colorful and is really delightful to view. Sound is equally impressive, with tribal beats underscoring most of the game’s action. The only significant downsides in the game are the loading times and the match three controls. It seems as though every change in the game is accompanied by a lengthy (by iPad standards at least) loading screen. Once or twice is fine, I suppose, but after several of these they really grow tiresome. Shifting items to make matches also doesn’t feel as elegant as the rest of the game. It works, so from a utilitarian perspective it’s not a huge issue, but moving pieces on the board does not have the usual snap and polish that I usually associate with this sort of game. There’s a slight lag when moving pieces that serves to disconnect the player from the game, and it’s an issue worth addressing in future updates.

Taken as a whole, Paradise Quest HD is a clever, lengthy game, certainly worth $2.99, that seems best suited to children. Even adults will enjoy saving the rainforest, though.

[ Paradise Quest HD Review is a post from 148Apps ]

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Chopper 2 Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Chopper 2, like the original Chopper, is an action packed side scrolling helicopter game that is heavily influenced by the old Broderbund series, Choplifter. The majority of the game is spent blowing up enemies while rescuing civilians, but there are a few levels that have you performing other tasks.

The real improvement that Chopper 2 makes upon the original is the way that the game is presented. Instead of being a true 2D game, Chopper 2 begins each level with a 3D-esque text pan that tells you your mission, and then goes on to have mini 3D moments (typically just doing a slight curve, but it looks really nice). The graphics are all much improved, giving you a real feel of depth, rather than just a blurry 3D looking background.

The game itself remains fairly similar to the original, taking you through 36 missions over 12 locations. Just like the original, you have to use your machine gun and bomb, but now there are laser guided missiles to use. The controls also remain the same, allowing for simple touches to fire weapons and tilts to move around.

The real “it’ll blow you away” feature is the way that the game can use both the iPad and the iPhone at the same time. Rather than mangle the feature, I’ll let the website explain. “If you have both an iPad and an iPhone, you can use the fantastic remote control feature to wirelessly control the iPad with an iPhone over bluetooth. Then plug the iPad into a TV or display through the component cable or VGA adapter and play Chopper 2 on your TV from your couch! (Note: TV output is only supported from an iPad, and only when using the bluetooth remote control feature.)”

If you enjoyed the original Chopper, you will absolutely love Chopper 2. The graphics are better, the game is more epic, and most importantly… it’s more Chopper.

[ Chopper 2 Review is a post from 148Apps ]

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Plunderland Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Here it is, the grand description of Plunderland, the new game by JohnnyTwoShoes. It is what Pocket God would be if everyone were Pirates.

Rather than set out to be a great game, Plunderland, like Pocket God before it, set out to give you a great experience. The premise is painfully simple, you get a boat with some pirates that you must guide (via accelerometer) to the next port, looting and pillaging everything that you find along the way. The only real difference that you have with this and Pocket God is that you can die and your ship can be sunk.

Along your path to new ports, you will encounter the British navy, tribals, and other “things” that all can sink you and your ship. You have to defend yourself using a combination of fast tilt movements and slinging canon balls at the enemy. Fortunately, once the enemy is sunk, or the villagers are dealt with (and picked up and shaken around a bit, Pocket God style), you can take their gold.

With your gold, you can buy advancements to your ship, such as new canons, front of the ship mermaids that auto-collect the gold, and even completely new ships to hold more stuff. Don’t worry about not collecting enough for upgrades though, because you have to collect a certain amount per level though to move on to the next one, so be sure to shake all the villagers that you can.

Beyond the gameplay, the real reason to buy Plunderland is for the striking simplicity. Like Pocket God, everything is made simply from the graphics to the sound. Everything is bright and cheerful, and except for the fact that you are plundering villagers and killing enemy pirates, but even that is done in a fun way. The best part of the game though is the music that starts when you get near a tribal village. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you get there.

If Plunderland is updated as often as Pocket God, there is really no reason that it couldn’t become as popular. It’s just as fun and has more to do, but it certainly will need constant updates to keep things fresh.

[ Plunderland Review is a post from 148Apps ]

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Steam Pirates Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

It is with incredible regret that I must inform you that Steam Pirates, a fantastic looking steam-punk RPG, is not all that great. The real shame is that it does have all the makings of a great RPG, it just fails to execute on some critical points.

Let’s start with the good. Steam Pirates starts you off with a great story of how you, a human, were rescued by a cat family that couldn’t have children of their own. They raise you as a cat, until one day you leave the nest to find your true identity after the realization that you are not a cat sinks in. You then go on to become a mercenary pirate, sailing the seas to make a buck.

You then go from job to job taking on adventures (never really getting to the original “find your family” storyline until you are deep into the game, but that’s neither here nor there) and… I won’t spoil the rest for you. Along the way there are various NPC’s, shops, and other goodies that every good RPG is supposed to have. The world that you go through is very original, has nicely animated 2D steam-punk graphics, and is quite large.

Now for the bad. There is an astounding lack of save points throughout the world of Steam Pirates. In front of each “level” there is a save point, but the levels are quite long and are a real pain in the rear to get through in a sitting. You really need to dedicate at least half an hour to the game each time you pick it up unless you are a fan of retracing steps.

The combat system is also a bit of a drag, considering the amount of fights that you are in. The system itself is just like a typical RPG combat system (think Mario RPG), but it’s just too slow. It takes a while for the combat to get started, and then you have to sit there and watch all the attacks unfold. When the computer attacks you, the attack is spelled out on the screen, then a pause, then the computer attacks. The same goes for your attacks, and then the combat is done, taking you to another screen to see what you’ve won. If a minute or two were shaved off of each combat cycle, I would be thrilled.

The final major problem, and this one is really annoying, is that enemies respawn when you leave a room and come back. So after you go through the annoyingly long combat, you have to do it all over again if you have to backtrack. Oh, and there is no map… so you will be backtracking.

Honestly, if there were more save points, or even better, an autosave, I would be thrilled with this game. After spending 30 minutes in a cave though, only to die and have to go all the way back to the beginning, I was ready to quit. With some updates, Steam Pirates has the potential to be great, but in its current form, it is far too frustrating to recommend to any but the most hardcore RPG fans.

[ Steam Pirates Review is a post from 148Apps ]

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