Category Archives: Puzzle

Trainyard Express Review

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Developer: Matt Rix
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: VERSION

Graphics / Sound Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Game Controls Rating: 4.45 out of 5 stars
Gameplay Rating: 4.05 out of 5 stars
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 4.19 out of 5 stars

Trainyard express is a spartan (as in bare bones, not Greek) puzzle game with a simple task to boot. The simple goal is to get a few trains from their departure point to their ending point without crashing them or breaking the dreaded color rules.

The first few levels are incredibly easy, easing you into the monster challenge that will soon come. All you have to do from the get-go is to get the blue train out of the blue departure point and into the blue terminal. As you progress through the game, you have to deal with switching tracks, color blending, timed collision blending, and obstructions. The extremely shallow learning curve for the first bunch of levels gets incredibly steep once you get to Quebec (the levels are all named after Canadian provinces).

As for the details, the game is pretty bare bones, with just a black background, a grid overlay, and some simple track graphics. Any additional graphics though would be unwanted because it would just make the game more difficult.

Trainyard Express certainly isn’t for everyone, but I don’t think the developer intended it to be that way. There really aren’t any graphics or sound to speak of, and there are no exciting action sequences to go through. There is also no time limit and no lives, so there’s no need to hurry.

Overall, it’s about as exciting as doing a Sudoku puzzle, which for some (including myself) is the perfect way to spend a bit of free time. If you like slow paced puzzlers that will actually give you a good challenge, Trainyard Express is a good buy.

For a bit of back story, Trainyard Express is technically the free version of the original game, Trainyard. In Matt Rix’s promo email, he writes that, “I prefer to think of it as a “prequel” rather than a ‘lite’ game, because it’s WAY bigger than most lite games. I spent a lot of time creating 60 brand-new puzzles just for it, so it can really be considered a full game on its own.” If you do in fact enjoy playing Trainyard Express, don’t hesitate to pick up Trainyard too. It’s not free, but it’s always good to support good devs.

[ Trainyard Express Review is a post from 148Apps ]

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Zentomino Review

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

Developer: Little White Bear Studios
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.9.4

Graphics / Sound Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Game Controls Rating: 4.45 out of 5 stars
Gameplay Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 4.43 out of 5 stars

You know you have a problem on your hands when you are playing a puzzle game that gives you four hints per puzzle and you still have problems winning. Maybe that sentence should’ve started with, “you know your a redneck when…”

Zentomino is described by the developer as a game of pentominoes. Since most of the world has no idea what a pentomino is (including my spell checker), it is a game that gives you one big shape, and you have to exactly fill it with a bunch of odd shaped blocks (each block is made up of five squares, hence the “pent”). While the individual shapes never change per se, it is up to you to rotate and flip them to get them to fit in the puzzle. Pieces can only be used once, and not every piece is used in every puzzle, so you must pick wisely.

If/when you get stuck, you can ask the game for help up to four times. Some of the levels, as explained earlier, are pretty rough even after hint #4, but I suppose that the dev might as well turn the game into a YouTube video if they are just going to give you a fifth clue.

With 240 levels to begrudgingly march through, you’ll have plenty of Zentomino to play from now until the end of time. If you get too upset about not being able to solve a puzzle, just ease your ears into the soothing zen sounds that the game throws at you in your moments of fury. In all fairness, Zentomino really is a great game that will certainly test even the most senior of puzzle masters. If you are a fan of the genre, you won’t be disappointed with Zentomino. You may be upset by your lack of pentomino prowess, but don’t blame it on the game.

[ Zentomino Review is a post from 148Apps ]


Word Escape

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Word Escape is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Help the “Word” escape the attack of its letters! Word Escape is a simple but addictive game. Fun all the way down! Your goal is to move the little word from the center of the screen and keep it away from its crazy moving letters. Keep it safe for as long as possible. Your best time will be recorded and next time you play you’ll be challenged to beat it. Be quick and watch out! The background music gives you extra pleasure and cheers you up. Just try it and you’ll love it!

Features:

- 15 jolly words;
- 3 difficulty levels;
- best time records;
- 2 game modes: tilt and touch;


Aces Traffic Pack

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Aces Traffic Pack is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Honk! Honk! You’re trapped – strategically maneuver cars around parking lots & traffic jams to set your car free!

Aces Traffic Pack contains 480 puzzles! Test your strategic thinking with varying traffic puzzle difficulties, maneuver your car and others around parking lots and traffic jams to set your car free! Make sure to watch out for objects such as potholes and rocks that we’ve placed in areas to increase your problem-solving skills!

The amazing graphics and realistic sound effects dazzle the eyes and ears while the puzzle challenges your mind. The online high scores and statistic tracking adds a competitive element so you can compete against yourself or challenge a friend to beat your best time or lowest move count.


iPhone Review: RollOut

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iPhone Review: RollOut is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Developer: Bullypix
Price: $0.99
Version: 1.1
App Reviewed on: iPad

Graphics / Sound Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
User Interface Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Gameplay Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.88 out of 5 stars

Simplicity with a side of mind-bending difficulty is often the heart of any puzzle game on the App Store. Some games soar to greatness with this philosophy at their heart. RollOut is looking to top the charts of puzzle solving greatness with a new take on challenging your noggin. Does RollOut succeed in this task, or is it sucking the scum off the bottom of the barrel?

RollOut is a puzzle game about making for the exit. Players are tasked with getting Wabba to the exit of each level. Wabba is not just going to sit around and wait, though. Wabba forms into a saw blade ball and proceeds to start rolling through the level. To bad Wabba can’t just cut his way to the exit.

The puzzle part comes in with getting Wabba’s pointy posterior to the exit. Jump arrows scroll across the stage. Players control these arrows to get this Sonic wannabe to the exit door. The complexity starts to rack up when the player realizes these jump arrows can only be moved to the left. Wabba starts on the ground floor and it is up to players to jump him to an exit door strategically placed somewhere way above his starting position.

While this all sounds rough enough, there is yet even more complexity to throw into the mix. Sometimes an elevator is necessary to get to higher ground. Landing on it will stop Wabba just long enough to get to the next level. Wabba can also fall all the way back down to the starting position. Adding into these levels of heck are areas where the jumping signs won’t work.

Oh yeah, there is one last touch to round out those 50 levels of insanity-inducing game play. Jump signs, elevators, and control voids may all sound feeble and weak in comparison. One last thing to consider: not all jump signs are the same. Some will make Wabba race faster, others will pause, and some will even slow down the action. Whew.

RollOut may notch up the puzzle complexity, but it sure skips the visual eye candy. About the only colors that ever come into play here are fundamental primary colors in the control signs. Some different backgrounds would have really upped the ante on the presentation side.

Overall, RollOut is a sadistic take on puzzle platforming. Fifty levels, trophy support, and simple game play make this worthy of being on that iPhone. Just don’t be surprised when your broken blood vessels kick in at the higher levels.

[ iPhone Review: RollOut is a post from 148Apps ]


Bayo Bongo

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Bayo Bongo is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website

Bayo Bongo is an engaging, colorful logic game for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (native support) with lots of challenge and eye candy. Prepare to journey deep into the oceanic depths and search for five sunken treasure chests!

Quick Instructions: Tap as many same colored blocks as you can to bring the coins to the bottom of the board.

Game Features:
•Gripping, fast paced strategic gameplay
•15 increasingly challenging levels over 5 stages
•Boost your score in the diving bonus rounds
•Single app native support for iPhone and iPad
•Online leaderboards – post your score for everyone to see
•Share your victories with friends on Facebook


Beyond Ynth! Review

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Beyond Ynth! Review is a post from: Best Iphone Apps Review Website


Beyond Ynth!, the sequel to one of our favorite iDevice puzzlers, has been released by FDG Entertainment and is now available from the app store. Maintaining the charm and challenge of the original while making several enjoyable improvements, Beyond Ynth! has managed to captivate us just as strongly the second time around.

Beyond Ynth! Pros:

Outstanding audio [...]