Apr 11, 2012

For whatever reason, I have always had a problem sticking with a mobile game for more than a week or so. It seems like most of the games are receptive and the endless levels are like putting a carrot on an infinitely long stick. Puzzle games are more of my ilk because they present a simple, more cerebral challenge that do not rely on timing or finicky gyroscopic tilting. A while back I reviewed a nice puzzle game called TM.Lazor, and in that review I talked about how with a little touching up this game could really gain some momentum and become very popular because the core gameplay was so solid and challenging.

Well that major update has been released into the wild and I am proud to say that so far there is a marked improvement on both the styling and quality of the puzzles. There certainly is an added “enigma” in this edition’s puzzle complexity and overall cleverness. I found that completing these challenges to be much more satisfying then in the previous iteration. TM Laser Enigma, along with its predecessor, gives that feeling of impossibility when looking at a new challenge, a feeling that is championed only with a sudden realization moments before making the finishing move. This balance of being hard but fair is tough and is not always found in modern mobile games.

TM Laser Enigma makes several other marked improvements in the overall interface and design of the app. There is an option to upgrade the look of the lasers as well as better looking laser pylons and pieces. The whole game has a much more vibrant feel and the colorful lasers really pop due to the darker backdrop. Overall, I am impressed with the update for one of my personal favorite Android games. For everyone who is a fan of puzzle games I highly recommend checking out TM Laser Enigma.

Apr 6, 2012

Being a college student, getting a good nights sleep is very important yet very rarely accomplished. Due to all the late nights toiling away at one’s studies, having good alarm is essential, and a little flair wouldn’t hurt. Enter: doubleTwist. Now I’ve reviewed apps by doubleTwist before, notably their flagship music player, but an alarm clock app took me by surprise. After looking through the app for a while, however, it started to make sense. One of doubleTwist’s strongest assists is its striking and elegant visual style and their music management system. This beautiful app bears doubleTwist’s signature dark styling, and when selecting a playlist or song to use as an alarm the doubleTwist Player has to be installed. Some may question the decision to make such a large aspect of the app proprietary, but this move represents a bold step foreword for doubleTwist. By establishing a suite of apps that all feed off of the same ecosystem, they are attempting to form what Apple and Sony have been doing with home entertainment for decades.

The app itself is, as previously stated, gorgeous. The landscape analog and digital clocks are sublimely detailed, especially the analog one which includes an array of gears behind the elegantly ornate centerpiece. For phones with a kickstand like my EVO 4G this app would work beautifully as a bedside clock because of the included night modes of each clock which dim the screen brightness and change the colors from whites and oranges to calming blues and blacks. The one problem with this is that there is no in-app option to turn off the screen timeout so this must be done remotely. I did not find this to be much of a problem seeing as it is an option on a switch widget on my home screen, but an included option would have been nice.

As an alarm clock this app works just as well if not better then the stock Android clock application. Built in is a sleep cycle calculator which for those who don’t know, suggests time to either fall asleep or wake up based on the fact that the best time to wake up is between sleep cycles. Websites like sleepyti.me do this but having this feature baked into an app is a giant plus because it does work and I utilize it almost every night.

With great integration with their Player and standout visual appeal, DoubleTwist has put together an amazing free app that is worth downloading even for those not privy to the doubleTwist ecosystem.

Apr 5, 2012

For this Thursday’s Theme I chose a theme that really surprised me. Being a fan of simpler, less graphical themes I was skeptical about the stucco and exposed brick of GO Launcher’s Backyard theme, but I was quickly proven wrong. Like all of the themes that I have chosen to do recently, Backyard uses the method of applying an effect to every icon which gives the whole theme a strong, unified feel. Backyard does this in a brilliant way by means of the stock wallpaper, which I strongly recommend using. The wallpaper simulates a vine-kissed wall in a stone alley and the icons all have the effect of being stuck to broken sections of exposed brick. Other themes have tried similar effects, but I cannot recall one that pulled it off so perfectly. The only thing that could make this effect look any more genuine is if there were multiple brick graphics that would break up the repetition which would lend that extra touch of reality.

Regular users of GO Launcher would benefit from moving their icons off of the extra dock pages because the exposed brick effect unfortunately does not work well on the bottom of the wallpaper, as it is a brick street and not the blank wall. Seeing as icons look great on the main screen, this is more of an opportunity as opposed to a sacrifice. Included for the dock are a familiar minimalistic white semi-transparent icons for basic Android functions, such as the Dialer, Market, Settings, and Text Messages. The selection here isn’t great but chances are most users do not use their primary dock page to hold much more than the core applications.

I had a hard time breaking away from the darker, more simple theme I was using before Backyard but this one might finally make me change my mind. And as an added bonus, like most themes reviewed here, it’s free. So why not take a chance and add a little warm, homey magic into the traditionally cold and futuristic Android.

Apr 4, 2012

The traditional tower defense genre has definitely been worn thin, so it is time to uproot those towers and stretch their legs in a KickStarter project called Lil’ Sherman. As is probably obvious by the name, Lil’ Sherman puts the user in control of a cartoon tank with the mission of safeguarding supplies and clearing out the proverbial baddies. The gameplay has two parts that help break up the monotony of static towers slaughtering infinite waves of mindless drones. The first part is classic tower defense; protect a valuable command center from relentless droves of enemies with increasingly powerful armaments. But what makes Lil’ Sherman different is that there also is a third-person shooter element as the game puts the player in control of their very own tank and gives them the chance to go all Rambo on their foes.

If the Rambo image was too strong, don’t worry because this game has a nice cartoony design that will make it instantly accessible to kids and acceptable to their parents. The choice to distance the game from reality works perfectly because the World War II theme could have easily become too dark and serious for the intended demographic. Also, making the game more cartoonish provides room for humor and completely unrealistic weapons; both of which Lil’ Sherman looks to deliver. As in most other games in the genre, these weapons can be earned after completing certain objectives or destroying enough enemies and Lil’ Sherman promises to bring a deep customization menu for more sophisticated gamers.

Like many recent KickStarter projects, Lil’ Sherman utilizes the Unity 3D game engine that allows for great graphics; and combined with the art design, this game should really be gorgeous, especially on a tablet. The developers, Floppy Entertainment, are asking for $20,000 to bring this project to iOS and Android, and as of writing this they are about 15% of the way to that goal with 19 days remaining. Like all these projects I encourage everyone to check them out a consider donating a few dollars to help someone’s dream become a reality.

Mar 30, 2012

For anyone who has ever been to the game room at a restaurant or movie theater recently those block stacking prize games should be familiar. Typically in those games any piece that is not stacked onto a block below it is lost and the game continues until there are no blocks remaining. Coming from the fine people at The Grey Studios is Pixel Towers, a game that is fundamentally unchanged from those arcade standards albeit with a clever new coat of paint. Even thought it is made kind of obvious by its name, the art design in Pixel Towers is pixel art and, even though there isn’t much time to take it all in, the detail in each block is quite extraordinary. Each block is a new level for an office building and they are bustling with workers and the floors are surprisingly varied keeping things fresh and interesting.

As expected, the higher the office gets, the faster the blocks fly by, but Pixel Towers throws in a sly wrinkle by slowing things down randomly; on paper, this seems like a hanging curve but in reality the dramatic change of speed is the equivalent of a change up in baseball. Another smart addition is that every so often the game will give back a lost square. For example, if there are two squares remaining, it will turn into three at random moments giving the player a second chance after a mistake. This mechanic helps make a very unforgiving game a little easier.

Unfortunately, even with these two additions the game remains just too simple to really captivate anyone for more than 5 to 10 minutes because it is essentially the TicTac of the gaming world. After playing two or three games, the Pixel Towers really loses its charm right up until about the next time five free minutes become available.

Mar 29, 2012

I am going to start this Theme Thursday blog post by pointing out the obvious, Cry Cloud, a theme for GO Launcher, has an egregious mistake right in the most important aspect of any theme: the wallpaper. In some strange error in translation the wallpaper reads, in a cute hand-written font, “without you everything look so sorrow.” Obviously, I get the message that the developer was trying to convey, but how was this not caught initially or even fixed by now from the plethora of comments on the theme’s Google Play (formerly the Google Market) page.

However, after taking a step back, this mistake is honestly not as big of an issue as it probably should be. The text is small enough that it is not very noticeable and it’s not like the average user takes the time to read the text on his or her screen after every unlocking. The playful font of the text adds a quaint, minimalistic design to the theme and the white rain cloud above it is a great touch. The whole theme screams of cute romanticized heartbreak, which appeals to a specific demographic, and yet the pastel color scheme is surprisingly relaxing and uplifting. Cry Cloud’s icons are very well done and are the typical fare of pencil sketched circular icons. The supplied icon set is not as populated as other themes yet this is acceptable because Cry Cloud takes advantage of integrating existing, unsupported applications’ icons. As I have stated before in many a Theme Thursday: continuity is very important in making any theme truly immersive, and Cry Cloud does that handily.

So, for anyone looking for a lighthearted but still minimalistic theme for GO Launcher I would definitely recommend giving Cry Cloud a shot, assuming the head scratching grammar gaffe isn’t a deal breaker.

Mar 28, 2012

I have been a big fan of the High Score books ever since I started playing video games. For anyone who doesn’t know, High Score is a coffee table illustrated book by Rusel DeMaria that reviews the history of video games from the very beginning. The aspect that most struck me about DeMaria’s books was the plethora of images and graphics that never got to the point of being overused. His books take the reader on a very enjoyable yet informational journey through one of the most popular and quickly evolving artistic mediums.

The problem, of course, with the breakneck speed of the evolution of video games is that a book is almost instantly outdated as soon as it is published. So books like DeMaria’s need to be updated every couple of years to stay current, but it is hard to keep a publisher for an extend amount of time when the sales pitch is that this book will be instantly obsolete. Recently securing a new publisher, DeMaria is devoting a full 3-4 months of his time to work on this book. Costs not only include his own personal expenses but travel for interviews and the complicated excursion of securing photo rights. The High Score series has not been updated since the beginning of the millennia, and just think of all the change that has occurred in just these last twelve years.

For perspective, in the year 2000 the PS2 was released as well as The Sims, Diablo 2, Escape from Monkey Island, and the second Tony Hawk Pro Skater. That gap of time could easily fit in its own coffee table book which leaves DeMaria with a hard enough task on his time without reworking and updating the previous 30-some years of video game lore.

A sort of brutal but necessary aspect of KickStarter is that if a project does not reach its target amount, that project does not get funded at all. As of writing this, Russel is just over $2,000 short of his $25,000 goal with just a week remaining. Editor’s Note: It appears that the Kickstarter project has reached its funding as of publication! It would be a total shame if this project went unfunded because High Score is an amazing book and is commanded by such an ambitious and dedicated man.

Mar 22, 2012

After a few weeks of ADW Launcher, I have finally switched back to a theme from, in my opinion, the superior GO Launcher named Color Box EX. The last few themes have revolved around darker themes that didn’t involve much color but Color Box EX, as its name implies, breaks that mold. As stated in previous posts, consistency and continuity are one of the biggest factors of a great theme.

The best themes are those that smoothly blend unsupported app icons in with the custom themed icons. Color Box EX does this better then any theme that I have reviewed so far. The colorful icons are a treat and fit nicely in with the chosen background. Color Box EX places existing and unsupported icons into randomly colored tiles that blend in perfectly with the default embossed ones. This turns the app drawer into a veritable bag of Skittles as opposed to the usual mindless crawl of mismatched icons. Going along with the colorful layout is the simple yet brilliant multi colored bar along the bottom of the screen below the dock. This neat accent plays perfectly off of the dark, textured background that comes default with the theme, and the candy colored icons really pop when placed against this great wallpaper.

Contrasting again to the bright, boxy containers are the app drawer and home screen icons. These wire-framed, glowing blue logos stick out and note the difference and importance of the command they represent. The 2 dollar price tag does not bother me at all because it is obvious looking at Color Box EX that a lot of personal care was put into this theme and I was really impressed with it from the moment it started running. The great play between the dark, textile background and the bold colorful icons combined with the perfect continuity throughout make this a theme that is well worth checking out for those with GO Launcher.

Mar 21, 2012

This week’s Kickstarter Spotlight focuses its attention onto a quirky little game from a college professor and a few ambitious students. The appropriately simple and phonetic name for this project is Proppa. The game revolves around helping a few wronged “Proppas” (surprise) in their quest to recapture their floating eggs. Seeing as this would not be a game without a challenge, standing in the way are legions of black, floating ghost snakes. The game is played in waves as more and more of these ghost snakes attack, some even taking the form of “dragon snakes” that seem to be the silhouette of an angler fish. The game takes place in three worlds so far, each with a different theme and with the hope of separate enemies in each world.

Initially the need for Kickstarter isn’t initially apparent as this project seems to be doing well enough on its own and has the backing of a university professor with years of experience working for established companies such as Midway. The problem is that most of the work is being done by students who are doing this as an unpaid internship, and there is no way for them to become paid because they are not actually working for a real company or startup. Their appeal to Kickstarter is not only for money to aid in development of the game but also to make this small club of people into a more legitimate company. Instead of offering these students a place where they can learn a trade for no pay and then search the market for a real paying job, this Kickstarter project, if funded, will allow this group to actually become these students’ first job right out of college. Instead of waiting to get their careers started, these students can start working right out of college in an environment they are already familiar with and begin earning valuable experience and a living.

So, I strongly encourage anyone to check out this Kickstarter project to help make Proppa and this project a reality both for these students and future game design students.

Mar 9, 2012

A photographer at heart, any app that enhances the use of a camera is worth investigating in my book. This week our KickStarter Spotlight looks into an app that would potentially be a huge benefit to those who frequently stare down the lens. The app is called Trigger Happy Camera Remote, and it is a great idea that allows photographers to remotely control their dSLR cameras remotely, giving greater flexibility and relieving headaches with group photos. THCR comes with a cable that connects the phone and camera, with current support being fairly expansive including most modern Cannon and Nikons as well as a few others. This cable connects to the the standard headphone jack, making it universal and compatible with any Android or iOS phone.

The simplicity of this app is its biggest asset; the main functionality is to act as a basic remote. Touch the button and the camera takes the shot. For those who want more, and to help justify the hefty $70 price tag, THCR allows the user to adjust most of the functionality of the flash bulb, i.e. setting up time lapse photos and long exposures. Features in development include using the camera on the phone to take light readings and face detection.

For those who continued reading after seeing the price, it is steep, and Trigger Happy Camera Remote needs to deliver high end features that perform. The light readings need to be accurate enough that serious photographers will actually look to replace their light meters with their phones. Also, be sure to remember that the cost of the cable is included into the price, and I am sure that getting the hookups for specific cameras was not expressly cheap.

After all this, I encourage everyone to look into donating to this ambitious app. Those who are serious photographers and want to be on the edge of technology should keep an eye on Trigger Happy Camera Remote because this is where the future is headed.

Mar 2, 2012

Set in the universe from acclaimed film production designer, Doug Chiang, ROBOTA: Vengeance is a game based off the popular ROBOTA illustrated novels, published in 2003. In this fantasy world dinosaurs and fighting robots clash in epic battles and suffer gut wrenching moral quandaries. No, that was not a typo, I did just say “dinosaurs and fighting robots.” ROBOTA is just the typical post-apocalyptic Jurassic Park, I, Robot hybrid, except all the robots are modeled after General Grievous. The artwork for the novel is quite stunning and the early screen shots seem to hold up quite well, especially considering that they are both very early in production and made for mobile devices.

The goal for the production team was to create gameplay similar, and hopefully superior, to the acclaimed Infinity Blade series and wrap it inside this already fully realized world. Like most modern games, character customization is a fundamental element to gameplay as well as the reliance on touch controls so expect a lot of frenetic swiping and tapping. The main story mode begins with a nameless robotic character awakening to find himself abandoned and unaware of his past. The premise for the whole ROBOTA universe is that humans at some point in the future learn how to transcend their mortal bodies for a more rugged machine frame. The book explores the struggle between lust for power and retention of humanity, so expect those themes to become an integral aspect of the game, forcing the player to make tough, moral decisions.

Matching the incredible success and scale of Infinity Blade is a tall order for from an independent studio, but SiXiTS has the manpower; pulling developers who worked on high profile movies games such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, FIFA, Need for Speed, and SKATE as well as the aforementioned Doug Chiang. As of this writing this project is still in dire need of some funding and any help is welcomed. Because, come on, DINOSAURS and FIGHTING ROBOTS.

Mar 1, 2012

Juice Defender Ultimate is one of the more popular batter life saving apps on the Market today. My biggest problem with apps like these is that often times the statements are mere posturing when just a few simple preventive steps by the user would do the same job. Don’t get me wrong, Juice Defender Ultimate is an incredibly intelligent app that allows for an insane amount of customization over the smallest aspects of the phone. I just feel the largest ways Juice Defender saves battery life are just as simple as turning off the wireless functions when not in use. There really is no hidden secret here, only have the GPS active when it is needed, don’t enable WiFi when the phone is in a back pocket between classes, and keep the screen brightness at a reasonable level. This can all be done with a simple widget or notification widget like Widgetsoid 2.x, which allows for quick and easy toggling of various phone functions.

I am not usually craving phone battery, and my EVO 4G seems to do alright through the day, assuming I don’t spend my hour between classes looking at cat videos on YouTube over Ohio State’s WiFi. So the supposed 1.38x battery life bump I received was not as noticeable as the 4x claims made on Juice Defender Ultimate’s Market page. I can see where this is coming from, however, users who do not know to disable specific wireless connections are sure to see a massive bump in battery life when their GPS isn’t constantly activated. Juice Defender is nice for when these functions have been accidentally left on, and a good option is to automatically disable all wireless data connections when the screen is off. This does conserve some battery, but a problem occurs upon unlocking and immediately utilizing an app that requires an internet connection because there is about a 15 second delay as the phone connects to a data network. The same applies for the option to keep data off unless specific apps are opened. It is a great theory, but in practice, there, again, is a long delay between when the app is opened and when the data connection is finally established.

One final problem I had with Juice Defender is that a few days after installing it my home screen really started to bog down and become sluggish. Individual apps did not seem to be affected other then in the initial launch. I do not have any hard evidence that Juice Defender is the red-handed culprit but I do know that as soon as I disabled it everything resumed normal function and I didn’t experience any more problems.

Overall, Juice Defender Ultimate is best for those who have trouble regulating their connections by themselves or for those with older batteries and need every last percent. For most everyone else, however, Juice Defender Ultimate may just become a superfluous app that will benefit marginally with the chance of compromised performance.