With Bumper Cars, you can go to the fair without leaving home. This is a fun game with colorful graphics that will keep you happy for hours. The red car is the player car which you may use in multi-level play. You just swipe or tap to change the car direction. There are advanced sound effects with great music to get your juices flowing. The fun part is that your car speed increases with each level.
"Do you enjoy car race games, carnival or acamedic games. Then you will love Bumper cars. Take a break from frustrating puzzle games, sit back and get ready for good old-fashioned fun. Now you can hop into the Bumpercar ring without having to leave your couch. Use the arcade like controls to guide your bumper car to crash em, smash em and destroy the other cars in the ring.
"--Tip: This app requires 2.2.1 Software, and is also available in the Lite Version in the App Store. Big kids and Little kids will thoroughly enjoy Bumper Cars.
You’ve played it on your Mac and PC, and you know how seriously addictive it can be. It’s Here. Peggle for iPhone. PopCap Games latest touch title brings the experience you all know and love, to iPhone (and iPod touch) - but is it really worth plunking down for? I’ve been putting it through it’s paces.
Developer: Peggle Price: $4.99 Version Reviewed: 1.0
Becoming PopCap’s third title on the store to date, Peggle brings the much loved peg-blasting arcade title to your fingertips. Keeping most of it’s traits from the PC and Mac version, Peggle for iPhone takes the experience up a notch, or two. For anyone who hasn’t played Peggle (Where have you been, in a hole?) I’d like to take a minute to explain just what Peggle is.
What is Peggle? Peggle is based on a seemingly simple, but yet very clever and highly addictive concept. The game starts by presenting you with a playing board of pegs, which light up. Within the board a certain amount of these pegs will be orange, and the aim of the game is to hit these orange pegs so that all of them end up, lit up. In order to achieve this the game grants you a certain amount of balls which you can then control the aim of, and fire at will. By the balls ricocheting off the other non lit pegs, Peggle makes for very interesting and unpredictable gameplay.
Playing Peggle The game can be played using a total of 10 different colourful characters, across four different playing modes. These include: Adventure, Quick Play, Challenge and Duel.
Adventure Mode This mode offers up the classic experience of Peggle, the one you all know and love. Throughout this mode you will gain special powers, for a certain amount of turns, which will ultimately help you complete each level.
Quick Play Pretty self explanatory, this mode throws you straight into Peggle action. You can either play through the 11 stages, each consisting of 5 levels (55 levels over 11 worlds on total) or, you have the option for the game to select a random level for you. Choosing the first method sees you having to play through one level in order to unlock the next, while the second method allows the game to select a random level out of the levels you have already manged to complete.
Challenge Mode This mode does exactly what it implies. Locked by default until you manage to fully complete ‘Adventure mode’, Challenge mode is designed to throw challenges into the mix - 40 to be exact. Designed for advanced players.
Duel Mode The last mode in Peggle, Duel mode lets you compete against a friend or computer. Locked by default, in order to unlock this mode you must complete Stage 1 of ‘Adventure Mode’.
UI and Visuals Peggle is one of those games which has always been known for it’s retro arcade-styled look, and the iPhone version is no different. From it’s quirky loading phrases, to it’s cute, pretty up-lifting graphics, this game is a feel-good game from the outset. Vibrantly coloured, you can just tell PopCap spent a lot of time perfecting Peggle for iPhone visually.
In-game, the UI is fairly straight forward, and has a few features which I wasn’t expecting. Describing the in-game screen, and the top you have your ball shooter. This can be aimed in any direction and emits a faint line of angle which will help you to decide on your next move. When this line comes into contact with a peg, or several pegs, the angle line is distorted to show you which path your ball will ball will fly, once released. So, How do you aim in Peggle for iPhone? You can aim in three different ways. Either by sporadically touching on the screen with one finger, touching and sliding, or on the left-hand side of the screen you’ll find a virtual ‘wheel’. Just slide your finger up and down over this, and your sight will pan from left to right (and visa versa).
See it in Action:
Video Courtesy of Touch Arcade For best quality watch in HD
Above this you have the fire button. When your ready and happy with your aim direction, just give this a tap to fire that ball. Moving left, inwards from the right-hand side of the screen you’ll next find your fever meter. This basically measures how much ‘Fever’ is left in the game, before you finish a certain level. When the meter reaches 100%, rainbows will fly and fireworks will explode. You’ve reached Extreme Fever dude!
Below this you’ll find an instant-replay button. Also available from the Main Menu, anywhere in the game you can replay your last shot in real-time, and it works (not surprisingly) very well. Handy for bragging rights, right?
On the left side of the screen is your Ball-O-Tron. This keeps a record of the amount of balls you have left, and displays them in a visual ‘Pinball-like’ way. Finally, in the top left corner you’ll find a ‘Fast Forward’ button. Using this button will immediately speed up the rate of play as well as in-game elements. Handy for those not-so-easy animated pegs further into the game. To zoom in on a peg, simply double tap on any area of the screen. The only gripe I had about this was as I and a friend noticed, the quality of the background images are pretty darn low. Noticeable compression.
Bugs I’d like to say this game is perfect, but currently it’s not. While playing, I noticed Peggle has a few slight issues, and for a version 1.0 release to be honest I was pretty much expecting them. However the first might put you off buying the game altogether.
Remember that fun-loving track PopCap lovingly added into Peggle for PC and Mac? You know you one; Booooo-do-do-do! Do. Do. Do. DOOO! - Yeeeaaah, well, it’s not present. Not in this version anyway. It’s meant to be, we’re sure of it. It just … isn’t.
Multiple users have confirmed that version 1.0 of Peggle for iPhone (and iPod touch) only boasts in-game sound effects. Well, they’d be right. Currently the game’s background music doesn’t play and at first, I thought it was the pre-release version of iPhone OS software I was using. I was wrong. After putting word out on twitter last night, it was confirmed: v1.0 has a sound bug.
The second bug found was one pointed out to me by a friend who also happens to have the game. In this version, the ball doesn’t seem to detect hits very well, and we came to the conclusion that the ball used might be a little .. big. The bug occurs when the game zoom focuses in on that very last peg. Even though the shot appeared to be lined up perfectly, the ball didn’t seem to recognise the hit, and in most cases skimmed over the last peg. Unlucky you say? Probably, but it did happen quite a few times in succession. Lets hope these are first on the list at PopCap for Peggle version 1.1.
Overall There’s no doubting Peggle is a cult game, with a cult following. It’s addictive game play, vibrant (albeit compressed) visuals and simple in-game fundamentals make Peggle a title to reckon with. So how did PopCap fair when bringing the title to iPhone? Well I think they’ve managed to pull it off . Ok, so the game does need a few tweaks, what game doesn’t? There’s currently noticeable bugs in this version, as mentioned above, but overall Peggle for iPhone is a respectable counterpart to it’s Mac (and PC) sister.
If you are unsure about plunking for Peggle for iPhone, or just haven’t yet tried Peggle for yourself, I highly suggest you download the FREE trial available for Mac here and PC users here. Currently PopCap have not released a ‘Lite’ version, however I’m guessing this won’t be too far down the road considering the title’s already tremendous popularity.
Perfect Balance: Harmony is a polished physics puzzler and a port from the flash hit. The puzzles aren’t overly difficult, but it’s still a good game.
Developer: ttursas Price: $0.99 Version Reviewed: 1.0
Let me start by saying that Perfect Balance: Harmony is one sadistic game.
“TAKE A DEEP BREATH. (It will help you to relax.)”
Relax? Relax?? Yeah, sure, right. Let me relax while I watch my carefully planned solution tumble down in a cascade of miserable shapes. Let me relax while I watch myself fail again…and again…and again.
That being said, I’m more than happy to submit myself to the whims of this wicked balancing game. Perfect Balance initially looks a lot like Topple—create a balanced block structure that won’t tumble down. But while Topple puts an emphasis on timed games, Perfect Balance is really a physics-based puzzle.
Each stage begins with a handful of blocks suspended over a dotted line. Below the line is the playing field with a platform hanging in the air. (Later levels have multiple platforms; they can be any shape or size, forcing creative solutions.) In order to pass a level, you have to drag the blocks from above the dotted line into the playing field below, creating a “perfect balance” using the platforms; you can also rotate the blocks by tapping. If a block falls, you lose! Once you place all of the blocks on the field, the game waits until they’re in “perfect harmony” (i.e., not moving).
It’s that last bit which is often the sticker. See, Perfect Balance: Harmony uses an incredible physics engine, so you have to account for gravity, friction, momentum…the works. It’s this use of physics which makes Perfect Balance shine in comparison to other games of a similar vein; no other game would ask you to create a makeshift platform by balancing, say, a triangular block on a circular platform and sticking a plank on top of another circular platform so that the two falling items keep each other from tumbling off-screen. You really have to think these puzzles through.
There are eighty original puzzles included in Perfect Balance, and I’m on number 38 myself. While the game is a port of a popular flash game by the same title, the levels are new. Still, if you’ve played the flash version, you’ll be comfortable with some of the strategies you need in order to succeed here.
The game, while ingenious, isn’t completely perfect. You can’t skip a puzzle if you get stuck, which will frustrate some folks. While I understand that this encourages people to keep playing a game, it might have been nice if the developers had taken an approach somewhat similar to Ancient Frog, where finishing a level unlocks several others. (Even having two open levels at a time would be great!) And while I think the difficulty level is just fine, others will be annoyed by it. Another problem is that you can apply similar strategies to many of the levels, making the gameplay eventually predictable. If you’ve played the flash version, you’ll find this one very simple.
But despite those concerns, Perfect Balance is a polished title, and at an initial price of $0.99, there’s no reason for fans of physics puzzles not to grab it. (To give you an idea of the game’s mainstream appeal, the devs at ttursas claim that the flash version has been played by 5 million gamers, and there are even walkthroughs available on YouTube!) You can play the flash version for free or try out the lite version if you want to get a taste for the game’s style.
Cost: 99 cents DESCRIPTION: Arcade, Entertainment, Games, Native, RELEASED: 4/5/09 VERSION: 1.0 has 4 STARS Bloons is a good-old fashioned arcade style game in which you get to pop balloons, just like you did at the neighborhood fair. You should come prepared with a little skill, a lot of determination and a can-do attitude! There are ice bloons, bomb bloons, tack and helium bloons. There are 50 new levels which players of all ages and talents can enjoy, along with the brilliant graphics and ease of use."This app is the online flash sensation that landed on iPhone and iPod Touch. Play as the mischievous monkey as you set out to pop as many balloons as possible using an arsenal of darts and special power ups. Bloons is a simple yet hugely addictive game in which players must pop a target number of balloons in each level in order to progress to the next one."--Tip: This app requires 2.2.1 Software. As a plus, if you master all 50 levels, you will find hidden bonus content which is a great incentive!
Take the helm of the USS Enterprise and destroy the enemies of the Federation in this frantic, but shallow, shoot ‘em up!
The original Star Trek (for those of you who have been living on Venus for the past 40+ years) is one of TV’s best loved franchises. Its recent film reinvention by J.J. Abrams (better know as the creator of Lost) has given EA an excellent excuse to release this new mobile game tie-in.
Star Trek is a top down shoot ‘em up in the style of Galaga or R-Type, and is full of bright, spangly graphics, executed with the usual flair and slickness customary to EA titles.
You command the iconic ship the USS Enterprise, and are attacked by wave after wave of ever deadlier enemies. In campaign mode there are a total of 12 missions, consisting of 4 sectors against 3 well known adversaries of the Federation: Klingons, Cardassians, and Romulans.
You get to play with many of the Star Trek universe’s weapons and gadgets. Phasers and photon torpedoes are your main weapons of choice, although occasionally you can pick up other useful weaponry (EMP, Phase Cannon, Disruptor), which will help you complete the more difficult missions.
As enemy ships are destroyed you can manoeuvre the Enterprise to pick up dropped goodies, such as shield replenishment and temporary weapon upgrades. You will definitely want to grab those shield enhancements because your shields can soon become depleted, and cause the Enterprise to be destroyed. All is not lost, though - you can restart the mission close to where you left off.
As the Enterprise warps onward through the missions, you are rewarded with stars which you use to upgrade the ship. Choose carefully when upgrading, between either Torpedoes, Phasers, Tractor Beams or Shields.
A nice addition to the game are the Achievements you can complete. These range from Honorable Survivor, where you need to complete the Klingon missions in order, without failing, to Starfleet Admiral where you need to achieve a 100x chain kill in any mission. These Achievements add to the game’s limited replay value.
Star Trek is full of eye candy. Even on the relatively small iPhone screen the Enterprise looks cool. The spot effects combine nicely with audio, and, at times, the play area can be filled with enemy ships, phaser blasts, torpedoes, tractor beams, mines, upgrade icons, and shield enhancers. The action gets very frantic, which adds to the game’s immediacy and fun factor.
With this game you get to choose between three control systems. You can tilt the iPhone to control the Enterprise; use a finger to take direct control of the ship or; use an on screen joystick. I tried all three and found the first two control methods to be excellent, but the joystick method was too imprecise and fiddly, and I wouldn’t recommend its use unless you want to make the game harder!
You can turn on auto fire too, or, if you think that’s too simple, you can tap the screen to fire your weapons manually.
All in all, I did get a great sense of occasion from this game - it definitely did its job in making me want to go out and see the new movie! I felt immersed within the Star Trek universe, but I think more could have been done to enhance this feeling. Instead of just the pictures of Spock, Uhura or Chekov popping up with some cursory text, how about a cut scene, or some footage from the new film? This would have added to the immersion factor and rewarded your purchase with a teaser for the film.
Despite the polish EA have administered to Star Trek, the game is somewhat shallow. It was a blast to begin with, but it did get a little repetitive by the end of the twelfth mission. I enjoyed it while it lasted, but Star Trek’s replay value is limited.
If you are a Trekkie completist, it’s a game you’ll want on your iPhone. If you aren’t a Star Trek fan you will still enjoy this game, but the atmosphere and the sense of being a part of the Star Trek universe may be lost on you.
That said, I would recommend this game as a fun, frantic, short and sweet journey through the Star Trek universe. Just don’t expect the game to boldly go any further than that.
Our Rating: :: Exceptional Reviewed By: :: Chris Hall
Need For Speed: Undercover is a groundbreaking example of how the larger developers should treat the iPhone. This game has been given very special attention to make it entirely unique to the iPhone, using the accelerometer and video playback capabilities to provide an amazing gameplay experience. Kudos to EA.
Just two days ago I was talking to Bryan (our editor) about the state of iPhone gaming. In a nutshell, I was concerned about the mediocrity that people were coming to expect when they pick up iPhone games. In my mind, the iPhone could (and should) be considered a gaming console that rivals the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP, but at the moment it just stands in most peoples minds at the top of the mobile device gaming market. For being so new to the game, I commend the developers for all the great games that have come out, but I really wanted to see a game that would raise the bar in terms of graphics and gameplay, something that would make people ok with spending $10 on an app. Bryan told me to be patient and that the next big thing will inevitably come.
It turns out that the big app I was waiting for was going to come out the very next day. I had been reading the previews for NFS on our site and was pretty excited about its release, but racing games, iPhone racing games in particular, are usually not my cup of tea. Being a fan of big releases though made me quickly jump on the opportunity to review this one. I’m sure glad I jumped on it too, because it is, without a doubt, the best game on my iPhone.
NFS: Undercover
The Need For Speed Series has been going strong since 1994 on consoles, with a new version coming out every year or so. Each game has a somewhat unique plot, but all heavily lean on the sense of speed and urgency to push along the gameplay. There is definitely more of an emphasis on fun than of simulation, allowing you to run head on into cars with no real issue other than the time wasted watching your car get knocked over. The newer versions of the game, including this one, allow for a variety of car customizations, from paint jobs to nitro upgrades, and car types, all from real car models. The available cars range from bad to good, foreign to domestic. My car path through the game was Pontiac Firebird, Mittsubishi Lancer Evo, Dodge Viper. I had the money to by a Ford GT at the end, but I was a bit too attached to my Viper to get it.
As I was saying earlier, the plot in the game is somewhat unique. The reason I say somewhat is because the plot heavily borrows from movies like The Fast and the Furious and… well… The Fast and the Furious. I’ll just go ahead and say it, NFS, until the very end (there is a twist!), pretty much uses the same story as The Fast and the Furious (F&F). You play as an undercover cop who has to find out who stole some incredibly important cars from a bigger shipment of, you guessed it… cars. Your boss, played in glorious cut scenes by Maggie Q, gives you an assignment to infiltrate the gangs around the Tri-State Area (basically, your in-game world) in order to find out who stole the car shipment. While working undercover for the first gang, you meet the lovely Carmen Mendez, played by Christina Millian, who you instantly have a thing for. Don’t expect any kind of crazy character development to happen, but you will be surprised as to how well you will comprehend what is going on. There definitely are a few levels at the beginning of the third state that make no sense, but the overall story works well enough to push the gameplay forward.
Gameplay I can’t emphasize this enough; NFS is possibly the first big budget title that truly has a next gen iPhone control scheme. There wasn’t a single point in the game that made me wish I were playing on a PSP or DS, which is definitely a first among the bigger titles on the system. Between the super effective use of the accelerometer and the fantastic use of the multi-touch display, NFS uses the phone to its full potential.
Watch the video (click HD) for a rundown on the amazing control scheme.
As mentioned in the video, there are many gameplay options in NFS. Besides the typical races, there are many levels that involve destroying a rival cars, destroying police cars, trashing the road, or evading the police in order to deliver stolen vehicles. The best two gameplay variations to me are the races and the stolen car levels, but none of the gameplay types could ever be called even remotely boring.
Graphics The graphics in NFS are absolutely fantastic. There are a few instances of lag at some points, usually when the phone is receiving an e-mail or text message, but the overall build of the game is flawless. All of the cars are richly detailed, with customization options (body kits, spoilers) that all look fantastic. Even the environment in the game is richly detailed. I fully expected some nice racing graphics in NFS, but when I first saw 3D buildings whizzing past my car I was shocked.
The best thing about the graphics of the game though, and this may be a testimonial to the gameplay, is the sheer sense of speed you get while playing the game. In real life, there is a massive difference in the amount of reaction time needed to drive a Firebird and a Porsche at top speed, and this is represented very well in NFS. Some of the later levels have you going so fast that winning boils down to developing twitch reactions to situations, making for an exciting game.
Sound The background music in NFS is a collection of decent rock tracks (I wish I could import the Crazy Taxi soundtrack), but the game really excels in the sound effect department. At various points in the game you will hear your engine shift, hear the crunch of a car around you, and hear the sirens and helicopter sounds of the oncoming police. With the speed of the action and the growl of your engine, the background music becomes what it is meant to be… background music. With the sounds as good as they are, listening to the game through the iPhone speaker is almost a waste, so I would definitely recommend a good pair of headphones.
It’s here!
Overall NFS: Undercover has definitely raised the bar for iPhone gaming in general. The graphics are stunning, the sound is awesome, and the gameplay is the best that the system has to offer. I commend the EA programmers for finally making an iPhone game that seems like it was designed specifically for the iPhone, and not just ported over with some kind of tired control scheme. It’s hard to find fault with the game, but if I had to reach, I would probably ask for some sort of multiplayer option. The single player experience though is so good (and extensive) that you won’t even think about the lack of multiplayer. I’d say that you can legitimately expect 10, maybe 15 hours of gameplay if you want to complete the story mode and the drift mode that unlocks at the end of the game.
By iPhone standards, the game is quite expensive, but this is a fully featured game that would be welcome on any portable console. Considering that I would gladly play $15-$20 for the same experience on the DS, the measly $10 iPhone price is well justified. Pick this one up as soon as you can, it’s worth it.
Developer: Uwe Meier Price: Free Version Reviewed: 1.3
A puzzle game described by them as a mind twister. I agree, it is a mind twister, but perhaps too much so, making it less fun then it should be. Ouch.
I downloaded this game when I saw it was in the top 25 list. I usually download most of these (free) apps if there is even a hint at them being interesting. Why not, free means there is no loss if you don’t like it.
This app is a puzzle that is based on having a grid of squares. These squares need to be flipped in order to match the small pattern showing on the left hand side. When you touch the squares, all the squares adjacent to it also flip revealing the other side (colour) of the square.
Pretty straight forward game isn’t it? Well no. You have to do this in a limited time (they have said there is an update on the way that will remove this) which means that by the time you realise the time is running out, you start to do ‘panic’ moves… those moves where you are frantically just hitting all squares in the hopes that the gaming gods will grant you the special moves to solve the puzzle. The gods were not kind to me.
In the 1.3 update they have implemented a new feature so that you can start at the puzzle you left off rather than starting at the beginning, which is great. I love when developers listen to the masses and implement changes. So hats off to them. Perhaps they should mix it up a little so rather then it being extremely difficult, they could have a kinda difficult one then a bit of an easy one so you have some sense of being able to complete a level. It really isn’t fun if the entire thing is a struggle.
I just didn’t feel it, and have no idea why it’s even on the 25 list at all. I played it, tried to like it and deleted it after a few tries. Maybe I’m a quitter, but if I wanted to hurt my brain I’d get war & peace and read that. I also didn’t like the yellow colour of the game the icon, though, my icon is slightly different to the one featured in the review, so this may be updated as well.
Looking through the massive amounts of reviews left by folks, it seems to be split into two distinct camps: One camp eloquently put by some players as “it’s crap” to the other extreme of “great game”. It is worth noting however - that even those kind enough to say ‘great game’ and award it 5 stars, say “I can’t get past level 3″. So keep in mind what’s in store for you.
Overall, I had a go, and just didn’t like it. When I’m writing a review I like to be able to get past my own opinion of it, and be objective as to what others may find appealing and reasons to give it a try. I know I won’t like every app out there so for me it’s about what the app can do for you. This game however will only bring you a headache.
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COST: 99 cents 
That being said, I’m more than happy to submit myself to the whims of this wicked balancing game. Perfect Balance initially looks a lot like Topple—create a balanced block structure that won’t tumble down. But while Topple puts an emphasis on timed games, Perfect Balance is really a physics-based puzzle.
The game, while ingenious, isn’t completely perfect. You can’t skip a puzzle if you get stuck, which will frustrate some folks. While I understand that this encourages people to keep playing a game, it might have been nice if the developers had taken an approach somewhat similar to Ancient Frog, where finishing a level unlocks several others. (Even having two open levels at a time would be great!) And while I think the difficulty level is just fine, others will be annoyed by it. Another problem is that you can apply similar strategies to many of the levels, making the gameplay eventually predictable. If you’ve played the flash version, you’ll find this one very simple.
Cost: 99 cents 
I downloaded this game when I saw it was in the top 25 list. I usually download most of these (free) apps if there is even a hint at them being interesting. Why not, free means there is no loss if you don’t like it. 
