AppCraver » Editor’s Picks

Omini Stones: Fun and Frustration Rolled into One Strategic Puzzle

Barbara Holbrook — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:34:09 +0000

If you just look at the picture, Omini Stones might be mistaken for another drop in the popular match-three bucket. But that, dear AppCravers, is why you should never judge an app by it’s cover.

Omini Stones is a different kind of puzzle altogether. The developers call it a “classic swap-and-match puzzle.” They may be right, but I’ve never played anything like it. Thankfully, the app includes a good video tutorial which explains how to play pretty quickly.

Once I understood the details, the puzzle seemed like simple gameplay. Slide plain stones of contrasting colors but matching shapes to create Omini Stones. The Omini Stones can then be cleared from the board by being nudged over to another matching Omini. Clear enough from the board and move onto the next level.

Simple! At least for the first 5 levels or so. As the game progresses the stones, which start as triangles, begin to vary in shape — triangles, rectangles, circles. Remember, stones can only combine with another stone of the same shape. Pretty soon, it takes real strategy to slide the stones into right place. And another thing, some of the Omini are ticking bombs that must be cleared from the board before exploding.

Gamers that know how to plan ahead will be able to score extra points by destroying Omini clusters. Gathering 3 or 4 Omini Stones of the same color close enough to clear at the same time is a move that shows true mastery of the game. I managed it by accident, but it can also be done with intent.

Try tilting and turning your iDevice for maximum strategy points. As you slide the stones, the rest will fall into place according to gravity. It’s a nice feature and one of the reasons that Omini Stones is worth the slightly higher price tag.

My concentrating cranium was definitely got its weekly workout with this app! Unless you’re a hardcore puzzle-head, Omini Stones isn’t the type of game you’ll play in line at the bank. It requires more intense thought and deliberate strategy than a lot of the other casual gaming apps I’ve come across. It also provides more of a challenge.

Omini Stones is fresh and familiar at the same time. So, if you’re looking for a challenging game, that will comfort you with a sense of familiarity even while you bang your brain trying to break through to the next level, then Omini Stones from MiOmega might be just what you need.

Watch the Omini Stones video demo:

rating: 8/10
app_name: Omini Stones

Cash Trails – Expense Tracker is Hot on the Trail of Where Your Money Goes

Jennifer Beam — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:49:54 +0000

Over time, the App Store has grown exponentially with an array of personal finance utilities for tracking expenses and budgeting. I’ve always been a firm believer that it is difficult to find a one-size-fits-all expense tracker because of the different styles of budgeting and organizing expenses. Much to my surprise, Cash Trails – Expense Tracker, by Vasyl Smyrnov, is pretty close to a one-size-fits-all deal.

With Cash Trails, users can easily add expense items with a single tap. Further customize your entries with the ability to assign groups, tags, and even make notes. Users can also quickly view expense history, by daily, weekly, or monthly filtering and you can export expense data over wifi. There are several features that make Cash Trails an excellent option for a variety of users, including support of different currencies, password protection, and the ability to track separate expenses for work, home, and hobbies.

Cash Trails allows you track expenses in contrast with income, but even if you prefer to track expenses only, you aren’t limited. By ignoring the + and – features, you can simply track your expenses and quickly see where your money is going. The user interface is friendly and allows you to quickly input notes for later clarification and you can go back and edit or delete entries at any time.

When I first gave Cash Trails a spin, I set it up to track holiday expenses. By assigning a budgeted amount from the beginning, I was able to enter expenses as I incurred them, make notes on what I had bought, and see how much I had left over. This is only one simple example of the expense tracking options available to Cash Trail users, but I’m finding it quite useful. What further impresses me is the option to first try the free version, Cash Trails Lite, which contains all the features of the paid version, but limits users to 30 entries. If you like the Cash Trails interface, simply purchase the full version and you’ll be able to import your expenses from Cash Trails Lite.

No doubt, personal finance and expense tracking apps aren’t for everyone, but if you have been looking for an expense tracker that allows you maximum control, ease of use, and the ability to separate expense categories, then Cash Trails is well worth a look. It may just help you revise your entire personal finance strategies and at the very least, it will help you see where your money goes.

rating: 9/10
app_name: Cash Trails – Expense Tracker

Storm Attack is Fast Paced Block Blasting Action

Jennifer Beam — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:00:51 +0000

The arcade/puzzle genre of match and break brick games is inundated with titles ranging from classic games like Tetris and Break Out to newer games with modern twists. If this genre appeals to you, check out Storm Attack, one of the more recent games available from developer Rhock & Rholl Studios, LLC. Not only is Storm Attack well designed, it has a few innovative features that breathe new life into the block-breaking game model.

Storm Attack gives players a simple goal – score as many points as possible before the blocks stack up to the top of the screen. Points are scored by connecting blocks of the same color and tapping to eliminate groups of ten or higher. The more blocks connected in a group, the more points you score. If you eliminate groups of fewer than six blocks, you lose ammo and if your ammo gets too low, you can’t destroy any blocks. You can drag blocks to anywhere on the screen to maximize point opportunities, but don’t let any one column stack up too high or it could be game over.

This premise alone would make Storm Attack another mundane match and destroy block game, but the addition of features like a storm that rains down blocks at lightening speed every minute, plus the ability to accomplish and track achievement awards, shake to create mini-storms and compare high scores with friends through AGON integration make Storm Attack anything but mundane. Easy to follow onscreen instructions guide new players through the first few levels and it couldn’t be simpler.

Storm Attack is responsive to touch screen control and is vibrant in color and appearance. The information panel across the top of the screen lets players know their score and counts down the time to the next storm of blocks. Through the setting options players can use the music from their library and adjust the sound levels of the background music and sound effects. You can also access your achievement awards and high scores from the main menu.

Seeing as how the iTunes Store has no shortage of these types of games available for iPhone, it’s nice to see new developers throwing users a bone by making trial versions available for free before you buy. Try Storm Attack Lite to get a taste of the game play and user interface. Storm Attack is well done and provides a solid replay value, with the full version you get a fun and slightly different block game that combines arcade and puzzle action, requires a bit of strategy, and is addictive gameplay.

rating: 8/10
app_name: Storm Attack

Globemaster: Offline travel guide is clever, polished and endlessly interesting

Barbara Holbrook — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:30:25 +0000

Recently updated, and looking quite snazzy, Globemaster: Offline Travel Guide & Utilities is ready when you are to make a winter escape. Whether you’re planning an exotic itinerary or just imagining a trip to foreign lands, this comprehensive travel app is a good place to start.

Tpo be clear, Globemaster is basically a clever repackaging of Wikinews, Wikitravel and Google Maps — all free resources used with permission. So, why pay for information you can get for free on the Internet? There are many reasons. (Editor’s note: Globemaster is on sale for $0.99 until the end of 2009.)

Globemaster is polished, easy to navigate and endlessly interesting. Even more, it passes my “airplane mode” test. All the information and functions (except for the ability to refresh news alerts) are available and work as expected even when your device is in airplane mode. This is one of my most important requirements for any travel app. You don’t want to get lost in a foreign country and find out your guidebook stops working when you don’t have a cell connection — especially when you’re using AT&T.

Other Globemaster features include:

an intuitive user interface
more than 260 countries and areas, and 1400 major cities and 4100 photos
satellite view by country/city using Google maps
information that is neatly categorized for quick access
tip calculator with one-tap access to customary tipping expectations of your currently selected country
currency converter with on-demand update
“favorites” for saving tip and currency presets
comprehensive information for each country including history, holidays, travel advice, reference information, weather, electrical requirements, languages, eating, staying safe, etc
“alerts” from Wikinews offer international news and maybe insight about which countries to avoid

One of Globemaster’s features — the “neatly categorized” part — is what makes this travel guide stand out from the pack. The app takes information from wikitravel.com and separates it into bite-size pieces so jet setters like you and me can quickly find just the information we need at any given moment. The categories make planning for your trip a breeze. Wondering what to see, where to sleep, how to show respect? It’s all just a tap away.

Keep in mind that wikis are community-edited resources. Although generally reliable, sometimes you may want to double-check the facts.

The developers, Ivan Kerpan & Evgeniy Lebed, have done an excellent job of wrapping an intuitive, user-friendly interface around a community-created information. With the addition of the currency converter and the tip calculator, Globemaster is a practical and useful travel app that globetrotters won’t want to leave home without.

rating: 8/10
app_name: Globemaster:

Doodle Clock – Clock-a-Doodle-do!

Jennifer Beam — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:00:58 +0000

Though there are several different clock apps available for iPhone, it’s actually kind of daunting to browse the app store for a useful alarm clock app. At least that has been my experience. After reading user-posted reviews of many of them, I simply gave up because none of them seemed quite right for me – until I came across this app. Doodle Clock is a nifty clock app that takes the practicality of a travel alarm clock, complete with the all-important “snooze” option, and merges it with a few creative options.

For some people, a creative option may not be on their list of things they want in a mobile alarm clock but it is definitely an interesting inclusion. The developer, Stephen Gray, claims to have incorporated the drawing engine into his clock app so he could take a little piece of his child’s doodled imagination with him when he travels away from home. Sweet as that inspiration must have been, I’m inclined to believe Stephen himself has a bit of a creative side, too.

The drawing engine implemented in Doodle Clock isn’t all that different from other drawing apps and though it is limited in some ways, you can still make some neat designs if you are patient and persistent. You can select from various transparencies, colors, shapes, and brush stroke sizes to doodle your own numbers 0-9, write the days of the week, and even customize those flashing dots between the numbers. Doodle Clock also allows you to customize your clock’s background. Doodle and color your own background or use a picture from your phone’s camera roll. You can create and save more than one theme and use them whenever you like.

If designing your own clock seems a bit over the top for you, there is a well-designed “sand” theme included or you can simply elect to use the default mode, which is your basic digital clock theme.

Other features in Doodle Clock include settings for 12- or 24-hour time, military time, time zones, and customization of the display format. The two biggest bonuses, in my opinion, are the ability to shut off autolock so your clock keeps ticking away, even while you sleep and the alarm with snooze function. There are only three alarm sound selections, which mimic traditional ringtone options more than alarm sounds, but they are audible and both the alarm and snooze functions work perfectly. There are on-screen instructions included that make the app easy to navigate and not at all confusing to set up or use.

If I have any complaints, it’s the inability to rotate pictures loaded into the app from the camera roll. The clock’s background is displayed in landscape mode so any pictures taken in portrait mode won’t display properly as the background. Aside from this oversight, I’m pretty sure this app is a keeper. With a launch price of just $0.99, Doodle Clock provides a great service and value. Your iPhone (or even iPod touch) becomes a working travel alarm clock as well as a creative outlet.

rating: 8/10
app_name: Doodle Clock

Super Juicy Will Bubble to the Top of the Best Apps Ever List

Barbara Holbrook — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:45:31 +0000

Super Juicy - If you think you’re done playing match-3 games, think again. If you think all match-3 apps are just the same game with a different wrapper, think again. If you’ve ever enjoyed a match-3 game, then don’t pass go, just buy Super Juicy.

Super Juicy is bringing a new kind of action to the popular genre started by Bejeweled. The point is still to match like objects, but instead of jewels or parrots Super Juicy is all about the bubbles, baby. Moving bubbles that float, squeeze and grow in an ever-changing dance that kept me engaged for all 38 levels.

One of the things that makes Super Juicy so fun is that every level is different than the one before. Each level adds a new twist: bubbles that grow larger, bubbles that require larger groups to destroy, bubbles that bubble up instead of falling down, bubbles with spikes (bad) or fruit (good). The physics of this game add another layer to gameplay, as you can tilt your phone to rearrange the bubbles slightly.

If you learn to master each obstacle, then maybe you’ll have a chance at passing level 35. Unlock all the levels and you’ll be able to play them in any order you choose. Don’t even try to coast your way through. Tapping bubbles the wrong bubbles will get you penalized, either by losing points by causing the bubbles to double in size.

The menu graphics and general navigation outside the game are nothing special. It’s obvious that Super Juicy developer Greg Hjelstrom spent his all his time on the game, not the menus. Chances are, once you’ve tried Super Juicy you’ll feel the same way. Who needs menus? I just want to play all 38 levels in a row.

My only real complaint with Super Juicy is that there’s no way to turn off the scoreboard. Each time the game ends, you’ll need to tap through the scoreboard to get back to the beginning. It may not sound like much, but if I’m trying (unsuccessfully) to pass a level it’s annoying to have to circumnavigate the scoreboard to get back to the main menu. A “play again” button on the game over screen would easily end this frustration.

Calling Super Juicy addicting, is like saying that crack may be habit-forming. It’s a wild understatement. The last update added 3 new levels and I’m already jonesing for more.

There is a Super Juicy Light, but with only 5 levels it’s just a small taste what the game has to offer. Save yourself the time and pony up the buck for the real thing.

Watch the Super Juicy Video demo:

rating: 9/10
app_name: Super Juicy

Pig Rush is Better than Bacon

Barbara Holbrook — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:43:48 +0000

Pig Rush — Way back in the dusty corners of my mind, I can almost recall the day my dad brought home this new game that could be played on T.V. It was Pong. But, like many in my generation, the games I really grew up with more colorful and advanced than Pong could ever hope to be. Games like Pac-Man, Kong and eventually Super Mario Bros. And today’s games are even more colorful and challenging than those.

Such is progress. Nevertheless (progress be damned!), sometimes I just want a unblemished, side-scrolling platform. Something that is fun to play, without all the bells, whistles or learning curve. Pig Rush is just that game.

Pig Rush has just one goal. Keeping going.

In Pig Rush your little piggy isn’t going to market, he’s jumping platforms. The game will keep your pig running to the right at all times. Your job is to help your pig jump (or fly) from platform to platform without falling off the edge or landing in the fire. As the game progresses, your pig will run faster, the fires come closer together and the platforms feel just a little bit farther apart.

It’s a simple set up and instantly addictive. Pig Rush is a one-more-game kind of app. Much like Swine Flu, the games are short which makes it easy to justify playing again — and again, and again.

Usually, I’m playing games while the roommate watches football, which means that I play a lot of games without sound. Boy was I missing out with Pig Rush. The soundtrack adds life to the game in a way that few audio tracks do. It’s a musical mash-up of Dick Dale and Santana set to a catchy drumbeat.

If bacon is meat candy (and it is), then Pig Rush is app candy. Delicious app candy.

rating: 8/10
app_name: Pig Rush

Hoyle Video Poker is All Aces — and We Want to Share it

James Johnson — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:00:27 +0000

Video Poker by Hoyle is exactly what it sounds like — video poker for the iPhone — but what its name lacks in “sexiness” it make up for in sheer reliability.

The Vegas-style game consists of Double Bonus, 5 Card Draw, Jokers Wild, Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild — all of which shine like a iPhone 3G S fresh out of the box. Now as a professional iPhone reviewer — jealous? what’s your job title? — I have seen a lot of card games come my way but Hoyle’s version really does take the cake.

The graphics and sound just pop in this digitalized poker app. In fact, the sound jumps out of the phone, so much so that one of our fellow staff members here at Appcraver kindly requested that “I throw that stupid *%@ where the sun don’t shine!”. Of course, this is level of sophistication that I look for in a $1.99 app.

In terms of actual gameplay, Video Poker has a rare feature that makes it stand out from the pack. The app tracks user statistics — everything from your biggest win, to the date it happened and more. While this may like a small feature too often these kind of games are one offs — you play for a while, pat yourself on the back and never recall that moment again. I was surprised at how truly enjoyable it is to see those top wins and and to harken back to those glory days of, erm, last week.

After a week of playing around, I only found two flaws. One is that the touch screen on the main menu should be more responsive. Starting a game requires a double-tap, but often it took as many as 5 taps.

Lastly, after a few hands of solitary Video Poker I started craving one thing — multiplayer. This game is good enough to play for long bouts at a time, but without human interaction it starts to fall flat. Give us Facebook Connect, competition over WiFi, or something!

Overall this game is a gem. Hoyle struck a winning hand with Video Poker.

rating: 9/10
app_name: Hoyle Video Poker

Deadlier Allusions: Mini Crime Sagas for the Cultured Detective

Barbara Holbrook — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:43:32 +0000

Deadlier Allusions is another installment of text-based who-dunnits for armchair detectives. The criminal capers are all murders where the victim has left behind clues that — if interpreted correctly — will point to the “perp.” It’s the players job to suss out the truth and solve the murder through multiple choice.

Each mini mystery takes less than a minute to read, but depending on your base of knowledge could take much longer to solve. Deadlier Allusions offers a “small hint” or a “large hint” to help point players in the right direction. If you’re really stuck you can just guess. There’s no penalty for wrong answers. Although purists might say, you’re only cheating yourself.

Trivia buffs will fare better than most as some of the clues are pretty esoteric. Then again, that’s sort of the point of Deadlier Allusions. Take your clues to the Internet and you may just find the information you need to piece together the puzzle.

I’m not very good at these types of brain puzzlers that require taking random bits of information to arrive at a conclusion. In fact, not even my guesses were on target! However, for me the joy of Deadlier Allusions is the writing style of author Sherban Young.

Young takes a break from writing novels to create the Deadly Allusions series of trivia-based mysteries. The puzzles are available as three separate iPhone apps: Deadly Allusions, Deadlier Allusions and Deadliest Allusions. Kindle users can also download the trio as a single book with 25 extra mysteries.

Young’s crime story narratives remind me a bit of Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently detective series. The stories are humorously matter of fact, clever but not too clever. The Allusions are immensely enjoyable to read, whether I can solve them or not.

Deadlier Allusions and it’s counterparts are text-based games, similar to a reading comprehension quiz with dead bodies. They won’t appeal to everybody — such as app lovers looking for fancy graphics or an adrenaline rush. That said, the Allusions series of murder mysteries is witty and engaging. I’d take the Allusions over yet another photo hunt any day.

rating: 8/10
app_name: Deadlier Allusions

Wordweaver Takes Word Games to the Next Level

Barbara Holbrook — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:18:19 +0000

Wordweaver adds new features, twists and roadblocks to the typical “find and select” word puzzlers. It could be one of the most innovative word games I’ve played in a while, and it’s easily the most challenging.

At first glance, Wordweaver from Mini Monster Media looks like just another jungle-themed word finder. You know, the kind where you drag a finger across — usually horizontally, vertically or diagonally — to make as many words as possible. Although that works in Wordweaver too, it’s just the most basic form of gameplay. Better yet, drag your finger any which way or change directions to zig-zag across the board and create longer letter-combinations.

Add in a timer, two modes of gameplay, and difficulty options and you’ve got a pretty well-rounded word game that’s good for short bursts of distraction. Now, add on a layer of fresh, original graphics, custom soundtrack with sound effects that can be controlled independently and you’ve got a game that deserves a permanent place on your iPhone, one you’ll probably come back to again.

Finally, add in bonus letters that allow players to earn higher scores, tack on a series of achievements to incite competition, wrap it up with made-for-iPhone features like using the accelerometer to scramble the letters, and now you’ve got Wordweaver. This “simple word game” just became a full-fledged game that will push players to maximize their glossary for glory.

But, what good is glory without gloating? For those of you who can’t appreciate a win without the chance to crow about it, Wordweaver has all the popular options to share your success with friends. Post your scores to the Global Leaderboard, use Facebook Connect to compare your score with friends, or send the news to Twitter. The app is also OpenFeint enabled for the ultimate in community involvement.

I only have two problems with Wordweaver. One, there are so extras, bonuses and features that it can take a while to master the game. There is no instant gratification here. And two, some of the buttons are difficult to use. The letters are all perfectly sized and easy to select. But, the buttons that allow the rows and columns to move are pretty narrow and I had a hard time getting the rows to slide. Practice makes perfect, but I’d rather it “just work.”

Wordweaver has taken a simple word game and added so many extras, I’m not really sure it even counts as a word game any more. Wordsmiths will enjoy working their vocab voodoo, but puzzlers and strategy seekers will also want take this game for a spin.

Mastering this jargon jungle is a right of passage that will take skill. But, if you’re getting bored with what the word-game genre has to offer, then it’s time to move on to the next level. Wordweaver will test the limits of your lexicon and — even after 30 levels — leave you ready for more.

app_name: Wordweaver
rating: 8/10