We recently got our hands on a trio of iPhone games all currently available in the App Store. Whether or not you think iPhone games need buttons to work, we were fairly impressed by each of these offerings.
Whether you're looking for stocking stuffer ideas or a game to keep you busy on a long holiday trip, we highly recommend checking out any and all of these solid titles. Best of all, they won't break the bank and are perfect for gamers of all ages.
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Sega/Other Ocean)
Super Monkey Ball 2 ($9.99)
Now before you balk at its $10 price tag, realize that Super Monkey Ball 2 offers most of what its console-counterpart would. We're talking over 100 levels of monkey ball tilting and rolling, mini-games, and Wi-Fi multiplayer. Not to mention, this is arguably one of the prettiest iPhone games we've seen, and it maintains a very solid framerate throughout.
So how does it play? While it may take you a few minutes to get used to the accelerometer functionality, we were really impressed with how well the title controlled. Though it's a bit tough to make turns on a dime--and stopping is harder than we would have liked--the second iPhone Monkey Ball game is sure to entertain previous fans and newcomers to the series.
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Bitforge)
Orbital (99 cents, Free)
It might look like a simple puzzle game, but the amount of depth and strategy found in Orbital is mind-blowing. The basic object in Orbital is to destroy orbs by carefully aiming your cannon towards them while bouncing off the walls and other orbs already in the playing field. Each orb contains three hits (the number is displayed inside each orb), and will explode once it has run out of collisions. There's also a danger zone located at the bottom of the screen which you'll want to avoid reaching--think of maxing out the number of bubbles like in Bust-a-Move.
Two different game modes (Pure and Gravity) allow for the same basic mechanics, though your strategy may change between the two. What really got us hooked to Orbital was the multiplayer as it allows two people to switch back and forth turns, each trying to destroy each other's orbs.
There's a free version of Orbital available too, which allows for unlimited multiplayer and a score of up to 15 in the single player mode.
(Credit:
Critical Thought)
GeoSpark (99 cents)
GeoSpark instantly reminded us of Geometry Wars with its oddly shaped vector graphics and presentation. But underneath its familiar appearance, GeoSpark is truly an addictive game, forcing you to move quickly.
The objective in GeoSpark is to grab like-objects by linking them together to score points. You do this by essentially dragging these shapes together (you can link up more than just two in a row) and then letting go to cash in your score. You must accomplish this all while avoiding non-matching shapes--the catch being the more you chain together like-items, the stronger gravity you create. When this happens, other objects begin to flow towards your chain, and if one touches it, you lose your points.
GeoSpark has that emergency screen-clearing button found in Geometry Wars, but instead of shooting objects, it's your job to link matching ones together.
As we mentioned earlier, all three of the iPhone games featured here are available now on the App Store and are compatible with both the iPhone and iPod Touch. Check out more screenshots from all three games in our slideshow below!
Test-drive six 2010 VW hatchbacks in Firemint's free Real Racing GTI.
Firemint's Real Racing is one of the top-rated and most popular racing games in the App Store, but at $6.99 it's also among the priciest.
Alas, there's no lite version you can test-drive before you buy, but Volkswagen just unveiled the next best thing: Real Racing GTI, a free, VW-oriented version of the game.
Specifically, you get all the same visually stunning championship-racing goodness, but with just three tracks and half a dozen 2010 GTI hatchbacks.
This slimmed-down Real Racing offers three game modes: Quick Race, Time Trial (which lets you post race replays on YouTube!), and career-oriented GTI Cup Championship. (The full game offers more cars, tracks, game modes, etc., including local multiplayer.)
As Jason Parker wrote in his review, near-perfect controls set this game apart from other iPhone racers: "The sensitive accelerometer steering in Real Racing somehow gets it just right. This is due, in no small part, to the autobraking feature that teaches you the best speed at which to enter turns."
Thanks to Real Racing GTI, now you can experience that for yourself. Interestingly, this isn't VW's first foray into branded iPhone apps: just last month the company partnered with Fish Labs for VW Scirocco 24H Challenge.
So, now that you've had a chance to test-drive it, how does Real Racing compare with other iPhone racers you've played? Are you more likely to buy the full game?
(Credit:
Apple)
Developers of iPhone and iPod Touch applications can now enable purchases from within their freely available App Store applications.
Until now, Apple has permitted in-app sales of content, subscriptions, and digital services only for apps costing at least 99 cents.
Apple on Thursday sent the following e-mail to developers:
(Credit:
Apple)
Considering all the drama surrounding the App Store approval process, this latest move by Apple appears to be a positive one for iPhone SDK developers, as it gives them a bit more flexibility in how they design and potentially profit from the applications they build.
We'd like to hear from developers of iPhone applications that use in-app purchases, though; please tell us about your experiences in the comments.
Ever since the mobile version of iTunes allowed podcast downloads, there's been reason to rejoice - on-the-fly podcast accessibility is better than ever, but it's still not great for managing subscriptions. For a limited time, Mediafly will be free for download for the iPhone and iPod Touch through the Apple App Store. Mediafly gives users access to video and audio podcasts across the internet. It also allows for downloads for offline listening on subways, a plus for big-city living. And it also accesses Digital City, so what's not to like?
Users can seamlessly create content channels via a Web browser or Internet-capable portable device, which means you can stream or preload your favorite content to devices such as the iPhone, iPod Touch, Creative Zen, and BlackBerry (in beta now), just to name a few. App versions for the Palm Pre and Android and Windows Mobile devices are coming soon, too. The iPhone and iPod Touch versions will go back to costing 99 cents eventually, so grab and play around with it while it's free to see if it's worth your while.
Check out the video below for demo of Mediafly in action. You can also download Mediafly for the iPhone, iPod Touch, or BlackBerry using your mobile browser: enter www.Mediafly.Mobi
Yes, Last.fm--like CNET--is owned by CBS, but it's also pretty awesome.
In a world teeming with increasingly similar tech products, Apple is one company that seems to have no problem churning out standout products. This might be attributed to sleek designs, fun features, and friendly interfaces--or maybe you want to chalk it up to good ol' marketing tactics. However, in the case of the iPhone and the iPod Touch, there's one attribute that undeniably separates these devices from the masses: the ever-expanding cadre of third-party applications. You can find everything from cookbooks and weight-loss trackers to games and productivity tools, but the area in which the iPhone and iPod Touch really excel is music, and there are hundreds of applications to choose from in this category.
To help you sort through the mass of options, we rounded up five of our favorite iPhone music apps. To keep things simple, we limited our scope to free selections that have a heavy focus on full music playback. Not everything included here will be a perfect fit for every iPod user, but you're sure to find something that will float your boat.
Are there any sweeter words in the English language than "free music?" (I know, "free pizza" runs a close second, followed immediately by "free beer," "free chocolate," and "free Tibet.")
If you're looking to stock your iPhone, iPod Touch, or Zune with some fresh, new tunes, you can find a mountain of free stuff if you know where to look. I'm talking legal free stuff, not the "free" tunes you pilfer from P2P services. Bad user, bad!
Rhapsody generously offers a free MP3 every day of the week.
As you probably know, iTunes gives away one song every week (gee, wow, thanks). Head to Rhapsody, however, and you can score a free song every day. And not just obscure tunes from little-known artists: Green Day's new "Know Your Enemy" was a recent download of the day (ahead of the new album's release, even), and yesterday's selection was Poison's classic power ballad, "Every Rose Has Its Thorns." (Couldn't...help...myself.)
... Read More
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CNET)
Do you have an app that you wish was on the iPhone, but hasn't been developed or ported over yet? Certainly we all have our wish lists when it comes to apps, but one that I've been waiting for since the beginning is the chat and VoIP program, Skype (Mac or Windows). Fortunately, the folks over at Skype have finally put together a great app for iPhone, and if you've never used Skype, I'm here to tell you why you will be soon.
This week's apps include Skype for iPhone and a simple game that offers an excellent interface for simulating one of the most difficult (and most stressful) jobs in the world.
Make calls just like you would on your iPhone.
(Credit: CNET)Skype (free) for iPhone and iPod Touch (!) lets you make calls to other Skype users for free with great sound quality and an interface that's easy to navigate. Current Skype users can log in using their regular username and password, or you can create a new account from the app. From there, simply add contacts who also use Skype and you'll be able to call them and text them without using your AT&T minutes or affecting your text limit. What might be even better, if you own an iPod Touch, all you'll need is a headset with a microphone to use your iPod Touch just like a phone!
In order for it to work smoothly, you'll need to have a reliably strong Wi-Fi--Skype calls will not work with 3G or Edge networks. To enable voicemail or get your own online phone number, you'll need to sign up with Skype at its Web site, but the rates are pretty affordable. Even without a paid plan, as long as you tell your friends to download Skype on their phones and let them know you're calling beforehand, you'll be able to talk as long as you want, wherever you want to call, without using your minutes.
You will come to hate those big jet planes.
(Credit: CNET)Flight Control (99 cents) seems like a relatively simple game at the beginning, offering 2D graphics with you looking down at an airport runway. As passenger jets begin to fly into your airspace, your job is to draw the flightpath to the runway so that the plane can safely land. Sounds easy, right? The only problem is, it gets much harder. Soon, biplanes and helicopters begin to show up and they each have their own runway and landing zones. As the game progresses your screen will become covered with aircraft, and it gets harder and harder to direct them to their landing spots without a midair collision. If there's one collision your game is over.
I downloaded this game a week ago and I still keep coming back to try to get a new high score. Flight Control is both incredibly challenging and very addicting and definitely worth the 99 cent price tag.
What do you think? What app do you wish would come out for the iPhone? Have you used Skype yet? What's your high score at Flight Control (mine is in the screenshot at the time of this post)? Let me know in the comments!
Correction 5:15 p.m. PDT: This story initially misstated the author of the letter where quoted. It is the Free Press.
An advocacy group on Friday called on the Federal Communications Commission to require wireless carriers to allow consumers access to Skype via smartphones, as well as the ability to connect their devices to the Internet through tethering applications on their cell phones.
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Apple)
The Free Press, in a letter to acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps, expressed concern that wireless carriers were not abiding by the FCC's Internet Policy Statement.
Earlier this week, eBay's Skype made a VoIP application available for download from Apple's App Store.
But AT&T, Apple's exclusive iPhone dealer in the U.S., apparently wants to block the use of Skype on its 3G network, according to a report in USA Today.
In the USA Today report, Jim Cicconi, an AT&T public policy executive, said the telecommunications carrier had the right to forgo the facilitation of its competitors' services. He added Skype is considered a competitor.
The report further notes an Apple spokeswoman, Jennifer Bowcock, indicated the device maker limits third-party Internet phone applications for the iPhone and iPod to Wi-Fi.
In its letter to the FCC, Free Press says:
For two years, we have followed your leadership in raising concerns that wireless service providers appear to be engaging in activities that go against the Commission's Internet Policy Statement by violating consumers' right to run applications, use services, or attach devices of their choice over their broadband connections.
Recent reports about application blocking again raise these questions. Regardless of whether any particular incident would be found in violation of the law, the lingering uncertainty surrounding consumer rights on the Internet indicates the need for the Commission to clarify its rules. To resolve any alleged ambiguity raised by parties in earlier proceedings, the Commission should confirm that the Internet Policy Statement applies to wireless service providers that offer broadband Internet access service, as has been acknowledged in prior proceedings and statements of sitting Commissioners. Furthermore, the Commission should request more information on the extent of the wireless providers' role in and their justifications for these widely-reported behaviors.
Free Press further notes the FCC should investigate the practices of wireless carriers for possible violations of the Internet Policy Statement, as it particularly relates to possible direct or indirect limits on consumers' ability to run applications and services of their choosing on their devices.
Tired of fumbling around the iPhone's onscreen keyboard to send a text message? Soon you can skip that altogether, as long as you can speak English properly.
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Promptu)
This is thanks to a new iPhone application that Promptu, a talk-and-type mobile phone application developer, introduced Monday called ShoutOUT. The application is going to be the first voice-to-SMS application for iPhone users in the United States.
The application lets you dictate text messages instead of typing on the iPhone's touch-screen keypad. It also allows for checking the transcribed messages for errors and make corrections if necessary before sending them out to the intended recipients.
This seems an overdue application for iPhone, considering the ubiquity in the usage of text messaging. According to Gartner Group, by 2010 the total number of sent text messages will reach 2.3 trillion.
I wonder if this app also means you can send text messages while driving in California, where since Januray 1, texting and reading text messages while driving has been banned. It's not that I think people should text behind the wheel, just that if speaking on the phone via a hand-free device is allowed, sending text without using your hands should be, too.
ShoutOUT will soon be available at Apple's App Store. For now it's unclear how much it will cost. A non-English version of the application will also be available to European users.
In an attempt to capitalize on the success of the iTunes App Store AOL has decided to split its iPhone chat client AIM into a free, ad-supported download version called AIM Free (iTunes Link) and a paid version called AIM Paid.
Both versions of AIM have some new features, including the ability to use SMS notifications, multiple account support and access to the GPS for location services. Contacts from your iPhone address book can be accessed inside of AIM and then reached via IM or SMS text message. Login time for an account can last up to 24 hours, persisting even with the app is not running.
Interestingly, an SMS feature is in place due to the lack of push services for apps. Push Services were promised to by Apple last September, as we've discussed here and here. The SMS feature allows users to receive messages when the AIM app is not running, in lieu of push services.
The location services feature lets you share your location with your buddies, everyone or no one at all. The the first time I launched this feature, the app located me approximately five to eight miles north of my current location in a completely different town.
The paid version of this application is currently not available as it is still being reviewed by Apple, but its release is expected soon.
