Written reviews of apps and games for both Android and iOS devices
App Name: Devil’s Attorney
Developer: Senri AB
Cost: $3.00
Market: Google Play, iTunes
Review:
Below is our video review of the game. Overall it is a fun, casual, turn based game that is easy to pick up and play. It is a great game and has been well received in both the Google and iOS gaming communities.
• 58 challenging cases
• 3 neighborhoods to explore
• 9 prosecutors to outwit
• 3 difficulty settings
I highly recommend the game.
Worldictionary is a cool app and one I wish I had when I was in school! This app from Penpower Technology Ltd will help you translate words on the fly.
To use the app, simply point the camera on the text you wish to translate, with the crosshairs on the specific word and the app will then translate it for you. Very slick. The app is very simple to use and setup. On the main screen you can choose the languages you wish to use. After the app translates the word, you can have it speak it to you.
You can choose from three translation engines (Google, Bing, and Basic Vocabulary) and there is an option to purchase 2 other Chinese dictionaries. There is over a dozen different languages to choose from.
When you find a word, you can click on it and find out more about it and then search it online at Google, YouTube or Wikipedia. You can also bookmark words or save an image of the document with the word.
I think this would be a great app to have when traveling or for a student who need a quick lookup. The app simply works and is a great tool. Not sure what else I can say. I definitely recommend this translator.
App Name: Darts Master
Cost: Free
Developer: Rosemary
Market Link: Google Play
Got a quick review today. It is called Darts Master from the developer Rosemary.
It is a fun game where it takes a steady hand to get a high score. In the game an arrow is shot and you need to guide it to the target. As you guide the arrow, you want to collect the coins in your path and then when you get to the target, try to hit the bulls eye. Practice makes perfect!
The game has four levels – Easy, Avoidance, Multi-ring, and Bullseye. There is also in-game achievements, and leader boards. The graphics and sound are fine in the game and most levels are quick.
The only major issue with it are the ads. The ads are everywhere in the game and really make it hard to play. The app also places ads in the notification bar. I would definitely recommend the developer cut back on them.
App Name: Snapchat
Developer: Snapchat
Cost: Free
Market : Google Play
Review:
The discussion never ends. There is a train of thought that states Android has better applications than any other operating system around. In fact devices with the OS enjoy unprecedented popularity thanks to the built-in apps they come with. What was lacking was Snapchat.
It seems like it was just days ago that users were lamenting about the lack of Snapchat on Android phones. The application seemed to be firmly entrenched in the Apple operating system world, showing up in iOS6 but not in any of the Android devices.
Now we hear good news that this very popular app is finally making its way to your Android phone. Snapchat is a photo app, but it’s not merely that. Ordinary photo apps let you tweak pictures and send them with ease, which is good. But what if there’s a picture you regret sending? Or one that you’d rather not be seen by people? Once it’s left your phone, there’s precious little you can do about it. Snapchat saves you from a lot of embarrassment by letting you decide when the pictures you’ve sent will be deleted.
Once you’ve shot a picture, set a time limit between 1 to 10 seconds for the picture to delete and send the picture. The recipient gets to view it for that stipulated period of time before the image is deleted. As you can quite imagine this app has a host of followers delivering over 20 million photographs every single day and being on Android means more fans for the app. Seeing how more and more younger people are getting on the smartphone or device bandwagon, this free app, meant for younger people more than anyone is bound to be popular.
Snapchat ties neatly with social media sites which allow editing of the content. Why should that idea not apply for phone image transfer too? Yes, there’s always the screenshot option where a recipient can take a quick picture in the ten seconds he or she is allotted. But it isn’t always an easy thing to do and most people might not take the effort. The app also gives you a sense of spontaneity where you can share instantly what you’re experiencing at that particular moment and continue to do so, without taking up too much space.
There is a concern that the app will be used by younger demographic, teenagers especially to send inappropriate content, perhaps even from the classroom. But Snapchat works on instantaneous pictures and that’s unlikely to happen in a classroom. But it will help for parents to talk to their children and explain what the app is about and how it can be used-or misused.
There’s a certain freedom that comes with a ten second deletion- you can be crazy, ridiculous, uninhabited, because you know that in the end there will be no evidence of it remaining. Besides, imagine all the space you save because of the deletion option.
The Snapchat application is available on the Android devices and it’s free so check it out.
About the Author: Sasha loves to write about technology stuffs in any field. She has been a writer/blogger for four years and currently working for Internet Bundles where you can find great offers and details about Verizon Internet.
Dolphin Paradise: Wild Friends is a cute virtual pet game where you are a dolphin trainer. Though I am not big into virtual pet games, this one has quite a bit to it and is one that the younger kids should enjoy.
The game starts off with a through tutorial that shows you the basics of the game. One thing I found is that you will need Internet access to play the full game. I tried to start the game offline but it did not like it. After the initial setup, you can play most of the game offline but many of the social aspects of the game will require Internet access.
The game is driven by various goals and as you progress new goals will be available to do. Each goal will give you different items or experience. In the game you will earn experience, shells, and pearls. These are basically the in game currency. You also have to deal with energy. As you do different things, you will use up energy and will either need to wait or purchase more.
You can teach your dolphins different tricks such as jump, balance ball, flutewalk, breach etc. to do a trick you will use need to use different gestures on the screen. After he learns some tricks you can then show them off at a show.
In addition to tricks you can can purchase props, different dolphins, habitats, and decorations. As you progress, you will earn enough to purchase them vs spending real money (which you can do if you desire).
You can hook up with friends online and earn different badges also.
Overall it has great graphics and game play is smooth. I did find the top menu bar pretty small and hard to read.
Since it is virtual sim game, it is designed to play over time and earn/improve as you go. If you are a dolphin lover, this is the game for you.
App Name: Dragon Kingdom
Developer: X6 Game
Cost: Free / in-app purchases
Market: Google Play
Review:
If I had to describe this game in one word, I would have to use massive. I use that term in regards to the complexity and details in the game vs the raw size. Dragon Kingdom from X6 Games is definitely one for those who like to play for a little bit, put it down, and then come back to it. I have been working on it for days and feel like I have only scratched the surface.
You start the game with one island kingdom. You must build and fortify that kingdom and then begin to expand. For an extensive history for the story, check out the app page over at X6 Games. Also when you first start you have to go through the tutorial. I could not find a way out of it but that was fine. Once the tutorial was over, then the fun begins.
As I mentioned, there is a lot going on in the game. The main avenue to play or advance in the game is through quests. There are two types: Growth quests which help you build up your kingdom and Island King Quests which are harder but build up kingdom experience points. The game does a good job letting you what you can and cannot do due to your current level. So if you follow the Growth Quests you should get a good idea of how to play. In these quests, you will need to build structures, plant resources, harvest, build troops, and so on. When you attempt to build, a grid pattern will appear on the screen and will show you where you can/cannot build.
Other than building resources, troops, and structures what do you do? Well this is a massive online strategy game so you can connect with others online. You are under beginner’s protection until you reach level 4, so until then you can work in peace. There is of course the online chat area and an in game email system.
Each day you check in the game you will be rewarded with different items such as chests, scrolls, gems. You use these items to upgrade. You can also purchase these items via dragon coins that you can purchase. I have not yet figured out what each of these items does but as I advance it should become clearer.
I am not going to go into ever button in the game but let me wrap up with some highlights. Around the island you will see folks with question marks above their heads. Click on them for a daily quiz or quest to fulfill. To the north of the island is the Ghost Ship, where you can do daily challenges. East of that is the Dragon Grave but is only open once you get 100 level s in the Ghost Ship. A little east to that is a tall sailing ship. Click on that to reveal different Epic Quests. And finally, the nearby docks are where you can do merchant runs with other players.
Tired yet? As I said, there is a lot to the game. So do I like the game? Yes and no. This game will keep you busy for a long time, which is good but for me there is almost TOO much going on. I had a hard time keeping up with the quests and objectives and what level I was on. The other big drawback is the screen. There are over 20 buttons on the screen and there always seemed to have an in-game message pop up. So on phone screen, it got crowded quickly. I could not find a way to turn off those messages either. I think this game is best played on a larger screen.
The graphics are excellent, there is a great attention to details, and you can pinch to zoom which is a great feature. Overall Dragon Kingdom is not a bad game- it definitely is one for those players who enjoy massive multi-player games that you play over time. So if you have some time and want to see how far you can go, give Dragon Kingdom a try.
App Name: Prince of Persia Classic Free
Developer: Ubisoft Entertainment
Cost: Free / $2.99 USD
Market: Google Play
Review:
People have gone crazy over the PC versions of this title. Whether it was the revolutionary Sands of Time, the Two thrones or the Warrior Within, the game franchise has managed to addict several thousands of gamers throughout. Now, this title is back and this time on – the Android.
The Plot:
The game is the recreation of the earlier blockbuster – Sands of Time. Players play as the Prince of Persia, an acrobatic warrior who is prisoned to death in a dungeon. The prince’s love interest is kidnapped by an evil wizard and it’s now up to the prince to save the princess by escaping the dungeon.
The Game play:
This title for Android manages to do full justice to the console and PC versions and often reminds you of those beautiful moments you experienced during the original game play. The classic version of this title is more based on the swiftness of the player than puzzle solving techniques. The game offers three modes for non-repetitive game play, which are:
Regular Mode:
This is the basic mode where you don’t have to undergo any time attacks or gore enemies. Just use your basic skills in combat and acrobats to traverse your way through the dungeons and castles and save the princess.
Time Attack:
This mode is a race against time. The game offers just 60 minutes for you to perform all the above mentioned actions and complete your quest.
Survival:
This is perhaps one of the most challenging levels of the game, where it asks you to complete the game less than 60 minutes – without getting killed even once!
The controls of the game are pretty simple and easy to play. While on the move, the game offers four options for navigation which are the direction controls, one for the jump, one for the crouch and one for the creep. And during the endurance, the options change to accommodate controllers for attack, defend and counter attacks. One of the upsetting features of the game is that it fails to recreate the magic of the original Prince of Persia combat styles and truly lacks pace. It requires you to take down an enemy to proceed with the mission and resembles the game play style of the original Prince title, released in the 80’s.
The environments are huge, complex and bewildering at times. They are designed in such a way that the players can easily lose themselves half way through the game. So, aptly placed are the maps on the pause screen. This greatly assists to progress to further levels as it gives a brief outline of the possible directions and paths.
The Graphics:
Taking into consideration that this is a game for Smartphones, the graphics are A-OK. The prince looks charming and the game has some pretty cool recreation of dungeons and castles to its credits. The slow-mo style kills are delightful to watch. However, the visuals tend to slow down a bit at times and this adds to the slower pace of the game. Also, the placement of a mini map somewhere in the corner of the screen would have been a blessing. But, overall – decent!
The Bottom Line:
The game fares well and is indeed a great title for the Android. With over 14 levels of sheer action and easy to use controls, the game is the perfect tribute to the immortal franchise. If you can neglect the minor flaws, it should definitely make it to your handsets.
About the Author: Mark Dwayne of BuyTimewarnecable.com, a site that offers savings and current information on time warner internet .