"If there is an app for that"

Get Lucky with Pure Vegas

July 09, 2016 by macjeff

Reviewed by Marilyn Chau

Pure Vegas is an exciting realistic casino simulation that offers an impressive number of fun slot machines.

Available for free with in-app purchases, Pure Vegas, by Naladex CB, offers an impressive number of different slots machines.

Features:

The name of Pure Vegas really aptly tells of its features. The app is a digital slots game. However, instead of other apps that only feature one or two different machines, Pure Vegas has an entire lineup of digital slot machines.

While playing slots can seem pretty repetitive to many people, this variety in the in-app slots can help to keep players interested for longer periods of time.

You can purchase different coin packages for optimal playing experiences, or you can just use the free coins that are provided here and there throughout the app; if you’re particularly lucky, you’ll be able to just play on these free coins alone.

In addition to an impressive lineup of slot games, Pure Vegas also features the ability to join online tournaments or play against your Facebook friends. Games run smoothly, with no lag at all.

Appearance and Layout:

Pure Vegas iPhone Game

Players of Pure Vegas will be impressed by the graphics of this slots app. Like any real slots experience, the colors of Pure Vegas are bright and enticing.

The in-app light animations also help add to the feeling of a “real” slots experience. The main area of possible improvement that I could identify within the app, however, was the layout.

While it does not take an extensive amount of time to figure out your way around Pure Vegas, the layout is still not necessarily purely intuitive and a little bit of a better intro tour within the app would probably be appreciated by many users.  

Value:

As mentioned previously, Pure Vegas is a free app. In-app purchases for more coins can easily be made, and most frequent players of Pure Vegas will probably opt for this option.

While you are given free coins and different winnings within the app, you’ll probably run out of these free coins fairly quickly unless you happen to be very lucky.

As a whole, Pure Vegas is arguably a well designed app and will appeal to players of digital slot games. Its variety of machines sets it apart from many of its competitors, making it a unique playing experience.

Pure Vegas requires iOS 6.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

TheiPhoneAppReview’s rating:

Super Stickman Golf 3 is the Latest Ace from Noodlecake Studios

July 07, 2016 by macjeff

Super Stickman Golf 3 (Free) by Noodlecake Studios Inc is the third installment of the legendary Super Stickman Golf series. If you loved the other two games, or just enjoy a good physics-based golf puzzle, then you should not hesitate to pick up Super Stickman Golf 3.

In reality, I find golf to be pretty boring, unless it’s miniature golf. To me, it’s just a slow sport, not terribly exciting, and takes a long time. But miniature golf? Now that’s a ton of fun — you have friends and family, challenging courses that will make you laugh with others, and it’s just a good time competing with your friends (unless they take it way too seriously). The Super Stickman Golf franchise is like miniature golf to me, but in digital format so it goes with me anywhere. I’ve been a fan of Super Stickman Golf since the original game many years ago, and loved the sequel that came out shortly after. Now we are on the third iteration, and I must say, it’s as good as ever.

In terms of visuals, SSMG3 stays true to its roots. The game is filled with the bright and colorful cartoonish graphics that the franchise is known for (who doesn’t love the stickman golfer), and the various courses all have their unique traits and characteristics that make them stand out from one another. The backdrops as you get further in the game are gorgeous to look at, and feel much more polished. But like anything else over time, the details and textures have evolved to match modern titles, so there is even more to love about SSMG3. Animations in SSMG3 are as buttery smooth as ever, and the quirky, upbeat music is rather whimsical and fun to listen to as you line up your shots, which are complete with awesome sound effects. Once again, Noodlecake Studios delivers in the visuals and audio for SSMG3.

In SSMG3, you have several game modes to choose from: Single Player with five different tour difficulties, and race or turn-based Multiplayer (both online and local). For those who have never played a SSMG game before, the Tours consist of four different courses each, and each course features a distinctive environment and nine holes to complete. The par for each course will be different due to the layout and obstacles that you’ll face, but that just adds to the fun. Additionally, you can strive for certain goals and objectives to get the gold star medal. Each course also features a practice mode, so you can get a feel for it what lies ahead before you go for the real thing.

Controls in SSMG3 are pretty much the same as the previous two games. It’s simple enough for anyone to pick up, but difficult to master due to, well, physics. You’ll have your stickman golfer start out somewhere on the stage, golf club in hand and ball in front of you. You can use one finger to pan the stage for a better view, or a two-finger pinch to zoom in or out. Center the camera back on your golfer with the button in the middle. Use the two directional buttons in the bottom left to control the direction of your hit, and then tap on the button in the bottom right to determine power. When the gauge reaches the level you want your hit to be, just tap on the button again to lock it in. The more the gauge is filled, the stronger the shot will be. But before you take your swing, you can fine tune your swing if need be. Once you’re ready and have the power locked, just tap on the button again to swing. If you want to use a power-up ball that you have stashed away, just tap on the button adjacent to the power/shot to reveal all of your available options, then tap the one you want to use.

As you play, you’ll see “Golf Bux” scattered around the courses. These are optional to collect, but accruing them means that you can buy packs of golf cards. These packs contain a few cards each, and there are 196 cards that you can collect. The cards give you golfer outfits, power-up balls, hats, and trails for your character. There are also trophies that you can achieve in the game that also net you Golf Bux, and card packs are rewarded when you gain enough experience (complete courses) and level up. If you’re low on Golf Bux, you can always buy more through in-app purchases in the Pro Shop (along with card packs, XP doubler, and last shot indicator), but the game gives you ample opportunities to acquire them, so you shouldn’t worry too much about that. Plus, it’s completely optional.

If you love customization and unlocking collectibles, then SSMG3 is packed full of everything. The hats that you unlock can be equipped to give you special bonus effects during the game, such as showing you a shot preview before you swing, more Airbrake activations, longer Shield Ball duration, and more. The hats end up being rather useful, so collect as many as you can and find the one that suits your play style the most. The golfer outfits and trails don’t add anything extra to your character other than aesthetics, though they’re fun to collect too.

While you can enjoy SSMG3 for free with occasional ads, there is a Premium Upgrade in the game that can be bought as a $2.99 in-app purchase. Getting the premium upgrade nets you five card packs along with a ton of extras that include downloadable courses, unlimited Daily Race attempts, a 25-turn-based match limit, and removes all ads. Personally, given the amazing track record with the Super Stickman Golf games in the past, three bucks for tons of content is well worth it. Personally, I bought it without hesitation.

I’ve just started playing Super Stickman Golf 3, but I’m in love with the game so far. Noodlecake has nailed it again with the super polished graphics, awesome soundtrack, intuitive controls, and challenging courses and content. Plus, all bases are covered with both online and local multiplayer, and daily levels that test your skill. Seriously, what isn’t there to love about this game?

I highly recommend checking out Super Stickman Golf 3 if you were a fan of the other two games or just love a fun physics-based golf puzzle game. Super Stickman Golf 3 is on the App Store as a universal app for your iPhone and iPad for free with in-app purchases.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews

Leave Your Mark on the World With File New - The Ultimate Photo Editor

July 06, 2016 by macjeff

File New - The Ultimate Photo Editor ($3.99) by Hi Mom S.A.S is an all-in-one photo editing app for your iPhone. If you haven’t yet had your fill of photo editors, or haven’t been fully satisfied with what was on the market before, then File New is an app that you should consider. It joins the ranks of other apps like Enlight and Pixelmator.

While I have never considered myself a pro, I have always enjoyed photography as a hobby, starting with some photo classes while I was in high school and college. Of course, ever since the iPhone 4 (when the iPhone camera was really good), I felt little reason to go buy a digital camera when I had a powerful one in my pocket. I still don’t consider myself a professional mobile photographer, but I do love to take photos of pretty much anything and everything with my iPhone 6s Plus, and I have thousands of images on my device to prove it. All of my photo editing is also done on my iPhone, because for me, it’s the most convenient. Even though I have a ton of different photo apps on my iPhone, I can’t help but check out new ones as I notice them on the App Store, and File New was one of them. Fortunately, I’m not disappointed by what this one offers.

File New features a simple and clean interface that is pretty intuitive and easy to understand. Like most photo editing apps, it features a black background so that the focus is placed entirely on your photos and editing process, and the app stays out of the way. The thin icons used are all fairly self-explanatory, and even if you don’t recognize something, you’ll know once you tap on it. The app is fast and responsive to touch, so you won’t be sitting there waiting around for effects and changes to render before you can move on to the next step, which is nice. On top of that, File New provides users with a ton of different filters, text options, and stickers that are all neatly organized, so it’s easy to find what you want. All-in-all, I’m pretty impressed with how File New looks and operates — it’s easy enough for anyone to pick up.

With File New, you have two ways of getting an image into the editor: by snapping a new photo with the app’s camera, or importing from your Photo Library. If you’re curious about experimenting with File New first, you can also choose from a handful of pre-loaded photographs with the “Stock” option.

Once you have an image added in File New, the first step is to crop it, if necessary. This section lets you change the aspect ratio, rotate, straighten, flip horizontally or vertically, and magically enhance the image with a clarify effect. When you’re satisfied with your canvas, just tap on the button in the upper right corner to move on to the full editing process.

File New has four sets of tools that you can use when editing photos: Adjustments, Filters, Text and Stickers, and Logos. The last one is definitely a standout feature, as not all photo editing apps aim for brands and businesses, but if that fits the bill for your needs, then File New has it.

The Adjustments section is where you go to for all of your basic photo editing needs, such as exposure, contrast, temperature, vignette, saturation, and more. When you pick one of these settings, you’ll get a slider for adjusting the strength of that setting. A large number appears in the center of the screen as you slide the adjuster, so you can make sure that the adjustment amount is exact to your needs. I did notice that the slider is accurate since it does not move once you lift your finger off of the screen, which is nice. But it does seem a bit more sensitive when you touch the slider again, as I saw the starting number was a bit off from the time I removed my finger. Hopefully the developer can make the slider a bit less finicky in an update, but it’s pretty good when you don’t tinker around with it multiple times.

If you like to add filters to your photos, then you’re in for a treat with File New. Just tap on the sunglass icon and you’re in business. File New has six different categories of filters: BW, Essential, Light, Film, Selfie, and Magic. The number of effects in each category will vary, but there is no doubt that there are enough effects to keep you busy for a while. No matter which one you pick, you can adjust the intensity of the filter with a slider, and you can star your favorites for easy access in the future. And for those who like to create unique images, File New lets you layer filters on top of one another (as long as you save your work), so the possibilities are infinite.

For those who like to add some fun flair to their photos, File New has a ton of text and sticker options. There are four categories of typefaces: Essential, Fancy, Trendy, and Fun. No matter what you’re trying to dress up the image for, chances are high that you’ll find something that suits your needs. Select a typeface, and then a block of text is added on the top layer of the photo. Double tap the text to edit it, and you can rotate and resize through multitouch pinching gestures. If you don’t like the default color, pick another color from the ribbon or even add a cool watercolor gradient or glitter texture to the text, which is something you don’t see too often in photo editors. Other tools include changing the horizontal or vertical spacing of letters and words, transparency, drop shadow, layering, and alignment.

Stickers work similarly to the text tool. There are many more categories of stickers than typefaces, though, since there is pretty much a category for anything you can think of. There are stickers for family, banners, inspirational quotes, love, coffee, drinks, nature, seasons — you name it. File New may not have literally everything, but there’s a good chance you’ll find some stickers you’ll want to use every now and then. Each sticker you add can also have the color changed to a different solid color or a glitter texture, or you can even mix and match RGB colors to create your own. Opacity can be adjusted and drop shadows can be added, and there are tools for changing the layering order (with other stickers and text), and centering the sticker.

As mentioned earlier, the unique thing about File New is the ability to add logos to your images. This is great for those who have their own business or deal with images for a bigger company. In File New, you can add up to six logos at once by double tapping on the available slots and picking from your Photo Library. If you need to delete an older one for a new logo, just long-press on it. When you add a logo layer to an image, you can change the opacity level if you want it to be a more subtle watermark, or delete it with the trash can button if you change your mind.

When you’re done editing your photos, just tap on the square “Share” button in the upper right corner. This brings up a custom Share Sheet that has options for saving to your Camera Roll, or you can share via email, Instagram, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, iMessage, or Whatsapp. I’m a bit surprised that there is no export option so that you can dump it into another photo editing app if you desire, as most apps I’ve used have such an option. But it is not a deal-breaker.

I’m rather impressed with what File New has to offer in terms of photo editing, especially the unique textures and gradients for the text and stickers. However, I’m not sure if it is much of a difference from the other apps I’m using already, such as VSCO, Camera+, and Enlight, since I honestly don’t put text or stickers on my images most of the time. But the option for six different logos/watermarks is nice, and I can see that being incredibly useful for some brands and people. I do hope to see even more precise sliders and maybe even an export option in the share sheet in a future update though. An iPad version would be nice to have at some point as well.

Despite File New being another comprehensive photo editing application, there are plenty of good points about this one that make it worth keeping around. I recommend giving File New a try if you enjoy iPhone photography and want an editing app that gives you a lot of creative options.

File New – The Ultimate Photo Editor is available on the iPhone App Store for $3.99. There are no in-app purchases.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews

Hexagonal Runner The Little Fox Puts a New Spin on a Classic Story

July 01, 2016 by macjeff

The Little Fox ($2.99) by Oleg Batrakov is a twitchy hexagonal runner that offers players a different perspective on “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which is known by many as the ‘fairy tale for adults.’ If you liked games like Super Hexagon and ALONE, then you will enjoy The Little Fox.

Ever since I picked up Super Hexagon years ago, I fell in love with the twitchy reflex genre, even though I’m pretty terrible at them compared to other people. Still, I find the games enjoyable and the challenge is part of the fun, after all. But over time, like many games and apps, the genre has gotten a bit repetitive. That’s why when I saw news of The Little Fox, I was mesmerized because it stood out from the crowd with a distinctive perspective and varying gameplay. Now that I have it in my hands, I must say — prepare for a real challenge.

Visually, The Little Fox is impressive with the beautiful low-poly graphics. In fact, it is reminiscent of Infinite Skater, which is not a bad thing. I love the style of low-poly graphics and wish that it was more popular these days, because otherwise it’s just more flat minimalism out there. The colors in The Little Fox are gorgeous and stunning as well, since it’s a mix of bright and vibrant hues to dark and rich tones, depending on the fairytale world that you’re in. In-between levels, you will find cutscenes that explain the story, and these are well animated in their own subtle way. During the game, animations are smooth and fluid with no lag, which is important since you have to have fast reflexes to survive. The Little Fox also has an atmospheric soundtrack that reflects each unique fairytale area, so each track sets the tone and mood as you progress through the story. I’m rather impressed with what the developer has done in terms of visual and audio in The Little Fox, because it’s a complete package.

While The Little Fox is a hexagonal runner, it is not infinite. In fact, there is a story to the game (based on “The Little Prince”), and at the moment, there are only 13 fairytale worlds to run through. This may not sound like a lot, but believe me, these levels are not easy. In fact, I’m still stuck in the first one, struggling to reach the end and move to the next world. Each of these levels has an endpoint that you must reach, but it’s easier said than done. The game also keeps track of how many attempts you’ve done already, and this number will become staggeringly high over time. That’s right, be prepared to die a lot, which is fairly typical of any twitch reflex running game.

Controls in The Little Fox are simple enough for anyone to pick up, but incredibly hard to master given the circumstances of the game. As you guide the Fox on his search for the Prince, you have to help him manuever through hexagonal paths through various environments. To move a lane over, just tap on the side of the screen that you want to shift over to. When turns come up, you’ll want to tap twice to do a full turn in that direction. While it sounds super easy, given the fast-paced nature of the Fox’s run (you can’t stop), it’s hard to keep up sometimes. Practice is a must for The Little Fox.

To make things even more interesting, there are gaps that the Fox must jump over (this is automatic so you don’t have to do anything else), speed boost tiles, slow-down tiles, and shiny blue crystals to collect. The moment you crash into an obstacle or go off course, you failed and must try again. After each attempt, you will see your completion percentage and the number of attempts you’ve tried so far. There are no checkpoints, so you must start at the beginning after each failure. At least re-spawning is quick.

One thing I did find helpful is that after you fail, you can do a long-press on the screen and you’ll see the exact point you died at. This is useful because it helps you check where you made your mistake and hopefully you’re better prepared on the next attempt.

I’ve downloaded The Little Fox last night when I realized that it was available, and I have yet to make it through the first world. Either I’m just really bad at this game, or it’s insanely difficult. Despite this, I love the game’s visual style and music, because it’s a truly immersive experience when you combine them both. The controls are simple enough and responsive, just difficult to master with the pace of the game. I do wish that there were at least checkpoints in each stage, because it does get a bit annoying and tiring to have to restart from the beginning dozens of times. Still, if you prefer a challenge and test of skill, then The Little Fox provides you with that. It’s also an interesting new take on a classic story.

I recommend checking out The Little Fox if you’re a fan of twitchy reflex runner games and enjoy seeing yourself improve after many numerous attempts. The Little Fox is available on the App Store as a universal app for your iPhone and iPad for $2.99. There are no in-app purchases, so it’s a buy-once-and-play title.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews

Ancient Trees Will Protect the Land from Darkness in Nanuleu

June 30, 2016 by macjeff

Nanuleu ($2.99) by Selva Interactive is a minimalistic strategy game that showcases the never-ending war between ancient magical trees and the dark forces that try to consume them. If you enjoyed games like Rymdkapsel, then you will enjoy Nanuleu.

Even though I don’t think I’m particularly great at strategy games as a whole, I definitely will try my hand at them because hey, playing games is supposed to be fun, right? When Rymdkapsel first came out, it was all the rage among the iOS gaming community, and I dove in to it anyway. I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite not being so great compared to other folks. So when I heard of Nanuleu, I was intrigued since it reminded me of Rymdkapsel, and hey, I dig the whole isometric projection art style. Needless to say, Nanuleu doesn’t disappoint, especially if you’re into the strategic tower-defense type of game.

Visually, Nanuleu is gorgeous and impressive if you’re into the minimalist isometric style. Nanuleu is similar to Rymdkapsel, in the fact that most of the game is flat but appears at an angle, giving off a 2.5-D perspective. The colors in Nanuleu are bright and vibrant, with different colors and shapes to represent all of the unique trees that serve a different purpose, and the hues change to indicate your progress. The dark invaders have their own distinctive appearances and abilities, so they keep things fresh and interesting as you play. Animations are smooth and fluid as you expand your land, plant and grow trees, and defend the harmony of nature. There is also a soothing, atmospheric soundtrack in the background that is a pleasure to listen to, so I recommend playing the game with a good pair of headphones to truly immerse yourself in the experience. Overall, the developers did a great job with the game in terms of visual and audio.

Nanuleu has three game modes: Apprentice, Warrior, and Sage, though the last one must be unlocked by proving yourself as a Warrior first. These modes also represent the game’s difficulty levels, and each time you play, the map is procedurally generated, so you never get the same thing twice. Despite the three different modes, the main objective of the game remains the same: expand the land and repel the dark forces with the power of ancient, magical trees. While it may sound simple enough, you have to manage resources, plant your defenses in the correct spots, and make sure no enemies get through. In short, Nanuleu is a strategic tower-defense like game.

The controls in the game are simple enough for anyone to understand. At the beginning of a game, you start out with one Life Tree. In order to expand the land that the Life Tree can control, you have to extend the roots. To do this, just tap on the adjacent ground squares and a circular popup menu appears with different types of trees that you can plant, but to get anywhere, you need roots first, which are the brown diamond. The roots will expand the land one square forward and two on the side.

You’ll also see squares with yellow dots, blue swirls, and white stars. When you reach these particular squares, you can plant the appropriate tree (yellow is Mineral, blue is Water, and white is Life) on it as long as you have the necessary amount of resources, which is shown in the top right corner. As you plant more mineral and water trees, your resource supply fills up faster, allowing you to plant more trees at a quicker pace. Eventually, invaders will start to come in, and you’ll have to defend yourself. You’ll be able to plant pink Defender trees on any part of the land that you control, and these defenders will attack any enemies that are within range. As you awaken more Life trees, you’ll also gain access to stronger trees, such as War trees (sends out your own warriors to attack). The Life trees can also plant more seeds for mineral and water trees, and it also sends out a blast that can kill any nearby invaders instantly.

When the invaders begin to encroach on your territory, the land you control will recede back until you eliminate the threat. If they end up taking out your trees, you’ll have to replant them as well, which means wasted resources. The good thing about Nanuleu is the fact that you’ll get a visual warning of what direction the invaders are coming in from, so you can prepare for the waves well ahead of time.

The round ends once you fend off all invaders or if they have breached your defenses and got to the central Life Tree. At the end of the game, you’re awarded points based on your performance, which are tallied up for a total score. Each mode has three objectives: defeat the invaders, protect the four altars (the white cubes), and defeat win in less than 20 minutes. The more objectives you meet, the more points you get.

I only started with the game this morning, but be warned — each game you play will last quite a while. My first game in the Apprentice mode took about 20 minutes, so this is a pretty lengthy game that will provide you with a lot of entertainment. But it is definitely not something you can just play and complete in line, though you can pause the game and come back to it later. The graphics are beautiful, the music is tranquil, and the gameplay is challenging enough for everyone to enjoy. This is definitely a game that you’ll keep wanting to come back to time and time again.

I highly recommend giving Nanuleu a try, especially if you like strategic tower-defense style games. Nanuleu is available on the App Store as a universal app for your iPhone and iPad for just $2.99. There are no in-app purchases.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/reviews