"If there is an app for that"

KINGDOM HEARTS Unchained χ

April 08, 2016 by macjeff

KINGDOM HEARTS Unchained χ (Free) by SQUARE ENIX INC is the latest mobile installment of the Kingdom Hearts franchise for the United States, after originally being available only in Japan. If you’re a fan of Square Enix, Disney, Final Fantasy, or just Kingdom Hearts in general, then you don’t want to miss out on Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ.

When it comes to video games, the Kingdom Hearts series holds a special place in my heart. While the first Kingdom Hearts game came out back in 2002, I discovered it at some point in high school maybe a year later, when I was playing video games at a friend’s house. I remember laying my eyes on the game and falling in love with the cute art style, the “Simple and Clean” theme song by Utada Hikaru, and the insanely fun, action-packed gameplay. I mean, back then, fighting in real-time in RPGs was kind of a big deal since they were all turn-based, and I believe Kingdom Hearts set a precedent with battle systems after its debut.

Since Kingdom Hearts I, I became a huge fan of the series, buying Kingdom Hearts II on launch, a Birth By Sleep limited edition PSP back in the day, and a few of the DS and 3DS games. While most of the spin-off games are fun, they weren’t all necessary (except Birth By Sleep) in my opinion, and I’ve been pining for Kingdom Hearts III for what feels like forever at this point. Well, since there has yet to be an official release date for KH3, and probably no news until E3 this June, I suppose Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ will have to hold me over for the time being.

In terms of visuals, Unchained χ is just what you’d expect from a Square Enix game. While it’s Kingdom Hearts, don’t expect a fully 3-D world like the main games — Unchained χ features a 2-D environment with a pseudo 3-D feel, so characters are moving along a singular plane. However, all of the Disney worlds that you’ll be encountering are as bright and cheery as ever, and the animations are fairly smooth and fluid. I thought that the movement for your character looks a bit weird compared to other KH games I’ve played, but it makes sense for mobile, I suppose. You’ll see many familiar faces, whether they are from Disney or the Final Fantasy universe, including the different kinds of Heartless that you’ll face off against. And while the soundtrack doesn’t include “Simple and Clean,” there’s still some whimsical background tracks and fun sound effects. The game menus and in-game text sport the classic Kingdom Hearts style, so longtime fans will feel right at home. For a mobile game that is meant to hold us off until Kingdom Hearts III, it’s pretty good.

The first thing you do in Unchained χ is download a giant game file — don’t be fooled by that seemingly small download size in the App Store. Before you’re able to do anything, the game prompts you to download game data, and this took me about 10 minutes to complete on a relatively fast and stable Wi-Fi connection. Once that is done, you can Migrate Data over if you’ve played the game before, or choose New Game if this is your first time. For newcomers, you’ll be able to choose your avatar’s gender and customize clothes, hair, and skin.

There are a few different game modes in Unchained χ, although two of them have to be unlocked by getting past certain stages in the main Story campaign. From the get-go, players will have access to the Story and Special modes, with the latter being special events that the developers will have daily. In Story, players will be going through various quests in a linear fashion as they unravel the story of Unchained χ. Each of these levels will have three objectives to meet, as well as a target enemy that you must defeat to clear it. The game has a bit of a lengthy tutorial to show you all of the basics in the beginning, but even after that, things are pretty self-explanatory, at least to me.

Now, if you were expecting traditional Kingdom Hearts real-time combat, then you’re going to be disappointed. What must be understood is that this is a game designed for mobile, and not a port of other Kingdom Hearts games (though that would be amazing), so the gameplay is a bit different.

To move your avatar, just tap where you want to go, or just keep your finger on the screen to move continuously. If you see shiny spots on the ground, run over them to pick up the goodies that await you. Treasure chests also show up every now and then, and you can tap on them to collect the loot inside. When you encounter a Heartless enemy on the map, battle begins.

Since Unchained χ is turn-based, you and the enemy Heartless take turns exchanging blows. You get to perform a few moves before the enemies attack, so make sure to use them wisely. All you have to do is tap on a single enemy to attack that one, swipe your finger across the screen to do a whirlwind attack that hits all foes at once, or flick those character medals in the bottom left corner to do a special attack. It’s fairly simple and intuitive, and battles do not take too long, making it perfect for the mobile platform. After each successful stage, you’ll gain experience points and level up when the gauge is full, increasing your character’s power.

As you progress in the story, you will be able to get more keyblades and character medals by completing stages or finding them in chests. All of the keyblades that you acquire can be upgraded by using up component pieces, and medals can be combined or leveled up for stronger effects in battle. I am still pretty early on in the game, but I hope that I can get my favorite keyblades, Oblivion and Oathkeeper, at some point.

Since Unchained χ is a free game, there are some social aspects that come along with it. If you have other friends who are playing the game, you can team up with them against raid-level Heartless bosses for some epic rewards.

Additionally, you can upgrade your avatar by utilizing the Avatar Board. Here, you can choose different boards where you can use avatar coins to unlock nodes, which can increase your Keyblade cost capacity, maximize your AP, or even give you more HP. And eventually, you’ll be able to unlock the clothes and accessories that go with that avatar, further expanding your options when it comes to dressing up. The basic outfits are available for you initially, but if you want themed costumes, like Mad Hatter, Alice, Sora, Riku, and other characters from Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or Final Fantasy, then you will have to unlock them with jewels, which are the premium currency in the game.

I’ve spent a bit of time with the game since I downloaded it earlier this week, and even though I’m still early on, I’m enjoying every minute of it. Sure, it may not be a main Kingdom Hearts game, but it is definitely something to help satisfy my Kingdom Hearts fix until KH3 comes out. The graphics are nice for a mobile game, and the music takes me back to the days when I spent hours on Kingdom Hearts in one sitting. Controls are optimized for touch, which is rather nice, and the battle mechanics are rather interesting, even though I prefer the real-time combat from the main games. Still, this is nice to have on iOS, and while the beginning seems a bit easy, I’m sure that the challenge will pick up as I continue. This is a good stepping stone for those who have never played Kingdom Hearts, and longtime fans can still have something to hold them over until the highly-anticipated Kingdom Hearts III.

I recommend giving Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ a try, whether you’re a fan of the franchise or not. You can get Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for free. There are in-app purchases for jewels if you are impatient, though they are awarded to you as you play.

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

Unlock Your Mac via Proximity of iPhone or Apple Watch- FREE Limited Time.

April 08, 2016 by macjeff

For a limited time not only is this app free but the in-app purchase to PRO version is free. Most likely it will expire this weekend. Special deal for HotMacNews readers. YOU MUST configure it totally to get to the pro screen before the FREE expires http://www.mactrast.com/2016/04/lock-unlock-mac-automatically-near-lock-free-next-days/ With this app if you walk near your computer it will unlock via apple watch or iPhone. You can set the distance. Very cool!! Enjoy.

Go Surf - The Endless Wave

April 07, 2016 by macjeff

Go Surf - The Endless Wave ($2.99) by Diverso Games is a infinite surfer that is not only beautiful to look at, but relaxing as well. If you loved games like Alto’s Adventure but prefer a tropical ocean paradise rather than snowy mountains, then Go Surf is just what you need in your game collection.

Even though I live in sunny Southern California, I don’t think I go to the beach as much as I should. And even then, I am definitely not a surfer, so I don’t know the first thing about riding the waves out here. Still, it’s certainly fun to watch others surfing, and kind of envy their skills, of course. Fortunately, you don’t need any real life surfing ability to be able to enjoy Go Surf, and I was excited for this game’s release due to the nice visuals. Plus, when I heard a comparison that it is like Alto’s Adventure except at the beach, I was intrigued since I am a huge fan of Alto’s Adventure. I can gladly say that Go Surf does not disappoint.

In terms of visuals, Go Surf is rather gorgeous. Like Alto’s, Go Surf has it’s own unique minimalistic and flat art style that is easy on the eyes. The colors used in the game range from soft pastels to bold and vibrant hues, and there is even a dynamic day and night cycle that you can witness changing in the background on the title screen (it also affects what you see when you surf). And to complete the minimal look, the game utilizes a super lightweight sans serif typeface that fits in well with the thin icons after you wipeout in a run. The game’s soundtrack is rather chill, completing the whole tropical beach paradise feel. It’s fun to listen to, and the sound effects will make you feel as if you’re at the beach itself.

Since Go Surf is an infinite surfer, there is only one game mode, but there are different objectives to complete that keep the game fresh and interesting, and let you level up. However, the main goal is to see just how far you can ride this one endless wave, and your score is based on distance. But since this is a public beach and all, you’re going to have to watch out for obstacles in the water, such as other beachgoers who are lazily lounging around in your path, lifebuoys scattered about, and even hidden dangers lurking beneath the water (shark bait, anyone?) as you get further out. The trick to surviving the wave is to time your movements to avoid obstacles that eventually lead to a wipeout. It sounds easy, but it is far from it.

The controls in the game are simple and intuitive. Just press the screen when you want to go up the wave, and release your finger to go down. If you go up, you’ll even be able to get some air time, but be careful with that since it does slow you down a bit after you get back in the water. The game also has power-ups that you can collect as you go, and there are sequence orbs that you can gather. Once you get four of the same sequence, your surfer dude is able to perform a special move, such as gliding through the inside of the wave, backflips, and more. If you end up collecting a different sequence orb than the ones you’ve already gathered, the gauge resets, so be careful of what you pick up. When you are performing a sequence ability, you’ll see how much time is remaining with a countdown bar at the bottom of the screen.

There are also gold medallions that are scattered about in the water, and you want to collect these since you can spend them for upgraded power-ups and sequences in the Surf Shop. At the moment, there are only three power-ups in the game: Barrel, Aerial, and Magnet, all of which can be upgraded to level five by spending coins. But it appears that the developer will be adding four more power-ups in the future, since a few of them have “SOON” attached to them rather than letting you buy them.

Despite the limited amount of power-ups, I’m finding Go Surf to be rather enjoyable, and a relaxing way to pass the time. I love the stunning minimalisic art style and day and night cycle, as it looks sharp and crisp on Retina screens and captures the essence of going to the beach nicely. The tropical music is fun to hear, and the simple controls are friendly enough for anyone to pick up, though it is hard to master. While the game starts out easy enough, things do get rather challenging when you see more beachgoers just floating in your path, and you must avoid them at all costs. The only improvements I think would help the game is to let you see all three objectives at once so you can try and do more in a run, because at the moment you just see them one-by-one. The shop should also be accessible from anywhere, not just the title screen.

Overall, I recommend checking out Go Surf if you are into infinite runners and prefer a beach setting over snow and mountains. Or if you just want a game that captures the joy of surfing when you’re not hitting the waves at the moment. Go Surf – The Endless Wave is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $2.99. There are no in-app purchases.

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

Amazon Echo Dot review

April 07, 2016 by macjeff

The Echo Dot packs all of Alexa into a device half the price, making it not only a handy tool for the Amazon faithful, but one of the smartest moves the only retailer has ever made.

The post Amazon Echo Dot review appeared first on Digital Trends.

Chameleon Run

April 07, 2016 by macjeff

Chameleon Run ($1.99) by Noodlecake Studios Inc and Hyperbolic Magnetism is an autorunner with a colorful twist. If you love auto-runner games but want something that is challenging and not just another infinite runner, then Chameleon Run is your best bet. It’s from the same developer behind Lums, Perfect Paths, and more.

Ever since the App Store originally debuted back in 2008, I’ve downloaded probably tens of thousands of apps and games at this point. One of my earliest addictions was Canabalt, which pretty much single-handedly jump-started the infinite, auto-runner genre. Then we ended up with Jetpack Joyride, Temple Run, and all of the clones and copycats from those. However, while I enjoyed all of these endless runners back in the day, things got a bit stale after a while, because all it was is me chasing after a better score than my previous attempts. Other than that, there was no real goal or objective to these games. So I got a little bored with the genre, but then I heard of Chameleon Run, and it has ignited a new kind of love from me in terms of the auto-runner genre.

Ever since the rise of Minecraft, voxel art has been in and it definitely does not look like it is going away anytime soon. While I’m not a big fan of Minecraft, I love the voxel art style and am glad to see more games embrace this unique, 3-D pixelated look. Chameleon Run has the blocky, voxel art style that I like, although it is not as complex as other games of course. Chameleon Run also has gorgeous blurred out backgrounds and smooth marbles and smoke crystals scattered about, as well as a nice trail of colored smoke that you leave behind when running. The 3-D is rendered incredibly well, and the angled side-scrolling view is nice and reminds me of 1-bit Ninja Remix Rush. Animations in Chameleon Run are buttery smooth and fluid with no lag on my iPhone 6s Plus. The soundtrack is rather upbeat and quirky, and the sound effects are downright fun to hear. In terms of the visual and audio department, I say that Hyperbolic Magnetism did an excellent job.

It would be easy to assume that Chameleon Run is an endless runner, because let’s face it — that’s what it looks like in the trailer. But surprisingly, it’s a level-based game with different chapters for you to go through. The first chapter will be a tutorial that explains the basics to you as you go, and there will always be three objectives to meet on each stage if you care about collecting all of the stars, but the main point is to reach the clear crystal at the very end. The optional goals include: collecting all marbles, collecting all of the smoking crystals, and not switching color. Even though you can complete a stage just by reaching the end without clearing any of the goals, you’ll feel the urge to go back and replay stages after a few times to accomplish everything. Plus, you start to memorize the layout of a level after you try a few times anyway, so the replay value is rather high. You’ll need to have a certain number of chameleons to unlock later levels though, so you have to at least try to get those stars to progress.

Controls in Chameleon Run are super intuitive and natural, but it does take some time to master. Since it is an auto-runner, your little voxel dude will run forward automatically, so you don’t have to worry about that part. However, the game consists of many different platforms for you to jump on and off of, and jumping requires tapping the bottom right corner. The longer you press, the further you will jump. You can also do a double jump by tapping that area twice, and this works while you’re already jumping or even falling. The biggest trick behind Chameleon Run, though, is the fact that the platforms you want to land on are made up of two colors: yellow and pink. To properly land, your character must match the platform color. To switch the character color, just tap on the bottom left area. New game mechanics are introduced as you go, and there will be tutorial stages to show you the ropes.

Despite the fact that the controls are pretty easy to pick up, things can get a little hairy as you play since you have to make sure that your color matches what you’re coming up on, and you also have to watch your jumps. Plus, the speed gradually increases as you make progress, leaving you less time to react. In order to succeed in Chameleon Run, you’ll have to be able to react on a dime. While it can get a bit frustrating, I still think the overall experience of the game is fun, and hey, it’s definitely a welcome challenge.

Even though the main goal of the game is to reach the crystal at the end, there are plenty of things that add to the game’s overall replay value. As I mentioned earlier, there are three objectives for each stage, and completing all of them can be done one-thing-at-a-time, so you aren’t too stressed. Plus, the game is designed for speedruns, since there is a timer going on each stage, similar to the Mikey Shorts series. Chameleon Run has full Game Center support so you can compare your best times with friends and rack up achievements.

I’ve only spent a few days on Chameleon Run, but I’m in love with everything about it so far. The voxel art style and angled side-scrolling works great here, and the music is just delightful to listen to. While the game can be fairly challenging, it’s still fun enough that I just keep coming back and giving it another go, instead of just wanting to throw my phone across the room. The variety of objectives keeps things interesting too, and gives you plenty of reason to revisit a level. The only thing that would make the game even better is an endless mode, as I can only imagine how crazy that would get. Or even a daily stage to compete against others on. Either way, this first iteration of Chameleon Run is super polished and just a ton of fun.

I highly recommend checking out Chameleon Run if you’re a fan of challenging auto-runner platformer games. You can find Chameleon Run on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV for just $1.99. There are no in-app purchases, so you just pay once and play forever.

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