"If there is an app for that"

Master the Art of Bushido in Roguelike Puzzler Swap Sword

November 30, 2016 by macjeff

Swap Sword ($2.99) by Alec Thomson is a fantastic mashup of the traditional match-three puzzle game and a roguelike battlefield. If you enjoyed games like You Must Build A Boat and Hero Emblems, then you will love Swap Sword.

Even though a lot of my time these days has been spent on my 3DS for Pokémon Moon, I still can’t resist some great gems on iOS for whenever my 3DS is not handy. For my mobile gaming cravings, I can’t help but always return to some kind of puzzle or roguelike game for quick gaming sessions whenever I have a spare moment. With my love of both genres, it’s not surprising that I can’t resist a new match-three roguelike RPG game, so when I saw Swap Sword on the App Store, I knew I had to check it out for myself. Needless to say, I’m not disappointed and it’s well worth the money.

Visually, Swap Sword has an awesome retro aesthetic, featuring a highly detailed pixelated art style. Seeing the game in action on my screen definitely takes me back to my childhood with the classic consoles like Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. Despite the pixel art style, I found the game to be packed with incredible detail due to the textures and shadows on each individual game piece, characters, and enemies. The colors used in the game are bright and vivid, which is certainly pleasing on Retina screens. Animations are rather smooth and fluid, so I had experienced no lag on my iPhone 7. While the game doesn’t have a soundtrack playing in the background, it does have some delightful sound effects that are fun to listen to while you match and slay your foes, but of course, you can turn them off if you prefer as well. And while there’s no background music, you can always provide your own, which is nice. Overall, the developer did a great job with the visuals, because they’re one reason I keep coming back.

Since Swap Sword is a roguelike game, that means that you’ll be starting from the beginning no matter how far you got previously before you died. If you’re not a fan of the roguelike system, then this game is not for you. But if you enjoy an always-different experience thanks to the procedurally generated dungeon layouts, then this game is packed with the good stuff. The game features several different types of terrain that you’ll come across, and while the order that they appear seems to be preset, the layout for each run is different. So while you may have done exceptionally well before, there is no guarantee that you’ll get the same results again. The goal is simple: get as far as you can through all of the different terrains and dispatch your enemies as quickly as possible until you find the door to the next area. While that sounds easy enough, the stages get increasingly difficult as you find new environments and foes that come with the territory.

The mechanics and controls in Swap Sword are pretty straightforward, especially if you’ve played any match-three RPG before. To swap adjacent pieces with each other, just swipe on top of the piece you want to move in the direction you want. For it to be a valid move, the piece must line up to make a match of at least three or more in a row or column. If it does not, the game won’t allow you to swap the piece.

The game board will consist of various types of pieces, such as green mp diamonds, shields to protect you from a hit, keys to reveal the stage exit, dynamite to blow up a row or column (watch out — this hurts you too), and walls that can protect you from enemies. If you’re ever confused about a game piece and what it does, you can long press on it to get a tooltip that explains it. Speaking of enemies, they will show up as eggs at first, but as you take your turn, they will soon hatch into various creatures that are out to get you. Once they’ve hatched, they will be able to move a space after you make a match, so the key is to plan strategically. You can swap with an enemy to attack, or line up three or more to clear them out in clusters.

If you stay on a stage long enough, “Death” eventually arrives, and your sword isn’t fast enough to kill them off, so your only option will be to run through the door to escape. When you clear the current stage, you’ll be presented with one of three random power-ups or upgrades for your character, and it’s recommended to read them carefully and choose wisely. To use a power-up in the next level, just tap on the green diamond button (mp) at the bottom to bring up your available stash and then pick the item you want to use. When you run out of your three hearts by taking hits from foes, then it’s game over. Your score is determined by the amount of coins that you end up collecting over the run, and the coins only appear once you collect enough keys to reveal the exit.

I’ve only started playing Swap Sword since I downloaded it yesterday, but so far I’m enjoying the game a lot. I’ve always had a love for match-three roguelike RPGs, and Swap Sword is a refreshing take on the standard fare that is out there. There is much more strategy required if you want to get far, and it’s a fun high score chaser. Plus, who can resist the charm of such great pixel art graphics and the way of the bushido?

I highly recommend checking out Swap Sword if you’re a fan of match-three puzzle games and love a dash of roguelike RPG action. You can get Swap Sword on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for just $2.99. There are no in-app purchases.

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credit : appadvice

from : Mid Atlantic Consulting, Inc.

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 11/30/2016

November 30, 2016 by macjeff

Jerrycan – Track Fuel, Mileage and Expenses , Filterloop Infinite - Instant Analog Photo Effect , Animal Game Show - Whose Toes are Those? - Matching Fun for Kids and Family - Ultimate Edition and more

iPhone:

Jerrycan – Track Fuel, Mileage and Expenses ( $0.99 → Free ) Pavlo Grozian Jerrycan is your personal driving coach. It’s able to track your fuel consumption, MPG, and mileage for city and highway driving. All of this data is presented in graph form, allowing you to review it with a glance and quickly improve your driving habits. When it’s time to stop and refuel, Jerrycan will provide gas station ratings and can remind you to save your fill-up data with a push notification. It also includes the ability to import data from other fuel tracking apps.

Filterloop Infinite - Instant Analog Photo Effect ( $1.99 → Free ) Platform As its name alludes, Filterloop Infinite provides an endless source of edits for your photos. Just tap to apply a random retro or analog effect. If you don’t like what you see, tap again. You’re able to adjust the intensity of the effect by swiping left and right across the photo.

Relax Rain ( $1.99 → Free ) Brighten Studios Relax Rain offers a soothing way to unwind. It includes eight different rain sounds: Forest Rain, Heavy Rain, Light Rain, Rain on Tent, Rain Shower, Sprinkle, Thunderstorm, and Wind and Rain. All sounds were recorded in high definition. Just swipe to choose your sound, set the timer, and relax.

Universal:

Animal Game Show - Whose Toes are Those? - Matching Fun for Kids and Family - Ultimate Edition ( $1.99 → Free ) Eggroll Games LLC Animal Game Show will build up your child's confidence while entertaining them. Your child gets to see a set of toes sticking out from underneath the curtain, and they must decide what animal or person they belong to. They’re provided with three possible answers, and when they select the correct one the curtain will be drawn.

CALC Swift - Calculator with Style ( $0.99 → Free ) QApps LLC CALC Swift is a multi-functional scientific calculator that’ll make your daily calculations a breeze. It features both standard basic and scientific calculation functions, which can be accessed with a horizontal swipe. It includes more than 50 advanced functions in all. A history log allows you to pull up numbers at any time and copy them for use in other apps. CALC Swift also includes a widget, Spotlight search, Apple Watch support, and colorful themes to choose from.

Pancake Pandemonium ( $2.99 → Free ) Digital Leaf All 24 pages are loaded with interactive items to discover and animations to activate. You’re child can follow along with either an adult or child narrator, or they can read all on their own. Your child must also try to hunt down hidden frying pans on each page, because if they find them all they will unlock a bonus game!

Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free

Reunite With Feline Friends in Aurora - Puzzle Adventure

November 29, 2016 by macjeff

Aurora - Puzzle Adventure ($1.99) by Silverback Games is a fresh new take on the match-three genre that is perfect for cat lovers out there. If you’re the type of person who just wants to sit back and relax with a fairly relaxing but challenging puzzle game that makes you think outside the box, then Aurora is a game to consider.

While much of my holiday break was spent stuffing my face and playing Pokémon Moon, it’s time to get back into the grind, at least until Christmas rolls around. And with finals coming up for me and plenty of other stressful activities (like making sure that everyone gets the right Christmas gift), sometimes I just need a breather. Personally, this means puzzle games for me, as they help me relax but still keep my mind stimulated. I stumbled upon Aurora while browsing the App Store over the holidays last week, and when I saw the gorgeous screenshots and the fact that cats are involved, well, how can I say no?

Visually, Aurora is beautiful. The game is rendered in 3-D with an angled view, which is important to note because perspective is everything in this game, just like it was in Monument Valley. Aurora also takes place in a surreal environment, which are floating structures in a dreamlike skyscape setting that are filled with colorful, vibrant blocks. Aurora, the protagonist in the game, is a nicely rendered character model with natural movements and the cats that she must reunite with are just downright adorable. The colors in Aurora are a nice mix of vivid brights to softer pastels, and there are even special textured blocks that have unique properties. The animations in the game are smooth and fluid, though the camera movement can seem a bit sudden at times when you’re rotating the stage. The atmospheric soundtrack is rather charming and whimsical, and the sound effects are a nice finishing touch to the game overall.

Like all other puzzle games, Aurora is level-based. Players will have to help Aurora navigate through several different chapters that are blocked off by gates that are encased in ice, and each section has a handful of levels to clear before you can move on. At the moment, the game has over 200 levels to match your way through, and each stage must be cleared before you can move on to the next one. Along the way, you’ll collect magical orbs that can charge your hammer that can break ice blocks, and there are even treasure chests that can be filled with some collectible artifact goodies to help you in your quest of reuniting with Aurora’s feline friends. There are also keys that you’ll need to collect to unlock the gates that will give you access to the next chapter. The goal of the game is simple — clear out the blocks that are in your path by matching them up in groups of three, and then Aurora can find a path to get to her cats. But perspective is everything in this game, so check all of your options first before making a move.

The controls in Aurora are as simple as they come. Each stage can be rotated so you can get a good look at everything from a different angle. To rotate, just drag your finger around on the screen. However, the game automatically thinks that you mean to go to the next available angle when you rotate, so it kind of jumps to it. It’s a bit annoying, and the developers should make it so that there’s more freedom in rotating. When the perspective is right and the blocks are lined up in groups of at least three or more, just tap on the color that you want to clear out. Once all of the blocks are gone and there is a safe path to her cats, then Aurora will proceed to move forward and collect any goods along the way. When you have the bomb power-up available, just tap on the button to use the bomb and place it where you need it, but use it sparingly — you only have so many in stock before having to collect more.

Fortunately, the game does not impose any move limits or time restrictions, but the puzzles do get more complex as you go, as various elemental blocks are introduced, as well as spikes, spinning cubes, and more. There are even bonus levels with some nice rewards if you manage to clear out all of the blocks before finding your cat.

While I’m still pretty early on in the game (there’s 200 levels after all), I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it so far. The game is just stunning with the exquisite graphics and rendering, plus the color palette is definitely soothing. The audio is fantastic as well, as it immerses players in a zen-like world. The controls work out well, though I just wish that the game didn’t automatically take you to the next angle and give you a bit more freedom with twisting and rotating. Hopefully that’s fixed in the future. Otherwise, Aurora – Puzzle Adventure is a solid game for both puzzle fans and cat lovers. Plus, you get a good amount of content for your money.

I recommend checking out Aurora – Puzzle Adventure if you haven’t already. It’s a perfect mix of challenging perspective puzzles with a dash of match-three, and there are cats. What’s not to love?

Aurora – Puzzle Adventure is available on the App Store as a universal app for your iPhone and iPad for just $1.99. There are in-app purchases for butterflies (hints) and the bomb power-up.

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

credit : appadvice

from : Mid Atlantic Consulting, Inc.

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 11/29/2016

November 29, 2016 by macjeff

Toca Hair Salon 2 , SAMURAI PANDA (Animated) stickers for iMessage , Pokerrrr - The Poker Dealer / Poker with Friends and more

iPhone:

Supermarket Management 2 (Full) ( $2.99 → Free ) G5 Entertainment Keep your customers happy by stocking shelves, bringing around shopping carts, fulfilling orders, and checking customers out. Eventually you’ll be able to hire some coworkers to take some of the burden off and make your supermarket run even more efficiently. The game includes five different shops, 49 levels, eight mini-games, and nine characters.

iPad:

Supermarket Management 2 HD (Full) ( $4.99 → Free ) G5 Entertainment Keep your customers happy by stocking shelves, bringing around shopping carts, fulfilling orders, and checking customers out. Eventually you’ll be able to hire some coworkers to take some of the burden off and make your supermarket run even more efficiently. The game includes five different shops, 49 levels, eight mini-games, and nine characters.

Universal:

Toca Hair Salon 2 ( $2.99 → Free ) Toca Boca AB That hair! Toca Hair Salon 2 allows you and your child to create some of the wackiest hairstyles ever seen. Your child can choose from six adorable characters and give them brand new hairdos. As your child shampoos, combs, cuts, and colors hair, the character will react with funny faces and sounds. The app includes a wide variety of trimming and styling tools, 9 hair colors, loads of accessories to add, and the ability to take snapshots of their unique creations.

SAMURAI PANDA (Animated) stickers for iMessage ( $1.99 → Free ) MojiLaLa Panda’s are already one of the cutest creatures on the planet, but when you add a Samurai helmet they become irresistible. This sticker pack includes 20 very cute and fully animated panda stickers to choose from. Just peel and stick.

Pokerrrr - The Poker Dealer / Poker with Friends ( $2.99 → Free ) PT.FARM CO., LTD. This is about as close to playing with real cards as you can get. The game plays a little differently depending upon what types of iDevices you have sitting around. If you only have iPhones, one will act as the host device. Everyone else will connect to it and will be able to see the community cards on their own screens along with the cards in their hand. Cards can be interacted with and peeked at with a swipe. If you have an iPad, it’s pretty much the same process except that the community cards will be shown only on the iPad and all other of the players will be able to utilize their iDevices as just their hand of cards. The game includes a handful of customization options as well.

Moon Map Pro ( $0.99 → Free ) Kari Kulmala Moon Map features two sets of maps. The first map covers most of the nearside of the Moon and contains around 1,200 formations. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter map covers the whole Moon and over 8,000 names. The entire map is scrollable and zoomable. You’re also able to search for formations by name.

Yum-Yum Letters: handwriting for kids and alphabet ( $3.99 → Free ) Kindermatica Ltd. Yum Yum Letters allows your child to learn from a porky caterpillar, smiling snowflake, and fluffy spider. They must trace the letter provided to them, and then repeat the action multiple times with even less assistance. After each successful completion, they’ll be rewarded in a unique way related to the character they chose. The app includes the ability to create multiple profiles, two teaching methods, and multiple fonts to choose from.

Source link: http://appadvice.com/apps-gone-free

Hear, Here – Learn English Homophones Is Perfect for Adults and Kids Alike

November 29, 2016 by macjeff

Learning a new language can be a daunting task, but only if you don’t use all of the tools available to you.

Hear, Here – Learn English Homophones is a terrific new app that turns learning English homophones into a game.

It allows you to learn how to distinguish between homophones like air and heir, knight and night, and more.

Concept and Functionality:

Hear, Here, a free app by Jorge Negrotti, is a fun matching game that will definitely help you hone your homophone skills. Unlike other educational games that tend to be boring, this helpful app will teach you to associate homophones both audibly and visually.

Perhaps the best thing about Hear, Here is that there isn’t a learning curve. You don’t have to worry about being incredibly proficient in English in order to play the game.

Even if English is your native language, Hear, Here is a great way to practice homophone recognition so you can sharpen your skills. It’s also a great game for kids who are studying homophones.

Features:

No game is complete without achievements or goals. Hear, Here is no exception, and one of the things I really like about the game is that you progressively unlock new words.

There are a total of 300 homophones that you can study. You can even unlock in-game achievements, though it seems that these aren’t integrated with Game Center.

If you’re concerned about forgetting what you’ve learned, Hear, Here includes a very helpful album where you can go back and study homophones you unlocked. You can tap on them in the menu and hear the spoken version of the word, as well as similar sounding words.

Value:

Hear, Here is available to download from the App Store for free and is designed for iPhone. If you happen to find that the app is a helpful learning tool that’s also fun to play, you can optionally unlock an additional 300 words for $1.99.

Personally I think this is a small price to pay for helpful game that makes language learning fun.

I highly recommend giving Hear, Here a try because it’s perfect for both native English speakers as well as those who are learning English as an additional language.

Hear, Here – Learn English Homophones requires iOS 8.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

TheiPhoneAppReview’s rating: