"If there is an app for that"

Peter Panic

March 18, 2016 by macjeff

Peter Panic (Free) by [adult swim] is a mobile musical with plenty of mini-games for your entertainment. If you are a fan of the WarioWare games, then you will love what Peter Panic brings to the world of iOS gaming.

As much as I love playing games on my iOS device, let’s face it — the App Store just gets filled up with the same kind of stuff every day. You have the typical run-of-the-mill match-threes, infinite runners, Clash of Clan clones, quick little arcade fixes, and other tried-and-true formulas that everyone knows about. It’s getting rarer to see something unique and original on the App Store these days, so when I find something that is different, I’m quick to jump on the opportunity. That’s why Peter Panic struck a chord with me — it’s unlike anything you’ve tried on the App Store to this day, and that means it is fresh and exciting.

As a big fan of pixel art myself, I’m in love with the style of Peter Panic. The game is pixelated in adorable 16-bit fashion, and the expressions on each character’s face is priceless. The colors range from soft pastels to colorful and vivid brights, and everything is finely detailed. While I found the game text to be a bit hard to read at times due to the script-style font, I like how it suits the Broadway theme of the game. Animations in Peter Panic are smooth and fluid, with no lag on my iPhone 6s Plus. The background music in the game is rather whimsical and quirky, but the real treat here is with the actual singing done by Peter and other characters you meet along the way. These are real songs that are sung by some talented Broadway stars, including those behind “Fun Home,” “Hair,” “The Little Mermaid,” and more. For the best experience with Peter Panic, you’re going to want to get your best headphones.

In Peter Panic, you’ll meet the young and talented director, Peter, as he introduces himself with a bit of humor (similar to how the “Deadpool” movie makes fun of itself). As he wants to embark on his quest to become a top Broadway director, he just finds out that his longtime theater has just closed down due to some rather unfortunate circumstances. In order to get it kicking again, he’ll need some funding, but the only way to get that is to win over the local businesses near the theater with the old “you scratch my back, I scratch yours” method. And this is where all of those mini-games come into play.

As you set out to try and win the favor of neighboring businesses for your cause, you’ll have to perform jobs for those business owners. The first one in Peter Panic is the packing peanut factory that is right next door, where you’ll meet a charismatic blonde who looks oddly like a mix of Conan O’Brien with Donald Trump’s hair. To earn some money, you’ll have to successfully complete some mini-games, and you can unlock more businesses and difficulty levels by completing a certain number of mini-games in the factory without screwing up and losing your three hearts per job.

The controls in Peter Panic are simple, and the mini-games will usually tell you what you have to do, though it can be hard to pay attention given the fast-paced nature of the game. Still, all of the mini-games utilize multitouch gestures like swiping and taps — you just have to pay attention to the timing of things. For example, some jobs in the packing peanut factory involve tapping buttons to fill up boxes on the conveyor belt, levers to fill the mold with the liquid that turns into packing peanuts, catching items in peanut-filled boxes, sorting paperwork, and more. As you complete more mini-games successfully, the game warns you when things are about to speed up, so you can be somewhat prepared for it. The more times you come back to a job to earn cash, the more new things get added to the mini-games to spice things up. Once you’re good enough and complete a certain number of games without messing up (the game tells you how many you need), you’ll unlock the next local business and try your hand at that.

Even though Peter Panic is a free download, it allows you to play as much of the game as you want at any given time, and so far I have not encountered any ads. However, while you can play the game as much as you want, you won’t be able to save your progress unless you go for the $2.99 in-app purchase that unlocks this feature. If you don’t, you’re still able to play as much as you want, and even beat the game, as long as you don’t stop playing. So if you don’t want to unlock the game saving feature, but still want to beat the game, you’re going to have to do it in one go — otherwise, you’ll lose your progress.

Personally, I think the game is fun and unique enough that it warrants the in-app purchase for saving. Plus, it has a humorous little dialogue with the pixelated sprites of the two people who made the game, which I thought was well done.

Since this is a game about mini-games, there is clearly a lot of replay value. It’s always fun to go back to stages and see if you can do better than your best run, unlock more bonuses, and even compete with friends with Game Center leaderboards.

I’m still early on in Peter Panic, but I’m finding it to be an enjoyable way to pass the time, and I’ve even opted for the game saving unlock. I love the pixel art, the original songs and score are wonderfully performed, and the mini-games themselves are pretty challenging. There’s a lot to love about this little game, and it’s definitely one I’m going to be coming back to for a long time.

I recommend checking out Peter Panic if you like Broadway musicals or just like arcade mini-games. You can get Peter Panic on the App Store as a universal download for the iPhone and iPad for free with in-app purchases.

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

Doo - Get Things Done

March 18, 2016 by macjeff

Doo - Get Things Done ($4.99) by Ciarlo Software, LLC is a new way to look at your to-do list. If you are looking for something that is simple but effective, then Doo could be the right app for the job. It is similar to other apps on the market, such as Begin and Remi, in which there is a unique way to display and manage your tasks.

Over the years, I believe it’s safe to say that I grew into a productivity nut. I love being productive, but in order to do that I have to have my list of things that need to be done in front of me, otherwise I forget or am just not motivated to do it at all. Having some visualization of my progress lets me prioritize my to-dos and makes it easier for me to focus on one thing at a time. I’ve tried dozens of task management apps in the past few years, with some of my favorites being OmniFocus 2, Todoist, and 2Do. Even though I end up with a system and sticking to it for a long time, it doesn’t stop me from going out and trying new to-do apps, as I can’t help but be curious about what else is out there. I was intrigued when I stumbled upon Doo when it was featured on the App Store front page a few weeks ago, so I decided to give it a try for myself.

The design of Doo is simple and clean, which is just what you should want from a to-do app. It features a beautiful lavender to steel gray blue color gradient for the background, which I personally found to be pleasing on the eyes. The task “cards” that make the app different from the rest look fantastic, as the developer has made sure to include some gorgeous little illustrations to match the context of the task. The sans serif typeface (I believe it is Avenir) looks sharp and is easy-to-read, which is a plus. Navigating between cards and the “All Reminders” section or creating a new task is just a tap away, and everything is fast and fluid. In terms of aesthetics, the developer has certainly done a great job.

Functionally, I’m not so sure about some of the choices made.

To create a new task, just tap on the “plus” tab that is located at the bottom of the screen on the main view. Then you just type in your task name, toggle an alert if needed (which also brings up the option to turn it into a recurring task), and add an optional note if it’s needed. Then tap on “Save,” and it will end up in one of two places: the main Doo view, or in the “All Reminders” section, which can be accessed by tapping on the hamburger button in the top right corner of the main view.

I was a bit disappointed when I realized that Doo did not put tasks with due dates immediately in the main card stack, but just tucks them away in the All Reminders section, where you can also view completed items. If you don’t put an alert for a task, then it will end up in the main card stack right away. Personally, I would prefer to see all of my tasks as cards on the main view. It’s a bit confusing and not streamlined when your new tasks end up separated from others, even if they are due today. The only way that tasks with alerts end up in the card stack is if it is now due, or overdue. For me, that’s not entirely efficient and I would prefer to see them in the card stack prior to them being due. Hopefully the developer can consider this and change how tasks appear in the card stack in a future update.

The purpose of the card stack is to help you focus on one item at a time. Despite that, I would prefer if the cards were just made for all tasks and stacked in chronological order, as that would be the best way to get through it, in my opinion. Doo makes use of gestures for completing or snoozing a task, which is done by swiping up or down, respectively. You can also tap on the checkmark to mark it as done, or tap on the clock button to snooze it. The snooze duration can be customized in the app settings to be 24 hours, one hour, or 15 minutes.

One thing I do love about Doo, though, is the fact that it can analyze the text of your task and come up with an illustration that closely matches it, giving the card a nice bit of flair. Of course, there are only 18 pictures, so you will encounter some repeats for things, like “coffee” and “lunch,” but it’s still nice.

While Doo is not set up for big, complex projects, the app can detect if that is what you are doing and offers ways to set you up to successfully complete it. Still, for big things like projects, I would prefer to use a different app. Doo also has a Notification Center widget, 3D Touch support, a share extension, and iCloud support. I have noticed that the app will sync to iCloud fairly regularly, especially if changes are made, so your tasks will go with you no matter the device.

I’ve tried Doo briefly for the purpose of this review, and while I love the aesthetic, I’m not sure if it will work for me in the long run. I would prefer to see all tasks in the card stack in chronological order, and I’m not sure why that isn’t already the case, but having to switch between views to see everything you’ve added can be a hassle. Another flaw is the fact that you can only set one alert for each task, which is pretty much just the due date and time. I think multiple alerts should be an option for users. And one of my biggest qualms with the app is the fact that you cannot just swipe through the cards in the stack to see the next one — you’ll have to snooze tasks to bring the next one to the front, and then you can’t un-snooze the item. I believe swiping left and right on the cards should let you sort through them, picking the task you want to focus on, rather than the app forcing it upon you.

At the end of the day, I love the look and feel of Doo, but it has several big flaws that prevent it from being a tool I want to use every day. The current iteration is a good start, but there are many improvements that need to be made before it can be recommended for daily use, especially for its price point.

Doo is on the App Store as a universal download for the iPhone and iPad for $4.99.

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

Steelbound Sky

March 18, 2016 by macjeff

Steelbound Sky ($1.99) by Witherwood Studios is a fresh new take on the traditional shoot-em-up genre. If you love those arcade shooters, but have wanted some different gameplay for the genre, then look no further than Steelbound Sky.

While arcades are few and far between these days, I still enjoy checking them out whenever the opportunity arises. I went to them a lot more in the past, during my middle and high school days, and always loved going for the shoot-em-up games. These are one of my favorites, because how can I resist flying a spaceship or aircraft and just blowing up all of the foes that get in my way? Of course, while the formula behind these games is classic, there is always room for innovation. Steelbound Sky is one of the first to change how we look at the standard shoot-em-up game.

In terms of visuals, I personally found Steelbound Sky to be a bit lacking in the department. The graphics are rendered in a 3-D style with a weird, slightly angled top-down perspective. Things in the background look blocky and rather jagged, and I’m not that impressed with the textures since they look a bit dated, especially compared to what you can find in other games of the genre. The enemy ships are more impressive, though, as they look much more modern than the backdrops. Animations are pretty smooth, though the wind streams you’ll be creating feel a bit choppy at times. The music is interesting, as it goes with a soothing tone as you are going through game menus, but gets more frenetic as you are playing a level and facing off against enemy waves. The sound effects are pretty standard, though they did get repetitive after a while.

In Steelbound Sky, players must guard the town that is under siege by waves of terrorizing enemies and their projectile attacks. Right now, the game has seven levels for you to fight through, and while it certainly does not sound like a lot, the game itself is pretty challenging and it does take a bit of time to fully master the controls, so it will last a while. Plus, there are hundreds of different types of enemies to understand and counter, so it’s not going to be easy. The levels will unlock as you clear previous stages, and sometimes two levels are unlocked at once, so it’s not too linear and gives you some freedom in the order that you play. You earn points for clearing out enemies, and even more points are given if you can rack up combos. Eventually, you will unlock the Boss Rush and Endless modes, which add overall replay value to the game.

Unlike traditional shoot-em-up games, there is no ship that you fly in Steelbound Sky, blowing up foes with your lasers and missiles. Instead, this game has you creating streams of wind in order to deflect attacks and defend the town. To do this, just drag your finger on the screen to create a single wind stream. The game only allows for one swipe at a time, so it won’t register if you try to create multiple streams at once. The moment that you lift your finger from the screen is when you can create another wind stream. The longer the stream is, the more time it has to remain on the screen, though it is still fairly short since they all go away after a few seconds. While the controls are intuitive, it’s not the most responsive I’ve seen — there can be a big delay in how swipes register and sometimes you just get a short stream instead of a long one like you originally intended.

The best way to go about defending the town is to create your wind streams where the enemies and projectiles are going, not where they are at the moment. In addition to the unique control scheme, all of the enemies have their own distinctive behavior patterns and attacks, and it will take some time to learn and come up with the strategies to counter them. Plus, the boss battles mean even more intense sky manipulation.

Additionally, as you beat stages, you’ll unlock special new abilities that can give you the edge in battle. These skills require you to fill up a gauge, which can be activated by tapping in the bottom left corner. But you have to use them wisely, as they do take time to recharge. There will also be power-up items that float around, and you’ll have to direct these towards your town to activate. These boosts include health restoration, increasing wind length, and increased wind curvature.

I was looking forward to Steelbound Sky, but I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed with the release. The visuals could definitely use more polishing, because they’re rather dated and don’t fit in well with modern iOS gaming aesthetics, in my opinion. The swipe control scheme works, but needs better optimization for responsiveness, because sometimes I just end up frustrated at incorrect streams and then I can’t do much of anything to defend the town. Hopefully the responsiveness gets improved in the near future.

Personally, I would hold off on Steelbound Sky until it gets some much needed improvements in the visual department and more responsive controls. But it is rather innovative, I’ll give them that.

Steelbound Sky is available on the App Store as a universal download for your iPhone and iPad for $1.99. There are no in-app purchases.

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

Viki – Wikipedia

March 18, 2016 by macjeff

Viki – Wikipedia ($0.99) by Raureif is a beautiful new way to get your Wikipedia fix on-the-go. If you love learning new things on Wikipedia but want a gorgeous interface to interact with the valuable information, then you should check out Viki. It is similar to other apps on the market such as Curiosity by Tamper (now renamed to Inquire due to legal reasons) and Wikiweb.

Ever since I graduated from college several years ago, I have had a lot of time on my hands when I’m not writing here at AppAdvice. While my usual go-to activity in that case is to play some video games, another hobby of mine is to learn, because you’re never too old to stop learning new things in life. And with my iPhone, I literally have the knowledge of the world at my fingertips. One of my first sources to hit up when I’m bored is Wikipedia, and while the official Wikipedia app does a fine job, I usually prefer something prettier. This is where Viki comes into play.

Visually, Viki is a rather spectacular looking app. The interface is simple and clean, and it gives users only what they need, without the cruft, so it is fairly minimal as well. The off-white background color combined with the classic serif typography means that everything is super easy to read, which is great considering that’s all you do on Wikipedia. I also thought that the entire app is rather fast and responsive, giving you results instantly and there is no lag when it comes to the map view. It is clear that a lot of thought and care went into Viki, and it shows — if you appreciate good design and typography and love Wikipedia, then this does not disappoint in that department.

The first thing that you see upon opening Viki is the Map view, which uses your current location (if permitted) to show you nearby points of interest that have Wikipedia articles attached. It shows your position as the blue circle on the map, and has a surrounding radius to show you those points of interest. What I like about Viki’s presentation, though, is the fact that each marker on the map has a line that directs you to the proper Wikipedia article in a scrollable ribbon along the bottom of the screen. This makes it clear what you are looking at, and the lines move along with you as you scroll, which I found to be useful so you don’t lose track. If you pan around on the map and end up in an area that is farther away from your current proximity, then you can tap on the map to change the search location. This is a definite rabbit hole, though, so be warned — you never know what you may find out about the area you’re in. Personally, I find it fascinating learning about the city I live in, as well as surrounding areas.

If you are in the mood to learn about something in particular, Viki has the traditional search functionality that you’d expect from any Wikipedia app. Just tap on the search bar at the top of the screen and then type in what you want. Viki is powered by Wikipedia’s full-text search and rich article previews, so while the results may take a moment to start showing up as you type, you’re getting a super comprehensive list of results for your inquiry. In fact, while you may find what you were looking for, some other articles may be interesting enough that you may still want to check it out later.

When you find the article you want, just tap on it to view it. The article view in Viki is stunning, as it features a large header photo (if available) at the top, with the topic name placed on top. If you want to get a better view of the image, just pull the screen down and the header image will expand, getting rid of the blue overlay. The article displays introductions, sidebar info, and the full article body, complete with in-line links and footnotes. No matter what you’re reading, it will look good thanks to the Smart Layout, which uses advanced layout optimizations that will analyze and reformat any article for best readability and looks.

To access the table of contents on longer articles, just tap on the button in the bottom right corner when the toolbar is available (pull the screen slightly upwards). Images can be tapped on to be viewed in a full screen mode, complete with a blurred, dark transparent background. If you’d prefer to read the article in a different language, just tap on the button in the top right corner, and choose your language. Overall, combined with the excellent choice of font, Viki’s article views are just beautiful to read, and it’s flexible enough to work for you, not the other way around.

If you do find something that you want to save for later, or just want to have handy, then you can tap on the bookmark button (next to the table of contents button), and a delightful animation indicates that it has been saved. You an also use the Share button to do a myriad of actions with the article, such as sharing or sending a link to other apps. There’s even a button that will take you to editing the Wikipedia page in Safari if you need to make changes.

On top of the fantastic iPhone and iPad interface, Viki is also available on the Apple Watch. If you choose to install the app, you get Nearby Places, Voice Search, Handoff (swipe up on the lock screen to continue reading on your iPhone), and bookmarking. Honestly, I’m not that big of a fan of most Apple Watch apps these days due to slowness, but this seems like a handy feature if you prefer not taking your phone out.

While I’ve only used Viki for about a day now, it has become my favorite way to browse Wikipedia on my iPhone. The app just looks exquisite, especially since the beiges, browns, light oranges, and blues make it easy to read. Viki is also incredibly fast, and I love the smart formatting and rich article previews for search results. The subtle but smooth and fluid animations when bookmarking are a nice touch as well, and the speediness of the Nearby view is great for long “down the rabbit hole” reading sessions. Seriously, I can see myself spending a lot of time with this app for a long time.

I highly recommend giving Viki a try if you’re looking for a gorgeous way to access Wikipedia on your iOS device. You can find Viki – Wikipedia on the App Store for just $0.99, and it is well worth every penny.

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

Free Apps to Download TODAY ONLY 03/17/2016

March 18, 2016 by macjeff

Wingman - EBAC and Drink Counter , Dreamdays HD - Countdown to the Days that Matter , Tesla Toy and more

Universal:

Wingman - EBAC and Drink Counter ( $0.99 → FREE )

Wingman makes it easy to track your estimated blood alcohol content level. Simply enter your gender, age, height, and weight. Wingman will take care of the heavy lifting. Every time you have a beverage, simply tap one of the beverage icons at the bottom of the screen. You can tap and hold to specify the ABV as well. A handy Today widget allows you to quickly see your current EBAC level.

Tesla Toy ( $1.99 → FREE )

Place anywhere from one to all 10 of your fingers on the screen at once and watch what happens. If you want to capture your particles, activate the sticky finger mode. This will keep them flowing in their last position and allow you to grab a screenshot. The app also includes TV-out and AirPlay support.

The Amazing Adventures of Eco Boy, Volume 2 ( $0.99 → FREE )

Plastic bottles are piling up all around the city, and a mean robot villain is growing more powerful from them. Your child is able to tag along with Eco Boy and Bio Girl as they fight to keep the planet earth clean. The app offers a read-it-yourself option along with a listening mode with professional narration.

Sleep - Meditate, Relax & Sleep ( $1.99 → FREE )

Sleep is dead simple. Just choose one of the 17 different sounds, set the timer duration, put on your headphones, and tap start. You’ll be fully relaxed and off to sleep in no time.

Dreamdays HD - Countdown to the Days that Matter ( $0.99 → FREE )

Dreamdays HD puts the events that are most important to you front and center. When creating a new countdown for an event you’re able to title and categorize it, set a date, and create a custom background. The app will then begin its countdown and send out a reminder as the day approaches. You will also see the event appear within Notification Center as the date approaches. You’re able to view all of your countdown cards at once, filter them out, or view them separately. The app also includes passcode protection, iCloud support, and the ability to share events.

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