iPhone Reviews 2.0

iTunes Link

Zenonia is a RPG game by Gamevil. $5.99

A modified post from TheAppEra

The long awaited RPG by Gamevil has finally made its way onto the App Store. Zenonia has sold extremely well in Korea with it being download over 600,000 onto various mobile phones. With over 40 hours of gameplay, it was interesting to see if it is a step above the competitors. After just 30 minutes of playing the game, I can safely say YES! Zenonia is an amazing game that provides some big aspects that RPG games have been lacking on the App Store.

The best graphics in a RPG game on the App Store before Zenonia would have to be Chronicles of Inotia: Legend of Feanor by Com2Us. Zenonia blows those graphics out of the water with a game that would do a DS game proud. The anime characters are superbly done with many animations and cheerful nature. The many environments coupled with the great day/night feature in are super detailed and the graphics department in Gamevil definitely deserve a huge high five for their work. Gamevil has done well to make sure the game is very stable with no lag what so ever. In previous builds before its release the game was super unstable and lagged quite a bit, but has been fixed. The animations in Zenonia are quick and with the way they have incorporated some fighting tactics makes it alot easier for the player.

At the moment the controls in Zenonia would be its achilles heel. The D-Pad is very easy to use but at times a small finger flip will send you walking in a totally different direction. Double tapping the D-Pad in one direction gives you a ’short’ boost of speed that can throw you into opponents. I found out the hard way but it eats up your SP very quickly, which I will get to later. To attack you just press the attack button over and over again to use whatever weapon you currently have, no matter whether you are an Assassin or another type of character. The smart thing in Zenonia is that you will turn and attack your nearest opponent which is a very handful this to have when the D-Pad hasn’t been perfected. Special moves can be added to quick slots below your status bar and when touched unleash the special move of the particular icon. This works well but the icons are very small and is obviously brought straight over from the mobile, like the menu screen.

With Zenonia being a surprisingly 10mb download you can’t really expect much sound in the game. There is a Pokemon like tune that runs throughout the whole game and Regreat (The Character) makes a high pitched squeal when he attacks. There isn’t much sound obviously and this is a game to play silently or just jam to your own tracks.

A great storyline that is almost Fable-like where you can choose whether to be good and fight for the Guild of Light or evil and fight for the Guild of Dark. The graphics remind me of the well known Zelda games and the city travelling has a Pokemon aspect in it. The storyline is prominent in the game for the entire time, and seems to be better than Chronicles of Inotia, Dungeon & Hero and Vay. This game just feels easier to pick up and play than the other RPG’s on my iPhone. There seems to be more quests and less time grinding for no purpose in the game, something that threw me off other RPG games. Zenonia is more casual gamer friendly, but may become a bit dry in later hours of the game. I better put down the game so I can actually write this review already!

The basic storyline in Zenonia is you fight for either the good or evil Guild and need to help fight against the opposite clan. You (Regret) wakes up and a dragon had come to your town so you flee to the town of Adonis. There you must do many main and side quests to what I assume is defeat the Clan. I have only played through 5-6 hours of Zenonia as a Good warrior and have no idea what is to come ahead.

Most RPG’s have a game style of Grind, Grind, Grind, Mission, Grind, Grind and Grind. Zenonia put the fun back into grinding as the many side quests don’t even make you realize that you are in fact grinding. Having many cities between the various areas means that it feels more like a Zelda/Pokemon game rather than a basic RPG. The storyline is strong and really grows on you.

I’m not sure if the original writers were Australian, but if not they sure should be. The game is absolutely hilarious with some of the things said in this game. Some saying heard from various characters are:

• “It would never work, I’m just a NPC”
• “I’m sure this side quest is some crazy story from one of the developers”
• “How would I know what that was, I only just started playing this game”

They aren’t the exact words, but time and time again these one liners give me a little chuckle. This certainly lightens the mood of the gameplay. Most of the time you will be whacking and smacking all of the monsters and various creatures that come and attack you. It is sometimes quite hard to fight back as these anime characters are just so cute! Everytime the big cute teddy bear attacks me I run away so I don’t have to see it die.

I could go on for ever about some of the things in this game, but they are better experience for yourself. An amazing game that is not only a true RPG for serious gamers, but will also provide long lasting entertainment for those more casual gamers. For $5.99 this is incredible value, probably being one of the longest games on the App Store with Puzzle Quest, which is $7.99. The amazing graphics, animation and gameplay of Zenonia will bring you back time after time. This game could put alot of RPG’s on other devices like the Gameboy and possibly DS to shame with how good it is. Seriously guys, if you don’t buy this then you are missing out!

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Tap Tap Coldplay is a music game by Tapulous. $3.99

Everybody knows of some of the most downloaded on the App Store by Tapulous called Tap Tap Revenge (Now TTR 2.5). I was a bit skeptical when the paid versions came out, with complete track lists for different themes or artists. Tap Tap Coldplay is easily the biggest band Tapulous has got on board, with this top selling game being in the charts for a very long time. Coldplay is a great band, but for some reason I had never bought one of their albums before, staying closer to my punk rock genre. This game succesfully made me buy Viva la Vida or Death by All His Friends by Coldplay as I enjoyed the thirteen hit tracks that were in this game. Apart from the brand new content added to the special Tap Tap versions, a kind of 'career' mode is made with boss levels and superb added graphics. A while ago Tapulous announced on Twitter that Tap Tap Coldplay owners MAY be getting more songs as well, which would be a great addition as most of the Tapulous special editions games don't have the replayability factor that Guitar Rock Tour has. The update came out as I was writing this. Violent Hill and The Scientist were added to the already great track list. The one area Tapulous have fallen in compared to Guitar Rock Tour is that GRT has 17 well known tracks from different genres and times, while TTR has upcoming artists, some top class ones and specialized payed versions. I'm not saying its a bad thing though!

Each special Tap Tap Revenge version has an altered theme to suit the songs at hand. Tap Tap Coldplay is the first game to move away from well known circles that you are required to tap. Instead there are glowing rectangles of light that travel down the screen. The graphics are absolutely beautiful, with flowing colors all over the screen that warp into new colors as your multiplier increases. For each album that the songs come with special graphics that appear on the screen, really making it feel like a surreal dream. Many times I have lost where I was tapping so I could get a look at the images appearing on the screen. Each difficulty level also features a 'boss level' that has special graphics to suit the mood of each song. These are very cool levels that also feature the rectangle tapper. My favorite boss level in the TTR games would be Technologic by Daft Punk on Tap Tap Dance.

The controls in the Tap Tap Revenge series have always been quite simple. As the rectangles come down the screen you must tap them once they are on top of the black rectangles at the bottom of the screen. You can get more points if you touch the tapper at the perfect time and obviously less if it is a bit off. If there is a trail of light behind the tapper then you are required to hold the tapper to get more points from the trail. If two or three tappers come down at the same time you can to hit them at the same time. When arrows come down the screen you are required to tilt the device in that direction to hit them. I find these quite hard to master, but thankfully they can be turned off.

Obviously the sounds are great in this game. The music is very crisp and is the original music from the actual artist. In Guitar Rock Tour some of the songs do not sound as if there sung by the artist who originally sings it, and can get annoying at times. Tap Tap Revenge does not cut corners by just buying the rights to the song, but instead works with the bands to bring the best music possible to their games. If you are a fan of Coldplay you will absolutely adore this game, while the tunes do catch onto people like me who haven't particularly listened to Coldplay much.

The gameplay is very addictive, but the special versions also give you a bit more of an incentive to play the game. The basic aim of Tap Tap Revenge is to play songs and try and get a high score, but the game is mostly for fu instead of achieving something. In Tap Tap Coldplay there are five difficulty levels, Kids, Easy, Medium, Hard and Extreme. Kids mode lets kids tap anywhere on the screen to play, instead of focusing on where to tap they just have to try and get the timing right. Easy mode has less tappers coming down during the song and it is alot easier to play. It goes right down to Extreme where the tappers are coming flat out with many multiple tappers coming at the same time. Each of the four real difficulty levels have certain tracks in each one. Half of the tracks must be completed with an accuracy of 85% or higher and the boss track for that difficulty level is unlocked. All tracks can be completed in Two player mode, but not Online mode at this point in time.

Tap Tap Coldplay has converted me to becoming a Coldplay fan. The amazing theme doubled with smooth gameplay and 13 amazing tracks makes this the best Tapulous game by far. I would seriously recommend this game to anyone who enjoys the Tap Tap Revenge series or those Coldplay fans. One of the 13 tracks is available for download on Tap Tap Revenge 2.5 with the ordinary Tap Tap Coldplay theme to try as a kind of lite version. This game is absolutely superb and well worth todays sale price of $3.99 in celebration of the two new tracks that were just released. Seriously, buy this now!

iTunes Link

Siberian Strike is a top down shooter by Gameloft. $0.99

Siberian Strike has totally changed the way old ports are successfully brought onto the iPhone. Time and time again we see ports off various devices that sometimes work (Assassin's Creed) and sometimes don't. Siberian Strike is a totally revamped mobile port, that has become my favourite top down shooter. This game is an amazing pick up for just $0.99, especially when I thought it was a great deal at it's original price of $5.99.

The storyline is pretty basic, and doesn't actually have much effect in the game. You are pilot Eliot Freeman in the 1940's, Russia wants to invade Europe and you get to stop them by destroying everything in your path. To be honest when I received this game I was not expecting to even enjoy it at all, especially since I am not a 'retro' gamer and do not enjoy these old school type games. Siberian Strike actually surprised me alot as it provided me with great graphics and enough action to suffice a more modern gamer as well as you retro gamers. The gameplay is pretty simple, but definitely surprised me. I was expecting tilt left and right and shoot everything in your path. Your plane flies all over the course and there a few special 3D levels that take a different approach to the game, splitting up what could be quite dry gameplay. There are great graphics and voice acting to go along with the game, providing an excellent flight as you will find out.

From what I can tell the graphics have been remastered to look alot better than the mobile version. The screen can get quite busy with power-ups, planes and all sorts of attacks going all over the screen and I haven't encountered any lag or freezes what so ever. There is alot of detail that has gone into this game, especially in the 3D levels. For a now $0.99 it is right up there with other great games of the same price like iDracula.

The voice acting in Siberian Strike is superbly done in the cut scenes. I would probably call it better than Assassin's Creed, but then again there is less of it. It is very professional and the accents used are quite cool. The sound effects in the actual game are what I have come to expect with stuff blowing up and shots fired etc. It was quite a good effort, especially since it has come from a mobile port where sound certainly isn't used as much as it should in those games.

There are two control methods available to use in Siberian Strike, but one is far easier than the other. The hardest system was actually the tilt method, where you tilt your iPhone to move your plane around the screen. This not only looks REALLY weird watching someone do it, but is hard to actually watch where you are going. The easiest system is the touch controls where you move the plane by moving your finger, while being on top of the plane. Some people don't like this game as you can't see when planes are coming from behind, but it is certainly alot easier than tilting the iPhone around. Shooting is very easy and the whole game just requires you to be moving for the entire time, as there is no ammo limit. Power ups can give you special shots and the shooting process is the same, except they run out after a certain time limit. In the 3D mode you are required to fire missiles at certain items, and a fire button is used for that. To use a bomb you press the bomb icon and it blows up all enemies near you. This is useful in tight situations.

There are three different game modes that all revolve around the main story mode. The three modes are Story Mode, Multiplayer and Free Mission. As with other Gameloft games you are only able to play these modes in Easy or Normal to start with, and completing the story mode unlocks hard. With only 7 levels in the game, Gameloft gives you another challenge and beating the game on Hard gives you the difficulty level of Ace. While the storyline doesn't give much to the gameplay and is more of conversations. It is there however, using simple text instead of cut scenes we are used to. I find it quite annoying and after a few levels didn't even read the conversations as it wasn't necessary for the game.

Story Mode is the mode that you will spend most of your time playing. The jist of the mode is to survive through 5 2D Top Down Shooter levels and 2 3D Levels. This is done by shooting everything in site, collecting powerups and other great items. The way to win the game is by surviving all the levels without dieing. The way to lose however is actually quite easy, but doesn't sound it. You have 3 bars of life, once these are all lost you lose one of your 3 lives, which may be replenished by collecting 100 stars. Once these lives are lost then you get the option of an arcade continue, so basically you can complete this entire cycle three more times. Even on easy I managed to lose alot of lives and was happy just to survive the game.

The top down shooter levels throw planes, ships, cars and other wonderful Russian designs your way, forcing you to blow up as much as possible and avoid getting hit. These levels are often hectic and fast paced, with more new enemies coming in later levels. At the end of each level there is a massive Boss stage, where you must blow up certain parts of the boss before it can be successfully destroyed. These bosses shoot out multiple shots are once, forcing you to take a strategic approach at destroying them. The 3D levels are a bit of a gap between all the hectic levels, giving a kind of iFighter style gameplay. The aim is to fly around dodging all obstacles while blowing up guns that shoot missiles at you if you don't hit them. There are three planes to use with different stats, as well as unlockable colors. Sadly you can't unlock more planes.

Free mode lets you replay any of your already completed missions. The missions can be played in any of the unlocked difficulty levels. Multiplayer mode lets you play through any mission you want with a friend over Multiplayer WiFi. This is a great mode and works perfectly without any lag what so ever.

Siberian Strike has changed my opinion on Top Down Shooters. Being a genuine modern gamer who does not particularly like games with old concepts like this, it surprised me. If this game had seven levels of action instead of breaking it up with the 3D levels, it may not have been as good. The hectic action provided is addicting and makes you want to progress to the next level, with a bit of thrill and danger involved.

The great graphics actually make it look like a new game, instead of being restricted to the old shooter graphics I see time and time again on the App Store. The sound effects and cut scenes are a good add in, even if it doesn't provide much to the actual game. A great game, that while most people were skeptical of the game at its original price of $5.99, this is an absolute bargain at $0.99. Those who like true top down shooter games may not enjoy this as much as it has kind of 'progressed' away from that. I absolutely adore it and once again Gameloft have delivered.

iTunes Link

Durak is a card game by Lost Token. $1.99

Lately I have ventured away from the 'hidden gems' of the App Store, instead reviewing bigger games so people can decide whether they are the right game for them or not. As most game purchases are these more known games I feel it is more beneficial to hear opinions on them, not just one star "The screen goes black" reviews on iTunes. Durak however, is not one of these huge games that everybody has bought. Taking a look in the card section on iTunes it was No.41, yet if it was up to me I would put it at No.6 or No.7. Durak is popular card game internationally that has a totally different concept compared to other card games. There is no gambling in this game, rather being more of a card battle with attacking and defending, trying to remove all of your cards before your opponent. This is a great concept, especially in games with more than two people playing as there are multiple winners, but only one Durak (loser). The downside of matches with 3 or 4 players is that this game gets very confusing about how to actually play it, especially if you want to play with multiple friends with ordinary cards.

There isn't much that card games can do graphically, but Durak is probably one of the best. The playing area is a pretty basic wood table I assume and the playing cards are nice and big, very easy to see. What really makes a good card game in its presentation is how smooth and easy the game is. The animations are quick and easy, with no trouble regarding lag or glitches. I have never had Durak crash on me at all. The controls are very simple, yet super effective for the touch screen controls of the iDevice. To put cards out and to put them back into your pile requires a touch and drag motion to and from your hand to the middle of the play area. To end your turn a double tap is needed. The controls are really easy to use and learn, and really effective for this type of game.

Durak features sound that I can imagine being straight out of Monopoly on the iPhone or the PC. There are the basic sound effects of the cards being placed and such, as well as a nice and easy going tune throughout the whole game. While it isn't really that spectacular, the music kind of eases the pressure off this game, as it can get quite stressful against the harder opponents. It is alright, but not the greatest sound I have ever heard in a game.

Durak takes on a basic principal that is featured in many card games, get rid of your cards before your opponent(s). The way this works is quite exciting and very addictive. It is basically a game of cat and mouse, trying to remove as many cards as possible from your hand while trying to make the opponent gain cards. The way the game works is each player gets given 6 cards, and these keep getting replenished to the 6 cards after each turn until all cards in the deck have been used. A trump card is placed at the bottom of the deck. The suit of this card makes all cards that suit able to beat all other suits. To attack you place any card out into the playing area. The defender must place a higher card of the same suit or a trump card to defend. The turn can be turned by placing a card with the same number as the first card next to it, forcing the attacker to then turn the game again or defend against the two cards. If successfully defended the attacker can then either put out another card with the same number as any card already on the table, or end the turn. If another card is placed out the defender must counter it. If the attacker ends the turn the cards are put in the graveyard and it is the opponents turn. If the defender can't defend against a certain card then all the cards in play are put into the defenders hand. It is a game of cat and mouse until crunch time, where there are no cards left in the deck. It is then a race to remove all of your cards and hope you aren't the last one left with cards. The tutorial doesn't show how the game works with 3 or 4 players, and is really complex when playing. Words come up to tell you what to do in your turn, but it is so confusing that I stick to 2 player.

This addicting card game has gone unnoticed for a long time on the App Store, and deserves much higher credit than it currently receives. For those who want to try this unheard of game with your friends, you can play them through multiplayer WiFi. For those who prefer the computer there are 3 difficulty levels. Lost Token have promised online Multiplayer to play those throughout the world. This is really quite an addicting game that has gotten rave reviews on iTunes. Durak proves that some Hidden Gems are in fact great games. This has become one of my most played non-gambling card games in real life, after UNO and Crib. Great work Lost Token, you deserve it! It would be great if you could buy this game to support Lost Token, you won't be disappointed.

iTunes Link

Assassin's Creed is an adventure game by Gameloft. $5.99

Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles is the prequel to the famous game Assassin's Creed on the Xbox 360/PS3. Altair's Chronicles is a complete port from the game of the same name on the Nintendo DS. What makes this game so exciting is that it is a $40 game on the iPhone for a bargain price of $6. Altair's Chronicles has been closely recognised to being similar to another game by Gameloft called Hero of Sparta. Altair's Chronicles reigns supreme in almost all aspects of the game however.

Assassin's Creed follows the story of Altair in Jerusalem, 1191 AD. It is set in the middle of the Third Crusade, and the Order of the Assassin's has sent you to retrieve 'The Chalice', an object that has the power to stop the Crusade and stop the destruction of the Holy Land. The game is kind of Hero of Sparta 2.0 in the gameplay and improvements that are in Altair's Chronicles. This game steps away from the total hack n' slash brought to us by King Argos, but focuses more on challenging mazes and obstacles with enemies at the end. The graphics in Assassin's Creed are just superb for the amount of content in this game. There are always new surroundings and are some of the best graphics on the App Store, with the exception of Need for Speed, Myst and a few others. The sound effects are absolutely everywhere in the game, with many sounds and actual dialogue. Some people find the dialogue quite annoying, but I think it is better than none at all.

For a game with so many different scenes and areas, you could expect that the graphics may be lacking a bit. This is not the case, and the game is really detailed and does not repeat itself. Each level is unique, while each stage mostly has the same theme, there aren't three buildings just being repeated over and over again. I would call the fighting animation in Hero of Sparta slightly better, as sometimes the items seem to go where they shouldn't. I would say that the graphics are on par with what we have seen in Hero of Sparta. For a game that is easily two or three times longer, that makes these even more impressive. A super effort that shows the class of Gameloft yet again. Altair's Chronicles has never crashed or lagged while I have played it. While the loading times between levels are quite long, about 20 seconds, they aren't really much of a problem.

The sound effects in Altair's Chronicles are plentiful, turning up around every corner. Great fighting sounds as well as all the basic effects you except are in the game. What I didn't expect was the dialogue from not only Altair but the other people, including the guards. These are great, but have come over some controversy in threads, in particular on Touch Arcade. I actually like the dialogue but there is an option to turn it off if you please. Every now and then a cut scene movie is shown between stages, but not often. The intro movie that is well known before all Gameloft games is very spectacular, looking like something I came to expect in the console version of Assassin's Creed.

For so many special skills and techniques used in the game, Gameloft have done very well to restrict the number of buttons on the screen. The basic controls are quite simple. To walk and run around you move the analog stick on the left hand side of the screen. The shield button lets you block attacks. This is hardly used in easy mode, if ever. There are two attack buttons when you first start the game. The one on the left is for faster attacks, but giving less damage per hit. Obviously the right button gives a slower, but more powerful attack. Finally the jump button lets you jump!

There are many new skills and buttons that you learn throughout the game. I will go through some of the earlier skills that you learn, so people who haven't bought the game don't get their hopes up within the first five hours. There are multiple mini games that you can complete. These range from pressing pressure points to get an enemy to talk to pick pocketing. Above the jump button other options also appear at times, such as to assassinate an enemy or to grab onto a pole with your rope. The buttons already provided can be used in other ways to give Altair new skills. Running in the direction of a building wall will let you climb up onto the roof. Running up a wall then jumping to the wall opposite it will help you reach higher rooftops. New moves can also be made with the sword, but depend on the combination of hits that you make. Lastly new weapons can be earn't such as the crossbow or smoke screen.

There is only one game mode in Assassin's Creed, but this mode has three different difficulty levels. As most of Gameloft's action games has done, Altair's Chronicles has easy and medium difficulty's unlocked at the start and completing one of these unlocks hard mode. As you are aware, the aim of Assassin's Creed is to find the mystery Chalice to save Holy Lands. The storyline in Assassin's Creed is really strong and appears throughout the whole game. Unlike other games where they have quick cut scenes at the end of each level, the story is obvious throughout every level. Being a complete DS port it must obviously be up to gameplay standards we expect from the big gaming devices. There are 13 massive stages with multiple levels in each stage. These levels are incredibly long and filled with action and danger around every corner. The stages are separated by the different areas where you are in looking for people to help you on your quest. This is easily one of the longest games on the App Store as I am only up to Stage 9 and have easily been playing the game for about 8 or 9 hours.

The gameplay has stepped up a large gear from Spartan Times. King Argos was all about slaughtering everything he saw, and time wasted doing long difficult challenges took away from slaughtering. Times have changed and in the 12th Century the Order of Assassin's believe in knowing how to get around undetected to kill only those few that are necessary. The difficulty levels only change how good the enemies are at fighting, but since it takes spot to jumping and challenges any difficulty will suffice. What good is an Assassin, if he doesn't have skills and attributes to set him apart from everyday citizens? Luckily Altair has all this and more, but not at the start of his adventure. As you progress through the game more and more skills are learnt. Whether it is how to stun your opponent, fire a crossbow or run up walls they are all learnt in time for when they are needed. These skills all come in handy and do not take very long to master, with the exception of your special fighting moves. I will go into a bit more detail on how to use these later on.

The game lets you control Altair, the awesomely cool Assassin! The way to get around the many cities is to stay undercover, traveling on roof tops and thin ledges. The guards, however, are onto the many Assassin's getting around the cities so they have soldiers stationed in positions to stop you. The action can get quite intense at times, but generally not as even if you are surrounded by guards, only one of them will fight you at any time. There are a few boss battles but these aren't as frequent as Hero of Sparta. The many mazes in Altair's Chronicles are bound to get you wondering what to do next, and this has happened to me quite often. Great game, with a the length and action to match the $10 price.

I have really enjoyed Assassin's Creed. Not only has this game improved on Hero of Sparta, but it proves that other handheld devices can have games successfully ported to the iPhone and make money at the same time. Hopefully this is showing things to come with more long length games on the App Store soon. For an incredibly long game, it manages to keep you playing until you have finished. You really want to see if Altair manages to find the Chalice and save the land, and that still drives me to try and complete the game. Great gameplay, even if it does focus more on jumping and swinging than bashing and smashing. I hear that the boss levels and enemies increase greatly in the last few stages, so hopefully my craving to kill many guards will come. Amazing graphics, that show the quality of this game as well as the many sound effects.

One of the best games on the App Store. Probably the best adventure type game I have played on my iPhone, showing that once again $10 games are making their mark on the App Store (Now on sale for $6). Quality games from Electronic Arts and Gameloft hopefully turn the tide and bring a lot of quality onto our iPhones and iPod touches once again.

After we had a great turnout with 17 entries, it was up to me to read through all the entries and decide who deserves the iTunes Gift Card.

Before I do announce the winner I would like to thank Electronic Arts for giving me the oppurtunity to hold this contest. It has been very successful as we have had our largest numbers ever come to the site to read the eight EA Special posts.

I am glad to announce that the winner is. . .

This is the last of seven reviews that will be written for the EA Special competition.


iTunes Link

Tiger Woods PGA Tour is a golf game by Electronic Arts. $9.99

Once again Electronic Arts has brought a well known name onto the iDevice. With Let's Golf being so popular and controlling the golf genre on the App Store, it was interesting to see how it would compare to Tiger Woods. As I soon found out, there is really nothing to compare. Let's Golf brings more or an arcade type Golf game like Everybody's Golf on the PSP while Tiger Woods brings a more simulation golf game, like the console versions. While Tiger Woods doesn't have the most courses on the iPhone, being held by GL Golf Deluxe with I believe 23, they are seven well known real-life courses that have been greatly represented on the iDevice. Electronic Arts has gone for a gameplay over graphics approach on this game, with graphics that could seem a little bit more realistic but excellent frame rates. The game has been really extended from the simple 3 click swing that is used in so many golf games, really utilising what can be done with the touch screen. The gaming experience has really been pushed out past a simple quick play and career mode. To even compete in tournaments you have to have made enough money to enter, as well as to upgrade your equipment to compete. The whole golf experience is easily the best on the App Store to date.

While I said that Electronic Arts had substituted great graphics for frame rates, that doesn't mean that Tiger Woods is a stickman with his name above his head. There are over 120 detailed holes in Tiger Woods and each are very detailed, along with the golfers on them. While the trees, golfers and different scenery is not up to Need for Speed standards, it isn't as important in a game like this. I certainly didn't pay $10 just so I could look at pretty trees. The character animation, such as the golfing aspect of the game is very realistic. With excellent frame rates the animation is smooth and provides a true golfing experience, something Let's Golf couldn't do. Yes the graphics aren't 'superb' but they are great for what is needed in this game.

The controls in Tiger Woods PGA Tour are very unique to any golf game I have seen before. I am used to the 3 point swing system, but the touch screen provides for a brand new way to play golf. On the right hand side of the screen is the golf ball and an area to drag it into. Depending on how you drag the ball will depend on how you will hit the ball. The basic way this works if that your drag the golf ball with your finger down and back up to its original position. The way to hit different shots depends on how you drag your finger. To have a clean shot it it best to try and keep the line where the ball is dragged as straight as possible. That doesn't mean in the middle but instead the lines overlapping each other on the way up and down. To get an extra boost out of your shot holding onto your swing down the bottom until the bar turns red will give you a few metres. The ball doesn't have to be dragged all the way down or straight down the middle. Dragging the ball halfway will only let you hit the ball around the distance stated on the right of the bar at that point. Dragging the ball to the left will let you slice the ball and same to the right. Before choosing a shot, pressing the button with rings around a circle lets you choose where to aim the ball. Waiting a few seconds will also tell you what percentage of power you should use to his the ball. Putting works the same as normal shots, except you have the option of previewing what your shot will turn out like. The controls, while very unique are a thrilling way to play golf, keeping you more involved in the actual gameplay.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour is one of the two Electronic Arts games that I have played that have great sound effects. What I like about Tiger Woods is that they haven't taken the easy option with sound hitting the ball effects with music in the background. There is play-by-play commentary by two well known people in the golfing community. The commentary is by retired pro golfer Sam Torrance and Kelly Tilghman from the The Golf Channel. I enjoy the commentary, which I prefer alot more than some simple sound effects. Some may find it irritating but there is always the option to play without sound or your own music.

As said before, Tiger Woods has been set out to require many hours playing golf. For those who have no idea how to play golf, your aim is to get the ball in the hole in the least shots possible. Of course every golf game takes this concept further, and Tiger Woods has extended further than any other game on the App Store. There are two game modes, quick play and PGA Tour. Electronic Arts has done a great job to include quick play so it doesn't just become another option like happens in other games with career modes. To participate in the PGA Tour you are required to pay an entry fee. This isn't cheap and usually around $15,000-$18,000. Joining the Tour straight away is a silly tactic that I soon found out, as I got absolutely walloped. Your hard earned cash can also be spent upgrading your equipment. Money is earned by doing certain achievements in every game you play. Landing so many metres on the green after a drive, getting a birdie, getting par after being in the bunker and landing near the hole are some examples of how to earn money. The PGA Tour is set out just like in real life, playing on different courses through many rounds. After two rounds the competition is cut to 48 competitors then down again. The winner gets a hefty prize while some people get nothing.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour is a great golf game, that is well worth the premium price of $10. There is a heap of replayability in this game, with the incentive to make more money to not only participate in the PGA Tour but also to upgrade your items. The graphics are quite good for the game, but obviously not up to the standard of the console version counterparts. I would recommend you buying this game if you enjoy golf games or are looking for a real golf game, as Tiger Woods delivers. I found the game quite challenging, even if some others didn't. Superb game. Well done Electronic Arts.

This is the sixth of nine+ reviews that will be written for the EA Special competition.



iTunes Link

Need for Speed is a racing game by Electronic Arts. $9.99

The long awaited racing game by Electronic Arts is finally released onto the App Store, and it was well worth the wait! The Need for Speed series is one of the most successful racing franchises ever since its first ever game in 1994. The series has been featured on many different devices and consoles but Need for Speed Undercover is the first one to appear on the iDevice. Some previous reviews I have done on 2XL Supercross and Zen Bound have talked about how good their graphics are for a device like this. Need for Speed blows these games out of the water, with graphics that would be above average for a game on the PSP. The graphics are backed up with equally as good sound effects, cut scenes and amazing gameplay. The way Electronic Arts have totally recreated the game, not just ported over a watered down version of Need for Speed Undercover console version is superb. The controls for the game excellently use the touch screen and accelerometer. An addictive action packed game that I am happy to call the best game on the App Store at the moment.

This game is so insanely good in the graphics department. I had a quick look on IGN at the PSP screenshots of Need for Speed Undercover and they look absolutely terrible compared to the iPhone version. For a device that was designed as a phone first and gaming second, this proves how much of a threat it will become if more games at this standard are released. Need for Speed looks so good it is hard to focus on actually racing and not the surroundings. Zooming past brilliantly made buildings and objects is something that has to be seen to be believed. The actual cars are easily the best looking ones I have seen for an iPhone game. The graphics were good in Fast & Furious, but the cars let it down a bit. I found when downloading other games while playing Need for Speed Undercover and it lagged a bit, making it hard to play. When it has nothing downloading in the background then the game is super smooth. Another great aspect of Need for Speed is the cutscenes that are played between each race to give a bit of a storyline to the game. The acting in these is very professional and looks superb also. After playing this game it will be so hard to give another racing game a perfect graphic rating again, possibly with the exception of Real Racing.

The controls have been implemented to suit the iDevice perfectly. While some people were a bit annoyed that it was an auto-acceleration game, I believe the need for this would become annoying, especially at high speeds. The car will auto-accelerate until it reaches its maximum speed. To brake you just tap and hold the screen for as long as you want. To use the nitro boost you swipe your finger upwards. To use the Speed Breaker you swipe your finger down. To pause the game you swipe two fingers down. Electronic Arts have done very well to implement the controls to maximise what can be seen instead of annoying buttons on the screen. The controls work well and are very responsive. Easily the best control set-up I have seen for a racing game on the App Store.

The one thing I have yet to see every close to decent in racing games is the sound effects. Need for Speed comes the closest to sounding realistic and has to be congratulated on that. The game has a nice mix of in-game music and car sound effects. In the background of the races you can hear great rock tracks that compliment the game very nicely. The car sound effects provide the most realistic racing experience for any iDevice game. The sound effects include accelerating, nitro boosts, crashes and braking. These sound quite realistic and the only racing game I actually enjoy listening to. The video clips between the races are professionally done not only by the acting but the sound and graphics also and are the only video clips I don't skip past in games.

Absolutely beautiful graphics and sound means nothing if it isn't backed up by a strong game. Need for Speed Undercover provides this experience. Need for Speed Undercover has the strongest storyline to back up the actual racing, and is better than the previous best Fast & Furious. As the title suggests, you are an undercover cop trying to break open a gang from the inside. The story ends with a massive twist at the end, but you will have to find out that for yourself. The main game features 24 different races over the Tri-City area. After the main story has been finished a special Drift tournament featuring 5 races is unlocked. There are 8 race modes to compete in. The Sprint race pits you against an opponent for a certain and set track. The Circuit race puts you against 3 other cars over a track for 3 laps. The Cop Take-Out race requires you to wipe out a certain number of cop cars in a certain time frame. The Highway Battle is an unlimited race that requires the winner to get a certain distance in front of your competitor to win. The Hot Car race requires you to escape the Cop car chasing you and make it to the finish line without destroying your vehicle. The Chasedown race is similar to the Cop Take-Out except you need to take out the other competitor in a certain time limit. Lap KO is similar to Circuit except after each lap the car in last place is eliminated. The Bounty race is similar to the main mode in Burnout Revenge where you have to crash and bash your way through the track to earn a certain amount of money. Finally Drift Mode requires you to make a certain number of Drift points over a track. These modes are all very fun and provide an exhilarating experience. The racing is very smooth and perfectly suited to the iDevice and a ton of fun. There is so much I can talk about with racing and all aspects of Need for Speed, but words cannot describe how amazing this game is.

Amazing graphics that are so good it gives amazing potential as a fully fledged gaming device. Great sound effects and storyline that goes hand in hand with the best racing game I have seen on the App Store. For those who are not sure, Need for Speed Undercover is an Arcade racer, unlike the upcoming Real Racing which will be a Simulation Racer. It is so hard to uncover flaws in this superb game but if I had to pick out some it would be the need for Multiplayer WiFi and Free Roam. This is one of the games that I wouldn't mind paying extra for more tracks, cars etc. If you own any racing game what so ever, even if it is Ferrari GT, Asphalt 4, Fastlane, Raging Thunder, Fast & Furious or GTS World Racing then buy this and compare the two games. Need for Speed dominates all other games on so many levels, and in my opinion is the best game on the App Store to date. I would be happy to pay $9.99 for this game and would easily pay $30 or more on the PSP or DS. Do not hesitate to buy this game, you will be blown away!

This is the fifth of nine+ reviews that will be written for the EA Special competition.


iTunes Link

Pandemonium is a platform game by Electronic Arts. $2.99

Pandemonium is the first recently released game that we weren't expecting to come onto the iDevice platform. I have never heard of Pandemonium before and was really interested in seeing how it played as a 2.5D platformer. By 2.5D I mean that Pandemonium is set in a fully fledged 3D environment but with a 2D style of gameplay (A crystal collecting platformer). When I first read that Pandemonium features 18 worlds I automatically assumed that it was 18 levels, but this game is far from that. Each world has multiple levels to complete, that range in length but generally the levels are 5 minutes in length. For those like me who have no idea what is to be achieved in Pandemonium, the aim of each level is to get as many crystals as possible. There is no required amount to progress onto the next level, but rather the pressure is taken off and you just have to try and get a personal best. After each level is also tells you the amount percent of crystals collected for the whole game for those who want to try and beat a long term goal. While this sounds basic and not very entertaining, Pandemonium packs alot of punch for this type of game.

As I stated above, Pandemonium is a 2.5D platformer. Most platform games I have played, especially on the iDevice, are either 2D or 2D but with graphics that make it seem 3D. Pandemonium takes the graphics of crystal collecting platformers to a whole new level with large 3D environments. There are many turns and twists in the game that send you on a full 3D experience. The levels are quite large and the detail in the game is very good. With each level being unique, there is surprisingly a heap of variety in the game. Camera angle in a 3D game like this is very important, and Electronic Arts has perfected it. As you progress through each level the camera tilts and moves as you do, which makes it very easy to play without getting confused what way you are going. For a game that I thought was going to be simple and not very good looking, Pandemonium has certainly proved me wrong. Reading other reviews by 148Apps and SlideToPlay obviously gives a different opinion of these graphics, but since I never played the original version on the Playstation 13 years ago I didn't know what to expect.

Pandemonium has been ported over using the basic D-Pad controls are found on a Playstation controller. To move in every direction you have four arrow buttons. To jump there is an A button to press and to move while jumping involves holding one of the arrows. When a special weapon is picked up you can fire it using the B button. The weapon has unlimited use except if you lose a life, you lose the weapon. For Fargus the Jester he has a special spin attack that can be used by pressing the C button. Nikki's special move is a larger jump which is done by pressing the normal jump button. The controls are quite good and are probably better for this type of game rather than the accelerometer. I haven't really found any problems with it.

The sound is very basic with a single tune repeating itself throughout the game. There are a few sound effects when losing lives etc. but that is about it. From what I have been told the sound has been watered down from the Playstation game, probably to save space and to not let the game lag more than it currently does. The sound is alright, but not as good as I expected from Electronic Arts. Most probably a game to play silently.

Pandemonium has alot of gameplay, thats a given but after a few worlds the actual reason to keep playing kind of leaves the game. The basic way Pandemonium works is that you must run, jump obstacles and either destroy or avoid enemies to get from Point A to Point B. Along the way you can find crystals and hearts that replenish your life. If you die you start from the last checkpoint. Some of the levels are quite fun. One instance of this is a level where you wind your way up to a top of a tower before a massive big wall covered in spikes chases you down to the bottom of the tower. The gameplay is very fun and quite challenging in some levels but after a while the incentive to complete levels disappears. Having no achievements, unlockables or even high scores really means that you are completing this game for the sake of completing it. While there are two characters to play with in the many worlds, they provide a bit of variety but nothing that will really keep you going World after World. After playing the first three worlds I was really loving this game as an unique platformer but it soon wore off on me. While the levels got more challenging as I progressed they didn't really give me an urge to continue. There is no storyline that continues through the whole game, but more of an intro video at the start. The game itself is alot of fun and really gave me what I expect from a platformer game, the reason to actually play the game is what's lacking. The game also lags a bit on most levels which generally causes you to lose lives if you are trying to jump to a certain place or avoid a creature. The lag could be fixed I believe

Pandemonium has alot of content in it for a $2.99 game. I quite enjoyed the early stages of the game, but unlike 13 years ago when this game was released, gamers require a reason to play their games, not just because they enjoy platformers. Sadly the replay value is not in this game, that is if you finish the game first time around. The graphics are quite good but the sound is only up to the standards of the board game music, quite repetitive. In a future update I would like to see unlockable characters or items as well as achievements. In its current Playstation port mode the game doesn't really give me a platformer that will keep me attention for long. It needs to be updated to suit todays gamers. Buy this if you really like platformers or this type of game, if you are on the border then possibly hold off for now.

This is not a review, but a preview of the upcoming game by Electronic Arts that is due out June 2nd 2009.

Product Description
The #1 PC game franchise of all times comes to today's hottest game platform!
The Sims 3 brings exciting new gameplay and endless possibilities all on your iPhone and iPod Touch!
Enjoy unexpected moments of surprise and mischief, as you choose whether (or not!) to fulfill your Sims' destinies and make their wishes come true.
Create and customize your Sims appearance and personality, then take your Sims out of the house and into the neighborhood with all new open world gameplay.
Make their world your own!

Key Features
- Over 10 hours of gameplay filled with hysterical antics and moments of surprise
- New beautiful 3D visuals
- Support for iPhone specific controls (touch and accelerometer)
- Explore an ever-changing neighborhood with new open world gameplay
- Enjoy smarter Sims with deeper personalities, wishes and goals
- Create your own Sim, complete with different hair styles, clothes, personalities and more
- Keep your Sims busy with 4 fun mini-games including fishing, gardening, cooking and house repairs
- Develop complex relationships with other Sims as you fall in love, make friends and rebel against the neighborhood



We will cover this game in more detail hopefully before its release and certainly a full review when it is released to the public

This is the fourth of seven reviews that will be written for the EA Special competition.


iTunes Link

Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition is a board game by Electronic Arts. $4.99

And once again Electronic Arts has been able to recreate once of the most famous board games in history. Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition is not the original board game we all know and love, as unlike the Classic version with make believe places, Monopoly H&N features some of the well known places from around the world. For those wanting the classic board of Monopoly, I believe it is due to come out on the App Store later this year. The best thing about EA's board games is the great multiplayer modes letting you choose to either play using Pass n' Play or by Multiplayer WiFi. Like Trivial Pursuit however, Facebook Connect is not available at this point in time. Monopoly is very customizable in the fact that the rules can be tweaked or changed to suit your style of play. There are a few things missing from the rules however, which are really frustrating for me, but I will get to them later. Graphically Monopoly is a great game graphically, with the added surroundings and the different soundtracks. If you had the option to buy only one of the board games by Electronic Arts, Monopoly would have to be the choice for me.

Monopoly is a perfectly good game in the graphics department. Monopoly differs from Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble which has the aim of simplicity and just showing the board game. Monopoly gives it more of a personal feel with the basic Monopoly Here & Now board game as seen in reality, as well as the option to change the playing environment. These different settings provide a small bit of change, but even if there was only one of these it would still be a welcome change from having a plain background. Monopoly runs quite well and I haven't experienced any lag or crashes as of yet. The game board as always is exactly the same as the board game but there was a bit of added video that wasn't in this, but in the PC version. I thought it was a great idea and it shows a short clip of the place you have landed on, and if it had houses they looked like they were just dumped on the property. This may have taken up alot of space and they were going for a simple gameplay that is easy to play quickly.

This is the third of six reviews that will be written for the EA Special competition.


iTunes Link

Trivial Pursuit is a trivia game by Electronic Arts. $4.99

Once again, Electronic Arts have brought a well known board game onto the iPhone. Trivial Pursuit could arguably be called the most well known Trivia board game. I do not own Trivial Pursuit but own and play many times a game almost identical to it called the Game of Knowledge. The basic objective of Trivial Pursuit is to collect wedges for all six different categories. These can be earned from kind of 'boss' tiles that people generally spend their time going back and forth hoping to roll the correct number to land on the tile. One great thing about this new version of Trivial Pursuit is the different game modes. There is the Classic mode which lets you play by yourself or against up to three other CPU's. The Classic mode can also be played against the same number of real people by Pass n' Play or Multiplayer WiFi. Being a recently released game I was hoping for Facebook Connect, like in Scrabble but it isn't available.. hopefully only for now. The great new mode in this game is Pursuit Mode that instead of trying to get wedges on the circular board, you are against the clock to try and get to the end of a pre-designed board. That sounds confusing but I will explain more about it later.

Trivial Pursuit has satisfied all it set out to show in the way of graphics. The board game has been slightly altered to show the tiles and players. It has changed the board into a 3D object and it isn't played on a table like Monopoly, and rather a dark themed background. The whole game is 3D and has been set out perfectly for an iDevice version. Tiles hover above the rest if they are available to move onto, making it alot easier to decide where to move, rather than counting the squares. The different tiles are easy to distinguish and the HQ Tiles stand out. Questions are easy to read and so are the pictures from the visual questions. I have yet to have Trivial Pursuit crash on me, and the gameplay is very smooth. A great trivia/board game graphically.

This game is very easy to control, and doesn't use the accelerometer at all. Everything in Trivial Pursuit is done by touch. To roll the dice you have to touch the dice to roll it and again to stop it. To move your piece around the board you have to touch on the tile you wish to move to so it is selected, then again to actually move there. This is a good way to move as it means mistakes aren't made when clicking on the wrong tile accidentally. The answer text questions you just tap on the desired answer. For visual questions it is similar, except you tap on the picture you want to select. Trivial Pursuit is a simple game to pick up and play on the first time, even if you have no idea what Trivial Pursuit is all about.

Like the other two games by Electronic Arts I have reviewed, Trivial Pursuit doesn't have much in the way of sound. There are a few sound effects for rolling the dice, when you make selections etc. Most of the sound you hear is a peaceful tune that plays in the background. It can get a bit plain if you are playing for a long time and I usually prefer to play my own music when playing these board games, or just have it silent.

The aim of Trivial Pursuit is to answer questions, get to the HQ tiles and collect all the wedges before your opponent(s) do. If you correctly answer questions your turn continues so you have more of a chance to collect all the wedges first. Trivial Pursuit on the iDevice takes this process and hypes it up to a whole new level. Unlike the other board games brought over by Electronic Arts, Trivial Pursuit brings a whole new game mode for people to play. Classic Mode is the board game everyone knows and loves. It pits you against up to three computer players with options such as how many wedges have to be earned and the difficulty level of your players. The two multiplayer modes are Pass n' Play and Multiplayer WiFi. Pass n' Play is very similar to the same mode in Scrabble and Monopoly. Up to four players can take turns playing the game, just handing the iDevice around the group. Multiplayer WiFi lets you play with up to four players again, but on separate iDevices with a local WiFi connecting them all. Sadly Facebook Connect isn't available for Trivial Pursuit as of version 1.0, but hopefully it will be added in the future. The brand new mode available to play is Pursuit Mode. The aim of pursuit mode is to get from a starting tile all the way to an ending tile on a kind of track. You must get a gold, silver or bronze rating to move onto the next level. Each level gets harder and longer and the tracks starting getting many twists, turns and special tiles on them. Questions that you get wrong let you only move 1 space for the next turn, but if you answer the question correctly you will move from 6 to 2 squares depending on the time it took you to answer. I am currently up to Level 1o of Pursuit mode and don't know how many there are to complete.

With 3500 questions, including 600 of them being visual questions, Trivial Pursuit is bursting at the seams with knowledge. This is a super addictive game that with the Pursuit mode has made me forget that it is actually a board game. This is a very polished game, with excellent gameplay and a great reason to play with friends. The only downside I have found is that Facebook Connect is not included, even though it was released after the service was included in Scrabble. All of these board games by Electronic Arts should have the service in case none of your friends have iDevices or wish to play Trivial Pursuit. By far the best trivia game I have played on the App Store, this is one you should definitely check out. You never know, you may learn something while playing Trivial Pursuit, I know I did.

Gameplay- 9/10
Graphics- 7/10
Sound- 7/10
Overall- 8/10

I would recommend this game if you enjoyed- TV Show King

Tell me what you think about this review at Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/iPhone_Reviews next up is Monopoly: Here and Now Worldwide Edition!

Thanks- iPhone_Reviews