The votes have been tallied and the people have spoken. Jetpack Joyride is 2011′s Best App Ever.

Halfbrick’s latest title was one of the most-hyped iOS games of the year: we were reporting on it back in March when the game was originally known as Machine Gun Jetpack. Back then, the concept was the same: Halfbrick protagonist Barry Steakfries flies at a high speed through tunnels on a jetpack that fires bullets so quickly that it propels him upward. It’s the kind of concept that’s completely ludicrous but instantly intriguing. After all, when it was just a powerup in Monster Dash, it was entertaining enough, but now a full game is built around it? That’s exciting. Afterward, the game became more extensive, adding a variety of new jetpacks and powerups along with the eponymous jetpack.

This is why the game was so extensively covered on the site, making a pre-release post announcement, and then running a 5-star, Editor’s Choice review on launch day when the game came out. The game was talked about on The Portable Podcast multiple times, with glowing praise. Finally, we named it one of our top games of the year.

So what made Jetpack Joyride such a hit? Maybe it is that the game is extremely easy to get into. The controls require no real explanation, just tap to go upward, let go to go downward. No virtual buttons were necessary at all, just tap anywhere on the screen. It works perfectly on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

But it’s also the way that it compels players to keep playing that makes it so addictive. The objectives compel players to play the game in a particular way, and to make a specific session have a goal to it, from trying to skim so many red lights, to running on the ground for so long. They introduce variety to a game where the goal is the same each time out: get as far as possible without dying.

Jetpack Joyride‘s use of currency is also especially modern: gaining coins for upgrades and new costumes is something that a variety of games are doing now, but is one that Jetpack Joyride excels at. There are the different levels of items to buy, from the simple costumes and jetpacks to buy (who doesn’t love a Fruit Ninja-inspired jetpack?), to upgrades for the powerup vehicles, to finally the extra-distance bombs and second chance lives for high rollers. These generally require money to purchase reliably, but they can be earned in the game itself through the tokens collected and used in the slot machine.

In many ways, the game is about luck, as sometimes a high score requires that a second chance be earned in the slot machine, or a powerup be earned at the right time, or even just that a laser barrier show up a pixel later in order for the player to not die. It can be frustrating, but the fact that luck could easily turn back in the player’s favor is part of what makes chasing that high score so gratifying.

But if all these secondary elements were taken away, if there was only one jetpack and no upgrades, no coins, nothing but pure skill involved, then it would still be one of the best games of the year. It’s just that simple to get in to, and that desire to play just one more time, dive into just one more session is based not just on a desire to earn more coins, it’s because the game is fun at the heart of it. Plenty of games have snazzy costumes and upgrades to unlock, but they aren’t as addictive as this one is.

In many ways, the success of Jetpack Joyride is exactly like how Fruit Ninja has succeeded from a gameplay standpoint. Both are games that are not limited by the touchscreen, as both use direct input for control. Fruit Ninja has 1:1 actions with the tracing finger on the screen, and Jetpack Joyride responds whenver the finger is on the screen. They are not held back by the need for virtual buttons, and that direct user interaction is part of why the games have been such smash successes, and why people voted Jetpack Joyride 2011′s Best App Ever.

In fact, the success of Jetpack Joyride is currently resonating throughout the App Store. Games like Sea Stars and Seal Force both take obvious direct inspiration from Jetpack Joyride in not just gameplay but in structure. The endless runner is certainly very popular nowadays too, as Temple Run‘s current success attests to.

I personally have had great experiences with the game. I first got to play it about a week before it released, which was also a day I had jury duty on. Jury duty was not very fun, but getting to play Jetpack Joyride during any chance I had to take a break? My growing addiction to the game was probably more memorable about that day than being selected for a long trial. It’s the power of gaming, and it’s the fun that a game like Jetpack Joyride can provide that can be memorable, and it’s why it is a worthy choice as Best App Ever of 2011.

It was an amazing year. With over 1.5 million votes cast (over three times the number cast last year) and a record number of nominations, we now have the winners of the 2011 Best App Ever Awards. Thanks to all that voted, nominated, and made these fantastic apps!

Now, the winner of the Best App Ever!

Best App Ever Category

Winner: Jetpack Joyride by Halfbrick Studios

Second Place: Temple Run by Imangi Studios, LLC
Third Place: Tiny Wings by Andreas Illiger

Halfbrick made iOS the winner of the Best App Ever by beating the top Android vote getter by nearly 10:1. Here are a few more interesting stats:

1,565,833 total votes cast
1.1 million unique voters
36,431 number of votes the top vote getter, Jetpack Joyride, got across all categories
1,692 unique apps in the awards
53.9% of the votes were for iOS apps
46.1% of the votes for Android apps
1 Best App Ever winner, Jetpack Joyride from Halfbrick Studios!

Thanks again for voting, we’ll be back again next year for our 5th Annual Best App Ever Awards!

Read on for the full list of winners or check out the Best App Ever Awards site for full details on all categories.

Continue reading Announcing the Winners of the 2011 Best App Ever Awards »

With all the freebies that have been flying around each week, it’s a wonder we haven’t run out. Then again, how many hundreds of apps and games are released each week? Yeah, I suppose when I think about it that way it’s no wonder we’re still going strong. Strong with savings!

… I’m sorry. Just ignore me and take a look at this week’s list. I’ll be sitting over here. In the corner.

Baseball Superstars 2012 – People love baseball. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. So yeah, here’s a baseball game. But what about the rest of us who aren’t nuts for “America’s Favorite Pastime?” Well we have this, too. Because it’s absolutely insane, anime-style baseball. Like with unnatural pitching abilities and totally wacky players. That, and the last one was pretty cool, too.

FREE!

Baseball Superstars® 2012.

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-01-26 :: Category: Games

Derby Days – Now I know there are a lot of free-to-play “build X” games around these days, but none to my knowledge combine the concept with horse care. It’s usually either or as far as I know. So why not get excited about being able to build and run a horse ranch, while also caring for and breeding horses? If it were possible to trade the diminutive equines with friends than I’d say this is a sure-fire thing. Wait a second, we can do that already? Well then I guess there’s no point in holding off on downloading it.

FREE!

Derby Days

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-01-26 :: Category: Games

Zombie Battle – Zombies staggering in from the right side of the screen across several “lanes.” Seems a tad familiar. This isn’t a strategy game, however. It’s more of an action defense thing. Sure, zombies have been done to death (har-har) these days but that’s no reason to discount this upgradable blast-em-up. Besides, vaporizing the living dead is almost always tons of fun.

FREE!

Zombie Battle

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-01-23 :: Category: Games

2XL MX Offroad – Some people out there might argue about the superiority of dirt bikes versus ATVs. People like that can now have tons of fun with various what-if scenarios thanks to 2XL MX Offroad. People unlike that who don’t care much either way can also have plenty of fun with 2XL MX Offroad because it’s a crazy motocross-style racer with lots of stuff to do and stunts to (hopefully) perform.

FREE!

2XL MX Offroad

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-01-24 :: Category: Games

Things are ramping up on the App Store with Christmas well and truly behind everyone. While most of these apps and games will be covered in reviews, we take a look here at five of the best from the last week.

Orphion

Turning an iPad into an unique musical instrument by the same name, Orphion creates a fantastic sound that’s reminiscient of a string instrument and percussion. Like all musical instruments, it takes some practice to master but it’s immensely tactile and doesn’t take much effort to see some great results. Surely the ideal app to spend some time with over the weekend.

$4.99

Orphion

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-01-21 :: Category: Music

Super Snake HD

Games featuring snakes have been around for as long as cell phones. Super Snake HD offers a fun twist on the usual format with 100 levels of puzzles and power-ups keeping things fresh and fun. There’s even head to head multiplayer functionality so that friends can join in. It’s a fine reintrepretation of a classic game.

$0.99

Super Snake HD

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-06-16 :: Category: Games

Shakespeare In Bits: Hamlet

An ideal way to learn a classic play in a simple, study guide style manner, Shakespeare In Bits: Hamlet offers over 2 and a half hours of unabridged text, animated re-enactments and the classic play broken down into easily digested sections. Biographies of each character and key theme discussions go a step further to helping analysis of the play. Ideal for those studying at the moment and those who just want to learn more.

$7.99

Shakespeare In Bits: Hamlet iPhone Edition

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-01-25 :: Category: Education

$14.99

Shakespeare In Bits: Hamlet iPad Edition

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-01-25 :: Category: Education

My Little Monster

On a lighter note, My Little Monster lets players return to their youth with a dinstinctly retro appearance as the player takes care of a monster while training it to take on 31 enemies. Simple yet nostalgic, it’s smile inducing.

$0.99

My Little Monster

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-01-25 :: Category: Games

NewsFlash

News moves fast in the world and it can be tough to keep up. NewsFlash lets the user quickly catch up with all the breaking news from many leading publications, all merged into one single news feed. Easy to use and understand, it’s a great time saver and highly informative.

FREE!

NewsFlash ~ Breaking News & World Headlines RSS Reader

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-12-06 :: Category: News

Disney’s physiscs puzzler Where’s My Water has gotten a new update that adapts the familiar mechanics in new ways with the new Cranky’s Story levels. The goal of these levels is to help out Cranky, the alligator who tries to thwart protagonist Swampy in the main mode. Now, he’s hungry, and being an alligator, he is content to eat things like safes. However, he is not content to eat them when they’re covered in moss. So, the player must get the moss-killing purple water to Cranky’s food so he can eat it.

The mechanics are still the same – use a finger to cut through the dirt and navigate the fluids through the level. It’s just that now the purple water is the one that needs to get to the goal point, and this changes the dynamic of the game. Suddenly, the water becomes the substance that needs to stay away from the rubber ducks lest they are made to disintegrate upon contact with a non-grimy surface. Of course, the purple water still reacts with the other fluids in the same way, but the levels are designed to take advantage of the mixed-up dynamics.

Also in the app are the new Cranky’s Challenges which are difficult new challenges that require Swampy’s levels to be played in different ways, like trying to collect three of the cranky ducks with purple water while still filling Swampy’s tub with blue water, or trying to get rid of all the blue water in a level without even a single drop reaching Swampy.

5 of these levels and 3 of the challenges are available for free; the rest are locked away as a $0.99 IAP, containing 50 regular levels and 16 challenge levels in total. The game will still receive free Swampy updates, and possibly even more Cranky levels in the future. This update is available now for iOS.

148Apps Network story from - http://theportablegamer.com

The International Mobile Gaming Awards committee, including notable members of the press such as our own Jeff Scott, have announced their nominees for the best mobile titles of the past year. Over 500 titles were submitted for review, and thirty titles in six categories have been nominated for the awards to been announced on March 1st in Barcelona, Spain. Here are the titles in the 6 categories.

Best Casual Game

These titles have been nominated for their excellence in being accessible to gamers of all kinds, while maintaining quality experiences.

$1.99

CreaVures

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-03-04 :: Category:

$3.99

HECTOR: Badge of Carnage Ep1

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2010-06-02 :: Category: Games

FREE!

Jetpack Joyride

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Our Rating: :: JOYFUL
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2011-09-01 :: Category: Games

$1.99

Sprinkle: Water splashing fire fighting fun!

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Our Rating: :: WET & WILD
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2011-08-25 :: Category: Games

$0.99

The Blocks Cometh By Halfbot

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Our Rating: :: FRUSTRATION COMETH
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2011-02-17 :: Category: Games

Read on for the full list of nominees.

Continue reading IMGA Nominees Announced, to Honor the Best Mobile Games of the Past Year »

Pro adventure game developers Telltale Games have released the newest chapter of their popular Sam & Max games on iOS. These classically styled adventure games that follow the zany exploits of the sleuthing dog and rabbit duo are generally split up into shorter, episodic titles, and the same is true for this release. Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space – Episode 1 ‘Ice Station Santa’ is the first of five episodes in this new adventure and in this episode, Sam and Max take on none other than the big jolly man himself.

This game will include a core story mode as well as a “Whack da Ratz” mini-game and a soundboard where players can craft their own quotes using character voices from the game. Sam & Max: Beyond Space and Time: Episode 1 is currently available in the iOS app store for $6.99, and is a universal app that can be played on iPhone, iPod, or iPad.

$6.99

Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space Ep 1

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-01-25 :: Category: Games

Mobile app developer GAMEVIL has released the 2012 edition of its annualized Baseball Superstars series, and this edition includes some significant updates. For one, the franchise has made a move to high-resolution graphics, taking full advantage of Retina display capabilities. For the first time, Baseball Superstars will also be a universal app, allowing players to play at full screen resolutions on their iPhone, iPod, or iPad.

Aside from its visual updates, Baseball Superstars 2012 also includes a few gameplay updates. New customization features let players design their team’s uniforms and logo just to their liking. The My Pitcher and My Batter modes have been enhanced to allow players to build their team’s stats and earn skill points. New tilt and gesture controls have been added, but the classic controls are still available. Rosters have also been updated with new Super Players and there are new missions and Game Center achievements.

Baseball Superstars 2012 is available now and free to play with additional content available via in-app purchase.

FREE!

Baseball Superstars® 2012.

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-01-26 :: Category: Games

The increasing power and proliferation of smartphones has given us an increasing amount of ways of connecting with each other. However, all of these new communication venues have also given us an increasing amount of contact information to keep track of. Android users already know how Xobni’s app Smartr Contacts can help simplify that process and now iPhone owners can too.

Smartr Contacts pulls data from various sources in order to create a master contacts list. Whether someone is a Facebook friend or a LinkedIn connection they will be accounted for. Smartr Contacts then puts that person’s email, phone number, picture and whatever else it can intelligently detect in one handy place. The app keeps track of recent communications one has had with their contacts and will even rank contacts in order of importance. Think of it as a way of knowing who one’s real friends are.

While the app works with other existing social networks like Twitter, in order to use Smartr Contacts one must sign up for a Xobni account. Smartr Contacts is available for free on the App Store.

FREE!

Smartr Contacts for iPhone

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-01-13 :: Category: Productivity

Remember how Spacetime Studios announced Dark Legends, and how we had zero information to go on except the title and some imagination? Well things are different now. Or rather, we know a bit more about it.

Dark Legends is set in a world ripe with conflict. The existence of vampires has only recently been acknowledged and the vast majority of humanity is rather… displeased upon hearing the news. This isn’t one of those “trying to find a peaceful coexistence” kind of scenarios; the non-vampire population is aiming to wipe out the blood-sucking “menace.” It’s kind of like True Blood, only if the majority of the human population was as quick to judge as that weirdo church/cult.

Players take control of a newly raised child of the night as they attempt to survive in this hostile new world and unravel its mysteries. And when I say “unravel its mysteries,” I mean exactly that. Dark Legends will be much more story-focused than Spacetime’s previous offerings, allowing players a more personal look into the narrative along with some Quick-Time Events during some cutscenes. That’s not to say that the combat hasn’t been tweaked as well. Fighting is definitely action-oriented, giving players some new abilities such as draining enemies (a given) and charge attacks.

Dark Legends is still missing a concrete release date, but it’s penned for the “first quarter of 2012.” So soon. Soon-ish, anyway. It’s also going to be available for Android, Google Chrome and (of course) iOS users right from the get-go.

Planning a wedding? It’s a stressful business as well as immensely exciting. Take some of the stress out of it by using an app like the newly released Wedding Planner for iPad.

Wedding Planner for iPad is an extensive app that covers all the important elements of planning such a huge event well.

Attractively laid out, Wedding Planner for iPad offers a budget planning facility, guest list planning, a To-Do list for quick consultation, a tracker for Vendor bookings and notes section. Further functionality comes in the form of a color scheme chooser and even a thank you helper list so the user can keep track of who has helped them in their efforts.

It’s all done in a very appealing manner that fits into the wedding style. With everything placed in one convenient app, it’s bound to take some of the stress out of organizing the momentous occasion.

Wedding Planner for iPad is out now, priced at $12.99.

$12.99

Wedding Planner for iPad

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2012-01-06 :: Category: Lifestyle

Car Trip is an inexpensive app that helps users while driving. It keeps track of the exact distance till the destination as well as plans the most advantageous route to take to get there.

For the fuel conscious, it also calculates how much fuel is required and how much it’ll cost the driver, according to the average speed of the car. It might be a feature already available on some cars but for those of us with older cars, it’s an extremely useful concept for long trips.

The app is laid out in a simple manner and even keeps track of the next five days of weather reports which is useful for planning ahead.

For the planning obsessive who’s working on a budget, Car Trip is an ideal way to organize an all important long distance trip.

It’s out now, currently priced at $0.99, before returning to its original price of $1.99 soon.

$0.99

Car Trip

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-01-15 :: Category: Travel

Hogrocket, developers of the very enjoyable Tiny Invaders, has some exciting news about the eventful puzzle game.

Those who have already discovered the joys to be had with spreading germs around the human body will be delighted to discover a selection of new levels in the latest update of Tiny Invaders.

Hogrocket are being a little secretive as to what the levels fully entail, and who can blame them. One thing that can be revealed however is that the final level in the pack, Tiny Teleportz, is a winning entry from a Level Design competition that was held at the Gamecity Festival in the UK last October.

For those who haven’t played Tiny Invaders before (and why not?), there’s a new and free version of the game to try out. Tiny Invaders Free/Lite comes with 15 levels to try so that players can see for themselves just what is so addictive about the concept.

Both the update and the free version are available now.

$0.99

Tiny Invaders

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Our Rating: :: GERMINATING
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2011-09-01 :: Category: Games

FREE!

Tiny Invaders Free

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2012-01-25 :: Category: Games

Canadian-based Incubator Games recently announced that its upcoming iOS match three puzzle Feeding Time will be available sometime in March for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch devices. Introducing cute and furry little critters such as kitties, doggies and bunnies, the game’s trailer reveals that the game is not a traditional match three puzzle. Instead of getting rid of like objects and more filling in from the top, Feeding Time allows players to attack from all sides. The video also seems to point towards huge bonuses since pets can eat bones or carrots from either side.

And instead of matching blue blocks with blue blocks, players must utilize the game’s intuitive eating mechanic where players match various animals with their favorite snacks. For example, dogs can only eat bones and cats can only eat fish. Players will also be able to challenge their friends on the global leaderboards and if they’re lucky, no pet will go hungry again.

148Apps Network story from - http://theportablegamer.com

Originally designed for the iPhone, Appigo’s Notebook app has gone through a major update and is now a universal app designed to play nicely with the iPad as well. The productivity app is well known for offering a simple user interface and solid feature set to create, share and edit notes. The new 2.0 version is now optimized for Dropbox syncing, which allows the user to share notes on all iOS devices as well as Mac and PC platforms. In addition to sharing between the user’s devices, this new support makes sharing with friends, family or colleagues even easier.

The update plays off the company’s thought that adding a powerful collaboration tool was necessary for its users. The new version adds a familiar notebook interface with full-screen editing capabilities and overall the update seems to be a cost effective productivity tool for users with multiple iOS devices. The notes are saved in standard text format and is compatible with PC and Mac text editing applications. Notebook is available on the iTunes App Store for $4.99.

$4.99

Notebook

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Our Rating: :: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2008-09-12 :: Category: Productivity