:: NOT QUITE A BLASTBeing asked to sum up the past five years of the App Store, on a personal level, is tough. Partly, because I have the memory of a goldfish, but also because so much has happened in those few years. How do you highlight what's so great about a device and service that you can't imagine being without? My iPhone and the App Store, by proxy, has been immensely important to me in this time. It's given me so much information, enjoyment and even been a great outlet in times of need. Here's a feeble attempt at trying to sum up how vital it's all been for me.
Memories
Launch day: Despite the goldfish analogy, I do remember when the App Store first launched. I'd had an iPhone for a couple of months previously and had dabbled in jailbreaking, but didn't feel too comfortable with it. The day the App Store started was genuinely exciting stuff. It's hard to believe, for those newer to the Store, but it was possible to browse from start to finish, thanks to there being a mere 500 apps available. I did that, regularly, until it got to a point where there were just too many titles to look at. Like with any launch day event, these apps didn't show off everything the technology could do, but they did offer a glimpse of a thrilling future.
Flight Control: Excluding a dabble with the no longer with us, Bejeweled 2, Flight Control was my first great iOS love. It showed me how great the touch controls of the iPhone could be, and how quickly one could gain satisfaction from a phone game. My past experiences with mobile gaming had been fun, but lacking that certain something that made me think it could rival handheld consoles. Flight Control changed that, for me, and I loved spending ages battling to improve my high score. Not that I was any good at it, though!
Exploration: I like apps that enhance my life, and I've used many in the past. Star Chart sticks in my mind, however, thanks to it enabling me to learn more about an area. While at the summit of an ancient ridge, Cefn Bryn, I could load up Star Chart and work out exactly what stars were above me and where. It was pretty magical.
Highlights
A career path: It's a pretty significant one, but if it wasn't for the App Store, I wouldn't be writing this. In fact, I'm not entirely sure what I'd be doing, given throughout my freelance career thus far, the App Store and iOS have played a very big role. It's changed my life for the better. It's been nearly three years since I wrote my first review for 148apps, Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter, and I'm immensely grateful for how far I, and the site, have come.
The indie uprising: I always passively appreciated the efforts of indie developers, before the advent of the App Store, but my love for them has definitely grown. Perhaps more excitingly, I feel enabled to give it a go myself at some point. While I haven't yet found the time spare to really pursue it, Xcode, Stencyl and Gamesalad are waiting for me, reminding me that the era of the bedroom coder has returned. That's got to be a good thing for creativity, right?
Beloved Apps and Missed Titles
Favorites: I've struggled to narrow the list down. Really struggled. The memories of one Saturday morning avidly playing Game Dev Story in bed, before realising it's practically lunchtime are particularly strong. Much the same as my hundreds of hours spent with Fairway Solitaire are fond, if tarnished by the time it inexplicably lost all my data and progress. Or how about the time I demonstrated the power of the iPad to my mother with the double whammy of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and XCOM: Enemy Unknown? The former being one of my favorite games of all time.
Out of them all, though, a select bunch are used nearly every day. I take photos each day to track my life and have some fond memories to look back on, so Instagram is a must have for me. I like to back up such things, as well as my social networking sharing, so Momento is always at the forefront of my recently used apps. As a writer, iA Writer completes the selection, thanks to its cloud syncing ensuring I can always write up a quick idea, no matter where I am. New Star Soccer remains the key game that I regularly find myself returning to, living my fantasy as a world class soccer player.
Apps I miss: There are a couple of apps I miss, though. Puzzle Quest being one such title, given my love of the Match-3 genre and the fact I've played it to death on all other formats. Similarly, I adored Big Blue Bubble's use of the Fighting Fantasy license, although at least Tin Man Games is doing a brilliant job of taking over that mantle.
It's been a fun five years, and given how far the App Store has come in that time, I'm excited to see what the next five years will bring. It's looking like a pretty rosy future to me!
:: FAST PACED CARDSCard games are one of the oldest methods of gaming out there, so it's no great surprise that they've converted well to modern technology such as our beloved iOS devices. The App Store is overflowing with different card games, ranging from typical solitaire games to trading card titles. We've taken a look at our four favorite card games out there, at the moment.
Fairway Solitaire
Fairway Solitaire is a modern interpretation of the classic card game of Solitaire. Free and backed up with some very tempting in-app purchases, it offers a huge number of different solitaire games, all based around the game of Golf Solitaire. There's even a glimpse of a story through a mischievous gopher out to cause havoc on the gold course. Even better, there's regular new content thanks to a new courses each day. It should keep both puzzle and card game fans happy for many, many hours.
Rage of Bahamut
It's far from the prettiest of card games out there, but Rage of Bahamut has proven to be quite the phenomenon. It's even hooked the site's Rob Rich since he reviewed it last year. A trading card game full of mystical creatures and magical items, there's a surprising amount of strategical depth to it. Just don't expect it to use iOS's graphical prowess to its full potential.
Assassin's Creed Recollection
Moving onto a card game that does use some of the graphical potential of iOS devices, Assassin's Creed Recollection is ideally suited for fans of the Assassin's Creed world. A war between the Templars and Assassins is brewing in this real-time card game, with plenty of information about the titles available to unlock. There's a story mode, too, offering hours of intriguing missions and political battles.
Full Deck Pro Solitaire
Returning to traditional card gaming, Full Deck Pro Solitaire is a solitaire game that dispenses with all the bells and whistles that Fairway Solitaire comes with, sticking to pure cards. A variety of different games are available within, such as Klondike 3 Card Pyramid, Spider, Golf and Freecell. There's an extra pack to buy, too, including my all time favorite variety: Grandfather's Clock. Those after the classic one player card game experience should revel in this.
:: FOCUSED TEXT EDITING :: Read Review »Is it really nearly 2013? How did that happen? And why did 2012 go so fast? I have no answer, but I can answer what I enjoyed so much about 2012. It wasn't the greatest of years for me in many respects, but it was a fantastic year for the technology fan part of me.
It's that time of the week again. Time to get ready to enjoy the weekend, collect a paycheck, and kickback with some iOS games that don't cost a dime. I mean, We've all got bills to pay, right? So why not keep them as low as possible with a healthy amount of App Store frugality?
Fairway Solitaire - Big Fish Games - Golf, gophers, and... playing cards? I guess so. Big Fish Games' take on the classic single-player affair has certainly seen its fair share of buzz (no pun in intended). Which isn't too much of a surprise seeing as it's all super-colorful and addictive. The only thing needed to make it "perfect" is an extremely cheap price tag. Oh wait, it has one of those, too.
Clockwork Brain - Insanely Fun - Mini-game challenges are always popular, and people apparently love to "train" their brains. I blame Nintendo for that one. But thanks to them we have games like Clockwork Brain to pass the time and flex the neurons. Plus it's got a robot in it. Robots are cool.
Trigger Knight - Weird/experimental games always intrigue me. Especially when they involve RPG elements and classic JRPG-inspired visual designs. That, and the concept of a "survival RPG" that utilizes split-second decision making and a single-tap interface just sounds neat. And hey, it's free so there's absolutely no harm in checking it out.
Dancescape - Hmmm... A puzzle game where the puzzles are dance moves. And players have to guide a character through the ruins (and traps) of an ancient civilization. With dancing. Why it's just insane enough to work!
Stromfeld - In a world full of shmups, what's the harm in adding one more to the library? Silly of me to ask, I know, because there isn't any harm in doing so. Especially when it's free. Also it looks kinda cool and features "endless gameplay." Not a bad deal.
Let's Bowl 2 - Set 'em up and knock 'em down using a number of unique balls, each with their own unique performance, through all manner of wacky and colorful alleys. Throw in upgrades that can be purchased with "bowling bucks" and it's a pretty cool freebie we have here. Just don't judge it by the catch-phrase. It's kinda... yeah...
:: TEMPTINGLY FUN
