Tag: Friday five »

Christmas is mere moments away so it's easy to lose track of all the latest releases to hit the App Store in the past week. Never fear, for we have a roundup of five of the best apps and games just in time for the festive weekend.

Boy Loves Girl
A reminder that the course of true love never runs smoothly is that of Boy Loves Girl, a platforming adventure spanning more than 50 levels. Players take the role of a young boy as he braves the elements and explores uncharted territory all in the name of love.

Cartoonatic+
Over the festive season, many photos and videos will no doubt be taken by revellers as they spend time with loved ones and want to retain visual memories. Cartoonatic+ lets users do exactly that but while also adding one of 14 cartoon filters, each created by professional cartoon artists. Effects can be switched around in real time and music, plus videos speeded up for a fun twist.

Law & Order: Legacies
Telltale Games has quite a following for its titles and understandably so. Transferring the point and click adventure style to so many famous franchises such as Back To The Future and Jurassic Park has been extremely successful. Next up is Law & Order: Legacies with crimes to be solved by all the Law & Order team.

Action Movie FX
Adding cutesy effects to videos is fine but how about some explosions? That's what Action Movie FX offers! From Bad Robot Interactive, the app side of the movie production company of the same name, Action Movie FX lets users add Hollywood style effects to their videos. Included in the free version is a missile attack and a car crash style effect.

The Eatery
It's the time for great indulgence but for those looking to keep track of what they eat, The Eatery is a different way of approaching the subject. Rather than just counting calories, users take a photo of their meal or snack then rate how healthy they think it is, thus getting them to think about their decisions. There's even social functionality for those looking for a second opinion on their meal choices.

There were fewer new games released this week than we've seen, with the usual suspects putting out few if any new titles. There were some apps released worth noting that you don't want to miss. Many are free, and there's something for every age. If we missed your favorite from the past week, let us know in the comments below.

NHL Game Center 2011-2012

Put out by the NHL in time for the first frosts in the North East, and featured by Apple as App of the Week. NHL Game Center allows hockey fans to access scores, stats, game photos, schedules, news, standings and a “3D Ice Tracker” on any iOS device. Users can upgrade in-app to a Premium service for $19.99 which adds in-game video highlights, live radio and other perks and for a full $159.99 die-hard puck-a-holics can subscribe to NHL Game Center Live (or use an existing account) and never miss a moment of the action. The premium version can also be purchased separately.

AMEX for iPad

This optimized-for-iPad app from the credit card giant lets cardholders manage all their account activity from scheduling payments to checking out membership rewards program points. The app supports most of the most popular AMEX card products. Check the app description to see the complete list.

Tweet Speaker - Listen to Twitter

Since Twitter and Apple are getting cosy in soon-to-be-released iOS 5, this app might well be renamed tweetPod even if neither giant is behind it. Tweet Speaker is Twitter out loud, ideal for times when not only hands, but eyes, are occupied. The app reads feeds, has Tweet Marker support, Airplay and a really nice interface reminiscent of an older dial radio.

Toca Store

Turn an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad into a virtual playset with the newest Toca Boca digital toy for children. Kids learn basic cooperation skills along with a little math and even resource management playing with 28 saleable objects. Kids set the prices and the rules – it’s a free play creative app that’s extremely imagination friendly. It's also universal and on iPad lends itself well to device sharing.

AT&T Upgrader

The name says it all. AT&T rushed out an app to make sure its customers could pre-order their sparkly new iPhone 4S right from their likely still sparkly iPhone 4 - or any other model of course. Account holders can check if they are due for an upgrade, and find out which version and plan will fit their budget.

Avatar of War: The Dark Lord –
Line drawing games just got a bit more interesting with Avatar of War. Instead of guiding boats and planes to safety, you command an army with various line gestures. You will need to master these drawing techniques if you hope to defeat the Dark Lord and his pet. The game comes with two modes of play, over 20 units and skills to upgrade, and over 15 weapons to unlock. Tack on a fun cartoon presentation and you maybe hooked for hours at a time.

BattleSpell –
Get those iPhones ready card floppers, for a new card based game is ready for your enjoyment. The goal is to build a powerful deck in order to bring your enemies energy bar down to zero. You can also win by getting your energy bar up to 100. Each hero has a unique ability which maybe played only once per match. If you have ever played a game of Magic The Gathering or World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, you will feel right at home here!

Action Commando –
Time for yet another rescue mission with this run-and-gun style game. You will sport weapons like pistols, machine guns, and grenades in your heroic rescue efforts. The enemy is strong, but you are stronger. Be quick though, the enemy has little patience for your violent ways, or the nagging of the captured hostage.

GraphPad –
Sometimes you need a change of scenery to give the mind a needed rest from the humdrum cubicle. Yet, you may be on a deadline to submit that scale drawing of a nose hair plucker (now you understand the excerpt of this post -- Ed). GraphPad will allow you to quick and easily sketch out that scale drawing, annotate it, and send it back to the office, or better yet the client. The app will even straighten out crooked lines for you. This is a perfect app for contractors working on-site, or those who cannot clamor out of bed.

iJournal – iPad notebook and journal -
The great thing about the iPad is how easy it is to incorporate into daily life. One of the best features it has is becoming an electronic notepad/journal. iJournal takes this concept head-on and makes it gorgeous in the process. Not only can you quickly jot your thoughts down, but also you can choose various text styles and backgrounds that are very elegant and pleasing to look at. Notes are easily sorted, edited, or even deleted. You can even quickly pick up where you left off with the helpful home screen navigation. This maybe one of the most useful apps you download yet.

Block Rogue:
Dungeons are not always filled with big bad monsters. Sometimes they come filled with mind-bending puzzles. Block Rogue will pit your logic skills to the test with moving blocks, pressure plates, lasers, and switches. All you have to do is solve the simple puzzle and get out of the room. Randomly generated puzzles give you hours of entertainment. Leave the sword at home; this is a challenging thinking game to the end.

Brutal Fantasy – The Orcs of Undermountain:
Time for a little bit of role-playing with your beat-em-up action. The orcs are rising up, and you need to squash this pathetic rebellion. Upgrade your stats like strength, intelligence, and constitution to improve your hero. Seven magic spells will come to your aid as you battle through 20 levels of action. The orcs are no pushover; do you have what it take to school them?

Ascendancy:
Space may be an infinite place, but so many alien races have giant aspirations of ruling over it. Pick from 21 species and take to the stars. Manage planets, research new technologies, build new ships, and expand your reign throughout the cosmos. This is a faithful port of the classic game of the same name, of which won the 1996 Codie Award for Best Strategy Software. Rule by force or peace, that choice is all yours.

Contracts HD:
Lugging around contracts is such a pain, especially those lengthy property release contracts. Now you can easily carry 10 standard contract types everywhere you go. Fill in the details, sign on the dotted line, and email the contract out as a PDF, all from right within the app. Contracts include model release, resignation, non-compete, and commitment. If you deal with contracts, this could be a back saver.

8mm Vintage Camera:
Turn your iOS device into and old school movie camera. You can mix films and lenses to turn your movies into retro works of art. Dust, scratches, washed out colors, light leaks, and even frame jitter will help you create movies that are far more enjoyable than the standard camera app. You can even share your work directly to your YouTube channel. Time to take your movies to new creative heights!

Speedy Biker:
Strap on your helmets and kneepads, it is off to the races with you. Speedy Biker is a physics-based 2D motocross racing game of sheer awesomeness. When you think you have the skills, challenge friends in a head-to-head Bluetooth battle, or see if you can beat their best posted times. Ten track locations and three levels of play will keep you racing well into the night.

They Need To Be Fed:
Get ready to haul ass through seven crazy worlds. Run and jump to moving platforms, rotating planes, all while avoiding the abundance of traps as you make your way through the level. You just have to make it from platform to platform, what is so hard about that! Do you have what it takes to perfectly conquer all 50 levels and not become snack food for the monsters?

Mushihimesama BUG PANIC:
The insect kingdom has fallen under attack and only a mysterious girl is capable of defending it. This action game is based of the hugely popular arcade shooter “Mushihimesama.” Enjoy playing the story mode, or see how well you can do in the score trial mode. Three control schemes give you plenty of bomb-throwing options to achieve your bug destroying tasks. Game Center achievements will give you lots to work for this weekend.

AVPlayer:
Nothing sucks harder than downloading video clips for use on your iOS device, only to be met with compatibility issues. Sure, you can go through the hassle of converting this media, or you can just download this app and save yourself all that time watching progress bars. The transfer of files is even allowed over Wi-Fi. Just about every movie format is viewable, complete with subtitles! Don’t be caught watching your favorite Disney movie when you should be photocopying progress reports at work.

ComicStrip – CS:
Have you ever wanted to make your very own comic strip from last weekend’s party photos? That want has finally been realized and filled with ComicStrip. Simply use photos from your camera roll, or take new ones right in the app. Then use the fun and creative collection of layouts to create your comic of hilarious memories. Slap on some caption bubbles, tag all your friends, and share with everyone on Twitter and Facebook. It’s your life, have fun with it.

It's Friday! Hurray! Of course, for me it's summer vacation and Fridays aren't quite as exciting. But, we've still got our traditional sampling of delightful new releases from the past week, so that's something. Big names like ngmoco and Illusion Labs make an appearance this week, as well as a few more mainstream companies like ESPN. Enjoy!

Godfinger
Godfinger from ngmoco allows you to build up a little world of cartoony followers and exert your godly powers on them. In Godfinger, you can be a kind, caring deity—performing Wonders and helping your civilization prosper—or a wicked demagogue, leaving a path of destruction in your wake. You can control sun, rain, lightning, floods, and fire. As you play Godfinger, your actions shape the terrain and your populace's opinion. It's almost ngmoco's answer to Pocket God. Go on, give it a try and test out your godly abilities...Godfinger, like many of ngmoco's newer games, is free.

Geometry Wars: Touch
Geometry Wars was already a classic Xbox game, but it made its iPad debut back in March. Now, it's a universal app, meaning that iPhone and iPod owners can get in on the action! Geometry Wars is a simplistic arcade shooter with basic, geometric graphics and a strong retro theme. It also was one of the first major games to make good use of the dual-stick shooter system that's so popular on the App Store today. The iPhone/iPad version also includes a brand-new mode, Titan, in which you gradually break giant foes apart into swarms of smaller pieces.

ESPN Pinball
In honor of the World Cup, ESPN has a released a pinball app with some football-themed tables (ahem, soccer for us Americans). There's also a Basketball table. The new pinball app is full of flashy graphics and boasts pass-and-play multiplayer, global and local leaderboards, and voice-overs from ESPN Sports Center host Jay Harris. It's a marriage of a TV network, sports, and pinball...if that sounds a little strange, well, it is, but the game looks like some solid pinball fun nevertheless.

Onion News Network
Where would we be without the Onion? In case you haven't heard of this magnificent publication, the Onion is a completely satirical news network with both an online and a print publication. (Yes, that's right: you can get a real Onion newspaper.) Their stories are funny, witty, snide, and clever; you'd be crazy not to enjoy browsing them. The Onion's new app gives you mobile access to the entire Onion archives, including both textual stories and videos. There's not much more to say: it's a typical newspaper app. The only difference is that the Onion is anything but a serious, esteemed publication. It's here to make you grin, and, perhaps, think.

Foosball HD
Illusion Labs has long expressed an interest in touchscreen gaming on larger screens (think back to their tabletop demo of Touchgrind) and now they've released an impressive iPad-only title: Foosbal HD. Foosball HD takes full advantage of the iPad's large screen, transforming it into a top-down view of a foosball table designed perfectly for "local multiplayer": both you and your friend just play foosball! You can also play against the computer, of course, but multiplayer is the real draw. Foosball seems like a natural fit for the iPad, and it's great to see Illusion Labs putting the iPad to good use. Sorry, iPhone users; this one isn't for us.

Aaaand...we're back! Phew. Is it Friday already? Well, here are our weekly five app selections, culled from recent App Store releases. We've got plenty of new stuff this week, from feed readers to music games, so let's get started!

Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero was demo'd at the WWDC keynote earlier this week, and made its official App Store debut shortly afterwards. Talk about big-name apps. The game costs $2.99 and comes with six songs, allowing you to unlock others via in-app purchase. (The included songs include hits like "We Are the Champions" by Queen and "Say It Ain't So" by Weezer.) It looks a lot like the Tap Tap Revenge and Rock Band games on the surface, but Guitar Hero introduces some new "swipe" and "strum" mechanics that add some new spice to the somewhat-stale tapping games. To put it succinctly, the game looks awesome—we'll have a full review up later, of course.

Camera+
Camera+ comes from TapTapTap, makers of excellent, succinctly named apps like Convert and Voices. It includes tons of tools, ranging from digital zoom to an image stabilizer to a grid that helps you avoid crooked pictures. There are also plenty of scene modes (Beach, Night, Sunset, Backlit, etc) and filters (from a dirty Grunge effect to the more humorous So Emo). Toss in a digital flash effect, borders, and the ability to share photos across a variety of social networks, and Camera+ has just about every feature covered. The app itself is elegantly designed, and on the whole, Camera+ seems to be another worthy addition to the ranks of photo apps in the App Store.

HECTOR: Badge of Carnage
This is not your typical adventure game, folks. HECTOR proudly declares itself to be "half-decent," but don't let that fool you. This point-and-click adventure game stars Detective Inspector Hector and is cheekily irreverent. The dialogue is crude (not for the young'ins) and witty, and the game features genre mainstays like interactive locations and an expansive inventory. HECTOR certainly takes a different tack than most App Store games. Point-and-click fans should check it out.

Sudoku 2 Pro
Sudoku 2 Pro is (you guessed it!) the pro version of the popular Sudoku port. This version strips out the ads, tracks your "runs" (uninterrupted win streaks), auto-deletes solved notes, and allows you to hide the timer if you so wish...among other things, of course. Naturally, the features that make Sudoku 2 loved by so many App Store customers are still intact: ease-of-use, graphics, etc. If you're looking for a good Sudoku game and don't want your screen cluttered with ads, check out Sudoku 2 Pro.

Pulse News Reader
And finally, one for your iPad owners. Pulse News Reader was also demoed by Steve Jobs at the WWDC. Pulse is a clean and visual news reader for iPad. It imports up to 20 news sources and then creates an elegant mosaic of your news stories. Tapping on a block brings up the article in full. Just take a look at the picture...the app looks gorgeous, and even supports both landscape and portrait. Yum!

Fridays at 148apps mean a new Friday Five post, and here we are! Below are five apps that we've chosen to highlight from the past week's releases. Some are silly, or functional, or simply fun, but we hope that all of them are interesting.

Color&Draw
Remember coloring books? Color&Draw takes that experience and attempts to translate it to the iPhone's screen. You can draw on a blank screen and use it as a sketch app, or pick from the 50 included outlines, including various animals and cute things. Color&Draw even lets kids open up an existing photo and doodle on it. (Want to give Uncle Joe a mustache / wacky eyebrows / devil horns? No problem!) The limited color palette and the absence of a "paint bucket" filler option help bring Color&Draw even closer to the classic crayons-and-paper coloring books we all loved so. The app's interface is clean and it appears well-designed, but naturally its best feature is the delight of the kids using it.

Pocket Creatures
Pocket Creatures starts you with an egg and lets you raise your own adorable cartoon critter. In this 3D sim, you spend your time caring for and interacting with your creature. Don't be fooled, however; your creature isn't normal, as it can do things like summon lightning. How you interact impacts its personality: make it sweet or mischievous, devilish or gentle. The various achievements unlock costumes for your creature, from Ninja to Viking to Gladiator. In short? It's a little 3D garden with you and your pet, and plenty of playthings to torment. (Exploding anteaters, anyone?)

Bistromath
Splitting a check in a restaurant isn't easy—a seemingly endless litany of complications can turn a simple division problem into a mind-numbing headache. Bistromath is an app that aims to eliminate that exact problem. Normally I'm not a fan of "tip calculator" apps and the like, but Bistromath goes much further. You can enter each item individually, then specify who pays for it, even assigning an item to be split between multiple people. Bistromath also calculates the sales tax and tip, and takes care of tricky division (like dividing 10 by 3). Whether you need such a complex focus on fair paying in your life is your prerogative, of course, but if you do, Bistromath should be a great help.

Strike Knight
Backflip Studios' other games have been met with acclaim—the hugely popular Paper Toss, Ragdoll Blaster, and Harbor Havoc 3D games among them—and now they've released a new game, this time for free. Strike Knight is a puck bowling game with some arcade flair. The scoring system is different and places a focus on timing, but if you've ever played shuffle-board bowling, Strike Knight's setup should be familiar. The game is great for quick sessions and even supports pass-and-play for up to four players. Of course, Strike Knights is ad-supported, but that's a small price to pay for a polished, free game.

X2 Soccer 2010
X2 Soccer 2010 succeeds X2 Soccer 2009—a solid foundation by anyone's reckoning—and adds plenty of improvements. The controls are sharp and snappy, the computer AI is well-tuned, and with over 150 club teams you'll have plenty of variety. The included modes are Quick Match, Penalty Shootout, Training, Tournament, Dream Team, and Multiplayer; Multiplayer includes both local and online options. But while I could go on and on listing the game's bullet-point features, perhaps the simplest one is this: it simply works. Fans of X2 Soccer swear by it as the App Store standard, and it's certainly an excellent, realistic soccer game. Soccer fans should be very, very interested in this new release.

Fridays are the perfect time for reflecting on the past week...and Fridays at 148apps are no exception. Here are five interesting apps released in the past week for your perusal!

Inkstrumental
ustwo seems to enjoy creating unique apps, such as the masterfully titled "...". Inkstrumental is their newest app, and it's a funky one. The point is to create your own weird music videos and strange soundtracks, using the 31 creatures included. See, each character will emit a musical sound when you tap it. A "VIP character" allows you to record your own sounds, too. By mixing them together against different backdrops you create a unique mash-up of noise and your very own music video. It might not be as complex as other sound-mixing apps, but Inkstrumental is intuitive and packs a ton of character. Who couldn't love these fuzzy creatures? As an added bonus, you can share your masterpieces by in-app uploading to YouTube.

Nirvana Revenge
By now it's an established fact that the Tap Tap Revenge series reigns supreme when it comes to iPhone rhythm games, at least in terms of popularity. Nirvana Revenge is the latest spin-off, featuring—you guessed it—hits from Nirvana. Fourteen songs are bundled with the app, including songs like Smells Like Teen Spirit, Breed, Heart Shaped Box, and Lithium. (Note that the fourteen includes three live versions.) The songs give you a good sampling of the band's work, and you get to tap along to the fourteen tracks for far less than they would cost on iTunes. This being a Tap Tap game, you also have a few neat features like four difficulty levels and four boss tracks thrown in. If you're a Nirvana Fan looking for a gaming fix, you'd better check out Nirvana Revenge.

Komenten
To quote Komenten's description: "A comet has been born, please take good care of it!" Komenten is a colorful space exploration game in which you zip around the galaxy like an intergalactic tourist. There's no real objective, but the vivid watercolor graphics coupled with the soundtrack make a relaxing, beautiful ride. Even if you don't usually enjoy non-traditional games, I'm willing to wager that anyone in touch with their inner child could easily get lost in Komenten's vibrant, bizarre world. The universe is such an exciting place—why not explore it?

Zombie Infection
Gameloft just keeps rolling out games. Zombie Infection is one of their latest titles, and if it looks familiar, well, chances are that's because it's highly similar to Resident Evil. That doesn't stop Zombie Infection from being a technically stunning title, however, and Gameloft's new zombie game is sure to devour both your brains and your free time. Zombie Infection comes with a 12-level campaign mode in which you switch between ex-soldier Damien Sharpe and journalist Alex Rayne, as well as a Survivor Mode. There are tons of enemies, including mutated and infected animals, plenty of weapons, a sinister zombie-filled storyline, and top-notch 3D graphics. In short? Gameloft does it again...this time, with zombies!

StreetSpark
StreetSpark is one of those apps that needs a large user base to function, which is probably why it's free! StreetSpark is a location-based dating app that takes your location and searches for nearby users who match your profile (they call this a "Spark"). With an eye towards safety, StreetSpark doesn't reveal your location or personal contact info. Instead, you can chat in-app or meet up in one of StreetSpark's HotSpots, which give StreetSpark users discounts and offer users a place to congregate. Think FourSquare, but for dating. It's a really interesting use of the location feature, and thankfully it looks like the app's developers are aware of privacy concerns. Sadly, it's currently limited to the UK, but the developers plan to expand to other countries (and, for that matter, handsets) in the future.

Once again, it's Friday. Phew. Aren't you all glad that the week is over? I'm certainly relieved to get a breather, and what better way to celebrate with a smattering of interesting app releases from the previous week?

Ninjatown: Trees of Doom
Do you like ninjas? Cute things? If so, Ninjatown: Trees of Doom should suit your tastes. It's a climbing game set in a vivid 2D world, filled with lush and vibrant artwork. You climb and fly and fling your way through the treetops in an attempt to impress the elder ninjas. This isn't the Ninjatown game from the DS, but the style is the same, the tempo is fast, and the production values are high. How high can you climb?

Flick Baseball Pro
Freeverse's Flick series is almost legendary. Flick Baseball is the latest entry in the series, and as the name suggests it's a 3D baseball simulation with an arcade feel. With a wide array of teams and plenty of fun action—pitching, batting, fielding balls—the game's got plenty to keep you occupied. You can play quick sessions or full seasons, making it great for pick-up-and-play. As always with the Flick games, the controls are simple. This one looks like a lot of fun.

Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 is an official accompaniment to the movie in which you can suit up as either War Machine or Iron Man. Iron Man has speed and agility; War Machine has additional firepower. Both suits give you the ability to hover, fly, and run—and, naturally, beat up plenty of baddies. Most of the focus is on combat: in the ground or in the air, there are always bad guys to fight. The graphics look great, and iTunes user reviews report good controls as well. Looks like Gameloft's pulled off yet another top seller!

Iron Horse
Iron Horse is a simple railroad-themed reaction game in which you have to attach railway cars to moving trains. It starts easily, but as the game progresses your train speeds up and timing your taps becomes a delicate art. The simple premise makes it great for quick sessions. Iron Horse delivers gorgeous train designs along with the game itself, too; the trains used in the game are based on real-life machines. It looks like a lot of fun, which is no surprise; developers Garry Kitchen and David Crane have well-established pedigrees, including the Atari home version of "Donkey Kong" (Kitchen) and "A Boy and His Blob" (Crane).

StoryCorps
StoryCorps is a nonprofit project with a rather unique mission: to record the oral histories of everyday people. Since 2003, over 50,000 people have interviewed family and friends through StoryCorps. Their personal stories are recorded on a free CD for the participants, and a copy is added to the Library of Congress. The free iPhone app allows you to listen to recent clips and "selected favorites" from the StoryCorps archives. It's a rich trove of oral histories, and many have been featured on NPR's Morning Edition. Do yourself a favor...listen to a few. This app might be simple, but many of the audio clips are powerful nevertheless.

It's Friday, and that means that it's time for another Friday Five: five interesting apps released in the past week. Enjoy!

Mikado Defenders
Mikado Defenders is a tower defense game, but with a feudal-era Japan theme. Mystical guardian spirits come to your aid, demons attack, samurai commanders can be recruited, and of course you can improve upon your castle. The traditional-style artwork provides a gorgeous backdrop. You can deploy samurai foot soldiers, archers, and other units. The result is an epic war between demons and Japanese warriors...a neat change from typical tower defense.

Slingshot Safari
Slingshot Safari is a cartoon-style game that tests your slingshot style against lions, tigers, cheetahs, and more. Animals react differently to your shots, but none of them will be too pleased when you try to shoot them—and you're far from immortal! The graphics are funny, you can unlock eight levels, Plus+ is included, and the menagerie of ten different animals should keep your slingshot skills sharp.

How to Cook Everything
This extremely useful new app is essentially an iPhone-optimized cookbook based on the real-life one from Mark Bittman. Of course, there are many perks to having a cookbook on your iPhone or iPad instead of a physical book, especially when said book normally weighs in at 1,000 pages. In addition to the 2,000 recipes and 400 illustrations, you get full search capabilities, built-in timers, and shopping lists...all in the palm of your hand, and for only $1.99. The interface is easy to use, and the sheer wealth of information is staggering. No wonder it's become a bestseller.

Field Agent
Like making money? Of course you do. Field Agent is a new app that aims to help you do just that. It lists simple, easy-to-do jobs—going to Wal-Mart and taking a picture of a product, filling out a survey, visiting a website—and then pays you for them. It's not just pennies, either; all jobs pay at least $3, and some can dish out as much as $12. Money is transferred to you via PayPal. Who knew that your iPhone could do anything but suck your wallet dry? The only downside right now is the lack of jobs, but the app is free to use, so you might as well check what's nearby!

Fruit Ninja
Fruit Ninja is the epitome of simple, easy-to-play, and addictive. Fruit is tossed onto the screen and you have to slice it before it falls back down. The graphics are bright, the touch controls are simple, and a few neat extras like dangerous bombs and Plus+ integration are included. The premise is certainly unusual, and intentionally silly. Looks like ninjas can make a mean fruit salad.

It's Friday again, and that means that we're bringing you a sample of five apps released in the last week! Hopefully you'll find this Friday Five interesting. This week, we've got a Glee app, some exciting games, and a to-do app to boost your productivity when you're not playing all of these games!

IMO: The World of Magic
We previewed IMO a while ago, and now the game has finally been released! IMO is a new MMORPG (massively multiplayer roleplaying game) featuring an open world with plenty of zones and a highly social atmosphere. Create your character, kill some monsters, level up and collect loot...what more could you want? There isn't much direction, but the community is friendly and there's plenty of space to explore. It's based on the freemium model, so it won't cost you a cent to try it out.

Glee
The new Glee app is an awesome one. It allows you to record yourself singing the Glee hits, and then gives you a variety of options. You can post your recordings to Facebook, have the app correct your pitch or synthesize a harmony, or even join other Glee app users to create a "virtual" Glee club by mixing your recordings. If you're a so-called Gleek, this app is for you.

Ozone
Ozone is a mixture of an action and puzzle game that places you in control of an inflatable ball. You have to navigate it through the labyrinthine levels using touch controls, collecting yellow orbs while avoiding obstacles. The developers ask "Can a game be a work of art?", and the audiovisual experience is certainly a great one. Be sure to check out this vibrant new puzzler!

TapDo
TapDo is a to-do app meant to focus you on doing your tasks, not writing about them. Its QuickEntry system allows you to speed up task-entering, and also supports recurring tasks. Granted, we've seen plenty of to-do apps before, but simple is always nice and TapDo has a fairly robust set of features to go with its simplicity.

Warpgate
Warpgate is a universal space-based game from Freeverse in which you can engage in combat, trade, and empire expansion. The game also features an immense star system for you to explore, so even after you finish the main storyline, there should be plenty to do. Acquiring ships and weapons and completing missions will keep you occupied for some time, too. And who doesn't love space?

This week was packed with iPad releases, but the iPhone side of the store still has tons of stuff to offer! This week's Friday Five comes with the usual variety of five interesting new releases. It's a good thing that Apple announced folders along with iPhone OS 4.0 yesterday...at the rate of awesome new apps, I know that I at least will be exceeding the current limit.

Pocket Legends

With Apple's announcement of an upcoming "Game Center" (aka, Xbox Live for the iPhone), it's clear that they're focused on the iPhone as a gaming device. But while we've got plenty of shooters, physics puzzles, racing games, and so on, there's one genre that has yet to take off...massively multiplayer online games. Pocket Legends aims to change that with a game that could almost be dubbed "World of Warcraft for the iPhone." Sporting dungeon crawls, oodles of enemies and loot, character customization, strategic skills, and three classes, Pocket Legends has all the trappings of a typical MMORPG. If you're into MMO's at all, download it. You've got nothing to lose, after all—this one is free!

Sketch Nation Shooter

Doodle games are all the rage thanks to Doodle Jump, but Sketch Nation Shooter takes it a step further by allowing you to use your own doodles! At its most basic level, this is a simple shooter. But what makes it great is that you can create your own levels, using either artwork from the game's library or your own photos. You can then upload your own levels and download tons more that other users have created. You'll need a Facebook account, but that seems like a small price to pay for a potential treasure trove of extra levels.

Orion Racer

Orion Racer is a futuristic 3D racing game featuring hyper-paced action on 10 unique tracks in outer space. We've seen racing games before, but, hey, who doesn't like outer space? Orion's tracks come packed with loops, powerslides, and high speeds, and you can race in four different modes and with four different "futuristic" vehicles. One of those four game modes is actually a 2-Player option, allowing you to race a friend. And isn't competition what games are for?

Sonic Wire Sculptor

In an inventive twist, the Sonic Wire Sculptor turns your 3D drawing into sound. As you draw in the 3D space, the app transforms your lines into musical notes. The result encourages experimentation and, when handled correctly, can produce some truly cool stuff. Focus on the music or the visual art; either way, you'll end up with something unique. Oh, and don't worry about being the next Mozart or Picasso. The interface is simple, and "creativity" is easy to come by. Think of it like an audiovisual sandbox.

ABOVE

Getting tired of Doodle Jump? ABOVE is another climbing game, but with vastly different graphics and a completely different theme. A bunch of mysterious platforms have appeared, and it's your duty to explore as high as possible without falling. The graphics are bright and gorgeous, and the game comes packed with achievements. It's simple, sure, but ABOVE looks airy and fun. The iPhone is the platform where games must be both hardcore (aka crazily addictive) and casual (in this case, easy to learn). ABOVE is certainly hoping to nail that sweet spot.

Phew! It's been a busy week. We've had two good sequels to two amazing games, as well as quite a few peculiar titles that piqued my interests. To top things off, we even have an iPhone app that's meant to work alongside its new iPad brother! Here's a quick sampling from this week's new releases. As always, our Friday Five doesn't represent all of the fantastic new apps that have hit the App Store in the past few days, so feel free to chime in with your own suggestions.

Bounce On 2

The sequel to one of the App Store's first great platformers, Bounce On 2 is another fun romp through a 2D land populated by enemies, obstacles, platforms, and power-ups. Taking on the role of a red rubber ball, you have to roll and jump through the levels, many of which contain creative twists. You'll find tons of new features: Plus+ integration, gravity switches, brand-new power-ups, and even the option to use touch controls. If you're a fan of old-school platformers, be sure to check out Bounce On 2.

Zenonia 2

Zenonia, Zenonia...I think it's safe to say that Zenonia was also a "first-of" title, though this time I'd call it the first good RPG in the App Store. Zenonia 2 improves upon the original in almost every way, and features a similarly epic storyline, fun real-time battles, and tons of quests and abilities. Plus, it now features four different characters, each with their own storyline and character class, and the new Hard and Hell modes are also slated to come in a future update. The resulting game is fast-paced and deeply satisfying. Zenonia 2 is a great RPG, and once again raises the bar in the App Store.

Poetry Everywhere

In celebration of National Poetry Month, Poetry Everywhere with Garrison Keillor (pbs.org/poetry) is bringing its free poetry performances back to TV, the Internet, and now the iPhone. On TV, the project airs short poetry performances during unexpected moments in public television—personally, I think it's a really cool idea. Now, you can download the free app and have access to numerous poetry readings. Poetry probably isn't something that most of us think about every day, which makes the opportunity to carry around a bit of poetry in your pocket all the more valuable.

Babo Crash

We've all seen match-3 games before—you know, Bejeweled and its ilk—but Babo Crash brings some fresh new twists to the table. It's fast-paced, frantic, and features tons of crazy power-ups, which in turn create ridiculous chains of multipliers. It doesn't hurt that graphics are awesome, either. If you think you're tired of match-3's, don't let that deter you. Babo Crash is incredibly high-tempo, which makes it a great departure from the ordinary lethargy of Bejeweled.

Scrabble Tile Rack

I had to include this one, even though it won't be of use for most of us, just because it's a fantastic idea. Meant to work alongside the iPad's Scrabble app, the tile rack app allows you to play a true multiplayer game on the iPad without revealing your letters to your opponent. You use the iPad as your game board, and then your letters appear on your iPhone, safe from others' prying eyes. You can then "flick" them onto the board to have them appear on the iPad's screen. I know, I know—hardly anyone has an iPad yet, right? Still, it's a really cool idea, and I'm dying to see how close to the "real game" this will bring Scrabble's app. Can you tell that I'm a Scrabble fanatic?

The App Store is a busy place, and every week brings a slew of new apps. Keeping up with all the new releases is almost impossible at this point. To that end, we're going to be starting a weekly round-up of five new apps that have caught our interest for one reason or another. Hopefully, you'll be interested in each member of the "Friday Five," too. Please note that this list is not at all exhaustive, so feel free to chime in with your own suggestions!

We Rule by ngmoco
There was no way that We Rule wasn't going to make this list. ngmoco is the powerhouse behind popular games ranging from Rolando to Eliminate, and like most of their recent games, this one is freemium. We Rule is a kingdom-building game that bears something of a resemblance to the Facebook hit Farmville. The goal is to build up your kingdom as much as possible, which involves planting and harvesting crops among other things. There's also a strong social aspect, as you can visit friends' kingdoms and interact using ngmoco's Plus+ network.

Yahoo! Sketch-a-Search
Yahoo! Sketch-a-Search is a recent release from the well-known search engine. Instead of web search, however, this one's for restaurants. The app narrows in on your location, and then you can "sketch" a boundary line with your finger. The app will return a list of restaurants within your sketch. Though it might seem gimmicky, this could actually be useful—all too often, a simple radius search won't cut it. For most of the listings, the app also provides phone numbers, ratings, directions, photos, and menu pricing.

Flick Bowling 2
Freeverse is another studio that's had a lot of strong hits on its hands: Skee-ball and Flick Fishing come to mind. Their latest title is a bowling game with a decidedly bizarre story mode that involves travel through time and space. If you can grin at the game's spontaneous and nonsensical plot twists, you'll also be able to appreciate the improved touch controls. Flicking the ball with your finger gives you a surprising amount of precise control. If you've tried the original Flick Bowling, be sure to check out this sequel!

Group Text
Group Text is a free app that does what you'd expect: it lets you text a bunch of people at once! Like many other texting apps, it gives you free, unlimited texts by using your data plan, but the main draw is that you can hold "chat" conversations via text even if your friends don't have iPhones (or the app, for that matter). When one person replies, everyone receives a text with the update. Group Text certainly isn't a new concept, but it's free...so why not check it out?

Digg
And here I thought that Digg was getting old. Digg is a community where users can "digg" links that they deem to be awesome and worthy of promotion; the idea is that, theoretically, the best stuff rises to the top, whether it's from a major news site or an obscure blog. If you're still using the website, be sure to grab the recently-released free app. It actually does a lot of what the full-fledged service does: you can browse the usual popular categories, digg stories, save stories for later reading, and more. And besides...it's free!