At this point it is safe to assume that any electronic device with some kind of a screen most likely has some permutation of UNO available for purchase.  If that wasn’t the case before, it sure is now, thanks to HasbroMattel and Gameloft and the upcoming release of their newest entry into the UNO franchise: UNO & Friends.  While this in and of itself isn’t that big of news, what makes it interesting are the new multiplatform features coming to the game.

The title is planned to launch on iOS and Android this fall, wit hNintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita versions coming early next year.  What makes this so cool is that all versions of the game will be able to play together simultaneously.  Taking things even one step further, there will also be a Facebook version of the game as well, that can also be used to take part in the action.  Suddenly the concept of playing games with friends became even more enticing.  Have fun ignoring all those game requests from family members and former classmates!

The board game of Monopoly is an impressive 112 years old. That means plenty of time for multiple different varieties of the game. Vying away from the likes of Simpsons, Lord of The Rings and World Cup soccer editions, now there’s a new and technologically advanced variety in the form of Monopoly zAPPed.

Monopoly zAPPed relies upon special credit cards that can be scanned with an iOS device. Keeping up with the 21st century focus on using plastic rather than cash to spend, these devices automatically transfer funds between players’ accounts once swiped. A selection of mini games also stem from the app which can help players escape jail and jail fines.

It all makes for a fun twist on the traditional Monopoly experience and is bound to keep fans happy.

The app is available now and is free to download. Although, bear in mind that the Monopoly zAPPed board game is required to use it fully.

FREE!

MONOPOLY zAPPed edition

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2012-05-11 :: Category: Games

Here’s an app that easily makes me ravenously hungry. It’s Hasbro’s Easy-Bake Cupcakes!. It’s a cute app that lets people make, bake, decorate, eat and share virtual cupcakes from their iOS device.

All the user needs to do is pick their Easy-Bake cupcake mix, fill the pan with cupcake batter and water then mix and slide the pan into the Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven to cook. A quick shake of the iOS device gets the cupcakes out of the pan (if only reality were that easy) then users can choose from a vast number of frostings and candy toppings to create their perfect cupcake.

9 different cupcake batters are available with 17 types of frosting, 15 types of decorations, 9 kinds of plates and 6 tablecloths. That’s a heck of a lot of choice.

As is quickly apparant, Easy-Bake Cupcakes! is an ideal app for kids. Adults may well be cynical enough to notice the corporate advertising within but will still no doubt quite like to eat cupcakes after messing around with the app. For kids though, this is a fun way of ‘creating’ cakes. They can even share their creations via email or Facebook afterwards.

It’s out now and it’s free.

FREE!

Easy-Bake Treats!

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-09-20 :: Category: Lifestyle

Bop It!, the frantic reaction based game, is quite a hit here with my young cousins, much as it was when I was a kid. So it’s nice to see Bop It! offered in another format. Sure there was an iPhone version earlier this year but what child can resist an iPad version of Bop It!? Exactly.

Priced at $2.99, Bop It! HD offers everything we all know and love about the original Bop It! game. Fast reactions and careful listening are vital in order to succeed with the choice of playing alone or teaming up with friends in the new All Play mode, only available in this iPad incarnation.

Multi-touch controls and the accelerometer ensure that the only restriction here is the player’s ability to react in time. 4 different modes, Classic, Basic, Extreme and Blitz, keeps the action feeling fresh. Players can even unlock Bopjects as they progress.

All the fun with a cool modern twist. The ideal way to entertain the kid and at a mere $2.99. Check it out now.

$2.99

Bop It!™ for iPad

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-09-15 :: Category: Games

If the late 2000′s/early 2010′s have brought us anything, it’s the undying corporate love for all things 3D. Even though consumers haven’t exactly come out in droves to buy into the technology, TVs, game systems, and movies have all gone 3D, and now the iPhone is now following suit.

Hasbro today has announced their foray into the 3D market with a device that is unlike any other in the app world. Instead of coming up with a 3D hologram gimmick, Hasbro, reportedly in collaboration with Apple, is releasing a fairly massive accessory called My3D. With the device, Hasbro, the toy making giant, is promising three dimensional gaming, realistic virtual travel, and seemingly tangible interactive entertainment.

The device itself looks like a fairly large pair of blue binoculars with a slot to hold an iPhone or iPod Touch. Interestingly, the device is planned to spur an entire 3D segment of the App Store, with some large developers already signed up to work with the device. Dreamworks Animation, with its new hit “Megamind,” has signed on, and 3D video content from Sony, the Discovery Channel, and IMAX will be coming shortly. Hasbro is also working with the Los Angeles Convention and Vistors Bureau to 3D travel experiences to the touristy places around LA.

“The idea of being able to be somewhere in Los Angeles, in this 360-degree environment, to be in the shark tank, to be able to swim with the fish and chase after the fish. These are really breakthrough immersive experiences,” said Brian Goldner, president and CEO of Hasbro.

No word yet on the release date, but with Apple’s support in the development process I’d expect for the My3D to be sitting on the shelves of Apple Store’s soon.

Here’s hoping that the My3D doesn’t go the way of the Virtual Boy… the last in-your-face consumer 3D product that I can remember.