Remember Sprinkle? That super-awesome water physics puzzle game about aliens defending their homes from meteoric garbage? Well it’s just been topped-off with more content.

Mediocre Games has just released an update with 14 new levels. That’s probably about 3 lifetimes worth of gameplay, assuming one plans to aim for the maximum rating in each one. Seriously, getting the highest rating for the later stages in this game is hard.

But the real reason I wanted to talk about this has to do with Sprinkle‘s “controversial” in-app purchase option to unlock later worlds. Essentially it wasn’t necessary, as metalcasket mentioned in our review‘s comments. The feature has since been removed, but Mediocre has been gracious enough to offer up 6 new levels (in addition to the previously mentioned 14) to these early in-app purchasers. How cool is that?

Sprinkle is still just $0.99, and now features 36 levels (42 for the in-app folks). And there’s no time like the present to strap on that adorable little extra terrestrial firefighter’s helmet.

$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

FDG Entertainment has released a free update for Cover Orange. The update features 20 brand new levels for the app, bringing the total number of levels in the game to 160 – double the amount included in the title when it first launched in December.

In Cover Orange, your job is to protect oranges from acid rain. This is done by selecting from a variety of different objects to use, dragging them and placing them on screen in strategic positions that block the oranges from being destroyed by acid rain.

While the 20-level update comes free, Cover Orange itself sells for $1 for the regular version or $1.99 for the HD version.

In our own review of Cover Orange, we gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it “a cute and fun puzzle game.”

Check out a video of the title below. Be sure to tell us what you think of the latest update in the comments below.

I can remember spending hours of my childhood tinkering with a little game called Mouse Trap. They aren’t fond memories though because the game was frustrating when the mechanisms didn’t work, and they rarely worked. Regardless of the game’s failings, it did instill a love for the Rube Goldberg model in me. I am now, and will forever be, intrigued by falling dominoes, steampunk apparatuses (apparati?), and the creation of Rube Goldberg machines in Garry’s Mod for Half-Life 2. If you aren’t familiar with Rube Goldberg he was an American cartoonist who popularized the concept of outlandish machines performing simple tasks. Most of his illustrations featured insane contraptions doing ordinary tasks like pouring coffee or feeding a pet. Needless to say, his name is now synonymous with the concept.

So, Imagine my surprise and excitement when I found out about Autodesk’s new app/game Tinkerbox which happens to be based around the Rube Goldberg concept. They aren’t really known for their games, but then again, Tinkerbox is more than just a game. The well-respected developers at Autodesk who brought you Sketchbook Pro, AutoCAD, and Fluid FX have released a physics, engineering, puzzle, hybrid game with an educational flair (what a mouthful). The experimental app is hard to define with one word concepts, so I will just give you the full breakdown.

Tinkerbox is a free-to-play game with various physics puzzles built in. Not only can you solve these puzzles and learn engineering and scientific concepts, but you can also create your own Rube Golberg style machines and share them with with your friends. If you aren’t the creative type you can also just download other peoples puzzle machines for the solving. The trailer reveals a plethora of creative options, so I can imagine you will only be limited by your creativity and the amount of time you invest in the app. Oh, and if the theme song in the trailer doesn’t get you pumped about this free app, then I have no idea what will.

Autodesk has even created a website for the game that features tips, news, and a selection of top notch inventions (their name for Tinkerbox creations). The game is free and well supported, so hopefully if it is popular enough we will see some interesting updates down the road.

FREE!

TinkerBox HD

iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad
Released: 2011-02-01 :: Category: Games

The developers of World of Goo recently posted a really in depth article that not only reveals its sales record for the first month, but also lays out an in depth overview of their experience with the App Store and the iOS platform. The game has sold an impressive 125,000 copies. That is quite an achievement considering it only sold 68,000 Wii copies and 97,000 PC copies during its best months on each of those platforms. This makes the iPad version of the multiplatform game the fastest selling version.

The article also presents some interesting facts about their pricing scheme, promotion campaign, and how they tailored their development process to better suit iPad gamers. Overall, the game received fairly high praises (check out our review here), but interestingly enough, a few low App Store scores complaining about difficulty prompted the developers to add a prominent level skip button. They also joke about adding in app purchases for the auto-completing of levels, but hopefully that stays a joke.

Not only is the information presented in the article entertaining, it is also educational for aspiring young app developers. 2D Boy even posted a myriad of charts and graphs to back-up their claims, and to provide readers with some visual examples of their progress. With such a great start for World of Goo, we can only hope 2D boy continues to share the love for the iOS platform.

PC and Wii gamers have been enjoying the goo flinging puzzler for quite a while, but World of Goo is still in its infancy on the iPad. The game features physics based construction puzzles and gorgeous 2D graphics. Its gameplay is also perfectly suited for the large touchscreen provided by the iPad. World of Goo oozes charm and deserves a look if you haven’t tried it yet.

via 2D Boy Official Blog

$4.99

World of Goo HD

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Our Rating: :: PERFECT FIT
Read Our Full Review >>

Released: 2010-12-16 :: Category: Games

If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good mystery. As an adult a child, I read every single Nancy Drew Hardy Boys book. Twice. Encyclopedia Brown and McGurk had nothing on me. Now, as the parent of an audacious 11-year old, my house is a swirling vortex of mystery and intrigue: Who ate these cookies? Who tracked mud all over the floor? Who spray-painted the hamster? I could go on, but I digress…

I also love iPhone games and, upon learning of 99Games Online’s upcoming mystery/puzzle game, The Jim and Frank Mysteries: The Blood River Files, I must admit: I can’t wait to get my hands on this game:

The Jim and Frank Mysteries: The Blood River Files centers around mysterious happenings in the town of Tinyville and leads its main characters, Jim and Frank, on an adventure-filled quest to uncover the mystery that is Blood River. In order to solve the mystery, players will be challenged to solve a series of challenging visual and analytical puzzles while advancing in the game.

The game features:

The Jim and Frank Mysteries: The Blood River Files appears to be a promising title in a relatively neglected genre. Look for it to hit the app store soon!

Screenshots: