:: THE WAIT IS OVERHow do you know what apps are worth your time and money? Just look to the review team at 148Apps. We sort through the chaos and find the apps you're looking for. The ones we love become Editor’s Choice, standing out above the many good apps and games with something just a little bit more to offer. Take a look at what we've been up to this week, and find even more in our Reviews Archive.
More like a kind of physics puzzle game than a regular soccer title, Score! Hero feels a little unfair at times with more than a dose of randomness thrown in. Odds are though, you’ll still be giving it a shot every now and then as it’s quite fun.You’re controlling the career of an up and coming soccer play. There are some light management style options with you able to customize your player before choosing teams to play for. Then you get thrown into the action. --Jennifer Allen
Direct Shot is a simple yet effective app, enabling you to directly save photos and videos to your Dropbox account as you snap them. For those users who are always running out of space on their phone or iPad, it’s a real time saver.Setup is a breeze. You just log in to your Dropbox account, pick a folder to deposit your images, and away you go. you can switch between different folders, which is going to be particularly useful if you like to be organized and have plenty of subjects in mind. --Jennifer Allen
"Don’t mess with cats" is the moral of Apocalypse Meow: Save the Last Humans - an arcade style shooter with a surprising amount of personality. It’s a more welcoming shooter than most, meaning even casual players can enjoy what’s here, but it’s still pretty taxing.You play your way through various levels, completing numerous missions in a bid to unlock new upgrades for your ship, as well as defeat the evil cats. Action is immensely simple. You use your finger to drag your ship around with firing done automatically. --Jennifer Allen
Have you ever wanted to create cool animations but had no idea where to start? Animation Desk Cloud is a fairly good starting place, although do expect to have to practice to truly get the most from it. Requiring a quick sign up process to get the most from it, the app throws a text based overlay at you to explain what button performs what task. In reality, experimentation is the best way to understand things. Animation Desk Cloud is a little unwieldy at first, meaning poking around at what can be accomplished makes way more sense. Much like other art based apps, some of your success is going to be down to your ability to draw well. You can use various different brushes to create shapes and images, with your ability level and imagination the only real restriction. Coloring is easily changed around too. --Jennifer Allen
It looks like a fairly cute puzzle game but Zoombinis is much more than that, actually offering up a series of logical and mathematical puzzles to tax your gray matter. It’s a remake of a 1990s puzzle game, Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, but old and new players should quite appreciate it - even if it does look a little old fashioned. You’re helping a series of small blue creatures as they attempt to reach the safety of Zoombiniville. This involves completing 12 tricky puzzles. The unique twist to Zoombinis is that you choose how your creatures look and what accessories they possess, and that actually affects what unfolds. --Jennifer Allen
If you are looking for the best reviews of Android apps, just head right over to AndroidRundown. Here are just some of the reviews served up this week:
I have a confession. I actually like using the iPad Mini.Oops.My second generation was originally procured for work, and it became an ever huger part of my process due to (then) superior WordPress app on iOS. Paired with a great keyboard combo, and one gets an effective makeshift netbook.One shortcoming, for my needs, is the inability to use a bluetooth mouse. When it’s all said and done, I like using bigger tablets like an aforementioned notebook — or more like a full-fledged computer — when the occasion calls for it, and reaching to touch the screen for navigation irks me more than I’d like to admit.--Tre Lawrence
Army Helicopter – Relief Cargo is a game that makes heroes out of players.It’s a simple game, really, so the lack of any pointers probably shouldn’t hurt it in the eyes of prospective players too much. The first scene runs right into it; one uses a truck to load a heavy duty chopper with gear, and there is a bit of skill required to direct the truck in there, what with virtual steering wheel, brakes, gas and gearbox. In addition, one has a time limit to contend with, so errors can be costly.The end game, at first, is to get the trucks in position. As this is the first level, it is easy enough. Next, one gets a bank of controls and a new task: get the helicopter from the home pad to a way point some distance away. This part is trickier, and the lack of instructions does jar a teeny bit, especially as this portion is timed as well, but it isn’t too hard to feel one’s way through it. If one makes it through in time, the next level is opened up, which is to offload the chopper. Quickly.--Tre Lawrence
Angry Birds dropped on the mobile gaming scene and all but created a new genre of game. An entire generation of folks got lost in the infinite charm of bringing avian justice to wayward pigs.What followed the original is an entire stable of spin-offs and branded versions: Star Wars, Rio, Go! and more.Now, we get a “true” sequel to original blockbuster in Angry Birds 2. The pigs are just as insolent, the birds as, uh, angry and the game begs to be played.--Tre Lawrence
All this, plus news, game guides and even more reviews than we can share here!
Dead Effect 2, BadFly Interactive's sequel to their popular sci-fi zombie zombie shooter, is coming soon to iOS. The game will be released for free in the third quarter of 2015.
In Dead Effect 2 you're an engineered killing machine on a spaceship full of the undead. The game looks like it will have a whole bunch of new deadly weapons to play with, including some that were designed by fans during BadFly's Weapon Contests.
You can take a look at some of the exquisite visuals of Dead Effect 2 in the teaser trailer below.
With the roll of a die and a critical success, Paradox Interactive has announced Knights of Pen & Paper 2! You'll be taking your place at the table once again in this sequel to Knights of Pen & Paper +1 Edition. The game will introduce the new ruleset, new races such as Dwarves and Elves, an updated combat system, new crafting and loot, and the old 8-bit graphics have been tossed out for a sweet new 16-bit look. There is so much to get excited about!
“When you allow people at your company to dress up in wizard robes and suits of armor, sometimes you wind up with games like Knights of Pen & Paper 2,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive.
Start sharpening your swords and studying your spells, because Knights of Pen & Paper 2 is coming on May 14th.
This isn't you old 1991 laserdisc game. Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp HD, the sequel to Dragon's Lair in full HD, has been released for the iPad.
Now you can once again play as the intrepid Dirk the Daring as he fights to save Princess Daphne from Mordroc, the evil wizard. This time, Dirk must rely on a less than reliable time machine to find her before Mordroc can force her into marriage. The app allows you to play through the Original version or the new Director’s Cut - complete with an alternate ending. Will you save Daphne in time or have to face your furious Mother-in-Law and disappointed children?
You can download Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp HD for $4.99.
:: AN AGGRAVATING RELATIVE :: Read Review »Have you missed the strategic battles of DeNA's dark RPG Blood Brothers? Fret no longer as you make your triumphant return to the world of Arnashia in Blood Brothers 2.
The game is set one century after the events in the original, and once again the world is threatened - and once again you must build an army to save it. You'll be able to train your soldiers, customize their gear, and learn new skills as you proceed through the campaigns or fight against your friends in PvP.
You can download Blood Brothers 2 for free on the App Store now. If you download the game during its launch week, you will also receive a unique in-game character and other special rewards.
Hooked Digital Media, the production company that brought us Haunting Melissa, has announced that principal photography for Haunting Melissa 2 has begun. The story picks right back up one month after Melissa’s disappearance. Like the original, Haunting Melissa 2 will use Dynamic Story Elements (DSE) that can change the story upon repeat viewing, making each time you play all the more horrifying. The game will be released exclusively on Apple’s new iOS8 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
The original Haunting Melissa was the brain child of director Neal Edelstein, who produced “The Ring,” “The Ring 2,” and “Mulholland Drive,” and was written by Andrew Klavan who penned “True Crime” and “Don’t Say A Word”. They have returned with a a cast of talented actors to make Haunting Melissa 2 disturb the pants off us all over again.
If you haven't checked out the original game you can pick it up in the App Store for free.
:: BUBBLICIOUS :: Read Review »What could be better than cats and bubble-popping action? More Cats and more bubbles! Bubble Witch Saga fans Will be happy to hear that King has just released a sequel to their popular game with new characters, lots of levels, and of course tons of bubbles. Join Stella and her two feline familiars as they seek to rid Witch Country of the evil Morgana and her dark spirits.
With over 50 levels and biweekly updates, Bubble Witch Saga 2 will keep poppers busy for hours.
:: :: Read Review »Noodlecake Studios (and BeaverTap Games) is in a giving mood, and is putting sequenced platformer Mikey Hooks on sale for $0.99 for a limited time.
Additionally, Noodlecake is offering fans a sneak peek of yet another sequel in the Mikey series: Mikey Shorts.
We had an opportunity to review Mikey Hooks last year and COMPLETELY adored it; as noted, it is currently available on sale for $0.99.
Headup Games has announced Bridge Constructor Medieval, which follows in the footsteps of hit game Bridge Constructor.
The gameplay elements will be familiar, but the backdrop in this one gets shifted to a time when knights roamed the land and castle decor was in vogue. As in the original, building the right bridges is key; good bridges can help protect supplies, but can also serve as traps with regards to marauding enemy.
More details on Bridge Constructor Medieval will be forthcoming.
:: TRICKY TRACKS :: EERILY DELIGHTFUL :: Read Review »Fireproof Studios announced today both an expansion and a sequel for its multiple-award-winning iPad and iPhone game, The Room. According to the development team, The Room will get an expansion early this coming summer, with a sequel shortly thereafter. The expansion promises to continue the story from the original game, with some foreshadowing of the second. The sequel to The Room plans to take players to an even more spectacular place.
Moar Zombies! The sequel to last year's freemium game, Contract Killer Zombies, is out now, and it's looking splendid. You now get weapons and melee abilities up front, letting you hack and slash your way through waves of undead.
Features of Contract Killer Zombies 2 include:
Free-Roaming Third-Person Action: Fight through numerous locations in and around the Safehaven Research Lab.
New Survival Mode: Compete for the highest score by protecting a civilian from waves of zombies.
Multiple Mission Types: Save civilians, find provisions and clear escape routes to open new locations.
Heavy Artillery: Collect shotguns, machine guns, sniper rifles, grenades, axes, chainsaws, health packs and more.
Rankings: Track progress with Game Center Achievements and Leaderboards.
:: A WORTHWHILE CONTRACTWe all knew there would eventually be an Angry Birds sequel, the only questions were how long would it take and what would it look like? While we don't have any new information about the former we may have learned a bit about the latter, as Rovio CEO Peter Vesterbacka provided us a hint on the direction the franchise may be taking. Vesterbacka stated that "We are not going to do a [traditional] sequel. We want to surprise people. No one has told the story from the pigs point of view." Interesting. Would an "Angry Pigs" game consist of the same physics-based puzzle system wherein players try to snatch the birds' eggs from their nests, or might Rovio be considering a complete spin-off of the franchise with entirely new gameplay.
At any rate, one of the biggest franchises on iOS is inevitably going to get even bigger and we're quite excited. All this on top of the fact that Angry Birds will soon be invading consoles, leaving no one safe from their addictive, physics-based gameplay. Anybody else suddenly have birds on the brain?
[via Pocket-Lint]
