:: TAX TIME!It's the end of the year, so it's time for some arbitrary internet awards! In this wrap-up episode of Who Wore it Best? we present our winners for the best, worst, and flat-out weirdest cloned games that graced the App Store in 2014.
The end of 2014 is almost here, which can only mean one thing.
Okay it can mean a lot of things, but in this specific context it means Game of the Year lists!
Which is why the 148Apps staff have all picked their favorites from the past year. And why we've put them all into one handy list for you all to enjoy. It's a nice list, too. Lots of variety and even a few free downloads that are worth checking out. So give it a look, and if you agree (or even if you disagree) please chime in below!
Unlike other mobile games like it, Puzzle to the Center of the Earth is not pushing players to make huge combos or speed-run through levels. Instead they can take their time planning out the best courses through a cave, much like an actual spelunker might (albeit with the power to carve out paths by magically matching blocks). It's a super well made game that isn't scared to have players get lost in its levels for a good while, which makes it unique as a puzzle game. For a mobile title, it strikes a fantastic balance of being engrossing, replayable, rewarding, and light enough for playing on the go, all of which lend to it being my favorite mobile game of 2014. - [Campbell Bird]
Hitman GO looks like the board game you wish your family would play at Christmas (put away the Cluedo box, grandma) with its sheen and minimalistic graphics that just ooze class akin to the suit Agent 47 is known for. Combine that with accessible gameplay that calls for multiple play-throughs thanks to the variety of challenges available, forcing players to tackle levels in different ways, and you have a winner in Hitman GO. It's a game that should be on everyone's hit list - [Lee Hamelet]
Other 148Apps Holiday Gift Guides: for [Health Nuts] [Socializers] [Creative Types] [Power Users]
Today’s guide centers around iOS gamers. These are the folks who love their portable games and spend most of their morning commute matching pieces of candy or fighting immortal titans. If you’d like to make the gamer(s) in your life have an overall more pleasant and convenient gaming experience, or simply get them some really cool stuff to play, check out our list below for some ideas.
Other 148Apps Holiday Gift Guides: for [Health Nuts] [Socializers] [Gamers] [Power Users]
Today’s guide is for those creative types in your life. These are the people who like to draw, compose music, sculpt, or otherwise make things with their iOS devices. So long as they enjoy creating, and you’re in need of some gift ideas, you should check out our list below.
Other 148Apps Holiday Gift Guides: for [Health Nuts] [Creative Types] [Gamers] [Power Users]
Today’s guide centers around highly social iOS users. I’m talking about the people who practically live on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, and all that. It can be tough to come up with something for such diehard (virtual) social butterflies, and even more tricky to surprise them, but we’re certainly going to give it a shot! Check out our list below for some hopefully useful ideas.
Other 148Apps Holiday Gift Guides: for [Socializers] [Creative Types] [Gamers] [Power Users]
Today’s guide is for the health nuts. Those people who get up inhumanly early to exercise, bike and/or jog with regularity, or otherwise make athletic activities a significant part of their day. If you’d like to help the health-conscious iOS users in your life with some handy gizmos, or maybe nab a useful app or two they may not have heard of, check out our list below for some ideas.
:: FEEL THE MADNESS :: Read Review »NCAA March Madness Live is an app that is only relevant for one month out of the year, but that doesn't make it any less useful. The app, which has been in hibernation since last March, was updated yesterday for the 2014 season. Additionally, the app has been completely redesigned to match the iOS 7 aesthetic.
NCAA March Madness Live allows you to watch every single one of the 67 Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament games, provided that you have a qualified cable subscription and give the app your credentials. But if you don't, the app does provide you with a temporary preview period that will let you watch without a login for a short time.
You can get NCAA March Madness Live, packed with live streaming, up-to-date scores, an interactive tournament bracket, live game alerts, and more - on the App Store for free right now.
Can't get enough of the Sochi Olympics? Actually I suppose at this point they've only just begun. So, do you foresee yourself not being able to get enough? Well thankfully the NBC Sports Live Extra app has been updated for the 2014 games.
With NBC Sports Live Extra, you can now potentially watch every single event from this year's Olympics live on your iPhone or iPad. That's over 1,000 hours of watching the world's best athletes compete across 15 different sports and for almost 100 medals. And you can download it right now for free. Quick, grab it before the opening ceremonies! I mean it'll still be available afterwards and still be free, but you want to get a head start right?
It's pretty fair to say that 2013 has been an incredible year for Apple. With the company's stock price currently reflecting upwards of $550 a share, it's clear that investors have renewed faith in the firm's ability to deliver on its mission to create some of the world's most desirable products.
One such investor is billionaire business mogul Carl Icahn. Publicly announcing back in August that he now holds a "large stake" in $AAPL, Icahn is perhaps most known for his reported hostile takeover of Trans World Airlines in 1985.
But it isn't just the arrival of newfound investors that has seen the company elevate itself to the point of operation we see today. New hires were also a large part of Apple's fiscal 2013. The most prominent of these being the confirmed hiring of Burberry CEO, Angela Ahrendts.
Today Pocket Gamer announced Pocket Gamer Connects, a new mobile gaming conference that will be the largest the U.K. has ever seen.
Pocket Gamer Connects is set to open up on January 21, 2014 at Vinopolis in London's Southbank. They've already been securing speakers from all over the place, including Asia, Europe, and the US, but if you're interested in throwing your hat into the ring as a sponsor or speaker yourself there's still time to do so. Just hop over to the official website and let them know!
"We've been dedicated to helping the mobile games industry develop for almost 8 years now. In that time we've created some of the industry's leading websites, reports, awards and a whole host of great networking events. A fully fledged conference is the next natural step and we believe our expertise and connections will allow us to create something genuinely innovative, valuable and of course fun!"
- Chris James, Managing Director of Steel Media
Ready to slyde? Our friends at Powerslyde, the app recommendation app (say THAT ten times fast), are back with another list for this past week. Here are some highlights:
NFL.com Fantasy Football 2013
NFL Pro 2014 : The Ultimate Football Simulation
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2013
Clash of Clans
The Simpsons: Tapped Out
This week's list is dominated by sports (three apps this week if you include the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2013 app). Football season is right around the corner, so it should come as no surprise that NFL.com Fantasy Football 2013 and NFL Pro 2014: The Ultimate Football Simulation top our list this week. Who knows what other football-inspired goodies will show up on our list in the coming months.
But for those who prefer their competition to be more virtual than gridiron, there's Clash of Clans and The Simpsons: Tapped Out to keep them occupied. So no matter what type of competitive battle you want, there's an app for that.
Thanks again to Powerslyde for our list this week. What apps do you recommend? Drop us a comment below, or send us a message on Facebook or Twitter. See you next week!
