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Warner Bros. Releases MMO Game LEGO Legends of CHIMA Online

Posted by Tre Lawrence on March 3rd, 2014
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Warner Bros has just released LEGO Legends of CHIMA Online, which, as the name hints at, is an online multiplayer adventure with solo play options.

The game is based on the LEGO CHIMA universe, where animals take on human characteristics and the eight animal tribes fight to control CHI. Folks familiar with the toys and/or cartoon will find many familiar elements. It allows the player to select from one of four tribes, and to customize a warrior to battle the other four tribes; it also allows one to create weapons and outposts, and to perform trades and alliances with other online players. There is also the ability to pick up a paused or interrupted game from other online portals.

LEGO Legends of CHIMA Online is available for free on the App Store.

This Week at 148Apps: February 3-7, 2014

Posted by Chris Kirby on February 8th, 2014

Your Source For The Latest App Reviews


Every single week, the 148Apps reviewers search through the new apps out there, find the good ones, and write about them in depth. 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. Want to see what we've been up to this week? Take a look below for a sampling of our latest reviews. And if you want more, be sure to hit our Reviews Archive.


Threes

Threes, from Puzzlejuice creator Asher Vollmer and Greg Wohlwend, artist of Ridiculous Fishing and Hundreds, is the first great mobile game of 2014. The goal of Threes is to match together tiles on a four-by-four board by sliding them around. 1 and 2 tiles can be matched together to make 3 tiles, a pair of 3 tiles can be matched together to make 6s, 6s make 12s, 12s make 24s, and so on. Each tile starting with the 3s has a point value that is three times as much as the previous tile, so the game rewards making larger numbers. --Carter Dotson


Toast Time

In Toast Time, players are in control of TERRY (Toast-Ejecting Recoil and Reload sYstem): an English toaster with an arsenal of bread-built projectiles. And, if they choose, a monocle and dapper hat. The bad guys are alien-like blobs determined to steal time by descending on TERRY’s clock in droves. Players tap where they want to shoot, and the bread bullets start flying. An added little twist has TERRY caroming off the ground and bouncing around the screen with each shot. Timing the shots with TERRY’s maneuvers can be the key to passing a level. Especially on levels like “Rabid Fan Base” or “Fannying Around.” Just saying. --Stacy Barnes


LEGO Star Wars: Microfighters

Presumably aimed at the younger market, LEGO Star Wars: Microfighters initially seems quite fun. It’s a shoot-em-up set across 18 different stages, each taken from important battles within Star Wars history, and looks like it would be ideal for twitchy gamers. Turning repetitive all too soon though, and proving really quite dull, it’s not so great after all. Immediately easy to learn, LEGO Star Wars: Microfighters lends itself well to touch screen play. With the player in control of the direction of the aircraft and its weaponry, with it propelling forward automatically, it’s a one or two-finger kind of game. Holding one finger to the screen not only aids in moving the ship around but also in firing at the enemies. Hold two fingers down and a special attack is unleashed, wiping out a large number of them at once. --Jennifer Allen


Orderly

Looking simple yet offering all the features that one could need, Orderly is a very handy To-Do list app. It fits into the stylings of iOS 7, retaining a clean interface throughout. Even better, it should help organize one’s life a little easier. The app starts out offering a fairly extensive tutorial. At first it might seem a little intimidating, which is fairly far from the truth. Orderly is intuitive enough; with regular iOS users sure to be able to understand what goes where. Using a choice of buttons or gestures, it’s simple to set up a variety of different reminders and notes. Rather than restricting users to one line of content, it’s possible to create lists within lists, proving particularly handy for a combination of similarly themed tasks. --Jennifer Allen


Marvel Run Jump Smash!

As a huge fan of superhero games and the world of Marvel, I jumped at the chance to try out Marvel Run Jump Smash!. Disappointment came all too quickly. It’s an Endless Runner in the vein of Jetpack Joyride and one that doesn’t really give players a sense of progression by any means. Players are initially given the choice of controlling either Nick Fury or Maria Hill, with more characters available to play as things tick along within the game. Captain America, Black Widow, Iron Man, and The Hulk are there for the grabbing, assuming one catches their shield shaped icon to switch out to them. --Jennifer Allen


Other 148Apps Network Sites

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:

AndroidRundown

Arcade Ball

Arcade Ball takes the humble game of Skee Ball to the digital age. Arcade Ball is a pretty standard game of Skee Ball. Players bowl balls down a lane aiming at targets with different point values. Landing the ball in a cup awards that amount of points and the more points that are scored the more tickets are earned after the game. These tickets can be exchanged for prizes. Tokens can also be earned that power a few special moves like bowling three balls at once. --Allan Curtis


Circle Stop

It’s pretty difficult to come up with a game concept simpler than Circle Stop. There is a dot, “rolling” around in a circle in the middle of the screen. Other small dots of various colors are spawned on this circle, and the player needs to touch the screen just when the main dot’s trajectory overlaps with other dots, to get some points. Then the colored dots are removed, and the others are spawned, while the “player” dot keeps rolling and rolling, until the player three mistakes, tapping while the dot is not over anything. Then the game ends and the player gets a score and there’s nothing else. --Tony Kuzmin


Grandpa and the Zombies

Zombies mess with everybody. Why not the elderly? In Grandpa and the Zombies, we get to see what happens when a cranky, indefatigable wheelchair-bound gentleman named Willy decides not to be pushed around – or consumed – by the actively undead. Thankfully, the developer dispenses with convoluted backstory in setting up this saga. Via cutscenes, we get the most basic of zombie apocalypse stories: gramps wakes up in the hospital, with no memory but a sturdy cast. With zombies closing in, he commandeers a wheelchair and rolls rapidly to safety. --Tre Lawrence

And finally, this week Pocket Gamer looked into dodgy Dungeon Keeper ratings, found 11 games better than Flappy Bird (it wasn't hard), reviewed Threes and Final Fantasy VI, picked the best iOS and Android games of January, and told EA to keep its greasy mitts off Theme Hospital. All that, and loads more, here.

LEGO Star Wars: Microfighters Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on February 5th, 2014
Our rating: starstarstarblankstarblankstar :: SAMEY SHOOTING
It's a nice idea, but LEGO Star Wars: Microfighters turns too repetitive too quickly.
Read The Full Review »

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Blake Grundman on December 30th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: FEELS THE FORCE
Can Free-to-Play work well for episodic gaming? Let's just say that this is a perfect example of episodic done VERY right.
Read The Full Review »

LEGO Lord of the Rings Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Carter Dotson on November 20th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: A MERRY QUEST
Go on a light-hearted version of the quest to throw the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom.
Read The Full Review »

LEGO Lord of the Rings Lets Players Travel to Mount Doom on Their Favorite iOS Device

Posted by Andrew Stevens on November 5th, 2013

Anyone interested in a LEGO-filled journey to Mount Doom? Apparently the One Ring will be making its way to iOS before the end of the year. This means, yet again, players must fight their way through hordes of bad guys while resisting the temptation of the precious. LEGO Lord of the Rings also features 90 characters for players to unlock and follow in this great journey that will soon be available on iOS. Thanks for the information, Touch Arcade's Mom!

Lego Mindstorms EV3 Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jeff Scott on October 29th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar ::
The Lego Mindstorms EV3 set successfully bridges the virtual and real world gap by allowing for the creation of toys that can be controlled from an iOS device. Amazingly well done, educational, and just plain fun!
Read The Full Review »

LEGO MINDSTORMS Fix the Factory Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Rob Rich on August 8th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: CROSSED WIRES
LEGO MINDSTORMS Fix the Factory is a great-looking "program the robot" puzzle game, but it's missing a few of the basics.
Read The Full Review »

This Week at 148Apps: April 22-26, 2013

Posted by Chris Kirby on April 29th, 2013

Your Trusted Source for App Reviews

Having trouble making sense out of the overwhelming number of apps released each week? Have no fear! Just look to 148Apps for the best app reviews on the web. Our reviewers sift through the vast numbers of new apps out there, find the good ones, and write about them in depth. 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. Want to see what we've been up to this week? Take a look below for a sampling of our latest reviews. And if you want more, be sure to hit our Reviews Archive.

LEGO Batman: DC Superheroes


The Caped Crusader is back in brick form for a new adventure, this time on iOS. As someone who’s had an on-again off-again relationship with LEGO games in the past I was curious to see how a mobile release might hold up. Turns out it holds up very well. Like, ridiculously well. In fact, LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes is hands-down the best LEGO game I’ve ever played. Yes, including ones on consoles. All the wacky villains that should be stuck in Arkham have gotten loose. Again. Now they’re terrorizing Gotham. Again. And this time Joker has managed to team up with Lex Luthor. The two are such a handful that Batman has to enlist the help of other heroes, including Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and a whole lot more. There’s a conventional virtual stick and buttons setup and a surprisingly intuitive touch interface to pick from. No matter their preference, players will be bashing everything in sight to collect studs (the world’s currency), reconfiguring piles of bricks into new contraptions, finding tons of secrets, and doing just about everything else they could expect to find in a big screen LEGO game. --Rob Rich


Robot Unicorn Attack 2


Is it possible to make something great even better? When it comes to Robot Unicorn Attack 2, the sequel to the popular endless runner where a unicorn jumps and dashes through multi-tiered levels, collecting fairies and smashing stars, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” First off, Adult Swim Games enlisted PikPok on the title, and as a studio well-known for their fun games and high production values, it was a perfect choice. It’s immediately apparent that this game is absolutely gorgeous. The level of detail in the animated backgrounds, the galloping unicorns, and just everything is absolutely astounding. New elements like Giants that can kill the player if their solar beam attacks aren’t avoided add a splash to the familiar experience. --Carter Dotson


The Thirty-Nine Steps


Impressively nearing its 100th anniversary, The Thirty-Nine Steps is still a tremendously gripping thriller courtesy of John Buchan. With various cinematic adaptations, it’s easily accessible, too. Now, we have this iPad adaptation, part interactive story, part simple game, to enjoy. It’s quite good too, although slow-paced and not without its problems. Following the story of Richard Hannay, a man framed for murder in 1914, it’s a great mystery full of intrigue and riddles. Readers don’t get to change the outcome or events within the book but they do get to interact with objects, start up conversations and open doors. The latter is a little gimmicky, invoking gestures to perform the required action, but the rest feels like an enhancement to getting into the story. --Jennifer Allen


GoComics


It’s almost wrong to fault GoComics. As a free app, it does mostly anything could want from it, in terms of content. As a paid app (via an in-app purchase subscription), it eliminates one of its main irritants: the adverts. For a comic fan, it’s an ideal addition to their collection, even despite its issues. GoComics is, essentially, a portal of many of the most popular comic strips out there, as well some great up-and-coming artists. There’s plenty of space for political cartoons, too, sensibly categorized according to their political leanings. It’s immediately easy to dive straight in and find one’s favorites, with the likes of Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts and Garfield playing a prominent part in the appeal. Just tap on their name and the latest strip comes up, along with a calendar that enables users to go back to any date they so choose. It’s fast to browse and easy to lose plenty of time to. --Jennifer Allen


Other 148Apps Network Sites


If you are looking for the best reviews of kids' apps and/or Android apps, just head right over to GiggleApps and AndroidRundown. Here are just some of the reviews these sites served up this week:

GiggleApps

Escape from Tokeru


It will come as no surprise to readers that I am often asked to recommend apps to family and friends, especially for those in grade school, as iTunes seems filled with apps for toddlers and those in preschool, but it can be harder to find apps for older children. Parents looking for an interesting, thought-provoking app for this age set should take note of Escape From Tokeru, a puzzle game that includes an interesting back story, beautiful illustrations and moody, ambient background music. --Amy Solomon

Gappy's First Words


Gappy’s First Words is a new interactive universal app that re-enforces early spelling and reading comprehension from the developers at Spinlight Studio, a favorite developer of mine these apps are consistently rich with details and nuances at a level of quality making these application stands out from others. Meet Gappy, an interesting bunny-like character with large ears and big teeth, and help Gappy hop her way home, filling in the gaps of word puzzles along the way – stylized as a bridge of sorts where pieces of this crossing are missing and need to be completed with correct letter tiles. Success will earn users new details that can be added to Gappy’s house such as new windows, fence or chimney. --Amy Solomon

Cheesy Chess


Cheesy Chess is a creative and fun mouse-themed logic game with heavy chess elements. This app reminds me a lot of the slider puzzles I had as a kid where plastic tiles will ultimately make up an image but needed to be slid within this puzzle, keeping in mind that only one piece can be moved at once. Here, imagine a mouse king who needs to progress through this slider puzzle at the top center to leave this board, but the other puzzle pieces need to be moved out of his way to do so. --Amy Solomon

AndroidRundown

Ice Rage


Mountain Sheep’s arcade hockey game Ice Rage has finally made its way to Android thanks to Herocraft – is this game a slap shot goal or power play where the team with the advantage does not score? I’m not too well-versed in hockey. There are no power plays or penalties or icing here, as it’s all about one-on-one hockey action. It’s really more akin to air hockey instead of ‘actual’ hockey in any way. Players can check the opponent to get the puck, and when they have it, it’s possible to hold down on the one virtual button on screen to charge up and aim a shot. Matches last one just minute in most modes, so it’s perfect for fast sessions. There’s plenty of crazy action that goes on here, with arrow angles and tough shots to make. Just because it’s arcade hockey doesn’t mean that some degree of precision is unnecessary! The arcade ladder made with temporary character upgrades is a fun diversion, and the later difficulties with things like manual goalie control help out as well. There’s a crazy set of characters to play as, including Enviro-Bear. Bear is playing hockey, how can this be? --Carter Dotson

The Barman


For the over-21 crowd there are not many things that spice up a good night with friends than sitting back and mixing up a few bar favorites. The obvious caveat is that not everyone is a trained bar tender and a poorly mixed drink can put a damper on a good night. Amazingly there are machines that will mix drinks automatically, but those have a large footprint and, besides being expensive, are cumbersome and hard to clean. Besides, what is the fun of making a good lemon drop if some machine pumps one out automatically. So, get a glass that has all those recipes on the side measured out by volume. Well, the problem here is that there can only be 6-7 mixtures tops, and there are hundreds of drink recipes in the world. Also, those do a poor job at measuring solids like sugar or salt. The answer is The Barman, an ingenious KickStarter project by John Gallagher of Sewell, New Jersey. --Joseph Bertolini

Jones On Fire



Jones on Fire is a fun little runner that will probably have folks doing a double take due to the unique look of the playing characters. It looked very, uh, Lego-ey. And somehow, that wasn’t even the best part. Folks like me who grew up as fans of the iconic chiidren’s building blocks, or have played console games based on their form (like Stars Wars or Batman) will understand. The simplistic block figures were endearing, and I thought they blended well with the unique background. The sharp colors added to the overall experience, with walls of fire retaining a menacing look even while contrasting with localized burns on the ground. I liked the little graphical things, like the look of the game store, decked out with green text and fireman’s pole. The entire atmosphere was almost as enjoyable as the game action itself. --Tre Lawrence

LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Rob Rich on April 26th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar :: HIT THE BRICKS
I am vengeance. I am the night. I am absolutely loving LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes!
Read The Full Review »

Lego Legend of Chima: Speedorz Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Blake Grundman on January 7th, 2013
Our rating: starstarstarblankstarblankstar :: NEEDS MORE GAS
A promising racer that needs a little more content.
Read The Full Review »

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on May 10th, 2012
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: WIZARDRY FUN
The final slice of Harry Potter life for LEGO fans.
Read The Full Review »

LEGO Lens Puts Virtual LEGO Creations Everywhere

Posted by Kevin Stout on May 4th, 2012

Augmented reality (AR) apps frequently pop-up on the App Store giving users a visual experience over our everyday reality. LEGO has recently jumped on the AR game with LEGO Lens. LEGO Lens lets users watch and interact with LEGO creations at various locations in the U.S.

The app shows LEGO creations that are close on a Google Map. Once at the location, the LEGO creations can even be captured in a picture to share with friends. A radar shows the LEGO creations when users are close.

We hopped on LEGO Lens to check out the locations of where these LEGO creations are popping up. There were none in my immediate driving distance (but a fair few in my state). Looking at the pins on the Google Map, there are quite a few places boasting The Avengers & Loki in the sky. The locations that these LEGO AR creations are popping up in include movie theaters (lots of Carmike Cinemas), malls, and stadiums. The LEGO creations are swarming in New York, LA, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Chicago.

It’s important that parents supervise with the use of this app given the GPS capabilities and suggestions to visit the LEGO locations.

Movie Creating Fun With LEGO DC Super Hero Movie Maker

Posted by Jennifer Allen on April 24th, 2012
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Who doesn't love LEGO®? Exactly. It's amazing fun to play with as a child and plenty of adults have fun building creations, too. There are plenty of options when it comes to what to build from vehicles and homes to memorable Star Wars pieces such as the Death Star. One of the latest collaborations is that of LEGO® DC Universe Super Heroes and, amongst other things, the release of LEGO® Super Hero Movie Maker.

The app lets kids (and adults) create their own LEGO stop motion movies. The entire user interface is aimed at kids so it's easy to use with simple tools and guides teaching users how to shoot and edit. A series of title cards featuring characters such as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman add to the experience. Finishing touches such as a choice of pre-recorded soundtracks go one further, as well as color filters.

It all makes for a fun and free way of creating stop motion videos that, of course, will be made all the better with the addition of LEGO® DC Universe Super Heroes toys.

LEGO® Super Hero Movie Maker is out now.

LEGO Hero Factory

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jason Wadsworth on March 12th, 2012
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: COLLECTING IS FUN
Control a Lego Hero in a quest to free the factory from enemy control in this game featuring the Lego Hero Factory toys.
Read The Full Review »