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Tag: Line drawing »

Pollen Count HD Review

iPad App - Designed for iPad
By Jennifer Allen on August 3rd, 2011
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: BEE-AUTIFUL
Pollen Count HD offers Flight Control style gameplay but with much more to it than that
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Glo Flo Review

iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad
By Jennifer Allen on May 10th, 2011
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: SIMPLE BUT FUN
Glo Flo is a puzzle game based all around guiding glow-worms to each other
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Cart Cow Review

iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad
By Jennifer Allen on March 30th, 2011
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: PHYSICS BASED FUN
Cart Cow is a line drawing physics based game. It focuses on the trials and tribulations of a cow stuck in a shopping cart
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Rainbow Pony Review

iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad
By Jennifer Allen on January 24th, 2011
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: CUTESY FUN
Rainbow Pony offers simple line drawing fun at an inexpensive price.
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Shape It * Connect & Make Review

iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad
By Chris Hall on January 13th, 2011
Our rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar :: SO FUN
Shape It won't wow you with killer graphics or Hollywood sounds, but it is really fun.
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Virus Strike Review

iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad
By Jennifer Allen on November 24th, 2010
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: FUN
Virus Strike is a fun twist on the Match three genre.
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Who Spilled Line Drawing in My Match Three?

Posted by Blake Grundman on November 4th, 2010
iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: FUN :: Read Review »

Lets just face facts and admit that as much as we would like to believe otherwise, the "match three" puzzle game is here to stay.  The success of the gametype could be chocked up to everything from its simple to grasp concepts to the use of bright colors and often flashy animations, but the problem is that no developers are willing to mess with the formula.  Hoping to take the nauseatingly stagnant bull by the proverbial horns, a new game named Virus Strike looks to change all of that in one quick swoop of their handkerchief.  How are they hoping to breath new life into the stagnant genre?  The answer is simple: give it a personal touch. Well, line drawing controls at least.

While much of the competition fumbles with fake analog sticks and gimmicky finger shuffling, Vertigo Software may be onto something with their unique new line drawing scheme that has more in common with Flight Control than it does Tetris.  To help you better wrap your brain around how this awesomely simple schema works, glance over the brief gameplay footage below:


After viewing that video, I think it would be reasonable to assume that we have never controlled a "match three" in quite this manner.  This may be the kind of change that has been needed for quite some time.  Though, I do have to say that I have some concerns over the precision of the above methods; if nothing else, it will give a much needed change of pace that could further drive innovation.


Place your bets on how long these controls are exclusively in Virus Strike.  Sadly, I am guessing it will be not long at all before someone from a larger publisher "borrows" it.  However, the genre may be better off because of it.  Be sure to give credit where it is deserved and take the innovator out for a test spin.  The game will only stay free for a limited time.


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Bee Patrol Review

iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad
By Jennifer Allen on November 2nd, 2010
Our rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar :: BRILLIANT
Like Flight Control, but with bees
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Cat Run Review

iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad
By Bonnie Eisenman on July 26th, 2010
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: CATTY FUN
Cat Run is a brilliantly illustrated line-drawing game that relies on obstacles to make things difficult instead of complicated, tangled paths. But while helping cats cross the road is still fun, it's not quite challenging enough for my tastes.
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Train Conductor 2 Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Chris Hall on July 25th, 2010
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: WANT MORE
Train Conductor 2 is a fun game that is just begging for more people to see and places to go.
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Train Conductor 2: USA Hits App Store

Posted by Chris Hall on July 14th, 2010
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: WANT MORE :: Read Review »

The Voxel Agent's Train Conductor 2: USA has launched for all iDevices, big and small. The sequel to the hit, Train Conductor, steps out of the developers home country of Australia, and into some of the most famous train stops in the US, including the Grand Canyon, Nashville, Las Vegas and New York City.

"Far from a simulation, TC2 is all about quick strategic decisions and superior hand-eye coordination as players guide locomotives across the horizontal tracks while avoiding head-on collisions with other trains. Several types are available: steam trains, electric subway trains, monorails, ghost trains and even “skull trains.”"

Also included in the app is a survival mode, something that we found was lacking in the first edition, improved menu art, a simplified HUD (heads-up display), new music, new train models, a different look for stopped trains and varied environmental and weather effects.

If line drawing/traffic management games are your cup o' tea, you can pick up Train Conductor 2: USA in the App Store today for only $0.99.

Fare City Review

iPhone App - Designed for iPhone, compatible with iPad
By Bonnie Eisenman on June 28th, 2010
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: TAXI MAYHEM!
Fare City is a line-drawing game with a taxi twist. It's a lot of fun and offers tons of options. Just be aware that you need to sink some time into this one; it's not for quick sessions!
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The Battle of Pirate Bay HD Review

iPad App - Designed for iPad
By Chris Kirby on June 3rd, 2010
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: EXTENDED PLAY
For an additional $2, the iPad version has Plus integration, better graphics, a tutorial and another difficulty level.
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Super 7 Review

Posted by Chris Hall on May 11th, 2010
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

Developer: No Monkeys
Price: $0.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0.0

Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Game Controls Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar

[rating:overall]

I took a nap the other day, the kind of nap that is taken out of necessity, not out of boredom. About an hour later, I was woken up by the horrific thought of a 5 and a 3 colliding, a real tragedy given the circumstances. I had previously been playing Super 7 for a few hours and had just gotten into the global top 100 before a stray 5 hit a stray 3... it was time for a nap, my brain was done.

It's not often that I get so caught up in games that they give me nightmares. I think I had an Orbital nightmare a few months back, but that may be it. Much like Orbital, Super 7 mixes intensely simple gameplay with complete unpredictability to create a "time waster" that will have you blowing hours of your life instead of minutes. Super 7 might be on the same "addict" scale as Minesweeper, and that's saying something.

The idea behind Super 7 is that you must mix heptagons together to get to the number 7. You are given an open screen and right off the bat, the game starts (albeit slowly) shooting heptagons out. They come at you in a variety of numbers, from the negative numbers all the way to six, along with x2 and x3 multipliers and a +/- multiplier. To bring them together, you use line drawing a la Flight Control, allowing you to move multiple shapes together at any given time. While the game is simple at first, it quickly becomes very difficult once you realize that when you mix numbers together, the heptagon gets bigger. Fortunately, the larger the heptagon is when it gets to 7, the more points you get, but it's daunting to see a monstrous heptagon that is made up of 9 heptagons blended together floating across the screen like the Hindenburg, just waiting to burst into flames.

Also like Orbital, and this is oddly important to me, is a constant reminder in the top right corner of your highest score. Super 7 takes this one step further though by showing you the next highest score on your local high score list and, once you've beaten all of those scores, shows the next highest global score than you can try to beat. Being a super competitive stat junky, it drives me crazy when I don't get into my top 7 (the game only tracks your top 7, going along with the 7 theme). It's also nice to have a game with a global high score that seems obtainable. It's never nice to get into a game only to realize that the high score was obviously hacked. I'm still quite a ways off the top score, but I'm holding out hope that one day the stars will align and I will be sitting on top.

All in all, I would say that Super 7 is a must buy game, particularly at its 99 cent price point. I personally haven't seen a more addictive experience on the iPhone in 2010, and given the amount of games I play, that's really saying something. The only thing that I would add on if they decide to do a major update or a sequel would be some sort of battle multiplayer mode. I could just imagine getting a 11 part heptagon completed and seeing my friends screen get swamped with heptagon 6's. Oh the joys of beating your friends.

Go on and pick this one up today, you won't regret it.

Drift Sumi-e Review

By Robert Corra on April 15th, 2010
Line-drawing, ink & wash paintings, and drift racing are melded for a pretty, albeit shallow experience. Drift Sumi-e is too rough around the edges to be considered a true stroke of genius.
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