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148Apps 2014 Holiday Shopping Guide for Gamers

Posted by Rob Rich on December 11th, 2014

Welcome, one and all, to another 148Apps holiday shopping guide! Are you having trouble figuring out what to get for a distant relative, new neighbor, or estranged second cousin? Thankfully there are people like us putting together handy-dandy holiday shopping guides for you! Whether you’re looking for new hardware and accessories, or just something a bit less impersonal than an iTunes gift card, we’ve got you covered.

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.

Stormtroopers Grab Your Blaster Rifles - Star Wars: Galactic Defense Has Been Unleashed!

Posted by Jessica Fisher on October 30th, 2014
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad

DeNA, Lucasfilm, and The Walt Disney Company have released Star Wars: Galactic Defense.

Choose to join the light of the dark side in this tower defense game. Players can battle at iconic Star Wars locales and find classic characters as they strive to tip the balance in their side's favor. You can choose to play though the campaign or to connect with your friends online to compete for the top spot on the leader boards.

Star Wars: Galactic Defense adds its own flare to the traditional tower defense genre and brings the excitement that was once limited to a galaxy far, far away, right to your fingertips,“ said Barry Dorf, vice president of partnerships and alliances at DeNA. “The game packs beloved characters, iconic locations, tactical gameplay, and heart-pounding battles into one exciting mobile experience"

You can download Star Wars: Galactic Defense for free from the App Store now.

Star Wars: Commander Adds “Death Troopers” to a New Limited-Time Campaign

Posted by Jessica Fisher on October 27th, 2014
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: CLASH OF THE FORCE :: Read Review »

The scientists of a secret Imperial research facility on Dandoran have reported an "oopsie" - there's outbreak of zombie Death Troopers!

Star Wars: Commander, by Disney, is getting “The Sickness” Campaign for Halloween. Undead Stormtroopers, infected by an Imperial bioweapons project, are terrorizing the Empire and the Rebellion alike.

The update includes 3 new enemies: Death Troopers, Scout Death Troopers, and Heavy Death Troopers. Both sides are also getting new ships. The Rebel Starship Strike - HWK–290 is a freighter outfitted with incendiary bombs to crush infantry units while the Empire Starship Strike - VT–49 Decimator uses firebombs to wash an area with flame.

You can pick up Star Wars: Commander for free on the App Store, and The Sickness will start spreading this Thursday (10/30).

DeNA, Disney, and LucasFilm are Collaborating to Bring Us Star Wars: Galactic Defense

Posted by Jessica Fisher on September 25th, 2014

Three powerhouses, DeNA, Disney, and Lucasfilm, have joined together to develop the upcoming Star Wars: Galactic Defense. The tower defense game is rooted in the Star Wars universe and lets the player choose their allegiance between the light and the dark side.

The game will have four different factions, 100 battle scenarios in locations such as Hoth, Tatooine, and Endor, and over 30 different iconic Star Wars characters for you to control. Destroy wave after wave of enemies in both single player mode and online social events where you can earn rewards with rare bonuses. As you play you will be able to level-up your forces and develop your own strategies. Will you focus on forces skills or drive towards more powerful weapons?

There is no set release date as of yet, but it is said that the game will be coming out later this year. You can pre-register on the Star Wars: Galactic Defense website to help unlock bonus content when the game comes out.

LEGO Star Wars The New Yoda Chronicles Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on September 9th, 2014
Our rating: starstarblankstarblankstarblankstar :: DULL
It's inoffensive enough, but that's the problem for LEGO Star Wars The New Yoda Chronicles. It's actually quite a dull variety of inoffensive.
Read The Full Review »

Star Wars: Commander Receives its First New Content Update Since Launch

Posted by Jessica Fisher on September 5th, 2014
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: CLASH OF THE FORCE :: Read Review »

Disney Interactive and Lucasfilm have released the Chapter 8 update with a limited-time campaign for Star Wars: Commander.

The new campaign has the Empire and Rebels fighting for control of the planet Dandoran. In playing this campaign, Commanders will unlock the Campaign Store that includes the Rebel Vanguard Trooper, Rebel ATAPs (All Terrain Attack Pod), Imperial Shock Trooper, and ATMPs (All Terrain Missile Platform). These new units can use long ranged rocket launchers and specialize in destroying buildings.

The update contains 26 new missions, and players can earn Campaign Points to spend in the store based on the amount of stars earned for beating each mission. Players will also be able to unlock Level 7 Headquarters and accompanying buildings as well as a host of new units such as the Hailfire Droid, Sniper Trooper, and the Mobile Heavy Cannon.

This huge update has a ton of new stuff to explore, so check out Star Wars: Commander for free on the App Store.

Star Wars: Commander Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Jennifer Allen on August 26th, 2014
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: CLASH OF THE FORCE
It's a lot like Clash of Clans, but the use of the Star Wars license means you don't mind so much here.
Read The Full Review »

This Week at 148Apps: August 18-22, 2014

Posted by Chris Kirby on August 25th, 2014

Expert App Reviewers


So little time and so very many apps. What's a poor iPhone lover to do? Fortunately, 148Apps is here to give you the rundown on the latest and greatest releases. And we even have a tremendous back catalog of reviews; just check out the Reviews Archive for every single review we've ever written.

Doctor Who: Legacy

Take the perennially popular Match-3 genre, combine it with a well-loved TV show, and what do you get? Doctor Who: Legacy. That’s all you need to know about it, really. If you enjoy Match-3 games and Doctor Who, you’ll enjoy this. Don’t expect much innovation, though. This is a puzzle game we’ve all played before. Divided up into seasons, you’re able to take The Doctor and his relevant trusty companion on an adventure through time and space by, well, matching gems to defeat Daleks and Cybermen. Yes, it’s a curious use of the license but it kind of works. Deviating from the typical Match-3 path you can move gems anywhere on screen, thereby setting up some great combos. Doctor Who: Legacy keeps it fairly light and easy, but it’s still quite satisfying to take out an enemy in one move. Also, there are special attacks to inflict on your foe that are very loosely Doctor Who-esque. It’s all very typical of the genre but less so of the show. --Jennifer Allen


Hanx Writer

Oscar winning actor, all-around Hollywood nice guy, and now app creator? Is there anything that Tom Hanks can’t do? It appears not. Hanx Writer taps into the actor’s love of old-fashioned typewriters and attempts to bring the nostalgia to your humble iPad. It’s a pretty cool typing app too, even if it’s not going to replace more modern fare. Replicating the typewriting experience, you’re given a form of typewriter for free with more available via in-app purchases. It brings with it the right noises for when you’re typing, as well as the choice to remove the delete key for the true authentic experience. After so many years of not hearing the ‘proper’ noise of keys being hit on a keyboard, it’s kind of cool to hear Hanx Writer replicate those noises from years gone by. --Jennifer Allen


Star Realms

The Blob have arrived, and all who stand against them will be reduced to ash. Their fleets – massive, terrifyingly organic ships – arrive with the catastrophic finality of a lightning strike, decimating anything in their path. The civilized races of the galaxy respond the only way they know how: they form and break alliances, taking the disastrous arrival of the Blob to grab for power. And so the fleets arise, intent on nothing less than total victory. Star Realms started as a deck-building card game of titanic popularity, and this digital adaptation attempts to successfully capture the fast-paced, simple-yet-engaging gameplay of the physical version. For the most part, it succeeds overwhelmingly. Players take turns drawing cards from their ever-increasing decks in order to gain Trade, Authority, and Combat. Trade is spent on new ships, authority acts as the game’s hit points, and combat is used to destroy your opponent’s outpost and damage their Authority. --Andrew Fisher


Assault Vector

Despite marketing positioning it as a turn-based strategy game, Assault Vector feels more like a re-skinned version of some sort of hyper-future checkers where all the other pieces are out to murder you. Players move their ship around a hex-based “sector” of space, trying to either destroy all of the opposing spacecraft or make their way to the green exit gate. Destroying the enemy ships nets you the opportunity to upgrade your own, while making it to the exit space just guarantees safe passage to the next board – without any benefits beyond surviving another day. The player and the enemy fleet alternate turns, moving one hex at a time. Each enemy ship has a firing arc, which can be viewed in red by tapping that specific ship. Most of these are along straight or diagonal lines, but the occasional ship has a circular danger zone surrounding it on all sides. Enemy ships are destroyed by moving into one of their bordering safe hexes, allowing the player’s ship to get the first shot off. Jumping into a hex that’s on the firing line, on the other hand, gets the player’s ship blasted instead, shaving off a point of health. But the player has a couple of other tools on hand to assist, each one usable once per sector. The Hyper Jump allows for one single move of a greater distance than the usual one hex. Similarly, the Neutron Cannon allows one enemy ship to be attacked from a far away, rather than the usual point-blank range. --Rob Thomas


Space Colors

In space, no one can see a ship explode into hundreds of really cool colors. Wait – colors still show up in a vacuum, right? It’s not like sound, or – eh, never mind. What’s really important is that Space Colors by Team Chaos is a fun, fast-paced shooting game that looks great right here on good ol’ Terra. Space Colors is primarily a shooter, but it contains some mild roguelike elements, too. Players travel from planet to planet, each with a randomly-generated mission. There may be asteroids to dispose of, or crates to collect, or enemy forces to trade gunfire with. When players emerge victorious, they’re allowed to move on to the next planet in the system. --Nadia Oxford


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

Freaking Math

Simple games often thrive on phones. The format just suits simple games that can be played for minutes or even seconds when there’s a quiet moment or passing a phone between friends, trying to beat each other’s record. Freaking Math takes simplicity and files it down into something even more simple that simple. The result is a pretty damn simple game that looks like it took a few minutes to make, but is addictive, tough and a bit of fun. Freaking Math is aptly described by its title. It makes you say freaking a lot and it is math. A series of sums appear on a colored screen that may be correct or incorrect. They are always very simple, elementary math level problems, such as 1+1=2 or 2+3=4. There is a tick and a cross button and the object is to tap the button to say whenever the sum is correct or not before time runs out, much like the little known 1977 Atari 2600 game Basic Math. Easy right? The catch is the time limit is literally one second. Taking more than one second to answer the sum or answering it wrong ends the game and displays the high score. The game is hard so games rarely last more than a minute and the game has a distinctly Flappy Bird-ish vibe to it, what with its super simple presentation and short game length. --Allan Curtis


Unpossible

I’m an emotional mess, and it’s all because of Unpossible. On paper, it’s a racing game, but it goes a bit beyond the basic paradigm. It starts from the intro screen, with the dazzling blue interspersed with dark undertones. The background cityscape is bathed in moonlight, and the electric feel is almost tangible in the way it invokes the night. The raceway is a blue-lined dark, tubular affair that extends in seemingly unending fashion over barren land. --Tre Lawrence


Brave Tribe

Brave Tribe is another freemuiem citybuilder, but this one tells the story of a small Celtic village completely surrounded by Romans who like their food and a good fight. If this sounds familiar it sure is. The opening cutscene has a lot of homages to a certain heroic little Gaul and there is even a Monty Python reference squeezed in there. All this personality pretty much disappears when the game begins though. Taking control of a nearly featureless village, the player must build it up into a stronghold capable of supporting stronger warriors and defeating the encroaching Romans. Fighting off the Romans is as simple as tapping on them a few times though at least after the player has waited an hour or two to produce swords. A few basic quests provide direction and additional things to tap on. --Allan Curtis

And finally, this week the guys on Pocket Gamer subjected Peter Molyneux to a grilling, celebrated the return of Flappy Bird's creator Dong Nguyen with a harsh review, experienced disappointment at Clash of Clans clone Star Wars: Commander, and told everybody about Humble's latest charity mobile bundle. Read all of this, and more, right here.

It Came From Canada: Star Wars: Commander

Posted by Jordan Minor on August 22nd, 2014

With a brand new Star Wars trilogy on the horizon, prepare yourselves for Disney and George Lucas’s space fantasy throwback to be more omnipresent than ever before. So it should come as no surprise that new adventures in that galaxy far, far away are coming to mobile as well. The latest example? Star Wars: Commander. We check to see how strong the Force is with this upcoming strategy game in this edition of It Came From Canada!

As much as its creators try to deny it, Star Wars: Commander is Clash of Clans with the Star Wars license. Players begin as independent Tatooine mercenaries who have unfortunately gotten on the bad side of powerful gangster Jabba the Hutt. So to survive, players can either join the Empire as it continues conquering the galaxy or make friends with the Rebels heroically struggling for freedom. Whatever they choose, players then begin building their base and taking on missions.

At their headquarters, players can upgrade new structures and droids to help bolster their forces. Depending on what faction they choose, hero units like Han Solo or giant death machines like AT-ATs will be at their command. With these units, players take on the light real-time strategy missions that make up the game’s single-player campaign. They can also ally with other players or launch offensives against them. However, that means they must remember to keep their own base safe as well by constructing defensive walls and turrets along with deploying strategic air strikes. The missions themselves are brief, easy, and mostly just focus on destruction, but it’s lame how any units brought in can never be used again even if they survive. It leads to needlessly conservative play.

But again, all of this will be familiar to Clash of Clans players. This is mostly just an elaborate Star Wars skin. However, it is hard to deny how great a skin that is. The character models, sound effects, and musical cues are not only fantastic, but almost overwhelmingly nostalgic for the original trilogy.

If this is all part of the master plan to get people excited about Star Wars again, it’s working. Star Wars: Commander is currently in a soft launch phase and will coming to a galaxy near you very soon.

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Star Wars Scene Maker Review

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
By Blake Grundman on June 26th, 2014
Our rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: FREE-ISH
Storytelling at its best. When it comes from your own mind.
Read The Full Review »

Warner Bros celebrates Star Wars Day with "May The 4th Be With You" Promo; Offers Discounted Apps, Trailers and More

Posted by Tre Lawrence on May 2nd, 2014
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: FEELS THE FORCE :: Read Review »

May the Fourth be with you!

Warner Bros Interactive is saying "Happy Star Wars Day" with several goodies for fans of its iconic Star Wars franchise.

This year, "May The Fourth" brings some discounted LEGO Star Wars in-app bundles; the bundles can be acquired now through May 8. Additionally, there is a photo contest in which fans can submit an in-game photograph of their custom minifigure plus a creative caption via the official entry form. There are a number of prizes, including a Death Star Playset, a Hasbro Lightsaber, an iPod Touch, and an iTunes gift card among other prizes. The contest runs from May 4 through May 31. Finally, there is a new trailer out for LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga.

We had an opportunity to check out LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga late last year. It is available for free (with in-app purchases) on the App Store.

Hands-On Preview: Star Wars Pinball: Heroes Within

Posted by Blake Grundman on April 25th, 2014
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar :: TOUR DE FORCE :: Read Review »

As with any good trilogy, all good things must come to an end. Sadly, this is also holds true for Zen Studios’ epic conclusion to their trifecta of pinball DLC packs. The aptly named Star Wars Pinball: Heroes Within releases for iOS on April 29, but we were lucky enough to get a hands-on look slightly before the masses. Will this be the strong finish that the game deserves, or will it end up feeling a bit more like “Revenge of the Sith,” than “Return of the Jedi?”

Leading off the pack is the most predictable in the pipeline: “Episode IV: A New Hope.” This brings a close to the trio of tables focused on honoring the original films in the franchise, and boy does it send things off in style. Fans of the “Empire Strikes Back” adaption included in the game’s base download will find the design of a central loop ramp rather familiar. That said, flanking ramp layouts make this outing appear far more symmetrical, with the exception of the additional left ramp. The main tweak to Zen’s existing formula is the ability for players to channel their inner Bambino and call their shot, so to speak, and select which ramp they would like to use for their post-launch skillshot. As per Zen’s usual mantra, the feature is nothing game changing, but it is just different enough to keep things fresh. Other highlighted elements include the return of mini-games involving a Tusken Raider or two, a slew of missions inspired by the plot of the groundbreaking film, and even a mini Death Star trench run. Considering that this film is where the magic began, it surprisingly also acts as a strong final act under these circumstances.

After dedicating a table to one specific film, it only seems appropriate to follow that up with a table focused the Droids that have incidentally appeared in every installment of the franchise. The core plot revolves around R2-D2 trying to get the Death Star plans safely into the hands of “Old Ben” Kenobi. Flanked by his trusty companion C-3PO, the duo navigate their way across the massive deserts of Tatooine. In the process, they come in contact with Jawas, sabotage and escape from a sandcrawler, and aid several other droids in need. Every aspect of this fast-paced ramp-heavy layout oozes personality and stays true to the series’ narrative - 3PO never shuts the hell up. But that is a good thing, right?

What would a last look at Star Wars be without something dedicated to the most important Jedi and Sith? The Masters of the Force table manages to do just that by bringing together the likes of Yoda, Count Dooku, Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Sidious, Darth Maul, and several others, all in the name of reliving the biggest battles throughout the series. Oddly enough, most of the combat reenactments take a more simplistic and “old school” approach, employing what amounts to cardboard cutouts of the combatants that double as targets to either hit or avoid, instead of utilizing the resource-intensive fully rendered characters found across the other offerings in this collection. In another interesting side note, the way that the Jedi Holocron is used to capture the ball and transition between alternate modes loosely harkens back to the magnetic trunk in the classic Bally/Midway table, “Theatre of Magic.” It is hard to put a finger on why, but this decidedly more grounded table feels like something that the Zen series has been missing for quite some time and is a welcome deviation from their current design philosophies.

Bringing the collection to a close is none other than everyone’s favorite “scruffy looking nerf herder,” Han Solo. If there was ever a quip, mannerism, or action that the character was known for, most likely it will be featured on this table. Han teams up with his infallible protector Chewbacca to relive the many moments that made him an amazing anti-hero and cultural icon. Of course, the Millennium Falcon is prominently on display in the top middle of the playfield and can even be taken out for a minigame test flight, bobbing and weaving through an asteroid field. Heck, the player even has the opportunity to engage in a shootout in the Mos Eisley Cantina! Guess it is high time to find out who really shot first.

As has always been the case with Star Wars Pinball, each environment is lavishly populated with nods to the lore that will no doubt please hardcore and casual fans alike. The voice acting continues to be fantastic, once again breathing life and credibility into the Force-inspired experience. It's a good thing that this is the last pack of DLC, because topping Heroes Within would be a tall order. No Jedi mind tricks are needed here, because each table’s midichlorian counts are off the scale.

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star Updated - Adds Over 100 New Missions, New Events System, and Rewards

Posted by Andrew Stevens on February 7th, 2014
+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Our rating: starstarstarstarblankstar :: FULLY ARMED AND OPERATIONAL :: Read Review »

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star comes marching in with an imperial update that reworks the Imperial Assignments system to provide players with over 100 new missions. There is also a new events system in place to handle the number of different types of events that arrive weekly. Users can even enjoy new rewards like VIPs, Imperial Bux, Costumes, Levels, and Characters. Now go continue the Imperial march!

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 »

Star Wars: Assault Team - Disney Announces New Turn-Based Strategy and Card Battler Set in the Original Trilogy

Posted by Andrew Stevens on January 28th, 2014

Disney has announced that a new Star Wars game is on the way, titled Star Wars: Assault Team. It's said that players will be able to collect classic characters from the Rebel Alliance and more in this turn-based combat game that focuses on strategy and card-battle elements. Missions will have players visiting planets and locations from the original trilogy this spring when the game releases on iOS.