What do I have to do?

The objective of this game is simple – pop the ‘Bloons’ with a dart (that’s thrown by you (a monkey)). You control the angle and the power that the dart is thrown at. However, you have to beat a target of ‘bloons’ that you must pop, and there are obstacles in your way, such as walls, you also have a limited amount of darts to throw.

How do I control the speed and angle that the dart is thrown at?

You control everything with your finger. Put your finger on the screen, this is how you begin aiming. You should also see an arrow on the screen. Move the arrow in the direction you wish to throw the dart. Slide your finger across the screen to adjust the power of the throw.

Is there anything else I need to watch out for?

Throughout the game there are special bloon types. These bloons contain different abilities and each has its own special effect. Some of the special bloons are:

• Tack bloons

• Bonus Dart bloons

• Ice bloons

• Triple shot bloon

• Spikey bloon

I mentioned earlier that there were obstacles in your way, such as walls. You were probably wondering what I meant so, here are the wall types:

• Solid blocks

• Breakable blocks

• Rubber Blocks

So, lets get into the review…

When you tap on the icon that looks like this:

You will see some loading screens (that could be classed as adverts) for ‘digital goldfish’ and ‘www.ninjakiwi.com’. You will then see a screen that looks like this:

In ‘options’ you get to choose your music volume and the Sound FX volume

In ‘help’ you get some instructions

In ‘about’ you get the application version number (1.0 at the time of writing this review), and some other licensing information.

And, when you tap ‘play’, you have to choose the save slot that you would like to use, there are 3, so three players can play the game at the same time, without interrupting the others. When you have chosen that, you need to select a level:

As you can see I am at level 20, I cannot play level 21 yet, as I haven’t finished 20. I can, though, go back and play the levels that I have already completed. So, I want to play level 20. I tap on the number ’20′, and then I get a preview of the level. To play the level, just click ‘play’, if you don’t want to play that level, click ‘close’. If you have tapped ‘Play’, then you will see the level, it will look something like this:

I am the monkey. That is where the darts will be fired from. At the bottom of the screen (from left to right), you can see that I am playing level 20, and it’s called ‘Ice Cave’. I have 4 darts left. I haven’t popped any bloons yet, my target is 36 bloons and on previous tries I have only managed to pop 70% of the bloons.

On the right of the screen you have the option to reset the level, and a Menu button. The menu button takes you back to the main menu – it is NOT a pause button!

All in all, this is a great portable version of the great game ‘Bloons’, it is addictive and fun! I would definitely recommend paying 59p (99c) for this great application!

You can download the application here

Oh, by the way – there’s a secret level when you have completed all 50 of the other levels!

Wow! I can talk to my mates on IM now, in an application that costs less than BeeJive IM… can’t I?

No, you can’t. IRC (Internet Chat Relay)  is a way to connect to a chatroom that is hosted on a server (e.g Wyldryde). However, this application could be used for an IM conversation if you did this:

1. Tweet/let people know that you are in the IRC chatroom, and invite people to it.
2. Give the URL of the chat
3. Start having a conversation!

But I don’t want the hassle of using Wyldryde!

Go to UStream.tv then! Ustream is a hassle-free live streaming website, however, they provide you with an IRC chatroom, there are plenty of tutorials on how to connect to this chat room, on the internet (including this one: it doesn’t matter that this person is using a different IRC client, the settings are still the same).

Why am I saying this?

I am saying this because some people think that IRC is a way to connect to friends via IM clients such as MSN.

So, onto the app review.

When you tap the icon that looks like this:

You should see a screen that looks like this:

When you tap the ‘+’ symbol (top left), you will be asked to put in all of the information that the app needs to connect to the chatroom, for Ustream this is:

Host Name: chat1.ustream.tv

Description: (anything that you want the connection to be called)

Nickname: (anything that you want to be called in the chatroom)

Real Name: (your name)

Connection at launch: (do you want to connect automatically?)

Join rooms: the name of a chatroom (#…..), however, when I did it this way, it created problems (another way will be given soon)

When you have put all of the information in, tap ‘Connect’

Then, at the bottom of the screen, tap ‘Colloquies’, you should see your Chatroom that you entered with all of the other settings.

What to do if you didn’t add your chatroom with the other settings

Tap ‘+’, then tap ‘Join a Chatroom’, then enter the chatroom name (#….), then tap ‘Join’

To enter a chatroom, just tap it, you will then see the chat.

To type, just tap the white box towards the bottom of the screen, and a keyboard pops up, this application also works in landscape. To send the message, just tap ‘Send’, on the keyboard.

I am an operator in the chatroom, what does this app allow me to do?

To access your operator settings, tap the icon with the three people on it (top right). This then gives you a list of all of the people in the chat. If you want to do something to someone in the chat called, say, ‘Nick’, tap Nick’s name, then, ‘Operator Actions…’ You then have quite a few choices:

• Kick from room
• Ban from room
• Promote to operator
• Premote to Half-Operator
• Grant Voice

Of course, if Nick is an operator, these options would be slightly different.

What else can I do with this app?

You can send them a private message within the chat, all you have to do is tap the icon with the three people on it, in the top right hand corner, then ‘Send Message’.

Anything else?

Yes, you can get some information about that user, such as how long they have been connected for and their host name.

You can also be connected to different rooms at once, just add them in the ‘Colloquies’ menu.

What about if I put something like ‘:D’ in the chat?

If you put that into the chat, the actual emoticon would come up on your screen, if the other people were in an IRC client, such as Colloquy, they would see the emoticon as well.

Have you had any problems with this app?

None, whatsoever! This app has run very well!

What are the speeds like?

In my tests, it takes 1.5(ish) seconds for a piece of text to come through from my laptop, to my iPhone – these are excellent speeds! The speeds are very good on 3G as well.

Would you recommend this app?

Definitely! If you use IRC a bit, then this is the app for you! It’s a lot like a destop IRC client… just in your hand!

You can download the application here

What does this app do?

This app lets you send a Business Card as a picture file, via E-Mail. This application lets you create your business card as well.

When you tap the icon that looks like this:

You will see a screen that looks like this:

This screen is where you put all of the information that you want the Business Card to have. When you have tapped ‘Save Card’ you will see a notification that says ‘Press Power and Home To Capture Screen Touch Screen to Exit Capture’.

So, hang on… this app is basically just a picture? Yeah

But I could do that VERY easily in Fireworks, myself (and probably at a better standard).

Here is what a sample business card looks like (using the application):

The picture at the top of the business card is customisable, but it squashes it – very dramatically!

Have you had any problems with this app?

Sort of, yes. When you are browsing for photos, the top bar is too high, which means that sometimes, it is impossible to say go back from the Camera Roll, to Pictures.

To make this business card look more professional, you would have to import it into a photo editing program on your computer, and crop out the bar at the top of the screen that gives the time, battery life etc.

What do You think of this application?

I think that this application is far too simple, the quality of the business card is poor, you would not want to send this to anyone, if you were a respectable businessman/woman (even if you were a dustbin man, you would be ashamed to email this to anyone). Personally, I think that the feel of a really well made business card is something that cannot be beaten by an e-Business Card.

When you tap the icon that looks like this:

You will see a ‘Gameloft’ screen, then a loading screen and then a ‘Tap Screen to Start’ page. When you tap the screen, you have 4 options:

Play

Play the game

More Games!

Shows you (in a very cool interface – that’s worthy of an app of its own) what Gameloft’s bestsellers are, What’s new from Gameloft, Gameloft’s catalog (American spelling!) and a way for you to Feedback to Gameloft.

Options

Gives you options to change the Sound, Crosshairs and Language.

i

‘About’ – tells you about the game

‘Help’ – instructions

If you have just pressed play, they you will see a list of different difficulties. At the moment, only ‘Normal’ and ‘Hard’ are unlocked, you have to unlock ‘Survivor’, ‘Reload’ and ‘Sniper’.

How do I unlock the other difficulties?

You have to complete the difficulty before it eg. Complete the ‘Reload’ difficulty, before you unlock the ‘Sniper’ difficulty

When you have chosen the difficulty that you would like, tap it. You will then see a screen like this:

The red numbers are Levels that you need to play, as you can see, the next level I need to play is Level 2, to unlock Level 2, you need to complete Level 1. To play the level, just tap it. Then tap the stages on the right – in Level 1′s case, it is ‘Moving Targets’, ‘Flying Sombreros’ and ‘Train Attack’. You willl have to complete all of these to unlock Level 2.

When you have tapped the Level that you would like to play on, you will see a ‘Tap Screen To Start’ page. Then you are straight into the game, you will see a little information bubble, telling you what you have to do. To skip this, just tap the screen.

How do I shoot?

It’s extremely simple! All you have to do is Tap the Screen – wherever you tap, is where the bullet goes.

What do I shoot?

You just have to shoot the targets however, you get money/points for shooting anything and everything!

What does the ‘battlefield’ look like?!

The first stage of Level 2

Have you had any problems with this application?

None at all! Gameloft seem to make extremely stable apps, and Wild West Guns is no different!

This application is so addictive, people on this application’s page, have commented, saying  that they got on the bus, started the app, and then got so engrossed in the game, that they nearly missed their stop! However, I feel that this game is a bit easy, but, it is extremely fun!

You can download the app here

Hi Guys! Today I am going to be doing a review of the £3.49 ($5.99) application, Ferrari GT: Evolution, by Gameloft. This app is basically a racing game. The application’s page on iTunes says ‘Join the elite circle of Ferrari owners and take part in exclusive races around the globe’.

When you tap the icon that looks this:

You will see the ‘gameloft’ logo, at this point you can turn your iPhone/iPod Touch horizontally, or you can keep it vertical. You will then see the ‘Ferrari Official Licensed Product’ logo, which means that Ferrari have licensed it. When this screen has passed, you will see a short video clip of the game, you can skip this by tapping on the screen, and pressing the ‘Fast Forward/Next’ button, just like you would on a normal video on the iPhone/iPod Touch. You will then see a ‘Tap the  Screen to Continue’ page, when you have done that, you will be at the main menu, this is what it looks like:

Down the left hand side, you have 4 different options:

Quick Race

Jump straight into the race, with the Car, City and Race Type selected for you, however you can change these by selecting them on the right of the screen (in the Quick Race menu)

Career

Play the game, with a storyline to it

Multiplayer

At the moment, you can only play with people near you who have the app, but Gameloft are saying that over-the-internet multiplayer will be available soon.

Options

You can change settings, such as: Sound Options, Visual Options and Car Options. You can also change the language.

So, lets say that you have just clicked on ‘Career’, you will then be asked to enter a username, just click on the white box to do this. When you have typed it in, tap return, then OK. You will then see a quote, and ‘Touch the screen to continue’ at the bottom of the screen. When you have touched the screen, you will see ‘Ferrari Info’, these are just little facts about Ferrari, when the game has finished loading, you will see another ‘Touch the screen to continue’, when you have done this, you will be into your very first race!

When you start the racing, the controls are a bit weird, as the default settings are that you do not use the accelerometer. To change this, press the steering wheel icon, at the top of the screen, you then get the options. My settings are ‘Controls: Accelerometer’ ‘Auto Accelerate: OFF’  ‘Settings: Dynamic’, ‘Control Sensitivity: All the way up (still isn’t sensitive enough!)’ this basically means that you get to control braking, accelerating and steering. Tap ‘Back’ to return to the race.

One of the great things about Ferrari’s is the fact that you can change the ‘Mode’ that it’s in, eg: Sport, Race, Ice and Skid. You can also do this on Ferrari GT: Evolution, by tapping the middle of the screen, while your in the middle of the race. Just tap the mode you want, then tap the centre button, to return you to the race. Below is what one of the levels looks like.

When you have completed the race, you will be asked to tap the screen (again!), when you have done this, you will be given your ‘Best lap time’, to carry onto the Career Menu, tap the screen. You will see this screen when it has loaded:

‘Archives‘ lets you choose a car, and read about it.

‘E-Mail‘ is the way that opponents, and your instructor communicates with you

‘Contacts‘ will be added when they E-Mail you.

‘Calendar‘ will become available when opponents have emailed you with events.

Down the right hand side, you have these categories:

Statistics

Gives you what level you are on, percentage of the game completed, races played and races won.

Garage

Change your car, and the colour – note: you must have the credit for them, you earn credit by winning races.

Trophies

Trophies that you have won by winning races.

Have you had any problems with this app?

Only the one, where the app froze, leading to me have to restart my iPhone

I love this app! It’s so time-consuming and addicting! However, the sensitivity of the accelerometer needs to be adjusted, when the sensitivity bar is all the way to the top, it still takes a while to turn the car. I would definitely recommend buying this app!!

You can download this app here (US)

and here (UK)

Hey Guys! Today I am reviewing the £2.99 ($4.99) app, called ‘Payback’ by Apex Designs. ‘Payback is a critically acclaimed GTA-style game’.

When you tap the icon, that looks like this:

You will see a night-time scene, with ‘Payback’ in the top right hand corner. You will then see an ‘Apex Designs’ animation. Finally, you will see an Intro video – to skip this, tap the screen. When these have passed, you will see the main menu.

You have the options to:

Play

When you press this, you get the options of :

Story

You have to play all of the game.

Challenge

You have to get a certain amount of points

Rampage

Complete certain tasks that have been given to you

Load Game

Loads previously saved games

Profile

Change everything that your account on the app has:

Change Name

Change your name on the app

Create New

Create a new account on the app

Delete

Delete the account on the app

Options

Change the settings such as the camera height and a rotating map

Extras

This gives you the options to ‘View Intro’ ‘Credits’ and ‘Stats’.

Quit

Quit the application.

When you have chosen the type of game you would like to play (in the ‘Play’ Menu), you will see a spinning city in the middle, this is the level, if you tap on to the right of the screen, you will see a different level, but this one has to be unlocked. The first level that you see, is the only one that can be played – before you unlock any. Press play, underneath the spinning city.

You will then see the name of the level. Then, you will see something like this:

How do I move?

You have to press the arrows on the right of the screen, up is forward, down is backwards.

How do I punch/shoot people?

To punch, you just tap the ‘punch’ button at the left of the screen, to shoot, you have to have a gun, tap the top left of the screen (to change the weapon). Then press ‘Fire’ – where the ‘Punch’ button was.

When you start the game, you have to go to the phones, to receive your first challenge. When you are at the phones, just walk up to one, and you will then receive your instructions.

You are told that you will get to the challenge faster, if you drive. To do this, you have to walk up to a car, then press ‘Enter Vehicle’ on the left of the screen. When you are in the vehcle, you will notice that the ‘Punch’ button on the left, changes to ‘Horn’, if you are in a Police car, it will have changed to ‘Siren’.

How do I move the car?

Exactly the same as walking, up is accelerate and down is reverse.

When you get to the location of the challenge (by following the arrow) you will be given instructions on what to do.

Have you had any problems with the app?

It has crashed once, and that was the first time that I had launched it, after downloading it. Apart from that, it has been perfect!

What is coming in later versions of this app?

There should be:

• A much improved minimap
• An easy way to restart missions
• Built-in instructions
• Optional new camera angle
• Support for different device orientations for more comfortble use

I am looking forward to the much improved minimap, as the one that is used now, is extremely hard to understand!

What have other people said about this app?

‘Payback is a solid GTA-clone for the iPhone. Lots of guns, lots of driving, and really, really solid graphically’  – Gizmodo

‘Payback could well be the best GTA Clone you’ve never heard of… there’s absolutely no reason not to get in on this superbly crafted videogame’ – 91%, GamesTM (GP2X)

This is probably the most addicting iPhone app I have ever played. The graphics are great and the types of challenges vary so much, that you want to keep playing just to see what the next one is! Even though it is £2.99 ($4.99), I would recommend it to anybody – especially if you like GTA.

You can download the app here (US)

Or here (UK)

When you tap the icon:

You will see a screen that says ‘Loading’, when that has passed you will see the Menu. At the top of the screen, you have shapes that look like this (circled in red):

If you swipe from right to left you get more of these shapes. These ‘shapes’ are the different difficulties that you can play the game on. These range from ‘Cabin Boy’ (easy) to ‘Grand Admiral’ (very hard!). Underneath these icons you have the different Missions that you can play:

Classic

Try and stop the other coloured army from taking over the galaxy. You do this by sending your green army’s ships to planets that have been taken over by the other army.

Stealth

Very much like ‘Classic’, but you cannot see the other army’s ships attacking other planets.

Vacuum

You have to try and take over all of the planets within a certain amount of time.

Beast

The other coloured army start with a lot of planets, you have to try and defeat them.

3 Way

Very much like ‘Classic’ but instead of trying to defeat one army, you have to defeat two.

Net Game

Lets you play against your friends via WiFi (local and worldwide)

Underneath these you will see three more planet shaped icons. Underneath the one on the left it says ‘Help’. When you tap it you will see an introduction to the game. If you continue to tap the screen you will see descriptions of the planets, fleets, missions and credits. To return to the main menu, continue to tap the screen.

Next to help you will see ‘Settings’. This page is rather pointless, as it says that you need to go to Settings > Galcon, to change the settings.

Next to settings, there is ‘Ranks’, this takes you to a Safari page where there is a leaderboard showing the number of points someone has, the number of wins, the number of rounds played and the % Wins.

When you have chosen the Mission that you would like to play, tap it. Depending on the mission that you have chosen, the screen will look something like this:

To send ships to other planets, drag your finger from the planet you want the ships to leave (must be one of your planets) to the planet you want then to attack, then let go.

If you press the pause button in the top right hand corner, you will get 4 different options: ‘Resume’, ‘Restart’, ‘New Map’ and ‘Menu. The only option that i feel, needs to be explained, is the ‘New Map’. This creates a new layout of planets, but keeps your mission type, and difficulty setting.

Have you had any problems with this app?

This app has been pretty good but it has crashed once.

This app is a great app if you are bored! It really fills the time. I would definately recommend getting it!

You can download the app here (America)

Or here (UK)

THIS WEEKS HIGH SCORE:

20570

When you tap on the icon, that looks like this:

You will see a loading screen that has got the developer’s name and some licensing stuff on it. This screen goes away within five seconds. You will then see a screen that looks like this:

It has got the four different types of pinball tables. They are ‘Ignition’, ‘Steel Wheel’, ‘Beat Box’ and ‘Nightmare’. They do all have small similarities with each other though.

Once you have chosen which table you would like to play on, tap it. You will then see the table, it will look something like this:

To start the ball around the table, you need to swipe down the the right hand side of your screen, then let go. The further down the screen you go, the harder tha ball comes out.

To control the paddles at the bottom of the table, just tap which ever one you want to flap.

There is no obvious ‘Settings’ button but, once you have chosen which table you would like to use, and tapped it (as if you were just going to play the game normally) you can then tap in the right hand corner, this brings up three options: ‘Music’, ‘Sound Effects’ and ‘Classic Graphics’. Classic Graphics just changes the background of the table.

Have you had any problems with this application?

Well, I have had a rather large problem with this application – it’s a bit laggy. Sometimes, I tap the screen, so that one of the paddles comes up, but it doesn’t do anything, until about a second later. Also, the ball seems to stop and start as it’s travelling.

Have I got to keep the my iPhone/iPod Touch portrait to play the game?

No, it can be landscape, but I prefer portrait because it fills the screen. In landscape mode, you have two black bars down the side.

I think this is a good application, but a couple of bugs need to be fixed. I also think that it’s a bit pricey for what it is, it’s just 4 pinball tables, where all you do is tap in two different places to control the paddles. It is quite fun though!

You can download this application here (UK)

Or here (US)