Neat iPhone apps

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Is anyone playing Dragonvale on the iPhone?

Edit - I am looking for some friends since that appears to be the best way to get gems without spending money.

Never heard of it. I'll try giving it a go this weekend...

/tk

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Never heard of it. I'll try giving it a go this weekend...

/tk

It is a freebie, a lot like Farmville, but you are running a dragon zoo of sorts.

It has micro-transactions for stuffs. I don't want to spend any $$$. Having some friends that play makes that easier.

[spleen1015]

Man, I feel like I am late to the cool party.

I just found Pocket Frogs today and it is pretty cool considering it is a game about frogs.

[Marmel]

'King Cashing' is a slot machine RPG.

The developer said he came up with the idea while playing Game Dev Story.
It reminds me a little bit of Swords & Poker but without the decision making of placing cards. Instead you spin a slot machine and is mostly luck based (although you can time the reels and stop them when you want). You also level up your characters, buy items in the store and level up the number of slot spins you get each round.

It is short, but fun as hell and I couldn't put it down for a couple of days. I gave it 5 stars.

[FrogMan]

after going on a big Kairosoft kick over the last week or so (Grand Prix Story and Pocket Academy mainly), I discovered this little gem today:
App Shopper: Steambirds: Survival (Games)

pretty neat turn based air battle game, and it's free

FM

[Neon_Chaos]

Originally Posted by FrogMan

after going on a big Kairosoft kick over the last week or so (Grand Prix Story and Pocket Academy mainly), I discovered this little gem today:
App Shopper: Steambirds: Survival (Games)

pretty neat turn based air battle game, and it's free

FM

I played the flash version for hours before. Glad to see this has come out on iOS, and free too.

[Peregrine]

Steambirds has been out for quite some time - I have it, but found that it got harder and harder to win - haven't tried it in a while but will soon.

[Raiders Army]

Originally Posted by Marmel

'King Cashing' is a slot machine RPG.

The developer said he came up with the idea while playing Game Dev Story.
It reminds me a little bit of Swords & Poker but without the decision making of placing cards. Instead you spin a slot machine and is mostly luck based (although you can time the reels and stop them when you want). You also level up your characters, buy items in the store and level up the number of slot spins you get each round.

It is short, but fun as hell and I couldn't put it down for a couple of days. I gave it 5 stars.

Got it and thanks. I'd recommend this game as well. It's fun. I don't think I can time it right, so I just hit the stop buttons.

[Marmel]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

Got it and thanks. I'd recommend this game as well. It's fun. I don't think I can time it right, so I just hit the stop buttons.

It has a bit of replayability, if only to try and beat your previous best. I had some lucky spins at the end this morning and cleared the game in 55 turns, which would rank around top 10 in the game center, but I had turned game center off so it didn't record it.

I think the key is to load up on the extra xp bonuses and max out the cherries as quick as possible then work on leveling the characters. After that, use the extra characters/enemies bonus to make it easier to get hits. Finally, I sacrifice some damage on the weapons for having them come out more often (indicated by the stars). 20 time 4 stars better than 24 times 3 stars, I think.

[Raiders Army]

Originally Posted by Marmel

It has a bit of replayability, if only to try and beat your previous best. I had some lucky spins at the end this morning and cleared the game in 55 turns, which would rank around top 10 in the game center, but I had turned game center off so it didn't record it.

I think the key is to load up on the extra xp bonuses and max out the cherries as quick as possible then work on leveling the characters. After that, use the extra characters/enemies bonus to make it easier to get hits. Finally, I sacrifice some damage on the weapons for having them come out more often (indicated by the stars). 20 time 4 stars better than 24 times 3 stars, I think.

I've been neglecting the xp bonuses and cherries. I was working towards the extra gold, characters/enemies. I'll have to try that.

I have been going with the lower damage value/higher percentage than the higher damage value/lower percentage though, and that's working out well.

[Raiders Army]

dola, and some of those monsters are really tough that give a lot of gold and you need at least a silver to unlock them.

[FrogMan]

I'm surprised nobody ever mentioned Instapaper in this thread, or in any other thread on FOFC, except for one tiny mention in the iPad thread. It's an awesome little thing.

I've come to like Twitter to get my sports info, especially day to day stuff about the NFL and often, someone will post a link to a blog or an article. Reading some of those on my iPhone wasn't too easy so I got used to click the "Read Later" button within the Twitter app and then would go to instapaper.com to read the reformatted article. Caved in this week and paid the 4.99$ for the app and it is really nice. Makes reading most articles about the same as reading a book with the kindle app.

On the gaming side of things, I bought PuzzleQuest Chapter 1&2 that is currently on sale for $1.99 although anybody could also decide to only get chapter 1 that is available for free for a limited time.

I also bought Pocket RPG for the iPhone this morning, on sale for 99 cents and it's a pretty neat hack & slash type game, even if 148apps described it as a bit shallow. I find it fun and entertaining in small doses. The universal edition is also on sale, down from $4.99 to $2.99.

FM

[terpkristin]

Huh, I have Pocket RPG on my phone right now, haven't tried it yet.
I'm finding my most-played games are still Words with Friends, Carcassone, Siege Hero (my favorite version of that genre) and HR Battle 3D.

/tk

[Neon_Chaos]

Edo Towns by Kairosoft is out in English now!

WOOTWOOT.

[Izulde]

Was hoping it'd be Pocket League Story port.

Oh well, I'll still buy this.

[QuikSand]

SO, from time to time, I have more or less mused how much I'd enjoy a fairly simple RPG setup on the iPhone/iPad system, to take with me and fiddle with here or there. Just seems like it would be cool to recapture some of the thrill I had playing the original Wizardry! game (and a couple of its sequels, but to a lesser extent) back in the day.

So, anyhow...

App Store - Wizardry Labyrinth of Lost Souls

[terpkristin]

QS, you're EVIL.

I too have those musings and was eying Wizardy...

...off to the app store...

/tk

[QuikSand]

Interesting site dedicated to board game apps, focusing on the iPad it seems.

Anyway... looks like they have ported Tigris and Euphrates to the iOS, which has some real potential.

Tigris and Euphrates review at iPad Board Games iPad Board Games

I find the whole marketplace for iOS apps to be fascinating. Tons of people who like both board games and phone apps seem to have no problem paying $40 or more for a board game with wooden tokens, cardboard foldouts, and cheap-o dice and spinners. Then a guy creates an iOS version that automates the whole setup, offers AI opposition, and any combo of solo, pass-and-play, and multiplayer options... and they are AGHAST that this jackass has the nerve to charge $5.99 or $9.99 or something like that for his product. It's fascinating to me.

(There's a powerful allure of marginal cost pricing, and I get that, but it still doesn't explain the gulf between the expected pricing for PC-based games and iOS-based apps, to me)

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

App Store - Wizardry Labyrinth of Lost Souls

By the way, this game looks pretty weak.

[terpkristin]

I've been playing a frightening amount of Jetpack Joyride. I'm on the last 2 challenges of the first run-through and just keep picking it back up.

Also, I think I read that Ticket to Ride is coming to the iPhone (or is here now), not just iPad. I still play a ton of Carcassone and really love it; I'm almost afraid to try Ticket to Ride.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I find the whole marketplace for iOS apps to be fascinating. Tons of people who like both board games and phone apps seem to have no problem paying $40 or more for a board game with wooden tokens, cardboard foldouts, and cheap-o dice and spinners. Then a guy creates an iOS version that automates the whole setup, offers AI opposition, and any combo of solo, pass-and-play, and multiplayer options... and they are AGHAST that this jackass has the nerve to charge $5.99 or $9.99 or something like that for his product. It's fascinating to me.

This is almost its own thread. Same thing with outrage that Steam or the App Store or whoever charges 30% to host the app. These people don't realise what the overhead on getting a physical copy is, especially for a console where not just the store but the console maker takes a cut. For a full price app even the publisher may be lucky to get 50%, and if there is a separate developer that developer will be getting less. At a 30% cut for the store the people that actually make games are still getting a much better percentage than they would with physical media, plus they don't have to pay bandwidth and infrastructure costs for distribution.

[Ksyrup]

I think it's largely because for those of us who aren't going to, or don't know if they will, remain with the same phone manufacturer and/or OS, that $5 or $10 may not buy us more than a year or two of the game. Now, whether that's enough for the price is another issue. But I just switched from a Blackberry to a Samsung, and everything I purchased for the BB in the past 2 years is worthless on my Galaxy S II.

This is fine and dandy if you're an Apple guy through and through and pretty much know you'll be buying some form of iPhone or compatible device for the next 10 years that you'll probably be able to continue using those apps seamlessly, but for others, we see it as a short-term purchase with little or no long-term value. Which cuts down on how much we'd like to pay.

[Marmel]

I've purchased one app for $10 (CM, bad value) and a handful at the $4.99 (Kairo - great value, some RPG's - horribe value, OOTP - decent to above average value. Hmmm, was OOTP 10 bucks? If so, marginal value) price point, but in the future, the app has to be phenominal for me to pay those prices. My reasoning behind this is that there are so many outstanding apps that are $0.99 or $1.99 (there are even some great free ones) that I can get 2, 3, 4 or even more great apps for the same price as one of these higher priced apps. More often than not, the lower priced apps are better than the high priced ones.

The market has been set for years here. The majority of things are $0.00-$1.99. There has to be some really compelling reason to pay $9.99 for an app, even though in the grand scheme of things, that is not too much for software.

This would be like a box game coming out for $100+. Of course people will balk over that price.

[QuikSand]

I totally understand the general notion of expected price vs. relative price. I'm just shocked that because the market for these little time-waster apps has settled on 99 cents, that now people balk over paying 5 or 10 bucks for a dramatically more functional product, seemingly just because it resides in an icon of the same size.

The notion of unstable platforms seems compelling superficially, but the true iOS believers seem every bit as committed to the price reinforcement mentality.

Just an interesting thing to watch, I suppose. I'm okay benefiting by not having to pay a (possibly more appropriate) $25 price for a fully functional and complex game like Carcassonne. Hope it doesn't result in a cooling off of that end of the app market, though.

[gstelmack]

Most folks only have a few minutes at a time to play on the phone generally, hence the prevalence of the time wasters. For a "larger" experience, the computer or console remain key. However, tablets blur that line, but agreed that if things have settled on $0.99, how much are you going to pour into development costs for something more complex? Of course $0.99 works if you're going to sell a million or more, but if folks want Skyrim on their phone or tablet, they aren't going to get away with paying even as little as $5, because at that price you'd need to sell nearly 7 million units just to break even on a $20 million budget (including the 30% app store cut).

[Autumn]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Also, I think I read that Ticket to Ride is coming to the iPhone (or is here now), not just iPad. I still play a ton of Carcassone and really love it; I'm almost afraid to try Ticket to Ride.

Iv'e got Ticket to Ride on the iPad and the implementation is fantastic. Better than any online version I've tried, and frankly better than playing in person in some ways (auto calculating, no having to set up or put away). The graphics are gorgeous and it does nice little things like highlighting your route when you click on your card. Really worth it.

[Marmel]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

a dramatically more functional product

Here is where I disagree. For the most part, these games are not dramatically more functional. I'll admit that I have not bought a ton of higher priced games, but from my limited sample size, it is hit or miss, more often miss.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I just searched for it and Ticket To Ride is available on iPhone and I will be buying it once I get home.

I have Carcassonne and Neuroshima Hex as well. I really enjoy the board game ports to the iPhone.

Any others folks would recommend?

[Autumn]

I don't know if there's an iPhone version, but I've heard the Puerto Rico port is very good. My friend won't let me get it on the iPad because he doesn't want me getting any extra play in.

[FrogMan]

Sadly no multiplayer for Ticket to ride on iPhone

FM

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Marmel

Here is where I disagree. For the most part, these games are not dramatically more functional. I'll admit that I have not bought a ton of higher priced games, but from my limited sample size, it is hit or miss, more often miss.

IMO, the apps I'm willing to pay more for are not the ones that are going to replace a functional computer or board game as a time-killer on my iPod or Galaxy, but are apps that are primarily designed for mobile use. Case in point - I enjoy iOOTP quite a bit, and for $5 or $10 (whatever I paid for it), I think it's a great app. But I also did not buy it intending for it to replicate the computer version of OOTP, because it's not that deep and it's limited in what it can do.

OTOH, one of my favorite and useful apps is iScore and another app I use to track my daughter's pitch counts. I'm sure you could find a better, more comprehensive stat-tracking software package for your home computer, but these apps are worth paying more because they make it possible to track stats at the games. So I get far more utility out of them, and would pay more for them, than I would for a phone version of Monopoly.

[BrianD]

App Store - Empires

Just started playing with this, but it seems fun. Free is nice too.

[FrogMan]

didn't realise until just now that Junk Jack was released a week ago or so. It's a Minecraft type game in 2D with a randomly generated world and all. I had been following the developpers of it on their blogs and kinda lost track of the release date. Just bought it, looking forward to fooling with it when I get back from karate later on...

FM

[samifan24]

Ticket to Ride is awesome.

I just found an awesome new word game called W.E.L.D.E.R. It's an awesome game if you like word puzzle games and on sale for 99 cents right now, too.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by BrianD

App Store - Empires

Just started playing with this, but it seems fun. Free is nice too.

Free? I show it as 2.99

[Izulde]

*adds World Cruise Story to Pocket League Story for Kairosoft games for Android he wants to see on iDevices*

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Free? I show it as 2.99

It was free for that day. I probably made a point to say that.

[DaddyTorgo]

Aaah...damn

[FrogMan]

Junk Jack is a lot of fun. I'm just digging around and learning what can be crafted and all but it is engrossing. You get to learn about what can be crafted by finding out pages to your craftbook, makes it fun to dig around...

Oh and also, the official iOS port of Minecraft has been released.

FM

[k0ruptr]

If the iOS port of Minecraft is even 1/3 as cool as the original there's gonna be a ton more people taking frequent bathroom breaks at work

[terpkristin]

If anybody tries the Minecraft port, let me know how it is, especially as compared to the full game...

[terpkristin]

Ok, it's not a great app, but proceeds are going to Child's Play, so I'm linking it here...

Desert Bus.. Desert Bus drives onto iOS and Android, proceeds go to Child's Play | Joystiq

/tk

[Ksyrup]

I'm probably way late to the party on this, and it's probably not just an ipod/iphone app, but over Thanksgiving I ended up buying Trainyard for $.99. Has anyone heard of it or played it?

It's a puzzle game where you have to lay tracks for trains of various colors to go from a starting point to an end point. It's a ton more complicated than it sounds, because the trains are different colors, and there are devices that split, paint, and mix trains/colors, and so you may start with 2 trains of 1 color and have to finish with 6 trains of 4 colors. Laying the tracks and having them switch at just the right times is mindnumbingly difficult, to find the right solution. But what's cool about the game is there's not just 1 right answer to each puzzle, and there's no time limit. It's just flat-out fun, while having to use your brain at the same time.

Anyway, this may be the most fun puzzle app I've ever played on the iPod (or any phone). The app is incredibly well designed - not only is the game fun and creative, but the app works great, the tutorials are terrific, and the game steps up in difficulty at a perfect pace. I highly recommend it.

[Marmel]

Probably mentioned already, but a fun, free, time-waster game is Temple Run.

[WheelsVT]

I just bought an iPad so I'm trying out a bunch of apps.

iPhone favorites:
SpyMouse
TinyWings
GameDevStory
TigerWoods'12
Red Alert
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit
Shazam
Pandora
RadioTune Pro (I think that's the name)

iPad favorites:
Slashtop for remoting to my main computer. It will redirect sound to the iPad so no need to load it up with music, can be accessed remotely, and allows me to play FOF. Combine Slashtop with Directv2PC software on your computer (as long as it meets requirements) and you can watch any of your recorded Directv shows from anywhere.

Directv - streaming of select channels, tuner control, recording, guide, etc.

ABC, NBC, TBS, TNT, WatchESPN - streaming TV.

Weather Channel

Battleship HD

I haven't tried too many games yet. I'd like to try Ticket To Ride or some other board game apps.

[QuikSand]

There's a Bard's Tale port out, for those seeking an old school RPG. Have not gotten it yet, just sharing.

[Mota]

I love TuneIn Radio Pro, found some awesome music stations that suit my nichy needs, and lots of sports talk radio stations that will have live games from many regions.

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

There's a Bard's Tale port out, for those seeking an old school RPG. Have not gotten it yet, just sharing.

wow, that thing is freaking huge

1368.3 MB according to appshopper...

Interesting though, added to my wishlist in case the price drops. Just too much to play to pay for a game right now, unless FMHi12 would be released at some point in the next three weeks

FM

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by FrogMan

wow, that thing is freaking huge

1368.3 MB according to appshopper...

Interesting though, added to my wishlist in case the price drops. Just too much to play to pay for a game right now, unless FMHi12 would be released at some point in the next three weeks

FM

It will be according to Mr. MV

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

It will be according to Mr. MV

oh, that was tongue in cheek fomr me

I have read the reports from Mr MV that it should be out at some point before Christmas. There was some odd price changes this past week on FMHi11 (went from 5.99 to 12.99 and back down to 5.99) that led me to believe the '12 version was maybe coming in the next few days. You know as if the price increase had been done by mistake, prepping up for a release of a new game selling for 12.99...

Oh well, it'll be here when it's here

FM