Developer/Publisher: Gameprom
Genre: Pinball
Price: $0.99
Acquired: Purchased by Reviewer
Review Platform: iPod Touch
Verdict: Faithful and fun pocket sized pinball.
Pros: Great gameplay and sound make this ‘the next best thing to being there’
Cons: High score bug forces a restart of the game each time

I’ve been a big fan of pinball for years.  Looking back, I think I may have spent more time playing pinball at college than I did doing assignments, at least for some classes.  I can say for sure that my roommate could make a dollar last for well over an hour between high scores and random matches.  And today, even as a guy with a kid and a mortgage, I still love to lean over the glass and run the ball over the table trying to run up a high score.  All of this said, I was eager to get my hands on The Deep for iPhone and iPod Touch.  I had heard very good things about Gameprom’s other pinball adventure in the Wild West.

The Deep draws players in from the get go.  It is heavily themed with ocean creatures such as starfish, sharks, and jellyfish.  You’ll also find the requisite sunken ship, a treasure chest, and the treacherous whirlpool at sea.  There are also all of the classic pinball elements from spinners to ramps to locks for the inevitable multiball.  All of this makes The Deep a great buy before you’ve even pulled that first plunger.

Both the plunger and the flippers are done via touch.  At no time did I feel that the onscreen controls got in the way of the action on the table.  I also felt like the physics of the game were done pretty well.  Balls would sometimes roll off the ends of my flipper or not reach the top of a ramp, just like they do in real life.

The sound on The Deep is also a real asset to the game.  It incorporates both of the key audio aspects of pinball that make me think of my college days.  First of all, you have the mechanical clunks of the flippers moving up and down and the ball rolling around the surface.  There is also the electronic whooshing and dinging of bells as the ball ricochets off of bumpers and through gates.  In addition to the effects, there is also an ethereal soundtrack that made me feel as if I was floating through the watery depths.

The one disappointment I did experience was at the end of the first game I completed.  I had achieved a high score and was prompted to enter my name.  I did so and tried to enter it and the game would not accept it.  Although it was pretty straight forward, I was convinced I was doing something wrong.  I actually had to exit the game and re-enter again.

In doing a little bit of research, it appears this somehow was broken on the move to iOS4.  Several people in the iTunes store commented on how much they loved the game, but that the score feature broke on the recent upgrade.  I can only hope that the developers will address this glitch sooner rather than later, because I really like The Deep and its frustrating having to bail completely out of the app to start a new game.

If you are a fan of pinball, I would absolutely recommend The Deep.  I’m eager to download Wild West Pinball and the latest entry in the series, Jungle Style.  But only after they get this scoring hiccup fixed.

Developer/Publisher: Chillingo
Genre: Puzzler
Price: $2.99
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Review Platform: iPod Touch
Verdict: A thousand puzzle books in your pocket.
Pros: If Crosswords, Sudokus, and Word Searches are your thing, you need to pick this collection up.
Cons: Some of the data entry is awkward on the smaller iPhone screen.

A month or two back, our partner in crime, Michelle, brought us her thoughts on Puzzler World XL. This week ,we bring you the word on its pocket sized sibling. Puzzler World is a 21^st century alternative to those magazines that often pop up in the checkout line of your favorite supermarket. Much like its big brother, this outing throws you right into the action with a quickplay option. Traditional puzzle games like wordsearch and sudoku share top billing with fun alternatives such as link-a-pix and silhouette.

I passed the iPod around one evening while my family was watching some TV, and everyone found something to like in Puzzler World. My wife is a Sudoku fan, so any chance to match her wits against a new number puzzle is a welcome challenge. There’s not much to say about Sudoku in Puzzler World. I’m not a huge fan, and Puzzle World didn’t convert me. That said, if this is your thing, there’s plenty of Sudoku fun to be had.

My son is eight and he found a lot to like, too. He started out peering over my shoulder while I was working on a word search. This particular dance-themed puzzle had some easy to find words and he was quickly pointing out undiscovered rumbas and tangos. The word search is easy to do. Simply put your finger one the start or end of the word and drag along to the other end. The word then appears as a circled entry and is crossed off the “to do” list.

After we had completed a puzzle or two, he quickly absconded with my device and decided to try out Spot the Difference. In this game, you’re challenged to find the differences between two similar pictures. The screen is split left and right and you can tap on either one to locate and circle the difference. For example, a can may be one color on the left and a different color on the right. Or there may be a bird in one picture that is absent in its partner.

After a few rounds of Spot the Difference, we decided to conquer a puzzle together. Puzzler World’s Fitword is a twist on the classic crossword puzzle. You are presented with a grid at the right and a list of words at the left. The words are broken up into groupings of a certain number of letters. The challenge is to fit all of the words into the crossword grid. I showed him how to pick words that were a certain length and to see how they might intersect on the grid. He quickly caught the hang of it and it was a fun logic challenge for the both of us.

The only issue I had with this particular puzzle was its letter entry approach. Similar to texting on your cell phone, you need to scroll through a few letters at a time. It’s learned quickly enough. I just wonder why the Puzzler World folks couldn’t have come up with an onscreen keyboard, especially since the game is played in a landscape orientation.

After you’ve gotten your feet wet in quickplay, you can really start investing yourself in the challenge mode. In this part of the game, you choose a random numbered box and are presented with one of the game’s many puzzles. As you solve them, you will receive various rewards including “hint tokens” to help you though those puzzles that may not be your forte. You’ll also discover puzzles that aren’t available in the quickplay mode.

In the end, if you’re a fan of puzzles of all kinds, then Puzzler World will not disappoint. There are many kinds of puzzles that should delight your entire family. Some of the puzzles do seem to be a bit cramped on the small screen of the iPhone. I can certainly see where Puzzler World XL would be the way to go, if you have access to an iPad. But if you’re looking for a an extremely portable collection of mindtwisters that will make your time on the subway, or in the waiting room, worthwhile then you could do much worse than Puzzler World.

Developer/Publisher: Glowing Eye Games
Genre: Match Puzzle
Price: $0.99
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Review Platform: iPod Touch
Verdict: If you like Match games this one’s a keeper.
Pros: Fun gameplay that’s easy to pick up for a few minutes, or an hour.
Cons: Sound is kind of – meh.

I’m a bit of a “match 3/4” junkie.  There.  I’ve said it.  It may have started with that darn “One of These Things” song back in the day.  The need for everything to match up neatly.  If only life were that simple, right ?  No matter what games are rotating on and off of my iPod Touch, no matter how little space I may have – Bejeweled will always have a home.  Like an old friend, it sits, patiently waiting for me to stop zombie farming long enough to swap a few jewels around and make everything right with the universe.

So I was a bit intrigued when my editor assigned me Chromatica, a relatively new Match Four puzzler.  The object is to form a straight line of four or more symbols.  Honestly, it’s a bit more Tetris, than Bejeweled.  You start with a relatively clean board and work to swap pieces around forming diagonal and vertical lines of four or more.  On the turns when a line disappears, you move straight to the next swap.

However, on turns when you don’t clear a line, three new pieces drop into play.  When I first started to play Chromatica my game was a bit off.  My preferred Swap Three game has me trained to just look to adjacent squares.  With this swapper, though, as long as you have a clear path to where you’d like to go, you’re free to move the selected token to the available space.  I didn’t get this right away and played through several levels before I stumbled upon this realization.

In the beginning, you start off with just a handful of available token types.  Its relatively straightforward when there only clovers, butterflies, and hands to match up.  But eventually you’re throwing red hearts, silver stars, and yellow moons into the mix.  Chromatica is a regular Lucky Charms remix swirling before your eyes.

Like any good game of this genre there are bonus, or wildcard, pieces to reward you for super moves.  For example, if you manage to cobble together a row of five matching shapes you’ll gain access to a dual shape.  This contains two small versions of the other icons and can be used as one or the other on that tile.  There are also multi colored Joker shapes which have special properties such as clearing all shapes of a single type when used in a completed line.

The sound effects for Chromatica aren’t much to write home about, but if you’re a match fiend – and I know so many of you are – this is a nice little addition to your arsenal.  There’s no bragging to online social circles.  At least, not yet.  But there is a leader board so you can strike up some good rivalries with all your friends and relatives who may want to take a turn.

Developer/Publisher: Orient Maple
Genre: RTS/Defense
Price: Free at the time of Review
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Review Platform: iPod Touch
Verdict: Doomsday should be far more engaging than this.
Pros: Relatively easy to pick up.
Cons: Graphics and soundtrack are lackluster, and you may find yourself wanting to sift through your junkmail.

“The attack began at 6:18 P.M. just as he said it would. Judgment Day. The day the human race was nearly destroyed by the weapons they built to protect themselves. I should have realized our destiny was never to stop Judgment Day. It was merely to survive it.” – Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

John Connor was on to something. This week it was my turn. The machines were rising up and it was my turn to try and save my world from the onslaught of deadly robots. My turn to command my troops and inspire the will of man to overpower and out-think the calculating strategy of the cold killer steel that was marching our way. Wave after wave of endless destruction. There were lasers and bullets, rockets and explosions. You’d think the end of the world would be something to see with all of this carnage. You would be wrong.

2012 Counterattack is a sidescrolling RTS/Defense game that essentially puts you in the role of a John Connor type general. The action of our little drama is set throughout the United States of America. Each level takes place in a different state. As you move on the map reappears and shows you the next conflict zone. In each scenario, your base is at the left, the bad guys are at the right. There is a radar at the top of the screen and a troop building toolbar at the bottom. You need to drive your troops across the screen and overrun the enemy base.

You start off each level of 2012 Counterattack with a given number of funds that slowly increases. As you send out your troops to fight the chrome-plated hoard, that number dips down. Each unit will cost you funds, but those funds do regenerate as the war wages on. In the beginning both your troops and the enemy’s are fairly simple, but that complexity increases as you go deeper into the game.

You can control your view of the battle by either tapping and dragging along the radar at the top of the screen or by tilting your iPhone or iPod Touch. As you generate troops in 2012 Counterattack, they march out of your fortress and across the sandstrewn battlefield until they engage the enemy. Once they meet up with the mechanized combatants, there is a flashing of rifles and explosions. And, truthfully, it is rather unimpressive.

You can support your ground troops with air strikes launched from your base. Simply target the robotic bad guys by dragging your finger on the screen. You need to touch and hold until the energy level extends from your base at the left out to the pooint of the battlefield that you want to engage. Once you’ve done that, release and a pulse weapon will out to strike down a group of enemy combatants.

Back when I was in high school, there was a period where I was into professional wrestling. If you’ve ever been to one of the live shows they will start out with the new unknown wrestlers and after several minutes the crowd will inevitably start to chant, “Boring. Boooooring.” It was all I could do not to chant along as I played 2012 Counterattack. Surely, the end of the world must have more flash and excitement than this ? On many of the levels, I would send out troops, and the enemy would send out troops. I would drive them back, they would retaliate, and drive me back. And there we sat, locked in a combat that just would not end.

I was so focused on the green dots that represented my forces and the red dots that represented the robotic onslaught that I couldn’t really enjoy the action on the battlefield. Not that its really that much to write home about, as I believe I have already indicated. The soundtrack is sort of a generic, dumbed-down version of what sounds like the soundtrack to the TV series, 24. I believe it is meant to inject the game with a tense feeling of imminent doom.  I think that was the intent, anyway.

As I write this review, 2012 Counterattack is free in the iTunes store. The opinion seems to be split, with an equal number of fans and detractors. I think you know which side I fall on. This review is over, and I have survived it.  John Connor would be proud.

Developer/Publisher: Square Enix
Genre: RPG
Price: $12.99
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Review Platform: iPod Touch
Verdict: A game that is big in scope and beauty, yet small enough to fit in your pocket.
Pros: The controls, the gameplay, the music.
Cons: Still a bit pricey for most gamers, not much else.

For years now, the folks at Square Enix have solidly rumbled their way through the gaming landscape.  I have been a fan of both their Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts franchises.  They know how to make games that intrigue their audience, often times taking us to places fantastic and alluring.  To be certain, I have spent my fare share of hard-earned dollars on chances to catch glimpses of the universes that Square Enix has taken me to.  And so, it was with a great deal of anticipation that I downloaded Chaos Rings, the latest iPhone offering from Square Enix.

At the outset you find yourself in a castle stronghold with a partner and several other pairs of would-be warriors.  Early on, someone notes that there must be a reason that people have been drawn to this fortress with a partner, a point that will be revealed as the game unfolds.

Once you have stepped out beyond the castle walls you find yourself in a nicely rendered wilderness.  You’ll guide your character through shaded woods and over icy cliffs.  Along the way, you’ll also encounter crystal portals which will transport you into underground catacombs.  There’s a lot more to take in here and your character will appear smaller, compared to other settings.  But the lights on the wall reflect on the marbled floors and your character casts a shadow as they jog along, so that attention to detail is consistent no matter what your setting.

The catacombs not only provide an environments in which to battle, but also provide puzzles which you’ll encounter and have to solve.  These are in line with the sorts of puzzles you’d find in a Tomb Raider game.  You might need to slide some blocks around to activate triggers which will allow you to enter the next chamber.  It’s a nice addition to this turn based outing.

The turn-based combat is nicely rendered.  When a mainstream developer gets their hands on the iPhone hardware its amazing how good it can really look.  I’m not knocking some of the simple and fun games that are coming out of independent publishers everywhere, but Chaos Rings looks like it could be a scaled down version of a PS1 or PS2 outing.  It really looks that good.  I have played some games that look pretty good, but are a total “bonk” on gameplay.  This game really is firing on all cylinders.

Speaking of the combat, there is an interesting aspect to the in-game confrontations.  As you encounter enemies in Chaos Rings, you will need to make a decision whether your pair of combatants will attack as a single unit or divide and conquer.  This decision is made at the beginning of each phase of the battle, so you can have a combined attack in round one and split your attentions in round two.

As you battle in Chaos Rings you will gain experience points and level up.  That said, experience is only one way to improve your characters.  In between adventures you can travel back to the fortress to upgrade your armor and weapons.  Items found can be sold for additional credits which can be turned into in-game character enhancements.

Chaos Rings utilizes an onscreen virtual joystick to move your character around the screen.  I have played and reviewed several games for the iPhone that have utilized some kind of onscreen virtual joystick.  And, inevitably, I have been thoroughly unsatisfied with this experience.  More often that not, I have felt that these joysticks have been unresponsive, poorly positioned, or – in some cases – both.  This is not the case with Chaos Rings.  The joystick essentially appears wherever you set your finger down and is effective at controlling the character.  The screens are also laid out in such a way that there are some intuitive places to initiate the movement.

As far as interacting with the environment goes, it uses a very simple approach.  Whether you want to talk to a character, open a door, or examine a chest, you simply need to look for exclamation marks on the screen.  Walk up to the item or person in question and the action is initiated.  The conversations between your character and NPC’s will take place in a turn based fashion with nice crisp artwork of the characters faces.  Expressions will change, based on the situation.  As I’ve already indicated, the designers of Chaos Rings have put a good deal of time into their game and that eye for detail really ups the enjoyment of the overall adventure.

The sound is extremely well done.  In my opinion, its certainly a game that should be experienced with earbuds.  The opening theme to Chaos Rings is a grand, orchestrated piece which really sets the stage for the adventure that the player will embark on.  Strings, percussion, horns, and chimes all come together to paint an aural interpretation of the mountains and forests that will be encountered during the journey.  And because there is no need to tilt or twist the iPhone you won’t need to worry about twisting up your earbud cord.

Aside from the possible price issue (we’ve all been semi-trained to pay a buck or two for our apps), Chaos Rings should really wow gamers and give them a lot of enjoyable moments.  My advice ?  Get it now so you can enjoy it during the hot summer months.

Developer/Publisher: Assyria Game Studios
Genre: Arcade
Price: $1.99
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Review Platform: iPod Touch
Verdict: Addictive fun for thirty seconds, or an hour.
Pros: Increasing difficulty levels challenge without frustrating.
Cons: Avoidance level is a bit…  vanilla.

If you ask vintage gamers, such as myself, about their fondest childhood memories they’re likely to tell you about their first brush with Inky, Pinky, Blinky, and Clyde.  It’s possible they could tell you about topping the Asteroids scoreboard.  They may even regale you with the tale of how Battle Zone helped them to ace their freshman year music appreciation class.  One of my favorites always seemed to fly under the radar, even back in the day.  Qix, by Taito America, challenged you to fill a blank playing field with blocks, all the while avoiding getting zapped mid-draw.

They say you can’t go home, but its quite possible the designers at Assyria Game Studios were lined up behind me to play Qix at the local arcade.  Their game The Glowing Void may not be an exact replication of Taito’s underappreciated 1980’s hit, but it has captured its essence very nicely.

There are three gameplay modes for The Glowing Void.  Two of them really hooked me; the third left me a little cold.  Let’s get down to business, shall we?

Filler is about as close to Qix as you can get.  When this mode is launched you need to press your finger against the screen to grow a void sphere.  The longer you hold your finger on the screen, the larger the void sphere gets.  Your challenge is to fill 70% of the screen with voids.  The larger they are, the more you will max out your earned points for that level.

It would be a rather dull game if there weren’t some challenges associated with your voiding.  As you create your glowing void, there is a bouncing red ball.  A void interceptor, perhaps ?  If it connects with your sphere while you are still growing it, the void is collapsed and you loose a life.  Three strikes and you’re out.  You also have a limited number of void attempts per level, so you can’t just make a million little dots and call it a day.

With each level, you earn another red interceptor.  By the time you get up to level six or seven, things get interesting, but here’s where physics come into play.  You can turn your screen and send your voids tumbling together, in an effort to trap the interceptors.  Pin them in the corner and you’ll be free to fill the screen unhindered.  It’s not as easy as you might think, but it certainly allows you to move ahead.

The second mode is called Burst.  Here, you create your glowing voids in the same manner as Filler.  But the challenge is not to fill a percentage of the screen; it’s to see how many voids you can make and how big you can make them.  As in Filler, larger voids are worth more points.  But when you get hit by a red interceptor, you lose the value of the void at that point in time.  There is an easy, medium, and hard set of gameplay modes, with more interceptors to avoid as you increase the difficulty.

And now we come to the least thrilling of the game options.  In Avoidance mode you roll a void around the screen, all the while trying to avoid collisions with a trio of interceptors.  I’m not saying this mode is flawed, necessarily, it just didn’t engage me.  I’d much rather be playing Filler or Burst.

The soundtrack for The Glowing Void is a trippy little score which meanders all over the place much like the roaming interceptors.  I liked it, but there is an option to turn it off, if you’re so inclined.

The Glowing Void also offers you opportunities to shout your accomplishments into the social void via Agon Online.  Share your scores on Twitter or with your Mafia Wars buddies on Facebook.  The connected online leaderboards will also drive you to make your voids grow to larger and larger sizes.  At $1.99, I think the Glowing Void is a steal, as it can played thirty seconds at a time, or until you drain the battery on your iDevice of choice.  But if you’re not sold on the trippy time killer that is The Glowing Void, try the Lite version.  They’re not afraid to give you the first taste for free.

Developer/Publisher: Feel Every Yummy
Genre: Rhythm Game
Price: $0.99
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Review Platform: iPod Touch 2G
Verdict: There are better rhythm options available
Pros: Easy to learn
Cons: Limited music library

Rhythm games are one of those genres that you either can’t get enough of, or you could really do without.  Generally speaking I fall into the latter category.  I neither rock the band, nor am I any sort of hero with the guitar set.  So what was my editor thinking when he sent me on a mission to review Bongo Blitz? [I resent the accusation that I was thinking at any point! -Ed.] ‘Lucy, you gotta lotta ‘splainin to do.’

When you fire up Bongo Blitz you’re presented with a chance to dive right in, play a tutorial or download additional tracks.  I thought I’d take the tutorial in order to nurture my inner-babaloo.  The game play screen consists of an American idol flavored rock concert background overlayed with a rhythm track and two bongo drums.  The left drum is yellow and the right drum is blue.  I figured this might be my big chance to get my groove on.  I can handle two drums.

As the song begins to play, you tap tap along.  Yellow half circle, left drum.  Right half circle, right drum.  Full green circle, whack both of those bongos, boy.  Let’s hear it for primary colors !  But wait, what’s with this star ?  I don’t know what the star is for ?!?!  Ah-ha !  The tutorial clearly states that when the star appears in the rhythm zone, you need to go all whammy bar on that iPod and give it a quick shake.  The more accurate hits that you land, the higher your score and corresponding multiplier.

Any time you miss a note, your Life Meter takes a dip.  You’ll also find ‘extended’ drum hits, as you will see in most rhythm games.  Hit one of these and go for a drum roll of epic proportions to score bonus points.  So that’s the ground rules, but the question is did this pocket-size pounder turn me into a Bongo Hero ?

Well the game comes loaded with three songs so I fired one up and started to play that funky music, white boy.  I was tapping the left drum, and whacking at the right.  Then, just like that classic episode of Lucy, they started to speed things up and I turned into the rhythm game spaz I usually prove myself to be.  I did make a recovery and in the end the score screen showed I had over 200 great hits and less than ten complete misses, so I didn’t feel so bad.

That said, if I have to play a rhythm game, I’d sooner play the Muppet-themed Animal Drummer or the iPod grand-daddy of them all, Tap Tap Revenge.  As I said earlier, Bongo Blitz ships with three songs and I did find three additional tracks by independent artists.  The Note Tracks option also allowed for some better known tracks by artists like Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.

It may well be that I’m just not a rhythm game guy, but I had no desire to bang my bongos beyond the review period.  As always, your whammy-bar-induced, revenge-fueled mileage may vary.

Developer/Publisher: Icehill Entertainment/Chillingo
Genre: Survival Horror
Price: $6.99
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Review Platform: iPod Touch 2G
Verdict: Mixed feelings on this portable vampire slayer.
Pros: Really liked the “comic book” cutscenes
Cons: Not sold on any of the control schemes

Grab your silver bullets and your crucifix, kids.  The folks at Chillingo and Icehill Entertainment are leading the latest charge against the virtual undead.  Vampire Origins for the iPhone and iPod Touch puts you in the role of Vincent, Van Helsing’s lesser known, but equally tortured, third cousin on his mother’s side.  I’m having a little fun at the expense of Vampire Origins, but it will likely resonate with hardcore fans of the survival horror genre.

So where is this game likely to sink its teeth into gamers, and what – quite frankly – just bites ?  The game is certainly beautiful.  Vampire Origins is very dark and moody in its setting with all of the appropriate crypts, dilapidated churches, and moonlit catacombs.  The story is also pretty well developed.  We learn early on that Vincent the Vampire Slayer is eager to settle a score after a vamp killed his bride.  The other key thing we need to know is that apparently Vincent isn’t 100% flesh and blood either.

By the way, one thing I loved about Vampire Origins was the way that the story unfolds.  In lieu of the traditional cutscene we are treated to mini-graphic novels between the action sequences.  Again, in the early going, we witness key exchanges, played out panel by panel between Vincent and various players in the story.  This mash-up of comic book and video game kept me curious as to what would happen next.

Let’s talk about the action for a minute.  There are two primary ways to guide Vincent through this macabre adventure.  The first control scheme is the use of a virtual joystick and trigger for the vampire hunter’s sidearm.  I have yet to find a virtual joystick that I’m truly happy with on the various games that I have reviewed for The Portable Gamer.  Vampire Origins falls squarely into this camp.  The alternative is a tap methodology to both move Vincent and to dispatch bad guys.  The thing is, I didn’t find this wholly satisfying either.  More often than not my fingers ended up in the way of critical action.  Not sure what the answer is, but when I find it, I’ll be sure to let you all know.

With regard to opponents, the shadowed landscape is populated with a mix of vampires, ghouls, and other undead.  There is also the random flock of vampire bats that swoop from the sky to take a swipe at Vincent.

Like other Chillingo offerings, Vampire Origins is “Crystal”-ized.  This allows you to track achievements and leaderboards and to share your latest thrills and kills with all of your favorite social networks.

The thing about Vampire Origins is that I found it to be very pretty.  I am duly impressed when a mobile developer pulls off a game that looks like it could be something off of the PSP.  That said, there were times when I felt that this outing was more about flash than substance.  There is a very impressive sword fight early in the game that strays from the established control scheme.  And while it required some interaction on the player’s behalf, it felt like more of a “cutscene with benefits” than it did actual gameplay.

So where does all of this leave me ?  I’m kind of on the fence with Vampire Origins.  I like the looks and am truly engaged by the game’s comic-like storytelling.  But the control scheme leaves me wanting, and my frustration often caused me to just set the game down and walk away for stretches of time.  I’ll be eager to hear what our fans have to say.

Developer/Publisher: Sonic Boom
Genre: Puzzle
Price: $1.99
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Review Platform: iPod Touch
Verdict: A nice addition to the Match Three genre
Pros: Fun 8-bit soundtrack and easy to learn gameplay.
Cons: Winning some levels just seems like random flipping.

You had me at hello. Some games are just like that. Whatever that little something is, every now and then there’s a game that just has that magical quality. With Tetragon, it was the nostalgic eight-bit soundtrack. The second I heard those Mario-esque tones, I knew that this one was going to be a winner.

Tetragon is a variation on the Match Three genre. Like Tetris and Bejeweled before it, Tetragon challenges you to match three or more colored blocks so that they’ll disappear. Of course, the folks at Sonic Boom had to put their own twist on the genre, and they’ve done just that. In order to line up your colored pals you’ll need to slide them around the playing field.

This is accomplished by tilting, flipping, and swiping your iPhone screen. To be sure, Tetragon is another in a string of recent games that really takes full advantage of the iPhone’s capabilities. Its really kind of clever to swipe back and forth to get your blocks to drop in just so. Then, flip the iPhone 180 degrees, and you’ll get a whole new set of matching options.

Players are challenged to conquer two game modes in Tetragon. The Puzzle mode presents you with a certain number of blocks to be cleared in a limited number of moves. Arcade mode is a bit more open ended with regard to moves. The challenge here is to meet the designated point target for that level before time expires.

In both Puzzle and Arcade modes, each level has stationary blocks to work around. They can be both a help and a hindrance in getting those crucial color combos to come together. But with a little practice you can really use them to your advantage to order your combos. Naturally, as you eliminate some of the on-screen blocks, the game will add a new row, threatening to fill up the playing field faster than you can clear it.

There are other obstacles to overcome as you play. One of the most challenging are the bombs that will drop into play. They won’t do anything at first, but after a second or two, they will begin to spark. If you can get them lined up next to a group of similar colored blocks that you are eliminating, they will disappear along with the cluster.

Of course if you can’t clear it quickly enough, a bomb will explode. Really, it’s what bombs do. If that happens, the adjacent blocks get turned to stone for a few moments. When this happens, a portion of your playing field gets locked up, and that makes clearing the field more difficult. The good news is, after a second or two, the formerly stony blocks disintegrate, effectively clearing themselves.

Tetragon is one of those games that is pretty easy to learn, but rather challenging to master. You can certainly just flip your way through the first couple of levels without much thought or strategy. But as the game progresses there’s more thought required to keep the bombs from stalling forward momentum, and to plan out your combos to pass the next challenge.

In the end, if you’re a fan of Match Three games, Tetragon will be a nice addition to your arsenal. Its certainly worth the purchase at $1.99. That said, the nice folks at Sonic Boom have made a Lite version available for those who might not be convinced that this Match Three Puzzler is worthy.

Developer/Publisher: Good Code
Genre: Puzzle
Price: $0.99
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Verdict: Need for Intuition is sometimes a little too clever for its own good.
Pros: Creative use of the iPhone’s varied capabilities.
Cons: This game would benefit greatly by including a save point.

The folks at Good Code say that their latest game – NFI – is the Need for Intuition.  The thing is, after I played it for a while the other evening I had a different take.  We’ll get to that in a minute.

NFI is a puzzler for the iPhone and iPod Touch.  When you first fire up the game, you’re thrown right into the action.  A button appears on the screen.  I did, what most people are likely to do:  I pointed my iPod at my TV and pressed the button.  Now when my TV didn’t turn on, I looked back down and noticed I now had two buttons.  Which button should I press?  What do I do next?  Is Chuck on tonight?

This is what NFI is all about.  As you pass each test of mental agility, you’ll be handed another.  No instructions.  Just, think about what’s being presented to you and decide what makes the most sense.  Sometimes you really need to think outside the box, recognize a pattern, or just do what comes naturally.

For those who stay with the game long enough there is a wide variety of puzzles that really utilize the full capacity of the iPhone.  I certainly don’t want to give away the puzzles.  But in some cases you’ll need to touch or drag the screen.  Sometimes you’ll have to flick or shake the game.

The game has a decent array of sound effects.  There are dings and buzzes, and snoring (yes – snoring), all appropriate to the presented puzzles.  This game also embraces its “Ha! I figured it out,” mentality.  And by that I mean that – yes – Open Feint is available to show your friends just how smart you are.

The thing is, I guess I’m just not a puzzle person.  Need For Intuition is perfect for the sort who likes to deduce just how the man in the room with no chair managed to hang himself.  I’m not that guy.  And as a result, I didn’t stick with this one terribly long.

Lots of gamers around the web have called this game clever and gripping and such.  In the end, I think NFI stood for Need For Interest.  It simply didn’t hold mine.  And the fact that you have to repeat puzzles even after you’ve solved them, just added to my general sense of annoyance.

My grandfather taught me a saying early in life.  “That’s why there’s chocolate and vanilla, my boy.”  And while there’s plenty of folks who will deem this a chocolaty treat, I guess I’m just a vanilla kind of guy at heart.  By the way, I finally hung it up on the snoring puzzle.  Don’t bother to tell me the answer.  I’d hate to spoil it for the others.