Big Blue Bubble is have a limited time only sale on some of their best selling apps. Click on the links below to be taken to the iTunes store for purchase.

Thumpies – 66% off        Was $2.99   NOW -> $0.99 ~

Fighting Fantasy: Warlock Of Firetop Mountain – 33% off              Was $2.99   NOW -> $1.99  ~

Home Sweet Home –  50% off    Was $3.99   NOW -> $1.99 ~

Konami’s classic title, Frogger, is available at the app store for $0.99 starting today. Konami promises dynamic graphics and classic style game play. Check the screens.

Ever sit back and wonder how we survived without the handheld platform that has worn a permanent spot in your back pocket? Remember WAY back in the day when only paper and pencils were around? No? Here, let me jog your memory. You don’t even have to clap any erasers together!

Hangman Free

Developer: Optime Software, Inc.
Genre: Word Game
Rating: 4+

Remember playing hangman in school? On the bus? At the library? Do you realize how many hangman apps there are out there? Holy cripes! It may be a good idea for you to stay away from that search, just in case the sheer volume of it blows your mind! Now, I can’t speak for all those other versions, but I can tell you that if you’re looking for a good representation of the classic, this is a very good place to start. From the warm tones of the chalk writing on the board, to the celebratory ding of the winning player, the sounds of the game are great. Visually, there is vibrant color chalk used for the letters and the hangman drawing, the letters are clearly visible, and the red that marks off the letters which have already been chosen is very distinct. No tutorial needed. This game is intuitive and nostalgic.

Pros: Lots of word categories to choose from.
Cons: You can’t add a million details to try to secure the victory.
Verdict: If you ever liked hangman, this is a good app to have.

DoodleBuddy

Developer: Pinger, Inc.
Genre: Drawing
Rating: 4+

This game was introduced to me by a buddy of mine. He loves to draw. I, however, suck at anything art related. That being said, this really is a great app for anyone who loves to doodle. DoodleBuddy is reminiscent of Window’s Paint program. You have stamps (each of which make their own sound when you use them), pens of different sizes and colors, a smear option, differing backgrounds (or use your own), etc. The coolest thing about this app, though, is the option to simultaneously doodle with a buddy. Simply send them an invite, and, should they deem you worthy, you can draw with them. There is a chat as well, in case you decide to talk while you doodle. It’s as simple as that! Either doodle by yourself, or with a friend. This is better than productivity.

Pros: Can doodle with a buddy (hence the name) with tons of tools to use.
Cons: You have to click an email link to accept the doodle invite.
Verdict: This is a great app to have when you need to kill time, or you’re feeling creative.

Whiteboard Free

Developer: Raizlabs Corporation
Genre: Productivity
Rating: 4+

As we all know, chalk boards make a lot of noise. And I’m not just talking about that horrific nails thing . Chalk breaks, erasers are dusty, you catch my drift. So, along came the whiteboard. This cute little markers that erased so easily (unless you accidentally used permanent marker), the wide variety of colors, the ghosts left on the board after they’d been erased… Those were the days. Well, this app is a very good representation of that whiteboard. There is a pen (red is the only color you get with this version), an eraser, a trash bin, and a save option (to save that physics break through). It’s simple. Almost too simple. The use is simple, the pictures are very detailed (the marker and eraser), but if you’re needing a whiteboard app, this may be TOO simple for you.

Pros: A bluetooth option allows for sharing and collaboration.
Cons: One color only for the free version
Verdict: There are probably other apps that will serve this particular purpose with more panache.

Sometimes developers REALLY want us to review their free games. And if they really want us to (and their wheels are squeaky enough), we may as well give it a go. They, of course, realize that if it sucks, we’ll tell them. That’s because we’re portable AND evil! Mwahahaha!!

Tune Runner:
Developer: Appy
Genre: Song based
Rating:4+

This game is super cool. I love it. The colors are bright, the music is amazing (of course, I AM a bit partial to my playlists), there is just the right amount of challenge in with the mindless ease. It will stay on my iPod forever. Now, the detail: there is a jogging robot. He’s jogging to your music (uploaded into the game directly from the music loaded on your device). While he runs, shapes appear in the road. In order to street run around/over/through them, you have to recreate the shape by drawing it on the screen. There are only 4 shapes, each just as easy as the next. You have to be fairly accurate on the shape if you want the credit though. If you miss, a frowny face taunts you from above the shape, and poor cute jogging robot guy runs right into it, losing some of his health. Lose all your health, fail the song. Every shape you get right replenishes that health, btw. There is a multiplayer option on this game, though you have to have email set up on your device if you want to invite or challenge anyone. Hits are included, and the tutorial is very helpful and (thankfully) short.

Pros: the graphics, music (duh), game play. Everything. It’s a great game.
Cons: I am SO bad at that stupid upside down v!
Verdict: Own, love, and breathe this game. It’s super great.

smackBOTS Free:
Developer: LeftRight Studios
Genre: Old Skool Fighting
Rating:4+

Every year I go to Vegas for a convention. My husband’s favorite place to head for some good, old fashioned snarkiness, is The New York New York Hotel. Inside, you’ll find one of my favorite places, the ESPN hang out. And just outside that? HUGE, larger than life snackBOTS. OLD SKOOL! What does this have to do with an iPod/iPhone game? Read the title of the game! Sheesh! This game is great. There is a TON to do. The tutorial is great for helping you learn beginning combos, how to block, how to use your berserk, and more. Once you win a fight, you get dough (i.e., cash) to spend on new techniques, robot shapes, and colors. Simply tap your thumbs on either side of the screen to punch and do combos, tilt your device to move your robot, and hold both thumbs down to block. Multiplayer options are available as well. Piece of cake! Best two out of three wins the attention of all the lady robots in the house.

Pros: Great, easy spin on the classic.
Cons: Technique is a slightly repetitive.
Verdict: A good, clean fighting game for the kids, or the grownups.

DoubleTake!:
Developer: Retro Dreamer Studios
Genre: Memory Match
Rating: 4+
written by Carter Dotson

DoubleTake is a new, shall I say, TAKE, on the memory matching genre. The basic rules are the same – you flip over cards to try and match 2 of the same design, memorizing the locations of your mismatches. DoubleTake mixes things up by adding snazzy graphical effects, an active board that is constantly moving with pieces disappearing, and powerups to help you out. You also get bonus points for making consecutive matches, although this can be a challenge because the card layouts are random. There are 4 different modes to play – Sprint, which gives you one minute to make as many matches as you can; Timed, where you have to keep making matches to increase the timer; Survival, where you have to keep making matches to restore health to your health bar, which is diminished by mismatches; and Basic, where you’re just trying to get rid of all the pieces on the board as quickly and as in as few moves as possible. There’s OpenFeint for high scores, with multiple appropriate leaderboards for each mode. DoubleTake is ‘just’ a memory game, but there’s a lot going on to make it more than your typical memory match game, with all that great Retro Dreamer polish. This is one of the finer free games on the App Store.

Pros: OpenFeint, geoSpark-esque graphical effects, multiple game modes
Cons: Some high scores are achievable only through pure randomness
Verdict: Fill my eyes with double vision, and your iDevice with DoubleTake.

Yep. We’ve all played them. Those lovable games that make you feel like you’re really there. But at what cost? You do realize how addicting SIMS was, right?! Here are a few free ones for you to embrace. Or not.

Surviving High School:

Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Drama Simulation
Rating: 9+

Much like the “choose your own adventure” books of old, Surviving High School is filled with choices and consequences. Will you be the quarterback of the football team? Date the goth or the popular chick? Become homecoming king? All these questions can be answered in this game: IF you purchase the full season. In the lite version you only go to the end of week 1, just long enough for the coach to tell you that you did great at try outs. For the full version, each week there is another episode of the game to play through. The controls are super easy, and the graphics look pretty good for what they’re doing. The choices are pretty straight forward, and you can tell whether the other characters like you, by the skulls/smilies on their pictures. There are also little mini games for grades/homework and football practice. Oh, and you can only choose a dude, so jocks, nerds, freaks… you’re all represented. Yes, it’s a little strange that females aren’t an option. The most frustrating thing about this game is that if your phone goes off, and you leave the game without backing out properly, it loses your entire previous campaign. Not a game I wanted to start over 5 times.

Pros: Entertaining, quick to play, but keeps you engaged.
Cons: Do overs aren’t necessary, but occur occasionally.
Verdict: I’m straight down the middle on this one. I liked playing it, but you may not.

Cooking Mama Lite:

Developer:Taito
Genre: Cooking simulation
Rating: 4+

Without having every played one of the Cooking Mama games prior to this, I was able to figure out the controls. Barely. Instructions are given, but they’re vague and by the time you figure them out, you’re being graded on your skills. You only make one recipe in the free version. Basically, you are helping Mama make a recipe. She tells you what step comes next, you do it, then she grades you on your skills. Gameplay is rushed, controls are very functional (but not well represented), and the demo is SHORT. The graphics look great, just as I would expect from the Cooking Mama game, regardless of system. If you’re going to play Cooking Mama, I would recommend either picking it up on a different system, or paying for the full iPhone version. The Lite version lasts about as long as it takes to load.

Pros: Great graphics and sound.
Cons: SHORT with crummy control instructions
Verdict: Get a different version. Lite isn’t worth it.

America’s Next Top Model:

Developer: Mobliss
Genre: Hottie Simulation
Rating: 4+

Though there are some of us (well, some of you) who don’t like America’s Next Top Model, there are others who do. While this game doesn’t capture all of the excitement of the reality series, it does have a few elements that make it endearing. Keep in mind that I’m a girl who likes the show. Now, with that disclaimer out of the way… In this game you create your own chica. You only have a few choices, so you aren’t going to spend a lot of time changing the way your girl looks. It’s really not a big deal, though, as you can barely see her on the screen anyway. Click on different activities and watch your girl perform them. Some activities give you stars, some give you energy, some even build relationships/friendships with the other models. At the end of the day, when you’ve exhausted all of your activity options, you can choose to do a photo shoot. The photo shoot is done in the style of Tap Tap. At the end of the photo shoot, you have an elimination. The person with the fewest number of stars at the end of each round, is the one who gets the boot. The free version only has one “season”, but lasts a good amount of time. I would definitely suggest getting this version before the paid, in order to see if you like it.

Pros: A good variety of styles of gameplay.
Cons: Graphics aren’t super clear, and some of the activities get somewhat repetitive.
Verdict: If you like ANTM, you will probably like the game, but check out the free one first.

Developer/Publisher: I-Play
Genre: Simulation
Cost: $3.99
Acquired: Review Copy Provided
Verdict: If you’re into the arts, and have a long attention span, check it out.
Pros: Great for those who are artistically-inclined and want a game with those elements.
Cons: The game gets very boring after a while.

Artist Colony for the iPhone/iPod touch is beautiful. The graphics, the sounds, the colors are all fantastic. This is a very aesthetically pleasing game. The controls are very well done, with the only frustration with the controls coming from large fingers, but really, what iPhone app doesn’t have that problem? However, though the game has a lot to offer, I found myself tired of it rather quickly, though there were a few factors that stunted my boredom.

Artist Colony’s story is about a boy born of two artist parents who have a compound that becomes his inheritance. He, along with the help of his friends, must rejuvenate the compound. They do so by cleaning the remains of old ruins, rebuilding the structures, and transforming the dead weeds into stunning landscapes. Touch a character and drag him to the area you want him to be. Little blue arrows will tell you where you’re placing the character. Put him on a bench, for example, and he will sit.

Your characters are pregenerated by the game, and, other than the level of training each character receives, you don’t really customize them in any way. Each character has inspiration points and fatigue points. When a character is fully inspired, he is ready to create a masterpiece. Contrarily, when a character’s fatigue (or energy level) goes below 20, they will refuse to work. You can sit them on a bench to rest their lazy asses, or place them in front of a flower to inspire them. You can also train your characters in their specified artistic endeavors. Each character has two talents they can develop; for instance, one character may be interested in both music and photography. If you put him in the music hall, he’ll gain more music talent points. As previously mentioned, when your character is inspired, and after they have been trained, set them to a task, and they will create a masterpiece. This masterpiece can then be sold to buyers who visit your compound. For each masterpiece, you’re given a worth amount and offer amount. You can opt to not sell, but there isn’t much reason to hold onto it, unless you’re holding out for a bigger offer. Selling makes more money for repairs/upgrades, as well as more notoriety for the compound. This, in turn, equals more students. The game doesn’t let you wonder where to go next, as instructions are given for every new task. Of course, there are also more mundane things to do, such as feed the characters, etc.

Every once in a while, a piece of the story line will reveal itself. The problem is getting that far. Because nothing is completely engaging, it is hard to want to play the game long enough to learn anything. In addition, what little of the storyline we’re given at the beginning, isn’t enough, in and of itself, to care either. It isn’t inspiring in the game play sense. That being said, even the title screen looks like something out of my aunt’s art book. Everything is bright and cheerful. Things are pretty easy to decipher, and the color use is brilliant. The music isn’t bad, though admittedly I played with the sound down most of the time. Another nice feature, is that you can turn the game off at about anytime, or for any reason, and you’ll just resume right where you left off.

Overall, I liked the game, but aesthetics aren’t enough for me to keep playing a game. I’m not especially interested in the storyline, but I could look at the game all day, if I had nothing else to do. So, I’m gonna say it depends on what you like from your games.

Admit it, you have a favorite console; whether it be XBox 360, SNES, or PC. And sometimes, you think about how great it would be if your iPhone/iPod Touch had that one game that you couldn’t function without on it. Just so you could play it, even when you’re aren’t home. Like, say, waiting for your western civ professor to stop droning on and on about god knows what.

Fr’EE’day has you covered this week, with pieces of 3 classic console games. It’ll keep you warm and fuzzy till you get home.

Rock Band Free:

Publisher: Harmonix
Genre: Music
Rating: 4+

Ahh, Rock Band. I love you so much, I wrote you into my wedding vows. And now, even when I’m not at home, I can get my fix. Because you’re on my iPhone. Gameplay is brilliant. You can play as any instrument (or voice) for the one song you get; Learn to Fly by the Foo Fighters. You have a few options to play with in this version as well: music volume, sfx, overdrive, and vibration. Just like in the real thing, you have star power to use if you’re good enough, and you can activate it by tilting the phone away from you. When I first started, I assumed vocals would be singing into the mic. Seems like it would make sense. Rather, you tap buttons on the left side of the screen (instruments are still on the bottom) to the rhythm of the vocalists movement. This also brings up my one complaint, and this isn’t really a fault of the game. Lag is, as William Shakespeare once said, teh suxxors. While there are only three difficulties (Easy, Medium, and Hard), lag can, and will, make easy feel like expert. Other than that, it’s creative, and best of all, you don’t have to jump instruments in the middle of a riff (see Rock Band for the PSP). The graphics and sound are great, and it’s remarkably similar to the look and feel of the console game. I feel fulfilled. No longer must I yawn tears of boredom while waiting for the 20 people in front of me to order their light breves with no whipped.

Pros: It’s Rock Band. And it’s ON. MY. PHONE.
Cons: I hate lag. ‘Nuff said.
Verdict: If you like Rock Band… alot… just pay the $6.99 for the full version. You’ll play Learn to Fly 3 times before you get tired of it.

iMario Lite:

Publisher: Xaruva
Genre: Soundboard
Rating: 4+

If you’ve ever read any of my preview reviews, you’ll know that music is kind of a big deal to me. It completely rubs off on the sounds that games use as well. If the sounds suck, I’m not a happy camper. Hence, my love for soundboards. Now, I’ve had some awesome soundboards on my phone, but I’ve just added a new addition that I’ll be keeping for a while. Mario. Now, I’m not talking the whiney Waluigi, “Imma de wienner!” here. I’m talking the 8 bit sounds we all know and love from the original . There’s the sound of a goomba being smushed, the invincibility song that comes with a star, the use of a mushroom, and even the inevitable sound of Mario losing a life. There are more too. You’ll love them. In fact, I heard a dirty rumor somewhere that you can avoid being fired if you play the star power song.. I’m not sure if that’s been verified or not, but I don’t recommend you try it, just in case. The only drawback to this showcase of classic sounds? Ads. Yeah. There are a few of them, but they’re unobtrusive, and they don’t bite.

Pros: Great for adding a sound track to your daily activities.
Cons: Ads. Cause it’s free.
Verdict: Do you like Mario? Do you like soundboards? Then it’s free. you never know when they’ll come in handy.

Call of Duty Cheats FREE:

Publisher: Remi PIEGLEN
Genre: Cheats
Rating: 4+

No, admittedly, I tried a different COD game first. It was Call Of Duty World at War: Zombies. I decided not to review it cause, quite frankly, I sucked at it. The lag, coupled with my not being able to see what the hell I was shooting at, drove me crazy and I decided to look for something else. What I found was a list of cheats for Modern Warfare 2. Sweet! I can go for the assist, rather than the 2 point kill. If I’m gonna kill zombies, it’d better be on my 360. There isn’t a lot to this app. There are a ton of different categories, each of which tell you something different about the game. From achievements to how to get the best weapons, you’ll find it here. I assume. I didn’t look through every single list, because that would have been excessive; even for me.

Pros: Helpful in your pursuit for the perfect COD Modern Warfare 2 game.
Cons: Incredibly boring look for an app
Verdict: If you don’t want to pay for the cheats, here you go. If you want something flashy, pick up a walkthrough elsewhere.

Oh yeah. I did it! I totally played on the fact that my name happens to be a musical term. My tattoo is all about music too. This theme was inevitable. Roll that beautiful bean footage!

The Voice Machine:
Publisher: PROD4ever
Genre: Vocal App
Rating: 4+

This app is simple and right to the point. Record, play, manipulate; rinse and repeat. The graphics look like the old school mini recorders, reminiscent of the original Home Alone. Now you, too, can thwart incredibly inept thieves from your shower! Make your voice slower or faster depending on where you slide the red button. Not only is it easy, but you’ll sound like a chipmunk in no time. Though, Justin Long may have crushed your dreams of stardom already. ALVIN!!

Pros: entertaining and useful
Cons: length of record time isn’t excessive
Verdict: It’s free, and it can make you sound like you’re on helium, without the nasty side effects. WIN!

Lyric Mix:
Publisher: Hot Potato
Genre: Quiz
Rating:4+

Love quizzes? If you’re like millions of MySpace and Facebook fans, you do. This, however, is more of a trivia quiz kind of game. Ralph Fiennes, eat your heart out! Lyric Mix gives you a few lines from a popular song, a time limit, and 4 options. As the time ticks away, you start losing options, and points. Get speed bonuses and multipliers. The number of questions you’ve correctly answered in a row, determines what your rank is. You could be Lyric Student, Lyric Master, etc. The colors are bright and cheerful, and though it’s a little buggy, it’s worth it.

Did I mention it’s free until SUNDAY?! THIS Sunday the game will start to cost you real life money, so get it now! It’s a good game, especially if you like music from every genre and era.

Pros: Wide variety, simple concept, music related
Cons: a little buggy, and only free until Sunday
Verdict: If you like music, and you like looking smart in front of your friends, GET THIS GAME! It’s not spectacularly incredible, but it’s good and it’s free at the moment.

Bayou Beats:
Publisher: Disney
Genre: Music
Rating: 4+

First, let me begin by saying how great the graphics look in this game. Of course, if the graphics weren’t good on a Disney game, I suppose I would feel rather dejected. Bayou Beats is a Tap Tap type of game themed after, what else; The Princess and the Frog. I was a big fan of this movie, so being able to unlock little goodies like character cards, and having the option to watch the Ne-yo video without having to leave the game, really appealed to me. There are tons of extras, from ordering the soundtrack, to seeing little character clips, and more. The sound is great, as expected. I will say that the only thing I’m not a fan of is the game play itself. It’s simple: When the crown lights up the circle, you tap the circle. It’s not perfectly on beat, but it’s slow enough that it doesn’t matter. You can choose from the instrumental version of several songs from the movie. I wanted to spend more time looking at all the other goodies though. The motivation for playing the game, is getting to unlock the cards. This game is perfect for the kids it’s aimed at, as far as playability, but a parent might need to be on hand to help with the myriad of other options. Oh, and one of my favorite things about the game play, is that there is a pause button on the screen. Thank god, cause when I got a twitter push notification, I lost serious points! The horror!

Pros: Great graphics, lots of stuff to keep you interested.
Cons: Maybe overwhelming, and, well, it is Disney.
Verdict: If you like Disney, this is a great game for you. If your kids like Disney (wink, wink), this is a great game for you to have on your phone, for them to play.

BONUS!

Remember Battle Bears Free: Bear Naked from the Fr’EE’day segment on The Portable Podcast? The full edition is available for free on Friday only! Go get it now!

Coming in Q1 for the DS/DSi, from Sabarasa: Save the Turtles. A puzzle game that utilizes several modes of gameplay all in order to steer those poor, defenseless, freshly hatched baby sea turtles to safety. Work your way though humid sun, oil spills, crabs, seagulls, and more. This game is definitely for the humanitarian in all of us. Check out the trailer, and enjoy the screens.

Capcom is compiling all four Mega Man ZERO games in one DS cartridge entitled Mega Man ZERO Collection. Bringing back the popular character Zero, first introduced in Mega Man X series, has proven to be a stroke of franchising genius for Capcom, with the series also getting its own ZX spinoff on the DS. Bringing back the classic GBA games seems like a great return to the series. Expect Mega Man ZERO Collection to release this summer on the DS.