Monthly Archives: November 2011

App Review: TableTots

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Spinlight Studios has created some of the best educational apps for iOS. AlphaTots and TallyTots let kids work by themselves, but TableTots brings parents more into the mix. This extraordinarily versatile app lets parents put together hundreds, if not thousands, of lessons in everything from letter and number recognition to spelling and math. The only real hiccup is there’s no tutorial for putting those lessons together, which generally means some hunting and pecking before you know what to do. There are some good pre-set lessons, which are good starters, but some parents may get frustrated before finding them. There’s also no way to save scenarios you’ve created — a minor annoyance, but something that’s worth correcting.

The app won’t know when a child gets an answer right or wrong, either, but there’s no getting around that — and it encourages parents to be actively involved with their children as they learn, something that’s hard to complain about.

Read more at Common Sense Media

Eager fan offers $1,725 for early copy of Modern Warfare 3

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Call of Duty fans are a dedicated bunch. So when word escaped earlier this week that certain Sears and K-mart locations had mistakenly put upcoming release Modern Warfare 3 on sale early, they descended, buying what they could before the store realized its error.

And, true to form in the gaming world, a few cash-strapped types immediately put those copies up for sale on eBay. Some went for a couple hundred dollars, but one lucky seller saw a bidding war erupt — and may have walked away with $1,725 for his copy.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

CBS chief talks Apple TV

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With Steve Jobs first dropping hints about Apple’s plans for a branded TV set in his conversations with biographer Walter Isaacson, others are a bit more comfortable discussing it now.

The latest to reveal details was CBS CEO Les Moonves in an earnings conference call this week.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

 

Spyro soars again in acclaimed hybrid ‘Skylanders’

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Three years ago, when Activision was trying to figure out what to do next with the long-running Spyro the Dragon series, it really didn’t have ambitious plans.

While the character was tremendously popular in the PlayStation 2 days (when Ratchet & Clank/Resistance developer Insomnia Games was running the franchise), a string of mediocre sequels had long since dulled its earnings potential. But a radical idea from Toys For Bob, a developer most gamers had never heard of, quickly convinced the company to bet big on the little fire-breather.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

App Review: Civiballs HD

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While Civiballs HD is certainly a derivative title, that doesn’t stop it from being a fun one. Beyond cutting chains to make colored balls drop into their matching jars, the game regularly introduces new elements to the puzzles, such as cannons, catapults, and arrows to help you launch balls across the screen. It’s a game of trial and error, but one that’s not brutally difficult. Strategic thinking is rewarded, while random slashing of chains will end the level quickly.

Charging to skip levels is a bit opportunistic, given how many other games allow players to do this for free, but it’s something most players won’t need — and given the game’s low price, it’s not a particular burden to those who do choose to buy the shortcut.

Read more at Common Sense Media

Spike revs up the VGAs

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Today’s revelation that Spike TV has tapped Survivor creator Mark Burnett to exec produce this year’s Video Game Awards was just the tip of the iceberg.

The show, which is the highest profile celebration of the industry each year, has also teased a few of the world premieres it plans to unveil and announced its contenders for Game of the Year.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

App Review: Siegecraft

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Unlike other defense games, which have you set up weapons that fire automatically, Siegecraft instead takes a page from the Angry Birds playbook, with weapons that operate much like a slingshot and require constant user interaction. It’s an interesting idea, but one that doesn’t work as well as you’d hope. Aiming takes time — too long, in many cases — and it’s not as precise as it needs to be for the game to be a smooth experience. Worse, the pacing has to be kept slow so players have a chance to re-aim their weapons. This, unfortunately, makes the game sometimes feel like it’s dragging.

On the upside, it’s not a bad app by any means, and the low price point means people who take a chance won’t be overly disappointed. The inclusion of a robust multiplayer mode is a nice touch as well. The more you play, though, the more you feel the game fell short of its potential.

Read more at Common Sense Media

App Review: Roll in the Hole

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While Roll in the Hole certainly has its entertaining qualities, you can’t help but feel you’re playing a paint-by-numbers arcade/puzzle app. Cutesy lead character? Check. Happy looping background music? It’s in there. Physics-based controls that can be occasionally frustrating? Roger that.

The game certainly isn’t bad, but it’s a slightly different take on countless other offerings in the app store. It shines, though, by not forcing players to complete particularly difficult levels, allowing them the option of skipping when they get too frustrated. The decision not to take advantage of the gyroscope for the controls was curious one, though. And the difficulty ramps up too quickly for most players, who will likely be growling at the game by the mid-teen levels.

Read more at Common Sense Media

Here’s why you lose track of time while playing games

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It’s a scenario most gamers are familiar with: You sit down on the couch, vowing that you’re only going to play for 30 minutes or so. What seems to be a few minutes later, you look up to check the clock and literally hours have gone by.

Did you accidentally discover time travel? Perhaps you had a narcoleptic incident? Nope. Instead, it appears that your brain has just been screwing with you.

Read more at Yahoo! Games

Here’s the trailer for Grand Theft Auto V

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Eight days after letting the world know “Grand Theft Auto V” was on the way, Rockstar Games has given us our first look at the title – and it looks like fans of the series will be pretty happy with what the studio has been working on.

The game, set in a Los Angeles clone (Santa Monica is dubbed Pleasure Pier and Hollywood becomes Vinewood), seems set in a modern era, with homelessness and foreclosures highlighted.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog