Storm in a Teacup is a good game, but 
it falls a bit short of being great — though it’s hard to say why. The app has a very unique look, like something from a child’s imagination, and has plenty of good puzzles to solve and items to find. Perhaps what’s missing is the lack of a story tying things together. There’s a narrative on the iTunes store page, but nothing’s built into the game. While Storm, the teacup-riding hero of the game, will charm you, there’s never a real emotional connection with him, so you don’t feel a sense of loss when you fail. That said, the controls respond wonderfully, an essential quality in an arcade game, and you may find yourself playing for long stretches without realizing it. For 99 cents, it’s a no-brainer.
Tag Archives: iPad
iPad games…for your cat?
Apple may tout the diversity of the App 
Store in television ads, but let’s face it — the store is prejudiced against certain users. Sure, there are apps for adults and children, scholars and idiots, big spenders and cheapskates…
…but what about cats?
App Review: Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD
There are plenty of racing games in the iTunes 
App Store, but the Asphalt series has always been near the top. Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD is another winning installment, offering a fun, fast-paced experience with plenty of tracks, cars, and detailing options. It’s also a long game that lets users feel they really got their money’s worth from the app’s reasonably high cost at the time of this review. The problem is, this sixth version of the series is pretty close to the fifth. Aside from the ability to get an acceleration boost by collecting nitro symbols on the track and the elimination of unlocking “girls,” it’s a virtual clone, in fact. And the multiplayer is so-so at best. That puts the series at risk — and developer Gameloft will need to shake things up if it wants the inevitable Asphalt 7 to stand out from the crowd.
HBO Go headed to iPad on May 2
HBO is teasing – if not outright announcing – its imminent 
arrival on the iPhone, iPad and other mobile devices.
The cabler has posted a YouTube video that shows its HBO Go streaming service running on a variety of tablets and phones, including Apple’s iconic brands. At the end, the HBO Go logo is shown with the date 5.2.11 shown underneath, presumably the mobile launch date for the service.
Apple sues Samsung over Galaxy phones and tablets
Apple’s legal team is certainly 
off the leash these days.
On the heels of suits filed against HTC and Nokia, Apple has filed suit against Samsung, accusing the company of using Apple’s intellectual property in several of its devices, including the Galaxy S 4G phone and Galaxy Tab tablet computer.
App Review: Saving Seeds HD
Physics games and iOS devices go 
together, but so far the emphasis in these games has been on cute and funny cartoon characters. Saving Seeds HD : doodle physics takes a different, slightly more mature, approach. It accomplishes this by offering a series of increasingly tough puzzles and rewarding you with a zenlike moment of peace when you succeed, with calming music playing as you watch your seed(s) turn into flowers. It is, in fact, hard to get truly frustrated with the game, as the omnipresent lulling music is so effective at calming the player — and perhaps sharpening their game. With more than 120 levels, there’s a lot to play here. And like the titans of OS gaming, even when you finish, you’ll want to go back and play it all over again.
Interview: Tony Bartel On GameStop’s New Digital Strategy
Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris talks with GameStop
president Tony Bartel about its recent acquisitions and the company’s potential plans to build its own tablet computer.
After running relatively quiet on the digital front for a long period, GameStop came out with both guns blazing last week.
The surprise purchases of Stardock’s Impulse digital distribution service and streaming technology firm Spawn Labs put the company in direct competition with Steam and OnLive. And it’s just getting started.
10 days, 10 million downloads for Angry Birds Rio
Maybe this will make those cranky 
canaries happy.
Rovio, developer of the hit “Angry Birds” series, has revealed via Twitter that its latest title – “Angry Birds Rio” – has hit the 10 million download mark in just 10 days.
Mobile game war: How can Sony and Nintendo compete?
Ten years ago, the thought of a battle
in the portable gaming market was ludicrous. Nintendo had held such a dominant position in the space for so long that it seemed impervious to any sort of challenge.
The field was littered with failed opponents, but things started to get a little more interesting in late 2004, when Sony jumped into the market with the PSP. By the time Apple launched the App Store in 2008, a full-fledged war was underway.
App review: Angry Birds Rio
New Angry Birds levels are never a bad thing — and 
Angry Birds provides plenty. With 60 initial levels and commitments from developer Rovio for additional updates in May, July, October and November, this will keep fans of the runaway hit franchise happy for a while. Veterans of the game, though, might be disappointed with how easy half of the levels are this time around, although there are other elements, such as hidden fruits and new achievements to keep them busy. The marketing parts of the game are relatively tame, which is refreshing as well. While the visceral thrill of the game is still there, the gameplay is starting to show very early signs of aging. Angry Birds has been around for a while now and there are lots of clones on the market. It’s still a lot of fun, but Angry Birds Rio is noticeably less addicting than Angry Birds.
Chris Morris: Journalist 