The Rock Band franchise is one of the best in the music
genre and this mobile version keeps the quality level high. The game comes with a deep collection of music — 20 songs are available initially — and finally lets players actually sing the songs, rather than tap the screen along with the lyrics. This “vocal mode” makes the game more immersive (though for tone-deaf players, the tap along option is still available). The game is pretty forgiving with singers, though — not recognizing lyrics and being extremely generous with pitch. The differentiating features of the iPad version (versus the iPhone version) are minimal and don’t really justify the extra $5 in price. It’s a well-made and truly fun game, but you’re just as well off buying the less expensive iPhone version.
Tag Archives: iPad
App review: Spirits for iPad
There’s something downright charming about 
Spirits for iPad that’s hard to describe. Maybe it’s the unique and gorgeous hand-painted levels. Maybe it’s the cute, whimsical spirits floating in the air. Or, maybe, it’s the soundtrack — that sticks with you long after you play. Whatever it is, this is an app that takes the Lemmings formula (guide a series of creatures who follow in each other’s footprints) and alters it just enough that it seems unique. The game won the Best Aesthetics award at IndieCade — an international juried festival of independent video games — and it’s sure to win your heart too.
Read more at Common Sense Media
Let the iPad 2 rumors commence!
It was only a matter of time…
While the iPad is the season’s hottest gift, the tech world is already looking toward the sequel – and the rumor mill suggests that a follow-up to the tablet could begin within the next 100 days.
Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog
App review: Trucks and Skulls HD
It would be easy to write off Trucks and Skulls HD 
as a clone of Angry Birds, but that would be doing this app a disservice. While the physics-based puzzles are in the same vein — an enemy hides under wood, stone, and other obstacles that you destroy by flinging objects — there’s just enough of a difference that it remains enjoyable. The game is, quite simply, fun. Beating the puzzles gives players a rush, while losing only makes them want to try again (rather than frustrating them). The addition of a level creator is a nice touch that encourages creativity, but sharing the levels you create is a slightly difficult process. (You have to email them to friends, who then must upload them into the game.) Scores can be shared with friends via the iPad’s Game Center functionality.
Read more at Common Sense Media
App review: Let’s Golf! HD
There aren’t a lot of golf 
gaming options on the iPhone or iPad yet — and Let’s Golf is one of the better ones. It’s good, but not great, and often seems to lift elements directly from Sony’s popular Hot Shots series, rather than taking any chances of its own. It offers plenty of options, though, and will keep casual fans of the greens happy. If you’ve got the iPod/iPhone version of the game, there’s no reason to upgrade, but if not, you won’t regret the $5 spent here.
App review: Rage HD
Rage HD is definitely not an app for children, but 
it is, hands down, the best looking app on the iPad (and iPhone — as a separate version of the same game is also available for other Apple iDevices). Id’s graphics engine was built for the current generation of consoles, and the fact it transitions so smoothly to Apple’s products is a technological achievement. The game itself is a standard “on rails” shooter — where the player only has to worry about aiming, not walking. That prevents you from exploring, which is a bit frustrating, but you’re so busy trying to stay alive that the point quickly becomes moot. While extraordinarily violent, the game also shows a sense of humor, with the Mutant Bash TV host interjecting comments from time to time. It’s not something you want your children to play, but adults who enjoy action games will likely have fun.
Gadget gift guide 2010
This holiday season, gadgets are a good 
worry-free gift to get that bizzer who has everything — particularly since everything that’s tech seems to be changing. From 3D TV and a video-streaming set-top box to a new twist on motion-capture gaming, Variety has put together a list of the latest gizmos that are sure to be as much fun to give as they are to receive.
App Review: Scene It? Harry Potter HD
Even if you’ve seen all of the Harry Potter films and have
a good knowledge of the series’ mythology, you’re bound to stumble across some head-scratchers in Scene It? Harry Potter HD. The app is a fun trivia challenge that will likely make you want to watch the films or read the books again and illustrates just how vibrant and rich a world J. K. Rowling has created. The use of local multiplayer is a fun one, as playing in the same room increases the intensity of playing against someone (versus an anonymous online interaction). The app’s in-your-face marketing of other products, though, along with occasional lock-up problems during film clips detracts from the fun — and starts to make the $4.99 price tag seem a bit high.
App Review: Over the Line?
As parents, we hope that our kids will come to us when 
they’re facing tough situations. But as kids get older, that doesn’t always happen. In an era of digital harrassment and sexting, kids are often too embarrassed or ashamed to talk to their parents. Over the Line? is a useful tool for them to learn that they’re not alone and to learn what others are going through. Beyond the community aspects, which are carefully monitored, it also offers straightforward information and resources to help kids in trouble. It’s not ideal, but if nothing else, it lets kids talk about their fears and situations that embarrass them in an inviting, anonymous forum.
App Review: Talking Rex the Dinosaur
There’s really nothing in Talking Rex 
the Dinosaur that Outfit7 hasn’t done in any of its six other “Talking Friends” apps. The main purpose of the series is for an animated on-screen character to repeat what you say to it in an altered voice. It’s a fun diversion, with a few features thrown in on the side — like feeding your dino a steak or playing a bit of catch with it — but it’s a one-trick pony that eventually does get old (generally much faster for adults than for kids). Still, the fierce T. Rex is bound to catch the eye of young dinosaur enthusiasts. The intensity of the animations might be a bit too much for the very young ones, though.
Chris Morris: Journalist 