Author Archive for SteveNaka

Exclusive Sketch Nation Shooter In (P)review – iPhone art and digital destruction

Update: Sketch Nation Shooter is now live on the App Store

To date I’ve only done a few reviews of what I would consider “old school” 2D scrolling shooters such as Underground.  However the ones I have reviewed and/or own have been great recreations of a classic style of game play that proves the point that when it comes down to it, content is what really matters.  In an age of 3D, 4D, l-m-n-o-p-d-…, it’s nice to see simple succeed.  Recently I was able to get my hands on a beta copy of an upcoming app store game Sketch Nation Shooter (SNS) by developer Engineous Games.  Sketch Nation Shooter is a clever fusion of art and gaming and some creative social networking.  Read on to see what I thought of this innovative title. Feel free to discuss this (p)review of Sketch Nation Shooter in our forums.

Nintaii2 In Review – Sticking My Block In A Hole: The Sequel

Last summer I had a chance to review one of my favorite flash-turned-iDevice-games, Nintaii, a very addictive puzzle game from developer Concrete Software. As anyone who’s read my previous reviews knows, I am addicted to “pick up and play” titles and that’s exactly what it is. Coming back now with a sequel to their wildly popular Nintaii, Nintaii2 is Concrete Software’s attempt at making a good game great. Feel free to discuss this review of Nintaii2 in our forums.

Office² In Review – My New Portable Office

If you’re at all like me, you’ve integrated almost every aspect of your life with your iPhone. For me that means along with all the games and media, I also have what I need to do much of my job all in the palm of my hand. Luckily I happened to have Office² from developer Byte Squared sitting in my hands. Read on to see if this productivity app gets the job done.

Feel free to discuss this review of Office² in our forums.

Mike V: Do or Die! In Review – Tricks and grinds do just fine!

Skateboarding has always been a gaming love of mine.  Over the years sk8t games have gotten better and better with no foreseeable end in sight.  More recently I have noticed iDevice skateboarding games. With the compact/portable nature of the device, as well as things like the built in accelerometer, I can see this as a great platform for this type of game.  Luckily for me, Mike V: Do or Die popped on the scene and into my heart. Read on for the bump and grind! Feel free to discuss this review of Mike V: Do or Die! in our forums.

Vlingo In Review – Voice To Text On Steroids!

Voice to text is far from new technology. The ability to speak into your phone and tell it to call a specific person has been around for quite sometime. Unfortunately, that’s really been about all you could do till now. With recent improvements to everyone’s favorite iDevice, we found ourselves able to launch/control other features of the phone but even that was just a marginal improvement.  Taking the next step in voice-to-text evolution, vlingo corporation offer more than just s sonorous name in their latest update of Vlingo, they offer email and SMS paste, too! Feel free to discuss this review of Vlingo in our forums.

TimeSqueeze In Review – Record Your Life Benny Hill Style!

Time is something that we could all definitely use more of. When it comes to something like videos, time can sometimes be the killer. Time to load, time to play, it’s everywhere. As an answer to this potential issue developer Infoxenter have released a handy little app called TimeSqueeze. Read on to see what I thought, if you have the time. Feel free to discuss this review of TimeSqueeze in our forums.

Stinger Table Hockey In Review – They Shoot…they scooooore!!

Whether it’s in your game room, or the bar down the street, almost everyone is familiar with table hockey. Going by many other names (bubble hockey, rod hockey, etc), some of the greatest hockey battles have been won and lost on these tables. Now thanks to developer Stinger Games and their title Stinger Table Hockey (STHL), those same battles can be had anytime, anywhere, on your iDevice.

Red Bull Racing Challenge In Review – Energy Drinks And Fast Cars, Great Combination!

For anyone not in the know, Red Bull Racing was born from the sale of the Jaguar racing team to the Red Bull Corp. Having already invested many years in “open-wheel” racing with the Sauber team and their young drivers programs, this was the chance for them to run their own show, which they have with much success. Now, developer Artificial Life have partnered with the storied brand to bring you one of the latest racing titles to hit the app store. With other successful major partnerships under their belt (e.g. PANDORUM). Read on to see if Red Bull Racing Challenge is able to take the checkered flag.

Zogma: Tactical Zombie Survival Simulator In Review – Saving Yourself, One Shotgun Shell At A Time

Somehow, I thought the “undead” craze had all but faded away. I hadn’t found a decent zombie app in what seemed like forever. Then I stumbled across the first appstore offering from Jumbo Squid Productions, a strategic defense like game titled Zogma: Tactical Zombie Survival Simulator. With a name like that, they had me curious. Read more to see if this game had me craving more brains, or less death.

Text Vision In Review – WATWW: Walk And Text Without Worry!

We live in a society that’s “always connected”. If it’s not text it’s Twitter, or Facebook, or some other social hub. We like to be able to keep in touch everywhere, all the time. You can’t walk 6 metres down a sidewalk without seeing somebody tapping away on a mobile device – a dangerous pastime. Thanks to ingenious developer TouchMiPhone’s latest app, Text Vision, you can stay out of danger’s way.