Basic criteria for the comparison:

• Under $500.00 USD pricepoint.
• 1080p HD recording.
• Designed for extreme sports video recording.
• Single button -- hands free recording.

Video footage taken from the GoPro Motorsports HD Hero.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI7x706ODVM

Video footage taken from the VholdR Contour HD.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjg09bualfo

First: The GoPro HD Motorsports Hero.

GoPro HD Motorsports Hero

The GoPro HD Hero is a small rectangular camera that looks like your typical “point and shoot” camera. The actual model that is referenced for this comparison is the GoPro HD Motorsports Hero. This camra comes with:

• 1 HD HERO Camera (5 megapixel)
• 1 Rechargable 1100 mAh Lithium-Ion Battery
• 1 Waterproof Quick-Release Housing (180’/60 m)
• 3 Flat, 3M™ Adhesive Mounts
• 2 Curved, 3M™ Adhesive Mounts
• 2 Quick-Release Buckles
• 1 Vertical Surface “J-Hook” Buckle
• 1 Suction Cup Mount
• 1 Three-Way Pivoting Side Arm Assembly
• 1 USB Cable
• 1 Component Video (HDTV) Cable
• 1 Composite Video + Audio Out Cable
• Warranty: One Year

Camera Optics

• Lens Type: Fixed Focus (2ft/.6m – ∞), glass
• Aperture: f/2.8 (high performance in low-light situations)
• Angle of View: 170º ultra wide angle in WVGA, 720p, or 960p mode
• Angle of View: 127º wide angle in 1080p mode 

Video

HD Video Resolution Modes:

• 1080p = 1920x1080 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, 15 Mbit/s data rate
• 960p = 1280x960 pixels (4:3), 30 fps, 12 Mbit/s data rate
• 720p = 1280x720 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, 15 Mbit/s data rate
• 720p = 1280x720 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, 8 Mbit/s data rate
• WVGA = 848x480 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, 8 Mbit/s data rate

Audio

• Microphone: Built-in
• ACC Audio Compression

Photo

• Resolution: 5 megapixel
• Capture Modes: Single shot, photo every 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 secs.; 3 photo burst; self-timer

Storage

• Memory: SD card, up to 32GB capacity (SDHC)
• Included memory: None

Weight

• 179 grams

Approximate Retail Pricing: $300.00 USD.

Second: The VholdR ContourHD.

ContourHD 1080p

The GoPro HD Hero is a cylindrical camera that looks nothing like your typical camera. The actual model that is referenced for this comparison is the ContourHD 1080p. This camra comes with:

• ContourHD Camera
• MicroSD Card (2GB)
• Goggle Mount
• Flat Surface Mount
• Rechargeable Battery (3hrs)
• USB Cable
• Warranty: Length unknown

Camera Optics

• Lens Type: Unknown
• Aperture: unknown
• Field of View: 135° -- 960p and 720p
• Field of View: 110° -- 1080p and WVGA

Video

HD Video Resolution Modes:

• 1080p = 1920x1080 pixels (16:9), 30 fps
• 960p = 1280x960 pixels (4:3), 30 fps
• 720p = 1280x720 pixels (16:9), 60 fps
• 720p = 1280x720 pixels (16:9), 30 fps
• WVGA = 848x480 pixels (16:9), 60 fps

5 megapixel Sensor
Codec: H.264 (AAC audio)
File Type: .mov

Audio

• Microphone: Built-in
• AAC Audio Compression

Photo

• No single photo imaging support included.

Storage

• Memory: Micro SD card, up to 16GB capacity (SDHC)
• Included Memory: 2 GB

Weight

• 123 grams

Easy Edit Software

Compatible with:
    Mac (10.4, 10.5, & 10.6)
    Windows (XP, Vista, Windows 7)
Videos Download via USB 2.0

Approximate Retail Pricing: $300.00 USD.

Overall Winner:

GoPro HD Motorsports Hero. The GoPro HD Motorsports Hero has these added features not found on the ContourHD 1080p which truly adds to the usefulness of the camera.

• Still photo capabilities
• Direct video/audio connections for immediate viewing
• Waterproofing to 30 meters
• Better audio recording with minimal wind noise capturing.

The ContourHD is great piece of EYECANDY but unfortunately lacks the features that makes the GoPro HD Motorsports Hero the better product between the two. What the GoPro lacks in external beauty, the camera makes up in internal and external functionality. The GoPro is the hands down winner.

Recommend: GoPro HD Motorsport Hero

The topic for discussion during this interview was on ACCESSORIES – “PIMP YOUR TECH”. We touched on a few exciting products geared towards kids, students and adults alike. The audio and video file of the interview will be made available for download in the next few days. You can go to www.digitaltips.org for some useful tips on consumer electronics.

About Colleen:

Colleen Lerro is a communications specialist for the Consumer Electronics Association.  Colleen has been with CEA for two years and manages promotions for the Accessories and Digital Imaging divisions, and also handles internal communications and media monitoring. Prior to joining CEA, Colleen earned her master’s in Public Communication at American University while interning in the publicity department at America’s Most Wanted. Colleen graduated summa cum laude from the State University of New York College at Brockport with a B.S. in Journalism and a minor in Business.

About the Consumer Electronics Association:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) unites 2,000 companies within the consumer technology industry. CEA is the industry authority on market research and forecasts; consumer surveys; legislative and regulatory news; engineering standards; training resources and more.

Before iDracula, I’d probably say that the last “survival shooter” I had played was Robotron (in one of its various incarnations). Now, I must say that I’m rather addicted to the concept. As a result, my interest in Minigore was a no-brainer. Fortunately, I have not been disappointed. I’m sure people will draw comparisons (as I will in just a moment), but I really hope the public will let this game stand on its own, because it certainly deserves it.

So, let’s get this out of the way. For those who want to compare Minigore to iDracula, okay. Minigore is as much a clone of iDracula as Sonic is of Super Mario Brothers. Sure the mechanics are basically the same, but the whole feel of the game is completely different. There, I said it. Now let’s move on to the important stuff.

Me And My Shot Gun

As I play Minigore, I can’t help but think this is what the result would be if MGM asked Tim Burton to conceive a segment for the Tom & Jerry cartoon hour. In Minigore you play John Gore, and your job is to keep the furries at bay as long as possible. Furries are basically the long lost cousins of some cheesy forgotten 80s horror monster. They pop up out of nowhere and come at you from all directions. They also come in three sizes. The larger ones take more hits to dispatch, and when they fall they don’t give up, but instead split into multiple smaller furries. There’s even a flaming furry that can outrun you, so be prepared to strike them first.

So how do you combat this nasty menace? First and foremost you have your trusty machine gun with unlimited ammo. This bad boy will never leave your side and does a pretty good job of teaching the furries who is boss. Next up are crates that appear from time to time. A few shots will destroy the crate, sending a wave out that destroys furries in its path. On the other hand, if you run into a crate you’ll get a shot gun that temporarily replaces your machine gun (but don’t worry, the machine gun’s not going anywhere). The shot gun is quite limited in ammo, but it can dispatch several small furries at once. It also can reduce a big furry in size with one shot. And finally there’s the clover.

The Inner Beast

Sometimes a clover will fall be left behind when you shoot a furry. When you collect three clovers you unleash your inner beast, and boy is it a doosie. While in beast mode you can run over anything without fear of getting hurt. You need to be cautious of your clover meter, however, because when it reaches empty you’ll transform back into John and suddenly become fair game for any furries that happen to be close by. Fortunately, if you collect clovers while in beast mode it will simply replenish your clover meter and you can keep on happily stomping furries. The game ends after you receive two hits while you are John, at which point you are treated to a brief glimpse of furries joyously gnawing away at you. Curse those cute yet sadistic little fur balls!

The controls for Minigore are simple and exactly what you’d expect if you’ve played many of these survival shooter games. In the lower left corner is your movement circle, and in the lower right corner is your firing circle. I will say that I think they handle just a bit better than iDracula (oops, there’s that comparison thing again). The game integrates into OpenFeint for global high scores, and hopefully we’ll see some achievements at some point as a result of that integration as well.

Cast Of Characters

The graphics in Minigore are simply a treat. The background feels like it was ripped from a popup book, complete with one-dimensional foliage that’s still quite effective at hiding furries. If you go to the upper right corner of the screen there’s even a freshly dug grave. I wonder who that could be for? John Gore looks like a LEGO figure with a vengeance, block head and all. The first time he gets hit the hat is replaced with a bandage on the cheek and some wounds. Your “inner beast” is a cool flaming monstrosity that is only dwarfed by the biggest furry. The furries themselves are black, cute and bounce, as they have no limbs. Even the splash screen looks like a finely conceived movie poster (and hopefully alludes to some future updates to the game).

The sound effects are good sometimes quirky, and certainly help create the perfect atmosphere for this game. Blasting a bunch of furries in close succession almost sounds like making popcorn. The grunts and chomps of the furries as they are chasing you or chewing on your corpse once you’ve lost the game suit the critters to a tee. The absolute best part of the sound, however, is the voice and comments of John Gore. I’m not familiar with the guy who did the voice, but he’s perfect for this character. Whether he’s commenting on the endless supply of bullets or oooh-ing over newly found loot, he could certainly give Ash from the Evil Dead series a run for his money in the wit department. As for the music, it’s just incredible. The song that plays during the menus is mesmerizing, and reminds me of the scene in any great adventure movie when they’re just about to stumble over the greatest discovery of the movie. The in game music is a magnificent blending of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and Pirates Of The Caribbean, and has a Danny Elfman signature about it.

Graphics: 10
Sound: 10
Installation Ease: 10
Fun Factor: 9
Usability: 10
Documentation: 10
Adjustability: 10

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: NO
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- No Achievements

PROS:
- Awesome Graphics
- Incredible Sound And Music
- Frantic, Furry-infested Fun

OVERALL::
iDracula may have set the bar for survival shooters on the iPhone, but Minigore is the only one that makes it feel like Tim Burton had anything to do with it. It’s a hard thing to make a game about shooting everything in site with cute visuals and actually have it work, but Minigore does just that. Add in the wit and charm of John Gore and the incredible musical score, and Minigore becomes an instant classic. If you actually made it this far in the review before going to purchase this game, shame on you. Go click “buy” in the Minigore entry on iTunes now!

Overall Rating: 9.8
Available Platforms: iPhone
App Store Link
App Shopper Link

[Note: images courtesy of App Shopper]

It’s hard to argue that a touch screen device is the perfect platform for a shooting gallery style game. Gone is any sort of distance that keeps you from being accurate with your shots. Instead this type of games just pits you against your own reaction times. There have been many shooting gallery games released in the App Store, but I think it’s safe to say that none are quite as unusual – or compelling – as Zombies Vs. Sheep.

Flaming Head Of Death

To start off with, you’re a sheep. I’ve noticed that for some reason people find sheep an interesting element to use in iPhone games, but this is the first one I can remember where the sheep is the “hero”. Second, all of your enemies are marionettes. Poorly animated ones, of course, as they only have one string apiece. The whole concept is just absurdly amusing. The main adversaries are zombies, many of which look like pirates. To kill them you must shoot their head. If you shoot something else (arms, legs, etc.) the part will fall off, but the bad guy will still be around. Pieces will also fall off from time to time by themselves. Once the creature is down to just the head it will light on fire and fall towards the ground. Make sure you are not under the head otherwise you’ll lose a life. Keep in mind that you can shoot the heads even once they have started on fire.

Beyond the zombies there are bats that “dive bomb” you (simply by falling off their string, of course). There are also creatures that I like to call phoenixes that toss fireballs your way. These will take multiple shots to kill. Finally there are doves that will drop you a heart, which restores one of your lives. Be cautious, because you can actually shoot the doves. Just make sure they’ve dropped their heart before you get rid of them. The nice thing about this game is that it is not predictable. You know when each new critter will show up, but you don’t know where they’ll come from, how many will show up, or in the case of the phoenix, when it will fire. It makes for a unique experience every time. As you progress in the game you’ll encounter more foes, but I’ll leave that for you to discover.

When you shoot a bad guy they will drop a coin. Collect the coins to buy upgrades at the shop. Upgrades include the speed with which your sheep moves back and forth, the maximum number of lives you can have at any given time, the speed with which dynamite explodes, and the number of shots you can fire before you need to reload. On occasion a plane will fly by reminding you to buy upgrades. Either shoot the plane or press the Pause & Shop button at the top of the screen to go and spend your money.

The One Eyed Monster Cometh

The controls are simple enough. To use the shot gun you simply press on the screen where you want to shoot. To reload you can either shake the device or click the ammo bar at the top of the screen – I prefer clicking myself. When you get the semi-automatic upgrade (which is limited in use), you just drag your finger around the screen. A little scope shows you were you are actually shooting. To move your sheep left and right you simply tilt the device back and forth. Nothing overly difficult, and the controls seem pretty responsive.

The graphics are not the best, but what they are is quite original. All the objects appear to have been cut out of something, complete with the white border that you tend to leave when you don’t want to cut too close to the edges of the pictures. The pirates and skeletons remind me of puppets I used to make when I was a kid where you’d fasten the joints together with little metal braids. Unfortunately no braids pop out when you shoot the limbs off, though that would be pretty cool. Sadly, the least interesting character of the bunch is the sheep itself. The background is a bit plain, though they were kind enough to show bullet holes from stray shots. I’d say my favorite effects were the flaming skulls and the limbs flying apart when you shoot a pirate or skeleton’s head.

The sound effects do a good job of augmenting the atmosphere. The shot gun sounds like a pop cap type toy gun, and when you hit the zombies I don’t even know how to describe it other than it sounds like you’re crunching some foliage or something. The cash register cha-chings when you collect coins, and you get a disapproving “baaaah” when your sheep gets hit. Later on when you get to use dynamite it sounds like fireworks when the dynamite goes off. The music fits the atmosphere so well. I can just picture some guy in the background sitting under a tree with the sun casting a shadow off his sombrero, gently strumming his guitar while all the chaos ensues on your end.

Graphics: 9
Sound: 9
Installation Ease: 10
Fun Factor: 10
Usability: 10
Documentation: 9
Adjustability: 9

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: YES
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- Requires Open Feint For Achievements

PROS:
- Frantic And Engaging Game Play
- Original Graphics
- Good Sound And Music

OVERALL::
I honestly didn’t know what to expect from a game called Zombies Vs. Sheep, but what I got was a great shooting gallery style game with some of the most unusual visuals that I’ve seen from this genre. It seems like every time I play the game I’m discovering some new facet of how to play. For fans of “point and shoot” games it’s a must, and for the rest of you it might just be worth it for the novelty of the graphics.

Overall Rating: 9.4
Available Platforms: iPhone

I have never been a real big fan of Arkanoid clones, and it wasn’t until I played Ball Rush Aqua on my Pocket PC (which now has an iPhone version) that I cared for the genre on a mobile platform. Ball Slam Fantasy has actually managed to broaden my appreciation for this type of game. Colorful graphics, a diverse and well orchestrated soundtrack, and manageable game play make this one of the best Arkanoid clones I’ve ever played.

Start From The Beginning

Though cliché and ultimately unimportant, the game actually does have a bit of a plot. 5 kingdoms have been placed under a spell – what kind, no one knows – and you must free these kingdoms by breaking blocks with a special ball and paddle. Nonsensical? Yeah, but the visuals that go with the intro “story” look pretty cool. The game itself is comprised of 3 modes: Adventure, Countdown and Quick Play. Countdown is basic Arkanoid with no power ups, a set time on each level (that gets incremented by 2 seconds for each brick you break), and a “1 life to live” mentality. This mode didn’t interest me at all. Quick Play lets you revisit any level that you’ve already beaten in Adventure mode. Adventure mode is where this game is at its best.

Adventure mode sees you traveling to each of the 5 kingdoms, crushing blocks and taking names through several levels in each kingdom. Fortunately, you don’t have to beat a kingdom to move on to the next. The first round covers two levels in each kingdom, the second round three levels in each kingdom, and so on. The levels are filled with single hit objects, multi-hit objects, objects that can only be hit from one side, and so on. There are also things like teleporters to make the game more interesting. There’s even a time limit to each level, which is actually handled uniquely in Ball Slam Fantasy. When the time runs out all non-breakable objects fall away, and the rest of the objects come charging at you, much like in space invaders (though they just travel vertically, not horizontally). If they reach the bottom of the screen, you lose a life. The nice thing about this is that unlike most Arkanoid clones, each level will end in one way or another, instead of you potentially spending several long minutes trying to destroy that final block that you can’t seem to reach.

Like any complete Arkanoid clone there are power ups, both good and bad. Positive power ups include things like enlarging your paddle and multiple balls, while negative power ups range from opposite controls to losing a life. There are also 5 different types of paddles, each with two unique power ups. You start off with one paddle, and each 100,000 points earned will unlock another paddle for you to use. Finally there are stars that fall from time to time, and if you collect five of them you get to play a bonus round at the end of your current level. You earn an extra life for each 5,000 points you score in the bonus round. You get 25 points for each star you catch, and the first life is pretty easy to earn. After that the stars start speeding up and additional lives become a challenge to get. The worst part of the bonus level is actually the fact that it gets boring after a while. The controls are simply using your finger to slide the paddle back and forth, and tapping when needed to use something like the cannon power up.

Monkey In The Middle

While a couple things like the timer / space invaders gimmick and the unlockable paddles definitely add interesting twists to the brick breaking game play, I think it’s the aesthetic aspects of Ball Slam Fantasy that really make the game shine. Each kingdom has its own visual flair in both the foreground and background layers. Multi-hit blocks usually have faces on them, and the expressions they make when they get hit are great. I also really appreciate the fact that bricks actually look different in every kingdom. Even things like the teleports are different, becoming a whirlpool in the water levels or an igloo in the ice levels. The backgrounds themselves are a treat, and not only differ by kingdom, but sometimes differ by level as well. I especially love how there are different critters popping out of the hole in the ice on various levels of the ice kingdom.

The sound effects were pretty decent, though I think it would have been funny to have the faces make some sort of noise when they got hit. There were also some creatures on several of the levels that could have added some ambient sounds to the mix. The musical tracks more than makes up for anything that’s lacking in the area of sound effects. Every kingdom has its own track, and they are all good. Some of the best music, however, actually appears in areas like the bonus level and menu selections. In fact, the bonus level track almost makes it worth playing the bonus level as long as you can, even though it’s not that exciting.

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: YES
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- Nothing noteworthy

PROS:
- Outstanding visuals
- Incredible soundtrack
- Makes the Arkanoid genre enjoyable

OVERALL::
If you like games where you break bricks with a paddle, Ball Slam Fantasy should be in your collection. If you don’t like this type of game, I’d suggest trying it anyway. There’s a lite version, and I’m pretty sure after giving it a spin you’ll be buying the full one. The audio and visual elements create a wonderful atmosphere, and within the confines of the genre the game play is all there and then some.

Overall Rating: 9.4

Available Platforms: iPhone
App Store Link
App Store Link – Lite Version
App Shopper Link

[Note: images courtesy of App Shopper]

Invariably it seems these days that any puzzle game that requires you to push objects around a maze gets lumped into the Sokoban clone category. First of all, I’m pretty sure such games existed before the dawn of Sokoban, and second, Sokoban has the very specific goal of moving objects onto particular spaces on the playing board. While Fission Quest does have a bit of a feel of Sokoban, especially given that you can only push and not pull objects, it’s certainly a very different type of game. It’s also a good challenge for those who like puzzle games.

Beware The Ooze Below

In Fission Quest you play a nuclear technician trying to make your way through a power plant. To do so you must traverse 30 levels filled with pits, perils and lots of barrels (sorry, didn’t mean to go Dr. Seuss on you). Of course, I’d be pretty scared myself if a power plant were laid out like this, but let’s not let my merging memories of several years of Simpsons watching and working at a nuclear plant for a few months get the best of this review. To get through each level you must figure out the best way to position boxes and crates to either remove them from your path or use them to help create your path.

The interface is pretty simple. Arrows allow you to move your character forward, back, left and right. Technically, though, your character is always moving forward, so pressing any other direction will cause you to face that direction first before you start moving. The game is grid based, so a tap of the arrow will cause you to move one space in the selected direction, while holding the arrow will keep you moving until you let go. Movement does seem to be pretty precise in this game, so you don’t have to worry about letting go of an arrow and having your guy accidentally move more steps than required, inadvertently falling to his death. At least, this hasn’t happened to me yet. The default camera mode is to have the camera follow your twisting and turning, which is actually a bit jarring to me. I recently discovered, however, that an update allows you to lock the camera in place, which to me makes the game much more enjoyable. There is also an option to position the controls on the left, center or right sides of the screen, depending on what’s most comfortable for you. Note this only applies to the arrows – the rest of the options stay on the lower left corner of the screen.

It's Red Hot

You also have the option of pinching to zoom in and out on the board. This is nice in that it lets you get the “big picture” of your surroundings, but it’s often hard to visualize the various layers of a particularly tall 3D level when looking at it from a bird’s eye view. You can even freely rotate the view as long as you’re dragging anywhere on the screen besides the defined controls, but be cautious that you don’t actually catch one of the arrows by accident while you’re doing this (I’ve taken a fall several times due to this). Thankfully there’s an undo feature, even in death, but it would be nice to “lock in” a free look mode sort of like the Bobby Carrot series does. It would also be cool if the free look mode would allow you to see the entire level through panning, rather than just rotating around as much of the area as you’re zoomed in on. Again, this is one of the nice features that Bobby Carrot allows (sorry, I’ve been playing those games recently as well).

The graphics are decent, but nothing spectacular. Your character reminds of someone trying to audition for the part of an oompa-lompa from the new Chocolate Factory movie that was just too tall. The walls and floors of the environment have basic textures, and the boxes and barrels look alright. The sound effects work well enough, but there’s no ambiance other than what appears to be a howling wind to fill the gaps between noises. I suppose that’s to be expected given the environment you’re in, but the wind noise is annoying, and the only other option is to completely disable sounds, which makes everything seem a little too dead. There’s also no music, which adds to the overall bland atmosphere.

Graphics: 6
Sound: 4
Installation Ease: 10
Fun Factor: 7
Usability: 9
Documentation: 9
Adjustability: 6

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: YES
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- No way to pan beyond current view
- “Free Roam” movement has jarring camera movement
- Audio elements are lacking

PROS:
- Decent, if not overly amazing graphics
- Challenging Puzzles
- 3D world adds depth to a common puzzle game style

OVERALL::
While not nearly as flashy as some of the puzzle games to arrive on the iPhone platform in the last few months, Fission Quest is a solid little puzzle game. The levels are challenging as you get further along in the game, and the 3D world adds a much needed new dimension to this type of puzzle game (sorry for the bad pun). Casual puzzle gamers probably won’t enjoy this title, but those seeking a game that requires you to think and plan should get plenty of enjoyment from Fission Quest.

Overall Rating: 7.3
Available Platforms: iPhone
App Store Link
App Store Link – Lite Version

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I’ve always been intrigued by the concept of the lone gunman, waiting in some concealed perch to take out his prey without the slightest hint that he exists. Personally, I’m too nervous to do something like that in real life, and even if I wasn’t I doubt I could hit the broadside of a barn with a bazooka. The virtual world is totally different, however – at least is some respects. Thankfully, games like Codename Lone Wolf allow me to live this fantasy virtually, so I don’t have to worry about hurting myself or some innocent bystander in the process.

Save The Plane

Lone Wolf is actually a pretty decent little game. You start out as SWAT, and then move to Marine and Assassin as you complete 26 different missions around the world. The variance of the missions is quite refreshing. As SWAT you’ll do everything from taking out the lone gunman at a political rally to stopping a lunatic on a bus full of captives. On the marine levels you get to travel abroad, helping accomplish tasks from clearing terrorists sects out of war ravaged cities to slaying high ranking militant officers holed up in secluded camps. I’d imagine the diversity plays out the same in the assassin levels, though I haven’t quite made it there yet. I also thought it was cool that the bad guys react to your actions. For instance, in the scenario where some gunmen are holding a plane hostage, after you take out one gunman you only have so much time before the others will shoot the hostages, ending your mission. Finally, it’s neat to see that you’re not alone. Even though your partners don’t actively participate in the missions, you’ll see cops or other SWAT members or whatever is appropriate for the situation that you are in. To me that just adds an element of authenticity to the scenes.

The view is first person, with you looking down the scope of your gun at the enemies. The bottom of the screen is your trigger, and you use a swiping motion to pull it. At the top right of the screen is your magnification wheel. You can zoom in to 2, 4 or 8 times the normal view. This is especially helpful when you’re trying to shoot around hostages, but it’s usually best to cruise around the scene as a whole with no magnification. In general the game is played in portrait mode, but another cool feature is that you can turn the device to landscape to activate your camera mode, as some missions require you to take pictures of the scene.

Militant On The Run

The interface is actually pretty cool, but there are a couple of issues that can make things difficult on certain missions. The first problem is that it can be very hard to steady your crosshairs on the target, which is especially frustrating on missions that are timed or where the enemies change positions with any frequency. In one of the SWAT missions there is a ten second interval between the time you shoot the first gunman and then have to take out the second one, and I spent a considerable amount of time trying to complete that one simply because I couldn’t get a steady shot in that small amount of time. The other problem is that zooming in and out seems to place the view at random locations on the screen, instead of just zooming in / out on the location you’re currently viewing. Some missions require you to be zoomed in to get certain targets, but navigating a scene while zoomed can be tedious, so the random jumping can get frustrating. Thankfully most of the missions are playable despite these issues, and with the mission select screen you can bypass a mission if it’s particularly difficult for you.

The graphics are pretty decent. Everything is certainly detailed enough, and there are nice little touches like the bad guys dropping their guns when they’ve been hit or hostages falling to their knees and covering their heads after their captor has been slain. There were a few goofy things, though, like an odd perspective when there were lots of buildings in a scene or the animation sometimes when a person that had been shot crumpled to the ground. The thing I found the most amusing was the fact that no matter where you actually shot a bad guy, they always ended up with a bullet hole in the head. Sound effects were basically limited to your gun shots, so not much to say there. There could have at least been a sound when you snapped a picture. The music was actually good and suited the mood of the game quite nicely.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 7
Installation Ease: 10
Fun Factor: 7
Usability: 7
Documentation: 10
Adjustability: 7

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: NO
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- Zooming in and out is jumpy
- Hard to stabilize crosshairs quickly

PROS:
- Diverse set of scenarios
- Decent visuals
- Developer regularly making improvement

OVERALL::

Shooting games are pretty popular on the iPhone, and with big name licenses like Shooter and Terminator, it takes something special to stand above the crowd. I think Codename Lone Wolf has what it takes. Codename’s strongest asset is it’s diverse range of scenarios, which in and of itself sets the game apart from others of it’s kind. Add to that a conceptually sound interface, decent graphics and a good soundtrack, and there’s a lot to like here. Let’s just hope there’s a bit more tweaking to come on the interface, especially in terms of maintaining a proper position when zooming and the ability to stabilize the crosshairs a little easier. Otherwise, the developer has a good thing going with Codename Lone Wolf.

Overall Rating: 7.9
Available Platforms: iPhone

App Store Link
App Shopper Link

I’m not familiar with Jezzball, the inspiration for this game, but I’m also reminded of the game Qix when I play Jezster. It’s not my favorite genre of game, but Jezster is a charming interpretation of the genre that has enough perks thrown in to be interesting. It’s not an every-day-play for me, but it’s certainly worth the price of admission.

The basic idea of the game is that you must fill in a certain percentage of each game board to move on to the next one. You do this by drawing lines between existing borders. Any area that is completely blocked off by the line and doesn’t contain a bad guy will be filled in. You can create lines either horizontally or vertically. To change the direction of your line you can select to have either a small button in each bottom corner of the screen, or you can have a button that pops up when you swipe in the corner. Personally, I found the pop-up button too difficult to use, and the permanent buttons take up so little room that they don’t impede game play any. There are six worlds, and each world is comprised of 4 sub-levels and a boss level. To help you along the way there are a number of power-ups to be collected, including extra time and extra lives. There is also a bomb that will destroy surrounding filled in areas if you don’t click on it in time. There are more power ups listed in the help screens, but so far the ones I listed are the only ones I’ve run across. For the sake of completeness I should mention that there is a “classic” mode that emulates the original Jezzball, but without the power ups and such it just wasn’t really that entertaining.

Just Jezzin'

There are a couple of issues I encountered while playing, like times where it seemed that an enemy passed through a line instead of breaking it, but overall the production value on this game is pretty solid. My biggest gripe, though, is that the game is really difficult. Even on the easy level I barely passed world 1, and now routinely get caught between sub-level 3 and 4 in world 2. The problem stems from the fact that there are a lot of enemies in the area you have to cover. I know there are games with a lot more happening on screen at one time, but because of the nature of having to play from border to border in this one, you’ll learn quickly that the enemies can travel a lot faster than your line. Occasionally some random blocks will pop up that let you connect lines someplace besides the borders, but these don’t tend to hang around for very long. Also, the very limited time you have often precludes you from waiting until the “right” moment to try and create a line.

The graphics are simple but effective. The enemies are animated for as much detail as they contain, and each world is themed with background that tries to represent that theme. A little more detail in the background might have been nice, though I suppose since it gets covered up that probably wouldn’t be too practical. The sound effects for power ups are decent enough, but the bouncing of enemies off of borders gets a bit repetitive, especially if one is trapped in a small area. Like a lot of iPhone games, there is no music in Jezster either.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 4
Installation Ease: 10
Fun Factor: 6
Usability: 9
Documentation: 10
Adjustability: 10

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: YES
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- Difficult even on easy level
- HUD style control difficult to use
- No music

PROS:
- Power ups take genre to new level
- Solid production values

OVERALL::
Jezster still hasn’t really sold me on this genre of game, but it’s a solid attempt that at least makes things a little more interesting. Decent graphics provide an adequate atmosphere, and for the most part the sound effects enhance the ambiance. I think an easier “easy” mode and some music would go a long way to making Jezster a more enjoyable experience.

Overall Rating: 8
Available Platforms: iPhone
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According to the App Store description of Upsi Runner, this game “harks back to the likes of Frogger and Donkey Kong”. Those are big shoes to fill, and unfortunately, Upsi Runner doesn’t really make the grade. It’s a nice start, but it really feels more like a prototype than a fully fleshed out game.

Basically, you play a snail trying to get to the top of each level. Along the way you will be assaulted by butterflies, bombs and devils. It’s up to you to dodge them in your climb to the top. That pretty much summarizes Upsi Runner. Either by touch or tilt you can move your snail left and right. There is no jumping, no climbing ladders, no power ups – nothing. I realize the attempt here was to make a game with a “retro” feel, but even the games quoted in the App Store description had more functionality that Upsi Runner. In Frogger you could move in 4 directions, there were flies and bonuses to get along the way, and there was a wide variety of obstacles per level. In Donkey Kong you had to jump over barrels while you were running, and you could get a mallet to smash things for a short period of time. I appreciate the idea behind a retro game, but you can only strip out so many mechanics before a game just isn’t very interesting any more. There’s a reason that games in most genres advance over time.

The one thing I did really appreciate was the score bonuses. If you could cross a floor (not the entire level) without stopping, you would get extra points. Crossing a floor without ever having to turn back also gets you bonus points, and finishing an entire level without losing a life earns you some points. There are also achievements to be earned for things ranging from number of games played to certain scores reached. These are all well and good, but I’m not sure I’d play the game enough times to earn most of those achievements.

Earn Some Achievements

The graphics in Upsi Runner are decent, but certainly don’t stand out from the crowd. The critters are well animated but a bit on the plain side. The snow covered platforms look cool, and the castle background for one of the levels is pretty neat, but the overall look to the game is quite simple. Even the font used for buttons is kind of blocky and basic, and the letter explosion when you click on a button in a screen full of buttons is a bit cluttered. Audio elements are pretty much non-existent. There is an option to turn sound off, but the only sound I’ve ever heard is the noise made when I press a button. There is no music, and I realize that I can listen to whatever I have on my iPod, but that should be an option, not a feature. Games should have their own soundtrack.

Graphics: 6
Sound: 1
Installation Ease: 10
Fun Factor: 4
Usability: 10
Documentation: 10
Adjustability: 10

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: YES
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- No level design
- Repetitive game play
- No sound

PROS:
- Easy to pick up and play
- Lots of achievements to earn
- Graphics are decent

OVERALL::
It’s always nice to see another entry in a genre besides puzzle games. The controls are solid and while the look is a bit simplistic, what exists of the game is polished. It just feels like there should be a whole lot more there. Retro is cool, but I think that this is one of those cases of “how much retro is too retro”. I do hope the developer continues working on projects, because they are headed in the right direction. Maybe next time around the game will feel more complete.

Overall Rating: 7.3
Available Platforms: iPhone
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If you’re looking for something that exploits the power or unique capabilities of the iPod Touch, eXact isn’t it. However, if you’re looking for a simple puzzle game that challenges your capability to think ahead then eXact might just be for you. This is one of those games that, rather than trying to break any new ground, presents a proven concept in a slick, professional package. Is this eXactly what you’re looking for?

100 Point Bonus

As with many other puzzle games, the premise behind eXact is to either clear the playing field or get a certain number of points to move on to the next level, depending on which mode you’re playing. Each level starts with some randomly generated clumps of blocks scattered around the board. Along the four edges of the board there are two rows of blocks. These are the blocks you use to try and clear the board with. When you touch a block in the inner row it will slide into the center of the board, stopping when it hits another block or the other edge of the board. The idea is to get three or more blocks of the same color together, in which case they will disappear and you will be rewarded with some points. The outer row of blocks, though a bit harder to see because they are shadowed, gives you a clue as to what’s coming up next. This is important because planning ahead can save you some headaches down the road.

Once you get a few levels into the game you are rewarded with some special blocks to play with. Bombs will destroy any block within a 3×3 radius of where it stops. X-Stones will push any row or column of blocks it comes in contact with over by one square. They can only be destroyed by bombs. X-Gems will transform into a random color once they stop moving. Finally there are mystery blocks, whose purpose will be revealed when they are used. The only real obstacles in the game are filling up the board and time (if you’re playing Timed mode), but you always have to be cautious that you’re not sliding blocks haphazardly, because the playing field can fill up quicker than you think.

50 Point Score

There are three different game play modes in eXact. Arcade mode is the easiest of the three in that your goal is to fill a progress bar at the top of the screen by scoring points. Once the progress bar is filled you move on to the next level. There are no time constraints, and you only have to worry about clearing the playing field if you want bonus points (which, of course, help fill up the progress bar). In strategy mode you must clear the playing field to advance to the next level. You can play a board as long as you like, but ultimately all the blocks must be destroyed to move on. Finally you have Timed mode, which is Strategy with a timer. Personally, my brain doesn’t think quickly enough for this mode, but it’s certain to please even the most hardcore puzzle gamer. When not in timed mode there are occasions where the game feels a bit slow, but then when you stop to consider the strategic nature of the game that’s not really a big deal. My main gripe with the game play is that the squares are a bit small, but there’s an undo button should you slip and launch the wrong block, and until you’ve actually let go of a block, you can slide your finger away to let go of the block without releasing it.

The graphics are typical puzzle style graphics. They look polished, but there’s nothing special about them. There are little effects from time to time, like sparks that fly when you get a match, and the word Bonus popping up when you match 5 or more squares at the same time. As usual, though, you don’t really need fancy images to get the point across here. The sound effects are fine and serve their purpose. If they were more prominent I probably wouldn’t like them so much, but they pop up just enough to add ambiance without getting annoying. Unfortunately there is no music in the game, and with the slow paced nature of the game play for Arcade and Strategy modes, this is a sorely lacking feature.

Graphics: 8
Sound: 5
Installation Ease: 10
Fun Factor: 9
Usability: 10
Documentation: 10
Adjustability: 6

Addon Packs: NO
Suitable For Young Kids: YES
Online Support: YES

CONS:
- Slow Pace
- Blocks A Bit Small
- No Music

PROS:
- Great Variation On Match 3 Games
- Game Modes Have Different Objectives
- Overall Presentation Is Polished

OVERALL::
eXact is one of those nice games that surprises you with it’s challenge given the simplicity of the premise. It’s a wonderful variation on the highly overpopulated match 3 genre, and is sure to provide you with hours of game time. The slow pace of Arcade and Strategy modes might be a turn off for some, but the quick thinking required for Timed mode should please even the puzzle game fanatics. At a price point of 99 cents, eXact is worth every penny.

Overall Rating: 8.3

App Store Link: eXact