Star Walk App – Because Having The Entire Universe On Your iPhone Is Freakin’ Cool

We’ve featured a couple of augmented reality applications here on KRAPPS … Nude It lets you see naked people, while Reality Slice helps users slice a pizza into evenly-sized pieces. Nothing earth-shattering, but then again, that’s our wheelhouse.

Star-Walk-200 However today we’ll “buck the norm” and cover an augmented reality app which is … to put it bluntly … freaking insanely awesome! The app is called Star Walk [iTunes $2.99] by Vito Technology Inc. It’s an educational astronomy application which charts stars and planets. Basically what you do is go outside when it’s dark … launch Star Walk … look at the sky through your iPhone (like you’re taking a picture) … and then crap your pants in absolute amazement. Using the iPhone’s GPS feature, Star Walk automatically detects your location and displays, in glorious detail, a live representation of the sky you are looking at … stars, planets constellations and more.   

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So let’s say you’re done checking out a particular part of the sky … and point your iPhone to a different location. No problem … Star Walk utilizes the iPhone’s 3GS accelerometer and compass to automatically change to the area of the sky you are currently viewing.

Star Walk provides even further awesomeness … touching any object on Star Walk’s live representation screen will give the user detailed information like size, coordinates, etc.

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The Time Machine  function is another cool feature  …sort of like a time-lapse movie of the sky, going from day to night and changing star positions as you advance in time. It’s really remarkable to see the sky in this dynamic state … we were completely in awe.

In addition to the Star Spotter functionality described above, Star Walk has a ton of additional features like … choosing any location in the world and the app will show the corresponding objects in the sky … Astronomy Picture of the Day – an amazing photo gallery, kept fresh on a daily basis … and so much more. To appreciate the full-effect of Star Walk, be sure to check out the demo video at the end of this article. 

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antikrappssealv2gif3 With its high-quality graphics, outstanding animations, superb sound effects and intuitive UI … Star Walk is an absolute bargain at $2.99. It delivers a wealth of knowledge in a way that is both fun, easy to understand and thoroughly entertaining … totally exceeding our expectations. And we agree with Apple who featured Star Walk as one of the best apps of 2009. We have our own term for these types of gems … anti-KRAPPS. So without a doubt, Star Walk is 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified!

 

March 4, 2010 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Education | Leave a Comment 

Spooky Spirits – Absent of Absinthe

(written by guest author Tim Giron. follow Tim on Twitter @timgiron)

When I first heard the phrase "spooky spirits", I immediately thought it might be some kind of Absinthe connoisseur’s app, allowing the user to chronicle their dalliances with the wormwood infused liqueur romantically referred to as "the Green Fairy".  Upon firing up Spooky Spirits: Puzzle Drop!! [iTunes $1.99] by Innogiant, however, I was pleased to discover it to be an imaginative and entertaining game of the highest caliber.

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The story’s premise is that a couple of "spirit wardens" (think "ghost guards", "poltergeist probation officers", "specter watchdogs") fell asleep on the job (you’ll soon find out that these two fall asleep quite easily) and let a bunch of the groovy ghoulies escape.  These AWOL apparitions then worked their way into the various puzzle blocks that you, the intrepid player, will encounter.

When creating a profile, you pick which of the two characters will accompany you.  For me, the choice was easy… See, one of the characters is named Tim.  I took this as a portent and an omen.  He’s a sarcastic little dude who blames the other character, Becky, for their predicament.  Becky, not to be outdone, throws some zingers right back at him.

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Game moves are simple yet effective.  You interact with a set of blocks that are arranged in two rows at the top of the playing field.  You drop the blocks onto the playing field in pairs and can also swap the positions of adjacent blocks (successively to move a block from one edge to the other if necessary).  When a "spirit infused" block makes contact with others of identical color, the whole group disappears and the ghost is recaptured.

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There are three basic game modes: Panic, Puzzle and Eternity.  Each will appeal to a different kind of player.  Me, I quickly gravitated to the Puzzle Mode.  Here, the goal is to solve the puzzle within the number of drop moves you have been given (which often seems impossibly low).  I have yet to experience one of the puzzles where I was able to solve it in fewer moves, so the number you are given is likely a hint as to the order in which things must proceed.  The puzzles are very well thought out, progressing nicely, level by level, from basic to head-scratching.

In Panic Mode, you must quickly drop blocks to clear a certain number of ghosts before the screen fills up.  This mode is aptly named as the games begins to speed up and you start dropping blocks willy nilly in an attempt to avoid destruction.  In Eternity Mode, which is Tetris-inspired, you rack up as high a score as you can until you can’t make any further moves.

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The graphics are outstanding and the music and sound effects are top notch.  Well worth the price of admission which is, at the time of this writeup, $1.99 [iTunes] or a free lite version is also available for trial [iTunes].

February 20, 2010 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | Leave a Comment 

Let’s Bounce – SpringFling iPhone Game Review

(written by guest author Connor Coghlan. follow Connor on Twitter @Condawg)

Since I can’t really describe the genre of this iPhone game, I have to make a comparison.  Ah, I’ve got it … Spring Fling [iTunes $0.99] is like Doodle Jump, but with a bouncy twist.

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Instead of being instantly propelled upward by each platform as you land on it, you have to pull down on your spring (which can be done anywhere on the screen) to decide the power and direction that you will launch. This gives you more overall control and allows you to guide yourself toward powerups and whatnot with more precision.

There are two kinds of levels … static and scrolling. The static levels allow you as much time as you need to figure out where to go and what to do. The scrolling levels put a bit of a time limit on the endeavor by auto-scrolling upward, making sure you act fast to avoid slipping off the screen. This feature adds a unique challenge and some frustration <banging head against the wall>.

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There are powerups within SpringFling … a pogo-stick, balloons or fans that pop up at the bottom of the screen to blow you back up if you fall too low. But there are also pickups, which, unlike powerups, are permanent. Pickups affect your character aesthetically, so they don’t effect gameplay, but I’ll be damned if they’re not a boatload of fun to collect.

You can pick up different hats, faces, and eye pieces (some are glasses, some are just eyes) for your character to wear. This adds a good bit of replay value, as you try to unlock ’em all. Plus online leaderboards and Facebook / Twitter integration makes SpringFling even more addictive.

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Although Doodle Jump is more popular, I personally prefer SpringFling. I like the extra control that you get and I love the pickups available. Published by indie game developers GTProduction, SpringFling is in no way krappy … it’s one of the few anti-KRAPPS we feature here at KRAPPS and has Konnor’s (that’s me) Kredential. For only 99 cents, give it a try, you won’t be sorry.

 

February 15, 2010 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 6 Comments 

Gotta Catch A Mall! – Create A Mall iPhone Game

(written by guest author Tim Giron. follow Tim on Twitter @timgiron)

Economic goal type apps are all the rage at my house, so I knew that Create A Mall [iTunes $3.99] by 99 Games would get a good workout.  In this game, you play Kelly, who is a mall management superstar, tasked with turning poor performing shopping slums into mega merchandising meccas (in six different cities, no less).  At your disposal are cash, resources and building plans which you must use in pursuit of a particular goal.  The first three levels act as a tutorial, setting the foundation for success.  Sometimes the goal is to attain a certain popularity rating, sometimes it’s to generate a certain amount of cash per day, sometimes it’s to put together a specific combination of stores.  Each level presents a new set of challenges.

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By achieving the goal within the specified time limit, you’ll be awarded the expert ribbon and you can also revisit any level that you’ve previously cleared to try for a better score.  One sure sign that the goals are decently challenging: my wife didn’t clear the whole board the first day she tried the game.  The logic puzzle side of things appealed to me as well.  Some of the goals require careful use of the tools at hand to finish within the expert deadline.

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In one of the first levels, you are tasked with attracting more shoppers to a rundown mall.  Why is it currently unpopular?  Well, the previous management thought it would be a good idea to build two of the same store right next to each other (for some reason, a pair of Abercrombies in close proximity turns people away).  The first task then is to "ditch a Fitch" and demolish one of them to make way for something else like, you know, an Aeropostale or a Hot Topic.  Yeah, that’ll bring in the hordes, ready to part with their cash.  Add in an upscale shoe store and you’ve got it made.

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As you progress through the 30 levels, you’ll gain access to new kinds of stores and accumulate points to spend on decorations for Kelly’s office or new clothes, shoes and jewelry.  She works hard, she deserves a little bling now and then!

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For your $3.99 [iTunes] initial investment, you’ll get hours of goal-seeking, mall-building entertainment with local and global leaderboards to let you match your skills against others.

February 13, 2010 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 15 Comments 

LED Football For iPhone – Flashing Blips Excite Us (free this weekend)

(written by guest author Tim Giron. follow Tim on Twitter @timgiron)

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Good evening sports fans and welcome to this, the LED Football 2 [iTunes $0.99] championship game. The blips are taking the field and we are anxiously anticipating the return of one of the brightest blips to ever grace this game: your quarterback. And what an up and down season he has had, folks. Who can forget his daring run to victory in LED Football? Once he had committed to running forward, there was no way he was able to fall back. You’ve gotta admire the gutsy determination that it took to score against those odds. And then, of course, there were those that said his career was finished amidst the rumors of retirement during the off-season.

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But now, in LED Football 2, he’s back for more. And he’s teaming up with that flashy blip, the razzle dazzle receiver, for a decidedly more potent offense. Just when those dim blips on defense think they have shut him down, he’s able to fire a pass downfield for the first down or even an amazing touchdown run. And this new fancy footwork is a thing of beauty also, folks. The way he fades back a little to bait the defense, just waiting for an opening. It’s like he’s playing a brand new game! One with all of the features that you remember (except the nine volt battery) and it’s fully licensed from Mattel, Inc., by the developer, touchGrove.

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In addition to LED Football [iTunes] and LED Football 2 [iTunes], touchGrove also has LED Basketball [iTunes] already available in the App Store and LED Baseball in the works. At just 99 cents each, these nuggets of nostalgia are easy on the lunch money as well.

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FREE iPhone App – LED FOOTBALL
[Editor’s Note: So here’s the scoop … there’s this sort of big football game going on tomorrow where it costs $3 million for a 30 second advertising spot – BARGAIN. In honor of the companies that spend this insane amount of money, the folks at touchGrove decided it would be cool to price their version 1 LED Football at zero/free. Go ahead, don’t be shy … CLICK HERE to download LED Football for FREE. Heck, why not … all you young punks could learn a thing or two about videogaming history and how good you freaking have it these days. Modern Warfare 2, Madden 10, Halo 3 … hell, back in the late 70’s they got excited over flashing blips on a black screen as Tim described above. So yeah, show some freaking appreciation … download LED Football … and thank KRAPPS, you’ll never take your current videogames for granted again!]

February 6, 2010 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 8 Comments 

Mr. Dumb Go Down – Beavis & Butthead Meet A Reverse Doodle Jump

(written by guest author Connor Coghlan. follow Connor on Twitter @Condawg)

Another Mr. Dumb game? You bet your Beavis-loving ass! I’ve already reviewed the two other Mr. Dumb games — Mr. Dumb Toilet and iChowdown — here on KRAPPS and I’m touching down once again to give you some impressions on the third game in the series from ZenuxLab … Mr. Dumb Go Down [iTunes $0.99]

I know that at this point, you’re asking yourself, "What do you do in Mr. Dumb Go Down?" Well … it should be much of a mystery … you go down … Mister Dumb-Ass.

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What? Oh, right. I have to try and be "professional…" Ahem <sorry>.

The basic premise of the game is — do I really have to?  — you go DOWN (get your mind out of the gutter, perv). It’s one of those games where it’s a side view of your character and you  have to avoid objects and make your way down without going out of view.

Mr-Dumb-Go-Down-5 Luckily, the default controls are not accelerometer-based (thank you devs … much better control and feel this way). You simply tap the screen on the side you want your character to go to and… well, that’s it. You can use accelerometer-based controls, if you REALLY want to (I wouldn’t), but the default ones work just fine and give you a good amount of control.

Now, you’re making your way down a tree in this game. There are bees chasing you along the way, so you have to make sure you don’t stay on one branch for too long. Then there are obstacles such as thorns and bushes. They are wicked nastiness as they hurt you and slow you down … basically making your life miserable.

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The sheer simplicity of the game is nice … think of it as a reversed Doodle Jump. Mr. Dumb Go Down is very well made, with fantastic graphics and realistic gameplay. While it may tend to get repetitive for the hardcore gaming crowd, I feel it is best suited for the casual gamer and certainly deserving of a place in the App Store.  

That said, this game still has the same nice charm as the other games in the series. Playing the other two Mr. Dumb games before this one definitely helped me enjoy it a bit more, because I already had a connection with the characters (well, I did from the very beginning, anyway, since they’re essentially Beavis and Butthead).

When it comes down to it, this game targets the casual gaming folks … and most likely won’t make you lose any sleep playing it or induce dreams about it if you happen to drift off. At less than a dollar [iTunes $0.99], there is little risk for casual gamers to check out Mr. Dumb Go Down … or of course you could go the totally risk-free way and download the FREE version [iTunes FREE].

Ok ZenuxLab, I’m waiting for a fourth episode to get by Beavis and Butthead fix … Bring It!

 

January 23, 2010 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 5 Comments 

Monkeys In Space Delivers Galactic Goodness To Your iPhone

(written by guest author Tim Giron. follow Tim on Twitter @timgiron)

I’ve been playing the latest game from Streaming Colour Studios, Monkeys in Space: Escape to Banana Base Alpha [iTunes] since the day it came out in late November. At the time, I bought it solely based on the reputation of the developer to deliver a solid game. Their other app, Dapple [our review], is one of my favorite games on the iPhone, so I hoped to be similarly entertained with the new offering. And, I am happy to report, I was not disappointed in the least.

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The rules are simple: color coded monkeys (red and yellow) need to be guided to their correspondingly colored space station without touching each other (or any of the asteroids which fly about in one of the levels). As the level progresses, the action gets fast and furious, requiring nimble fingers to achieve high score success. The game also utilizes multi-touch, allowing complex maneuvers to be carried out if you possess the appropriate dexterity (or a trusted friend)!

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Scoring values are increased when you are able to "chain" together several monkeys of the same color to enter the space station as a connected line. Any monkeys on the same chain are also allowed to touch each other. Three levels are immediately accessible: in Deep Space, it’s just monkeys and space stations; in Planetary Chaos, a gravity inducing planet occupies the center of the screen, warping trajectories and flinging monkeys into each other at high speeds; in Asteroids! you have to avoid collisions with a few space rocks as well. In a mid-December version 1.1 release, a fourth level was added, Threes a Crowd which is unlocked when you have saved 750 monkeys. This advanced level features a third monkey, the large blue baboon which, as you may have guessed is paired with a blue space station.

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The game looks fantastic and plays super-smooth. The sound effects and music are also are top-notch. The monkeys panic and begin screeching when they are in imminent danger of colliding, giving you just enough time to attempt evasive action before their "personal space" is invaded. The game also lets you play your own music from the iPod, a feature which is always appreciated. For you high-scoring, competitive types, the game interfaces with the OpenFeint system to record your accomplishments.

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Monkeys in Space: Escape to Banana Base Alpha is a great addition to the pantheon of iPhone games, providing an abundance of entertainment value for the price, which at the time of this writing, is just 99 cents [iTunes].

 

January 16, 2010 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 3 Comments 

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