Facebook Connect For iPhone, Now Live

Well, well, well … look what we have here
FACEBOOK CONNECT FOR iPHONE HAS LAUNCHED!
How do we know? Cuz we smart!

facebook-mum As customary in Casa de KRAPPS, we were tinkering around on our iPhone and noticed one of our favorite apps, Binary Game [App Store], had an update waiting for download (click here to read why we <3 this game). We immediately opened the screen and began reading the update’s details. There was all this mumbo-jumbo about Facebook and how Binary Game is now so much cooler because it’s integrated into Facebook. Then it dawned on us, after 8 months of waiting, Facebook Connect for iPhone has finally launched!

We first learned about this upcoming Facebook/iPhone feature on July 23, 2008 via Gizmodo and TechCrunch. Per the Gizmodo article:

At Facebook’s annual f8 conference this afternoon it was revealed that iPhone app developers will be able to integrate apps with Facebook Connect—in other words, apps will be able to link up to and share data with your Facebook account, so your identity will be consistent and linked across apps through your Facebook account (and you won’t have to create separate accounts for every app).

Facebook-Connect-for-iPhone

What this now means for Binary Game (besides the fact that it’s an even cooler game):
Facebook users who play Binary Game can login to Facebook (from within the game) and compete directly against their friends. When a new high score is achieved and a user has defeated the score of their friends, they will now be able to post a social action on Facebook telling all their Facebook friends of their achievement.

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Initially Facebook announced that Facebook Connect for iPhone would be released in Fall 2008. Obviously a delay, but good things come to those that wait. We can only assume the Binary Game is not the only iPhone game being integrated into Facebook Connect. We suspect we hear an official announcement from Facebook, including all “phase 1” Facebook enabled iPhone games, within the next 12 hours. More specifically, since it’s SXSWi time, where major announcements always occur, we believe Facebook employee, Dave Morin, makes it official in his “The Search For A More Social Web” SXSWi presentation at 11:30am CST. Attending SXSWi? Make sure you are there for Dave’s presentation and witness first-hand this MAJOR NEWS … hopefully he has some swag to hand out.

update: Tap Tap Revenge 2 is now also Facebook enabled

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BinaryGameFacebook2

March 13, 2009 | Filed Under Games, News | 13 Comments 

Up There App

By demand, KRAPPS will periodically review “legit” apps thru a network of guest authors.

Title: Up There
Category: Games
Guest Author: Carolynn

I don’t like to be a show-off. But with my iPod Touch all I have to do turn it on and I’m a show-off. People always seem to crowd around me and watch me play my games. Then they say, what else can you show us? What other games have you got on there? I only have a few games that I like to go to for showing off. These games really highlight the capabilities of the iPod Touch. They bear witness to how dazzling the graphics are, the tilt controls that are fairly new to gaming and the awesomeness of the touch screen. One of the games that’s in this very small show-off group is Up There by Veiled Games. It’s my go to game when I’m demonstrating all the great features of my device.

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Up There is a game that was specifically made for the iPhone/iPod Touch. The gameplay is not complicated. You start the game with a balloon in a cage. The balloon just wants to float up. It’s released from its cage and you have to guide it though various barriers you will encounter along the way. The way you guide the balloon is by tilting the device back and forth to move through the holes in the barriers. If you get stuck, then your game is over. Also included is an easier practice mode to help you get the hang of the game.

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So why is this game my show off piece? Because the visuals are simply sublime. The artist hand drew all the artwork and it really needs to be viewed on the iPod Touch/iPhone’s screen to appreciate its real beauty. There have been no problems with the graphics as the game always runs seamlessly without slowdown. The in game soundtrack, “The Joy of Sky”, gives a nice light feel to the game. Up There also satisfies my competitive needs. There is a regular scoreboard, as well as a global score board to record your high scores and compete against the world.

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My overall impression of Up There = FANTASTIC! No iDevice should be without it. It’s even been selected by Apple as a Featured Application. The developers obviously poured their heart in to this game and it truly shows. This game is here to stay on my iPod Touch and I will continue to WOW people with it for a long, long time. Click here to get your show-off piece at the App Store now for $1.99

Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF EDITORS NOTE: Ok, we admit it … we like to show off our iPhone as well to those poor suckers who go through life without the greatest gadget on Earth. As such, we have a show off screen … sort of a Hall Of Fame screen featuring the best of the best … stuff like Shazam, Google Earth, iFart (kidding!) and of course … Up There. By the way, if you don’t agree with our review …
UP YOURS … because Up There is 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified.

FREE Up There App To KRAPPS Viewers!
Veiled Games was kind enough to provide codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download Up There for FREE. Through Fri, Mar 13 at 11:00am PST, tweet the message below on Twitter and be entered into the Up There drawing. Good luck!

got iPhone? read the Up There game review on @KRAPPS – it’s 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified http://krapps.com/?p=1631

March 12, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 17 Comments 

Sneezies App & Sneak Peek

EDITORS NOTE: Before we dive into our Sneezies review, KRAPPS has learned that developer Antair Games will be releasing a new game based on the original Sneezies gameplay. This new version will be Easter-themed, with bunnyfied Sneezies characters, new backgrounds, graphics and color palette. Release is set for sometime this week at a price of 99 cents. Make sure you don’t miss Easter Sneezies for more Sneezies fun!

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Title: Sneezies
Category: Games
Guest Author: Carolynn

I’m a girl and therefore I like cute things. At least that’s the stereotype. But in some cases I actually do fit into that group of girls who like cutesy things. There are even a few games out there I downloaded simply because of their cutey factor. The first iPhone game I purchased simply because it made me smile was Sneezies by Antair Games. I didn’t even read the game’s description, I just looked at the artwork and bought it. When I played the game the first time, I was very pleased that it wasn’t something that was just good to look at.

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Sneezies is a game that anyone can play. You start the game with the Sneezies floating around the screen trapped in bubbles. To release them, you have to give them sneezing powder. You release the powder by touching the screen. Then a chain reaction occurs (hopefully) as one by one the Sneezies sneeze themselves out of their bubbles. When they sneeze, they spread the powder throughout the group of Sneezies and continue popping until the powder can’t reach anymore bubbles. In Classic Mode, each level has a goal number of Sneezies to rescue. If you fail to meet that goal, you can try again. Trust me, in later levels you’ll be doing a lot of this as it gets harder to rescue the required number of Sneezies. Challenge mode is different as you are given 5 turns to rescue a larger number of Sneezies. 45 are levels included in Classic Mode and 15 in Challenge Mode.

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What’s great about Sneezies? Where should I start? The artwork and background images are stunning. It’s highly polished and super cute. Just when I thought the game couldn’t get any better, I plugged in my headphones. There is a nice, happy background track of course. But the best part is when the Sneezies are freed from their bubbles. The sound of them sneezing is simply adorable. You can’t help but smile or laugh when you hear it. The game play is amazingly simple, yet at higher levels you might find yourself wondering why you just can’t get past that level you’ve played 20 times. It’s super addictive and a pure joy to play. The game also includes a global scoreboard so you can compare your rescuing skills worldwide. There’s also an in-game scoreboard for comparing your own scores.

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My impression of Sneezies: 5 out of 5 sneezes! You really can’t go wrong when you go pick up this game. It will entertain you for hours and make you laugh!  Click here to purchase Sneezies for $1.99 or try the free Lite version by clicking here.

Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF EDITORS NOTE: Cute? Yeah right! Don’t let these little guys fool you. They are tough as nails and can be frequently spotted chain smoking Malboro Reds while swilling Jack & Coke. But since Sneezies appear on KRAPPS, we consider them family – so for better or worse … we love Sneezies and this game is
100% anti-KRAPPS Certified.

FREE Sneezies App To KRAPPS Viewers!
Antair Games was kind enough to provide codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download Sneezies for FREE. Through Wed, Mar 11 at 11:00am PST, tweet the message below on Twitter and be entered into the Sneezies drawing. Good luck!

got iPhone? read the Sneezies review on @KRAPPS – it’s 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified http://krapps.com/?p=1615

March 10, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 10 Comments 

Alternate Endings App

By demand, KRAPPS will periodically review “legit” apps thru a network of guest authors.

update: all ten Alternate Endings codes have been claimed – thank you

Title: Alternate Endings
Category: Entertainment
Author: Dean

ae-logo2 Recently, I came across an app called Alternate Endings. This app has been available for awhile, but after playing it I thought that it was just so great I had to review it. Imagine watching a movie and being able to control what happens. In Alternate Endings, you can do just that!

Take the role of Russell Bingham. A security guard in a typical movie studio, however, after a big-time movie director is murdered, its up to Russell and his trusty taser to find the culprit. Follow Russell’s adventure and control his path in his one and only shot to become a real cop and maybe get a little extra.

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During numerous parts of the game you will be prompted to make a decision. What you decide will be played in a movie-like style and based on your choices, you can actually change the outcome of the movie for better or worse. Try to solve the crime in the best way possible, but don’t get yourself or others killed in the process. If you don’t like the ending, play again and follow a different path in order to find a better and more rewarding finish.

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Alternate Endings is simply an amazingly designed game and definitely one of my favorites. It is the world’s first murder-mystery-comedy interactive movie app that lets you solve the crime. It truly feels like you are watching a movie and directing it at the same time. It contains over an hour of recorded video with literally no flaws in this game. The acting is great, the script is superb, and the quality is amazing. Stuck and can’t decide what choice to make? Simply shake your iPhone (or iPod Touch) and a choice will randomly be selected. The app is fairly large in terms of storage, but that should not keep you from downloading.

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Click here to purchase Alternate Endings for $1.99 via iTunes or visit the Alternate Endings web site for more in depth information and an AWESOME game trailer.

Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF EDITORS NOTE: Wow! Talk about unique … Alternate Endings is a one of a kind app that is first class all the way. Obviously a lot of time, money and effort went into this app – it’s basically like shooting a movie and turning it into a game. Talk about cool and well worth the $1.99. Without a doubt, Alternate Endings is
100% anti-KRAPPS Certified.

FREE Alternate Endings App ($1.99 Value) To KRAPPS Viewers!
Alternate Endings writer/director, Greg Townsend, was kind enough to provide 10 codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download the app for FREE. Be one of the first 10 to tweet the message below on Twitter and win Alternate Endings.

follow @KRAPPS & read Alternate Endings interactive movie iPhone app review. 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified http://KRAPPS.com #followfriday

March 6, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Entertainment, Games, Guest Authors | 6 Comments 

Sheepstacker App

By demand, KRAPPS will periodically review “legit” apps thru a network of guest authors.

update: all Sheepstacker codes have been claimed –  thank you

Title: Sheepstacker
Category: Games
Guest Author: Carolynn

Lately, I’ve been taking my iPod Touch everywhere with me. It’s especially nice when I’m stuck waiting and bored, I can pull out my iPod and keep myself entertained for a few minutes. I went out to dinner with some friends and while we were waiting for the food, I started to play Sheepstacker. Everyone started to hover over me saying, “What is that you’re playing?” And I told them, Sheepstacker. It’s a game where you do exactly what the title says; stack sheep. They were very intrigued as they watched me play. Once they saw how to play, they all had to have a try and the iPod was shared around the table. We played long after the food came and didn’t care that our food was cold when we finally put the game down and started to eat. That should tell you a bit about how addictive and fun this game is.

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Gameplay in Sheepstacker is very straight forward. At the top of the screen there is a rope with a plunger attached. The plunger is holding a sheep and it swings in a circular-like motion. In Classic Mode, you touch the screen and the sheep falls. Once it has landed, it’s time to stack another sheep on top. If you drop your sheep perfectly you get a bonus. The better you stack your sheep, the steadier your tower will be. But if you get sloppy, your tower will sway and make it harder to stack. If you miss, you will lose one of 4 lives. In Baa-lance mode you still stack sheep, but instead of using the touch screen, you tilt the device to catch sheep on a wagon. In my opinion, this mode is most challenging. In Speed Stack mode, you have a certain amount of time (1, 2 or 3 minutes) to stack as many sheep as possible.

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What’s great about this game? It’s really cute and addictive as heck! The graphics are cartoony and fun. I personally love the way the sheep’s ears flop as you drop them (very realistic and nice attention to detail).  As your stack reaches greater heights, you will see lots of different things appear in the sky (planes, hot air balloons etc). The music and sounds fit perfectly with the game. The song played in the background while you drop your sheep is especially catchy. The controls are very simple and the game is very easy to learn, but hard to master. The three different game modes give you all sorts of replay possibilities. You’ll be stacking sheep til the cows come home! The in-game high scores table is clean and easy to read. There are also game achievements for those who love getting trophies.

What’s not so great? I noticed a bit of slow down in the graphics while I was playing, but not all the time. It was very minor and didn’t really hurt my game much. I’d also like to see a global scoreboard added to see how high the tallest sheepstack is. I’m competitive and  need to have a number to beat!

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My overall impression of Sheepstacker: A game my friends would never let me delete. Suffice to say, it’s a real winner. It has lots of options and replayability. It’s challenging and extremely hard to put down. At a mere $1.99, you will definitely get your money’s worth. Thanks to developers Tiny Tim Games for bringing this game to us.

Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF EDITORS NOTE: We first noticed this game due to its catchy name and very cool graphics. How can you not love it … it’s freaking hilarious. And as we played Sheepstacker, we realized that not only is this game “cute”, it’s one heck of an awesome game. We love it and it cracks us up every time we play … gotto love an app that will always make you smile! Without a doubt, Sheepstacker is 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified.

FREE Sheepstacker ($1.99 value) To KRAPPS Viewers!
Tiny Tim Games was kind enough to provide codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download Sheepstacker for FREE. Simply be one of the first 5 viewers to leave a comment at the end of this review and we will email you the download code.

March 5, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games, Guest Authors | 27 Comments 

Little Red Sled App

By popular demand, KRAPPS will periodically review “legit” apps.

update: giveaway has concluded – thank you

Imangi Studios is an independent game development studio based in Washington, DC. They currently support the iPhone platform and plan to extend their reach in the near future. Imangi’s first two releases are excellent word puzzle games, Word Squares [App Store] and Imangi [App Store]. They recently released their first non-word game, Little Red Sled.

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Little Red Sled is a very cool 3D sled racer featuring the characters Max and Maya (your choice which character you play). You control Max/Maya as they launch themselves down a snowy mountain. But it’s no ordinary mountain … it’s a Crazy Russian Mystical Mountain filled with floating gift boxes, radical jumps and psycho killer bunnies.

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Currently there are 13 slopes (levels) to ride with an additional two slopes being released this week. Imangi’s goal is to eventually have 30 slopes total – making it the world’s largest Crazy Russian Mystical Mountain. Each level has a specific goal which must be met before going on to the later levels. Goals vary from number of gifts collected, minimum score and maximum time. Scoring is done by collecting gifts and doing tricks on your sled. That’s the fun part, watching Max and Maya get totally squirrelly – inverts, alley-oops, backside shuvits and ollies. Max and Maya are totally insane and really should be in an X Games app.

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Besides the awesome game play, the behind the scenes look is really interesting. The piano music you hear during game play … it’s an original composition produced by Imangi’s co-founder, Natalia. She has been playing the piano since childhood, but this is the first time Natalia has composed music – too cool! Don’t believe us – click here for a video of Natalia jammin’ the piano. Also, all the game sound effects are original and were recorded at Imangi’s office. Imangi invited a bunch of friends to their office, opened the mic and let tape roll for a few hours. It was like an American Idol audition, plenty of hysterics.

Now getting back to those insane characters Max and Maya … most people don’t know this and even Imangi doesn’t know it … but KRAPPS discovered a game within the game. Follow along … as mentioned, Max and Maya do some gnarly sled tricks (shuvits, inverts, etc.). These tricks are performed when their sled goes off a jump and the user shakes their iPhone. Now the game is trying to take a picture (screen capture) of the trick at its peak moment (like completely upside down). Sounds easy? NOT! We attempted 3,000+ screenshots and below are the best results … we are especially fond of the one where Max is about to lose his head crashing into a tree – OUCH!

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Anti-Krapps-Seal-v2GIF Click here to download Little Red Sled for a more fair price of $1.99. It’s a high quality game which is a pure joy to play. This one really is a no-brainer to download and of course …
100% anti-KRAPPS Certified.

FREE Little Red Sled To KRAPPS Viewers!
Imangi Studios was kind enough to provide codes which will allow KRAPPS viewers to download Little Red Sled for FREE. Through Thu, Mar 5 at 11:00am PST, tweet the message below on Twitter and be entered into the Little Red Sled drawing. Good luck!

got iPhone? read the Little Red Sled app review on @KRAPPS – it’s 100% anti-KRAPPS Certified http://is.gd/lNPt

March 4, 2009 | Filed Under anti-KRAPPS, Games | 15 Comments 

Multiple Personality Disorder

sleep As we peruse the App Store, we continue to be convinced that geeks slept through the core college class of Business 101. Of course there are a few exceptions to this rule … like DiSTI’s dBeer app and its clever marketing/tradeshow tie-in, impressive stuff from the leading provider of advanced graphical user interface software (aka geek company). So for the most part, while geeks can code, they cannot execute any one of the Four Marketing Ps. The smartest investment a geek company can make = hire a non-geek Marketing professional.

Take for example this poor app named BoxMan … or is it Sokoban? … or is it PushBox? … or is it Warehouse Keeper? … actually its real name is BoxMan (or Named Sokoban, PushBox, warehouse keeper) … WTH?!?

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This poor app cannot make up its mind, perhaps suffering from multiple personality disorder. The fourth Marketing P is Promotion – part of this P is the name – which then leads to brand, design, identity, etc. – very important stuff. One should not be drunk when choosing a name. Or if one markets to English speaking consumers and does not speak mpd English, it would behoove them to consult with an English speaking Marketing professional to create a name that is marketable and makes sense in English. Not rocket science, but evidently clear by this and many other apps that the geeks have overlooked the importance of an app’s name in favor of sleep.

BoxMan? Sokoban? PushBox? Warehouse Keeper? … here’s an idea, simply call the damn thing SYBIL.

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March 3, 2009 | Filed Under Games | 14 Comments 

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