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Reviewed by Daniel Berezovsk |
Smugmug´s Camera Awesome is in fact – Awesome!Posted in Photography on Mar, 29
  (10 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)  Loading ...Editor’s rating:
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A fresh and quiet new photo app called Camera Awesome, by Smugmug, has really arrived in the Appstore with 4+ million downloads. To accumulate this mass it took Smugmug only a few weeks. The newcomer fits well in the list of other popular photo apps as Camera+ and Instagram. On users request, with the recent update, Camera Awesome threw in the integration of Instagram. In addition you have the ability to share your “awesomized” photos directly to SmugMug, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Picasa as well as Photobucket and Youtube. Read the rest of this entry » |
 Written by Nelson Kyle |
Contre Jour for iPhonePosted in Games on 07 Oct 2011
 (20 votes, average: 3.60 out of 5) Loading ... |
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 Contre Jour for iPhone App ReviewContre Jour is a new release from Chillingo, a developer already connected with great games that sometimes verge on the strange. Contre Jour does more than verge on strange, it fully crosses that line into a weird and wonderfully artistic universe unlike any you’ve played before.
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The main character, Petit, requires your help to get through each level; this help will come in the form of guiding Petit’s through lovely surroundings in order to speed him on his way to each level’s exit. The landscape presents one part of Contre Jour’s puzzling nature. Aside from the physical puzzles of the game, Contre Jour gives off a mysterious air of its own which is its own puzzle. Black and grey landscapes, animated with a flowing backdrop for little Petit’s amazing travels.
Contrast is provided by the softly lit, glowing orbs which Petit collects along the way. And the environment itself, while always portraying the same dreamlike style, offers up some intriguing variety; blue tinted environments with slightly altered physics create an underwater world with ambient lighting, while Petit navigates in the open air, far above the ground from time to time.
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To help little Petit, who certainly needs it, since he can apparently only engage in a nearly helpless rolling motion, players must solve the puzzle of navigating each level by creating a Petit-friendly path through its obstacles and pits. The controls to do so make simple use of the touch screen, leaving players to expend their energy not on complex maneuvers but on mental aerobics.
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Contre Jour tries hard to be magical, and it succeeds beautifully in an enchantingly minimalist manner. Rather than basing its surreal appeal on acid-drenched coloring, Contre Jour seems to be all about subtlety. Finesse is the name of the game here. Contre Jour is so good at creating its delicate, twilight world that the strangeness seems to disappear; what began as very odd seems normal and beautiful once players are engaged in the game. The one criticism would be the puzzles themselves—there aren’t enough of them, and because of how few there are, even at the end they don’t provide really significant challenge. Contre Jour could easily offer twice as many hours of gameplay without worrying about wearing out its welcome.
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The really impressive thing about Contre Jour is how each of its elements work together. The creative design behind the game is top notch, and the animation has a light touch that lets the minimal designs come to life. The professional score that accompanies Petit is perfectly timed to the game’s visuals, right down to the natural rhythm of Contre Jour’s in-game physics engine.
Contre Jour gives users much more than $0.99 worth of enjoyment. While I would beg the developers to expand this game in the future, I’d also expect it to come with a higher price tag at that point. Contre Jour is a doorway into a different world that you don’t’ want to miss out on.
Contre Jour is a new release from Chillingo, a developer already connected with great games that sometimes verge on the strange. Contre Jour does more than verge on strange, it fully crosses that line into a weird and wonderfully artistic universe unlike any you’ve played before.
The main character, Petit, requires your help to get through each level; this help will come in the form of guiding Petit’s through lovely surroundings in order to speed him on his way to each level’s exit. The landscape presents one part of Contre Jour’s puzzling nature. Aside from the physical puzzles of the game, Contre Jour gives off a mysterious air of its own which is its own puzzle. Black and grey landscapes, animated with a flowing backdrop for little Petit’s amazing travels. Contrast is provided by the softly lit, glowing orbs which Petit collects along the way. And the environment itself, while always portraying the same dreamlike style, offers up some intriguing variety; blue tinted environments with slightly altered physics create an underwater world with ambient lighting, while Petit navigates in the open air, far above the ground from time to time.
To help little Petit, who certainly needs it, since he can apparently only engage in a nearly helpless rolling motion, players must solve the puzzle of navigating each level by creating a Petit-friendly path through its obstacles and pits. The controls to do so make simple use of the touch screen, leaving players to expend their energy not on complex maneuvers but on mental aerobics.
Contre Jour tries hard to be magical, and it succeeds beautifully in an enchantingly minimalist manner. Rather than basing its surreal appeal on acid-drenched coloring, Contre Jour seems to be all about subtlety. Finesse is the name of the game here. Contre Jour is so good at creating its delicate, twilight world that the strangeness seems to disappear; what began as very odd seems normal and beautiful once players are engaged in the game. The one criticism would be the puzzles themselves—there aren’t enough of them, and because of how few there are, even at the end they don’t provide really significant challenge. Contre Jour could easily offer twice as many hours of gameplay without worrying about wearing out its welcome.
The really impressive thing about Contre Jour is how each of its elements work together. The creative design behind the game is top notch, and the animation has a light touch that lets the minimal designs come to life. The professional score that accompanies Petit is perfectly timed to the game’s visuals, right down to the natural rhythm of Contre Jour’s in-game physics engine. Contre Jour gives users much more than $0.99 worth of enjoyment. While I would beg the developers to expand this game in the future, I’d also expect it to come with a higher price tag at that point. Contre Jour is a doorway into a different world that you don’t’ want to miss out on. |
D.A.R.KPosted in Utilities on 20 Sep 2011
(8 votes, average: 3.88 out of 5) Loading ... |
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D.A.R.K. is a darkly imagined, outer space horror themed dual stick shooter from Chillingo. It°Øs fashioned as a super-soldiers vs. aliens mystery thrill ride in 3D.
As a member of the D.A.R.K. Squadron, the player finds himself on a mission to unravel the events leading up to the current condition of the USS Stormbringer, an enormous military spacecraft. The D.A.R.K. Squadron is a military unit?think outerspace version of the Marines, or maybe Special Forces. Serious tough guys encased in serious armour and packing serious heat. Which is a good thing, because the crew of the USS Stormbringer might be gone(ish), but it°Øs definitely not empty. The Stormbringer is inhabited by zombies, monstrous alien life forms, and malicious mechanical spider-like things. Getting out in one piece is as vital as getting the down low on what went down, and this game supplies plenty of action.
The controls are quite simple. Steering the character via touchscreen couldn°Øt really be any easier, with the top-down angle of the view and the narrow corridors. Combat controls are also simplistic and intuitive. You°Øre basically just mowing down enemies; it°Øs experience and survival that boost the character during leveling. Proficiency with individual weapons also levels up as you progress, giving more oomph to your firepower.
The game°Øs not exactly a gamechanger?we°Øve seen games of this type in the genre before. What it is, however, is a well-executed example of the type with graphics that pop and attitude to spare°¶ And more action to come. Because D.A.R.K. is only the beginning of this ride?episode two is supposedly on the way as a free update. It°Øs a visually rich game, and if you like having a horror element thrown in with your shoot °Æem up space epics, D.A.R.K. is a great choice.
Visually, the game is impressive. The top down view is gorgeously executed and crisp. The close ups for cut scenes can be a little shaky, but that°Øs to be expected?it would be nice to see that cleaned up for the next episode though. The game has a nice gritty post-apocalyptic feel to it. The audio is fantastic, with separate themes for combat engagement and travelling which is a nice touch. Overall, D.A.R.K. presents excellent material in a great way, which adds a lot to the game°Øs playability factor.
D.A.R.K. sells for $2.99 on iTunes, and if the future episode is as good as this one, that°Øs an incredible deal. As it stands, though, $2.99 is still a great price for a game of this caliber. It°Øs compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad (iOS 4.0 and up).
D.A.R.K. is a darkly imagined, outer space horror themed dual stick shooter from Chillingo. It’s fashioned as a super-soldiers vs. aliens mystery thrill ride in 3D. Read the rest of this entry » |
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Reviewed by Nelson Kyle |
Secret of Chateau de Moreau: Mystery Meets AdventurePosted in Utilities on 20 Sep 2011
(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5) Loading ...Editor’s rating:
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Secret of Chateau de Moreau: Mystery Meets Adventure
4:33 Creative Labs, aka FourThirtyThree, has launched their new title Secret of Chateau de Moreau. The new game can be favorably compared to the popular title Phoenix Wright, in terms of its emphasis on evidence gathering and presentation—but it’s got a style all its own, and many will prefer Secret of Chateau de Moreau.
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Backstory isn’t just important in this narrative driven title, it’s critical. From the opening cut scenes on, players will have to stay observant. The smallest detail can contain a vital clue. Clue to what? To solving the murder of Count Moreau, of course. On the one hand, the player character Antoine Moreau has it made—the Count’s death has brought to light his will, and Antoine gets everything. On the other hand, this makes him a pretty attractive suspect, because it gives him a motive. Plus, his relatives aren’t feeling too generous with him, seeing as how the Count cut them out of his fortune. This mystery isn’t one that needs to be solved for just for fun (or profit). Antoine has to clear his name, and to do that, the real killer will have to be smoked out.
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Finding the real killer is easier said than done. There’s a whole host of non-player characters and pretty much everyone has a good motive for knocking off the Count. And the chateau is positively saturated with plots and secrets. To uncover them all, players will use the efficient and well-designed user-interface and menus to navigate their way through a vast, shadowy castle and explore its grounds. The controls are smooth and intuitive, and the touch screen makes point-and-click adventure effortless.
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Like adventure games before it, Secret of Chateau de Moreau requires players to solve puzzles (over 100 of them!), converse with the other characters, and collect objects. Doing so will allow Antoine to make sense of the story that’s being revealed in bits and pieces as the player progresses.
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But players won’t just uncover a story, they’ll be taking part in it. The game is not a simple matter of win or lose. FourThirtyThree has heavily touted the game’s alternate endings, and with good reason. Forty different potential outcomes make losing almost as fun as winning Secret of Chateau de Moreau. The puzzles pack a punch, the interactions between characters adds a layer of intrigue, and the overall presentation of the game drives it home.
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The presentation is very close to flawless. With the number of flashy 3D games out there, it’s easy to forget how much impact intricate, detailed illustrations can have. It’s like stepping into a period novel, one with a dark undercurrent just about to break the surface. The stills are gorgeous, and the gameplay is just as beautifully designed to add to the game’s mystery. Realistic sound effects round out Secret of Chateau de Moreau.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-secret-chateau-moreau/id456142869?mt=8
4:33 Creative Labs, aka FourThirtyThree, has launched their new title Secret of Chateau de Moreau. The new game can be favorably compared to the popular title Phoenix Wright, in terms of its emphasis on evidence gathering and presentation—but it’s got a style all its own, and many will prefer Secret of Chateau de Moreau. Read the rest of this entry » |
 Reviewed by Allison Wahl |
The PlateauPosted in Games on 07 Jul 2011
(11 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5) Loading ...Editor’s rating:
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Reviewed by Allison Wahl |
Video Time MachinePosted in Entertainment on 05 Jul 2011
(5 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading ...Editor’s rating:
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Take a trip back in time with Video Time Machine! Access all kinds of videos from past to present and watch entertainment evolve.
Ruminations: Angry Birds gets passed…AgainPosted in Games, Miscellaneous on 29 Jun 2011
(10 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5) Loading ... |
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First The Heist and now Cars 2. It seems like Angry Birds is facing more and more competition, holding steady at the number 2 place on Top Paid Apps instead of the number 1 slot it held for what seemed like forever. I guess it makes sense that another puzzle game with a lot of hype and an app based on an anticipated movie hit should get enough buzz to claim the top rank, but it never fails to surprise me when I don’t see the Birds flying high in their fury. However, this leaves me wondering: will there ever be a non-game app to reign king (especially considering that all of the Top 10 Paid Apps are Games)? Has Angry Birds completely changed the competitive landscape, in particular for paid apps? Will our feathered friends ever lose their flutter, or are they forever destined to be among the top ranks? Where do you see the top trending? |
