F-Sim Space Shuttle App Review

The F-Sim shuttle simulation is an amazing app and the first I will video review for.

Regularly updated since its launch several years ago the F-Sim experience is a must have for so little cost.

 

 So easily a 10/10 verdict.

The app can be found here

Word Foto

Price at time of writing £1.19

It takes a lot for any photographic app to impress me but this one has succeeded where so many others have failed.

Take any image of your choice and convert it so that your own keywords make up the picture. Rendering is practically instant. Save it to your camera roll, email it to a friend or just save it and upload where you like.

There are numerous preset styles and you can also make your own styles. Or you may just want to tweak the brightness or font size.

For the effect you get to the price you pay for the app Word Foto is an outstanding piece of Software

10/10 available here

Countdown - Official TV Show App

Price at time of writing 59p approx 99c

It's received very mixed reviews from superb to grim but I don't really know why.

This is actually a very good recreation of the Channel 4 TV programme.

All the usual rounds are available - The word game, the numbers game and the Countdown Conundrum and the official theme tune sounds great.

The word game works fine and you get the customary 30 seconds to work out your longest word from your chosen vowels and consonants.

The numbers game initially takes a bit of getting used to. But when you understand how to pick numbers and 'carry forward' it is an excellent recreation of this part of the show.

The 9 letter conundrum will test you just as the show does and don't think you can buzz in and take all the time you need because you can't. Once you buzz in you are on a timer to type the word in very quickly.

However the developers could have done just a little more to make this into a classic 10/10 app.

Two Player is available - Pass and Play or Bluetooth. This is fine but it would have been nice to have a more global interactive game.

As for the single game there is the choice of short game or whole game. Short game is 1 letters round, 1 numbers round and a conundrum.

Whole game, I feel, should mean all rounds as featured in the TV show but it is still short giving just 2 rounds of letters and 2 rounds of numbers and then a conundrum. This seems a silly oversight.

Local high scores only - no global option

No Openfeint or Game Center functionality.

All in all Countdown is still a great purchase especially at the low price stated above and it is still an app I return to occasionally for a quick challenge.

I just look forward to some updates to this eventually and if that ever happens  I will revisit this, still great, score.

8/10 Download here

Word Solitaire: Aurora

Price at time of writing 59p approx 99c

I like solitaire, as in the traditional card game, but I bore with it quite quickly.

Now solitaire with words is an addictive twist. And that's the aim here. On each level all you have to do is uncover all turned over cards and ensure that at the end you have a word in each column.

With limited lifelines (burn a few cards - on some levels even this is not available) you will be driven mad yet you will keep coming back for more. Longer words mean more points and your few spare cards in the bottom left hand corner will often be needed to complete words or simply to add to your score.

Campaign is fun with level after level available to proceed through with many challenges such as coping with many of  a given letter.

A global 'who can score the most?' daily challenge is also great fun.

This is so close to a 10/10 app but a couple of personal desires just hold it off.

The backgrounds are beautiful but the animation seems to make the battery drain a little too quickly for my liking for a word app.

Some form of Open Feint and/or Game Center functionality would be nice.

A global high score leaderboard would also be a good addition for Campaign mode. Especially when this has been implemented for the daily challenge.

These are minor quibbles though and such a small price for such an addictive card game with a word twist is outstanding.

9/10 Download from

Flick Kick Football

Price at time of writing 59p - approx 99c

I don't even like football but I love this game and I think you will too.

The concept couldn't be simpler just keep kicking the football into the goal.

The strength of your flick relates directly and accurately to the strength of your shot and curving the ball by curving your 'flick line' is simple too.

Several game modes are available and at the time of writing this these are:

Practice
Arcade - Build up in difficulty as you star off aiming at an empty goal and progress through increasingly difficult challenges with players and the goalkeeper in different postitions. On many challenges they even move. You have 3 lives but extras can be earned with skillful shooting into key areas.
Skillshot - You are against the clock to score as many 'skill zone' shots. Hitting the skill zones will earn you extra time
Bullseye - Simple task, again against the clock, just hit the targets. This is a points quest, bullseyes score higher points. Hit targets one after another for extra time. Appears easy but as you get further away from the goal and the targets start moving it becomes a race against time.
Time attack- Basically it's the same as Arcade but against the clock instead of 3 lives. Extra time is awarded for those skill shots. Continue to hit skill areas and you are awarded with a flaming ball which is capable of burning through players in the way but it only works once, until you earn another, so use it wisely.

 Multiplayer - Pass and play or send a shot is available. With send a shot the challenge continues until either you or your Twitter or Facebook friends which you have imported miss a shot.

It is both Openfeint and Game Center enabled with a load of realistically achievable challenges available to earn those awards and to record those high scores to see how you rate in the world league.

I also love the funny, genuine completely daft football quotes from players and managers which are used as short loading screens.

This is a beautifully made game of The Beautiful Game and is a bargain buy.

10/10 Available here