androidclassics-blog

[androidclassics-blog]

"Ski Safari" by Defiant Development and Sleepy Z Studios.

The Play store has an endless supply of endless runners. I shall be including quite a few for review, but this one by Brendan Watts and Shawn Eustace at Sleepy Z Studios is my personal favourite. Since its release in 2012, Ski Safari received thousands of downloads and has spawned a couple of fine sequels, one of which is licenced to Cartoon Network. For me though, the original is still the best.

[androidclassics-blog]

[androidclassics-blog]

Penguin Skis! This is one of my favourite games on Android. Ski Safari is so addictive, never gets boring and brings a new meaning to 'Casual' mobile gaming. It is so highly polished, from the animated backgrounds and fine attention to detail, to the catchy music and superb sound effects. The game starts from the title screen, where a cascading avalanche rudely awakes your character from his slumber, with his bed literally sliding down the mountain…Excellent! The gameplay is simple (just tap anywhere on the screen to jump, holding to backflip) and it is very satisfying, especially when soaring off a mountain and through the clouds, to finally come down for a perfect landing on the random slopes. There are boosts along the way to aid your attempt, such as hitching a lift on the back of a penguin or yeti, riding a snowmobile or being grabbed mid-air by a swooping eagle. However, the end is imminent and you actually feel sorry for your little skier Sven when he finally meets his doom with the falling avalanche. Awesome.

[androidclassics-blog]

“Atomic Pinball Collection” by Nena Innovation AB.

The Play store has many pinball games available, but my all-time favourites are these by Nena. There are two tables available within the app, the Mexican themed “Masks of Glory” and the remastered “Revenge of the Rob-O-Bot”.

[androidclassics-blog]

[androidclassics-blog]

Pinball Perfection… Developed in collaboration with designers extraordinaire Color Monkey, both tables have been created with a great amount of passion, expertise and attention to detail. The realistic ball physics, clever lighting and crystal-clear sound effects all work flawlessly together to capture the true essence of pinball. No worries Amigo…“Masks of Glory - Leyendas de Lucha Libra”. (translated, legends of wrestling) is the setting for this madcap adventure where you try to topple the reigning champion, the mighty El Diablo. Full to the brim with Mexican flavour, this table has it all, ranging from a Tequila bar and Taco delivery, to chasing chickens and surfing on the Pacific coast…Bow down to the king! Mission Initiated…Join the very excitable Bazooka Betty in her battle to save humanity in the future Metropolis of “Revenge of the Rob-O-Bot”. Take down the shields and communications, destroy the minions and rescue the professor to defeat the malfunctioned robot. These are all nicely animated in the dot matrix display with smooth camera transitions back to the table. The music lends a gentle tribute to B-Movie classics, whilst the design shows inspiration from modern Japanese Sci-fi. In an abundance of lights, special effects, ramps and bumpers, the gameplay is fast, furious and relentless fun.

[androidclassics-blog]

“Revenge of the Rob-O-Bot” by Nena Innovation AB & Color Monkey.

Here is the original release of “Revenge of the Rob-O-Bot” by Nena Innovation AB & Color Monkey.

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[androidclassics-blog]

This version has bolder colours (clear, scratch free glass) and slightly faster gameplay than the newer version featured in the Atomic Collection. However, the Atomic version has new voice-overs, more lights and clearer objectives for the missions. It is down to personal choice really. I love them both!

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"Marine Aquarium Pro" by Prolific Publishing, Inc.

A realistic tropical aquarium that can be used as a stand alone app or as a LWP.

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[androidclassics-blog]

Beautiful and Serene… Marine Aquarium Pro is one of the finest digital aquariums ever created and looks amazing on a phone or tablet. The tranquil scene contains many varieties of lifelike fish and living coral, all of which have a nice 3D effect and accurate colours that are not over-saturated. The parallax scrolling is cleverly done and the tank has proper depth for the fish to swim around. There are familiar Clownfish, Angelfish and Tangs, to name but a few, whilst Lionfish glide through the water, a Moray Eel hides under a rock and a Starfish with subtle movements sits peacefully on the gravel. Other nice features include a clock and calendar, a column of bubbles and the option of wire-frame graphics to see how everything is made. The app works in both portrait and landscape orientations and can be used as a stand-alone tank which is compatible with Daydream, or as a Live Wallpaper of which runs equally as smooth. The coral cannot be customised, nor is there any interaction with the fish, but this really doesn’t matter as it’s simply perfect as it is. A new standard has been set for aquariums on Android.

[androidclassics-blog]

“Monster’s Socks” and “Where’s My Monster?” by sofake.

Here are a couple of interactive Children’s Books that have always been a favourite of mine. Both have been lovingly created by Jordan Stone and Martin Hughes with music and narration by Bob Schneider.

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[androidclassics-blog]

A Magical Journey… “Monster was a monster that lived in a box. One day he awoke and his feet had no socks.” This interactive children’s book is an absolute joy to behold. The artwork, presentation and narration are all first class. Although it is a short story, it can be played over and over again in true admiration, adored by both children and parents alike. Cute, polished and indeed, wonderfully whimsical.

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[androidclassics-blog]

A Magical Discovery… This little gem is the perfect accompaniment to Monster’s Socks. Whilst scrolling through this book, you’ll come across many diverse characters, all of which are cutely drawn and are very funny indeed – Perfect for your littles ones to interact with. Yet again, the artwork, presentation and narration are all first class. The music is very prominent too, a truly weird and wonderful soundtrack that flows effortlessly throughout. Recommended! …Now then, where should we look?