STICKY: Want To Write For iGadgetJunkie?

Ever thought about writing application reviews for the iPhone/iPod Touch? Well here is your chance to get your voice heard to all of our readers. Help me in saving readers money by knowing what is and what is not worth buying.

Interested in becoming a reviewer for iGadgetJunkie? Simply send me an email at bret@igadgetjunkie.com and tell me why you would be a good candidate. Hope to hear from you soon!

What you will receive:
-An official @igadgetjunkie.com email address
-Free promotional codes to download and review games
-Having your opinions heard by all of our readers
[...]

Duo+ Doubles It Up Greatly (Facebook + Twitter)

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc have become a huge trend. Almost everyone has a Facebook or Twitter profile (even some we wish didn't *cough* parents *cough*). Sites like Twitter have allowed us to let our friends and family know what we are up to without the 3 hour phone call to sum up the events of the past day or week or even month. Thus saving us a lot of time. Granted this makes things a tad easier for stalkers, but that is neither here nor there. But with all this time saved tweeting and updating statuses it still takes time to update multiple sites in case you have a Facebook and Twitter, or a Myspace and Twitter, etc. Well thanks to Duo+ you are now able to update your Facebook status, and tweet all within the same simple application.

Duo+ is probably one of the simplest applications I have had the privelege of using. The layout screen is simply Facebook login on the right, Twitter login on the left and a box for text input below that. Finally a set of two buttons below the text input box allow you to update both Facebook and Twitter individually. Logging into each account is simple and you are even given a tip for logging into Twitter. Obviously tapping the text box will bring up the keyboard and allow you to type.

I do have my share of complaints with Duo+ but they are small things that will hopefully be addressed in a future update. First and foremost I am a very lazy typer and am used to the iPhone capitalizing the first letter in each sentence, Duo+ does not do this. Nor does it capitalize the first letter in any sentence after. Secondly, and this is more personal opinion, your previous update remains even after you close the app. Meaning that when you open the application next time your last update is still in the text field and you have to delete it in order to type out another update. I would prefer that once you update both Facebook and Twitter or once you close the app the text would disappear. Lastly, Facebook and Twitter are the only sites supported. I don't personally have a Myspace so this isn't an issue for me, but I would assume people with Myspace accounts would like to update their status, assuming Myspace has a status update, I'm not really sure. Also, I am sure there are more social networking sites outside of Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace that have statuses. Hopefully in the near future the developer may look into adding the ability to update for more sites. Possibly in-app purchases for sites beyond Facebook and Twitter?

In a nutshell Duo+ does a fabulous job of making it easy to update your Twitter and Facebook quickly and easily. There is no waiting for multiple apps to load. Duo+ works quickly and I haven't had an issue out of it yet. If you aren't interested in reading tweets, or reading friend's updates and your only concern is typing out a really quick update then Duo+ is a great application to look into. If you aren't convinced yet there is a FREE lite version labeled as just Duo. For only $0.99 though Duo+ is easily worth the money with the amount of time it will save you from having to launch and close multiple applications.

Functionality: 8/10
Appearance: 9.5/10
Value: 10/10
Reuse Value: 10/10
iGadgetJunkie Rating: 9/10
Overall: 9.3/10
Awards: Gold Award

Reviewer: Bret
Device: iPhone 3G
Firmware: 3.1
Application Version: 1.0
Price: $0.99
Download Duo+

Screenshots:

[...]

Cassandra's Journey: The Legacy of Nostradamus is a Good Recipe

Do you like Bejeweled? Do you like puzzles? Do you like games that require you to find an object in a camouflaged picture? If you answered yes to these then Cassandra's Journey: The Legacy of Nostradamus will probably be right up your alley. Cassandra's Journey is a mixture of multiple puzzle type games all rolled into one with just a dash of story thrown in. Multiple puzzle games and a wee bit of story makes Cassandra's Journey a pretty good recipe.

Cassandra's journey begins with the story of a woman who has lost her brother, and your job is to help locate him. The story itself isn't too bad and ties each puzzle to the next rather well. The puzzle games are where Cassandra's Journey really shines though. The graphics in Cassandra's Journey are rather good considering it is mostly just images you are meant to find objects out of. The controls couldn't be simpler because everything is simply tapping or double tapping. The mixture of different puzzle types and storyline make gameplay interesting and not repetitive.

The majority of the puzzles are find it puzzles. Puzzles that give you an image and tell you to find a specific 15 items. Sometimes you are given the actual object as a clue, other times you are forced to locate objects based on their silhouette, and the hardest are when you are given riddles to figure out what each object is and find it. There are plenty of images and plenty of different objects so once again things don't get repetitive. Besides the find it puzzles there are also normal puzzles requiring you to move pieces around to form an image. And lastly, there is a coin game very similar to Bejeweled where you swap coins to make a stack of three. The catch on the coin game though is that you have to match specific coins to form pieces of a key or bracelet or otherwise important item to the story. On top of these puzzles there are also a few mind-reading tricks to keep you asking "How the?".

Overall Cassandra's Journey: The Legacy of Nostradamus is a fantastic game if you are a fan of puzzles. Good graphics, easy controls, intriguing story, and addictive gameplay make Cassandra's Journey a well-rounded game. If you have the extra $1.99 hanging around or if you are even just looking for a new game to invest in and like puzzle games then Cassandra's Journey is one you should definitely take a look at. Who knows, maybe you'll like it?

Functionality: 8/10
Appearance: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Reuse Value: 7/10
iGadgetJunkie Rating: 7.5/10
Overall: 7.7/10
Awards: Bronze Award

Reviewer: Bret
Device: iPhone 3G
Firmware: 3.1
Application Version: 1.0
Price: $1.99
Download Cassandra's Journey: The Legacy of Nostradamus

Screenshots:

[...]

Toy Bot Diaries Compilation Giveaway

To celebrate the arrival of the new Toy Bot Diaries Comilation from IUGO Mobile Entertainment they have been willing and generous enough to give us 3 codes to giveaway to you. Instead of having to individually buy each installment of Toy Bot Diaries you can now buy all 3 as one application for $3.99 which is $1.99 cheaper than buying each individually anyways. Thanks to IUGO though you can now have all 3 for free anyways. Want to know how? Hit the title to read the rest of the post.

Thursday starting at 12:00PM CST (Noon) I will be giving away 3 codes for TBDC before 1:00PM via Twitter. If you haven't already followed us on twitter you can do so here. Keep an eye out on our feed from Noon until 1:00 PM CST tomorrow to get your hands on a free code for these great games!
[...]

Ink Invaders -- A Little Bit of Hand Drawn Goodness

For the most part I have given up on shooter games for the iPhone. Being a console gamer (Xbox 360) as well as a iPhone gamer it is hard for a shooter to stack up very well on the iPhone. Ink Invaders is one game though, I am proud to say has impressed me extremely. It doesn't hold the same power as Gears of War 2 or Modern Warfare but for $1.99 (on sale for $0.99) Ink Invaders easily holds it's own as one of the best shooter games on the iPhone.

The story behind Ink Invaders is an invasion by Martians you are to fight off using a hand drawn hero. The hero has no name so we are going to call him Jim. Jim has the capability of using 3 different weapons: an energy blaster, physical weapon, and a grenade launcher. Last one sounds fun right? Oh it is. Each weapon comes with a large series of upgrades you can purchase through money earned by killing martians and collecting meteors throughout the game. There are 3 different areas in which you will fight martians and many many different types of enemies to face.

Ink Invaders is a 2D side-scrolling shooter. So the only movement you have to worry about is left and right. You will however have to use boost to travel up in the air to collect martian rocks and meteors worth a substantial amount of money. As I said before you can spend the money to purchase gun upgrades, buy ammo, health, and even refill your boost. Throughout the game you will discover ammo boxes, health boxes, and even some random ones which supply you with an ammo chosen at random. One more box you will discover is a "Rage Box". Once collected you will be slammed from both sides by martians. Wave after wave will descend upon you. This is a great way to rack up some quick dough, but keep an eye on your ammo and health because this is also a quick way to die.

The graphics in Ink Invaders look exactly the way they are supposed to. They are extremely cute and fun and look great. The controls couldn't be simpler with a left and right arrow, boost button, and fire button. Response time in Ink Invaders is great unless you receive a text or phone call, in which case the game lags instead of pausing (future update fix?). My only real complaint is the first few levels you have to really conserve ammo because it is extremely easy to run out. For $2 though Ink Invaders is a pretty good buy, on sale for $1 makes this game a great buy and a must have for any shooter fan. New updates already planned for 1.2 and 1.3 are supposed to offer new weapons, bosses, and more...

Functionality: 8/10
Appearance: 10/10
Value: 10/10
iGadgetJunkie Rating: 9/10
Overall: 9.3/10
Awards: Gold Award

Reviewer: Bret
Device: iPhone 3G
iPhone Firmware: 3.1
Application Version: 1.1
Price: $1.99 (On Sale for $0.99)
Download Ink Invaders

Screenshots:

[...]

iGadget Recommends Pandora Radio

Traditionally those of us here at iGadgetJunkie have only done App Reviews. We throw in the occasional opinion piece about our views on Apple or what not but for the most part App Reviews have been our "bread and butter" so to speak. But what about those applications that are free? Or even the applications that we review but stick out beyond the others? The applications that deserve a more in depth look, a real recommendation. Well now to couple itself with App Reviews we are now going to begin "iGadget Recommends" posts to help you notice those apps that go above and beyond the rest. Some free, some pricey but all great. What better way to start this new journey than with the application that I use more than any other: Pandora Radio.

Pandora Radio was one of the first applications I ever downloaded. Since then it has stayed on my first page through hundreds of restores and even jailbreaks. First and foremost Pandora Radio is a free application, and in case you have never heard of it (in case you live in a cave) Pandora Radio is a internet radio that streams music based around your own tastes. There is a website available for actual internet viewing (www.pandora.com) as well as the glorious application itself.

Pandora Radio couldn't be a simpler application to use. Open it up and you can easily switch between different radio stations that you choose. Don't have any radio stations yet? No problem. Tap the second tab on the bottom and simply type in the name of a song, or the artist and a station will be created. You will hear music from that artist as well as other artists that have a similar sound. You can have as many radio stations as you want and you can even bookmark songs to save for later.

Pandora Radio is a great way to discover new music. If you are like me you don't get a lot of time to listen to the radio. All the music on my iPod coupled with a iPod port in my car has made the use of a radio obsolete. Pandora helps me discover new music and even some older music that I never knew about. This allows my musical taste and my song count to grow. If I haven't convinced you yet to download Pandora Radio let me remind you that it's free, what do you have to lose? Get it.
[...]

Master Kick - Table Soccer Shoots and Misses

Foosball is an old time game that basically everyone has played at least once. There are usually tables set up at bars or even in college rec rooms. Either way almost everybody has had a chance to experience the glory that is foosball. When I first stumbled upon Master Kick I will admit I was very excited at the idea of having a foosball table in my phone that I could enjoy whenever I wanted to. Unfortunately Master Kick - Table Soccer doesn't live up to the hype that I gave it.

If you are unaware as to what a foosball table is, the first thing you should do is get out more. A table is essentially just that, a table with raised sides and poles sticking out of said sides. Attached to each pole are tiny football players. The object is to slide your players back and forth and spin the pole to "kick" the tiny ball into the opposing goal. Foosball is the same objective as soccer you just can't physically move your players forward and back, only side to side. Master Kick takes this game and gives you a bird's eye view of the field. Instead of moving poles back and forth you simply tilt your device to move players side to side and instead of spinning a pole you kick, you simply tap the screen. There are multiple game modes including quick match and even league play.

The game seems fabulous when you are reading the description in the App Store. Unfortunately it doesn't hold up as well once you actually buy it. The graphics are considerably worse than other apps in the same price range. The controls are a bit hard to get used to (personally I think they could be a lot more sensitive) and the gameplsy itself is not as addictive as described. In fact gameplsy itself is just frustrating. Each match takes a ridiculous amount of time to play (or maybe I just suck). Even playing a "quick match" can take a lot longer than expected and I ended up closing the app and having to return later because I had to do something else. For me the game was simply tilting my iPhone and tapping the screen as quickly as possible. After a few minutes of this it becomes extremely redundant and irritating. I actually went 12 minutes without either team scoring a point. Boring.

Master Kick - Table Soccer isn't the worst game I have ever played but it is just as far from the best. It's mediocre at best. Graphics could use some work, controls could use some tweaking and the developer could seek a way to make the gameplay itself a bit more enjoyable and less redundant. If you have the extra money Master Kick isn't a horrible buy, but there are a lot better ways to spend the $1.99

Functionality: 4/10
Appearance: 3/10
Value: 4/10
iGadgetJunkie Rating: 3/10
Overall: 3.5/10

Reviewer: Bret
iPhone Firmware: 3.0
Application Version: 1.6
Price: $1.99
Download Master Kick - Table Soccer

Screenshots:
[...]

Doodle Jump -- Warning! HIGHLY Addictive!

I am a bit iffy when it comes to buying $0.99 applications. In some cases the application is great, in others the application is absolutely horrendous. I have lost quite a bit of money telling myself "Oh it's just $1 what's there to lose?". Apparently quite a bit of money in lousy cheap applications. Fortunately for me, Doodle Jump is one of those games easily worth $1. It is addictive like no game I have seen before, and has managed to make it's way towards the top of the list of my favorite applications.

Doodle Jump is a simple game that is great when you only have a few quick minutes to play. The general concept is to get your doodle as high as possible without falling or hitting an obstacle. The controls are as easy as tilting your device side to side. The farther you tilt the faster he moves that direction. The objective is to bounce from platform to platform up higher and higher in an attempt to beat not only your previous high, but highs from everyone else. There are loads of ways to fail in this game. Falling is the simplest, falling into holes in the paper, evil monsters, and even UFOs are trying to hinder your height. If those weren't enough even some of the platforms are out to get you. Breaking, moving, and even exploding platforms are another hindrance standing between you and utter victory. Don't think it's all bad though, there are springs, jetpacks, and even propeller hats to help you reach the top.

In a nutshell Doodle Jump is fabulous. I've said it before and I'll say it again this game is addictive! You will literally be telling yourself "Just one more time" each and every time. My current high is around 25,000 but don't think I'm giving up there. The graphics are cute and very well drawn and the controls are easy to become accustomed to. Pick it up and see if you can beat my score. If you already have it feel free to post your high below, I'd love to know what my new goal should be. (Mike has already achieved over 40,000, anyone beat that?).

Functionality: 10/10
Appearance: 10/10
Value: 10/10
iGadgetJunkie Rating: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
Awards: Platinum Award

Reviewer: Bret
iPhone Firmware: 3.1
Application Version: 1.5
Price: $0.99
Download Doodle Jump

Screenshots:

[...]

The Creeps is so Good It's Almost Scary

It is difficult nowadays to make a tower defense game that really stands out. We have reviewed some here at iGadgetJunkie and while some have received great reviews (Sentinel, Dungeon Defense) others have received not so great reviews (SG Tower Defense). All in all though we have proven that it takes being out of the ordinary and original when it comes to developing a tower defense game in order to be noticed, and Super Squawk Software has done just that with The Creeps.

I love a good tower defense game. I have played more than I can even begin to count, which I have mentioned previously. Because of this I hold high standards for these types of games. The Creeps took only a matter of minutes to win me over and since then I have had a hard time putting it down. The graphics in The Creeps are crisp and clear and beautifully hand drawn, the developers really did a great job on this one. The controls couldn't be easier to use, simply tap to place a tower, attack, upgrade, or sell, and gameplay itself will have you coming back for more over and over again.

The Creeps sports a large variety of maps (rumored at more on the way), 3 different game modes (Survival, Door Buster, and Endurance), lots of towers, and different types of units. As a little extra "icing on the cake" the sound effects are hilarious. The Creeps is one of the only TD games I have ever seen that allows you to destroy the enviorment around you. Normally most TDs will allow you to remove an obstacle but it in turn costs you money, The Creeps is the exact opposite. In this game you use towers to destroy obstacles and in turn get money after they are destroyed. The bigger the object the longer it takes to destroy and the more money it's worth. There are also different difficulty levels for each map (easy, medium, and hard) as well as badges that can be earned based on performance in the level. Badges include destroying all obstacles in a map, defeating all creeps, not selling towers, etc. A Gold Star will mean you've achieved all badges possible for a level -- little mini challenge thrown in to see if you can get a gold star for every level.

As stated before there are 3 game modes in The Creeps. Survival is your basic "survive the waves" type play style. You build towers to destroy creeps as they attempt to reach the exit and after a certain number of waves you win. Door Buster is a game mode I have never seen before. The same rules apply as for Survival but there is an extra task: you have to destroy the door the creeps come out of. The longer it takes you to destroy the door the lower score you will achieve, if the score countdown reaches zero you may as well give up. Finally there is the endurance style play (my favorite). In endurance you are challenged to build a defense that can withstand an unlimited amount of waves. The longer you last the higher your score which means the harder you will have to work next time.

The Creeps features many of the basic towers we are all used to, as well as some we aren't. You have your basic blaster (arrow), boomerange (splash), and glue bottle (slow towers), but you also have the option to use a paper shuriken (pierces through enemies), flashlight (large range and builds up damage over time), and a piggy bank which you can store your money in and it will gain interest (some TDs have these, some don't). On top of all of those options for towers you have Super Towers. There are 4 Super Towers, UFO, Giant Spider, Whirlwind, and Oil Can. Each super tower is useful in it's own way and you will have to buy the game to find out what makes them "super" -- but between you and me they are awesome!

There are also lots of different types of creeps, and lots of different visualizations for them. There are normal creeps, fast creeps with lower health, slow creeps with higher health, boss creeps, and even Mega Boss creeps. You will have to use everything in your arsenal in order to stop all of these creatures from reaching your bed (end).

Overall The Creeps is a fabulous game. It has easily become one of my favorite games and IS my favorite Tower Defense game available on the iPhone or otherwise. The graphics are great, the gameplay is addicting, and the sound effects are hilarious. Whether you are or aren't a fan of TD games you should get your hands on this one, it screams awesomeness from the highest mountaintops. Stop reading this and buy it!

Functionality: 10/10
Appearance: 10/10
Value: 10/10
iGadgetJunkie Rating: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
Awards: Platinum Award

Reviewer: Bret
iPhone Firmware: 2.2.1
Application Version: 1.2.1
Price: $2.99 (Currently on sale for $0.99)
Download The Creeps

Screenshots:

[...]

NY Nights: Success in the City is a Success for the App Store

Gameloft is easily one of my most favorite application developers. All of their applications look great, and play well, and each of them is worth the price tag. We have reviewed quite a few Gameloft games here at iGadgetJunkie and because of their history I have an extremely high bar set when they release new games. For the most part Gameloft has done a great job of impressing me, and New York Nights: Success in the City is no exception to that rule.

If you are a fan of the Sims games then NY Nights is right up your alley. You don't quite have the same freedom as you do in Sims but there are a lot of extras as well we aren't accustomed to. You can create your character and help to design him/her based around yourself as usual, but once you get into the game there isn't quite the same freedom. There IS a questline you are encouraged to follow in NY Nights that takes you on a journey which in the end you are forced to choose between fame and riches, and true love. There are a few side quests here and there on the side in which you can help fellow New Yorkers with various things but nothing that takes more than two or three steps. Moving and interacting in NY Nights is exactly how you would expect on an iGadget, you just tap somewhere to move and then tap whatever you would like to interact with and how, simple as that.

You can do all the basic things that you would expect in a sims type game: eat, sleep, shower, use the restroom, but there are also quite a few things in NY Nights that aren't the norm. In NY Nights you can ask people for their number, ask them on dates, dance, style your hair, observe culture, and a LOT more. As you journey around NY you can interact with anyone. Each person will have their own likes and dislikes and you can befriend them all, or even bully them.

NY Nights is a game that has a great starting point. You can't do all of the things that you would normally expect from a Sims game. You can't build your own house or buy different appliances and such, and you can't look into different jobs and receive promotions, but NY Nights does off some things other games don't. You can travel around NY visiting Wall Street, 5th Avenue, Times Square, etc., you can bully people, go out on dates, and many other things. In a lot of ways NY Nights is lacking, but in other ways NY Nights is ahead of the curve, it just all comes down to what you prefer.

Overall as I said before NY Nights holds onto a pretty solid base to begin with. With some updating this game could easily be much better than any sims game we have seen yet. More apartments/houses as well as the ability to buy different furniture and appliances would be a great start. With an asking price of only $3 though NY Nights is a pretty safe buy if you like sims games.

Functionlity: 8/10
Appearance: 9.5/10
Value: 9.5/10
iGadgetJunkie Rating: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
Awards: Gold Award

Reviewer: Bret
iPhone Firmware: 2.2.1
Application Version: 1.0.5
Price: $2.99
Download NY Nights: Success in the City

Screenshots:

[...]