Posted on Wednesday, June 29 @ 09:00:23 Eastern by
Daniel Bischoff
Can I confess something to you? It might be one of the most shocking, unexpected, and well... just listen. I've got to get it off my chest. I've got an iPhone and I like to play casual games on it.
Wooooaaahhh. I know, right?! That's crazy! It's not crazy. I'm sure there are plenty of you who play casual games on your phone. I'm sure plenty of you have downloaded an app before. You might be ashamed to admit it, but don't be! GameRevolution is here to help!
I'm a staunch critic of iPhone and Android gaming. There's just so many apps and games out there! How can you possibly make your way through all of it to find the gems, hidden, lost among the tussle, and worthy of your precious money? Never fear, fellow casual-core gamer. GameRevolution's iPhone and Android Manifesto is here to help!
Let's lay down a few ground rules before we get into which apps you should and shouldn't have. Just to warn you, I'm working with an iPhone. Results on Android phones may vary, but each platform is essentially the same.
Rule #1: Free = Friend
If you haven't been gaming on the go for long, you'll be surprised to find that 90% of apps are totally free. If they aren't, they probably should be. I'll say more on it in the next rule, but most mobile apps aren't worth the prices the developers are charging. Before you go and spend money on that zombie bowling game or the sea monkeys app that lets you raise your own batch of plankton, check to see if there's a similar app for free.
Rule #2: Never pay more than $0.99
I'll say it again: Nearly everything available on the iPhone App Store or the Android Marketplace is not worth what the developers are charging. Nearly everything isn't even worth downloading! There's plenty of fish in the sea. That's why if you find yourself in a position where you've heard lots of great things about an app, you're bored at the doctor's office, or your finger is hovering over the "Buy" button, STOP. Rethink that price tag.
iPhone and Android developers consistently incentivize brief, yet steep, sales. The idea behind these flash sales is that the app they've developed can rocket to the top of the sales charts and gain a ton of visibility on that top 10. That means any given holiday could mean a temporary price drop down to $0.99. I'm telling you: Just keep that app in the back of your mind and keep an eye out for any sales that might pop up. Seriously, I've bought apps at a discount on Arbor Day. How stupidly awesome is that?
As a note: Every app I recommend on page 2 of this feature was purchased at or less than $0.99.
Rule #3: Time IS Money, Even With Apps
Video gaming is an expensive hobby, it's true. $60 for a game is nearly a week's worth of groceries for the average bachelor. Fortunately, that money goes a long way. The cost per hour of entertainment in video gaming reaches ridiculous lows. If you paid $20 for Team Fortress 2 and spent 200 hours in the game, you've hit $0.10/hour of entertainment.
Just because an iPhone app or an Android app costs $0.99, it doesn't mean you're going to get every inch of value out of it. If you're in the need of a new mobile game, make sure it's one you actually want to play.
Rule #4: Read the Damn Reviews
It's true that many user reviews are completely and totally full of shit. Either the app filled out the review form for the user or they're not offering a lot of information on the actual value of the app. Still, there's something worthwhile in there. Somewhere there's a review that'll tell you something about the app that will either confirm or deny the value of the game you're looking at. Read some reviews.
Rule #5: Word of Mouth is King
If someone else is telling you about a game, store it away for a later date. If two people tell you about a game on the App Store or Marketplace, just buy it (again, if it's the right price). Chances are that game is awesome.
Was that simple enough? I hope so, because that's as simple as I can make it. Now, let's talk about some essential apps.
Before Microsoft and Sony do something regarding their future in the video game business, I wanted to write, and I've wanted it for a long time now, but other things kept getting in my way, and fearing that tomorrow might be too late, today will have to do.
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213EDD
Joined: Sep 2007
danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009
TurinAlexander
Joined: Sep 2006
aniPet Aquarium Wallpaper (not a game, but the looking aquarium wallpaper I've seen so far)
Angry Birds Rio
Aporkalypse
Chuzzle (a Popcap game)
Peggle (though I wish it supported hardware controls, I have a Droid 2 which as a keyboard. It would be much easier to play with the arrow keys than the touch screen)
Jenga (very nice graphics and decent physics)
Kona's Crate (You have to navaigate a jet propelled platform holding a crate through a maze. Tapping the sides of the screen controls the left and right sides of the platform. Trickier than it sounds.)
My Paper Airplane 2
danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009
TurinAlexander
Joined: Sep 2006
Plants vs. Zombies
Random Factor Mah Jong - Very nice graphics, lot's of different patterns and difficulty settings as well as custom game modes. I've spent way to much time on this one, I love me some Mah Jong.
Tune In Radio Pro - a program that streams hundreds of radio stations from all over the world to your phone. Has built in recording feature and a pretty decent search feature.
This is just the stuff I've kept after messing around with it. There's a few dozen others that I didn't bother to download or to keep once trying them.
used44
Joined: Mar 2002
danielrbischoff
Joined: Nov 2009
moretokes
Joined: Apr 2011
moretokes
Joined: Apr 2011