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A gigantic update of a previous blog now with over 180 applications included.
p.s the pictures are not mine, they were taken off the internet.
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I've never been particularly interested in new technologies, but when I decided to get an iPhone 3GS last August to replace my dying LG Cookie for a mere £5 more a month... I didn't know that hours of my life were about to be lost.
Here are my favourite news, games, and generally useful apps which I use on a daily basis.
News -
An application I use first thing in the morning, it is neatly separated into top stories, world, UK and sport, but you have the ability to edit the layout to suit your interests directly. My personal favourite sections are World, Science and Environment, Entertainment & Arts and Features and Analysis.
News Pro (Reuters) –*** - Free This app provides extensive coverage of international news, with the ability to personalise your news to specific geographic areas, browse through pictures by photojournalists and watch videos.
The live feeds on Sky are the best way to keep right up to date, however are only featured on certain stories. I find there is a lack of daily stories and the top stories are just not updated enough. I do like the ‘strange’ section, however.
Download the free app for The Independent, no monthly or yearly prescriptions, it provides free up-to-date news everyday from 12 different sections. One of the cool features of this app is that it tells you how many articles you are yet to read, but marks off those you have read already. News Desk have promised some exciting updates, which will require downloading a new app that you probably have to pay for – after all free news isn’t a business.
This is another free news app featuring breaking news, top stories, businesses, sports, entertainment, technology and more. This app also includes videos, alerts for breaking news but also weather forecasts.
The Weather Channel - **** – Free This app is about as accurate as it gets and can even predict the weather by the hour. I’m particularly taken by the Map function which allows you to see where all the clouds are, and also allows you to see where in the world it is raining at that moment.
Discovery News – **** - Free Something different from your normal news apps, the Discovery channel has brought out this app to deliver scientific breakthroughs and information to broaden your knowledge. Always a good read with more than 300 new stories every month.
This is the best app to receive the latest music news, celebrity gossip and photo galleries in a user-friendly and colourful layout.
Time Mobile – *** - Free
One of the best magazine apps, Time Mobile features interesting News stories, however most are American based. The Top 10 Lists are mostly hilarious and the photos section is good when you’re not feeling the in-depth reading.
I originally bought this for my partner as he loves them, but he then went on to get an iPhone 4 and now it never sees the light of day. That’s not to say it’s not a good app – it is the only official app amongst lots of Spurs based apps, and brings the latest news, fixtures, league table, profiles, statistics, videos, live match text commentary, wallpapers and a shop to buy merchandise and tickets.
Receive all the top stories straight to your phone, watch them unfold live and sign in to Sky Sports News channel with a Sky subscription.
This app is perfect for science lovers but also interesting for the generally curious like me. It lets you follow all NASA missions, providing information and pictures, countdown clocks, orbit trackers and videos and images of what the shuffles have captured.
How stuff works – ** - FreeFree – If you are a naturally curious person, this app has over 30,000 articles, podcasts and videos about everything under the sun. Ever wondered about the human body, cars, conspiracy theories, history and much more…get this app to improve your procrastination abilities.
Information -
Around Me – ***** - Free This app is insanely useful. It locates where you are and tells you EVERYTHING that’s nearby; banks, bars, petrol stations, cinemas, hotels, hospitals, parking, pharmacies, restaurants, supermarkets, taxis and more. All built in with a map to direct you and it even works abroad!
This is the most useful app to find out everything about anything with the ability to bookmark any important pages.
Neatly displayed, accurate and provides everything you need to know about what’s on freeview tonight.
Ever heard a song recognised it but just couldn’t remember the name? This app allows you to ‘tag’ a song, and keep it in a ‘My Tags’ playlist. The only downside is you are only allowed 5 tags a month, unless you pay £2.39 for a year or £3.49 for a lifetime.
This app can scan and recognise virtually any barcode, without even the help of autofocus. Red laser have also included a feature called ‘shop smarter’ whereby a search can be done for the lowest online and local prices from hundreds of thousands of retailers.
Right move – ***** - Free An app I have been using a lot recently, it provides information and pictures of over a million properties for sale and for rent in the UK. Filters can be changed to narrow the search results – for instance search radius, min & max price and bedrooms, property type, and when it was last added to the site. You’re also able to save your favourite searches and properties to refer back to.
Find a property – **** - Free This app is also a property search engine with the added feature of a ‘camera’ view which enables you to take a picture of an area, and allow the app to find all houses available around it providing information and prices.
Zoopla is another property search engine with an added feature of being able to view search results as a map, and also allows you to see the average house value or rent price in an area. There are, however, less filters options, but does have an option to choose furnished or unfurnished.
This is a well known job search engine which allows you to search by job title, skills/keywords or location. By signing in you are able to save the results you have found, however the filters for the search results aren’t very useful.
Jobsite Jobs – **** - Free This app is from the UK’s original multi-sector recruitment site with over 8 million members. You can search by location, sector, skills, job type, and sort the results by salary, relevancy and date added. A save option is also available here.
Auto Trader – **** - Free Use this app to find used cars and bikes near you for sale, make a call straight to the seller from the app or use the ‘garage’ function to save it for later. A wide range of search options is available including age, mileage, fuel, transmission and seller type.
Sky scanner all flights, everywhere! - ** - FreeWith this independent app you can compare over 600 budget and scheduled airlines and more than 700,000 routes around the world.
I use the thesaurus that comes with this mainly for essays, but the dictionary proved useful for my Spanish housemates.
As mentioned above, this comes in most useful with my Spanish housemates and of course studies. I wouldn’t recommend translating full sentences, only words.
iTranslate – ***** - Free This is useful for the most basic of sentence translations. It has the largest list of languages I have ever seen in a translator, from your normal European languages to Arabic, Afrikaans, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Persian, Russian……..I could go on.
Google Translate - **** - Free Another translation generator, this time from recognised web giant Google. This app can translate between 57 languages with the ability to play back the result, and 15 languages can use voice recognition.
Mother Tongue Voices – **** - FreeI always go to this app when I want to feel like there’s more life outside of this small island. It allows you to listen to foreign voice-over artists for over 50 languages with different accents.
Voice Changer plus - **** - FreeThis is a highly amusing app that allows you to change your own voice recordings into over 40 different voices including amongst others underwater, mouse, robot, alien and bird.
This app was made in conjunction with the film Paul featuring Seth Rogen as an alien. The main feature of the app is a quirky function to take a portrait picture, and transform yourself and friends into aliens.
This is an app to instantly translate printed words from one language to the next by taking a picture of it. However there are two catches; the first is that Spanish and English are the only languages available, and the second is that they cost £5.99 to download each.
Say no to 0870 – *** - Free This is something I first used on the computer, but was so glad to find out there is an app for it. It finds replacement numbers for those calls that will really make your bank account cry. It’s fantastic and saves me a ridiculous amount of money.
This is an app especially designed for my immature side. Thousands of jokes based on current news, categorised into different types and publication date… it always provides such a laugh but comes with a warning.
Download and read your favourite books old and new from the beautiful bookshelf, tap a book to open it and swipe through your book with the ability to bookmark your favourite page or add notes. Free samples of books are available before you buy, find sections and words in books with the search feature, change font, and organise everything to how you like it.
This app gives you access to over 810,000 paid books, three free with the app, and provides free book chapter samples before buying. You’re also able to customise your reading experience and lookup words in the dictionary provided.
Free app a day - ** - FreeThis app features all discounted and limited free apps for the iPhone. I’ve installed about 5 apps after seeing them on this; however the downfall is that the apps aren’t updated that often.
Icon skins free - *** - Free This app provides 10 free colourful backgrounds for your iPhone, including themes such as Star Wards, Angry Birds, The Beatles and fire. I’m currently using the heart themed background.
I use this app mainly to cheer myself up and give myself some inspiration. It does what it says in the title – provides 55,000 amazing quotes from well known authors in over 1,500 categories.
This requires registration, but if you can be bothered you can try to piece together your family tree on the website with help from databases, then view it using this app. Too much effort if you ask me, a good idea, but something I’ll probably do when I’m older and actually care.
Banking/Organisation -
This is definitely one of my most used apps on the iPhone. Through this app I can check my balance, mini statement and it even texts me when it knows I’m getting a little bit skint. It’s completely secure, and NatWest are working on adding facilities to transfer cash and pay your bills…on your iPhone!
XE Currency – ***** - Free I’m quite money conscious, and this is the perfect app for when you go abroad and switch on your Airplane mode, allowing you to find out what the Pound is worth in 165 different currencies.
This is specifically a student budget planner, allowing you to put in any incomes such as loans, wages, grants and savings and also outgoing such as rent, bills, transport and savings. It then calculates your allocated weekly budget and keeps track of your weekly spending when you add new outgoings in the ‘update’ box.
This is useful for those of us that like to write lists of things to do in priority order everyday; however it could do with a user-friendly redesign to create at least some enjoyment in having to do work.
The free version allows you to simply make your shopping list and tick them off as you go along, but the £1.79 full version allows you calculate the total amount of your shopping list and filter the list by done/undone items. I have to admit this app didn’t get hardly any attention after I discovered Tesco Groceries (read on…)
As opposed to Errands which I use mainly for daily reminders, I use EasyTask for educational deadlines as it has a specially designed ‘Projects’ page. It puts each task into date order, and unlike Errands it has a ‘completed’ section to make you feel better about yourself.
This is a mini ‘school’ time table on the iPhone. I have every day planned by time, module, room number and lecturer, with the ability to add notes for certain sessions and even colour separate modules. For those with awkward GCSE style timetables, it ‘Week A’ and ‘Week B’.
Social Networking -
Having facebook on your mobile makes it dangerously accessible in lectures; however it’s one of those apps that I definitely use everyday. It has all the features of facebook on your laptop, but this time your news feed isn’t blocked up with game advertisements and uninteresting quiz results. The only thing I don’t like about the Facebook iPhone app is that it constantly wants to locate where you are for the new ‘Places’ feature…something which I definitely do not use.
I’m not 100% up-to-date with how to use twitter yet, but I find it very novel being able to see what Stephen Fry and Snoop Dogg are up to. I find the ‘trending now’ and search facilities most interesting for finding out current topics.
This is something I was suggested to install by my Spanish housemate, who uses it to give his friends a tour of the house via Wi-Fi on his iPhone. It allows users to make a voice call over the internet and is incredibly useful if you don’t have a computer to hand, however it would be nice to be able to see each other talking as due to the camera position behind the iPhone screen viewing both people at the same time is not possible.
I use this app all the time with my partner and housemates – it is a free messaging service, basically texting for free. You can also send over pictures for free.
This app makes sharing photos, apps, music, messages, locations, contacts and calendar events with other iPhones as simple as holding your phone in your hand, and bumping knuckles with someone else holding their phone. You can also instantly find each other on facebook, twitter and Linkedin, with the ability to compare mutual friends.
This well known website for collecting and sharing photos has been created into an app so you can access everything from your phone.
This app allows you to make free phone calls to other iPhone users who have Viber. The phone calls have a much better quality than a regular call, and providing your using Wi-Fi there are no hidden costs for calling to anywhere in the world. It requires no registration, no ads, and a buddy list of who is available.
I haven’t explored this app much, but was suggested to get it by my lecturer at university. It is a social network of over 85 million professional users worldwide, which allows you to keep up-to-date with your business or even research who is interviewing you for a job.
Shopping -
General
This app is well designed with a specific search engine. It is easy to watch and buy items and keeps a list of all items won and lost. I would suggest getting eBay selling if you are looking at shifting some goods.
Find all your books, CDs, videos, DVDs, toys, electronics and more in this little add. Search for what you need, make a wish list, view your recommendations and even use the new feature ‘Amazon Remembers’ which allows you to send a photo to Amazon so they can find a similar product...my checkout basket gets bigger every day.
I’ve used this twice now, and besides the great variety of cards to choose from, my favourite features are being able to upload your own photo to a card, and personalise it on every page. Easy to navigate, easy to use, and provides quality cards.
Browse over 25,000 products and prices of which 10,000 weren’t able to fit in the paper catalogue. Check and Reserve items at your local Argos store after using this app to check stock availability, all at your fingertips.
I wouldn’t suggest any iPhone user without Wi-Fi to get this app. Before you can use it you have to download a huge 61.9MB catalogue, but once downloaded, the catalogue is attractive and simple to swipe through, although there is no option to checkout any items.
Moneysupermarket.com Vouchers – ** - Free This app helps iPhone users save money by listing all discounts and deals available on the website. Geo tagging allows you to see what promotions are available near you for anything from restaurants to theme park tickets.
Food
Tesco’s Groceries – ***** - Free This really is such a useful app, especially if you have a Tesco Club card. Not only does it have a basic shopping list, but it collects your ‘Favourite’ items that you buy all the time according to your Club card and gives you full access to everything they sell in Tesco’s with prices and pictures. Shop away in your online basket, book a delivery slot and pay away!
Tesco’s Club card - ***** – Free Forgotten your Club card? Need the points? Your iPhone has an online Club card barcode, so you won’t miss anything. However this isn’t the best part, I’ve found out on average I save £52 a year with the Points Calculator and can view the amount of money vouchers I have on the way.
Something which I don’t use that often, but when I do it is much less effort using the iPhone Subcard barcode than rifling through my purse to find the Subcard. Through MySubcard on the app I can find out the date and place of any recent transactions and how many points I have until a free Subway.
Order all your favourite pizzas and extras from your phone, and then track them on the journey to your door! The app even features a game whereby you blow or wipe the steam off the pizza for a chance to find money off your next order.
McDonalds finder – ** - Free This app is very simple and provides no information about the food served. However, there is a location finder, restaurant search, directions and information facilities. It provides information on opening times, and facilities in all UK McDonalds restaurant.
Another simple app from a great milkshake shop. This app provides the full menu list as well as a function to find the nearest shop. A slot-machine style game allows you to shake and create a random milkshake of three genuine ingredients.
This official app has a BK Finder to find the nearest restaurant and plan your route to it. Promotions and deals are featured within the app as well as being able to browse the entire BK menu along with nutritional information.
Fashion/Beauty
Hours of my life have been spent on this app. Products for Women, Men, Kids, Baby and the Home from hundreds of different stores all rolled into one search engine. Amongst the shops are All Saints, Boots, Dorothy Perkins, Fat Face, French Connection, La Senza, Mango, Miss Selfridge, Next, Oasis, Schuh, Topshop and many more. You will lose yourself in finding and saving all your favourite items of clothing, shoes, accessories, jewellery and beauty products. Just be careful you don’t get carried away with the ‘buy’ button!
eBay fashion – *** - Free With this app you can brose and buy millions of items of new and vintage merchandise, save them, create outfits, and use your cameras phone to ‘try on’ anything you find.
River Island – **** - Free This is a good, regularly updated app to search and buy items of clothing from this store. Filter options allow for selection of the type, colour and price of the item, however not the size which is quite frustrating.
Another store which has reach another platform through this app. Debenhams boasts some high-tech functions including gift lists and finder, wish lists, barcode scan and Debenhams TV.
This is probably one of the most updated fashion apps for the iPhone – updated five days a week with over 300 products this app allows you to save and share your favourite looks, read the facebook blog, see behind-the-scenes shoots and find your nearest store wherever you are in the world.
This app is a level below the other fashion shops and apps as, whilst you’re able to browse and view the latest campaign imagery, locate your store and receive exclusive offers, you cannot actually purchase anything from this app.
This app provides some quirky features which, along with its attractive interface, make it stand out from the rest. You are able to buy from this app in Dollars, Euros or Pounds, add pieces to the shopping basket, check the newsletter – and shake your iPhone to randomly suggest pieces of clothing for you.
Browse the entire Pandora jewellery catalogue, share your favourites via facebook/email or add it to your wish list. It also provides a gift finder feature whereby you can filter search results to suit your loved one precisely.
Similarly, you cannot buy anything on this app either but you are able to browse the latest beauty products and search for the nearest shop. The app features ‘Lushopedia’ where you can read about the ingredients used and information about the company.
Useful-
I was sceptical of this app to begin with, however after using it a couple of nights I’m really impressed not only by the idea of the app and features but also how well it works. By placing your iPhone at the top corner of your bed at night whilst you sleep, the sleep cycle alarm will record your movement to determine how deep a sleep you are in, and wake you up when you’re sleeping at your lightest. It wakes you up over a period of half an hour, and you will never be angry at your alarm again.
Free – If you’re like me and always getting ill, or like my partner and refuse to go to the doctor unless dying, this is the app for you. It contains a symptom checker, first aid essentials, information on conditions, drugs and treatments as well as pill identification tool and local health listings.
TouchMouse - ***** – Free This is one of those apps that remind you of how technical the world has become. After an incredibly easy set up, you can connect your iPhone to your computer’s ISP address via Wi-Fi and literally use your finger on your iPhone screen as a mouse for your PC. I can also hijack my housemates PC when I’m feeling evil.
I find this app most useful for viewing and saving document files that I want to read on the go. The free version comes with 2GB of storage, and provides easy access to a PDF view of your document. A little difficult to set up, but eventually eases a lot of boredom.
This app is self explanatory. You shake your iPhone, you have a torch. But this wasn’t good enough, so they gave us strobe lights, emergency lights and glow sticks!
Dragon Dictation – ** - Free – This is an app which has proved very popular on the internet but I wouldn’t describe it as very accurate. It is supposed to be able write down your dictation in words, but provides more giggles than ‘oohs and ahhs’ at the outcomes.
British Sign Language – ** - Free I will learn anything if it has the word ‘language’ in the title and this app has taught me the sign language alphabet. It certainly encouraged me to learn something new and I’d like to think I’m now adapt if a situation where I need it ever arises.
This is something I installed as a first attempt at doing anything driving-related. I surprised myself by getting 45/50 in the free test, which seemed to be mostly common knowledge. The full version, which costs £1.79, features the Highway Code E-book, a progress meter and over 970 multiple-choice questions.
Photography/Drawing/Video/Music –
VLC remote free – *** - Free VLC is one of the best video players for the PC, so it seemed the correct thing to install a remote on my phone. Now, when I’m watching a film or listening to music, I can use my mobile from the sofa to control every aspect of VLC on my computer.
Control your iTunes on your computer using this app on your iPhone. You can change the song or playlist from anywhere in your home, and can also control Apple TV’s.
This is basically an app for really nosey people to spy on those caught by various real-time cameras around the world. It’s quite interesting seeing people going about their business for about 2 minutes, but sometimes the cameras just look like a still picture.
Fotopedia Heritage – *** - Free This app contains 25,000 photos from around the world working in conjunction with UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Explore hundreds of cultural and natural sites with descriptions, sharing facilities and search functions.
Panoramic 360 - ***** - £1.19 Probably one of the most expensive apps I’ve bought but it is so fun to use and thoroughly worth it. Create panoramic photos of your holidays, activities, where you live and save and share them on your phone.
I got this app mainly to apply the different filters to my photos and attach the location to photos, but was a little disappointed you had to register before getting into the app.
This Photoshop Express app is good for basic editing and effects on any pictures in your Photo Album. It comes with tips on exposure, focus, tints, saturations and more with border options to make a boring picture interesting.
Color Splash – **** - Free Want a colour to stand out amongst a black and white picture? This app allows you to take a picture in colour, but colour it black and white allowing you to accentuate the areas you like. So it’s not hugely accurate – but the full version which is currently 59p has video tutorials, four different brushes and a share option for Facebook, Twitter or Flickr.
This app is for when you’re feeling creative and just want to draw. Use a brush, stamps, or text to draw on a plain screen, background and one of your own pictures.
This app will completely take over the bog standard Camera app sent with your iPhone. It can zoom, has a self timer, time lapse, anti-shake and most importantly a press anywhere option.
I downloaded this app to see how much I could remember from learning the piano when I was younger. The interface is great, I was pleased you could zoom the keyboard out to fit in more keys, and even more chuffed when I could remember a few songs!
Talking Tom – **** - Free A cat that repeats what you say at a hilariously high tone who also doesn’t like being punched or stomped on. Who came up with that?
The boys usually like doing stupid freestyles and scratching their record over a back tune. It’s simple but quite funny at appropriate times.
This app is similar to guitar hero but quite complicated to use. I cannot differentiate between the free songs and the priced songs… and quite frankly it’s not making me that bothered.
This really is such a great idea for an app transformed into an easy-to-use search engine and list of all number 1 hit songs from 1956 to now. Find out what was number 1 on your birthday!
Action Games –
Cover Orange - ***** - 59p One of the best games I’ve bought for my iPhone – completely addictive yet it still took me a fair while to complete it due to hundreds of levels. You have to use blocks and wheels to move and protect your oranges from the rain.
How can something so simple be so fun? You’re a little alien, you really like to bounce, and you need to get as high as you can by using platforms. You can be a space alien, football alien, deep-sea alien, scary alien, jungle alien, snowman alien or a Halloween alien. I need not explain more.
Flight Control - ***** - 59pThe beauty of this game, the aim of which is to land all your aeroplanes on the correct runway, is that it has no end. There is no last level; you are just constantly at battle with your best score.
AirportMania - ****– £1.19 I was recommended this by a friend and became addicted within a very short time. Before I knew it, I had sent all my colourful planes out of several runways in only a week. It needs more levels, but has proved really popular with everyone I’ve showed it to.
Amateur Surgeon & Surgeon 2 - **** - 59p each Adult Swim has made two brilliant games here, similar in idea to the classic game Operation, but with so much more. Use several different instruments to get through over 50 different patient surgeries between them – warning, it’s seriously addictive.
My friend suggested this to me and it was a great buy. You are Gravity guy, and have control over which way gravity is pulling by tapping the screen. Use this to get through more than 30, sometimes really challenging, levels.
Family Guy Time Warp - **** - 59p A great app where you can play as either Brian or Stewie battling through Ancient Rome, Ancient Egypt and modern-day Quahog style levels to retrieve Rupert the bear. Each level provides video clips from sections of the series
Where’s Wally? In Hollywood - **** - 59p Spot Wally and his friends in 10 different scenes with backdrops of famous film sets. As well as straining your eyes trying to find this stripy fella, complete the extra challenges against Odlaw and the Wizard to gain valuable points. It would receive an extra star if there were more frequent updates.
I got this app because Snoop Dogg was banging on about it loads of twitter, so wanted to see what it was about. It’s incredibly simple, you just jump and duck your way through levels to catch the pigeon (I’m still not entirely sure why). Once again, it would get more updates if the game had more things to do after the abrupt ending.
Hungry Shark – ***** - 59p This is one of the first and best apps I discovered on the iPhone so I was pleased to find the sequel a few weeks back. You are a shark, you need to eat which makes you grow and gain levels. You tilt your phone to swim the sea eating humans, puffer fish, tuna, penguins, scuba divers etc.
Hungry Shark 2 - **** - 59p
I bought this after suggesting Hungry Shark 1 to anyone that had an iPhone. Hungry Shark 2 wasn’t as addictive as the first time round, much like film sequels are never as good as the original. There is now a Hungry Shark 3, which I’m considering paying 59p for.
Simple but fun, see how far you can puff up until you hit a moving spiky ball.
This is a beautifully designed game where you have to guide your car through fast-moving motorway traffic, overtaking and undertaking with perfect and precise timing.
Deer Hunter Challenge - ***** - FreeI can hands down call this the best free app I have downloaded ever. I’m not particularly into hunting but I cannot believe this game, with so many missions, extra options and objects, is free! You have to gun down various wildlife – seriously addictive.
Robot unicorn attack - *** - 59p This app comes from the original game featured on facebook where you have to gallop, leap and dash a unicorn through a magical land in pursuit of your dreams. Put your phone on silent, and don’t get too angry at the stars.
Burn the rope - ***** - 59p After trying the Lite version of this, I had to install the full version of this incredibly inventive game. There are 112 levels for you to set fire to a pattern of ropes, and tilt your iPhone to ensure every piece of rope is burnt.
Traffic Panic - ***** - FreeThis is a simple game to keep traffic flowing by using traffic lights to stop and start your incoming cars avoiding crashing at the cross roads. It’s highly addictive and even though there are 5 levels I would be happy with just one. Watch out for pile-ups!
Guide your dinosaur through a mega run jumping to reach fruit which makes you run faster and avoiding cactuses which slow you down. Get as far as you can with as much fruit as possible using objects picked up along the way such as magnets and flying capes.
My partner and I are currently addicted to this game. By timing finger-touches, you have to guide your flying bird as fast as you can through an unknown amount of islands. This is another game that you can play endlessly, by trying to complete 27 achievements and get as far as you can.
You have the ability to jump wall to wall Kung-Fu style, but watch anything that gets in your way!
Such a simple but addictive app, you have to slice all the fruit that jumps up on your screen but avoid the bombs.
Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 – *** - 59pReunite with your childhood friend Crash in 12 3D tracks and 9 different characters. Challenge each other on multiplayer mode which can handle up to four people over the internet.
The Sims 3 – **** - 59p (on sale, usually £2.99) The Sims is a guilty pleasure on my computer now and again but when I discovered it was on the iPhone I installed it straight away. As you can imagine, it is incredibly limited compared to the PC version, but still offers enough objectives, wishes and skills to make it worth another go.
The Sims 3 Ambitions – *****59p (on sale, regular price £1.79) There have been some serious updates since The Sims 3. 'Ambitions' has a build mode for businesses and houses, career mode, the ability to create a family and finally a function to import and export other Sims games for iPhone.
Monster Mayhem – *** - 59p A how-fast-can-you-tap-your-finger game, stop the monsters from escaping the graveyard gates. With three different modes, 20 different monsters and 5 bosses you have to find the enemies unique weakness and use tactics to survive.
Protect your castle from the invading stick figure army by tapping, flicking and shaking your iPhone.
Stick Wars 2 – *** - Free for limited time A sequel to the best selling app of 2009, you can now command the earth as you use wind and lightning spells against new enemies, use captured enemies to unleash abilities such as Rain of Arrows, or repair the Castle wall to heighten your protection with Work Frenzy.
HellKid: Hook and Jump – *** - 59p Very good graphics to this game, as well as extreme endless modes to the game, which provides everlasting entertainment as you rush to collect objects whilst hooking and swinging on available blocks to avoid the lava.
You’re in control of a pig, using your finger to tap high for a large jump, and low for a small one. Guide your choice of pig over gaps in the surface, whilst collecting objects throughout the levels.
Office Heroes – ** - Free This is an app that allows you to build up your own office and complete 50 different levels and titles without the stress of actually having to do it.
I didn’t fancy fish flakes or smelly tanks, so I installed myself some virtual fish. Be careful not to buy ‘fish bucks’… they cost actual money and I’ve recently seen a story similar to this on Watchdog. You’re given a set amount of ‘virtual spending’ at the beginning but it takes time to build it up and the fish need a lot of cleaning and feeding.
The free version allows you challenge any enemy that gets in your way. Kick, punch or Spider Web your way through the different areas. The full version is £3.99 and features more than 20 fighting combos and 12 different levels.
Godfinger All Stars – *** - Free This is one of those games that takes time to build up and requires registration, but is fun nonetheless. You’re a god of a planet and you have little midget workers. Control the weather, build farms and shrines all using Mana producing Gold and gaining Experience Points.
This game is similar in style to Doodle Jump, except you’re a frog, there are more themes including un-lockable ones – and of course numerous enemies to reach the different worlds.
The idea of building your own Smurf village as Papa Smurf really made me chuckle at first, and I installed it straight away. But I was disappointed it was one of those games that dragged on, and I always had to return to check-up on what was happening…. So eventually I stopped.
Pee Monkey Plant Boom Lite - ** - Free Your job, as a monkey, is to aim your pee to water your plants through forty levels of puzzles. It seems very successful on the iStore but I wouldn’t consider downloading the full version for 59p.
Slingshot Cowboy - *** - Free Use your catapult to launch stones at passing cows to knock them over or cause a stampede. With six different levels with increasing difficulty and three different game modes, this app provides a good variety considering it’s free.
Your job is to fly a ship through a landscape scattered with colourful blocks getting in your way. Tilt and turn your iPhone to battle through various levels of difficulty until one of the rocks eventually takes you out.
Beyond Ynth Xmas Edition - *** - Free This was also a present from the makers after the popularity of the full game priced at £1.19. The aim of the game is to get the lady bird from A to B using its strength to manoeuvre and push over boxes.
Bounce Bullets - *** - Free I had played this game online and was really pleased when my partner suggested it to me. You have to kill as many people as possible in different layouts using only one bullet. There is a Pro version which costs 59p but the free app contains a lot of levels to keep you amused.
Block shooter - *** - 59p (I got it in the sale for free) This is a physics action game whereby you catapult balls to shoot down the red blocks but save the blue blocks.
Wispin - *** - £1.19 (got it during the limited time it was free)Guide your colour changing chameleon-like Wispin and feed him with similar coloured blobs around the screen to beat your highest score. Quite a good game, but often difficult to control and I wouldn’t pay the full price for it.
An addictive simple game whereby you use your finger to aim frogs into lily pads, collecting gifts and gaining levels as you go along. You do, however, eventually run out of frogs and have to wait 12 minutes to generate 1 frog.
Use 3 different sized balls to shoot blocks off the stage in 50 different levels. It is an attractively simple game with background themes and settings.
Doodle Screw - **** - 59pThis is a funny game idea in which you guide the female screw to a bolt as fast as possible. Use the cannon to shoot and erase objects in your path as you pass through more than 50 unique levels and regular updates.
Balance and Puzzle –
This game requires good maths, symmetry and an eye for shapes. You have a certain amount of pencils, and have to divide a shape into the amount of sectors it tells you to. It gets pretty technical and specific towards the latter of the 100 levels.
Cut the Rope – ***** - 59p In this app, your need to get the candy to your hungry little frog by slicing the rope the candy is attached to in the correct places in order for it to land in the frog’s mouth. With more levels than I can count it is one of the only apps I have ever seen with all five stars.
Cut the rope: Holiday Gift - ***** - FreeThis was a very welcome gift from the creators of Cut the Rope as a thank you for their success. They’ve given us 75 new levels, and also the option to create snow by shaking the phone!
Angry Birds & Angry Birds Seasons – ***** - 59p eachThis is a real favourite with my boyfriend who has spent a lot of time trying to annihilate pigs hiding in structures with birds of various capabilities such as exploding and dropping eggs. The Halloween version was a brilliant excuse for some new levels.
Perfect Balance Inferno + Paradise – **** - 59p each These are two of the first games I installed and the graphics are great. The aim is to balance different shaped blocks on top of each other… it sounds simple but gets really difficult.
So simple but so addictive. There is a bin, you have a scrunched up piece of paper, and you need to get the paper in the bin. Be careful of the changing wind and distance.
This is a game I was persuaded into buying by my boyfriend and his friend who never know when to stop playing it once they’ve started. The aim is to flick a coin into different sized cups and get as many Ricochets as possible.
Trainyard & Trainyard Express – **** - 59p This app really wrecks my brain sometimes. You have to get several coloured trains to their correct docking stations without crossing paths unless merging colours. It is complex and becomes very technical but provides a real puzzle if you want one.
This is a game I first discovered years ago on the internet, but found again thanks to the App Store. It gives you three different game slots with 150 different levels and 50 opportunities to create your own levels of balloon popping monkeys.
The classic Bejewelled… need I say more?
Words with friends free - *** - Free My partner and I have played each other using this app quite often. It’s basically scrabble, and there is a full version for £1.79 but I think the free version is adequate enough.
Get your hamster some exercise by linking up all the gear clogs to get him running! It sounds simple, but there are over 500 levels to pick from, and being stuck on level 37 with no way of progressing is quite frustrating.
This app contains 80 different levels to remove red shapes without any green shapes falling off the screen. Enhanced by the smiley and shocked blocks this simple game can get really mind boggling.
This is one of the better simple free games on the App Store. You have to stack and balance a load of evil looking weird shapes to build your way to the top, although there’s not much more to it than that.
Similar to topple but with the ability to just keep going higher and higher. I wouldn’t consider installing the 59p version.
fingerBalance – ** - Free This app requires steady hands to balance a ball on a line throughout various obstacles to the end. This is an app which can become very addictive but only has 15 levels on the free version as opposed to 98 levels on the 59p version.
This is essentially a really basic game where you just have 90 seconds to seek out hundreds of different types of colourful doodle objects to test your concentration skills. What makes this game fun, however, is the fact that you can play against your friends and the world on the online leader boards.
Free Sudoku! - *** - FreeThis app generates new puzzles whenever you like at four different levels of difficulty. You can stop and start playing the same game when you like, with a high score board to track and beat your best score.
Similar in form to Windows solitaire, this app brings the classic game to your iPhone with the option of leader boards, multiplayer mode and customisation of background and cards.
Crack the code - **** - FreeThis app is basically mastermind for your phone, crack the code of colours and their order to get it in the least amount of go’s possible.
This app is slightly boring, but colourful and pretty none the less. The aim of the game is to collect as many different coloured ice cream scoops but avoiding vegetables like onions and tomatoes. I’m struggling to squeeze any more out of this app, it’s really that repetitive.
Mr Aahh!! Lite - ** - FreeOk, so the graphics are completely crap and the idea of landing your stick man flying through the air on a rope in the middle of the next platform is very basic. But there’s just something about how reactive and addictive it is that has kept it on my phone.
Sports-
A game which we’ve all played in the arcades, but is now on your iPhone screen! This game lets you play against the iPhone, against a friend and even against a friend’s phone who has Air Hockey installed on their iPhone.
Flick Football – ***** - 59p This is a game I’m currently involved in a battle with. In fact, it’s so addictive my house has erupted in competitiveness of who can get the high score. You flick a ball around goal keepers and footballers into the goal. Simple? Oh god no it’s so much more than that.
Flick Rugby – ***** - 59p This is similar in style and rules to Flick Football and could be equally addictive; unfortunately I have been neglecting this app due to the above.
This virtual table tennis app will really take you by surprise, you are simply playing against a computer of three different levels but once you enter into the worldwide competition for top scores you will always revisit.
I downloaded this app for my boyfriend while it is on sale for 59p. He was amazed by how good the graphics and game play were for a mobile game. My housemate has PES 2011 which costs a staggering £4.99 but I know he has made his money back through usage.
The aim of this game is to get the ball into the net with a bit of guidance. I would only consider downloading the free version as I do not use it that often but it is good quality.
A basic electronic game of billiards, including UK rules, 2-player mode available as well as good control for shooting.
Chop Chop Soccer – ** - 59p Chop chop series have brought this out, a soccer game without buttons or joysticks, just use your finger to guide the players, tackle, pass and score.
Strike Knight - *** - Free This app is a timing based arcade bowling game which takes a twist of traditional bowling. The aim is to time your shots in conjunction with a light guide to get spares and strikes.
Bought this for my partner who is obsessed with football to test his knowledge, but although there was a good variety of questions, they seemed to be either too easy or too hard.
Other apps on my computer, which I got bored of after a couple of plays:
BubbleXplode
MrRunner
Graffiti Ball
HeadsWillRoll
Toyshop
0.03s
CubeMaze
Catapult Madness
Ragdoll 2
Rolo
Trade nations
Talking Panda
If you have made it through the 180+ apps listed above then well done, and I hope you enjoy your new found apps.
