Peggle Goes on 99¢ Sale!

Category: games
Price: $4.99 on sale for $0.99
App Store Link: [Full]

PopCap's widely popular game Peggle has just gone on sale for 99¢ through Sunday, June 14th. This is a phenominal deal from PopCap (makers of Bejeweled) who normally keep their games priced around $4.99. While we haven't formally reviewed the game yet, we've definitely played it, and Peggle for iPhone is an excellent take on the computer version of the game. Peggle provides tons of fun and hours of entertainment. We at the App Shelf Blog highly recommend taking advantage of of this phenomenal sale!

Gameplay Video

~M@

The iPhone 3G S Price Confusion: Questions and Answers

Elated Apple and iPhone fans poured out of Apple's 2009 World Wide Developer Conference Keynote buzzing about the announcement of a new iPhone 3G S release date slated for less than two weeks away and priced only at $199 or $299 for a 16 or 32 GB model respectively...

At least until they recalled Philip Schiller's words "for new and qualifying customers." That's when the confusion started. Couple that with popular news sites reporting that current iPhone 3G owners would have to pay and additional $200 over the announced price to upgrade, raising the cost to $399 (16GB), or $499 (32GB), elation soon became disappointment and frustration.

After the disheartening announcement, it didn’t take iPhone owners long to discover some small print at the bottom of Apple's iPhone 3G S page that reads: "for non-qualified customers, including existing AT&T customers who want to upgrade from another phone or replace an iPhone 3G, the price with a new two-year agreement is $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB)," and the frustration quickly turned to incredulity and anger.

To further the frustration, Apple’s iPhone 3G S page was reportedly quoting current owners inconsistent pricing. Finally, two days after the pricing debacle, things are starting to clear up.

After contacting both Apple and AT&T, I was told the official pricing scheme was as follows:

For new customers: $199 (16GB) $299 (32GB) – two year contract required.

For customers qualifying for a phone upgrade: $199 (16GB) $299 (32GB) – two year contract required. [There are various requirements to qualify for a free upgrade. No iPhone 3G customers will qualify at the date of launch. Talk to AT&T to find out when you qualify for a free upgrade]

For customers qualifying for an early upgrade: to $399 (16GB), or $499 (32GB) – new two year contract required + additional $18 dollar upgrade fee. [An early upgrade means you don’t qualify for an official free upgrade. Essentially, this is every current 3G owner]

For customers wanting non-contracted phone: $499 (8GB iPhone 3G only), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB) – NO contract required.

Finally, for customers that purchased an iPhone 3G within the last 30 days, contact AT&T immediately to find out your options. You have special options available to you.

For the launch on June 19, customers will be given the option to purchase their iPhone at either an Apple Store or AT&T Wireless location. The biggest notable difference from the previous two releases is that Apple is allowing for early reservations on their website (AT&T allows for early reservations made in-store). However, according to Apple’s website “Pre-authorization does not guarantee iPhone availability at an Apple Retail Store. iPhone is sold on a first-come, first-served basis.” This means that early registration may not mean much (other than giving Apple a general idea of how many iPhones to ship to each store). According to Apple Retail Stores, Apple hasn’t issued any specific plan for launch day to handle these reservations as of yet.

AT&T on the other hand already has a plan in place. They plan on forming two lines, one for those with reservations and one for those without. The line with reservations will be let into the store first, giving them priority for the new iPhone. Further details of this plan are laid out in this somewhat offical video:

If you plan on purchasing your iPhone from AT&T, check with your local store to confirm this plan and reserve your iPhone in-store ASAP

If you plan on getting your iPhone from Apple, seriously consider getting “pre-authorized from Apple’s iPhone 3G S website. While Apple hasn’t officially laid out any launch day plans, it’s quite possible they’ll follow suit with AT&T’s surprisingly organized-sounding plan.


And for those curious to know why you’ll have to pay a higher price to upgrade, the reason is relatively simple (though some might argue unfair). Apple technically retails the phones at $599 and $699. AT&T subsidizes the phones for their customers down to a lower price. This means that AT&T pays Apple the difference between Apple’s retail cost and the price “new customer” price (i.e. $400 dollars). This effectively starts AT&T with a $400 dollar loss for every new iPhone customer.

The reason AT&T is willing to do this is because they intend to make that money back with their $60+ per month plans over the duration of a 2-year contract. Because of the high cost AT&T pays for a subsidize iPhone, AT&T would make very little net profit by giving the full subsidized rate to a customer already locked in to a two year contract (basically it would be equivalent to knocking an additional 200 dollars off your current contract for free). Not only is this an unrealistic business move, but assuming that there will only be a limited number of iPhone 3G S’s at launch (i.e. that demand will be greater than supply), for every current iPhone 3G owner under contract AT&T gave a subsidized iPhone to (which is literally nothing more than a $200 dollar loss to them, because they already have them under contract), they would be sending away a potential new customer that would actually earn them profit.

In the end, AT&T is essentially (and theoretically) paying Apple $200 for every year by which you extend your current contract. If you’re a new customer, you’re creating a two-year contract, and therefore AT&T pays $400 of Apple’s retail price. For those who purchased an iPhone 3G at launch, if you upgrade, you’re essentially extending your contract by one additional year, so AT&T pays $200 of Apple’s retail price. If a customer wants to purchase the new iPhone without a contract, AT&T pays nothing, and sells the phone at Apple’s retail price.

I’m not saying that these prices are fair. After all, there’s something to be said for customer loyalty, but at least we know we’re being screwed for a reason.

~M@

Star Defense Review

Category: games, tower defense
Price: $5.99
App Store Link: [Full] / no lite version

Review: Like it
Replay Value: High
Recommendation: Apart from it's 3D environment and spherical maps, Star Defense is just your basic tower defense game. While the game is fun and enjoyable, there's definitely better available on the App Store. That said, if you've already exhausted games like, ElementalMonster TD, Sentinal: Mars Defense, Fieldrunners, Crystal Defenders, the Creeps and Geo Defense and are looking for another Tower Defense (TD) to get you through the day, Star Defense will fill the gap.

Star Defense is ngmoco's first attempt at a tower defense game. Since its original announcement several months back, Star Defense has managed to generate a great deal of hype. This is partially because of high expectations for ngmoco, the first gaming publisher to receive a grant from iFund, and partially because of ngmoco's past success on the App Store with well known games like Rolando, Topple 2, and Word Fu. With Star Defense's release (un)coincidently coming alongside the announcement of the new iPhone 3G S earlier today at Apple's WWDC '09, it's time to see if ngmoco's new app can meet its expectations...

...And sadly, I'm going to have to go a against the grain. While the app was well received by ign.com and met mixed if not somewhat favorable reviews at the popular iPhone gaming site touch arcade, I found that Star Defense did not live up its hype. In fact, side from the 3D environments and spherical (or cubed) maps, there isn't much here that hasn't been done better by a previously released iPhone tower defense app. If you take those honestly trivial details away, you're left with nothing more than a simple and basic tower defense app. Even the trailer for Star Defense makes it look more exciting than it actually is.

That said, just because Star Defense doesn't live up it's hype doesn't make it a bad game. In fact, as a basic TD, the game is quite fun (hence the "like it" rating). The controls are solid: touch swipe, pinch zoom, two-finger rotate, and drag 'n drop towers. The graphics are very good (though not as good as some reviews have given the game credit for in my opinion). The enemies and towers are well balanced. There's a very decent amount of playtime in campaign mode, as well as an endless mode with facebook/twitter leaderboards. The problem is that these are starter ingredients for any decent TD, not the unique selling point. For Star Defense, the only truly unique selling point is the 3D spherical maps, and even this concept doesn't come without it's problems. While we're on the subject, Star Defense has its fair share of problems.

First of all, the 3D maps are really nothing special; hypothetically, they're just flat maps wrapped around a sphere or cube, and all this does is prevent the player from seeing the entire map at once. I realize that's supposed to part of the fun, but again, as the games only unique selling point, it's not that impressive. Second, the game is missing a lot of standard features that have become widely expected in TD games; this is a major no-no since the tower defense genre is so prominent in the iPhone gaming community. These features include lack of any kind of tower placement grid. This means players have to "eyeball it," which is very hard, if not unrealistic, on a map you can zoom and scale. The lack of grid created planning problems for me on more than one occasion during play through. Sadly, another missing feature is the coveted fast forward button, so players have to prepare themselves for sitting through slow waves and/or repeated waves from failed missions. Another issue some players make take with the game are the noticeable tower limits in the right hand corner of the screen. Admittedly, these limits seemed to affect gameplay very little, but based on historical precedent, players don't like feeling limited. Additionally, there's no advanced upgrade system other than tower upgrades (i.e. no interest on your currency; no decisions on what towers to unlock; no gems gems to earn and spend after a perfect round)--nothing to give the game that extra depth. Finally, what happened to all the cool com-voices from the trailer? They are mysteriously absent from most (if not all) of the game. It's situations like this that great such great hype for an average (and then subsequently) disappointing game. These implied that there would be some kind major story arc or plot line to accompany the game, which simply isn't there.

Overall, Star Defense didn't live up to hype and anticipation surrounding its release. And while I don't think it's very to simply judge a game on the hype proceeding it, I do think it's fair to hold expectations for the app against similar previously released apps. Keeping in mind that ngmoco is one of iPhone's premier developers and publishers, I think it's also fair to hold high expectations for any ngmoco title, and frankly, Star Defense fell short of both sets of expectations. I know people want to jump on board because it's ngmoco--heck, I did, too--but again, being completely honest, if a friend new to iPhone TDs asked me to recommend some good TDs, this one would be towards the middle/bottom (excluding the unrealistically under-professional apps of course). games like, ElementalMonster TD, Sentinal: Mars Defense, Fieldrunners, Crystal Defenders, the Creeps and Geo Defense would come first. But if you're a gamer who's exhausted all those other TDs and are looking for an new one to temporarily satisfy your appetite, Star Defense can definitely fill that gap.

Click to Enlarge

Gameplay Video:

What I'd like to see in future updates: Interestingly enough, Star Defense in one of the first apps to publicly acknowledged its 3.0 ambition, meaning the developers have already promised future content obtainable through Apple's new In-App Purchasing System (met with mixed feelings by many). What we'd like to see in some of that content and upgrades: Optional placement grid; fast forward button; use of shake/tilt controls (something many might expect from ngmoco); more towers; advanced reward systems; add in a plot line, some cinematics, and if nothing else, those cool comm voices from the trailer!

~M@

DinoSmash Online

Category: games, shooters, multiplayer, deathmatch,
Price: $0.99
App Store Link: [Full] / [Free Lite Version]

Review: Love it
Replay Value: High
Recommendation: Debatably the best online multiplayer deathmatch game currently on the app store. Easy to play, but hard to master. If you like multiplayer deathmatches, this is a must have; but if you don't want to take my word for it, there's a free lite version.

DinoSmash is an awesome, facepaced 2-D online deathmatch shooter. Players run, jump, and swing across various platforms while gunning for rivals. Offering four unique game modes, including deathmatch, team deathmatch, survivor, and capture the flag, Dinosmash keeps it simple with well implemented controls that are easy to pick-up for even the novice gamer. Yet even with in its simplicity, the app manages to offer a level of sophistication for dedicated players, challenging them to master the 5 various weapons, a double jump ability, and an incredibly useful grappling hook.

In its most recent update, the game offers character customization adding a bit of flare to the dinos along with several other great improvements, like the ability to zoom out with a tap of the screen (a very useful, yet overlooked ability). At its core, DinoSmash is an exceptionally smooth, polished, and fun 2-D multiplayer deathmatch extravaganza, and because you're playing against live players, the game never seems to get old.

Click to Enlarge

Gameplay Video:

~M@

The Sims™ 3

Category: games, time management, simulation
Price: $9.99
App Store Link: [Full] / No Lite Version

Review: Love it
Recommendation: If you're a fan of the Sims series, you'll probably enjoy the iPhone version. It should keep you busy with hours of playtime and objectives built in. However, it's worth noting that "build mode" is absent from this game. Players can still fully decorate, customize and upgrade their house, but cannot build a custom house (an oversight that might steer some fans away).
Replay Value: Very High

The Sims 3 for iPhone is a great casual player's game. In this version of the game, players control only one Sim that they create from scratch at the start of the game. Essentially, players help guide their Sim through daily life by making critical (and not so critical) choices for their Sims, such as where to work, what to eat, when to sleep, whom to fall in love with, and how to spend leisure time. The intended goal of the game is to help your Sim become successful and fulfill as many "wishes" as possible, though many gamers take pleasure in finding less conventional paths for their Sims.

Besides the traditional Sims gameplay patterns of "eat, pee, shower, job, eat, entertain, sleep, and repeat," Sims 3 throws "wishes" into the mix to add a little variation to the old routine. Sims can have up to 4 wishes at a time that function as gameplay goals. These goals can be as simple as "catch a fish" to as odd as "sleep in three beds other than your own." This mechanic helps keep the game fresh and goal oriented. There are 73 possible wishes to discover and fulfill. In addition, the iPhone version offers 3 mini games (four if you count gardening, which I don't), including fishing, cooking, and repairing; each of which utilize the iPhone's unique platform strengths (tilt, shake, touch).

The game does have a few flaws. Despite the new mechanics, the gameplay still feels repetitive and/or empty at times. I often found myself with nothing exciting to do for several sim "hours" while waiting for sim work. It'd be great to see lots of random extra's in the game to pass the time. It'd also be nice to be able to control more than one Sim. the absence of build mode is a sad setback to the game. The controls are well designed, but take a bit of getting used to because the app disregards some traditional iPhone standards (e.g. instead of using pinch to zoom, players use a slider on the side of the screen). Yet when all things are said and done, none of these reasons (save maybe the absence of build mode) give cause to disregard the game. It's still an engrossing game with more replay value than most other premium apps and debatably worth the $9.99 asking price.

Obviously this game is not a direct port of the PC/MAC version; anyone expecting that kind of similarity to the computer version will be sorely disappointed. That said, EA did an excellent job on this toned down, mobile version. The game delivers the atmosphere and feel of the Sims series one should expect to find in a fun and graphically pleasing package.

Click to Enlarge

Gameplay Video:

What we'd like to see in future versions: House building mode; Fast Forward Button; Life Happiness Points to spend for fulfilling wishes (Like in the computer version); more goals; more characters; more objects; more mini games; basically... more!

~M@