iPad App Reviews: iPad App Insider

Firemint Announces Flight Control HD & Real Racing HD

Popular game developer Firemint has announced that two of it’s games will be making it’s way to the iPad for the April 3 launch date: Flight Control HD and Real Racing HD. Check out the article below to see video, game information and comments from Firemint CEO Robert Murray on each of the games.

Flight Control HD

Flight Control HD let’s you play the role of an air traffic controller in charge of an increasingly busy airport. Players must touch aircraft and drag a path to the correct landing zone while avoiding collisions. The gameplay is simple, easy and addictive.

Flight Control HD contains everything included in Flight Control for iPhone and iPod touch, as well as many additions and improvements for its arrival on iPad. One of the coolest new additions is the ability to play the game in 3D (although the glasses are not included). Here are some of the new features:

• More ways to play, including multiplayer modes that take advantage of iPad’s innovative Multi-Touch interface.
• Split-screen “versus” mode: play competitively by sending your planes to capture aircraft from your opponent.
• Co-operative multiplayer on a single iPad: share landing duties with a friend on one of three HD airfields.
• Multiplayer on two devices (selected from iPad, iPhone or iPod touch): land aircraft of your own color, and direct others off the screen for your fellow Controller to land.
• New Snow airfield with variable wind direction in addition to the four Classic iPhone airfields (Original, Beach, Carrier and Outback) and three HD airfields, for a total of eight single-player airfields.
• Quirky “3D view” airfield brings Flight Control to life like never before – use red/cyan glasses to see aircraft floating above the iPad (3D glasses not included, widely available from retailers such as amazon.com at low cost).

Firemint CEO Robert Murray commented:

Flight Control HD is everything you love about Flight Control, re-imagined for iPad and packed with new features and content. We think this will be the best Flight Control experience yet – if you thought Flight Control was addictive before, wait until you play it on iPad!

Check out this video to see it for yourself!

Real Racing HD

Real Racing HD is a racing game that puts you in the driver’s seat. Use the iPad as a steering wheel as you compete for racing glory. Real Racing is one of the most acclaimed racing titles on any mobile platform, and the Real Racing HD on the iPad looks to continue the success.

Here are some of the new features:

• Car Skins – allows players to select photos from their Photo Album on iPad and Real Racing HD will automatically wrap the photo around the selected car.
• Ghost Racing – lets players race against a pre-recorded ghost saved on iPad or downloaded from Firemint’s servers.
• Touch screen controls specifically designed for iPad, with a new sensitivity adjustment option.

Firemint CEO Robert Murray shared his thoughts on Real Racing HD.

We’re all very excited about the launch of iPad, and Real Racing HD really shows off the new possibilities that come with this breakthrough device. Real Racing is all about authentic pack racing action. iPad is incredibly immersive and personal so playing the Real Racing HD App will be an adrenaline-fuelled rush.

Check out the Real Racing Video to see for yourself.

10tons LTD Announces Azkend HD & Sparkle HD for the iPad

10tons LTD announced that Azkend HD and Sparkle HD will be available for the iPad at launch on April 3. 10tons is excited about their new games on the iPad. Tero Alatalo, CEO of 10tons, said, “We’re sure everyone will find both our apps absolutely gorgeous on the iPad.”

Looks like there is a lot to get excited about. Alatalo is confident that Azkend HD and Sparkle HD won’t disappoint. “Simply put, these are the best versions of both games to date.”

Check out more information about each game below – including video and screenshots!

Azkend HD

Azkend HD is a popular puzzle game where you string together similar tiles to make matches. Alatalo said, “Playing Azkend HD with the new high resolution graphics is an awe-inspiring experience.” Check out the video below to see for yourself.

Azkend HD Video

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Sparkle HD

Sparkle HD asks players to mix and match various colored orbs in challenging scenarios to save the world and earn a high score. Alatalo said this about Sparkle HD on the iPad. “The most notable changes in Sparkle HD are the new high quality visuals, a new power and a couple of surprises just for the iPad.”

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Pangea Software Announces iPad Game Lineup

Pangea Software, one of the leading app developers for the iPhone and iPod touch, has announced that five of their most popular titles will be available for the iPad at launch. The Pangea apps for the iPad are: Enigmo Deluxe, Cro-Mag Rally, Bugdom 2, Otto Matic, and Nanosaur 2.

Check out more info on each of the games (including screenshots), as well as an official release from Brian Greenstone, President and CEO of Pangea, below.

Enigmo Deluxe

Description

Enigmo Deluxe is a 3D puzzle game where you manipulate slides, bumpers, and other pieces to control streams of flowing liquid. Liquids (water, oil, and lava) fall from “droppers” and will bounce around the walls of a puzzle. You move and rotate the various puzzle pieces in order to divert the flow of the falling droplets so that they can reach their target. The faster you complete each level, the more bonus you will receive. Here are some features that are new to the iPad.

• Built-in Level Editor so you can create, edit, and play your own levels!
• Over a dozen additional free Level Packs built into the game!
• An all-new music soundtrack composed by acclaimed Spanish Guitarist Stefan Schyga.

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Cro-Mag Rally

Description

In Cro-Mag Rally you are a speed-hungry caveman named Brog who races through the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages in primitive vehicles such as the Geode Cruiser, Bone Buggy, Logmobile, Trojan Horse, and many others . Brog has at his disposal an arsenal of primitive weaponry ranging from Bone Bombs to Chinese Bottle Rockets and Heat Seeking Homing Pigeons. There are 9 different tracks to race on, and 11 different vehicles to drive.

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Bugdom 2

Description

While on his way to visit his family on the far side of the Bugdom, a Bully Bee swooped down and stole Skip’s knapsack. Your job as Skip is to track down the Bully Bee and get your knapsack back. The chase takes place mostly in and around a house.

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Otto Mattic

Description

You are Otto Matic, the robot who is given the job of saving Earth from the clutches of The Giant Brain from Planet X. You must rescue as many humans as you can while defeating the Brain Aliens and all of their evil minions. Your mission will take you to strange and fantastic alien worlds which are often treacherous and will require Otto to perform amazing feats.

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Nanosaur 2

Description

In Nanosaur 2 you are a pilot flying dinosaur from the future who’s mission is to locate stolen dinosaur eggs and return them to saftey by throwing them into wormholes. You’ll battle other dinosaurs and mechanized sentries while collecting various powerups and weapons such as heat-seeking missles, blasters, bombs, etc.

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Official Press Release from Brian Greenstone, President and CEO of Pangea:

Cro-Mag Rally is one of the best selling racing games for the iPhone, and in the new iPad version, races now have 6 cars instead of just 4, the visuals are improved, and so is the gameplay.

In Pangea’s action-adventure games Bugdom 2, Otto Matic and Nanosaur 2 there are more enemies, improved graphics, and a new feature that allows the user to customize the layout of the game controls on the screen. This feature is really nice on the iPad’s large screen since it allows each user to position the controls to best fit their hands. Otto Matic also has new control physics that greatly improve the playability.

The iPad version of Pangea’s award-winning puzzle game Enigmo is now titled “Enigmo Deluxe”. Enigmo Deluxe has several major new features, most important of which is the built-in level editor that allows users to create, edit, and play their own levels. The game also comes with over a dozen free Level Packs including both of the “Kid Packs” which were paid add-on’s in the original iPhone version of Enigmo. This means that in addition to the regular 50 Enigmo levels, Enigmo Deluxe comes with over 400 more free levels. Enigmo Deluxe is now available on the App Store for just $6.99.

Pangea says it is not stopping with just these games. “Our plan is to eventually release iPad versions of every one of our iPhone apps,” says Brian Greenstone, President of Pangea Software. He continues to say “The iPad has huge potential to change the portable video game industry, and we’re really excited to be involved with it. I think we’re on the cusp of something truly revolutionary.”

Enigmo Deluxe, Cro-Mag Rally for iPad, Bugdom 2 for iPad, Nanosaur 2 for iPad, and Otto Matic for iPad are each available on the App Store today for $9.99.

Ammoin HD – Custom Crafted Puzzle Game for iPad

Ammoin HD is a simple and highly addictive puzzle solving game that has been custom crafted for the iPad.

The gameplay is familiar from the iPhone/iPod touch version, which is available in the App Store.  But, the large screen of the iPad takes the well-thought-out graphics and usability to a new level.  You can see the iPhone/iPod Touch version at the Ammoin website (www.ammoin.com).  The iPad version has new graphics and and a customized GUI specifically developed for the iPad as seen in the screenshots below.

Our contacts at Delta Vee Ky tell us that they experimented with different grid sizes for the iPad version (e.g., 6×6,7×7…), but the gameplay just wasn’t the same.  Ultimately, they decided to stick with original format (a 5×5 grid) and optimize the interface and user experience.

The simple but addictive puzzle game is fun for all ages, which means you’ll be competing with your friends young and old for the best ranking.  See below for screenshots of this iPad release from Delta Vee Ky.

Virtual Horse Racing 3D HD: A First Look

Our friends over at Natenai.com have given us a first look at another of their upcoming iPad games – Virtual Horse Racing 3D HD.  Virtual Horse Racing 3D HD is actually a game where you bet on horse racing.  So for those out there that love to bet and need a change up from the Texas Hold ‘Em, slots, and other casino style games, check out Virtual Horse Racing 3D HD.

Virtual Horse Racing 3D originally came out on the iPhone/iPod touch.  Fans of the original will be happy to see all the features that they love included in the iPad version.  Some of the features include:

• Realtime 3D graphics
• Easy to play
• Several betting options:  Win/Place/Show/Exacta,/Quinella/Trifecta and Superfecta
• Preview horses/jockeys before betting
• Horse details with unique ability
• Realtime wins calculation
• Horse gender formats: Male/Female or Colt/Filly/Gelding/Mare

Natenai told us that the iPad version of Virtual Horse Racing 3D HD is going to have “higher resolution” than it’s iPhone/iPod touch counterpart.  He also said that they designed the game with a “user friendly interface” so that “everyone can enjoy betting”.

Virtual Horse Racing 3D HD looks great.  It is a must have for all the horse racing enthusiasts out there.  Check out the screenshots below and see for yourself!

Virtual Horse Racing 3D HD Icon:

They are off!

Choose a Horse

Place Your Bet

Here is Your Bet Slip

Check Out the Race Results

Glow Hockey 2 HD: A First Look

Natenai Ariyatrakool of www.natenai.com has given iPad App Insider a look at its upcoming iPad app, Glow Hockey 2 HD. Glow Hockey 2 was first released on the iPhone and iPod touch in 2009, and fans of the original will not be disappointed.  All of the features of the current version will also be available in the iPad version.

Some of the highlights of Glow Hockey 2 HD include:

• Realistic physics
• 7 table themes
• 4 selectable paddles and pucks
• Bluetooth & WiFI support for head to head competition

One of the best features of the new iPad versions is the ability to play Glow Hockey 2 with iPhone and iPod touch users.  Natenai let us know that Glow Hockey 2 HD can “play head-to-head with iPhone/iPod touch version via Wi-Fi/Bluetooth”.  So, if you are lucky enough to have an iPad and your friends don’t, you can still play Glow Hockey 2 together.

And of course the iPad version of Glow Hockey 2 will feature improved graphics.  Natenai assured us that the iPad version boasts “high resolution with great graphic quality”.  He also let us know that they will continue to update Glow Hockey 2 with new themes.  Check out the screenshots below and let us know what you think.

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Grind HD – The Popular iPhone Skating Experience Ready for iPad!

• 5 unlock-able boards (6 total).

• 2 unlock-able characters (3 total).

• Tricks including kickflip, tailgrab, christ air, heelflip, nosegrab, and airwalk.

• Challenge, Time Attack, and Practice game modes.

• Edit a park with up to 50 ramps and obstacles.

• Smooth graphics and gameplay.

There are also 3 game modes -

• Challenge – complete the given tricks/spins in one combo.

•Time Attack – skate around for two minutes and rack up as many points as possible.

• Practice – perfect all your trick combos with unlimited time.

The complete press release can be found here.

Screen shots of Grind HD for iPad:

The screenshots show a great experience and it seems that the HD version of this top 100 selling sports game for the iPhone will be a successful port to the iPad.

WebGames3D.com announces Air Hockey XL for iPad

WebGames3D.com, maker of the popular iPhone and iPad game, Grind, announced Air Hockey XL which will be available on day one of the iPad release.  According to the press release, Air Hockey XL will be the ultimate air hockey experience on the iPad and will allow you to play against the CPU or head to head with another player.  And the brand-new training modes offer a never before seen feature to help perfect speed, timing, and accuracy of your play.  The iPad offers the perfect size for an optimum air hockey experience and we can’t wait to give this app a try.  Check out the screenshot below.

Air Hockey XL Screenshot

Yahoo! iPad App

Screenshots of Yahoo!’s upcoming iPad app have surfaced, thanks to a report from Mac Stories.  From the screenshots we can see that Yahoo! didn’t just port over and combine their existing iPhone apps, but completely redesigned their app from the ground up.  The results are stunning.  The interface is very clean.  In fact, I think the look and feel of the iPad app is actually nicer than their actual web interface.

From the screenshots it appears as though users will be able to access videos, news and more.  The video is broken into several categories including; Business News, Entertainment News, Today’s News, Jib Jab, Tech Ticker, Tech News, Sports, Kid Movies and more.

More details are sure to surface soon.  But perhaps the best news, the iPad app will be free.

PadNotes – iPad document apps show promise!

See the video below posted on Gizmodo about PadNotes – a new iPad app that allows you to write, draw, highlight, or text on any document, using any image or PDF as a background.   Padnotes can be used for taking notes, filing out forms or drawing and then the document can be exported over a network.

While this is not necessarily a new concept for the iPad, it begins to show just how useful the iPad could become in our everyday lives.  Not only can students carry their textbooks, pens, pencils, and paper in less space than a single paper textbook, professionals can have access to all their documents with the ability to edit them on the go.  Also, even moms will never be without a full entertainment suite for the kids!

And this is just one of the (many sure to follow) document apps, that could change the way we do so many things.

AP App for the iPad

The Associated Press announced that they are working on an app for the iPad.  According to the AP article by Sandy Shore and Michael Tietke, the iPad App will show custom packages of headlines, stories, photos and video from the AP and from newspapers and broadcasters that choose to contribute their content and share the revenue.  AP members might even be able to use the same system to have their own iPad App featuring their own content.  The AP is starting a new business unit named AP Gateway that’s primary focus is expanding AP mobile products.  One of the first projects for AP Gateway will be the app for the iPad.

The AP will be looking for ways to generate revenue with their business unit.  It is not clear yet whether the iPad App revenue will be generated by charging users a subscription fee, having advertisements, charging for the app, or some combination of the three.

According to the AP article, William Dean Singleton, who heads newspaper publisher MediaNews Group and is chairman of the AP board, said, “AP is proposing a change that is exciting, historic and even breathtaking. After 164 years, AP sees a way to extend the power of the cooperative to become a revenue-generating engine.”

The digital age has been unkind to the newspaper industry, and it remains to be seen if print media can reinvent itself for the digital age.  The AP is hopeful that users will pay for content that is delivered in an easy package that they could otherwise get for free on the web.  The hope is the convenience of having the news you want to read in an app is worth the trade-off of taking the time to search for news on the web.

Tom Curley, the AP’s chief executive, believes that the iPad is just the device that they have been waiting for.  ”At last, we truly will be able to deliver the right content to the right people at the right time to the right device,” Curley said. “We must seize this opportunity to reinvigorate our business models as well as our journalism.”

He went on to say, “For publishers, it is likely the defining moment.”

2010 MLB.com At Bat App

One of the featured apps at Apple’s iPad introduction was the 2010 MLB.com At Bat app.  The 2009 version for the iPhone and iPod touch was a huge success, finishing as the number two selling app in iTunes for ’09.  Other reviews included Best Multimedia App by Macworld and “2009 Most Valuable App” by Sports Illustrated, and CNET called it “another step in proving MLB.com’s technical superiority.”  They are not content to rest on their past success.  Chad Evans, director of mobile product development for MLB Advanced Media says that they didn’t want to just take the existing iPhone app and make it bigger. The initial impressions are MLB.com did not disappoint.  Shawn Hoffman of Squawking Baseball says the app looks incredible, is as full featured as the desktop version, and the iPad experience might even be better than it’s desktop counterpart.  Cardsdiaspora.com suggests that the iPad is worth the purchase just for the 2010 At Bat app.  Check out the video from ZDNET.com to see for yourself.