At first glance “1000: Find ‘Em All” from Glu Mobile reminded me of Zelda – A Link To The Past on the SNES – the art and style of the game world is really cute and slick. The world is a traditional 2D pixel art background, whereas the main character is rendered in 3D, which gives him a nice appearance. It also allows a full 360 degree direction of movement.

The controls are very slick. You can either tap a location and your character automatically walks to this point, or you can drag your finger round and control your character’s movement directly. All in all, the actual game engine and controls are a triumph that Glu Mobile can be very proud of. But how does 1000 fare as an actual game?

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It’s almost the end of the 2009. This year has seen the release of the iPhone 3GS, tons of new features thanks to iPhone OS 3.0 , and has seen the iPhone’s smartphone market share rise considerably.

But it’s still all about the apps. So to end the year, I asked the All About iPhone contributors to send me their choice of favourite application.

I simply asked, “Which one app has made the most impact on you in 2009?”

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Anyone who’s played Flight Control will get a strong sense of déjà vu when they see TaxiDrive in action. In fact, I assumed it must be the sequel to the hit air traffic control game. When I realised it wasn’t, the next thing that crossed my mind was ‘Rip off!’

However, after installing and playing it for a while, it’s clear that although the developers were undoubtedly ‘inspired’ by Flight Control and it contains a hefty dollop of its DNA, TaxiDrive’s different enough to warrant a place in the App Store. So, how does it ‘fare’?
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[My friend Jason sent me his thoughts on a little game he really likes. People's reviews and opinion prices are always welcome!]

Matt, I came across an app and thought you might like a quick review. It’s for a card game called Speed Fiend. It’s simple to play yet good fun and highly addictive.

The object is to get rid of your cards before your opponent. You both start with 22 cards, 5 of which are turned face up.The remaining cards form 2 discard piles with 2 of the cards face up.
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Matt recently introduced the idea of the Three Word Wrap (a quick 3 word review), so I thought I would do a three word wrap for Red Bull Air Race World Championship and then explain myself. So here goes:

Try The Demo

You might think that’s an obvious one and in a way it is, but there are valid reasons for me saying that.

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Your iPhone + a toddler. Together, these are not necessarily a good combination. But, if you can get over handing your precious iPhone or iPod to a child, then it can keep them entertained for a while, and hopefully educate them a little as well.

iColorQ is a good example of this in action.

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Having a set of minions to dominate and control has been a staple in gameplay since kids first got pets, dolls and younger siblings to knock around. Indeed, the Sims has become probably the most lucrative video game in the world by expanding on this simple premise until it burst.

The iPhone is an excellent platform for this type of game. It provides the user with a touch screen to manipulate their subjects in a pocketable device that allows users to indulge in a spot of torture whenever they have a few minutes to spare.

Pocket God from Bolt Creative gives you a couple of tropical islands to paddle around in and half a dozen or so villagers to torment with your godly powers. It’s just a shame the developers forget to include a rather vital component.
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Flight Control from the Australian developer, Firemint is a game with a very simple concept – land aircraft while keeping them from crashing into each other.

A quick look at almost any screenshot will tell you pretty much all you need to know about the game mechanics. You’re presented with an aerial view of an airport and different aircraft appear from off screen (slow jets, fast jets, light aircraft and helicopters) which you direct by simply dragging your finger from the plane, around the screen to their respective landing spot. If any planes bumps into each other it’s game over. Easy eh? You’d be surprised.
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I’m more than a casual gamer but not quite a hardcore-stay up all night playing World of Warcraft-kind of gamer. I know what I like and right now I’m loving iPhone gaming.

I mooched around my local GAME (UK video game store) the other day, looking for a classic gaming experience on the XBOX 360. Besides the usual line up of violent games based on the premise that killing lots of things is exciting, there was nothing. Yes, I realise that I really should have bought Street Fighter IV, but just as I was making my way to the counter I realised that I could purchase at least fifteen decent iPhone games for the £34.99 asking price. It was at this point that it struck me. The iPhone is now my primary gaming machine. To be honest, I’m still reeling from this revelation. As someone who is a self-professed polygon junkie, you’d think that the iPhone wouldn’t even come close to satisfying my gaming needs. But it has, here’s why…

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Tiny Tim Games‘ Sheepstacker takes the traditional baa-lance game and introduces sheep. Is this combination good or baa-d? Hopefully after reading this review ewe will have a better idea if you want to spend your hard earned £1.19 on this title from Tiny Tim. Oh and I promise, no more baa-d sheep comments.
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