Jumpy Junior - 3.5 stars

What is it?

Jumpy Jumper is an endless play platform game. The aim of the game is to jump between platforms without hitting walls or falling between gaps. I would describe this game as Flappy Bird meets Ninja Jump. To play the game you simply tap the screen to make the running man character jump, and the more you tap the more mid air jumps you make. This element reminds me of Flappy Bird but instead of keeping the character off the platforms, you actually only score points for landing on them. As you increase the distance travel the game increases in speed, I like this feature and I found it easier than at the slower start.  After several plays though I quickly realised that you can take advantage of the sluggish start by jumping on the longer platforms twice to build up the score quicker. 

On trend the developer has used the pixel design with minimal colours or alterations between game play. Unlike Ninja Jump the characters legs don't move, so it appearance reminds me a little of the static picture of Mario from the retro games.

The game is on the GameCentre which is a big plus for me. After seeing the highest score on the GameCentre today I knew with a bit of dedicated play I could get to the top of the Leader Board, which I did, in less than 10 minutes. There  does however seem to be a design fault with the GameCentre settings applied to the game and only one of the two Leader Boards actually works, which is a shame, but I am holding onto my victory with both hands!

This is a basic game, and similar to many others on the store at the moment, but it does what it says on the tin. If you like Flappy Bird but want to earn points for those unfortunate contact with the platform then Jumpy Junior could be for you.

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 5

The game gives the basic instruction of 'Tap to Jump' at the start of each game, but that is all that is needed really. If you are part of the Flappy Generation, yes I may have just made up a new label here but hey ho, then you will take to this game like a duck to water. The only difference as I mentioned above is that you get the points for landing on the platforms, so if you jump completely over one then you have missed valuable points. 
Price - 5

This is a free game with no in app purchases.

Adverts - 5

There are footer adverts on the app, but to be fair I hardly noticed them and they didn't interrupt my game play at all. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Jury is out

I have had the app less than a day so I am not sure how long I will keep it just yet. It is a pleasant game that was easy to just pick up and play, but it is very similar to other games out there at the moment. With that said I personally preferred it to Ketchapps Triple Jump which I still haven't managed to master. The app has could be enhanced by earning points to unlock new characters or even options to change the background that I have seen appearing here and there across the App Store in the past few weeks. 

Overall Score - 3.5 
I have selected this score by comparing it to the other apps I have been playing in the past few weeks. This is not a negative rating by any stretch of the imagination, but the concept has flooded the store and it is just missing the special difference that would make it higher. With more user options this game would keep the user engaged for longer, but download it and see what you think (link is below).

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jumpy-junior/id950560531?mt=8

Threes! Free - 3 Stars

What is it?

This a continuous number game with the aim to avoid filling up the board of 12 and to get the highest score. The game is firstly played by creating the number three by sliding tiles with one and two together, once you have the number three you then match it with another number three to make six. From six the game moves to 12, 24, 48 and so on. Basically if you have played 2048, its the same method of play with the twist of using 3's instead of 2's. Another difference is that when you slide the screen the numbers only move one at a time across or up, rather than all across to the corresponding wall.

The presentation of the game is very colourful and clean and it looks an inviting game to play. The developers have put effort into the design and execution of the game and it looks very professional. There are sound effects in the game, which I turned off as I don't like to play with the sound, but they consisted of dings and dongs. The game was featured by Apple over the weekend, hence why I downloaded it. As with all featured apps, I am not sure why it was but it was free so I had a look. Upon further investigation I also discovered that it won Apple Design of the year 2014, its good but not that good in my opinion.

When I started the game I found it a lot slower than 2048 and I wasn't immediately eager to continue playing. After some sleep I gave it another go and started to enjoy the game. The title of the game should have given me a clue though, this is a free version, and once your turns the replay option get down to zero you can't play anymore. If you watch an ad then you get a free go or you have to download the free version. However, when I tried to watch the ad to play again there wasn't one available and I was refused a play. Furthermore, when I attempted to re-watch the tutorial for the review of the app, it directed me back to the watch an ad screen, so I couldn't even see that.

I get that developers need to make money so running out of free turns doesn't bother me too much in principle, but the game is already monetised through full screen and some timed apps. Due to this I will not be downloading the paid version of the app.

The game is on the GameCentre, which as you know, is something I like on gaming apps so that I can check my progress and give me a competitive reason to continue to play.

To write this review I have looked back on my experience of playing the app and realised that the only reason I continued playing it was the purpose of the blog, I was bored waiting to go out and that I had run out of lives on Pyramid and Farm Hero Saga. I may be feeling a little resentful at not being able to play anymore but I don't feel it is a great loss to my phone if I delete it once the review is published.

In conclusion if you liked 2048 then you may very well like this, but personally I prefer 2048 and won't be keeping this app.

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 3

If you have played 2048 then the game is easy to play as it is very like the iconic game. The game comes with a nice tutorial, but once you have run out of turns you can't revisit it. If you can swipe, calculate the number three and make pairs then you can play this game. 

Price - 3

The app is free but with massive constraints. You are limited to the number of times you are allowed to play the game, forced to watch adverts to get a free go and if there aren't any available then game over. The full version is £2.99! No way would I pay that for this app!

Adverts - 2
Adverts are full screen every three plays of the game. Some of the screen invasions are timed and the cross changes per ad to kill it, so be careful not to end up in the App Store. If you want to play the game further you must watch full adverts to get a free go.

Overall Rating - 3

I started to like this app but it was very short lived. I have scored the game 3 stars, and that is mainly for its design, but I was thinking 2.5 stars. It reminded me of 2048 and the app reignited my passion for that game if nothing else. I was really put off by being forced to watch ads or purchase the game. This might sound defeatist and slightly childish, but that is my mood with this one. Sorry but its being deleted.

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete

Where to find it: https://itunes.apple.com/app/threes!-free/id976851174?mt=8

Ruzzle - 4 stars

What is it?

Ruzzle is a timed words game that is like the classic and well known Boggle that you play with friends or random opponents. When you start the game there are 16 letters presented on a grid and you simply join them by swiping across letter combinations to make words. You must connect the letters directly with those around it so it makes it a bit more difficult. Like Scrabble there are double and triple letter scores to take advantage of. You are against the clock with two minutes to collect as many words as possible which initially seems a long time but as soon as you are stuck its goes so quickly!

When you complete a round you are presented with your score and stats. The app even tells you how many words you found out of the number availablem, and in some cases there are over 200! Lets just say I didn't get near the maximum word score! The great thing about this is that you can review all of the uncommon words to get some ideas for next rounds. Some swear words are accepted and in a frantic panic, random swipes of the screen in the last few seconds actually scored me some points with a fluky word!

The more you play the quicker you advance through the levels, which unlocks more features of the app, i.e. competing in tournaments. 

There are in app purchases including the removing of ads and adding wallpapers and profile pictures, but I haven't been tempted to get any of these yet. 

As you are playing other users of the app, there can be long gaps between rounds, and I wasn't asked if I wanted to receive notifications to remind me to play so lost a few games by not responding quickly enough.

This is a well functioning app that hasn't crashed during game play. The collection of words is very smooth and the sound effects aren't invasive. When you get a correct word you receive an encouraging ping, but when the clock is running out, countdown music is played... which never fails to make me panic!!!

Being a little bit picky, the screen flows of the app could be more logical and involve less taps. When you complete a game you tap to get your stats which is fine but then two more taps are required, including a back button to go and play new opponents.  The game can also be a little slow in finding new people to play and my phone has locked twice while waiting.

When you first start the app you are asked to register with Facebook, Twitter or create a username. You can look at the leaderboards, which show the top scores and a separate tab displays your friends' scores. The game isn't on the GameCentre but this missing feature isn't an issue with the charts option. If you want to play me, which will undoubtedly increase the number of games you win, my username is GEMMAGEM03.

Overall I like this app as it appeals to both my logical and competitive side. The two minutes a game also makes this a quick time filler and doesn't invade much of my spare time. If you like Boggle and Scrabble then I recommend this one. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 4

This game is very easy to use and includes some clear and helpful tutorial pages on your first play.  The game is a little slow in pairing you with random opponents but if you don't mind registering on Facebook or Twitter you can play your actual friends and hound them to take their turn.

Price - 4

This is a free game with in app purchases, one of which is to remove the adverts, but in all honesty I hardly noticed them!

Adverts - 3.5
There are header adverts in this game but they do not interrupt game play. I have not encountered full screen or video adverts in the game and fingers crossed they aren't added. You can pay to remove the adverts but I wouldn't bother unless they add more and become invasive.

Overall Rating - 4

I like this game and I find myself intermittently opening it to check on my open games and start a new match. I am going to research a bit further into notifications so I am not losing games by my ignorance of it being my turn and running out of time.  

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/ruzzle/id504265646?mt=8 
Twitter: @MAGinteractive

Color Sorter - The Addicting Colour Sorting Game - 1 Star

What is it?

This is a game where you move coloured dots that appear in the middle of the screen into the same colour block located in the header or footer of the screen. Sounds simple right? Wrong! The dots in the middle of the screen grow, then shrink and if they disappear you lose. If you drag a dot over another dot, place the dot into the wrong colour or are a little slow you lose.  The more dots you get to its paired box the higher the score. 

Now if you have read my reviews before you will think this game is right up my street, and conceptually I would have to agree, but the reality is I didn't take to this game, actually I don't like it. 

You die for no reason in this game. I am convinced that the dots would change colour on the way to being delivered to the right location and you would need to be Speedy Gonzales on speed to get a high score. 

The icon for the game doesn't look that appealing either as you can see from this review. The main play screen is mainly white then has the six colours you play with on the header and footer with those colour circles intermittently appearing. One bug I did notice is that the blue box and circle don't match which can throw you off your game. 

Furthermore, although you can look in the GameCentre, everyones scores are on 0. So even though I have achieved an 8 on this game, GameCentre says 0, so the incentive to beat other people is non-existent. 

This wasn't for me and is far too fast to hold your interest when you first start to play. I don't know who I would recommend this game to, but definitely not to my friends!

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 1 

Conceptually this game appears easy but it really isn't. The drag function, the only way to play the game, isn't easy to use and didn't work easily to me. 


Price - 5

This app was free.

Adverts - 5
I didn't encounter any ads during my review. 

Overall Rating - 1

This game isn't for me. I didn't like it and no matter how much I tried to I just couldn't change my initial opinion. I am deleting this game. I don't hate this game, unlike Daddy Long Legs as it didn't anger me, but it was just meh and didn't make me want to play again. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/TR/app/id937335869

1010! - 4.5 Stars

What is it?

1010 is a Tetris type game but instead of positioning falling blocks to make lines to score points, you drag and drop them into place on to the board, which is a 10x10 square hence the name. The blocks are given to you in sets of three and once all of them have been placed on the board the next set is given to you. To score points you make complete lines , horizontally or vertically, and they are removed from the board to give you space to place further shapes.  The game is lost by you not being able to place the shapes you have. 

The game is simple in it appearance with a white or black background, that can be changed in the settings. The shapes are nice colours that look good against the background. These are it's main elements, and that's all thats needed.

Unlike Tetris, the game doesn't increase in speed and pressurise you into place the blocks flying down the screen. This game gives you time to think and apply logic to make your score as high as possible. I liked this element of the game as I used to find myself holding my breathe in Tetris when it got fast or near that old 100,000 score, I am surprised I never passed out!

As a massive Tetris fan, this was right up my street and I became highly addicted to it. The addiction was made worse by my partner also having the App and me seeing his score on the GameCentre. I am currently winning that battle with a score just over 5000, but that is nowhere near the top scores, made by gamers that I am convinced have created a hack or programme that increases their score!

There are full screen ads in the game that appear every three-four plays which at first was frustrating as my initial games didn't last very long, but as I improved I noticed them less until the video ads started... yuck. 

If, like me, you like logic games and still remember and love Tetris, then I highly recommend this app to you. When I originally downloaded it, I found it through a Twitter search but noticed today that its in the top 200 games in the App Store. So well done to the developers of this game, it's well deserved. 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 5 

This is a case of drag and drop onto a grid, so it is pretty simple to play, but needs concentration and perseverance to master (I hope to master this!). Sometimes you feel like the game is stitching you up to not win, but that is infrequent and the challenge only makes me want to play more.

Price - 5

This game is free in the App Store, and I didn't notice any 'in-app purchase' options. 

Adverts - 2
There are adverts in this app in the form of full screen ads and, the worst type, video ads that you are forced to watch. I hate these type of ads, but I liked this app so reluctantly tolerated them and didn't switch the game off. 

Overall Rating - 4.5

I love this game. Its simple and familiar and, even though it is a twist on Tetris, it has its own identity. This game will remain on my phone and will continued to be played. This would have got 5 stars but the video ads really let it down. Highly recommend it for logic game players. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/1010!/id911793120?mt=8

Daddy Long Legs - 1 star

What is it?

The aim of the game is to get the Daddy Long Legs to walk across the screen by tapping to alternate between the legs. Not only was I immediately rubbish at this game I quickly lost my temper at not being able to master the technique, if there is one. 

I suffered the misfortune of downloading this game because it was apparently a "top app" in the 'Games' section of the App Store. It is rare that I take an instant dislike to a game but this really wasn't for me.   

The design of the game is very basic and the representation of this Daddy Long Legs is not like one I have ever seen. Being an insect, a daddy long legs has six legs and wings! This was an ugly looking fluffy box (no wings) with two stick legs that are prone to tripping and doing the splits.

I really did try to persist with this game but it seriously drove me insane and made me want to throw my phone out the window. 

The game offers the GameCentre features and rewards you when you achieve various items. I only won one for falling over so many times in a row, which fuelled my dislike for the game. It also appears that you can unlock special features of the Daddy Long Legs but I didn't get that far. 

I don't know what else I can say about this app but I am relieved this review is written and it can be removed from my phone, never to be re-installed.  It really does make you question how these things get to the top of the charts and featured by Apple. Don't even get me started on how much I disagree with the 8000 gamers that have awarded this 4.5 stars! I'm afraid I really don't understand the appeal! 

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 2

This game should be simple - tap to walk the Daddy Long Legs. However, it is not as simple as it makes out. This game is frustrating and as mentioned I didn't like the game so gave up any attempt to master it!


Price - 4

This game is free to download, thankfully, as I would have hated to waste my money on it, however you can pay to remove the ads. 

Adverts - 3
There are header ads throughout the app but I hardly noticed them. To be honest, I didn't play it enough to experience if there are full screen ads in this game... so I will assume there aren't. 

Overall Rating - 1

This app was not for me. It's design was overly basic and I am not sure why it is called Daddy Long Legs when it doesn't look like one! A more apt name would be 'Ugly box on wonky stilts'. I hate writing bad reviews but I really struggled to find anything I liked about this app! As mentioned it currently has 4.5 stars on the app store so I am happy to be in the minority. I will certainly not be playing the game again. 

Keep, jury is out or delete - Delete 

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/daddy-long-legs/id905921908?mt=8

Frog Up - 3 stars

What is it?

When I downloaded this game I expected it to be a version of the classic game Frogger, but I was wrong! The aim of the game is to hop the frog up the screen by landing on moving platforms. This reminded me of Super Mario, another classic I love to play. You tap to make the frog move, but as soon as you start the screen starts to move up adding another element to  the potential death of the little amphibian! This is another pixelated tap game using the retro look that is so popular on the App Store at the moment. This game is simplistic in its design and play.

I quite liked this game as it was simple but unfortunately it missed some key app elements out to fuel my competitive edge. The game is not on Game Centre which is such a shame, and I believe free for developers to add their apps. Without the Game Centre I had no idea how well, or probably more accurately, how badly I was doing.

I have had the game on my phone for a about a month and occasionally have a quick series of play to see if my feeble efforts have any improvement.

If you like pixel tap games and are fond of frogs then this could be up your street!

Now for some ratings.....

Ease of use - 5

This game is simple to play and the singular instruction of tap to being is all you need, simples!

Price - 5

The game is free with no in app purchases.

Adverts - 4

The game does have footer ads but they aren't invasive and don't interrupt game play. It was refreshing to play a game that didn't have full screen and video ads.

Overall Rating - 3

Overall this game is simple to play and understand. It's not got the frustration of flappy bird but I was expecting Frogger so was a little disappointed. It's not the game of the year but I haven't deleted it so that is a good sign. I look forward to updates especially if they introduce the GameCentre feature :)

Keep, jury is out or delete - Keep

Where to find it:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/frogup/id933654509?l=en&mt=8