Apps/Games - 20/409 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

May

[Bonus Round] Dig, Turbo Racing League, Can Knockdown 3, Finding Teddy, Spin Master Bowling, And You Don't Know Jack

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Games, News, Roundups

Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got a new game from Crescent Moon, a tie-in for Dreamworks' upcoming animated movie, a sequel to one of the Play Store's most popular casual games, some bowling and quiz titles, and one of those beguiling indie-retro affairs that keeps popping up.

May

[New Old Game] The Original Sonic The Hedgehog Rolls Into The Play Store For $2.99

Posted by Bertel King, Jr. in Games, News

At GDC earlier this year, we learned that Sega ported the original Sonic the Hedgehog to Android, giving a new generation of gamers a chance to experience the game that kicked off one of the industry's largest franchises. The port, which finally showed up in the Play Store earlier today (several weeks late), comes with widescreen support and features exclusive to mobile versions, such as the ability to play as Tails and Knuckles. Both characters retain their abilities to fly, glide, and climb up walls.

Sonic the Hedgehog has been ported over a dozen times, with at least six of those ports being to other Sega consoles.

May

Google Glass Getting Social Media, News, and Productivity Apps, Becoming More Useful Every Day

Posted by Kyle Wiggers in Apps/Games, Glass, News

Ah, Google Glass. Though the venerable headset has a lot of potential, it has yet to become something people want to use all the time. If you're a social media addict, a news junkie, or a productivity pro, though, Google's heads-up computer just got a lot more compelling. Today at I/O, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, CNN, Elle, and Evernote pledged to support Glass by releasing official applications - "glassware," as Google calls them. Facebook's app is available now.

The social media apps do what you'd expect: post pictures and text. Facebook's app allows users to upload photos to their timelines and add descriptions with voice.

May

[New Game] Kingdom Rush Brings Its War To Defend The Kingdom To Android

Posted by Bertel King, Jr. in Games, News

Kingdom Rush has amassed quite the following since it first appeared as a flash game in 2011 and an iPad port half a year later. Critics called it one of the best and most engaging games of its genre. Today, Ironhide Game Studio launched an Android version into the Play Store that has already been met with praise from users.

Kingdom Rush is a tower defense game based in a fantasy setting soaked in bright colors and vivid sprites. The usual fantasy environments all make an appearance here, including green forests, snow-covered mountains, and barren wastelands. Players command troops, wield magic, and - wait for it - build towers in their quest to save the kingdom from orcs, trolls, evil wizards, and other standard forces for darkness.

May

From The Maker Of MyScript Calculator Comes MyScript Notes Annotation/Note-Taking App

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

We've covered MyScript Calculator several times here at AP, as its handwriting recognition / conversion is, simply put, pretty damn impressive. The developers behind this app have now taken the same technology and brought it to the note-taking table with its newest app, MyScript Notes. Check it out.

Pretty slick, no? This tablet-only app supports palm rejection, sync with popular apps like Dropbox, Facebook, Twitter, S-Note, and more; and has nine available languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese Simplified, Korean, and Japanese.

Aside from that, it also recognizes handwriting in 30 different languages, including English, French, Greek, Polish, Turkish, and many more.

May

Google Field Trip Expands To 80+ Countries And 30+ Languages, Adds Automatic Translation

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Applications, News

Field Trip is an oddity in Google's app lineup. It comes from Niantic Labs (the people who went on to create Ingress), looks fantastic, and it's made for a very specific kind of user. The app highlights attractions of historical, cultural, and entertainment value in your immediate area, using GPS and services like Thrillist, Zagat, and Cool Hunting to create a "hyperlocal" experience. Of course, any travel app is only good if it works where you are, which was a sticking point for international users. Version 1.09 expands to more than 80 countries with support for over 30 languages.

May

[Thursday App/Game Sales] SwiftKey/SwiftKey Tablet, World Of Goo, Majesty, And More

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Apps/Games, Deals, News

If you need a way to take your mind off how depressing it is to not be at Google I/O, then maybe a new app or game will help with that. There just so happens to be quite a few on sale today that may be able to help keep your busy brain at bay, lest you might drive yourself insane.

G-Stomper Beat Studio – $2.99 (50% off)
Pano – $1.97 (33% off)
SwiftKey – $1.99 (50% off)
SwiftKey Tablet – $1.99 (50%)
World of Goo – $0.99 (80% off)
Starlink – Free (100% off)
Tigris & Euphrates – $0.99 (75% off)
Majesty – $0.99 (50% off)
FireJumpers – $0.99 (50% off)

Now, stop being so blue, panda bear.

May

[New Old Game] Karateka Classic Brushes Itself Off, Fights Its Way Into The Play Store

Posted by Bertel King, Jr. in Games, News

Some games are old, and some games are really old. Karateka falls into the latter category. This side-scrolling karate action game was first developed in 1984 by the creator of Prince of Persia, and today a port enters the Play Store nearly 30 years later. Android gamers can now experience one of the grandfathers of the beat 'em up genre.

Karateka first appeared on the Apple II, and is the product of a time when the number of colors your monitor displayed could be counted on your hands and feet. Games didn't have much in the way of plots back then, and most of them were the same.

May

Simple And GoBank: A Closer Look At The Future Of Banking In The Cloud

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, Features

Throughout the course of time, the US banking system has gone largely unchanged. There have been a variety of micro-evolutions – from cash to check, check to debit, and the like – but the way we interact with banks has remained much the same. Many people take comfort in the fact that they can walk into a local branch and speak with someone should a problem arise, but therein also lies the problem with banking as we know it: physical branches. I'm not saying that brick-and-mortar banks are a necessarily a bad thing in themselves, but being tethered to a physical location can be exceedingly annoying.

May

[New Game] Classic Amiga Racer Reimagined In Fire & Forget: The Final Assault

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Games, News

Dateline: 1988. Across the country, thousands of Amiga computer owners discover a revelation: they can now play a game that includes both white-knuckle driving and indiscriminate violence (without heading to the arcade to spend a quarter on Spy Hunter) with Fire And Forget. The little-known but much-loved Titus game has been given new life in Fire & Forget: The Final Assault. This is no nostalgia trip, it's a brand new title, complete with modern graphics and a new trick for your rolling death machine: flight.