Reviews - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

May

ASUS CUBE Review: Doesn't Fix What Is Broken (That Being Google TV)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in ASUS, CUBE, Other Reviews

Announced at CES this year, the ASUS Cube has managed to get a decent amount of attention for a Google TV Box. Formerly known as the Qube, this angular, textured device came to market toward the end of last month, and I've been living with it ever since, trying to get a feel for the product and decide whether ASUS has something special on their hands.

In reviewing the Cube I wanted to answer two main questions that I think underlie every GTV device: Is the user experience a good one, and does the product successfully make Google TV something I actually want to use on a daily basis?

May

[New Game] Combo Crew Review: An Old-Fashioned Brawler With New-Fangled Controls

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Apps/Games, Game Reviews, Games, Reviews

The arcade-style brawler has a long and storied history. From the X-Men to Double Dragon, nothing has quite the same feel as a good button-mashing beat-em-up. The main problem with these titles on mobile devices is the lack of buttons to mash. Sure, there on on-screen thumbsticks and attack buttons, but it's just not the same. Combo Crew comes to Android in hopes of getting you (and your friends) hooked on its fluid gesture controls and slick presentation. Let's take a look at this just-released fighter.

Controls

Each stage in Combo Crew takes place in a single room with wave after wave of bad guys dropping in from above.

May

Fire And Forget Review: Rough Around The Edges, But Not Forgettable

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Apps/Games, Game Reviews, Games

When a stereotypical madman has access to some conveniently forgotten nuclear weapons, the only thing that can stop him is a flying tank. There is probably no other game in which that sentence makes a lick of sense, but it's the basic premise behind Fire and Forget: Final Assault.

This is an arcade-style action game based on the classic franchise. In this title you must blast your way through waves of bad guys in a post-apocalyptic wasteland to reach Captain Nucleo's nuclear-equipped hovercraft. It certainly sounds like it has all the makings of a killer experience, but is it?

Controls And Gameplay

Each of the 10 stages consist of your car, the Thunder Master III, rocketing down the highway in pursuit of Captain Nucleo.

May

Two Weeks With The BlackBerry Z10, From An Android Perspective

Posted by David Ruddock in Other Reviews

It's very easy to look at BlackBerry and see a technological Neandertal - the company that almost had it ("it" being smartphones), but then refused to evolve in order to keep up with the competition. Let's not mince words: the iPhone nearly killed BlackBerry, and Android is happily hammering the nails into its coffin.

After the disastrous Storm and Storm 2, few thought BlackBerry had the chops to break into full-touch devices in a big way, at least until Android really started taking off. At that point, it became clear pretty much anyone could make a half-decent smartphone, as long as the software was up to snuff (admittedly, that's about 95% of making a smartphone these days).

May

Carmageddon Review: Good Old-Fashioned Mindless Mayhem, But Not For The Faint Of Heart

Posted by Bertel King, Jr. in Game Reviews, Games

I was seven years old when Carmageddon first hit store shelves in 1997. Even if the game hadn't been widely banned and censored around the world, I still wouldn't have gotten my hands on it. The off-the-wall violence and bloodshed would have been a bit too much for my parents to permit me to play with good conscience. While leagues of long-time fans poured money into the Kickstarter campaign that allowed Stainless Games to port the game to Android in the first place, I am visiting the game for the first time. Thank you, Kickstarters, for giving me the chance. To anyone considering giving Carmageddon a try - don't think, just buy.

May

LG Lucid 2 Quick Review: It Might Be The Best $350 (Off Contract) You Can Spend On A Verizon Phone

Posted by David Ruddock in Lucid 2, Phone Reviews

We review a lot of high-end phones here on Android Police. In fact, we probably review a disproportionately low number of entry-level and mid-range devices, because many of them are, well, boring. We also know that you, our readers, are rarely interested in the often no-value value-proposition that these handsets tend to represent, especially in the US. Here, a wireless contract is two years long whether you're buying a refurbished Galaxy Nexus (ew!) or a shiny new Galaxy S4.

This is particularly frustrating for Verizon subscribers. Verizon's prepaid smartphone plans are basically worthless (strict phone options, no LTE). There is no national Verizon MVNO.

May

Leviathan: Warships Review – You Wouldn't Buy A Speedboat With A Hole In It, Right?

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Apps/Games, Games, Reviews

The seas are a dangerous place, lads. The Marauders are thick amongst the waves, and you are but an inexperienced young commander, seeking to make a name at the helm of your fleet. Your ships are heavily armed, but it's going to take more than firepower to stay afloat in Leviathan: Warships. This game is heavy on strategy, long-term planning, and attention to detail. As good as some aspects of this game are, the controls threaten to sink it before we even get out of dry dock.

Gameplay

My first impression of Leviathan was that of another top-down real-time strategy game (RTS).

May

Acase BlackDiamond3 Lightning Review: A Bluetooth Speaker That Makes A Visual Spectacle Of Your Tunes

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Other Reviews

We've covered quite a few Bluetooth speakers here at AP over the last year or so – but we've never seen one quite like the BlackDiamond3 from Acase ($100, Amazon). Simply put, the BlackDiamond3 (known from here forward as the BD3) adds a pleasing visual element to your tunes by way of embedded LED lighting and multiple "diamond edges" that refract the over 16,000 colors to create a beautiful and ambient light show. In other words, it's really freakin' pretty.

As pretty as it is, though, it's not perfect. But that's OK, you may still want it anyway.

The Good

It's pretty.

May

Game Review: Fieldrunners 2 Doesn't Fix What Isn't Broken

Posted by Bertel King, Jr. in Game Reviews, Games

Fieldrunners 2 from Subatomic Studios is the sequel to one of the most popular mobile tower defense games out there. If you loved the look and feel of the first game, you're in luck. Fieldrunners 2 turns the charm up a notch and ushers in a host of new content. But if you had your fill of the original or tower defense games in general, I wouldn't say there is enough here to bring you back into the genre.

The Gameplay

If you've run through a few tower defense games before, you'll know your way around Fieldrunners 2. Still, this sequel hits all the right notes for the genre.

May

[Hands-On] Snoop Lion's Snoopify Sticks Stickers All Over Your Photizzle Fo'Shizzle

Posted by Bertel King, Jr. in App Reviews, News

Some apps enter the Play Store that leave me scratching my head wondering why someone would take the time to develop them. Snoop Lion's Snoopify is not one of those apps. This "photography" app fulfills a real societal need. Finally, I can be as cool as Snoop Dogg - erm - Lion. But that's just the beginning. My friends, family members, co-workers, and anyone else I've ever taken a picture of can now be as cool as Snoop Lion, too.