Reviews - 7/69 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jan

Une Bobine Review: /Facepalm

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Other Reviews

We've looked at a wide variety of accessories over the past couple of years: cases, cradles, headphones, speakers, etc., but I'm not quite sure we've ever seen a product like Une Bobine. In a nutshell, it's a microUSB cable. But it's not your average USB cable - it's an adjustable, bendable, flexible USB cable that can be used to hold your phone – a dock and cable in one, if you will.

Now, the first question you may be asking yourself is: why would I want this? To answer that honestly, I really have no idea. I've had this thing for several weeks now, and I really can't find a good use for it.

Dec

Anomaly Korea Review: Tower Defense Is Dead – Long Live Tower Offense

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

You've probably played loads of tower defense games on Android. There's a reason they're so popular, though. See, tower defense games are fun and hard to screw up. Still, the same old thing can get boring after a while. So it's nice to see Anomaly Korea show up and continue turning the genre on its head like its predecessor did. In Anomaly Korea, you play the creeps trying to get past the towers.

Gameplay And Controls

The backstory is that the aliens have invaded and they are not the nice kind that want to invite us to join a galactic federation.

Dec

PadPivot Review: The Best Tablet Stand Around That's Designed Primarily To Sit On Your Knee

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Accessories, Reviews

While the boom in the tablet market has certainly seen a gold rush from manufacturers eager to capitalize on the new craze (whether it be with Android or Windows RT), there's an equally-eager market that's attempting to cash in: accessories. Some of them are great, some are bafflingly weird. The PadPivot probably sits somewhere in between. This little thing is designed to fold up and easily slip into a pocket or purse. When you need it, you can unfold it, set it up, and prop your tablet on a makeshift stand that fits comfortably on your knee.

So, it's as normal and useful as a thing can be that's designed primarily to be used by your lower thigh.

Dec

Flower Power: Eufloria HD Review

Posted by Matt Demers in Apps/Games, Game Reviews, Games, Reviews

My fondest memories of the original Star Wars films were the starfighter dogfights. The first time you see the assault run on the Death Star, or the ill-fated attack on the second before it was finished, it's really cool to watch a bunch of fighter craft flying around, blowing the heck out of each other. Every once in a while, you can get the same sense of scale and calamity in a game - usually of the real-time strategy variety.

Eufloria is a game that manages to capture this sense of chaos, allowing you to zoom out to see the entire asteroid belt you're capable of conquering, or to zoom in completely to see each individual ship firing lasers at targets.

Dec

Grand Theft Auto Vice City Review: A Classic Never Goes Out Of Style

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Games, Reviews

Parachute pants, big hair and pastel sport coats might not be the height of fashion these days, but ten years ago gamers were in the midst of a digital revival. Grand Theft Auto Vice City rode on the massive (and well-deserved) success of GTAIII with a fresh setting, a more character-driven story and a refined sandbox world that makes it a series favorite even today. Those who want to relive the glory days of the 1980s (and 2002) can download the game on Google Play for just five bucks.

Does Vice City live up to expectations? Well, yes and no. The technical aspects of the game, and Rockstar's ambitious commitment to the sandbox style, haven't aged well.

Dec

Honestly, Kind Of Dull: Broken Sword II - The Smoking Mirror Review

Posted by Matt Demers in Apps/Games, Game Reviews, Games, Reviews

It's safe to say that while point-and-click adventure games have a very niche market, there's a select few mediums where they work well. Touch devices and PCs have always been prime candidates, as their interfaces lend themselves to a control scheme that isn't overly complicated: click to move, click to interact, click to do everything.

Especially with this year's The Walking Dead games garnering so much praise, the genre could be in for a little bit of a renaissance. With the recent release of Broken Sword II - The Smoking Mirror: Remastered, Android gamers will get an updated look at a game that many have touted as one of the best adventures in the genre.

Dec

RHA MA350 Earbuds Quick Review: Easy On Your Wallet And Your Ears

Posted by David Ruddock in Other Reviews

The MA350

The MA350 is an earbud produced by RHA, subsidiary of the UK firm Reid Heath Ltd., based in Glasgow. RHA currently manufacture only two models earbud, both of which use the same audio guts - one of them just has inline controls. The MA350's are the model without them. They retail for $40 (buy here). A small carrying pouch and three sets of eartips are included.

The Sound

For $40, the RHA MA350's produce sound that is - I would argue - far more comparable to headphones of the $80-100 range. My primary point of comparison, therefore, were my trusty old Etymotic Research hf2's (equivalent to the hf5, which are $100 street price, $150 MSRP).

Dec

Audiofly AF78 Headphones Quick Review: They Sound Great... If You Have Perfectly Shaped Ears

Posted by David Ruddock in Accessories, Other Reviews, Reviews

The AF78

The AF78 is the latest from Australian headphone maker Audiofly. They're also the company's flagship product, and their first IEM (in-ear monitor). They come with 4 sets of rubber tips, two sets of foam Comply tips, a microphone*, storage tin, airline adaptor, a splitter, and cleaning tool. They cost $200 (buy here). (*different model)

The Sound

The AF78s do sound great given their price. And they also have something of a trick up their sleeve. They're what's called a "hybrid" headphone, utilizing both a balanced armature and a traditional dynamic driver in each ear. This makes them something of an oddity in the audio world.

Dec

Phiaton Moderna MS 200 Earphones Review: These Aren't Dr. Dre's Earbuds, And That's A Good Thing

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Other Reviews

I don't do a lot of earbud reviews. In the past, the buds I've reviewed have always been Bluetooth. Thus, reviewing a set of wired 'buds was a little different for me. When it comes to headsets like the Moderna MS 200s from Phiaton ($120), it's all about the sound quality and comfort - things that matter for Bluetooth 'buds, like practicality, battery life, and ease of use are all thrown out the window. Wired earbuds are easily one of the more "analog" pieces of tech that we review, which also makes them one of the most difficult. Essentially, what "sounds good" is a very subjective assessment, because, simply put, what qualifies as "good" to me may be "meh" to you.

Dec

Top Gear Stunt School Revolution Review: Almost As Bad As Jeremy Clarkson's Hair

Posted by David Ruddock in Game Reviews, Games

I want to start this review by saying I love Top Gear. I really, truly do. The show's had its ups and downs, but I've seen every one - twice. So when I heard that the only mobile game to be graced with the trademark television series' name was headed for the Play Store, I was actually a bit excited.

It then took my hopes, shot them in a dark alley, and stuffed them in the trunk of a rental PT Cruiser. God, this game is bad. I don't even know what the developers were thinking when they unleashed this unabashed pile of feces to the masses.