APPSOLUTELY blown away. That’s how I find myself today.
You see a short while ago I bit the bullet and converted.I became one of those people that other people love to hate.
You know the ones... the type of person who talks of nothing else except, yep their iPhone.
I pledged to friends that I would never take one on, but then in a moment I cracked.
Maybe it was the nice big touch screen or maybe it was the possibility of meeting other geek-minded like.
I now admit care-free, it was the app-factor.
You see, I love it. I want to know how Chelsea got on and I’m in the middle of nowhere – click click click and I’ve got the Sky Sports app.
I want to tune my guitar to drop ‘D’ – click click click bingo!
I want to know what that annoyingly catchy tune is on the shop sound system – click click click boom – download Shazam.
I do, truly and honestly, love it.
Apple boast there is now an ‘app’ (or application) for anything. And I’m beginning to agree.
I was in a pub having lunch earlier today and I overheard a conversation where a chap mentioned there was now a ‘hand-warmer’ app.
Naturally my response was “no way”. But sure enough within a few seconds of searching the App Store, there it is – an app that lets you turn your phone into something probably resembling a small nuclear device to warm your hands.
And if I thought THAT was weird, imagine my surprise at these other weird apps that I’ve discovered.
You can download a ‘virtual zippo lighter’... I guess, for all those virtual cigarettes I’ve been meaning to smoke...?
There is an iVibe app for um, well, turning your iPhone into a sex toy.
And there is an app called ‘hang time’ which allows you to measure how far your iPhone has fallen (with any luck into your hand) after you’ve thrown it into the air. (Point being... er?)
Joking aside there are literally tens of thousands of really useful apps.
When I was away on holiday I used a currency converter app which automatically updates the rates.
I also downloaded a battery app which tells me – to the second – how long my battery life will last.
And of course there’s a new Planet Rock app which allows you to listen to rock music (with or without headphones) forever.
Some apps can be quite pricey but generally I go for the free ones which are just as good.
So there you have it. I’m an iFreak.
Now if only there was an iMoney app which paid me cash for talking useless gibberish...
Here are the latest games reviews and charts:
Title: Aliens Vs Predator
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Many gamers would insist that these creatures should be consigned to film and gaming history, so as not to tarnish the reputations they’ve built up in both genres.
However, you can’t help but feel a ripple of excitement at being able to once again dive into the unique world where colonial Marines, aliens and predators go toe-to-toe in this tense, horror shooter.
While the developers unashamedly delve into the past for material to furnish the single player campaigns, this merely provides more stand-out moments to savour than rehashed old soundbites to reel off.
Control-wise, a host of character-specific weapons keep things feeling fresh, whichever campaign you’re progressing, but overall, this doesn’t feel quite as cutting edge as today’s leading shooters.
However, that’s a minor gripe – this is a blockbuster shooter in every sense of the word.
Title: BioShock 2
Platform: PS3
Genre: First person shooter
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Set approximately 10 years after the events of the original BioShock, the halls of Rapture once again echo with sins of the past.
Two years after the release of the original game, it's a trip that almost every gamer has probably considered booking their first holiday of the year for.
The fallen city looks just as incredible as before, as you assume the role of the very first Big Daddy, and the game still plays out like no other first person shooter on the market.
The plasmid upgrades return with a vengeance, providing a multiplayer experience that will live long in the memory - Capture the Sister replacing Capture the Flag just about says it all!
It may not be quite the sensational step forward many were hoping for, but it's still an essential purchase.
Title: Guitar Hero Van Halen
Platform: PS3
Genre: Music
Price: £49.99
Hit count: 4/5
Take a well-worn, popular formula, bring a legendary rock band into that world, and you have a bona fide recipe for success.
This time round, you have 25 classic Van Halen tracks, three signature Eddie Van Halen guitar solos, and 19 hand-picked guest acts to contend with, played out in eight original venues specifically designed for this version of the game.
With tracks ranging from the high-energy Jump to the legendary guitar solo Eruption, Guitar Hero yet again extols the virtues of being easy to play and difficult to master.
Playing as one of the four members of Van Halen, or as your own personalised superstar with Rock Star Creator, you could be driven to distraction as your superstar parties on stage.
With the option to rock out with up to four players locally or battle other bands with up to eight players, it’s another hefty musical challenge all round.
Pricey, but you know it makes sense.
Title: Family Party: Winter Fun
Platform: Wii
Genre: Mini-games
Price: £19.99
Hit count: 4/5
Bearing in mind the disruption and general discontent created by this year’s series of snow flurrys around the UK, why anyone would want to subject themselves to more wintry activities is beyond comprehension.
Surely, we should be all clamouring for summer sports now?
Well, if you have that kind of masochistic streak, then this bundle of three dozen sub-zero mini-games is more than likely to warm your cockles.
Bobsledding, figure skating, ski-jumping and many more crank up the competitive atmosphere around the family, with the usual dozen or so cutesy characters to choose from.
With a host of new challenges, character outfits and medals to unlock, this will prove to be a pretty decent investment at under 20 quid, if you’re looking for some inoffensive, entertaining sporting frolics.
Title: TNA Impact! Cross The Line
Platform: PSP
Genre: Wrestling
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 2/5
More meaty wrestling action is on the horizon, as 25 of your favourite wrestlers from AJ Styles to Tomko, Chris Sabin to Sharkboy come to the PSP’s small screen.
One look at the graphics combined with excellent in-game commentary suggest this is going to be one brawler you can’t afford to miss.
Throw in the usual wild-card items into battle, such as fridge doors, road barriers, chairs and TVs, and you’d think that there’s even more fun to be had. Sadly, this is not the case.
Where the smooth, cohesive gameplay of Smackdown makes grappling pure pleasure, Cross The Line comes across as its awkward cousin, creating more frustration than free-flowing combos.
Yes, it’s a really good-looking game for this system, but scratch beneath this surface and you have an unpolished beat ’em up not worth working up a sweat over.
Title: Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: RPG
Price: £29.99
Hit count: 3/5
Replace Harry Potter’s wand and spells for Percy Jackson’s ’son-of-Poseidon’ special abilities, and you’ll probably get a sense for what this series of books is setting out to achieve, with author Rick Riordan having a serious stab at becoming the next JK Rowling.
With such a monstrous book and movie marketing plan comes the game of the film, in this instance a fairly tepid RPG adventure, where you pit your team against the outlandish foes and bestiary of the Percy Jackson universe.
A decent upgrade and customisation system keeps interest levels bubbling up as you unlock new abilities for all characters under your command, and exploring the Riordan’s world on the dual screen will undoubtedly appeal to those young adults sucked into this fictional mythological world.
However, when all’s said and done, it’s not a patch on Potter, or the RPG gaming company it keeps.
GAMES CHART: ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE
1. BioShock 2
2. Just Dance
3. FIFA 10
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
5. Wii Sports Resort
6. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
7. Wii Fit Plus
8. Mass Effect 2
9. Dante’s Inferno
10. Bayonetta
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd
