Bite size apps news and reviews

Best iPhone, iPad & Mac Apps FREE or On SALE In Last 24 Hours (2/22)

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We sifted hundreds of iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Mac apps who reduced their price or became free in the last 24 hours and hand selected those we think you should consider picking up. Below is today’s curated list of the best apps newly on sale or free in the last 24 hours.

You can look at all 678 iPhone, iPad and iPod touch apps and 38 Mac apps newly on sale or free by visiting our On Sale tab. Want to create a wish list and receive an e-mail when apps you specifically want go on sale or become free? Create an account (its free and easy) and add apps to your wish list to start saving more money today.

Click on the blue app title to be taken directly to the App Store to learn more about the app and to download it.

  • Battle Bears: Zombies (Games, iPhone): $0.99 –> FREE. “BATTLE BEARS stars OLIVER, a teddy bear stuck behind enemy lines who must fight off unending waves of Pink Bears wishing to HUG HIM TO DEATH.”
  • Tiny Defense (Games, Universal): $2.99 –> $0.99. “Green Planet is a beautiful home of the little mechanical life forms known as “Minirobots”. While living peacefully, their planet was invaded by an army of robot troops calling themselves “The Machines”. These machines tried to turn Green Planet into a space resort and had captured many of the Minirobots, but now they are fighting back!”


Click here to watch on YouTube

  • Wind-up Knight (Games, Universal): $1.99 –> FREE. “Wind-up Knight by Robot Invader is a high-end, action-packed, 3D side-scrolling adventure game, and it’s here to show you how games are supposed to be played.”


Click here to watch on YouTube

Related Articles:
* Best NEW iPhone, iPad & Mac Apps Released in January 2012
* Best iPhone & iPad Apps From 2011
* Create Your Own Price Drop App Watch List on AppPicker

Note: You should verify app price and information in App Store before downloading or purchasing any app.

Flash/Console Game ‘Fancy Pants’ Hits App Store On 3/1

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App mega publisher Chillingo today released a video trailer to Fancy Pants expected to hit the App Store next week on March 1. The game is based on the popular flash and console game, The Fancy Pants Adventures, originally developed by Brad Borne.

Fancy Pants is a platform game featuring an eponymous character who races to rescue his kidnapped sister, Cutie Pants. Standing in Fancy Pants’ way are obstacles and enemies all working to keep his sister hostage.

Check out the video trailer:


Click here to watch on YouTube

 We’ll let you know when the app is released.

“Here I Come To Save The Day”: Mighty Mouse Game App Released

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Mighty Mouse My Hero by CBS Mobile

We have to admit, Mighty Mouse was one of our favorite cartoons growing up. We especially liked it when Mighty Mouse would belt out his catchphrase: “Here I Come To Save The Day!”. Today, CBS Mobile released game apps for iPhone and iPad based on the popular Mighty Mouse cartoon series.

In this game, you assume the role of Mighty Mouse in “more than sixty levels of non-stop action, as he punches out a host of villains in an exciting fight to save Pearl Pureheart, his true love.”

The app is available for iPhone ($0.99) and iPad ($1.99).

App Store links: Mighty Mouse My Hero (iPhone) & Mighty Mouse My Hero HD (iPad)

Become A Nightmare In Terrific ‘Terra Noctis’

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Terra Noctis by Bulkypix

FireFruitForge and Bulky Pix distributed an app this past December called Terra Noctis, available in the App Store and worth every penny you pay. The storyline follows a small nightmare named Allen who, upon being deemed “too cute” in Nightmare School, invades the Dreamverse in hope of becoming the scariest monster of all.

Allen resembles a ghost in form with big yellow goggle-like eyes and a purplish color.  He can run, duck, jump, double jump, ground pound, and even throw electrified orbs at enemies.  The controls are relatively simple laid out on the screen through nearly invisible buttons on the bottom of the screen.  On the left side of the screen are your left and right buttons and on the right side of the screen are the jump and duck options.  In order to double jump, you can tap the jump button twice. A ground pound combines both the jump and duck buttons.  Ground pounds are helpful when trying to break through bricks to access lower portions of the level.


Click here to watch on YouTube

The game opens with an introduction to Allen in school with a drab color scheme and a soundtrack that is very dreamy. That is where you being your journey and are then presented to the worlds which consist of Green Steppe, Rusty Fields, and Weeping Woods, among others.

The first level you enter is in Green Steppe and it is a training level with helpful hints in the form of sign posts along the way.  Each level has the same objectives in addition to collecting as many blue fairies as possible.  As you find out later, blue varies can be used to purchase perks and items in the store (available after you complete your first level).  Perks include being able to run faster, jump higher, and fly, among others…sounds sort of like Superman in ghost form, don’t you think?

The objectives will help you earn a 100% completion per level, and there are a few of them to keep you from getting bored of collecting blue fairies or jumping on enemies.  You need to collect all 15 red fairies to open further levels, find all of the S-C-A-R-E letters scattered throughout, and find the Golden Glory coin in order to unlock bonus stages.  These objectives, combined with a nifty electronic soundtrack, make the game very enjoyable.

Although the graphics aren’t three dimensional, the attention to detail in the levels is quite phenomenal.  There are mushroom trampolines, invisible platforms, vines, blocks, and ammo recharge spots (which resemble warp pads), among other items.  Furthermore, there are miniature signs with arrows on them that point you in the direction of the finish line, which is in the form of a flagpole.  Upon level completion, you are given your statistics and total point score for that level.

A minor complaint about the game would be that the left and right buttons are not big enough and are too close together, making it difficult to move while jumping if you need to be precise about the landing.  Furthermore, the ‘shoot’ option for Allen is a joystick that can be activated by touching anywhere on the upper half of the screen; it can be sensitive and tough to aim in certain situations. The game has an abundance of wonderful features, but not enough where you will become confused.

Terra Noctis is a fun and challenging game app with a great storyline. Definitely worth checking out.

Read more reviews by clicking here.

AppPicker Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
App Store link: Terra Noctis
Other apps by Bulkypix

Everyone Will Go Nuts For ‘Little Acorns’

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Little Acorns by Chillingo

Addicting is the first word that comes to mind when I think of the game Little Acorns created by Team Pesky and published by Chillingo. This game has the old school charms of Super Mario Brothers with a fresh spin and less commitment required.

In Little Acorns players take on the role of Mr. Nibbles, a father squirrel who had his entire stock of acorns stolen. Mr. Nibbles now has to go through two years of work to muster the stores he had before the raid. When he starts in the Spring of year one, there are four stages that increase with difficulty as the previous level is completed. Once all four stages of Spring are completed, Mr. Nibbles moves to Summer, then Autumn and finally Winter. After year one is completed, Mr. Nibbles moves into his second year of acorn acquisition.


Click here to watch on YouTube

Each level has a time limit and different obstacles that must be overcome in order to move to the next stage. In the first few levels, the user is mostly getting used to the controls and being able to jump to different heights and acquire all of the acorns for that level. As the levels increase with difficulty, enemies like vicious bumble bees, murderous raccoons and pits of water all stand in the way between Mr. Nibbles and his beloved acorns. Mr. Nibbles also has a great deal of baby squirrels which he must corral in some levels as well as his acorns! What a busy Dad!

Keep in mind a level can only be completed if ALL of the acorns and all of Mr. Nibbles’ kids (if applicable) are obtained. Once all of the acorns have been snatched up, the user is given the opportunity to get bonus food by snatching up fruit that will appear once all of the acorns have been retrieved. If all of the fruit is also picked up and Mr. Nibbles makes it to the exit before the time expires, costume choices will be unlocked for Mr. Nibbles. He will be able to have things like mustaches, a bowler hat, a clown nose or a Hawaiian shirt. None of these costumes increase Mr. Nibbles’ acorn gathering skills, but at least he looks good.

The graphics and sound on this game go perfectly with the storyline. The graphics are clear and charming, great for both children and adults. The controls are also simple and similar to the controls on a Super Nintendo with a right and left arrow on the left side of the screen and a jump arrow on the right.

Little Acorns is truly engaging and will keep you entertained wherever you may be. I found myself waking up this morning reaching for my iPhone not to turn my alarm off, but to try and complete a level I had been stuck on the night before. This is a great game and absolutely worth the price. Will you be able to help Mr. Nibbles stock up for winter? Only one way to find out!

Read more reviews by clicking here.

AppPicker Rating: 5 / 5
App Store link: Little Acorns
Other apps by Chillingo

Best iPhone, iPad & Mac Apps FREE or On SALE In Last 24 Hours (2/21)

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We sifted hundreds of iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Mac apps who reduced their price or became free in the last 24 hours and hand selected those we think you should consider picking up. Below is today’s curated list of the best apps newly on sale or free in the last 24 hours.

You can look at all 643 iPhone, iPad and iPod touch apps and 35 Mac apps newly on sale or free by visiting our On Sale tab. Want to create a wish list and receive an e-mail when apps you specifically want go on sale or become free? Create an account (its free and easy) and add apps to your wish list to start saving more money today.

Click on the blue app title to be taken directly to the App Store to learn more about the app and to download it.

  • Empress of the Deep 2: Song of the Blue Whale HD (Full) (Games, iPad): $6.99 –> $2.99. “Anna awakens on a mysterious tiny island after escaping the destruction of her underwater kingdom. She must find her way to a mystical floating cloud city in the sky, seek out the four Children of Light and save them from the twisted clutches of the Evil Empress Pandora. Along the way she must rescue and heal enchanted animal slaves in this fantastic Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!”

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Click here to watch on YouTube

  • Samurai Bloodshow (Games, Universal): $4.99 –> $0.99. “Introducing Samurai Bloodshow, the trading-card-based strategic-defense game! In 12th century feudal Japan, a war rages for supreme ruling power. Take command as General Taira, and defend your newly established Shogunate from the pesky Minamoto Clan, who are more than a little upset that you toppled the imperial regime and aren’t willing to share.”


Click here to watch on YouTube

  • Window Tidy (Utilities, Mac): $8.99 –> $7.99. “Window Tidy lets you quickly and easily arrange your application windows on your Desktop onto a customisable grid using nothing but drag and drop! When you want to reposition a window, there are no hot-keys to remember or menus to click, you simply drag and drop the window onto customisable pop-up Layout Icon and it will instantly snap to that layout.”


Click here to watch on YouTube

Related Articles:
* Best NEW iPhone, iPad & Mac Apps Released in January 2012
* Best iPhone & iPad Apps From 2011
* Create Your Own Price Drop App Watch List on AppPicker

Note: You should verify app price and information in App Store before downloading or purchasing any app.

Don’t Bother Playing ‘Battlefield 3: Aftershock’ (Plus It Was Removed From App Store)

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[Editor's Note: How bad is this app? Bad enough that Electronic Arts pulled it from the App Store overnight. This review was written before the app was removed.]

This game is not worth the price tag of zero dollars. It’s a first-person shooter, multiplayer only, online game that was poorly executed.

Players are randomly assigned to one of two teams: U.S. Marine Corps or Russian Spetznaz (Russian Special Forces, for the curious). There is only one map (“Factory”), one game setting (“Death Match), one difficulty level, one time limit (6:00 minutes), and a small handful of available weapons. There is no campaign or story line.

Of the countless rounds I tried to play in the “Factory” I only completed one because I always got an error message saying I was disconnected before the six-minute time limit was up. Other times I got a similar error message while the game was still loading. I thought something was wrong with my phone at first; I know my wireless is bad, but it’s not that bad. When I actually got to shoot someone, the game was so slow they often kept moving as if they hadn’t been hit, and then occasionally died later.

Battlefield 3: Aftershock is free to play, but don’t bother.

AppPicker Rating: 1 / 5 Star
App Store link: Battlefield 3: Aftershock
Other apps by Electronic Arts

UPDATE: EA issued this statement regarding its decision to remove Battlefield 3: Aftershock from the App Store:

“EA Mobile is committed to delivering mobile entertainment experiences that are on par with the content and quality users have come to expect from their favorite EA gaming brands. To this end, we have decided to remove Battlefield 3: Aftershock from the App Store and are currently re-evaluating the app in response to the consumer feedback we’ve received. We thank all the fans who have downloaded the game to date.”

‘Star Wars Pit Droids’ Rocks

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Star Wars Pit Droids by LucasArts

You guys remember Lemmings? Yeah. Me too, although it’s not a thing I think about all the time. That’s why, this week, I was particularly grateful towards the folks at Lucasfilm Ltd. for making Star Wars Pit Droids, a Lemmings-esque puzzle game that takes place in the Star Wars universe (mostly on Tatooine, if we’re being particular), as a promotional tool for the re-release of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace in 3D in theaters.

Star Wars Pit Droids features 75 levels of awesome puzzles. The goal of the game is to get your mindless pit droids (who follow each other, like lemmings) from their starting point to the goal. Doing so requires players to place arrow tiles on the ground to direct the droids to their goal while avoiding walls and obstacles.

As the game progresses, the levels get more and more complex. Droids of different colors are introduced and players must guide each color independently to their respective goals without running them into each other. Running in each other results in them exploding which while satisfying in it’s own right, means you lose and have to start over.

What’s really impressive about this game is it’s depth. Seventy-five levels may not sound like a ton, but these aren’t your standard quick-solve game type puzzles. Early levels are pretty easy to solve, but as the game goes on, the puzzles become more and more intricate, and require much more time and thought, trial and error.

Furthermore, as players solve puzzles, they’re rewarded with stars based how well they’ve performed. Just completing the puzzle is worth one star, while taking the shortest path and using the fewest amount of tiles are each worth an additional star. Stars are then used to unlock new levels which are essentially just different backdrops including Watto’s Shop, Hutt Flats and Mos Espa. For each area there’s a pretty sweet cut scene that makes this actually feel like a Star Wars game.

The only part about this game that really leaves something to be desired is the soundtrack which isn’t from any particular Star Wars film . However, that’s the only gripe I have about Star Wars Pit Droids which is an otherwise totally fantastic puzzle game.

I realize there are thousands of puzzle games available for iPhone and iPad but this is one of the few that is absolutely worth the price tag. I was shocked at how much fun I had (and am still having) with this game. Go buy it.

To read more app reviews, click here.

AppPicker Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
App Store link: Star Wars Pit Droids
Other apps by LucasArts