I'm not just going to be pasting massive lists of promo codes, no, we do things in a much more entertaining way. Promo codes will be unlocked via a variety of trivia challenges spanning all sorts of genres from the American highway system to pop culture references, and really, anything else I think will be amusing. But hey, I might just paste a list of promo codes too, so keep on your toes!
Fellow midwesterners totally know what I'm talking about.
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If you're into us � and, really, who isn't at this point � you can grab us on the iTunes as well as the Zune Marketplace. We're also into streaming and you can do that just below via this little link thing:
�iTunes Link: The TouchArcade Show
Zune Marketplace: TouchArcade.com Podcasts
Direct Link: TouchArcadeShow-004.mp3, 51.3MB
A couple of notes this week before the official show notes. At the top of the show, we ask that you all rate us on iTunes and shoot us written reviews. If you haven't done that yet, I forgive you and allow you this second chance to do so. Also, a bunch of audio interviews with some people you know are coming down the pipe. We'll bust these out separately to listen at your leisure. Hope you enjoy them as much as we will.
Now for the REAL notes:
Games
Music for this episode was provided by the super talented Jim Guthrie. The song is "Audio Pepsi" off the album A Thousand Songs. You can buy the entire album or stream all the songs at his Web site. Guthrie is also responsible for the Sword & Sworcery [$4.99] soundtrack. Cool stuff.
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For the most part, the mechanics from�Flick Golf remain intact in�Extreme. You flick the ball off the tee, then you swipe to get it into the hole. You can swipe as much as you want to alter the direction mid-air, but you'll only have the balls first three bounces to change course once it hits the ground. Your score is tallied by a series of different facets, but much like the first one, it's more about stylized shots than accuracy. You can get a lot of points for whacking a ball straight into the hole, but you'll get more by hitting it off-course and swiping like a crazy person to get it back on target.
It's a simple, enjoyable mechanic that didn't need much in the way of refreshing for this release. Both World Tour and Quickshot make a return here, with World Tour acting like a campaign mode of sorts and Quickshot tasking you to rack up as many points as possible in a short amount of time. If you snag a bull's-eye or a hole-in-one along the way, you'll get time added. In addition to those is a Five Ball mode, where you get five balls as opposed to the campaign's nine to get as many points as you can on each course, with a hole-in-one giving you an additional ball.
If you get three hole-in-one's in a row in any mode, your ball will light on fire á la�NBA Jam, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what this actually changed, except perhaps as a score multiplier. Either way, it certainly adds to the extreme nature of the whole experience.
The 'extreme' comes more in the way of location than it does in flaming balls. In lieu of playing on standard golf courses, you'll be flicking balls off of helicopters, moving boats and from atop buildings across five different courses. Each course is unlocked by scoring a medal on the previous one and each has its own Game Center leaderboard attached to it. With the exception of the fifth and final course, you shouldn't have too much trouble unlocking each of the courses. The last one tasks you with getting gold medals on the other four courses, which is a bit more challenging.
Flick Golf Extreme looks as good as its predecessor, which is to say, it looks pretty good for a 3D golf game built for iOS. The 'extreme' settings are rendered well and for the most part, you won't struggle too much to see what you're aiming at. That said,�Extreme has the same problem as�Flick Golf did in that it's a bit difficult to accurately judge distance and fall rate. It might have something to do with the lack of any real depth-of-field or shadows, but there are moments where you'll likely start pulling the ball back mid-air only to realize you've fallen short of the target completely.
As the title should suggest ��Flick Golf Extreme is not a serious golf game, it's a high score game with a golf wrapper. You don't play through a nine or eighteen hole course, you simply hit nine balls off of a variety of different tees. It's still as enjoyable as the first and considering the game already makes use of slightly weird physics and non-traditional gameplay, the 'extreme' version is a better representation of what�Flick Golf is all about: a casual, leaderboard driven golf game.
<!-- PHP 5.x -->Victor Saeijs, the Vice President of Nokia has just announced that Nokia's Windows Phones will launch in Europe first.
The phones will make their debut in UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. There is no news of its launch in Finland. Although a launch might be there eventually, we expected it to be one of the countries where it releases first.
Although the above mentioned European countries will be getting the phones first, it should be available very soon elsewhere worldwide. Victor Saeijs also confirmed that Nokia will be releasing a Windows Phone in 2011.
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Sony Ericsson has announced that they would bring NFC to the upcoming Xperia series of Android handsets. The NFC is chip is manufactured by NXP semiconductors, global leader in NFC solutions.
The Google Nexus S, that was launched at the end of last year, recently announced Blackberry Bold 9900 and the Samsung Galaxy S2 has NFC. The Google Wallet that turns your phone into a wallet, also uses NFC.
The upcoming Sony Ericsson phones plans to use NXP PN65 NFC chips. Near Field Communications (NFC) would allow the users to connect or purchase items from the point of sale (POS) terminal, carryout mobile transactions, get tickets from the ticketing terminal and read a location-based promotional tag.
This chip also uses advanced cryptography and high security while performing the contact-less banking transactions and in e-passports and e-ID cards. NXP semiconductors also expects that this move by Sony Ericsson would increase their revenue from 1% to 2 to 4% in the second half of 2011.
Even though the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc skipped NFC, the next NFC enabled Sony Ericsson Xperia phone might come within this year.
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QR coding is a pretty useful invention, and has plenty of applications but I personally never thought one would embrace technology to the point of imprinting them onto the back of a coin. Behold, the Royal Dutch Mint has produced what is the world's first QR-coded coin to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the mint in Utrecht.
�
The coins will be limited-edition and will be produced in silver as well as gold. The silver 5€ and gold 10€ will be issued on June 22, 2011. The QR code scans � http://www.q5g.nl.
[via Book of Joe]
Sony Ericsson is pretty late to the Dual Core phone party but looks like the company might be working on a Dual Core phone which is expected to be called the Xperia Duo according to a rumour. The device looks pretty similar to the ARC with a slightly bigger display.
It has 3 keys for back, home and menu similar to the Arc. Are you looking forward to a Dual Core SE phone ?
We are not sure whether it's legit , so do take this news with a grain of salt.
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Overall, there's over a dozen EA-published games available at 85-percent off the normal rate. We're not sure how much longer the "Many-Man sale" � no joke � will last, so it's probably wise to grab any of these while they're on the cheap.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 � $.99
Command & Conquer: Red Alert � $.99
Command & Conquer: Red Alert HD � $1.99
Dead Space � $2.99
Dead Space HD � $4.99
Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp � $.99
FIFA 11 � $.99
FIFA 11 HD � $4.99
Fight Night Champion � $.99
Madden NFL 11 � $.99
Madden NFL 11 HD � $.99
Monopoly � $.99
NBA Jam � $.99
NBA Jam HD � $4.99
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit � $.99
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit HD � $4.99
Need For Speed Undercover � $.99
Need For Speed Shift -$.99
Need For Speed Shift HD � $4.99
Reckless Racing � $.99
Reckless Racing HD � $.99
RISK � $.99
RISK HD � $1.99
Sim City Deluxe � $.99
Sim City Deluxe HD � $.99
Tetris � $.99
Tetris HD � $1.99
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 HD � $2.99
If you're interested in more deals, know that EA isn't the only publisher hacking at its standard prices � Gameloft and Firemint have their own going on right now.
<!-- PHP 5.x -->Motorola just informed us that they are� bringing the Motorola XOOM Honeycomb Android Tablet to India later this month. The Xoom was the first Android Honeycomb tablet to be launched and is powered by a 1 GHz Dual Core CPU and features a 10.1 inch display.
Pricing or information regarding the models has not been revealed , but we guess the WiFi only models should arrive first. We had gotten our hands on the Xoom during CES and MWC and you can take a look at the Photos and Videos here.Looks like the Flyer and Galaxy Tab 10.1 will have some competition.
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Actually, let's keep talking about penetration, because a new studio has announced that it's hit the 200 million downloads threshold: Gameloft. In a recent press release, the App Store connoisseurs announced that it has served up its 200 millionth download on iTunes.
That's a lot of games served.
I opened up with those traditional games space numbers just so you can see how much of a gap there is between these two markets. They're different, of course. One pushes out a lot of $60 experiences, while the other 99-cent flings. Also, Gameloft is counting dozens of games' individual sales to get this number, but the disparity is there regardless.
Gameloft is giving a special shout-out to the NOVA series, as well as the Asphalt, the Modern Combat, and the Let's Golf franchises in the announcement, which implies that they are the actual workhorses fluffing the download number.
"We have been able to develop a truly massive fan base by offering high-quality games on the App Store," Gonzague de Vallois, SVP of publishing at Gameloft said in a brand new, congratulatory statement.
"For millions of people worldwide, Gameloft is now synonymous with amazing gaming experiences on their iPhone, iPod touch and iPad."
Gameloft has around 20 more games set to hit this year. I wonder how long it'll take before we see a "half a billion games downloaded" story? Five bucks says that we'll have one by next year!
<!-- PHP 5.x -->If you're looking for an audio player with a retro steampunk design, look no further since company named Colorfly has just unveiled the perfect PMP for steampunk fans.
Colorfly has introduced Colorfly Pocket HiFi C4 Pro, a steampunk styled audio player that is made out of wood and gold. Despite its retro look, this player uses CIRRUS Logic CS4398 DAC and CS8422 SRC chipset which gives it a crisp and clear sound allowing it to achieve 108dB signal-to-noise ratio which is close to the signal that human ears can hear.
In addition, Colorfly Pocket HiFi C4 Pro outputs 13.3mW, and has a SPDIF port, despite a traditional design, it does come with a microSD card slot � you'll never run out of storage space. As for the headphones, this audio player supports both 6.3mm and 3.5mm headphone jacks.
The Colorfly Pocket HiFi C4 Pro gives you amazing design and sound quality, offering the best of both worlds, but this quality does come with a premium pricetag of $800.
[via CrunchGear]
7:01 AM
Last month, Backflip Studios unleashed Army of Darkness Defense [Free/HD] into the App Store. Based on the campy B-movie Army of Darkness, a particularly popular entry in the cult classic Evil Dead franchise, the video game incarnation is a castle defense game with some very light RPG elements. The castle defense premise plays perfectly into the movie plot itself, and Army of Darkness Defense is filled with plenty of fan service.
Now for a limited time, you can grab Army of Darkness Defense for free. There is an IAP component to the game that will allow you to advance your character building more rapidly if you choose, but it's certainly not necessary to enjoy the full game. Gameplay is a bit on the shallow side, but everything is done so well with the art style and sound effects that it's actually a really enjoyable experience.
You can check out our full review for more information, but really if you're a fan of the movie in any way, or even just a fan of arcadey castle defense games,�Army of Darkness Defense is an easily recommended download while free.
<!-- PHP 5.x -->BlackBerry Bold 9900, the phone which was first announced at the BlackBerry World Conference 2011 held at Orlando, is finally coming to 3 UK this August. So the phone is arriving much earlier than the previously announced September release.
The Bold 9900 is one of the slimmest BlackBerry phones, with a thickness of just 10.5mm. Also it is the fastest BlackBerry phone, with a processor of 1.2GHz and the first BlackBerry to feature integrated NFC capability.
BlackBerry Bold 9900 runs on the latest BlackBerry OS 7, and features a 2.8 inch Liquid Graphics touchscreen display with 640�480�resolution, 768 MB RAM, 8GB in-built memory, 5 MP Camera with auto focus, LED flash and 720p HD video recording, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, MicroSD card slot (supports upto 32GB), HSDPA, 1230 mAh battery, etc.
The phone is also expected to be available from O2 and Vodafone, once it is released. Also do check out our exclusive Live pictures and Hands-on Video of the BlackBerry Bold 9900.
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MAXX mobiles has launched two new dual SIM budget phones, MX372 and MQ368. These phones are called Tiny series of phones and are aimed at youth market. Both these are sleek phones and MQ368 is a QWERTY phone and MX372 has T9 keypad.
The MX372 has�2.0 TFT display and weighs just 61 grams. It also has�optical track-pad, dedicated music button and a 2MP camera. It is java enabled and comes with�pre-installed applications like Facebook and eBuddy messenger.
The MQ368 is a QWERTY phone that has�2.0 TFT display and an optical track-pad. It comes with�2 MP Camera and�1000 mAh battery with talk-time up to 4 hours and standby time of up to 300 hours. It is java enabled and has�dedicated keys for Facebook and MSN.
The�MX372 is priced at Rs.2524 and comes in four colors,�purple, pink, wine red and white. The MQ368 is priced at�Rs. 2636. These phones would be available in Mumbai first, followed by other Indian cities at the retail outlets such as Planet M, Tata Croma, Hyper City, Star Bazar, Mobile & Gadgets, Indian Naval Canteen, Kings Electronics, Hotspot, Reliance Web World and NEXT electronics.
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Now you'll need to rescue all the little monsters in Monster Soup [$0.99] before they get frozen solid. It's a race against the clock. The top of the screen is death: any monster that stays there too long freezes into a chunk of ice. As they float upwards, you need to spot monsters of the same color and match them by dragging lines between them. Your lines can't pass through monsters of different colors.
It's not quite the same match-3 formula you've already played a dozen times. There's no grid to match on, only a loose collection of floating monsters that travel at slightly different speeds. You can only match what you can connect with straight lines, so the order you highlight the little guys makes a big difference, as does your timing. Numbers also come into play�match 5 of the same monster, and you get a power-up, or 9 to release a more powerful version. For example, matching enough purple monsters give you a bonus coin, which multiplies points for a while, while yellow monsters unleash a starshine that melts away a bit of the ice.
As you let monsters freeze at the top of the screen, ice chunks form and eat up your play area. If the ice touches the bottom, you're done. Monster Soup uses a level system, but the levels aren't unlockable � you always start from level one and keep going until you fail. Collect enough points in a level and you move on to the next, where your monsters will float upwards even faster. And any ice that forms maintains between levels, so as you start to fail, you have even less room to work with. The urge to just start randomly swiping is strong, but that's sure to finish you off.
I've been a fan of Kieffer Bros. for a while. Their previous color matching game, Orba [$0.99], has permanent home on my phone. Monster Soup is a pleasant departure from their usual style. Its design is looser and more relaxed than any of their other games, and I wouldn't mind seeing more of its art style, best described as "super cute." The cheerful music is great, too.
There's only the one game mode, but it's pretty replayable. Aside from chasing high scores on the leaderboard, you can also track down 63 Game Center achievements. It's got plenty of the achievements that I love, which reward you for doing something cool, but also a few would require more persistence than I see anyone putting into the game, like Work Week, which unlocks after playing for 40 hours. But hey, maybe that's just the challenge you're looking for.
I know the matching-game pool is crowded, but Monster Soup distinguishes itself with style and original matching mechanics. I've gotten quite addicted to pushing for a higher score and working on achievements. There are some positive early impressions from our forum users, too. Check it out. The Soup System needs you.
<!-- PHP 5.x -->Last month we reviewed ThinkGeek's excellent iPad arcade cabinet, the iCade, and followed it up earlier this month with a visit to the ThinkGeek headquarters to have a look at the original prototype.
Tonight Stuart Carnie of Manomio received his own iCade (seen above). This is great news because Stuart is the man behind the iAmiga emulation system that will soon be bringing us classic Amiga games to the App Store, as well as�Commodore 64 [App Store].
And Stuart is building iCade support into his apps. Tonight. We expect an ad hoc of the iCade-enabled iAmiga system within the next day or so.
Let's keep this trend going, developers!
<!-- PHP 5.x -->Need something to look forward to next week? Then I've got good news for you: NimbleBit's Tiny Tower will be released next Wednesday, June 22nd Thursday June 23rd.
We've been anticipating this game since the Pocket Frogs [Free] developer first announced it, and I'm super excited that the wait is almost over. I had a chance to get hands on with it last month, and I really liked what I saw. Since then, the guys at NimbleBit have put their usual coat of polish all over this thing, and it's looking better than ever.
Looking at the game now, we've been given a lot more to do with our towers. You could already dress up your Bitizens to fit your mood, and now you can also paint your floors, so everyone's tower will be unique. And the Bitizens have picked up their own set of hopes and dreams that you can fulfill by placing them in their dream jobs. A happy populace is its own reward, but you'll also get a few Bux for taking care of your little guys.
We'll have a full review for you when the game comes out, but I think it's safe to say that this one's going to end up in a lot of pockets. While you're waiting, why not head to our forums to share the anticipation?
Update: NimbleBit pushed the launch back a day, sorry guys!
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