iShark for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

It's sad to see another shark week has come and gone. How can you possibly enjoy more shark rage throughout the year? Well, if you're looking for a healthy does of cartoonish violence with your sharks, now there's iShark.

First, let's set the record straight: This is definitely one app we would put in the novelty category, rather than all-out game. The play consists of drawing a line on the screen, which your shark then follows, devouring people, fish, birds, and even helicopters that get in the way. The overly dramatic music adds to the absurdity, and serves to remind us this app doesn't really take itself that seriously.

Here's a look:

iShark in the App Store.

Scarface: Last Stand for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

Say hello to my little app! If you like paraphrasing movies from 25 plus years ago, this might just be the game for you. Scarface: Last Stand, as you may have guessed from the name, re-enacts a bloody gun battle scene from the movie. Over, and over, and over again.

If this app wasn't branded as a Scarface app, you would think it was another run-of-the-mill shooter, with okay controls and redundant cut scenes, quotes, and enemies. I know it's not a good idea to upset Tony Montana, but the fact of the matter is, the Scarface name can't hide the less-than-great elements of the game.

Here's a look:

Scarface: Last Stand in the App Store.

Garden Wars for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

I don't know about you, but I generally don't think of dynamite as the first line of defense against garden pests, but that's just what you get in Garden Wars. By placing dynamite around the screen, you try to blow up invading ants, caterpillars, worms, and more. 

The game is definitely aimed toward a younger audience, with the levels being fairly easy to beat. The gameplay is repetitive, but several mini games along the way keep things interesting.

Here's a look:

Garden Wars in the App Store

Elasticr for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

If you remember Gumby or Strech Armstrong (or heck, even saw The Incredibles) you know how important rubberband-like strecthing is to the superheres of the world. Now with Elasticr, you get to see how much fun it is to have that same ability. In Elasticr, you have to move your character (by pulling back, or stretching him) to a series of hand grips around the screen. Once you've made it to all of the handgrips, a magical portal will open, and take you to... the next level.

The game starts slow, but soon you will have many obstacles/drops to try to avoid. One aspect of the game is a bit confusing: on the lower left corner of the screen, you will see a series of five hearts. While these do indicate the number of lives you have, you'll find that falling off of any particular level doesn't "kill" you (the hearts remain) but you do have to start over.

Otherwise, the gameplay is fine; it's not a game that you'll sit and play for an hour at once, but for some quick fun it's not bad. The graphics and character could, and hopefully will, lead to a fuller game experience in the future.

Here's a look:

 Elasticr in the App Store.

Dark Raider for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

Dark Raider combines an Indiana Jones-esque (or Tomb Raider) storyline with the kind of "move and read" gameplay often found in RPGs. The result is fine, but a few bugs keep the game from reaching its full potential. Of course, an update could be just around the corner. I would suggest giving the lite version a try to see if you like the style of the game. Here's a look at Dark Raider: