Xtreme Mountain Busing for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

We've taken a few weeks off from the video app reviews, but with fall fast approaching, it's time to get back into the swing of things. And speaking of fall, that also means it is back to school season, and bright yellow buses will be showing up on all the local streets.

One place you probably won't find buses would be rocky precipices and cliffs. Unless you are playing Xtreme Mountain Busing.

XMB as the cool kids call it (no cool kids were interviewed for this review) puts you in charge of getting a group of kids to school on time, despite some ridiculous terrain. You have to climb rocks, and avoid toppling the bus by using the built-in hydraulics (of course!) to stabilize the bus. Oh, and don't forget to pick up more kids along the way.

The look of the game is reminiscent to the animation of TV's South Park, and the gameplay is fine, but this is definitely more of a quick, timekiller game, than a 40-hour epic. There's a free version, so you might want to try that before buying the full version.

Here's a look:

iDroidsMania for the iPhone and iPod Touch

Ok, robots getting it on... there might be certain situations where we can get behind that, but a frustrating iPhone game isn't one of them. iDroidsMania is a side scroller game, in which you as a robot, are trying to get your robotic love/wife back from the robotic equivalent of Popeye's Brutus. 

The gameplay is alright, but it is hampered by cramped controls: this game would definitely benefit from dedicated hardware buttons below the screen. The cramped screen real estate make for a frustrating experience that gets more frustrating when you have to restart a level, as the checkpoints seem fiendishly far apart. As for the robotic procreation, several visuals throughout the game hint (and in some cases overtly) at sexual content. It's not enough to make it an adult game, and yet not clever enough or subtle enough to bring the LOLs. Here's a look at iDroidsMania for the iPhone and iPod Touch:

Fly Kiwi Fly! for the iPhone and iPod Touch

We're starting the week with a fun, quirky app. in Fly Kiwi Fly! you take on the role of a kiwi with high hopes to not just fly, but to fly around the globe. Using a series of upgrades, including gliders and rockets, you pilot your bird further and further, earning more money to buy more items to fly even longer.

The graphics and backstory add a fresh, quirky feel to a familiar style of game. Here's a look at Fly Kiwi Fly!

3 Point Hoops for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

It's been a little while since we've posted an iPhone app review. I'd like to say we're back with a totally awesome app that will blow you away. Unfortunately, that's not the case. 3 Point Hoops is the most basic (but free!) of basketball games. You see the basket from different perspectives behind the three-point line, then flick your finger to shoot for the hoop. You don't receive much feedback beyond a quickly annoying announcer, and the simplicity of the game makes it wear of really, really fast.

Here's a look:

Marine Sharpshooter for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

I've tried on many occasions to enjoy the different versions of Silent Scope in the arcade. (And by the way, I'm the guy who actually uses the scope, rather than just cheating by looking at the screen, but I digress) While I want to like the game, I hate the quarter-sucking nature of the gameplay. Marine Sharpshooter brings a similar gaming experience to the iPhone for a fraction of the price.

While it lacks the complex scenarios of Silent Scope, Marine Sharpshooter is a decent accelerometer-based shooting game, using the a scope for your long-range kills. The plays gets a little monotonous after awhile and the music has a disappointing mono sound. Overall, not a bad shooter for the money.

(iTunes link)

Here's a look: