Cake Doodle for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

Finally, a 'doodle' game that has nothing to do with jumping: Today we're looking at Cake Doodle. No, you're not suffering from deja vu. If this app seems familiar, that's because it is quite similar to Cupcakes! which we looked at last week: You select the type of cake you want to make, mix the ingredients, bake it, then decorate away, choosing from several different styles of icing. You can then choose to eat your creation, or share it with others.

If cooking without any of the mess (or taste) is your thing, then Cake Doodle is for you. Of course, it also could be just the way to get your little one to stop pestering you to bake; simply let them make a virtual cake instead.

Here's a look:

Cake Doodle in the App Store.

Doug Brown for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

If simply look at the screenshots on the app page, and read the description, you would think Doug Brown is a noir crime mystery in which you are the private investigator. In reality, it is a series of mini puzzle games, (very)loosely themed to the noir look.

The app has been given one star by several people not because of the gameplay necessarily, but because they feel they didn't get the game they thought they were getting. Taken as a collection of mini puzzles, I found it to be fun, with some of the puzzles being easy, while others, (even early ones) I'm not sure I'll ever conquer.

Again, if you know what you're getting, you shouldn't be disappointed with it, but don't take my word for it, take my video instead:

Doug Brown in the App Store.

Phoenix (kind of) rises for the iPhone and iPod Touch

Galaxian, this is all your fault. If you hadn't taken so many quarters from me in my youth, why I could turn a blind eye to all of the similar games that have followed. But no. I vow to avenge my lost quarters and tokens by beating all of your spawn, one of which is the subject of today's video review: Phoenix.

Phoenix has the same hero ship-at-the-bottom, enemy swarm-at-the-top gameplay as Galaxian and other games. What it adds is a ton of fire power, as in dozens of incoming enemy fireballs, bombs, etc. The good news is, unlike some of those other games, you only need to protect the relatively small area of your ship's cockpit from the barrage to stay alive.

Despite great graphics, and what should be near non-stop action, there's something flat about the game. Maybe all that firepower right from the beginning doesn't give it anywhere to go, or maybe a few early power-ups would move things along. Still, you could do worse in the app store....

Here's a look:

Phoenix in the App Store.

Predators for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

Take a well-known character/franchise like Predator, and make an iPhone game: What could go wrong? Sometimes it's not so much that something goes wrong as much as not much of anything happens. Predators is based on the 2010 reboot of the franchise. Not that you'll see that much that corresponds to any of the movies other than a few character stills in between gameplay.

And speaking of gameplay, that's the most disappointing thing. Predators is a top down slasher, in which you play the role of the predator, taking on all the annoying humans by slashing, and slashing, and slashing some more. Upgrades don't come along very often, and the game can get tiresome. Overall, it feels like any of the many games of this type in the App Store, with the Predators title and graphics slapped on. Still some may like it just for the gameplay, and I suggest if you're on the fence, then try the free version first.

Here's a look:

Predators in the App Store.

Gun Builder for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

I'm not sure who the target audience is for Gun Builder, but it isn't me. I don't think its avid gun fans as I think they would be more interested in building real guns rather than virtual guns on the tiny iPhone screen. But I don't market the apps, I only review them.

I can say that Gun Builder offers several options for all of the major parts of guns, that you can then mix and match, saving your favorites in your gun locker for future use. While you can also shoot the guns, that part of the experience is rudimentary, and an improved shooting range could make the app feel more worthwhile.

Here's a look:

Gun Builder in the App Store.