So here I sit. Absolutely fuming mad. Because of one stupid game that looks and sounds like garbage. Really? The World’s Hardest Game? It’s not even hard in a fun way. It’s hard because it’s impossible to play on a small touchscreen. It makes me want to punch Joustin’ Beaver in the face (I [...]]]>

So here I sit. Absolutely fuming mad. Because of one stupid game that looks and sounds like garbage. Really? The World’s Hardest Game? It’s not even hard in a fun way. It’s hard because it’s impossible to play on a small touchscreen. It makes me want to punch Joustin’ Beaver in the face (I suppose I want to do that anyway). I hate it.

The game sounds simple enough (“You are RED square, avoid the BLUE circles and collect Yellow circles. Once you have collected all the yellow circles move to GREEN beacon to complete the level.”), but it’s meant to be challenging. I get that, I really do, but this game was not meant to be played on a touchscreen. I don’t exactly have pencil thin digits, but it’s not like I have Shaq hands. I can’t even see what I’m supposed to be doing once I put my finger on it. And the graphics suck so bad, and there’s such a small area to move around in, and you can’t zoom in, and annoying techno is assaulting my eardrums, and my dog has to go outside, and my text message noise won’t quit going off, and my girlfriend wants to know what I want for dinner, and I have no freaking idea, and next thing you know, my phone is on the other side of the room. Because I threw it against the wall. And showed it who’s boss.

I hated this game when it was in the Flash portal on Newgrounds, and I hate it even more now. You might think at this point that the game isn’t actually all that bad, and I just have a personal vendetta against it. Just play it for yourself.

World's Hardest Game Sufi Soft PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Have a fantastically terrible Android CrApp you’d like to see covered? Let us know in the comments below.

Of all the video games to come out in the last five years, Portal might just be one of the best. If you’ve never played the game, it’s an absolute must. It’s won a ton of awards, and thanks to its immense popularity, has been made available for Windows, OSX, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. [...]]]>

Of all the video games to come out in the last five years, Portal might just be one of the best. If you’ve never played the game, it’s an absolute must. It’s won a ton of awards, and thanks to its immense popularity, has been made available for Windows, OSX, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Unfortunately, the game has never gone mobile. But with today’s high-end Android hardware and game engines, it’s possible right? Yes. And there’s even a proof-of-concept clone to prove it.

Android Police‘s David Ruddock recently got his hands on a proof-of-concept Portal clone for Android. According to David, the clone not only works, but does so impressively well. Controls are functional, and graphics are great. David says that there’s not a whole lot to play right now, and one of the most important aspects of the game, the portals themselves, aren’t fully functional, but it’s enough to leave us excited for the future of Android gaming.

If a group of Russian software developers can build their own Portal clone in their free time, the day when Android is included as a normal launch platform for high-quality games can’t be far off. Right now, there’s several app developers pushing Android to its limits. As great as that is, we’d love to see the next Call of Duty, Battlefield, Portal, Fallout or any other high-end game launch on Android right along with Xbox, PC and PS3. The quality of today’s Portal clone let’s us know it’s possible.

C’mon Valve, we know you have the resources, Android users want to think with portals too.

Magazines as we know them have reached their transition point. They’re slowly but surely making the switch to digital, but it isn’t playing out as smoothly as it could. In their current state, magazines shouldn’t just have their pages ported to digital pictures. Thanks to the Internet, writing something even a couple days before releasing [...]]]>

Magazines as we know them have reached their transition point. They’re slowly but surely making the switch to digital, but it isn’t playing out as smoothly as it could. In their current state, magazines shouldn’t just have their pages ported to digital pictures. Thanks to the Internet, writing something even a couple days before releasing it is outdated. That’s where PXL, the Android (and iPad) gaming magazine comes in.

PXL is a new type of gaming magazine that’s in the works right now, backed by a cast of all-star writers from PSM, Nintendo Power, Next Generation, Official Xbox Magazine, PlayStation: The Official Magazine, Joystiq and more. PXL will still utilize the per-issue pricing structure, but dynamic content is what sets it apart from the competition.

Issues will be updated with news and reviews as the week goes on, ensuring that readers are never out of the loop. So if some big story breaks, or a game review is finally eligible for publishing, the most current issue of PXL will be updated. Other apps and websites have adopted a magazine-esque design, but this is one of the first magazines that will adopt a website-esque content model.

As of right now, the first issue of PXL is slated for release in February of 2012 for just $0.99. The second issue won’t cost much more than that, but in order to get to that point, they need some help. PXL is on Kickstarter right now looking for $3,500 to get the magazine off the ground. They’ve already reached $500, and there’s still a month before the drive is over.

If PXL sounds like something you’d be interested in reading on your Android tablet, then head on over to Kickstarter and see what you can do.

Android has some killer games on the way with the arrival of NVIDIA’s Tegra 3. Bladeslinger, Shadowgun and Riptide GP are just a few, but have you ever heard of Desert Bus? You don’t have to wait for a Tegra 3 device to enjoy the complete Desert Bus experience, it’s officially available now in [...]]]>

Android has some killer games on the way with the arrival of NVIDIA’s Tegra 3. Bladeslinger, Shadowgun and Riptide GP are just a few, but have you ever heard of Desert Bus? You don’t have to wait for a Tegra 3 device to enjoy the complete Desert Bus experience, it’s officially available now in the Android Market for just $0.99.

In case you aren’t familiar with Desert Bus, here’s how it works: you drive a bus, from Tucson, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, in real time, going a 45 miles per hour. And that’s all there is to it. If you complete the trip, which takes roughly 8 hours, then you get one point. You can also turn around and complete the trip again for another point. Eventually you may notice a rock, a sign or a bug hit the windshield, but for the most part it’s a long, straight road from Tucson to Vegas. And if you were hoping for some gorgeous scenery, well, the graphics are pretty bad. Like something similar to Rad Racer. But of course as you’ve probably guessed by now, the gameplay, plot and graphics are not the big story here. The big story is why Desert Bus has become famous in recent years, and why its release for Android is worth paying some attention to.

Every year, a group known as Desert Bus for Hope hosts a Desert Bus marathon where people place donations to see just how long the Desert Bus team can go for. All donations go to the charity Child’s Play, a foundation who uses video games to help kids in hospitals get through their rough time. The Desert Bus for Hope marathon is going on right now, where they’ve already cracked the $125,000 mark. If you want to participate, you can head over to DesertBus.org and contribute, or you can use the Android Market download link below to purchase your very own copy of Desert Bus. It’s only $0.99, and all proceeds go to charity. If you decide to give Desert Bus a shot, be sure to let us know how far you can make it.

Desert Bus Market link

For the past two or three years now, there’s been a storm cloud hanging over Sony’s and Nintendo’s heads. Games sales for Android and iOS have been steadily gaining steam, with revenue slowly creeping up on the once indisputable giants of the handheld gaming industry. According to a new report out of Flurry Analytics, 2011 [...]]]>

For the past two or three years now, there’s been a storm cloud hanging over Sony’s and Nintendo’s heads. Games sales for Android and iOS have been steadily gaining steam, with revenue slowly creeping up on the once indisputable giants of the handheld gaming industry. According to a new report out of Flurry Analytics, 2011 is the year that smartphones have finally taken the crown.

In 2009, Nintendo and Sony had little to worry about as far as game revenue was concerned. Nintendo held 70% of the market alone. Sony was at 11%, while Android and iOS were at 19%. But combined, Nintendo and Sony sat comfortably with 81% of the market. By 2010, those numbers were shifting. Sony was still hovering around 9%, but Nintendo had gone down to 57%. Meanwhile, Android and iOS were already up to 34% in just a years time. Now, in 2011, Nintendo has taken Android’s and iOS’ spot at just 36%, with Sony still holding 6%. Android and iOS revenue makes up a total 58% of the pie. And that number is going to continue to rise.

Of course things may change once the holiday season passes, and revenue is not the same as profit, but this is a telling sign of things to come. Nintendo has already taken a stand against smartphone gaming, while Sony has done just the opposite. The Xperia Play is only the beginning of Sony’s shift in mobile strategy, a move that could turn out very successful for the company. Nintendo is going to come out with a Ninten-phone sometime soon, but it may be time to start reevaluating their handheld sales model.

How about it? Would you buy a Nintendo branded phone just for the games? Or do you think they should start releasing Mario and Zelda games for currently available smartphones? Should Nintendo even be worried?

Rockstar is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Grand Theft Auto III. This is no normal party, though; Rockstar is planning to give us a little treat. As you can discern from the title, the guys at Rockstar are planning to port their PlayStation 2 version of Grand Theft Auto III to the Android platform (as [...]]]>

Rockstar is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Grand Theft Auto III. This is no normal party, though; Rockstar is planning to give us a little treat. As you can discern from the title, the guys at Rockstar are planning to port their PlayStation 2 version of Grand Theft Auto III to the Android platform (as well as iOS).

You may or may not support the nature of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto games, but there’s no doubt that they’ve made quite the impact on the video game industry. They’ve been some of the most popular games of our times, and we know many of our readers will be happy to hear GTA III will soon be available on their Android devices.

Soon, we’ll be able to relive all the “gangsta” moments we had with Grand Theft Auto III. Some of us were actually underage at the time GTA III was originally released, and stores needed an adult companion to come with us in order to purchase this game. After 10 years, this is sure to bring some good memories from Liberty City.

GTA III will be available in the Fall for the following devices:

• Motorola Droid X2,
• HTC Evo 2 (We assume that means EVO 3D?)
• LG Optimus 2X
• Motorola Atrix
• Samsung Galaxy S2 series
• Acer Iconia
• Asus Eee Pad (all ASUS Android tablets?)
• Motorola Xoom
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Rockstar will be adding more devices to this list, so you should definitely stay tuned for future details. Worried parents might want to stay tuned, too, in case you want to stop your kids from downloading this game. It is quite violent, and provides the player with the ability to (virtually) kill human beings in sordid and creative ways.

Take a look at the video posted below to get ready for what’s to come. What do you guys think of this? Will you be purchasing this game? Think it’s too violent? Will you parents out there be letting your kids play Grand Theft Auto III?

When I was younger and wanted to play a video game outside the luxury of my living room, there was only one device to grab: the Nintendo GameBoy. I’m talking about the huge gray slab of plastic that featured one tiny 160 x 144 monochromatic display, some of the best music the world has ever [...]]]>

When I was younger and wanted to play a video game outside the luxury of my living room, there was only one device to grab: the Nintendo GameBoy. I’m talking about the huge gray slab of plastic that featured one tiny 160 x 144 monochromatic display, some of the best music the world has ever had to the pleasure of listening to and hours upon hours of fun. Long gone are the days of the Game Boy, though. Androids, iPhones, Vitas and DSes rule the portable gaming world in full HD glory. But that doesn’t mean you can’t honor the good old days with a throwback every now and again. Game developer OrangePixel is famous for this.

If you take a look at the developer hub for OrangePixel, you’ll see plenty of titles celebrating the blocky nature of 8-bit graphics and pump out jams that would make Anamanaguchi proud. Their latest title, Stardash, fits right in.

With monochromatic graphics, chiptune music and a three button control layout, Stardash really makes you feel like you’re playing Game Boy again. The premise of the game, much like many of the games of yesteryear, is incredibly simple. Run from the left side of the screen to the right side of the screen and collect coins the entire time. Sound familiar? It certainly doesn’t offer anything new in terms of gameplay, but that’s not what OrangePixel is going for here. Just read the Market listing.

Right now there’s four different worlds to play through, with some nine levels in every world. Also in every world is an unlockable temple, for a total of 40 levels of gameplay. That’s quite a lot for now, and OrangePixel says they’ll be updating with even more levels as time goes on. For those of you who don’t want to use your touchscreen to play, Stardash works with the GameGripper, hardware keyboards, the Xperia Play and WiiMotes. There’s also OpenFeint support for keeping track of how well you’re doing compared to your friends.

To download Stardash and give it a shot, simply use the download widget below.If you can’t decide whether or not $2.18 is worth the nostalgia, you can find the free-with-ads version of the game here. What do you guys think? Are you gonna try it out or pass this one over? Let us know in the comments below.

Stardash OrangePixel PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

When LG starts shipping HD Android devices with retina-smashing pixel densities in Q4, they’ll be back backed by some awesome software and games that’ll take full advantage of the impressive hardware. Thanks to a partnership between LG and Capcom, Street Fighter IV will be one of those games.

Set for a three-month exclusivity period on [...]]]>

When LG starts shipping HD Android devices with retina-smashing pixel densities in Q4, they’ll be back backed by some awesome software and games that’ll take full advantage of the impressive hardware. Thanks to a partnership between LG and Capcom, Street Fighter IV will be one of those games.

Set for a three-month exclusivity period on LG’s HD devices come launch time, Street Fighter IV is going to set the bar for content quality on HD phones. According to LG Mobile President and CEO Dr. Jong-seok Park:

As we prepare our first HD smartphone for launch, it was important for us to be able to offer HD content that would really demonstrate this phone’s benefits. The HD version of Street Fighter certainly fills this objective. We are also confident that LG’s soon-to-be-unveiled HD display technology will give Street Fighter fans a whole new reason to play the game again.Jong-seok ParkLG Mobile

As far as the device that will usher in SFIV, the recently uncovered LG U+ LTE is a good bet. The U+ LTE just may end up being the Revolution 2 for Verizon Wireless and will feature a 4.5-inch AH-IPS display with True HD resolution (1280 x 720 pixels), a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor Snapdragon S3 (MSM8660) and 1 GB RAM, among other exciting specs. For a taste of how Street Fighter IV would work on an Android phone, check out the SFIV review for iPhone below.

What do you think? Could you D,DF,F+P on a 4.5-inch touchscreen? Or is Street Fighter best left on the consoles? Excited for LG’s upcoming HD devices, or is the next Nexus the only device on your must-have-for-Christmas list? Let us know in the comments below.

Hard core gamers know that, when it comes to RPGs, no game developer can beat Square Enix (previously known as Squaresoft). But Square Enix hasn’t done much for the Android platform (unless you’re a huge Crystal Defenders fan), and gamers are hoping to get some good games from the Final Fantasy creators. Maybe even Final [...]]]>

Hard core gamers know that, when it comes to RPGs, no game developer can beat Square Enix (previously known as Squaresoft). But Square Enix hasn’t done much for the Android platform (unless you’re a huge Crystal Defenders fan), and gamers are hoping to get some good games from the Final Fantasy creators. Maybe even Final Fantasy games. Why not? Final Fantasy 7, anyone?

We’re not that lucky yet. But Square Enix has announced that some good games will be coming to Android (and iOS) users. Today during the Tokio Game Show, Square Enix said Chrono Trigger (yes, the Super Nintendo one!), Dragon Quest Monsters and Ithadaki Street would be released for both major platforms.

As Square Enix gets more involved in Android development, we should see more–and better–games showing up. iOS users currently have Chaos Rings, which is one of the best RPG games for mobile devices out there. We Android users sure hope to get such quality games from Square Enix. What games would you guys like to see? Chaos Rings? Any of the Final Fantasy games? Do you guys prefer new mobile/Android exclusive games?

Since its release in 2009, Angry birds has been consistently growing to what it is now: the most recognized game for mobile devices. It’s a fun and addictive game that can be enjoyed in any situation. Whether you have some free time (or decide to procrastinate) at work/school or are sitting on the throne, [...]]]>

Since its release in 2009, Angry birds has been consistently growing to what it is now: the most recognized game for mobile devices. It’s a fun and addictive game that can be enjoyed in any situation. Whether you have some free time (or decide to procrastinate) at work/school or are sitting on the throne, Angry Birds has become the go-to game for most Android users (and iOS, as well as other supported platforms).

Angry Birds is fun and all, but one rarely stops to think how such a game can affect your life or how it became such a big part of it. The data we receive from infographics is always interesting, and today’s feature on Angry Birds is no different. The topic on this one covers the “psychology, sociology and addiction” that comes with our beloved Angry Birds game.

While this infographic is very well designed and the data is very interesting, the survey only covers 500 individuals (all have downloaded at least one of the Angry Birds games). It would have been good to see a larger number of participants, as well as know where these people are from. (e.g. the US? A specific state? City?) Either way, the work does still look great, so let’s take a look at it.

There are three versions of Angry birds: Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio. The infographic shows the percentage of people who have downloaded each version of the game, as well as the percentage of those who have actually purchased the paid version. As expected, the most popular one is the original Angry Birds; 76% have the free version and 45% own the premium one.

The percentage of people with paid versions is not as small as we expected. But who’s buying the paid apps? The infographic goes on to show some percentages for that, as well. It seems males are 35% more likely to purchase the paid version of Angry Birds. And if you add youth (age 18-24) to that equation, the number moves up to 76%. Young guys are really into games, right? Could it be that guys tend to worry more about technology, hence they usually worry more about the gaming experience? Maybe they are more prone to support developers?

There are more few interesting facts mentioned in the first section of the infographic. Apparently, all users in the world play Angry birds for about 200 million minutes a day (accumulated). This adds to a total of 380 years per day, or 16 years per hour. Also, on average, we have collectively sling shot more than 100 billion birds, which is the estimated number of real birds in the world.

The second section talks about mood after playing Angry Birds. While the vast majority tends to be happier or feel the same after playing the game, there are a few who actually end up in a worse mood. Apparently 5% of users are getting mad about those scores (or they just hate the green pigs). Unemployed and young people (18-24) are actually more likely to get upset/sad after playing the game.

It seems being single also makes things harder on people, though. Single users are 9 times more likely to have a deteriorated mood after playing Angry Birds. Can any of our single readers attest to this statement?

Last but not least, the third and fourth sections talk about addiction to the game. Yes, most of us are addicted to it. Whether it be sometimes, often or always, most interviewed users have an addiction to throwing birds. Only 18% seem to be free from such addiction, but they might be in denial…

Dr. Michael Chorost also goes on to explain 5 reasons why this game is very addictive, which is mostly due to the design and the biochemistry of our brains. It seems like 24% of the users interviewed are looking for ways to get rid of this addiction. But whether the solution is to delete the game, or find another cure, most of us just want to keep playing!

Do check out the infographic below. Also, you can check out the full results if you hit the source link. Let us know what you find most interesting, and make sure to mention any other cool/important facts we may have missed. Who is 18-24 years old and loves Angry Birds? Single readers, do you feel upset after playing the game?

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