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Number of Results: 12

Review Rewind: Mos Speedrun

One of our favorite speedrun platformers has to be Physmo’s Mos Speedrun. The graphics, controls, physics, soundtrack, music, challenge and difficulty are all, for lack of a better word, perfect. Since it’s release back in April of 2011, Mos Speedrun has received 7 updates, adding more content, more enemies, more costumes, video recording and uploading to YouTube, and more, making it a prime contender for best Speedrun Platformer on the iOS, next to League of Evil. If you’ve yet to pick up Mos, didn’t have an iDevice back when it was released, or just missed out on it, it’s one game every platformer fan needs to own. Snagging the spolight for our third Review Rewind title, Mos Speedrun is still on our devices, and will never be taken off. It’s a great game that we’ll keep coming back to time and time again when we’re looking for a great platforming challenge. 
**Note: This review was written after playing Version 1.5.
Running. When your pudgy like most adolescent kids these days the sound of that very word strikes fear into your little cheeseburger-loving heart.  Fortunately for you this game encaptures the fun that isn’t running and wont make you sweat at all. The gameplay is quite simple, your goal is to run to the goal in the fastest time possible while trying to be speedy around obstacles and enemies.  
Quick reflexes are the name of the game here but with time even the most pitifully uncoordinated player will be able to play like a pro.  The first level is the of course the adjustment level where you get used to the controls and the nuances of the game. After that you are basically on your own to explore and finish all of the levels. Each level is unlocked once you complete the prior level regardless of whatever you scored on it.  In each of the levels there are a variety of different paths that you can take some of which net you more or less coins that influence your endgame score.  Through a process of trial and error you begin to figure out what works and what doesn’t and how you can begin to improve your time and score.  
The reason I am really enjoying this game is due to that factor of replayability.  No matter how well I finish a level I am always intrigued enough to try it again and try to shave a few seconds off for bragging rights on the leaderboards.  At the end of each level you score badges on the various things you did. For example if you found the hidden skull in each level you get a badge, you finish inside the time limit you get a badge as well.  I usually don’t enjoy games that have a in-game timer but I’m okay with it in this orientation because speed is this games middle name and being able to see the amount of time your wasting trying to find the skull and increase your panic level.  After you die in a level (which will happen often believe me) you are sent back to the start where you can watch as a ghost of your previous attempt runs alongside or ahead of your current effort to not die. You have the option to turn off the ghost respawning and the type of control you use in the blatantly obvious option menu. 
Another nifty feature in the option menu is the fact you can change your characters look from there.  The costumes include a ninja, the atypical purple jogging suit, and a bee.  There are 5 worlds in all and to unlock the next one you need to earn a certain number of badges in the previous level. Overall this a extremely addicting game that has you shaving off the seconds in the pursuit of a better score to boast about.  With tons of replayablility and hidden objects you will always find new content in Mos Speedrun.  I give it a 5/5.


“Reckless Getaway” Review- Guilt-Free, High-Speed, Car-Wrecking Fun!

Reckless behavior will get you many undesirable places in life like the bottom of a toilet, top of a building, and being chased by twenty cop cars.  In this game being reckless is your main goal and destroying tons of cars with a awesome maneuver will certainly put a smile on any ones face.  With lots of content including 17 levels, 2 game modes, and 2 different cars the fun wont be coming to a halt anytime soon.
The main catching point that got me hooked on this game is the floaty physics.  Sure some people like down-to-earth physics that make games play like a rock but the physics in this game let it have that extra element of unpredictability.  The two modes I mentioned before are Getaway and Wreckless.  Getaway is basically the main campaign of the game.  There are 4 different sets of levels each consisting of 4 levels each.
These sets of levels have their own backstory and their own environmental theme like the dessert for instance.  You unlock new levels and modes by earning stars in the previous levels. A star meter fills up depending on how many coins you pick up along the route and how much destruction you caused while driving….recklessly.  Hidden along the level are little sub routes that deviate from the main course of the level.  Often you will find way more coins and quickly elevate your star total if you can find them.
The second game mode, Wreckless is designed for the more destructive type.  You are outfitted with a big rig and in order to gain the stars mentioned previously you have to destroy as many cars as you can which as you can imagine is amazingly fun.  In both modes there are various power ups located randomly around the track.
It’s the star rating system that really gives the game good replay value but after you complete everything  there is little else substantial to work your way up to besides the GameCenter achievements.  Fortunately the overall fun of the game makes up for that discrepancy and works this game to the top of my favorite games list.  I highly recommend you check out this awesome and action packed game.

Overall Rating
Price: 2.99
Replayability: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Difficulty: Ranges per each level but is by no means a difficult game.
Overall Awesomeness Factor: 9/10
Percent Chance you will enjoy it: 90%
Ratio of Explosions to Overall crashes: 34/12
Chance we didn’t make up these statistics:  1000 to 1


‘Puppysaurus’ Review- 3.99 (Fuzzy Professor Head)

Pokemon has been at the root of most peoples early childhood and even later on in life.  Some feel ashamed to have once been a part of this huge phenomenon but others still embrace it today.  After much tension and debate over Nintendo porting over a Pokemon game to iOS they still remain stubborn and adamant to not let that happen.  Fortunately Puppysauraus, a game that plays similar to Pokemon has been released, but it is not the type of experience most imagined.

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From the first time you open up the game you realize that it is marketed towards the younger market.  The graphics are cutesy, the colors are vibrant and the creatures names are no where near threatening.  I remember my first thought being, I hope my friends don’t see me playing this.  But the game has turned into something of a guilty pleasure with me and some of my fond memories of playing Pokemon have been brought back to life.
You start off by being asked if you are a boy, girl or robot. Then you get to choose your skin color and then are off on your journey.  You receive your first Twee, which is the equivalent of a Pokemon and are briefed on the history of the game and why you are venturing out on your quest to stop/collect the Twees. Shortly thereafter you initiate your first battle.
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The battle system is quite unusual to say the least.  You can have up to 3 Twees on the battlefield at one time and can not switch others in its place if one retreats. Then you get to choose what move your Twee performs on its opponent. There are many different attacks like “Bap”, “Tag”, and Freeze all of which correspond with a cute little animation of your character doing that to the other Twee.  Needless to say as this is a kids game, none of the creatures get harmed and the attacks are done in good fun which is where the over cutesy nature really struck me cold. Then you can try to catch wild Twee which appear randomly across the map. To catch a Twee you don’t use a Ball or kind of catching mechanism. You make them your friends by performing specialty moves like “Nuzzle”, “Dance” and others to make their love meter fill up and thus join your team of Twee.  To initiate one of these battles you have to run into a sparkly portal found randomly around the wild area you are in.  If you clear an area of all the Twees you get a special reward.  You control your character with the aid of a joystick which feels fairly responsive.  From a menu you can change your Twee Team, tweak the settings, and check your teams stats.  When you want to quit all you have to do is exit out of the app and it will save exactly where you were when you left.  Included with the game is the ability to upload your own drawings into the Twee world for others to catch and battle.  All you need is any drawing app like Doodle Buddy or Sketchbook and your ready to draw!
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The music is amazing and really gives the game an epic soundtrack.  The sound effects are a little annoying in battle but I got used to it after a few matches. Visuals are as mentioned before, geared towards kids and are very pastel colored in nature. In-game Menus on the other hand leave a little to be desired.  The standby Twee menu utilizes the basic blue and white list menu which does not correspond with the mood the game has set.  My only other complaint is that I would like to see a clothes and hair shop where you can change the look of your character and thus personalize your experience.
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Overall if your into Pokemon or just want to be a kid again then this is the game for you.  Just don’t let your friends see you playing it! I give it a 4.5/5.
Itunes Link: http://itunes.apple.com/app/puppysaurus/id432228575?mt=8


‘AlphaBalls Review’ Do You Have The Balls To Try This Game?

Think of all the cliche alien movies you have seen this year. About 100% of them have huge Michael Bay- esque explosions and  awesome futuristic weapons.  Alpha Balls also has to do with an alien invasion but fortunately does away with all the over used explosions so common in main stream media.
When you first start up the game you are brought to a menu screen where you have a few different options.  You can check out the gamecenter leaderboards and see how your friends are doing, go through the tutorial, and finally start a game.  There is only one game mode; Survival, and it is score based.  You can try to compete for a high score by playing survival for a long time or just play it for fun.
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The main enemy in the game is an alien spacecraft that is trying to destroy the earth.  They’re not using heavy arms or swarms of enemies but are hedging the success of their mission on throwing large balls at our planet and hoping we are obliterated. But dammit were AMERICA we don’t stand for shenanigans like that!  Our awesome and high tech solution is to shoot balls back at their balls so that they are pushed away from our planet, hopefully hitting our annoying neighbors.  The ball shooting device is similar to a tennis serving machine and machine-gun fires the balls right back at them.  In order to shoot you drag your finger on the lower part of the screen in the direction you want to fire.  Keep in mind you have a limited amount  of ammo that replenishes slowly so you really have to be strategic in where and what you shoot of.  Unfortunately that means you cant have extreme firing rampages like in Rambo but that would just make the game too unbalanced. If you tap the screen with 2 fingers a charged shot is released that has more impact power than the regular shots. Using this ability decreases the shot meter by 5 shots which you could have used defending your base. You start off with a shield but that diminishes when it gets hits more than once which leaves no room for error. The game gets really intense later on in survival mode and will have you hooked trying to save your base.
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Overall this is a great physics based shooting game but is a little lacking on content.  More enemy types besides the 2 currently in the game would make the game more strategic as well.  I give it a 4/5 stars.
Info:
Releasing Sept. 1st
Price: 0.99
Devs: Appsolute Entertainment
Note: Pictures will be added once the game is released along with the unreleased video.


‘Dragon Fantasy’ Review- Retro RPG’s and Humour Go Suprisingly Well Together

Harkening back to the good old days of RPG’s is Muteki Corp’s newest game, Dragon Fantasy.  Right from the start with the hilarious intro you know this is going to be a great experience.  After the intro you start off in the kingdom of Wester where the new king is about to be crowned.  Then suddenly a Dark Knight comes and states that his master demands an audience with the prince who was going to be crowned.  Ogden(your in game character) chases after the Dark Knight to attempt to get the Prince back.

You control your character by dragging your finger in the direction you want your character to move in.  The controls are quite smooth and you can use any part of the screen for control.  You move across the expansive continent similar to how you do in Final Fantasy.  There are various towns, villages, and temples scattered across the land.  You will end up visiting most of these places in pursuit of the stolen Prince and there are no fetch quests like in KRPG’s.  Battles take place randomly as you go across the land and the combat is turn based.  You have four options while in battle: Fight, Magic, Items, and Run.  When you select Fight you automatically hit the opponent and there is a small chance that a critical hit(which makes the damage of your attack higher) will occur.  You gain Magic over the course of the game and can be useful when your in a pinch. The item option is self explanatory, you can select certain items that you have with you and use them in combat.  Run can be used when your too much of a wuss to fight a enemy and there is a small chance it wont work that round.  The battles are fairly fast paced and there isn’t loads of text you have to tap through to get to the next action.
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The graphics are simply awesome with beautiful 8-bit effects that seem like they’re coming straight from a arcade game. The 8-bit music is amazing as well and definitely adds a finishing touch to the game that makes playing through it all the more fun.
Overall this is a simply must have game that provides a humorous throwback to the good ol Retro RPG age. This should be anyone’s first forray into the AppStore RPG market.  I give it 5/5 Stars.
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Price: 2.99 + Universal support
Link: Dragon Fantasy Link
Site: http://mutekicorp.com/


Zen Wars- 1.99 (Subzero.eu)

Zen Wars is based off a old arcade classic called Rampart which featured multi-phase tower defense gameplay. There are 3 different phases to every one turn you get in the game regardless of the mode.  The first, the combat stage is where the player has about 15 seconds to fire on the opposing forces defenses and troops. Then you can rebuild your ramparts and walls to beef up your derisory.  The final stage is where you can place down cannons in the available enclosed space.  Now the catch is that you cant just put your defenses down wherever you want you have different shapes that are offered up each rebuilding period that you have to fit together to encircle your fortress. In your territory you can have up to three fortress which one of which you have to have completely encircled.
The game comes packed with 3 different modes including a campaign mode.  In the campaign mode you are put in the middle of  certain scenarios that you have to overcome.  Then in the survival mode 4 of those levels in the main campaign are available for unlimited play.  Then comes the coup de grace the multiplayer mode.  A total of 3 players can battle it up over Gamecenter trying to be the last one standing. A interesting feature is that voice chat is included so you can chat with people and make alliances in order to get farther in the round. For example if you want to win a round you can team up with another guy so your chances of winning are improved.  Then after hes dead and out you can disband from the team and test your might against your former allie.  Its definitely alot more fun against real people but the campaign mode is still good for practicing and developing your strategy’s for online.
Overall this is a great strategy game that is very fun to play and one of the most in depth strategy games for the ipod platform.  I highly recommend this game, 4.5/5 stars!


Interview with RocketCat Games

You may recognize the name Rocketcat from seeing some of their previous games like Hook Champ and Super Quick Hook.  Currently they are working on a RPG that goes back to the roots of classic RPG’s with no fetch quests and no grinding. Intrigued by their progress I asked them for a interview.  If you have any questions you want answered by RocketCat then shoot me a tweet or leave a comment on this article. Enjoy!
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Q: What role do you play in Rocketcat Games? (programmer, publisist etc)

A: Level and gameplay design mostly, and I run the company.
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Q:What do you feel you gain from each succesful game publish? Do you utilize the best elements from previous games or do you just start from scratch?


A: Each game teaches important lessons that we use in the next game. Even though Mage Gauntlet is a completely new genre, you’ll still be able to see the influences from previous games.
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Q: Regarding your recent game Mage Gauntlet, how do you feel this will alter the course of your studio. For example will you start branching out into other genres like Tactical RPG’s like Final Fantasy or revert back to the hook and jump that was loved by many?


A: You’ll see us move into the action-RPG genre for awhile. We also have been thinking about doing turn-based RPG’s, because we could easily make those using the same RPG engine. I don’t see us going back to the hook racing games anytime soon, at least for iOS.
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Q: Any plans for a sequel to Mage Gauntlet?


A: Yes, probably two direct sequels to continue the story, and also one limited story, all action spin-off.
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Q: What do you feel about making a platformer with rpg elements that also incorporates the hook and jump mechanism?


A: We were going to make a grappling-hook metroidvania sort of game. We stopped working on it because it just didn’t seem to fit the iOS platform too well, for a variety of reasons. We might revive that project later on, maybe as a PC game instead.
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Q: What kind of sales do you expect for the new game?


A: No idea! If people find it and like it, it could sell a lot more than the hook games did, just because action-RPG’s are a really popular genre. Grappling-hook-racing is a much, much more niche genre in comparison.
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Q: How do you think people will react to the game and its spin of the RPG genre?


A: I think people that like classic-styled action RPG’s, but don’t like 40 hours of KRPG style grinding, will like this game. All the top-down action RPG’s I can think of right now for iOS are Korean RPG’s, which seem to universally have a really big focus on pointless grinding. We might even be the first classic RPG to hit the App Store that doesn’t have a “collect 10 firewood” quest.
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Q: Can you give us details on an example of a typical quest in the game?


A: There are no quests in the game, in the modern-day sense. That is, no collect 10 quests, no kill 20 quests. Instead, you’re exploring and fighting your way through the game’s story.
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Q: What is the main story of the game? What is your goal?


A: In the game story, your quest is to find three missing wizards that are important in preventing the Archdemon from escaping his banishment. You’re given a powerful magical gauntlet to assist you. About midway through the game, it becomes clear that you have to stop the Archdemon yourself.
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Q: How replayable would you say the game is? Are there many collectibles and other things you can find after the story?


A: There are a lot of secrets, collectibles, new swords and other equipment you can find, and achievements. There’s also a nightmare difficulty mode, with remixed levels and enemies, that you unlock by beating the game. For completionists, there’s a star-grade system for each level which unlocks pets that follow you around, and an optional kill-enemies-for-rare-hats bit.
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Q: How does it feel to be manager of a game company? Are you stressed out all the time trying to get your games to the next level or is it fairly laid back?


A: The last month of development for each game is pretty stressful. Otherwise it’s not, really.
When do you estimate the games release date?
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Q: When do you expect the game to release?



A:The game should be out either early Septermber or really late August. Not sure until we submit it
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If you have any other questions you would like me to ask RocketCat Games you can comment on this post or  send us a tweet at our twitter page! Twitter:http://twitter.com/#!/TheAppShack
Check out their site here:http://www.magegauntlet.com/


Mos Speedrun-1.99(Physmo)

Running. When your pudgy like most adolescent kids these days the sound of that very word strikes fear into your little cheeseburger-loving heart.  Fortunately for you this game encaptures the fun that isn’t running and wont make you sweat at all.
The gameplay is quite simple, your goal is to run to the goal in the fastest time possible while trying to be speedy around obstacles and enemies.  Quick reflexes are the name of the game here but with time even the most pitifully uncoordinated player will be able to play like a pro.  The first level is the of course the adjustment level where you get used to the controls and the nuances of the game. After that you are basically on your own to explore and finish all of the levels.  Each level is unlocked once you complete the prior level regardless of whatever you scored on it.  In each of the levels there are a variety of different paths that you can take some of which net you more or less coins that influence your endgame score.  Through a process of trial and error you begin to figure out what works and what doesn’t and how you can begin to improve your time and score.  The reason I am really enjoying this game is due to that factor of replayability.  No matter how well I finish a level I am always intrigued enough to try it again and try to shave a few seconds off for bragging rights on the leaderboards.  At the end of each level you score badges on the various things you did. For example if you found the hidden skull in each level you get a badge, you finish inside the time limit you get a badge as well.  I usually don’t enjoy games that have a in-game timer but I’m okay with it in this orientation because speed is this games middle name and being able to see the amount of time your wasting trying to find the skull and increase your panic level.  After you die in a level (which will happen often believe me) you are sent back to the start where you can watch as a ghost of your previous attempt runs alongside or ahead of your current effort to not die. You have the option to turn off the ghost respawning and the type of control you use in the blatantly obvious option menu.  Another nifty feature in the option menu is the fact you can change your characters look from there.  The costumes include a ninja, the atypical purple jogging suit, and a bee.  There are 5 worlds in all and to unlock the next one you need to earn a certain number of badges in the previous level.
Overall this a extremely addicting game that has you shaving off the seconds in the pursuit of a better score to boast about.  With tons of replayablility and hidden objects you will always find new content in Mos Speedrun.  I give it a 5/5.
Note: Video Recording has been added in an update.

Link:http://itunes.apple.com/app/mos-speedrun/id419215811?mt=8


Alien Space Retro-FREE(OwensGames)

Vector graphics are one of my favorite types of graphics you can see in a game.  Though I was not born anywhere near the 80’s when they were most popular I still appreciate the beautifully minimalistic design.  Alien Space combines that with a unique blend of dual stick shooters to make this a very intriguing game.
This game is actually the second iteration of another app released by the same developer except with a change of graphics. 
It is not clear what the main story of the game is but thats where you let your imagination think something up. Besides you cant just daydream about the cute girls at your high school 24/7!  The game comes packed with 30 levels and a nice survival mode.  You have the option of buying 4 new weapons and a extra game mode called Lost In Space.  The extra game mode is particuluarly interesting as there or no enemies or weapons and you have a extremely damaged ship that even the slightest collision will cause it to blow up.  You are located in the worst possible place to be with a damaged ship;a asteriod field.  Your energy is constantly depleting causing you to search through the field to find life giving crystals in order to stay alive.  
The gameplay is usually fast and frantic and perfectly fits into that 5 minutes of rest time before being bugged by a idiotic coworker. You are always on the move either blasting enemies into smithereens or dodging asteriods when escaping from your opponents.  Asteriods can be broken for credits and health so its always beneficial to try to hit them as well.  The controls are very tight and responsive and dont hinder the gameplay. A feature I especially liked was the fact that you can choose one light weapon(faster firing/light damage) and one heavy weapon(slow firing/heavy damage) before each level.  Currently there are 6 weapons with various levels of upgrades that affect the look of the weapons fire.  In the level you can then choose which one to use and switching between the two of them in mid-battle is a cinch.  Another nifty option is that you can change the games color scheme from the option menu.
Overall this is definitely a steal for only 0.99 and definitely eats up the time that you could be doing something productive with.  Next time you are looking for another quick 0.99 fix this should be on the top of your list.
Link :http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/alien-space/id447275812?mt=8&uo=4


Fabled Lands 2 Gold Edition-6.99(Megara Entertainment)

If your reading my words right now chances are your not much of a book person.  But what if you had a game that was a blend of a book and a game all at once?  That unique blend can best be described with one simple word, gamebook.  And that is exactly what this game is except with a lot more RPG elements than others of its kind. Apparently this game was adapted from an actual book series so if you a fan of the books then youll probably love this adaption.
Starting off you are given the selection of starting your adventure in the first Fabled Lands gamebook or the second one.  I don’t think the storyline differs between the two but just to be safe I stuck with the first one. You have the ability to choose between 6 different classes and whether your character is male or female. Your class certainly changes some of the decisions of the game and the way you play it so there is tons of replay value to be had here.   So as to not ruin the experience for you I will not give away any details of the story as that is the main element of the game and for you to interpret on your own.

As you progress through the game you are  given options of what to do like for example go to the tavern, or investigate the poison ivy bushes.  Different outcomes come from these actions and influence you in different ways like needing to go to an inn because you drank too much beer at the tavern or having to buy a medical solution because you mistakenly used the poison ivy as toilet paper.*  Also you may run into a battle or two by choosing to venture into the forest or take the path up to the fort.  Among the options you may encounter over the course of the game include how you sneak up on your enemies like by using magic or using the shadows.  Depending on how much prowess you dedicated to that specific skill you will either pass the action and move on to assassinate the boss or fail miserably and be forced to run away sometimes loosing your items and gold which can set you back substantially.  Often I felt discouraged by the fact that you never really knew for sure if you were prepared for a quest but once I get the hang of the unique mechanisms im sure ill catch up.  When your in a town you can of course buy important items like potion or swords or accpet quests from the guild.  Its basically a free roam game and you are only limited to your imagination as most game events like battles are random.  The battles are turn based and your stats and weapons are taken into account when judging the max attack damage on the enemy.   You dont have to push any buttons or select options during a battle as they are all entirely automated.
The hand drawn art at each scene is absolutely beatufil and captures the fantasy mood of the game spectaculuary.  The soundtrack is also very fitting and is very relaxing to listen too.  Multitasking has been included as well so its good for pick up and play sessions on the go or on the job. The price may be a bit steep for some but the game is  definitely worth the admission price.

Overall this is a breathtaking game that puts the reins in your hands and lets you choose your in-game destiny.  With tons of replayability and many different situations this one will last you a while.  I give it a 4.5/5.
Link:http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fabled-lands-ii-gold-edition/id451019342?mt=8
*please note that some of these situations e.g(poison ivy) are not actually in the game and were used for comedic effect.