by vfitzjarrald | Dec 17, 2014 | App Reviews, On the iPad
iTeacherBook is a great app to help manage the demands and scheduling needs of your classroom.
There are a few disclaimers to this app however. Unfortunately, it has not been updated for quite some time, reducing its value as it appears to be underdeveloped at this point. It also has no way to directly export your scores and attendance to other LMS and SIS platforms.
It takes just a few minutes to setup your class and students in the App, and then you can use iTeacherBook to keep records of your students and how they are progressing in class.
by vfitzjarrald | Dec 17, 2014 | App Reviews, Game On!, On the iPad
Star Realms can be summarized in a single statement: Simple Drafting SciFi Card Game.
The gameplay of Star Realms is amazingly easy! You play cards which give you energy or combat points that you use to purchase more cards or damage your enemies. Where the game gets interesting is in the multiplayer online community. My win ratio only hovers around 50%, and I often get obliterated by other players. The game itself is not as robust as some of the other more notable card games on the app store, but it is one of the most enjoyable.
by vfitzjarrald | Dec 17, 2014 | App Reviews, Game On!, On the iPad
Judas, the enforcer of light, squares off against the undead Legions of Lazarus in this wonderful game by DreamFear.
I have to say that I feel like I am in some Religious High-Water when I play the game (pun intended). There is something satisfying about playing as Judas and liberating the Undead. Where the game really excels is in the small things: The Doves and Glorification of Levels, the Trainings from Jesus, the finishing moves of Purity, and the carefully crafted weapons. As a game, it is difficult to progress, and is a challenging fighting and puzzling game. It reminds me of Age of Zombies, but it has a more compelling story for me than AoZ did.
by vfitzjarrald | Dec 16, 2014 | App Reviews, Game On!, On the iPad
I still remember with the original Chopper Game hit the iOS store so many years ago. It was fun, but I for some reason never got into it. I always seemed to die, and never really liked the “get to the end” gameplay (oh and the rockets were a b***h).
Ever since that game came out, I have subconsciously been watching the app store for other Helicopter games that were engaging, and a bit more approachable. Just a few short weeks ago, Dustoff Vietnam fulfilled my Helicopter desires with a great flying app.
It takes just a few minutes to understand and use the basic controls of Dustoff, but it takes several hours to master the gameplay enough to fly a maze in a Chinook. The gameplay is predictable: rescue GI’s or collect missing equipment. The challenge comes in flying your chopper through the wind, dodging enemies, and fly through mines to find all of the GI’s. It was a time consuming challenge to get all the way through (and earn all of the gold stars), but I loved every minute of it.
by vfitzjarrald | Dec 16, 2014 | App Reviews, Game On!, On the iPad
Wow, Terraria…
It takes forever! As an iOS gamer, I have been following the pulse of iOS game development. It seems like three genres of Games have been steadily growing over the past year. Those genres are Crafting, Card, and Survival Games. Terraria is one of the most popular iOS Crafting/Survival games on the market.
The basic premise is that you are stuck on an alien world and need to survive. With rudimentary tools (at first), you create your own kingdom. As the game progresses, you have access to more intricate tools and resources, allowing you to create more and more items. Games like this tend to drag on forever! With Terraria, there is an end. You do reach the end of the crafting table after many hours in the game, and you can then spend your time developing your holdings.
by vfitzjarrald | Dec 16, 2014 | App Reviews, Game On!, On the iPad
FTL is a game that has been out for some time. I have been playing it for months and it still has me firmly within its grip. The basic premise is that you command a ship that is fleeing an aggressive fleet. As you progress, or jump, to new systems, you are presented with missions. Those missions earn you commodities that you use to upgrade your ship and destroy your enemies.
The gameplay is fairly straight forward, but the game is insanely challenging. After a few hours of playing, I had not beaten a single game. To this day, I still have not progressed to defeating the final boss of the game. It will take you hours of gameplay just to make it to the final confrontation, and even then, you will be lucky to survive. FTL is another game with an insanely high Game Hours / Dollar ratio. I still continue to play hoping that one day I will unlock all of the ships – it seems unlikely, but I am still hoping. Check out my video below for Gameplay analysis.
