Saturday, April 28, 2012

AndroidGuys

AndroidGuys

Five for Friday: Tower Defense-style games for Android

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 01:41 PM PDT

The goal of tower defense games is to try to stop enemies from crossing a map by building towers which shoot at them as they pass. Enemies and towers usually have varied abilities, costs, and ability costs. When an enemy is defeated, the player earns money or points, which are used to buy or upgrade towers, or upgrade the number of money or points that are earned, or even upgrade the rate at which they upgrade. - wikipedia

Love 'em or hate 'em, there are scores of Tower Defense games for Android smartphones and tablets.  The familiar style of play is found across tons of games and if you've played one, then you've played them all.  Or have you?  We posit that it's entirely possible to appreciate Tower Defense games as being unique in their own right.  As such, we've put together a list of five titles that represent the genre in a good light.

While we recognize that there are a vast number of titles that we did not include or that it appears we have a partially completed list.  On the contrary, these are just five apps that we've picked to get you going in the right direction.  That's why we turn to you and ask that you add your titles to the comments below.  This way other Android users can discover the stuff that we may overlook or omit.

This week's topic: Tower Defense-style games for Android

Tower Defense: Lost Earth

According to Wikipedia, Com2Us actually owns a trademark on the term "Tower Defense" Judging by the way this one plays, the trademark is in solid hands.  With five different world themes (Mountains, Desert, Ice, Crater, Lava) to choose from, there are plenty of (40!) campaigns and modes to keep us coming back for more.  Additional details include 9 towers, 10 enemy units, and 4 special weapons.  If you've ever played other titles from the developer (Slice It!, Homerun Battle 3D, ect) then you know the quality we're dealing with.

 

Hex Defense

We quickly fell in love with this one as the glowing graphics and electronic soundtrack hooked us at "start".  Details here include 35 levels with various challenges, seven types of creeps, and five tower types with 4 levels of upgrades.  Clear the 20th level and pick up another set of powerups, and not a moment too soon.  The enemies and weapons look incredible and take advantage of your Android's power, employing OpenGL-based graphics.

 

Jelly Defense

Cute and charming, Jelly Defense comes from the team that gives us the Can Knockdown franchise and Let's Create! Pottery. This one is deceptive because it has way more detail than you'd expect from a cursory glance.  We're big fans of the endless mode which lets us play for days  (okay, hours) on end and can't help but giggle a bit at how much fun these bad guys are.

Radiant Defense

Set in the same universe as their other title, Radiant, this one is about as bright and colorful a game we've encountered.  We've been a Hexage fan from way back in the day and this latest game has quickly become one of our favorites.  Features include 300 waves of aliens spread across 10 missions, 9 upgradable weapon, and 3 superweapons of mass defense.  Take on more than 50 baddies and then post your score on the internet leaderboard!

Fantasy Kingdom Defense HD

Set in a more traditional tower/castle environment, this game has plenty of fantasy-like elements, including elf archers, knights, mages and fire-breathing dragons!  Set in three different worlds, Fantasy Kingdom boasts 21 levels and three difficulty levels.  Although the game itself is free, the Elven shop and in-app purchases help enhance the experience with upgraded units, castles and defenses.  Online leaderboard rewards the top players with real-life cash prizes!

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Five for Friday: Tower Defense-style games for Android originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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Sony Hayabusa specs rumored to include 4.5-inch display, 7mm chassis

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 11:15 AM PDT

Until now, the only thing we knew about Sony LT29i was that it was going to be arriving this summer.  We learned from a leaked roadmap that the handset would carry a €493 ($650 US) price tag and assumed that it would be a high-end device.  Thanks to details obtained by BriefMobile we know know that it should feature a 4.55-inch 720p HD display, a 13-megapixel camera with high dynamic range video, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU, and a 2200mAh battery.  Sounds great right?  Wait, there's more!  This Android 4.0 beast is said to be crammed into a thin form factor that is only 7mm thick!  Look for a June announcement for the Hayabusa, followed by a July release.

Sony Hayabusa specs rumored to include 4.5-inch display, 7mm chassis originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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myCharge Portable Power Bank 6000 review

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 07:00 AM PDT

If you own an Android smartphone and/or tablet then you know there's no such thing as too much battery power. No matter how efficient the processor or how fancy the display technology, we can always do with a bit more juice.  As such, many users have taken to picking up extended batteries for their handsets.  Myself?  Well, I've fallen head over heels in love with myCharge's Portable Power Bank 6000.

I received a review unit earlier this year at CES and it's been my first-packed accessory ever since.  Going out of town for the weekend?  Stepping out of the office for a few hours?  Whatever the case, it's always with me.  What makes it so special?  Plenty.

For starters, the PPB6000 holds 6000mAh of battery life, or roughly 3-4 times what a typical smartphone offers.  Add to it that the device features an integrated cable with microUSB and miniUSB connections and it's already a winner.  Yeah, there's also an Apple connector in there as well but that's irrelevant to me.  However, there are a few times that I've been the most popular guy in the room and have come to the aid of iPhone users.

A well-worn travel companion

Other nifty features that I've come to appreciate include the LED indicator that keeps me informed as to how much juice I have left.  What's more, the microUSB charging is rather quick and the overall design is slim enough to toss in any pocket, bag, or glove compartment.  At $99 I would recommend this to anyone with a smartphone, tablet, Apple product, or mobile accessories. At less than $60 each?  Buy one for yourself and one for a friend!

myCharge Portable Power Bank 6000 review originally appeared on AndroidGuys.

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