Readers’ App Reviews – August 2012

Check out apps made by fellow readers!

This is a post by Reader’s Apps Reviewer Ryan Poolos, an iOS Developer and founder of Frozen Fire Studios. Checkout his latest game, Cyborg Livestock. Checkout his latest website, iHelp.

August broke a new record, over 50 apps and games submitted for review! We are thrilled with the support the excitement and very proud to see our tutorials used in so many excellent apps.

This month we’ve got a one of a kind language learning app, the worlds first free “game world” twitter client, and some very addicting games.

We make great tutorials, you make incredible apps. This is our chance to showcase your apps for everyone to see. Without further adieu, the apps! :]

Mapp Me

Mapp Me is definitely an app for the curious.

With Mapp Me you can connect with Facebook and view all your friends location information in a graphical map interface. You can track your friends current location, hometowns, and schools. Or you can pick a single friend and see there location history across the map. You can even get a filtered map of your mutual friends.

• Author: Di Peng @DCodier
• Most useful tutorial: How To Create a Simple iPhone App on iOS 5 Tutorial: 3/3
• App Store Link: Check it out!

iEntries

iEntries is a very powerful custom data tracker. Theres nothing it can’t track.

iEntries uses a template based system that allows you to create custom templates for the data you need to collect. Then you can create entries for each template fast as you fill out your custom form with text, pictures, and even video.

The app is document based so you can share your entries and templates with others who have the app and it will open them seamlessly ready for adding new entries or editing imported ones.

• Author: Jairo Cepeda @JaroCep
• Most useful tutorial: How to Import and Export App Data via Email in your iOS App
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Tweetworld

Tweetworld may quickly become your most addictive twitter client.

Tweetworld turns your Twitter feed into an explorable 2D world filled with your friends as adorable characters. You can walk around your generated world and tap on your friends to see their latest tweet.

This is a full featured client allowing you to reply, retweet, and favorite tweets. While you walk around you can collect coins to unlock more features of the app and decorate your new world.

• Author: Ezequiel Becerra @betzerra
• Most useful tutorial: Beginning Twitter in iOS 5
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Wee Rockets

Wee Rockets is a very cute app for kids that lets them launch their own rocket into space.

Wee Rockets is very simple so kids can do it all on their own. They build custom rockets using any combination of 16 pieces with simple drag and drop. Then they choose an astronaut to fly it.

Once they launch it they can steer it through an asteroid field and collect 6 different aliens. Its very simple, but sure to be a hit with any space loving kids.

• Author: Alain Hufkens @weerockets
• Most useful tutorial: How To Create and Optimize Sprite Sheets in Cocos2D with Texture Packer and Pixel Formats
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Brush Strokes

Brush Strokes is an easy to use yet powerful drawing app with a killer feature.

Brush Strokes comes with some built in tools to easily create lines, simple shapes, and gradients. It has support for the full RGB color gamut with adjustable brush size.

But its killer feature is live mode. Utilizing bluetooth, Brush Strokes allows you to pair devices locally and draw together live on the same canvas. And its universal so you can go to town on the iPads beautiful display.

• Author: Conner Douglass @ConnerDouglass
• Most useful tutorial: Core Graphics 101: Lines, Rectangles, and Gradients
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Mole Smasher

Mole Smasher is great version of an old classic.

Quick reflexes will help you climb to the top of the leaderboards in this mole whacking game. The little twist is you’ve got to pay attention to who you’re whacking. Gold moles are worth triple the points while red moles will send your straight to gameover.

GameCenter integration for highscores, achievements, and even multiplayer will keep you coming back for more.

• Author: Mike Simonetta @simzstudios
• Most useful tutorial: How To Create A Mole Whacking Game With Cocos2D: Part 2/2
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Vintify

Are your photos just looking too plain and boring lately?

Vintify is a clean, easy to use photo enhancing app that will help you added filters, overlays, and borders to your photos quickly.

You can easily share straight to Facebook, Twitter, and email within the app. Best of all when you save your finished picture to the Camera Roll it saves in high resolution.

• Author: Abdul Azeem @abdul_azeem
• Most useful tutorial: Beginning Twitter in iOS 5
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Stardrop Sprint

This addicting side scroller is perfect for playing on the go with extremely simple one tap controls.

But don’t be deceived by how easy it is to control this Stardrop, timing is everything in this fast moving gravity swapper. While your avoid floating off into space you can collect Starbits to increase your score and unlock bonus content.

With its hilarious graphics and engaging worlds you’ll definitely want to buy the optional bonus levels within the app.

• Author: Jaron Lowe
• Most useful tutorial: How To Make a Tile Based Game with Cocos2D
• App Store Link: Check it out!

Science Stars Elements

Science Stars Elements is an educational game that helps you learn the periodic table and compounds by plucking stars from the sky.

It has the full periodic table for practice and even covers Metalloids, Metals, Halogens, Compounds and Transitional Metals. There are 10 different challenging levels as it guides you through the all the elements.

You can compete with friends over GameCenter and brag about your superior elements knowledge using Twitter of course. Definitely a great way to learn your elemental symbols.

• Author: Johan de Klerk @Scistars
• Most useful tutorial: Core Graphics 101: Arcs and Paths
• App Store Link: Check it out!