SlapApp.com » ipad

PounceHD Game Contest and Giveaway

Rich DeBell — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:00:47 +0000

Double Apps Inc. and SlapApp.com have teamed up to run a contest awarding free promo codes and a $50 iTunes Gift Card to participants. Starting Tuesday, October 12th we will post a daily PounceHD iPhone app related question on our contest page. Answers to each question will be located on the PounceHD iTunes App Store page. For your chance to win a PounceHD promo code all you’ve got to do is find the answer, and enter it into our contest form below. Each day multiple winners will be randomly selected. At the end of our contest a $50 iTunes gift card will be awarded to the winning finalist!

How does the contest work?

Each day we’ll post a new question on the contest form and send out a tweet.

What do you have to do to win?

Free Promo Codes – just follow @SlapApp on Twitter, wait for the daily tweet, read the question, get the answer from iTunes and post it in the contest form!

The promo code giveaway portion of the contest is now over

$50 iTunes Gift Card – just follow @SlapApp on Twitter and re-tweet the daily contest tweets like there’s no tomorrow (In fairness to our other followers no more then 5 retweets per contest tweet will be counted)! In fact we encourage you to tweet your own posts of the contest. Just be sure to mention @SlapApp to be eligible and have a working link back to this contest page. At the end of each day the top tweeter will be picked as a finalist. At the end of the contest each finalist will compete in “the finalists challenge”. The winner of the finalists challenge gets the goods!

About PounceHD:

Pounce is an intense multi-player speed card game. Game play is similar to solitaire, except that you are racing to play your cards faster than your opponents. Earn points for cards you play into the shared center field, and be the first to empty your Pounce pile to score bonus points!

Pounce is loaded with features:

Single player games against up to 4 virtual opponents in the iPhone or iPod, or 6 virtual opponents on the iPad.
Head-to-Head games on a single device with 2 people and up to 2 virtual opponents on the iPhone or iPod, and 4 virtual opponents on the iPad.
Multi-player games with up to 5 total players on the iPhone or iPod and up to 7 total players on the iPad (Bluetooth is required for multi-player games)
Multiple card face, card back, and playing field designs
Left-handed and right-handed modes
In-depth tutorial teaches you how to play.
Single player and Head-to-Head games are saved if Pounce is interrupted or you exit

PounceHD was recently listed in the Apple iTunes New and Noteworthy section.

Device Requirements:

Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later. The original Pounce app is also compatible with both the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Finalists Contest

First, let’s congratulate our finalists who will be competing for the $50 iTunes gift card (golf clap):

@azarado,
@JGabesz,
@Jiushijeff,
@ruby4378182,
@bbbaddict,
@Phoenixx138,
@iFix1,
@iCloudcastles

The finalists contest will kick off at 4 PM EST today 10/16/2010 via Twitter! Each finalist will be required to click the link and answer the posted list of questions about PounceHD. The answers to the questions can be found on either the PounceHD App Store page or on the Double Apps Web site (app’s developer). The first finalist to answer all of the questions correctly will win the $50 iTunes Gift Card! Good luck everybody!

Finalists Contest Questions:

1) What is the testimonial/review posted by ‘Primo24’?

2) What card game is PounceHD similar to?

3) What is the maximum number of players that can compete in multi-player game mode?

4) In the 5th Screen shot within iTunes, how many black cards (clubs and spades) are visible on the iPad screen?

And the Winner is….@ruby4378182. Congrats and thanks to everyone who participated.

Great News if you missed out on a FREE version of PounceHD. Pounce HD Lite just released. Get your Free test drive now!

Please place your answer in the form below

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Grumps

Ryan Johnson — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:52:03 +0000

What does it say of me if I saw the name of this app and was immediately drawn to it? HAHA, long week I guess If you like dodge ‘em games then you may want to try your luck at Grumps. Trapped in a 2D world you’re forced to weave in and out of falling emoticons in an endless and increasingly difficult journey to stay alive. If you’ve got good vision and excellent tilt reflexes, you may score big in this game.

Created by Mojo Software, Grumps is a very simple concept, that’s basic to the eye yet difficult to master. Disgruntled emoticons rain down endlessly from above with increasingly smaller windows of space separating them. It’s your job to tilt your iPhone/iPod/iPad side-to-side to navigate the avatar, which happens to bear a striking resemblance to developer Carl Andrews, in and out of the way of the falling frowny faces. You’ve got a little wiggle room for error because you can get touched up to 3 times before you’re toast. However, if you put yourself in the wrong position, getting hit three times in a row is really easy to do.

Much to their dismay, the Grumps aren’t the only emoticons on the block. There are also happy faces and bombs. Collecting happy faces gives you bonus points so you can pad your score a bit as you play. Keep in mind Grumps includes Open Feint so padding your score equates to bragging rights on the global leaderboard. Bombs are the most critical things to gather in my mind. Once you’ve grabbed a bomb, you can save it for when you need it most. When you’re cornered and it’s a certainty that the Grumps are about to give you the smackdown just tap the screen to unleash the bombs fury, obliterating all the Grumps on the screen. Collecting bombs and smiley faces are a must, but keep in mind that many times they’re set up as a trap and it’s almost a given that you’ll get hit by a Grump or two trying to snag one. No biggie if you’ve got three lives left, but once you’re down to your last one, you’ll really want to pick and choose when to go for them.

So, what’d I think about Grumps? Meh, it’s okay. I played it, didn’t really love it, not really sure if I’ll play it again. I found the tilting sensitivity to be a little on the slow side, and overall I guess I just wish it was a bit more polished. The sound effects seem a bit cheesy to me and the graphics although they may be appealing to many, are a bit rough around the edges and kind of remind me of scenery from Pee Wee’s Playhouse. At a cost of only $0.99 it’s hard to say that this game’s not worth the money because it does offer those that enjoy retro looking dodge ‘em games something to add to their collection. However, I’m not really sure that Grumps is going to be everybody’s cup of tea.

Pros:

Challenging, will give dodge ‘em game lovers a run for their money
Keeps you engaged as you play

Cons:

Tilt responsiveness seems a bit slow and unresponsive
Will be fun for some, not fun for others

Version Reviewed: 1.3

Requirements: iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad; iPhone OS 3.1 or later

Gravity Runner

Ryan Johnson — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:27:38 +0000

Watch out! Colin is on the loose and he can defy gravity! Gravity Runner is an amazingly addictive retro inspired game that’s a classic in the making and an excellent addition to anyone’s arsenal of apps.

Created by We Are Colin Ltd., Gravity Runner is a race against the clock where Colin, an adventure loving daredevil charges through levels laced with deadly obstacles. He leaps over gorges, rows of spikes, and other death inducing doozies that surround him from both above and below. Colin possesses the power to reverse gravity which allows him to overcome challenges that non one else can. To succeed in Gravity Runner you must master the ability to reverse gravity at will, and time the transition perfectly so you can overcome all obstacles in your path.

Gravity Runner is almost like playing two games at the same time. Think of Super Mario Bros but with the ceiling being in play too. In the game you basically sprint non-stop across the screen, needing to leap high and far to clear rows of deadly spikes and bottomless gorges. Some obstacles simply can’t be cleared without reversing gravity so with a double tap of the screen you’ll send yourself soaring toward the ceiling. All obstacles from above function the same as the one’s below, just in reverse. To get to the end you’ve got to perfect the double tap motion, timing it just right so you can safely land on solid ground, whether it’s above or below. The slightest misstep and you’re toast.

Reversing gravity is a must to clear every level, so don’t think you can skirt by without it. I found the reverse gravity twist of the game very entertaining and curiously challenging. Because you’re moving at a fast pace and many obsticles don’t show their ugly face until after you’ve already committed to a move, the ability to double tap and reverse gravity only compounds the decision making process required for the game. It’s often that you’ll find your fingers fighting your brain while playing. It totally rocks and in my mind makes it stand out from many of the other traditional retro runner games.

I know what you’re thinking. The graphics of Gravity Runner look so weak. I’m playing 3D augmented reality stuff, why would I want to step back in time to 1986? Let me tell ya. I said the same stuff to myself, but after a couple minutes with the game I realized 20 minutes had passed. Gravity Runner is seriously fun and without a doubt worth every penny. If you’re looking for a fast-paced game that’s ideal for killing some time, don’t hesitate to download this app.

Pros:

Fast paced, extremely addictive
Good quality, decent replayability
Sticks true to it’s retro theme (graphics, sounds, etc.)

Cons:

Graphics could definitely be better, but I guess they’re part of it’s charm
Story line is a little basic, but the fun game-play makes up for it

Version Reviewed: 1.0

Requirements: iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad; iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later

Top Gun 2

Ryan Johnson — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:05:41 +0000

“Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a flyby. That’s a negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.” Yeehaw! The adrenaline pumping excitement of Top Gun is back and better than ever! Top Gun 2 gives you more planes, more weapons, more bogies, bosses, and missions. So grab you helmet, hop in your plane, and lets go do some damage!

Top Gun 2, created by Paramount Digital Entertainment, is as action packed as it gets. Communism is making a comeback and the pilots of the USS Enterprise have been sent to destroy it. You and your fellow Top Gunners fly deep behind enemy lines and attack enemy strongholds. They meet you with stiff opposition from both ground and air. You’re outnumbered 20 to 1, bogeys come at you from all angles, bullets are flying, heat syncing missiles are locked on, and fleet commanding bosses swoop in when you’re at your weakest, forcing you to overcome insurmountable odds to survive. Do you have what it takes to complete the mission?

Top Gun 2 offers all the types of missions that we’ve come to enjoy such as seek and destroy, traditional dogfighting, land attacks, and search and rescue. This time it even has a space mission. Each mission demands and even greater mastery of the controls and weaponry. Prior to each mission you can select your plane of choice. Choose from the all-time classic F-14, or pick the more maneuverable F-16, or slide into the seat of the fire power heavy F-18 hornet. Each mission favors different planes more. It’s up to you to figure out which puts you in the best position to succeed. You can also upgrade your weaponry to make eliminating the opposition easier. As you destroy enemies and complete missions you accumulate more cash which can be used to purchase upgraded firepower.

If you like classic arcade fighter pilot games then you’re really going to love Top Gun 2. There’s non-stop action from beginning to end. The sounds and graphics are top notch, the bogies don’t stop coming, and for every heat sinking missile you fire off be ready to have 3 more coming straight back at you. I love pretty much everything about this game with the exception of the controls. The controls are accelerometer based as you’d expect, and for the most part feel natural, however currently there’s no option to customize them. Why would you need to customize them? Well, currently to turn left you need to tilt your iPhone/iPod touch/iPad to the right. If you like opposite direction controls then you’ll love it, but if you don’t you won’t. I’d love to have the option to invert them. Hopefully that’s coming in an update. Secondly you’re not able to do barrel rolls. One of the most popular scenes in Top Gun involves flying inverted, so why can’t I fly inverted? With these changes Top Gun 2 would be darn near perfect! Even without these tweaks Top Gun 2 is a super fun game, offers plenty of value for the price, and a great game for both kids and adults. If you’re a fan of flying and action games then you should definitely check out Top Gun 2!

Pros:

Tons of action, very addictive
Great graphics, quality affects, classic soundtrack
Can upgrade weapons with cash earned from gunning down enemies

Cons:

Currently you can’t customize/invert controls
Can’t do barrel rolls (Sigh)

Version Reviewed: 1.0

Requirements: iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad; iOS 4.0 or later

NinJump

Ryan Johnson — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:00:56 +0000

Here’s another endless climber that’s super fast paced, and forces you to leap, slice, and dice your way to new heights and high scores. In NinJump you’re a pint sized yet stealthy ninja that must climb high above the dojos, higher than ever before, and along the way must defend one’s self against all kinds of enemies like evil squirrels, pesky rival ninjas, angry birds, throwing stars with bad intentions, and bombs. One little mistake and you’re toast!

Calling NinJump by Backflip Studios fast paced would be an understatement. The ninja pretty much sprints up walls. Enemies in the game are plentiful and leave little room for error. Enemy squirrels sprint across clothes lines, throwing stars come soaring across the screen, and rival ninjas cling to walls waiting for your slightest mistake. You must kill and avoid these enemies at all costs. They come and go quickly, and never leave you room to breathe.

There are two essential skills you must master to dominate the leaderboard. First, you must master the sword. Tapping the screen sends the ninja leaping laterally to the opposite wall. While in the air the ninja flails his samurai sword. Use must use this sword to slice and dice your airborne enemies. Failing to do so will send you falling to you doom. Secondly you must master leaping. Enemies fixed to walls cause instant death if you touch them. Not even your samurai sword can save you from these guys. So each time you leap you must be cognisant of where you’ll land. If you’re timing stinks, then you better learn how to grow some wings.

Climbing high is really tough in this game, so you’ll want to make sure you take advantage of every bonus that comes your way. If you see a blue bubble, grab it! It gives you a film of protectiveness that lets you soar ahead with little regard for what awaits. It’s only temporary protection, but it’s so worth it. Secondly, if you slice up three enemies in a row, your ninja hits hyper-drive and somersaults his way through entire sections without worry of taking damage. So, like I said before, mastering the sword is essential to dominance!

Overall NinJump is a game you should definitely check out. The best way I can describe it is a more fast paced, poor mans version of Ninjatown. The only real differences being that the graphics and game aren’t as involved and NinJump is completely FREE! NinJump falls into the category of ultimate time wasters. Even if you only have one minute to spare you can probably crank out 2-3 games. It’s got decent replayability and has all the sharing extras that we’ve come to love like Open Feint, Facebook, Twitter, and email. As you’d expect with a free game, NinJump serves ads while you play, but they’re displayed across the top, and aren’t that noticeable. If you haven’t already downloaded NinJump while reading this review, then stop waisting time and go get it now!

Pros:

Fast Paced, fun, and addictive
Great time waster
Really tough, decent replayability
It’s FREE!

Cons:

Not particularly unique, slight twist on other endless climbers

Version Reviewed: 1.01

Requirements: iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad; iPhone OS 3.0 or later

Look-Up

Steve — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 19:44:00 +0000

So here’s a pretty slick new game released by Soulbit7 that brings a classic alien invasion directly into your personal living space. In Look-Up you must join Earth’s resistance and fight off pesky alien invaders by shooting down UFO fighter crafts before they get all up in your grill! Wherever you look a UFO’s right around the corner, though in this one it’s not just “around the corner”, you’ll need to scan a full 360 degree’s to ensure mankind’s survival.

First off I must warn you: Do not play this game in public unless you want to be utterly ridiculed. Why? Because this game uses augmented reality, which basically means you play the game in your real surroundings. The game relies on the iPhone’s camera to display a backdrop as a setting for battle. This brings a realism to gameplay that is simply unmatched. Defend Earth from invading UFO’s in your living room, outside, or in the office – wherever you are, they are coming to get ya! I mentioned earlier not to play this in public because you must fully interact with this game by shooting UFO’s all around you. Rapidly scanning your surroundings by panning up, down, left and right with frantic jolts of the iPhone will have the casual bystander startled to say the least. BUT, this sure does make for some interesting gameplay!

Look-Up allows you to choose from two play modes: 360 or 180. 360 mode requires you to stand up and play in a full 360 degrees: twirl all the way around and scan the skies for invaders. 180 mode is geared more for sitting down and defending a frontal attack, this only uses 180 degrees of playable space, (starting from about your waist area, up to above your head). In terms of game modes, Look-Up has three: “Invasion” mode featuring 9 levels in which you need to battle against the alien invaders, opening up new features along the way, “Hold M’ Up” mode for non-stop shooting action that basically tests how long you can survive, and finally “Multiplayer” mode: enlist an army to fight the wave of alien attackers by linking up with friends via bluetooth.

I really liked the overall look and theme of the menu graphics and sound effects, which all seem to be spot-on in delivering a “sci-fi like” experience. The interface is pretty basic and user friendly. The sight (target) area is directly in the middle of the screen, followed by the right red button for regular weapon fire, and the left blue button for Tractor Beam and H-bomb Launcher. The energy bar is also displayed in the center of the screen along with the enemy tracker which indicates the amount of UFO’s engaging in the attack. You’ll find the enemy tracker to come in handy as most of the time the UFO’s are hovering over head or flying in from the side for a surprise attack out of sight.

One feature that seemed to be missing was the ability to pause the game. Also attempting to lock-in on your target at times can be a bit cumbersome and erratic. Some UFO’s are in plain sight so adjusting accordingly to line up the target and take them out works as expected, though other times they seem to disappear, or rapidly move outside the norm, making targeting tough. At times it seems the UFO will always hover “just outside” your target range no matter now fast you move the sight into place.

But all in all the gameplay is pretty entertaining and engaging. This augmented reality genre is becoming a great new avenue for game developers and Look-Up’s UFO theme and gameplay fits this style perfectly. Scanning the skies for invading aliens and using your actual surroundings as part of the game is a really slick concept. I look forward to future updates and would definitely recommend this game if you are into augmented reality gaming or shooter-style games.

Osmos for iPad

gadgetpilipinas — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 03:20:50 +0000

Originally launched for the PC, Linux, and Mac, Osmos for iPad has finally arrived and I’m blaming it for the sleepless nights I had last week.

Created by Hemisphere Games, the goal of Osmos for iPad is pretty simple – place yourself in the “life” of a mote, propel yourself in a confined or sometimes uber-vast area and get big by absorbing other smaller organisms called motes. Whatever you do don’t get greedy and start tyring to absorb bigger motes. They’ll strike back and terminate you!

Propelling yourself as a mote is as easy as expelling some of your mass. Tap the outer-left part of yourself and you’ll propel to the right. Tap the outer-right part of yourself and you’ll propel to the left. Over tap, and you’ll become the smallest speck of organism in the vast area of larger motes which makes getting absorbed by them a whole lot easier. Of course, you don’t want that to happen, right?

Osmos for iPad features 3 unique zones – sentient, ambient and force.

Osmos for iPad, in my honest opinion, is the simplest yet one of the most innovative games I’ve played so far on the iPad. I never got the chance to play it on the PC so I am lucky to have it played first on a touch-screen device such as the iPad. The game experience is like a roller coaster ride – it’s easy, then becomes difficult but, over-all, an enjoyable experience.

The graphics aren’t top notch but they’re consistent with the core essence of the game – immerse yourself in the life of a mote and become big as big as the vast universe that surrounds you. The music creates a peaceful ambiance and enhances the over-all experience of the game . It’s very calming, which suits perfectly to what the game wants you to feel especially during the stressing parts. I actually even used it just to relax – a perfect alternative to white noise for me.

Overall, Osmos for iPad may not be the best looking game for the iPad but its shows a lot of promise. It is like the relaxing and “organic” version of Katamari; a simpler kind of your Spore creature; and a picture of how A-H1N1 virus spread into other cells and parts of your body. The gameplay and music is relatively addicting, so if you’re into merging motes and organs and sublime electronic music, then stay away from this game because you might end up playing this game like forever.

Version Reviewed: 1.6.1

Requirements: iPad, iPhone OS 3.2 or later

Funky Visions releases Tramp Stamp 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch

Rafter HD

Rich DeBell — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:15:09 +0000

iPad Owners rejoice!! The extremely addictive, fun and unique iPhone game Rafter is now available on the iPad in Rafter HD! After being featured in New and Noteworthy and WHAT WE’RE PLAYING in App Store by Apple, Emantras launches Rafter HD for iPad.

Rafter has 101 progressive levels of challenges. There are multiple solutions to each level, but its up to you to figure out which one is the best. Put your problem solving skills and logic to the test by drawing blocks (square, rectangle, long, short, thin, thick, ect…) and launching them at mines. This deceptively simple game needs a little bit of physics and a lot of timing to hit your target – a miniscule red mine. You can create wooden blocks and stone balls of any size. The game is part strategy and part trial and error. You have a limited number of attempts in each level. The fewer number of attempts it takes you to complete a level, the more points you earn.

Rafter HD has a unique new system for caculating scores as well. The equation is simple: Each level has a fixed number of moves and the score increases when you solve the game using the least number of moves. And while you’re trying to do all this, make sure to watch out for swinging platforms, fans and other not-so-friendly objects!

Features:

One of its kind physics based game in which the player can sketch objects of required sizes
Choice of selecting the type of sketches between circle and rectangle.
Open feint enabled to share the scores
101 mind blowing levels with interesting level designs.
Witty and highly addictive levels targeting players’ drawing skills.
Dynamic ‘gravity’ control function
Fan speed and Buoyancy control

I loved the iPhone version of Rafter which is why it was given a great 4 out of 5 finger rating by SlapApp. Now with the increased levels, features and screen size of Rafter HD for the iPad the game is taken to the next level and is deserving of the full 5 Finger rating. It makes great use of the iPad multi-touch technology and requires you to tap into your creative side to come up with solutions. As you advance in the game there are a handful of levels that at first glance will make you scratch your head. You’ll be greeted with vast open space, spring-like and falling platforms, rotating windmills, swinging gauntlets, block redirecting fans, and maze-like structures. Levels can go quickly but to master them it can take time. And with 101 levels the gameplay keeps going and offers a great amount of variation and extended playing time.

Requirements:

Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later

Cubes 3D Revolution

Ryan Johnson — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:15:09 +0000

If you’re a fan of Match 3 games and puzzle games then you’ve got to check out Cubes 3D Revolution! This game is well put together, has unique 3D effects, colorful graphics, and fast paced addictive game-play.

Created by Simiotica, Cubes 3D Revolution serves up a 3D floating grid with 49 five sided cubes, each side with it’s own color. Your job is to turn over the color that creates a three cube (or more) color match. All matching cubes then dissolve, the grid adjusts, and new cubes arrive to fill in the gaps. Working against the clock you can add back time by uncovering matches. The deeper in the game you go, the trickier it is to uncover new matches, putting a premium on being efficient. If you don’t uncover new matches quickly you’re a goner.

In addition to the standard match 3 effects that we’ve come to expect from these types of games (dissolving cubes, score and time adjustment, points and awards, multi-match combos, etc.), Cubes 3D Revolution adds an interactive twist. Because of the 3D nature of the game, the colored cubes float above the deep space themed background. Instead of having to turn over every side of every cube to see what colors they consist of you can simply tilt your device to expose. Tilt up, down, left, right, and at any angle to get a sneak peak of the colors on each side of the cubes. When you find one that’s a perfect match just slide your finger over the cube in the direction that uncovers a match and the game takes care of the rest.

For those that are easily stumped, Cubes 3D Revolution offers a hint button that you can turn to when you’re in a pinch. It lights up a cube that’s a certain match so you can get yourself out of a jam. I certainly wouldn’t make a habit out of using it, but as you get deeper in the game it’s pretty much a certainty that you’ll need it from time-to-time.

Earlier I mentioned that Cubes 3D Revolution is well put together. So what did I mean by that. Well, every menu, the transition from page to page and screen to screen, the music, the colors and graphics, the effects and interaction within the game, all of it is just perfect. The second you open the app the layout, the options, the location of the buttons, they all just make sense. It’s clean, crisp, and couldn’t be better.

Overall I loved this app. There’s something about apps that are well built from cover to cover. I fully recommend this game to anyone that enjoys puzzle and matching games, brain teasers, etc. It’s 100% worth the download.

Pros:

Well designed from cover-to-cover
Game-play is beautiful and addictive
Plus+ global leaderboard

Cons:

None

Version Reviewed: 1.1.2

Requirements: iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad; iPhone OS 4.0 or later

MapQuest 4 Mobile

Ryan Johnson — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:55:45 +0000

If you haven’t tried out MapQuest 4 Mobile yet now’s the time! Recently updated with voice spoken street names and updates, auto re-routing, and the ability to keep running in the background it’s easily my favorite free navigation app available in the App Store today.

All three of the new updates (voice spoken street names and updates, auto re-routing, runs in background) are features that every iPhone user has been thirsting for since day one and now they’re in! No longer do you have to continuously tap your screen to keep it alive while staring intently at a list of directions while driving. Now, with MapQuest 4 Mobile you can generate directions (by either shortest distance, or shortest time) and just set down your iPhone and relax. The app will conveniently keep running in the background, calling out street names as they approach.

Of course, we all know the iPhone’s GPS at times isn’t the most accurate (when generating location based on proximity to cell tower), so conveniently MapQuest 4 Mobile offers automatic re-routing. If you happen to miss your turn it’ll recognize it, generate alternate directions, and will continue calling out which streets to take until you arrive. It may not be as accurate as top of the line GPS apps, but it’s darn close and it’s free!

In addition to the great new features, I’m a huge fan of MapQuest 4 Mobile’s interface. Yeah, it offers the standard map and list view that we’re all familiar with, but it also offers the ability to get directions by shortest time instead of just shortest distance. It also allows you to customize a bunch of things ranging from turning on/off highways, toll roads, and seasonally closed roads, selecting the amount of energy usage the app uses when it runs, the units distance is measured in (miles vs. kilometers), to choosing your own position icon (waiving man, battleship, cat, etc., even your own photo). Everything feels naturally laid out and is extremely easy to use.

In addition to just the standard Point A to Point B directions, MapQuest 4 Mobile also allows you to find nearby points of interest such as hotels, gas stations, bars, restaurants, etc. You can customize and order these destinations any which way you want. There’s literally tons to choose from and to display them on your map all you have to do is touch the icon. You can display one at a time or multiple at once. Touch any of the results on the map to view the name, phone, address, etc., and to get directions. And as mentioned, once you pick one you’ve got voice directions straight to the door!

If you couldn’t already tell, I’m a huge fan of this app. To me it executes all of its features very well. It’s by no means perfect in every way, but it’s very close. If there is any room for improvement it’d be on the number of locations it displays. It by no means displays every single store, restaurant, coffee shop, etc. in a given area, but it does display the most established locations. Which, isn’t really a surprise as most navigation apps are the same way. In my opinion, MapQuest 4 Mobile is an extremely convenient and elegant navigation solution for iPhone, and given it’s free price point, shouldn’t it’s a no brainer to snatch up!

Pros:

Voice street names and updates
Auto re-routing if you miss a turn
Runs in the background; set it and forget it
Interface is elegantly designed and super easy to use
Amount of customization is excellent

Cons:

Doesn’t display as many locations (coffee shops, restaurants, bars, etc.) as it could

Version Reviewed: 2.0.2

Requirements: iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad; iPhone OS 3.0 or later