What is the 17th best selling iPhone paid application? What was the best application of February 2009 on Blogcritics? What gives you a retro feel, yet also gives you hours of great and addictive game play? If you cheated and looked, then you already know that the answer is Smack Me, a sweet iPhone and iPod Touch game from FunMobility.
Smack Me is a modernistic version of the classic Bop It game. The iPhone shows you an image and an accompanying command – lift me, freeze me, smack me, pinch me, etc.. Your job simply is to do exactly what it is asking of you, within a time frame, while listening to absurd retro music that keeps speeding up. Though it is easy at first, it keeps getting harder and harder as you unlock more difficult levels.
Smack Me has a very basic premise and concept behind it, but that is what makes it so much fun. You can sit there for hours simply following very basic commands, but never see repeats or patterns. This seems easy, but it is really not. The fact that you need to get it right every time, that the sequences get faster, and that the music has alternating beats really throws you off, which in turn really makes it a difficult game. I love how hard it is to play this game, as it gives it not only the retro feel, but also the ability to play over and over.With these ever changing patterns, Smack Me is also an extremely addictive game to play. Nothing is ever the same from one minute to the next, and there are never any repetitive patterns. Additionally, with the difficulty of the actual game, it was very hard to finish games 100% on the hardest difficulty. Due to this, I kept replaying Smack Me because I wanted to complete the game 100%, do it better, and do it faster. Addictability is essential in any simple game, as it is the only way to keep you playing the game for hours.
I am a retro guy front to back; I like Jumpman, Pac Man, and techno. If something is playing music at me in an 8-bit format, I will instantly fall in love with it. One of the things that I really like about Smack Me is the fact that it has an amazing retro feel. The game is simple and easy, with commands that remind me of things I would find on my old Sega Genesis. The music is technoy, which not only amuses me, but reminds me of my Daft Punk era. Lastly, the voice that commands you in Smack Me is projected in 8-bit format, which means that I love the game. Toss in the fact that the high-score table looks like the ones that you would find on old arcade games and you have a great mix.
The only thing that I find concerning about this game is the fact that the price is too high for most people in the app store. People seem to either want free games or things that cost $.99. Very few games or applications are successful over that price point, and, at $1.99, Smack Me puts itself above the upper limits. Due to this, I do not believe that Smack Me will be able to reach the entire target audience, as most of them will not pay that much. That said, however, I believe that Smack Me is worth the cost, and that it will give you hours of enjoyment.
In the end, I really can not praise Smack Me too much. This is one of the best games available on the iPhone and it is probably going to be a strong candidate for best iPhone application/game of 2009. By utilizing all of the fun principles of the iPhone, from muti-touch to the accelerator, the game really gets you into it. This game is easily one of the most addictive out there, on any platform, and it is a game that you will fall in love with immediately. When I first downloaded Smack Me, I played it for several hours on end. Due to the amazing game play and addictive qualities, Smack Me receives 5-out-of-5 stars.
Smack Me has not been rated by the ESRB. The game is currently only available for the iPhone and the iPod Touch
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Most Wanted is an interesting application. Unlike most applications, which require user input, this one is simply a database of information for you. As its name implies, it is a list of the FBI’s most wanted criminals and the most wanted terrorists. It also has a list of missing children, along with their respective photographs. You can submit a tip or just browse the lists. This is an important application for the iPhone, as it could help to solve cases that might otherwise be left cold. 
Imagine having history in the palm of your hand! Well, more specifically, on the screen of your iPhone. That is what iHistory is trying to do, and they are currently doing a good job of it. Though there is not nearly as much information as I would like to see, they have plans to add much, much more history to this application. Imagine being able to see the history of your city, while you were walking around it. 
When I was much younger, I loved to travel the world, and the solar system, through the pages of Jules Verne. He would take me under the ocean, to the moon, and even to the center of the Earth itself. His novels moved me and inspired me greatly. The Masterpieces Collection is a grouping of his greatest novels, in e-book format, and is readable on your iPhone and iPod Touch. These are all great reads, and classic texts. 
March Madness is almost here, and it is time to start making your brackets. I found that there were two great applications for the dance in the APP store, and found that they were both roughly equal. Like March Madness, Pocket Bracket allows you to auto-complete, auto-update, and generally form a good bracket. The advantage that Pocket Bracket has is the fact that it can support multiple brackets as though it was a poll, and keeps stuff online as well. 
I will be reviewing Nano in the near future. Please check back on 
I have reviewed both 
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Following the lost theme from number three, what should you do if you are lost in another country? Do you know the proper emergency number (911 in the US, 999 in the UK) to call? What if you lost your passport, do you know how to contact the embassy? Rest assured, if you have your iPhone and the Travel Help! Application you are covered. Storing important phone numbers, websites, and other information you can easily access over 260 countries worth of emergency contacts. Likewise, you can also store additional information (coast guard data, auto services, etc.) that you add on. This application is essential for any world traveler.