Web Comic

Hero of Sparta: Journal II

Laika, aboard Sputnik 2, never saw it coming. Death by freezing.

Good morning Cold War Fruitsters,

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I spent my time with comrades, family, and Hero of Sparta (link opens iTunes). After playing through three levels in one evening, I finally conquered the lord of the Underworld and was able to return to my Spartan people. Only now, after such an epic journey, I have new armor and weapons with which to enforce my rule. Muhahaha. Below you will find a few pics from the end of my journey.

Hound's Lair: This boss fight looked fantastic! Wish it would have been more exciting.

The lord of the Underworld. Last boss fight.

– Hero of Sparta levels –

Oracle’s Island – Completed

The Keeper – Completed

Steam Rock – Completed

Garden City – Completed

Descent – Completed

Atlantis – Completed

Hound’s Lair – Completed

Underworld -Completed

With Hero of Sparta completed, I am now looking for a new app to review/ play through. Any suggestions?

Welcome to The Silo

Welcome to the first edition of The Silo, Cold War Fruit’s section dedicated to apps that are still in need of several launch preparations before truly flying. Here you will find editor thoughts/ comments on apps that are in the process of being reviewed. Simple. Sweet. Explosive!

This week we will be taking a look at Cozy Quest (link will open iTunes).

Watch out for the Fozzlegoat!

–   Cozy Quest   –   Version 1.0.15   –   9.9MB  –

As with most apps in the App Store, I had a Cold War Informant clue me in as to the existence of this MMORPG. Ignoring the purchase price of $4.99, I quickly downloaded Cozy Quest to my iPod Touch. After picking a race (Mekkel) and character class (mage), I began to explore the Fair City of Felrona.

The City of Felrona acts as an opening hub city to the rest of the game world. Different town facilities feature quests that open up as the player levels his character.

Players must level to level 10 in order to continue traveling to the next city, Alvin's Cove.

In my travels thus far (level 4), I have noticed the following:

• 1. Currently there is only one character slot. This forces players to delete their single character and start over. This poses a problem when hours upon hours have been invested into the single character. Multiple character slots would allow players the ability to try out different races/character classes without penalty of deleting a leveled character.
• 2. In order to level, quests have to be repeated multiple times. This repetition of quests gets old by the time you’ve clicked through the same quest for the 20th time. While Cold War Fruit realizes that Cozy Quest is still being added to daily, new lower level quests are needed to lure newer players into the lands of Eluna.
• 3. The Cozy Quest website advertises “Loot! Lots of shiny strange loot…” I have yet to see in my travels “lots” of loot. In the 20 times I have clicked through one of the more advanced quests, I have received perhaps three pieces of loot (two were of the same type). As noted above, more loot is needed in the lower levels.

In its current state, purchasing Cozy Quest is like signing up for an app beta test. With content being added to the game daily, I do not see this beta environment as a problem. The core game is in tact and running smoothly. The quests are interesting and well thought out. Cozy Quest is an investment at this point. Before purchasing, you need to ask yourself this question: 1) Are you willing to invest $4.99, in developer Nils Munch, to see if he can realize his creative vision? According to the website, Nils recently quit his daytime job to dedicate his time to developing Cozy Quest.

19. May – A big step for CozyKind…
These have been some pretty stressful days, and I realised that if this game was to be something big, I would have to spend more than just a hour here and there in my spare time.     That is why i quit my daytime job yesterday, and im feeling both relaxed and liberated.
Also, we have a new person joining our crew. His name is Znus (pronounced snooze) and he will take care of quest approval, community support and stuff like that. I hope that in the next few days will feel a significant difference, because we are now putting the pedal to the metal… or the cleaver to the skalekin if you like.

Cold War Fruit will continue to follow Cozy Quest and its development. You can check back here for the latest on Cozy Quest.

*Cold War Fruit realizes that many of the apps found in this section are works in progress. Our comments are meant to be taken as constructive criticism and mere suggestion.

Memorial Day: 2009

Cold War Fruit hopes that everyone had a great Memorial Day!

Developer Spotlight: Nils Munch

Have you heard of Cozy Quest (link will open iTunes)? Developer Nils Munch has created an MMORPG for the iPhone/ iPod Touch that allows players to enter the magical lands of Eluna. Not an MMO in the Mafia Wars/ iMob sense, the games official website assures players that recruitment codes and spamming/ inviting friends to earn points are not what this game is about. Having just released on May 12, now is the perfect time to get in on the ground floor of what is sure to be an iDevice classic.

Let us know what you think.

Hero of Sparta: Journal I

One of the very first apps I ever downloaded from the App Store, for my iPod Touch, was Hero of Sparta (link opens iTunes). I only played the game a few times before discarding it in an attempt to find another app fix. Now there is nothing wrong with Hero of Sparta. The gameplay, controls, and sound are all top notch for an iDevice title. I just often find myself experiencing App Store ADD as I search for the next best app. So, in an attempt to actually finish an iDevice game (besides Oregon Trail), I am dedicating my iPod Touch gaming time to Hero of Sparta. So far I have conquered:

– Hero of Sparta levels –

Oracle’s Island – Completed

The Keeper – Completed

Steam Rock – Completed

Garden City – Completed

Descent – In progress

Atlantis – Incomplete

Hound’s Lair – Incomplete

Underworld -Incomplete

Furthermore, I have made myself a new rule: “No new apps until Hero of Sparta has been conquered.” What do you think? Do you find yourself buying apps but never completing/ using them after the initial download?

Send the comments below.

5/19/2009: News Crumbs

Two interesting blog posts from the guys over at wired.com’s Gadget Lab.

Next-Gen iPhone Spec Rumors – Link

– The iPhone is quickly becoming the Swiss Army Knife of portable electronics. If the rumors are true, now you will be able to talk on the phone, listen to music, play apps, and use the GPS function to navigate around town. Sounds like a win win to me. Although, I question the wisdom in a device that does so many things.

Devious Developer Fools Apple – Link

– This developer (Jelle Prins) is just asking for a one way ticket out of the App Store. He must not get much attention at home or anywhere else for that matter.

Mission Accomplished: Billion Apps Served on the App Store

“Thanks a billion. Over 1 billion downloads in just nine months. Only on the App Store.”

“Baby Shaker” App Pulled

Back in January of this year, I called for Apple to develop an app quality assurance program.

“What Apple needs to do is offer its own gold seal of assurance. Simply being on the App Store should be a signal to the consumer that the app has been reviewed and found to be of quality (will add to the function, entertainment, and general knowledge of the consumer).  Currently, the App Store seems to be operated on a quantity over quality mentality.”

Today, I came across an article on a Yahoo Tech Blog that talks about the recently pulled “Baby Shaker” app. Baby Shaker allows the user to shake their iDevice in an attempt to quiet a screaming baby. Guardian.co.uk and MSNBC have videos and a corresponding articles relating to this “controversy”.

At first glance this app appears to be harmless. A drawing of a baby cries, you shake your iDevice, red x’s appear over the baby’s eyes (signifying death to those unfamiliar with basic cartoon protocol). So what is the big deal? Shaken Baby Syndrome anyone? This situation launches one into questioning digital entertainment as a whole. What about apps/ games that allow the user to simulate murder? Why is it that we get angry about virtually shaking an infant to death and yet have no problem blowing away countless humans across other apps/games?

The discovery and removal of Baby Shaker is but a small demonstration of Apple’s need to be more diligent in reviewing incoming apps. I am not calling on Apple to become the parent or even moral police of the App Store, but I am calling on Apple to show good taste.

Good taste = allowing apps that do not embarrass nor taint the Apple brand.

– The Pacific Commander

Review: The Creeps!

“I always feel like

Somebody’s watchin’ me…”

-Rockwell, Somebody’s Watching Me

Press Start:

As a child, bedtime always seemed to send a signal for my imagination to go into overdrive. With the lights turned off in my room, I remember the world suddenly becoming a very scary place.  Normal shadows and sounds quickly became monsters preying and lurking within the darkness. Super Squawk Software’s,  The Creeps, demonstrates that our imaginations did not lie. For indeed there were monsters trying to get to us; monsters even our parents could not help combat until now. The Creeps! is an imaginative tower defense app that allows players to protect an innocent child from the horrors of the night. Do you dare to combat the human imagination at its worst?

Ideology/ Worldview:

Monsters are real. No joke.

Interaction/ Gameplay:

Boomerangs, glue, and laser turrets are but a few of the tower choices at your disposal against the creeps.  Strategic placement as well as tower choice determine the outcome of the battle.

In the End:

The Creeps! (link will open iTunes) is a fantastic addition to the App Store that revels in its unique art direction and imaginative game design. Priced at $2.99, The Creeps! deserves a spot on the iDevice in your life.

Review Score:

DEFCON 5 – Just buy it already