It's time for free stuff! Accompanying this week's Mobile Monday feature, we've got a handful of unlock codes for last week's puzzle game (which is also a browser game, by the way), BLOCKOBAN. Want one? All you have to do is sign in with a Casual Gameplay account and leave a comment below. Winners will be chosen at random and announced on next week's Mobile Monday, so be sure and check back then to see if you've won!
And now... on with the games!
Doodle Jump - Simple, proven ideas often make the best mobile games, and Doodle Jump is an excellent illustration of that. A simple action game at its core, all you do is tilt the iPhone to maneuver the ever-jumping character back and forth as he makes his way upwards, trying to land on solid platforms as you go. Springs, jet packs, moving ground, enemies, shield power-ups and lots of other things help/hinder your progress, of course. What really makes Doodle Jump special is its creative visual presentation.
Aztec Quest - Bet you never thought you'd see a game like this on the iPhone: an isometric building-style puzzle game! The goal of Aztec Quest is to move the marble from the dispenser to the target. To get it there, you have to use ramps, conveyor belts, springs, cannons, bridges and a host of other objects. Tons and tons of puzzles (along with an editor) makes the challenge almost endless. The interface is a little constricting at first, but after two or three levels, you'll be marble maneuvering with the best of 'em. And yes, I am one of the best of them. The free Aztec Quest Lite is also available.
mondrian - Sokoban sliding puzzles aren't everyone's cup of tea, but Mondrain drops in a few new spices that makes this batch worth sipping. Working with the ghost of painter Piet Mondrian, you will be sliding bits of colored paint around empty canvases to restore them to their original splendor. After just a few levels you'll quickly realize how much of a brain bender this game is, and the sense of humor and crisp art style make it a treat to experience.
Jounce - A sparsely decorated musically-infused action game, Jounce is all about guiding balls from the dispenser to the goal at the end of the stage. You do this by creating and rotating small platforms throughout the stage. Jounce is unique in that the solution for each stage only has to be creative as you want it to be. Can you get by with two walls? Great, go for it. But if you want more points, see if you can squeeze a dozen platforms in there. This variable complexity makes Jounce a scalable experience, perfect for just about any puzzle mood you happen to be in. The free Jounce Lite is also available.
NOTE: Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info.
Mondrian looks great.
Argh, I bought BLOCKOBAN on the strength of last week's review, and now you're giving it away! Oh, well.
Doodle Jump is awesome, by the way. My top score is 125,512. The creators keep bringing out more updates for it, too.
I've actually played a game like Aztec Quest. Anyone played WhizzBall on DiscoveryKids.com? The gameplay is quite similar.
p.s. Enter me in the drawing for Blockoban, please.
-Kevin
I've had Doodle Jump for a while. It's a great game and a lot of fun.
My kids and I still play WhizzBall - it's great! Blockoban looks fun.
I've had Doodle Jump ever since I got my iPhone several months ago and I highly recommend it. It's a great game to play when you have a spare few minutes and, as jolson42 said, is constantly being updated. In fact it's probably the most updated app on my phone.
It's good to see developers/publishers putting up Lite versions of their apps so we can try them out before shelling out. Some apps, mostly games, might only be US$0.99 (AU$1.19) but given the number of them, they add up. There's quite a few games I might've bought if there'd been a free trial version that I could try first.
Can I play too?
..Oh yeah, WhizzBall!
Man, i played that game for ages back in the day.
I like you, JIG commentors.
I come to ask what that game is called that Aztec Quest reminds me of and you're already ahead of me, three comments in.
Not lookin' for a code, of course, already bought it.
Don't most games for the iPhone these days come with a Lite counterpart? I'd say 80-90% of the time a search on the app store will net you a free version to peruse at your leisure. Or that might just be my own experiences.
Also, Doodle Jump? Would be much more enjoyable if "doop, doop" wasn't the only sound other than the occasional item effect. Perhaps I am just a terrible person who hates joy, but it grates on my nerves after more than a few minutes. Even a short looping soundtrack would have done wonders to alleviate the monotony.
I mean, I still play it, but not as much as I would otherwise.
I like free stuff.
Really liked Aztec Quest, but I felt it only had a few piece types and I think it could of really added more just to spice up the puzzles.
Is it just me, or is Aztec Quest just a clone of Whizzball?
I love doodle jump! And BLOOKOBAN CODES.
Not really "into" review sites, but liked this one enough to sign up. I like the blunt, honest approach on the reviews. Actually went through all the iphone pages and got several games you suggested! Thanks for sharing your time and knowledge!
This was a great set of games. I loved Aztec Quest and Joust. I love the soothing "music-machine" element of joust. Though, it kind of loses that tranquility when you realize the winning strategy:
Just enclose the balls completely, and they will eventually slow down and drop through at the low point where the settle. I've obtained scores approaching 50,000 in level 0 this way
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