Thursday, December 30, 2010

Best Christmas edition iPhone apps for gamers

Treat yourself to a seasonal special
Best Christmas edition iPhone apps for gamers. Gaming, Mobile phone apps, iphone apps, ipad apps, Appvent Calendar, Features, App of the day,  0

As far as the entertainment world goes there's a long and rich history of Christmas specials. From Morecambe and Wise to the Office we've always been partial to a festive treat. As casual gaming becomes increasingly prevalent as a form of everyday entertainment it naturally follows that this iPhone mobile-app medium should offer similar fare.

There's also the distinct possibility that you've been lucky enough to receive some kind of iDevice this Christmas. So if you prefer to look to the app store rather than the TV for your entertainment on Christmas Day and beyond, take a look at our run-down of some of the best Christmas-themed games available to download.

Angry Birds Seasons

Format
iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
Price
free (if updating Angry Birds Halloween) 59p iPhone/iPod touch, ?1.19 iPad
Where
iTunes?

This is possibly the most eagerly anticipated application in the history of smartphones. Every day there was one rumour or another that a Christmas edition of Angry Birds was on the horizon, but little did we expect it to come like this.

The Christmassy levels are presented as an advent calendar, with each becoming accessible as the days count down to Christmas. That means there's 25 in total, and should all now be available.

The levels themselves, offer the same kind of Angry Birds goodness that we already know and love, except snow-covered and with bonus wrapped parcels to explode for extra points. Oh, and a special Golden Egg to find.

Robot Unicorn Attack (Christmas Special)

Format
iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
Price
59p
Where
iTunes

As with many addictive games the premise of Robot Unicorn Attack is very simple; based along the same lines as Canabalt, you control a robot unicorn - now in Christmas garb - deciding when to jump and blast your way through various obstacles as the screen scrolls mercilessly on until your eventual demise.

The game plays as well as ever and you get two forms of obstacle avoidance, consisting of the ability to jump/double jump or Winter Blast. There's also been an update to the music as you'll now get "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)" by the Darkness.

Cut The Rope: Holiday Gift

Format
iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
Price
Free
Where
iTunes




As a thank-you to everyone who paid their 59p for the original, the publisher has released a free Christmas themed-version of the game entitled Cut The Rope: Holiday Gift. The app stays faithful to the winning formula of the original, with 25 new levels to complete and extra achievements to unlock.

But you'll notice some subtle differences, such as the jingly soundtrack and the tinsel covered graphics. Even Om Nom gets into the festive spirit - occasionally pulling some reindeer antlers out and wearing them whilst he waits to be fed.

There's also a new mechanic on board as well, where you have to guide the candy into a Christmas stocking, which also acts as a teleportation device to another stocking. But it's not as simple as it sounds - you need to judge the speed that the candy falls into the stocking in order to get the correct velocity when it comes out at the other end.

Slice It! (Christmas Stylee)

Format
iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
Price
59p (free update with original)
Where
iTunes

This particular app brings all the joys of cutting up shapes to your fingertips. Previously the reserve of scissors and paper, this fine offering challenges you to slice a variety of shapes into equal parts/surface areas and dishing out points and bonuses for those that get closest.

Now all this has a Christmas twist with snow falling all around and various elements sporting Christmas Santa hats and the like. However it's not all just graphical changes, as there are also bonus stages to complete, which you'll have access to if you find a special present - awarded after puzzle completion.

Oh yeah, and there's a groovy new "Jingle Bells" soundtrack.

Amateur Surgeon (Christmas Edition)

Format
iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
Price
Free
Where
iTunes




This is an update to the already very popular Amateur Surgeon; a game that sees your character, Alan Probe, using a variety of dubious surgical equipment to perform various medical procedures on the injured.

This free app brings a little bit of Christmas to the game, as there are operations aplenty after a mid-air collision with Santa's sled leaves you stranded at the North Pole. There are five levels in total, each involving the usual DIY surgery, and although short it gives a good taste of the game for anyone who hasn't played before - as well as a couple of new challenges for those more experienced.

Although it's clearly not the most tasteful of games, it's a bit of fun and will see you right if you've got a couple of hours to waste during your Christmas holiday.

reMovem (Christmas Edition)

Format
iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
Price
free
Where
iTunes?

If you like your puzzle games, and you like them simple, this is definitely one to take a look at. This is a special holiday version of the popular reMovem game. It features snowmen, reindeer, christmas trees, stockings etc.

Playing the game is simplicity itself, as all you need to do is select blocks of two or more balls of the same color and then tap again to remove them.

The bigger the blocks the bigger the points; and like with many things its simplicity makes for a fun and addictive little game.

Fuzzle Christmas

Format
iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
Price
free
Where
iTunes?

Carrying on the Christmas puzzle action, Fuzzle brings slightly more complex fare - but certainly no less addictive.

Move the balls around the board to create lines of five balls of the same colour, thus removing the balls; after every other move you make, more balls are added, with the goal being to keep the board from filling up as long as possible.

Everything still looks very nice, just with a Christmas theme laid over the top. And with six difficulty levels and multiple game modes this should keep you busy until the news year.

Tags: Gaming Mobile phone apps Appvent Calendar Features App of the day iPhone apps iPad apps

Best Christmas edition iPhone apps for gamers originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 25 Dec 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Ana Paula Lemes Vanessa Simmons Chyler Leigh Julie Berry Lori Heuring

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