Let the games begin!

Carnival Games Live (US$0.99) from Digital Chocolate is a bright and cheery collection of some good ol' past times, carnival past times that is! Take part in Duck Shoot, Mole Whack, Arcade Basketball and Arcade Bowling (my personal favourite).

The colourful lights and cartoon-esque appearance of the games are reminiscent of the fun times that were and still had by little kids (and some of us big kids) at the local carnival! Duck shoot has the player shooting and reloading a revolver in an effort to hit all of the ducks mechanically swimming across the water. Of course, it is as simple as tapping and swiping to build up a score, although as time progresses (and yes, like all good games, there is a time limit) the game becomes harder to play, requiring more skill to shoot some faster ducks, and avoid shooting ducks that will lower your score.

Mole Whack requires the player to tap the moles as they pop out of one of the eight holes in quick succession. Sometimes they require only a single tap, others need two, and sometimes tapping wont help you at all. Arcade Basketball is a basketball shooting game similar to that of well, arcades. Simply flick the basketballs into the goals. Arcade bowling is much the same (although the most addictive game of the lot), you must flick the bowling balls up the ramp, and into various holes.

Carnival Games Live uses its own scoreboard and trophy system to track you best (or in some cases, worst) efforts within each of the four games. The games can also be played in multiplayer mode, a pass-n-play style to share the fun around. Overall, the game is a thorough and well-polished reproduction of some of the fun of a real carnival. Of course, it could still benefit from a few more games.

MyAppSource Rating: 4 Stars!

Now you can be the champ!

Hook Champ (US$2.99) is a fast paced, somewhat challenging, and utterly addictive blast of nostalgia-inducing gameplay. Complete with a rather humorous OpenFeint achievements system ("Hot Pants Deployed! - Fashion saved your life!"), Hook Champ follows Jake, a brave explorer who swings and flings about the various cave-like levels in search for valuable idols.

Different maps can be purchased with coins collected within the game, to unlock thematic worlds with their own unique hazards. One map, for example, is home to lava-based levels - fall into the lava and you're dead meat! To help combat Jake's complications in the field, you also have the ability to purchase (again, with the in-game coins system) character upgrades, including better ropes, grapples, or the highly-esteemed 'Hot Pants'. Hot pants provide various levels of protection from the lava of the levels already mentioned.

However it isn't all fun exploration for Jake. While trying to navigate the worlds and attain all of the coins and gems, dodging lakes of lava, and swimming slowly through bodies of water, you must stay on the run, as (and it has happened to this reviewer many-a-time), if the ghost who is chasing you throughout each level manages to catch you, the game is lost, and you must start from the beginning of the level once again.

At times this has left me in utter frustration, especially when the final score screen states that 98% of the level had been completed before being eaten alive by the dreaded apparition. However, the game has me hooked (pun intended), and as soon as I publish this review I'm off to try and finish the next level.

Thanks to Rocketcat Games, you too can get hooked! We have two redeem codes (US Store only) for Hook Champ, to whoever finds them first (hint: check our Twitter, you'll find them in our most recent tweet! While you're there, you should probably check out Rocketcat Games's own twitter page and maybe thank them if you are lucky enough to win.)

MyAppSource Rating: 5 Stars!