The Legend of Zenonia

Zenonia (US$2.99 [at the moment it is on sale at half price!]), is a surprisingly good adventure and quest-based application. Though the name may not give it away, this game is a very detailed, polished and action-packed member of the adventure game genre. GAMEVIL has created another superstar of an application with Zenonia. Zenonia brings back memories of the old Nintendo and GameBoy that everyone loved growing up. Zenonia is a much more advanced mix of the Legend of Zelda and Pokemon games.

The game play in the world of Zenonia is tremendous. You have the ability to create your own storyline, which depends on the characters you choose and which quests you accept or decline. This is an excellent feature as it allows for the game to be played numerous times, without it becoming bland or repetitive. Each character has a gigantic arsenal of weapons, items, upgrades, skills and options. All of these features add to a polished sense during gameplay, as each seperate item, upgrade and skill leads to a different level of ability in your character. This game plays like it has been made for a much bigger console. With that I mean that GAMEVIL have not left anything out simply because it is designed for an iPhone or iPod Touch. All the features you would expect on a big budget, big hype PS3 or Xbox game are included.

The graphics are exceptional and each character, enemy and environment is presented in great detail. The options menu may become cluttered and difficult to decipher during your initiation into Zenonia, but as you play on you will fully learn how utilize all of the options and features you are presented with. The detail that is present in every aspect of the app really highlights the effort that must have been made to make this as seemless transition as possible, from traditional console game to iPhone application. The effort has definitely paid dividends.




Zenonia boasts and impressive and useful variety of ways to play. These features give the user total control over their story and in this senario the total control allows the game play to be manipulated in an infinite number of new and exciting ways. Fantasy and adventure games have not always been my favourite and I tend to become disinterested rather quickly (the crazy characters, strange powers and absurd creatures will do that to you). I wish MyAppSource could rate using half stars, but alas, we cannot, so Zenonia will have to settle for a very respectable four stars. This app is a must-buy for adventure game fans. At the moment it is half price, so purchase it before the price goes back up to $5.99, you will enjoy it immensely.

MyAppSource Rating: Four Stars!

How you like them Apples?

Frootrees (US$0.99), is deceptively tricky little application, developed by Tin Man Games. The developers claim that Frootrees is a "simple fruit picking game" and it is, and much more. Frootrees is based on a very simple idea (picking fruit). Don't be fooled by the simplicity of the premise, the finer points of the application allow for the idea to be simple and for the app to remain entertaining and not become stale or (God forbid) boring.

The name of the app may seem a little nondescript and unusual, that is, until you scratch under the surface of the app and find out that "Froot" is actually the fruit that you will be expected to pick (and drop and fling). During game play the user must tap (and drag to fling froot across the screen) on any apple, pear, plum or orange. Once the froot has been tapped it will drop, the idea is to drop each froot in its corresponding area (don't worry, the areas are colour coded [worry if you're colour blind]). Points will be awarded and deducted for the accuracy or inaccuracy of the falling froot.

Dropping the froot into the correct area is only half the battle. The other half is timing (because timing, as they say, is everything). Each individual froot starts small and rapidly grows into a larger, riper specimen. Extra points are awarded for dropping fully ripened froot correctly. Points are deducted for froot that was left too long on the Frootree, and has subsequently withered and died. Points "combos" and multipliers are achieved when ripe froot consecutively lands in the correct area.

These facets of game play allow Frootrees to be enjoyable after numerous uses. Frootrees is one of those apps that keeps you playing turn after turn, simply because of its challenging (and addicting) nature. The simplistic nature of the app limits it potential to be a "superstar" application, which is why I can only rate it as three stars, but, it is a high three stars. Frootrees lacks that "wow" factor, but for 99 cents it is certainly worth the purchase, and it definitely will not disappoint.

 MyAppSource Rating: Three Stars!

Field General

Fieldrunners (AU$3.99), is an application that has won many awards and garnered much critical acclaim and it is easy to see why. Fieldrunners does not break new ground in terms of genre or concepts, as there are many Tower Defense applications which share the same, if not, identical premise. Fieldrunners, however, takes the genre (Tower Defense) and the concept of this genre (trying to stop an enemy from reaching a certain point) and creates an almost perfect gameplay and strategic experience. Fieldrunners achieves this by employing stunning graphics, challenging levels and by providing a vast and aesthically brilliant set of upgradeable artillery.

Fieldrunners certainly lives up to its heightened claims of being able to provide "Hours of entertainment and replayable challenges!" as completing a single level can take a substantial amount of time. It takes me about 90 minutes to complete a level, but, some levels can take closer to two hours to fully complete. (This may not be the case for everyone, as I have a tendancy to play strategic games, like Fieldrunners, in a very slow and analytical manner.) Don't be scared off by the long period of gameplay that is required, Subatomic Studios have combated this by making the game easily pausable and resumable. This helps break-up the time that is spent immersed in this immensely detailed and incredibly entertaining world.

Fieldrunners' premise is a simple one, but the increasingly challenging levels continue to keep you on your toes throughout the entire game. With replayable levels and even an endless game mode Fieldrunners is sure to keep you busy and more importantly entertained for hours on end.

(Now on to the important part.) Fieldrunners is the cream of an already competitive gaming market's crop and, therefore, it deserves the highest rating possible. Now, to answer the question that burns deep inside every app enthusiasts soul: Yes, this application is really going to be worth the mere $3.99 it costs to purchase.

MyAppSource Rating: Five Stars!