Backflip Studios Inc.

Games for the Weekend is a weekly feature aimed at helping you avoid doing something constructive with your downtime. Each Friday we’ll be recommending a game for Mac, iPhone or iPad that we think is awesome enough to keep you busy until Monday, at least. With the holiday season in full force, finding some “me” time on the weekend may not be possible. That’s why this week’s pick is a game you can share with friends you may be doing last-minute shopping with. And if bragging rights for a mindless, schoolyard sort of challenge is what you’re looking for, then Paper Toss 2.0 fits the bill. Unlike previous versions of this game, this latest universal rendition is ad-supported, and is available for free in the App Store. Through a $0.99 in-app purchase, you can turn off the ads. The goal is to toss a crumpled piece of paper into a trash can to earn points. It sounds easy enough, until you realize there’s a fan between you and the trashcan interfering with your paper’s trajectory. With Paper Toss 2.0, they kept the game physics that worked so well in the original, and greatly improved the graphics. Backflip Studios is no stranger to making great-looking games. They’ve also developed  and the equally addictive  series. To score points, you swipe your finger toward the trash can taking the wind speed of the fan into consideration and hope your paper lands in the bucket.  The harder the fan is blowing, the further to the right or left you need to throw the paper ball. Successful baskets earn points that can be used to purchase power ups or different forms of ‘ammunition,’ including tomatoes, watermelon, bouncing balls and even grenades. The further away you are, the more difficult it is to make it in, and consequently, the more points you earn if you do.  If you find you’re not earning points fast enough, you can always buy additional paper points via in-app purchase.  As an interesting twist, there is an Intern mode where the trash can sits on the lap of the office intern as he rolls his chair back and forth across the screen. If you’re looking for a change of scenery, Backflip Studios has also released . In this version, you’re no longer in an office, and the wind comes from nature itself as you travel to various destinations around the world.  As addictive as Read More

While the goal is to have Android apps hanging out seamlessly among standard PlayBook apps, there are a few visual queues that differentiate them. The home screen icons have an additional background element, for one. Once launched, all Android apps run in a single window, with a multitasking pane along the bottom. That bar also has a back button, which was previously folded into a bezel gesture (which I actually preferred). (Update: After screwing around with the new App Player, it looks like the diagonal swipe = back gesture is still in there, but only if you chose to hide the multitasking bar through the settings menu.) The performance so far is about as smooth as one could want from any app (native or otherwise), but I think the most interesting thing about Android on the PlayBook is the strategy. Generally, when a manufacturer gets involved with a new operating system, they’ll either adopt it wholesale as their new platform, or run it concurrently (and separately) from their established OS. Here, RIM is trying to get all the sweet stuff out of Android without having to deal with any of the messy OEM or licensing business. I’d be very curious to hear how Google feels about it all, but considering they’re open-sourcing code, they must have expected something like this sooner or later. Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out. Read More

I'm at the E3 video gaming conference, this week, where I've been asking the staff of our gaming-obsessed sister site, Joystiq, for some of their favorite apps. Managing Editor Justin McElroy told me he's gotten no end of amusement from Office Jerk, a free (ad-supported, though ads can be removed with a 99-cent purchase) download from the App Store. It's more than a little goofy -- the idea is that you have a boring office mate on the screen, and it's your job to playfully annoy him by throwing various objects his way, Paper Toss-style. Part of the game is lining up your various shots and trying to get longer and longer combos (despite the fan that seems bent on blowing your throws off course), and the other part is just laughing at your calmly irate office mate who only throws you a look of disdain, which you can then try to hit for extra points. It's simple fun, especially if you've got a wicked sense of humor. There's no Game Center integration or extras, unfortunately, but for a free download, Office Jerk does what it says on the box. I just can't recommend you become a real office jerk -- better to take out your workplace frustrations on this virtual co-worker. Read More

By Chris Nitz on June 3rd, 2011 Fishing for aliens while sucking down some coffee - FREE games for the weekend. City of Wonder:Gamers looking to get some SimCity style gaming on without breaking the bank have a great free option. City of Wonder starts players off with a tiny village and gives them the tools to grow it into a sprawling metropolis. There are hundreds of buildings to build, destroy, or just sit back and admire. No city would be complete without resource management and factories to increase wealth. Time to put on that mayor hat and produce the best city around. FREE! + Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Released: 2011-05-25 :: Category: Games Cosmic Code:Cosmic Code is a new spin on the classic matching style game. Start off with a game in which players will fight enemies based off local points of interest in their own town. Next, throw in hidden bosses and 100+ items to collect, and this game becomes highly addictive. After all, nobody wants aliens invading their local Starbucks! FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Released: 2011-05-26 :: Category: Games Strike Knight:Gamers looking to mix up their shuffleboard experience have a bit of hope thanks to Strike Knight. This game takes the familiarity of shuffleboard, throws on some bowling mechanics and ships it off to iOS devices everywhere. All the player has to do is slide a puck down the board and topple as many bowling pins as possible, without getting frustrated at the heckling knight and crowd. Who needs a smoky bar now? FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Released: 2010-05-17 :: Category: Games FREE! iPad Only App - Designed for the iPad Released: 2011-06-02 :: Category: Games Slug Bugs:Slug Bugs is a cut little game in which players mug “slug” VW Bugs as they go whizzing across the screen. The only hitch to all this madness is cop cars will try and break up the fun. The game promises some of the best audio around with Ghost 3D providing a thrilling 360-degree audio package. No more sore shoulders from playing this game during long car trips to grannies house! FREE! iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Released: 2011-05-21 :: Category: Games FishLord:FishLord allows gamers to hit the lake without the arduous tasks of applying Read More

Some games on Android have steep learning curves, while others require extensive time commitment. This is especially when they feature the acronyms “RPG” or “MMO” in the title. But not everyone has the time to sit around playing a game for hours on end on their Android tablet or smartphone. Here’s a quick look at five games that are perfect for playing in short bursts, like when you’re standing in line, or just wanting to unwind on your lunch break. Before Zynga’s Words With Friends hit the Android Market, WordFeud was king of the Scrabble-based games (and for many, it still is). A cross-platform title, you can play others whether they’re sporting iPhones or Androids. So when playing WordFeud you’ll never be short of competition, especially with an estimated 3 million players out there. The ability to have 30 games going on at one time (so you don’t have to wait to make a move if your buddies aren’t online) means it’s the perfect game if you only have a few minutes to spare here and there. Not yet convinced? Try the free version first. Yep, there’s a zillion jumping games in the Android Market featuring zombies, ninjas, pandas, and all manner of flora and fauna. Even Abduction itself has spawned a sequel and the more extensive World Attack version. But, the original free game is still worth trying first to see if you like it, and offers plenty of fun, quick, casual gameplay. In Abduction, you’re a little cute cow who needs to climb higher and higher so she can get abducted by a UFO. Simple tilt controls, plenty of fun power-ups, and ever-increasing difficulty make this game great to dip into when you only have a few minutes. Another great game of the ‘play until you die’ variety, Speedx 3D was an early entrant in the Android gaming market and one that continues to get updated and improved by a very thoughtful developer. You pilot a craft of sorts using tilt controls and must fly as far as you can avoiding obstacles and picking up power-ups through ever-changing colorful tunnels. It’s a simply dynamic that works effectively, as some cool beats play in the background to push you further on your quest. Once again, a full, free version is available to try out first. It’s pretty well known and it probably gets dull for some people quite quickly, but Read More

Circus Pain is a physics puzzler in the vein of Angry Birds and Ragdoll Blaster. The goal across each of the game's 55 levels is to toss a little circus performer into an on-screen basket while trying to hit as many obstacles as possible along the way. It's a pretty standard affair for the touchscreen at this point, but the excellent premise and art style of Circus Pain make it stand out from other App Store titles. The game is sometimes tough, but still very interesting, and you can move at your own pace as you navigate through the game's four worlds. Plus, at a price of just 99 cents for a universal version, it's tough to turn this one down. If you're not willing to invest the buck right away, there's a lite version to try as well. But if you like tossing ragdolls around for a little bit of physics-based gameplay, Circus Pain is an enjoyable romp. Read More

You got your Verizon iPhone. It’s time to know about the Best Apps available for the device. We’re here to help you do that. This list is made up of some of our past favorites, compiled–for your convenience–into one massive posts to help your find the best applications for the Verizon iPhone. Hit the jump for the full list:   1) Fluent News (free) This is probably the best news App for your iPhone. It takes news from various sources and puts them on a single page. The only downside is that you will probably see some repeats as it tends to gather news from all the top publications. This is a free App that streamlines the news into one page for easy viewing on your iPhone. Simply touch a headline to view the full story. Push notifications can alert you when breaking news happens.   This is the ultimate entertainment App on iOS. If you have a Netflix account and an iOS device, you need Netflix. If you have an iOS device, but no Netflix account…you need to consider jumping on board. If anything, for the streaming service alone. 2) Flixster (free) In case you do decide to make it a movie night at the theatre, you can check out this App. It shows you what’s in your area and when. You can check out Rotten Tomatoes reviews, see what’s being released on DVD or what’s going to be in theaters in the near future. For instance (and this is a bit embarrassing…I think) we just opened the App and realized that there is a third Narnia movie. Not that we plan on watching it, but hey, we can check out show times and a trailer all from one simple App. Pandora is a sweet free App for streaming audio and music. It’s become truly useful with the multitasking, which makes it possible to run the App in the background while you do other things. This is the way it was meant to be used. If you like music, you should definitely check this App out.   1) Evernote (free) Evernote is a dream to work with. We have it on the iPad, iPhone and the laptop. You can use it to jot down or record ideas or even to snap photos and store them on a server for access from any of your devices. This is great for anybody who is on the move and wants Read More

Posted by Comments is simple game of agility. Dodge deadly ninjas with blades and dynamite, ravenous birds and hyper squirrels as you climb up the walls to beat your highest score. Leadership board and social-networking features  available for the competitive player. Price: Free Pros Cons In Ninjump the objective is to run up the walls while you fight off flying birds, squirrels and deadly ninjas chucking blades and dynamite at you. Skillfully flip past your foes with a tap of your finger or toward them for the kill. The cool thing about this game is that after you destroy three birds, squirrels, etc in a row, you can turn into them and plow your way through your enemies. The higher you climb, the more points you get. Trust me, you’ll find your self playing multiple times to try and beat your highest score. Addictive? Hell yes, and challenging. The higher you climb, the faster it gets. You’ll find yourself trying to collect three of each item to climb faster, but it takes ninja mastery and many play-throughs to avoid annoying ledges and ninjas trying to kill you. The bright color palette makes the 3D graphics pop, and it’s cool to see your animated Ninja flying up the wall with wings or pouncing on your enemy with  squirrel-like claws and a bushy tail in its wake. The lag detracts from game play a bit when you’re in this mode, but it’s cool turning into an animal for a while and plowing through the game. No vibration features. The sound is loud; but it has a handy toggle feature, which allows you to cut the sound off.  Although, the background music really makes the game,  it’s hilarious hearing your ninja fall for the first time after he’s been knocked out the sky by a ninja blade. (4.0 out of 5) Should you download Ninjump? Yes! If you like ninjas and simple, yet challenging gamplay. Did I mention it’s free? Updating... You must be logged in to post a comment. Read More

As we move closer to the 10 billionth app sold on the App Store, Apple has updated its all-time top paid and free iPhone and iPad app lists, showing the top 200,000 or so apps on the store, ranked in order of sales and downloads. There aren't a lot of surprises in here -- if you've been following the App Store pretty closely over the first few years of its life, odds are that you'll know about most of these titles. But it is interesting to see them ranked. On the iPhone, Doodle Jump takes the crown as the most popular paid app of all time, with Tap Tap Revenge 3, Pocket God and Angry Birds filling out the top four. In free apps, Facebook and other free utilities are on top, with Backflip Studios' Paper Toss the only game in the top few entries. The iPad lists are interesting, being only a year old. There's still a fart app in there, under paid apps, surprisingly. The paid list is a strange mix of games and utilities, while the free apps are a little more obvious, mirroring a lot of the iPhone apps list (with iBooks coming in about halfway out of the top 10). As I said, all pretty obvious choices at this point, but still, very interesting to see. Good luck to everyone on being that 10 billionth app, and congrats as always to Apple on building such a solid platform over the past few years. [via MacStories] Read More

Ninjump is a game we have had on the iPhone for a long time. It is a very popular game on the iOS platform, and until recently was not available for Android. The wait is over though, Ninjump is available in the Android market for free. So what is Ninjump all about? Ninjump is a game of speed and requires you to keep a close eye on what is going on. The whole game is based off this tiny little Ninja that is running up a wall. The goal is to continue running up the wall while avoiding obstacles on either side of the wall. While running up the side of the wall, if an obstacle is on your path, you simply tap the screen to jump to the other side. The controls are made extremely simple in this game. You just tap anywhere on the screen and the tiny Ninja will jump from one side of the wall to the other. The longer you are running up the wall, the more difficult the game becomes. The higher you get, the faster the objects being flung at you move and they show up a lot more often.There are also bonuses in the game. When something is thrown or jumps at you, if you jump at the right time and come into contact with the object while your small Ninja is in the air, you can get a power up. For example, when a bird flies across the screen, you want to jump and hit it. After coming into contact with the bird in mid-air you will then see a small bird in the bottom left of your screen indicating you have collected 1/3 of the bird power up. Once you have collected three birds you will get a power up. When you have the power up your Ninja will take on some of the attributes of whatever object it was, in this case it is the bird. While you are in the power up state, your ninja will move faster and can be hit by anything on either side of the walls and you it won’t make you fall.If you can, jump into as many objects as you can in the middle of the air. You have to be careful though, once you have jumped from one side to the other, you cannot move while in the air. You will have Read More