20 best Android apps this week

Tetris Blitz, Amazon Local, Blip Blup, Clueful, AppGratis, GPS Navigation & Maps, Epic and more

EA has reworked Tetris as a free-to-play game called Tetris Blitz

It's time for our weekly roundup of brand new and notable apps forAndroid smartphones and tablets.

It covers apps and games, with the prices referring to the initial download: so (Free) may mean (Freemium) in some cases. The equivalent iOS roundup will be published later in the day.

For now, read on for this week's Android selection (and when you've finished, check out previous Best Android apps posts).

Tetris Blitz (Free)

Huge popularity of the Bejeweled Blitz game has persuaded EA to try the free-to-play blitz-gaming model for the most famous puzzle game in the world: Tetris. Blitz meaning two-minute sessions to score as many points as possible, boosted by power-ups, and compete against Facebook friends' performances. The game is free-to-play, so in-app purchases are involved.

Amazon Local (Free)

Available already in the US, Amazon Local is now accessible in the UK too. It aggregates deals and discounts from local and national businesses, from shops to spas and hotels, aiming to show you the offers closest to your current location, with digital vouchers to redeem them.

Blip Blup (Free)

Blip Blup is a hypnotically-addictive puzzle game from UK studio ustwo, which sees you tapping to fill a screen-full of tiles with colour. The complication being walls and obstacles that get in the way of your colour-pulse's path. There are more than 120 levels to work through, with an in-app purchased used to remove the game's in-app ads.

Clueful (Free)

Concerned about privacy and apps? Clueful is trying to capitalise on uncertainty around the attitudes of some developers and startups with its "personal Privacy Consultant". Released by Bitdefender, it monitors how apps on your device are accessing your personal information, providing a score for each on how nice (or nasty) they are.

Cloudee: Backup & Share Videos (Free)

Cloudee is the work of set-top box maker Boxee: a service for storing and sharing videos, as well as organising them into collections. "If YouTube is for everyone on the Internet, and Facebook is for everyone you know, then Cloudee is for those who matter to you the most," suggests the company. Once uploaded, vids can be watched on smartphones, tablets, computers and TVs.

AppGratis (Free)

Famously booted off the App Store by Apple, app discovery service AppGratis has now turned its attention to Android instead. Its app promises daily offers for free and discounted apps, with recommendations from the AppGratis team and a daily push notification with a new offer.

GPS Navigation & Maps +offline (£1)

Skobbler is making a big push for its new navigation app, pricing it at £1 with a combination of turn-by-turn navigation and a single map of the world that can be used online or offline. The business model is that you buy access to country maps offline as in-app purchases, although one country is included in the initial download.

Epic (Free)

Ahead of the release of animated movie Epic, Gameloft has published the official mobile game. It's a freemium title that sees you building a kingdom then battling against enemies, with a choice of single-player and online multiplayer modes in the latter case. Facebook provides the social connections, while in-app purchases fund the action.

Mensa Academy (£2.99)

Mensa has teamed up with Square Enix for an official brain-training game on Android, promising more than 1,000 questions to test your grey cells in numeracy, language, logic, memory and visual. The male character looks like a professor, while the female character looks like Lara Croft. No stereotypes there, then.

EasilyDo Smart Assistant (Free)

There's a trend in 2013 for startups trying to provide personal-assistant apps for smartphones, aiming to out-Siri Siri. EasilyDo is the latest on Android, promising that it "tells you when to leave to arrive on time, monitors for important emails and friends' news, warns you of bad weather, tracks packages, files receipts, and even helps you celebrate birthdays".

Fast & Furious 6: The Game (Free)

There's a long history of Fast & Furious games on mobile devices, but social publisher Kabam is the latest licence-holder, aiming to do for the cars'n'guns movie franchise what it's already doen for The Hobbit. Which is? A lucrative freemium game, of course. Here, you'll be racing, customising cars and trying to work your way up the global leaderboards.

Pocket Rally (£0.65)

If you prefer your racing to be less furious (but still fast), Pocket Rally may be worth a look. Taking its cues from console games like the Colin McRae series, it sees you belting through circuits (tarmac, gravel and grass included) racing up to three other cars at once, with a choice of Challenge and Single Race modes.

Glide - Video Walkie Talkie (Free)

"Would you rather write about going to the beach or show yourself at the beach? Exactly," suggests Glide's Google Play listing, pushing the idea that video messages are better than texts (and blithely unaware of the general quality of 3G reception on many British beaches, by the sounds of it). Still, this is one of the apps aiming to help people ping video to their Facebook friends, even if they're not available at the time.

Grimm's Bookshelf (Free)

Irish startup StoryToys has turned a number of the Grimm Brothers' fairytales into pop-up storybooks for Android. Now it's got a single Bookshelf app to promote them all, with free samples and the ability to launch any of the apps you already own from within it.

Week Calendar (£1.49)

Can anyone outdo the Google Calendar service on Android? Week Calendar is trying with an impressively-slick calendar app that ties into Google Calendar, Exchange and other services. Intuitive drag'n'drop controls make creating and moving appointments easy, with good use of colour to sort everything.

Arma Tactics THD (£3.24)

PC strategy-game series Arma has spawned this mobile game, initially for Tegra-powered devices. It sees you controlling a four-person special forces team through a series of military missions, with slick graphics and freedom to try different tactics to succeed.

Catch Phrase (Free)

Mr Chips! This is an officially-licensed game of British TV game-show Catch Phrase, which has recently been revived by ITV. You'll be guessing 48 catch phrases for free, with more available as an in-app purchase, and a Facebook-powered high-score table to compare your skills with friends.

Combo Crew (£1.49)

Developer The Game Bakers made the popular Squids games, but now it's turning its attention to a new beat 'em up game called Combo Crew. "Inspired by classics like Streets of Rage, Final Fight, and Street Fighter" it sees you punching and kicking your way through a giant tower to beat the suitably-named Mr Boss – complete with asynchronous social features that see you rescuing friends as you go.

Men's Room Mayhem (£0.68)

Okay, who had May 2013 in the "When will there be a mobile line-drawing game based on being the manager of a men's toilet?" sweepstakes? Congratulations. Yes, this loo-based game is the work of developer Ripstone, and has you "directing patrons, keeping everywhere sparkling clean and steering patrons away from trouble".

Total Recoil (Free)

One more Android game – it's a busy week – and another one with a military theme. Total Recoil sees you waging war with a variety of weapons, with an emphasis on action. Or, as the developer puts it: "If you can see it, you can blow it up..."

That's this week's selection, but what do you think? Make your own recommendations, or give your views on the apps above, by posting a comment.

Android Game Sale Round-up: Jet Set Radio, Sonic CD, GTA III and more

It is time for another round-up of sales going on right now for Android games and today is an especially good round-up of limited time sales, most likely due to the fact St. Patrick's Day is this weekend. Whatever the reason is though, there are some pretty awesome games on sale in order to entice you to spend some of those pennies you've been saving up.

We've already told you about Gameloft who has Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour on sale for a buck but now it is time to tell you about all the other games that have been discounted, most of which have had their prices slashed by about half. We have also already mentioned that Square Enix has put Chaos Rings and Chaos Rings Omega on sale as well but we've included those to in this list again anyways.

Current games on sale for a limited time. Just click on their names to head on over to Google Play:

- Grand Theft Auto III by Rockstar Games: On sale for $1.99 (Regular price $4.99)

- Let's Create! Pottery by Infinite Dreams: On sale for $1.99 (Regular price $4.99)

- Jet Set Radio by Sega: On sale for $2.99 (Regular price $4.99)

- Sonic CD by Sega: On sale for $2.99 (regular price $4.99)

- Chaos Rings by Square Enix: On sale for $4.18 (regular price $8.99)

- Chaos Rings Omega by Square Enix: On sale for $4.18 (regular price $8.99)

- World Conqueror 2 by EasyTech: On sale for $0.99 (regular price $2.99)

- Real Steel HD by Jump Games: On sale for $0.99 (regular price $2.99)

- Stand O' Food by G5 Entertainment: On sale for $1.99 (regular price $2.99)

- Mahjong Artifacts by G5 Entertainment: On sale for $2.99 (regular price $4.99)

- TurboFly HD by Osaris Game: On sale for $0.99 (regular price $1.99)

- Star Defender 3 and Star Defender 4 by Awem Games: On sale for $0.99 (regular price $1.99 each)

Pepi Tree - a tree with animals

Playing and having fun, learning our world, because neither it this whole learning process aims? Make friends with the inhabitants to be a small ecosystem - big tree and all the animals that live on it - caterpillars, owls, spiders, squirrels, hedgehogs, moles and many others. Each of them lives in a separate branch of the tree and they have six different jobs.
In the game you will find:
- 6 types of tasks, each of which contains many levels;
- 6 types of voice acting that you like;
- More than 20 wonderful characters;
- Beautiful pictures and great animation;
- There is no rule which counts winning or losing;
Recommended age: 3 to 7 years.

Download:

pepitree.apk [

31.62 MB

]

9 Best Strategy Games For Android

1 – Plants Vs. Zombies:

The simple yet interesting Plants Vs. Zombies is one of the most famous titles and requires you to take on the zombies who are attacking your home. Your weapons for tackling these 26 kinds of dead people are 49 different types of plants which you are supposed to grow by yourself.

And while you are at it, do not forget to collect suns that help you grow your plants. The app boasts of a great soundtrack and hilarious graphics. You can play as many as 50 levels in the adventure mode and collect achievements at the same time.

Price: $3.02

2 – Plague Inc:

This contender on our lineup claims to have some terrifyingly realistic simulations which makes it all the more interesting. Your main concern here is to spread a global plague by developing a pathogen and adapting yourself in such a way that defenses developed by humans are rendered useless.

It tags along stunning graphics and a user-friendly interface. You have 7 different diseases to spread as well as scoreboards to keep a track of all the epidemics. And in case you get stuck in the middle, the developers have added tutorials that will help you progress to next levels.

Price: Free

3 – Lords & Knights:

If you have always wanted to be a ruler of an empire, Lords & Knights is a title that help you realize this dream, albeit virtually. To get hold of a kingdom, you have to battle against thousands of other lords in this MMOG. To start off, you can construct your own castle which houses various buildings.

Once this is done, recruit soldiers for your army and guide them to acquire castles of different lords. Besides coming up with plans and tactics for capturing other castles and defending yours, you can also embark on a exciting missions and trade for resources to ensure that your empire flourishes.

Price: Free

4 – Sentinel 3: Homeworld:

The next title on our catalog of strategy games for Android is a part of a popular sci-fi tower defense series which lets you fly to an alien homeworld. After you land there, simply use your arsenals to attack your enemies and defend yourself. Complete with HD resolution graphics, the application is compatible with phones as well as tablets.

It consists of 20 levels as well as 20 weapons and abilities that help you tackle the opposition. Additionally, your commander unit gains new powers and progresses to new levels, while you are given the option to customize your weapons based on the mission.

Price: $2.99

5 – Radiant Defense:

Radiant Defense is a tower defense title in which your task is to eliminate aliens from outer space. It is set in a vibrant universe wherein you can build a fortress and set up traps to discourage invaders. You get to decide a route for the waves of these creatures which are heading towards your fortress and across 12 missions, you are required to deal with as many as 300 such waves.

Apart from 9 upgradeable weapons, there are 3 superweapons for mass destruction. And as you make progress, your name will be added to the online hall of fame that features all the top players.

Price: Free

6 – Slay:

You are required to be slightly cunning in order to excel at this title set in medieval times. Basically you have an army of peasants that help you capture enemy lands and add them to your territory. As and when you expand your kingdom, your subjects begin to get more powerful and you end up having spearmen, knights and barons in your troop. But you’ll have to be careful not to have many expensive men in your kingdom as that can make you bankrupt. So plan your moves in advance before you decide to lay claim on others’ territories in this title on our catalog of strategy games for Android.

Price: $4.82

7 – Great Big War Game:

In this massive content-packed military campaign, you have to decide whether you wish to take advice from the generalissimo or not for battling your way through it. The most interesting part about the online asynchronous multiplayer title is the funny graphics.

You have various troops and can fight it out in 50 missions. The humorous application brings an intuitive interface as well as stunning visuals to catch your attention.

Price: $2.99

8 – LandGrabbers:

This simulation and time management title gives you a chance to travel in middle ages and conquer castles and towers on the way. Your task is to constantly upgrade your army and weapons to clear all 36 levels.

The setting keeps changing and you tackle the three enemy armies in deserts or forests or on icebergs and islands. Moreover, there are 5 types of buildings with distinct features and you can test your planning abilities across three difficulty levels.

Price: Free

Conclusion:

So head to the Google Play store and download one of these best strategy games for Android if they have managed to impress you. And as there is no dearth of similar titles in the store, you are likely to come across many more that may be worthy enough to deserve a mention on this compilation. So feel free to drop in a word to let us know about them.

Top 10 Popular Android Games

1. The Simpsons™: Tapped Out

What we like: Excellent use of The Simpsons franchise. Familiar characters, buildings, and settings. Widespread humor, often directed at itself.
What we dislike: Little to no innovation on an aging model.

2. Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden 

What we like: Interesting storyline. Map contains action markers.
What we dislike: Relies on cheap scares. Character models have poor animations. Map lacks fast-travel.

3. Dead Crossing

What we like: Smooth gameplay with great sound effects. Interesting concept for a zombie game.
What we dislike: Might get a little boring as it’s a linear road.

4. Death Fighter 3D

What we like: Amazing 3D backgrounds and firepower upgrades.
What we dislike: Nothing interesting about the gameplay.

5.Wimp: Who Stole My Pants?

What we like: Inventive, imaginative and addictive. Outstanding graphics. Makes use of the touchscreen very well.
What we dislike: The controls might initially be a little difficult to use.

6. FRONTLINE COMMANDO

What we like: Marvelous gameplay mechanics and awesome graphics.
What we dislike: Enemies seem to take forever to fire. Decent number of variants but they don’t feel very different.

7. Monster Rivals

What we like: Brilliant graphics with high replay value.
What we dislike: You will be watching this game more than playing the game.

8. Zeus Defense

What we like: Interesting storyline, cute graphics and good soundtrack.
What we dislike: Can get quite boring because of the gameplay.

9. Zombie Smasher

What we like: Smooth graphics and pretty entertaining. Can get pretty difficult at the later levels.
What we dislike: Can get quite boring because of the gameplay.

10. Temple Run 2  

What we like: Better graphics than the original. New features like gems to continue your run. Minecarts and ziplines are nice improvements. Highly exhilarating at the later stages.
What we dislike: Gameplay identical to the original.

Top 20 most anticipated iOS and Android games of 2013

2012 is over.

Don't be sad, though. For one, the Apocalypse hasn't happened. For two, we have a bunch of exciting iPhone, iPad, and Android games to look forward to over the next 12 months.

We've handed out plenty of Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Awards over the course of the past year, and we're hoping to hand out even more in 2013.

Below, then, are 20 games that we think will be serious contenders for Pocket Gamer Awards.

Star Command
By War Balloon Games - coming to iPhone, iPad, and Android in January 2013



This Game Dev Story-esque simulation was originally supposed to be released back in 2011, but various delays have meant it'll be docking in January 2013, instead.

In this lovely-looking title, you create your very own starship captain; construct and customise a unique vessel for him to pilot; and set off across space on 17 different missions.

Real Racing 3
By FireMonkeys - coming to iPhone and iPad in February 2013



If Real Racing 3 is anywhere near as good as its Platinum Award-winning predecessor, we'll have an extremely shiny gem on our hands when it's released.

FireMonkey's sequel will arrive on the iOS circuit packing improved graphics, real-world tracks, new cars, and a larger Campaign mode.

Space Hulk
By Full Control - coming to iPhone and iPad in 2013



In this Warhammer 40,000 spin-off, you and a squad of hardened Space Marine Terminators are pitted against against waves of alien baddies called Genestealers.

Your aim is to overcome these threats and search abandoned freighters for valuable artefacts and powerful pieces of technology.

Ace Attorney HD
By Capcom - coming to iPhone and iPad in 2013



Ace Attorney HD is a compilation that features three of the Nintendo DS's most impressive titles: Phoenix Wright, Justice for All, and Trials and Tribulations.
In these award-winning hits, you're tasked with using evidence and your cross-examination skills to prove the innocence of a variety of clients.

Final Fantasy IV
Square Enix - coming to Android in early 2013



In 2007, Square Enix released a revamped edition of classic turn-based SNES RPG Final Fantasy IV on Nintendo's DS. This Android title is an enhanced port of said remake.

FF IV is one of the best instalments in Square Enix's acclaimed franchise. Its dramatic plot and interesting characters make sure of that.

Oceanhorn
By Cornfox & Bros. - coming to iPhone and iPad in 2013



We've had a close eye on Oceanhorn ever since it was unveiled. Its über-colourful graphics and charming soundtrack are to die for.

There are plenty of action-RPGs on the App Store, but this is probably the closest you're ever going to get to a full-3D Zelda-esque title on the iPhone and iPad.

Infinity Blade Dungeons
By Chair Entertainment - coming to iPhone and iPad in 2013



Chair Entertainment's forthcoming slasher isn't like its predecessors. At all. In fact, this Unreal Engine-powered sequel is more Diablo thanPunch-Out!!

Don't expect to be battling your way to the evil God King, either. Your aim in this title is to craft the infamous Infinity Blade.

Prevail
By Johnny Two Shoes - coming to iPhone and iPad in the near future



Prevail is a side-scrolling action game that features an intriguing mix ofScribblenauts-style graphics and Grand Theft Auto-style gameplay.

Basically, your objective is to jack UFOs and blow stuff up en route to rescuing your friends, who've been abducted by pesky otherworldly beings.

Badland
By Frogmind - coming to iPhone and iPad in February 2013



The first thing you'll notice about this physics-based side-scroller is itsLimbo-esque visuals: they're ruddy gorgeous, to say the least.

Badland is the creation of ex-RedLynx duo Johannes Vuorinen and Juhana Myllys, who both worked on Xbox 360 hit Trials Evolution, as well as MotoHeroz.

Siegecraft TD - Lizardmen
By Blowfish Studios - coming to iPhone and iPad in 2013



Last year, Blowfish Studios released the action-packed Siegecraft. Itlooked outstanding, but its gameplay left a lot to be desired.

The Australia-based developer is now working on a tower defence title set in the Siegecraft universe. Blowfish is hoping it'll end up being the "best-looking 3D tower defence game on iOS".

Year Walk
By Simogo - coming to iPhone and iPad this winter



Beat Sneak Bandit and Bumpy Road creator Simogo is currently working on a 2D adventure title all about folklore, strange creatures, and the occult.

Year Walk is set in Sweden during the 19th century. In the game, you're tasked with opening rifts and bending dimensions in order to understand the strange events that occurred on New Year's Eve.

Fist of Awesome
By Nicoll Hunt - coming to iPhone, iPad, and Android this winter



Fist of Awesome is a humour-filled Double Dragon-style side-scrolling beat-'em-up from Nicoll Hunt, who developed iOS and Android puzzlerHard Lines.

According to Hunt, this pixel-art brawler is the only iOS title in which a grizzly bear punches you square in the chops. What more do you need to know?

Sentinel 4: Dark Star
By Origin8 - coming to iPhone and iPad in Q1 2013



Sentinel 3: Homeworld nabbed an impressive Gold Award at review, so we can't wait to delve into its follow-up, which is expected to go live on the App Store in Q1 2013.

Details about Sentinel 4 are currently a little scarce, but we do know that it will be set on a distant alien planet and will contain 20+ levels.

Aralon 2
By Crescent Moon Games - coming to iPhone and iPad late 2013



It's early days for this sequel to Aralon: Sword and Shadow. Gameplay details are virtually non-existent, and we don't even know the upcoming game's proper name.

Still, another high-quality 3D action-RPG for our mobile devices can't be a bad thing.

Banana Kong
By FDG Entertainment - coming to iPhone and iPad in 2013



Banana Kong is another fantastic-looking title from the brains behindBlueprint 3D and Cover Orange. Just LOOK at those visuals in the video above.

In this Donkey Kong Country-style endless-runner, you take control of a cuddly ape, who must run, jump, and ride animals through the jungle while collecting fruit.

Core
By Luma Arcade - coming to iPhone, iPad, and Android in 2013



Once again, we know very little about this title. Why are we interested in it, then? Well, it boasts some of the best visuals we've ever seen on a mobile device.

Also, the game is going to be a multi-platform and cross-genre experience. It will be available on high-end PCs and consoles, as well as on social networks and mobile devices.

Chaos Domain
By Holy Warp - coming to iPhone and iPad in Q1 2013



There aren't enough side-scrolling shooters on the App Store, which is why we're pleased that Holy Warp is working on a Contra-style title for the iPhone and iPad.

Chaos Domain will feature 30 stages of classic run-and-gun gameplay, and a whole bunch of upgradable weapons.

Danmaku Unlimited 2
By Doragon Entertainment - coming to iPhone and iPad in 2013



This sequel to acclaimed bullet-hell shooter Danmaku Unlimited takes place shortly after the events of its predecessor.

Danmaku Unlimited 2 is packed to the rafters with five frantic stages and giant boss battles. The new in-house engine that powers this game allows Doragon to pump out HD visuals at 60 frames per second.

The Harvest
By Luma Arcade - coming to iPhone, iPad, and Android in 2013



Windows Phone 7 title The Harvest is an action-RPG that takes place on a planet ravaged by a destructive alien civilisation, who use humans to create cyborgs.

As you make your way through each area of this game, you'll have to defeat waves of invaders and giant bosses, and find hidden items and upgrades.

The Other Brothers
By Tobgame - coming to iPhone, iPad, and Android in 2013



The Other Brothers has the potential to be the best mobile platformer of 2013. Seriously.

Its levels aren't linear, you see. Each stage is actually more like a maze that spans multiple levels. So, you have to climb ladders and drop down shafts to progress.