Picky Gamer Apps #3

The weekly Picky Gamer Apps column is dedicated to mobile games and apps a picky gamer wants to have. I’m focusing on the games and will be dropping some occasional applications that will help in your gaming lives. Here is the selection for the first week:

• ‎Jigsaw Puzzles ‎
• Need for Speed No Limits
• Fastlane: Road to Revenge

Jigsaw Puzzles

I once spent a month looking for a perfect jigsaw puzzle app for iPhone and concluded that it simply doesn’t exist. Perhaps, it’s just not viable to develop and maintain such an app, because it requires a lot of work with marginally low income. On the other hand, once the app has been developed, I don’t see why it would be hard to release occasional image packs, gathered from Unsplash and other sources of free-for-commercial use images.

Here is the problem: most Jigsaw Puzzles are free to download but have ridiculous subscription prices OR are absolutely shitty. Here I will share the app I didn’t fall in love with, but which I didn’t hate, and it’s been on my phone for several months, it’s called Jigsaw Puzzles (I know, the name is very generic).

This app is add-supported with free a selection of free puzzles plus a new free puzzle each day. You can get rid of the ads and get access all the puzzle collections for $10 a month (there goes the ridiculously pricy subscription), but those things aren’t necessary to enjoy the app. The free version keeps a little of space occupied in the bottom of the screen and shows ad clips when you begin a new puzzle.

The gameplay of Jigsaw Puzzles is well thought out. You can drop all the pieces on the board at the same time, or get them back in the stash with one tap. You can also hide from view all the pieces but the “edges.”

Player gets to choose to enable or disable rotation and set between 64 and 400 per puzzle (for the free version). The player can zoom in and zoom out the board, show and hide the image in the background and swap the background color scheme.

If you know of a better jigsaw puzzle game than this one, feel free to share in the comments.

iOS Link

Need for Speed No Limits

While downloading Need for Speed No Limits I was very skeptical, for three reasons:

1. I haven’t truly enjoyed an NFS game since the original Most Wanted.
2. I’ve never truly enjoyed a mobile racing game (I gave Asphalt many tries to hook me in).
3. I’m biased against EA.

Can’t say that NSF No Limits shook my life, but it exceeded my expectations. The device limitations won’t allow me to control gears or when to break, but even if all you control is when and how to turn, it still gives that exhilarating I remember getting from the classic NFS games.

The game design reminds of the Underground series. I didn’t pay much attention to the dialog plugs (don’t see why a mobile arcade would need a storyline), but I’m guessing that the No Limits developers wanted to bring as much from Underground as they could — “you are a rookie driver and need to prove yourself, yadda, yadda.”

Since it’s an EA game, and the company is legally obligated to bloat its titles with unnecessary functions created to milk the money out of me, I wasn’t too much disappointed by the progression and customization system. To unlock new cars, you need to gather “blueprints,” which can be obtained by playing the game or bought for real money. Customization costs the “premium” currency, and it’s too much to be interested in paying for (when I saw that I needed to spend about $3 for the hood I liked, I just left the customization section of the game for good).

Upon finishing a race, you will have to watch an ad. Apparently, income generated from players, who pay $3 per a custom hood is not enough.

The developers occasionally drop Limited time events, which is a good opportunity to win “premium currency” (not much) and drive a unique car.

If you are looking for a racing game, give Need for Speed No Limits a try.

iOS Link

Android Link

‎Fastlane: Road to Revenge

Fastlane is a classing “hold thumb on the screen to play” game where you control a car that’s continually shooting in front of itself. I find the gameplay of ‎Fastlane very enjoyable, simple and addictive.

The plot of the game is somewhat iffy and puts the character in the role of a villain (why else would you want to destroy every car you see on the street?).

The levels are presented as an endless ride instead of an arcade with finite length. Your car gradually accelerates during the game making it harder and harder to avoid collision with other vehicles and different obstacles.

The game has “premium currency” you need to spend to get new cars and some upgrades. There are various ways to get that currency without paying — through daily quests, watching adds, levelling up, looting et cetera. You will keep progressing in the game no matter what, paying will only make it faster.

Fastlane is one of the few videos with its own official music video:

I find ‎Fastlane to be one of the best games I’ve ever installed on my phone.

iOS Link

Android Link

*       *       *       *       *       *       *

Are there apps & games you would like to recommend for a picky gamer? Share them in the comments.