The Best iPhone Apps Of The Week

The AppAdvice iPhone App Of The Week: Army of Darkness Defense Released May 12 ($0.99); original article Army of Darkness Defense has finally been released on the App Store and it's looking great. We previewed the game a few weeks ago; it is based on a 1992 feature film with plenty of tie-ins to that movie (including over 100 lines of dialogue). However, even if you are not a fan of horror B-movies, the game has plenty to offer and is worth checking out. The app is a combination of tower defense and hack 'n' slash games. The game has you controlling a character named Ash and defending a castle from an army of darkness, but you also have control over various defenses to the castle that can be set up as barriers. You can even summon your own army of troops against the enemy and earn gold through hard-fought battles. Gold is the main currency for purchasing upgrades and troops, and it can also be purchased via in-app purchases. New Apps Notacious for iPhone Released May 10 (free); original article Notacious, the online note taking service, is now available on iDevices. The $.99 Notacious for iPhone/iPod touch app was just released into the App Store. Created by lepidu development, the Notacious app lets users record notes on the fly. Best of all, those notes are automatically synced between devices. Zootool Released May 10 ($1.99); original article Zootool is a fully-featured app for the bookmarking service Zootool. I've only recently started using Zootool, but I'm finding it to be a much better bookmarking solution than something like delicious, which seems to be dying ever since Yahoo! purchased it and hasn't done much with it since. Now, Zooltool has an official iPhone app in the App Store, and I must say, it's a pleasure to use. Bug Chucker Released May 11 ($.99, universal); original article Cyan Worlds, best known for creating the world-renowned Myst and Riven, have released Bug Chucker for iOS, a brand new physics-based artillery game where you must defend the Galactic Bugship S.S. Treehugger and its precious cargo from the Sawz attack. In each of Bug Chucker's 42 levels, you are required chuck loads of different bugs through space in hopes of crashing into the evil robotic Sawz that lurk behind planets, force fields, and debris. You don't always have to achieve a direct hit though, as floating debris can weaken and even destroy Sawz. Newsbits Released May 11 (free); original article Newsbits, the debut iPhone application from developer mjclabs, is brand new, having just launched on the App Store. Simply, the lightweight app is a simple news aggregator. Seller Chilongo Mulanda explains that it's ideal for those who "value reading news from several sources, whether to corroborate, compare or to gain different perspectives." Features include nicely-formatted picture galleries, a "save article" function, link-sharing (via email, Facebook, and Twitter), and personalized view modes with adjustable font sizes. The purported split-screen capability is nowhere to be found, however, and the news sources are -- for the time being, anyway -- quite scant. Panda vs. Pig Released May 11 ($1.99); original article Panda vs. Pig by 3river3 Studios is a new version of the classic game Pocket Tanks. In this game, pandas and pigs take turns shooting arrows at each other to win. Pandas and pigs are not natural enemies; in fact they’d probably never meet in the wild. However in this game evil pigs have kidnapped baby panda, and the panda family is coming to the rescue. If this sounds oddly familiar you’re probably noticing the striking similarity to Angry Birds. The object of the game is to kill the pigs with your archery skills. To aim your bow, touch the angle you want to shoot at. To adjust the shot’s power, drag your finger back. Aiming and firing is not easy, it takes practice to get the hang of it. Characters can also move, s WI Orchestra Released May 11 (free, universal); original article WI Orchestra is a recently released universal app, which allows users to access "a full orchestra library" and compose music on their iOS device. The application features a variety of different instruments, though only five are available to access for free. The remaining 40+ instruments are available to purchase in app, and form a total of five instrument packs ("strings," "brasswinds," "woodwinds," "saxophones" and "percussion"). Each instrument pack is priced at $2.99. Updated Apps World of Goo HD Updated May 10 ($4.99, universal); original article One month after its Universal debut, the $4.99 World of Goo HD game has received a significant update, at least for iPhone users. Version 1.4 brings Retina display to the game for the first time. Created by 2D BOY, World of Goo HD is a puzzler where you build structures made of goo balls. The update was announced on the 2D BOY blog. N.O.V.A. 2 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance Updated May 11 ($6.99); original article N.O.V.A. 2 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance and N.O.V.A. 2 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance HD have just received a very welcome update with three new multiplayer maps. This update brings the games to version 1.1.7 and the map pack will set you back an additional $1.99 as an in-app purchase in addition to the title's $6.99 price tag. The game offers great online play and is one of the top FPS titles on the App Store; the update should keep gamers coming back, and the playing community active. The Gameloft first-person shooter series, Nova and Nova 2, have been inspired by Bungie's Halo for the Xbox and offer both single player campaigns and multiplayer mayhem over Wi-Fi. The games also share a similar futuristic-themed storyline, enemies and landscapes. However, Nova 2 has a lot to offer that makes it stand out from the Bungie games as well as other first-person shooters on the App Store. This is due to the amount of content it offers, great enemy A.I. and weapon selection, and the various controls schemes that have been provided to make it as precise as possible for an iDevice game. Angry Birds Rio Updated May 13 ($.99); original article The popular iOS application, Angry Birds Rio, has recently been updated. Now, fans of the app can enjoy a whole new level: "Beach Volley." Both versions of the app - Angry Birds Rio ($0.99) and Angry Birds Rio HD ($2.99) - have received the update, which became available earlier today. As you can see in below gameplay video, the new episode is acted out on the golden sands of an ocean side beach. It's currently available to download now, and as you would expect the update is free for iOS fans who already own the app. Colorflys SD Updated May 13 ($.99); original article One of AppAdvice’s “Best iPad Apps Of The Week” is now available for the iPhone/iPod touch as a separate app. Colorflys is available in the App Store. Best of all, we’ve got promo codes for some of our readers to receive the app for free. Created by iGotIt Games, Colorflys SD is a wonderful combination of visual beauty, interaction, and a remarkable soundtrack. The object is to capture magical butterflies happily flying across a beautiful landscape. But, be careful: Do not touch butterflies of another color or type or the dreaded bumblebees. This will cause your capture to fail! Doodle Jump - BE WARNED: Insanely Addictive! Updated May 13 ($.99); original article Lima Sky's popular iOS app, Doodle Jump, has recently been updated. Now, fans of the app can earn three new achievements in the app's recently added multiplayer mode. As outlined in the app's release notes: NEW multiplayer racing achievements! Can you become the Racing Legend by winning 1000 races? or a Racing Hero by winning 500? Win 100 races and you'll be the Racing Champ! To reiterate: The achievements are "Racing Champ" (for winning 100 races), "Racing Hero" (for winning 500 races) and "Racing Legend" (for winning 1,000 races). The updated version of Doodle Jump (version 2.3) is currently available to download now. Tweetbot– A Twitter Client with Personality Updated May 13 ($1.99); original article The popular Twitter client for iOS, Tweetbot, has recently been updated. Now, users of the app can enjoy a variety of new features, including landscape support, user and hashtag buttons, improved location data and more. As outlined in the app's release notes, features added in the latest version include:

Landscape support for media, compose and web views
Added User/Hashtag buttons to compose toolbar
Improved accuracy of displayed locations
Tweet gaps now load above instead of below
Lists now sorted alphabetically
Login now handles email address or username
CloudApp image/video support
Improved hashtag picker
Fixed translation issue with British English
Improved saving behavior for older devices
Various bug fixes

What do you think of our picks? Leave your comments below. The Best iPhone Apps Of The Week is published each weekend; a companion piece, The Best iPad Apps Of The Week, is published separately.