Word Solitaire: Aurora

Price at time of writing 59p approx 99c

I like solitaire, as in the traditional card game, but I bore with it quite quickly.

Now solitaire with words is an addictive twist. And that's the aim here. On each level all you have to do is uncover all turned over cards and ensure that at the end you have a word in each column.

With limited lifelines (burn a few cards - on some levels even this is not available) you will be driven mad yet you will keep coming back for more. Longer words mean more points and your few spare cards in the bottom left hand corner will often be needed to complete words or simply to add to your score.

Campaign is fun with level after level available to proceed through with many challenges such as coping with many of  a given letter.

A global 'who can score the most?' daily challenge is also great fun.

This is so close to a 10/10 app but a couple of personal desires just hold it off.

The backgrounds are beautiful but the animation seems to make the battery drain a little too quickly for my liking for a word app.

Some form of Open Feint and/or Game Center functionality would be nice.

A global high score leaderboard would also be a good addition for Campaign mode. Especially when this has been implemented for the daily challenge.

These are minor quibbles though and such a small price for such an addictive card game with a word twist is outstanding.

9/10 Download from

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Arcade Solitaire Tri Towers App Review

Price at time of writing £1.19 (approx $2)

If you love solitaire the ITunes store leaves you spoilt for choice and it's hard to knwo where to start looking.

Arcade Solitaire Tri Towers is a good app, in fact the wife loves it.

I do have to say, however, that the price tag mentioned above seems to be a little steep for what is essentially a single solitaire game.Yes there are 3 different 'modes' you can play: Arcade Mode - normal mode with extra lives, Survival - no lives and Chill mode no time limit and extra lives but for me this isn't enough for a 10/10 rating when looking at the current price tag.

It's colourful, it has different 'skins' and card backs available, the sounds are great and it is an addictive little game for a solitaire addict but there is better available for less cash.

I feel the developer would do better with this being marketed at the lowest price tag in the app store.

And there is one final annoying thing that bugs my wife no end. You can earn all the extra lives you like but they are only valid if you already don't have a couple of lives in storage. That is not a true extra life

To its credit the game is Open Feint enabled allowing for a nice string of achievements to aim for together with high score leaderboards.

A good app? Yes. But with a lot of competition in the solitaire app market I could see Arcade Solitaire Tri Towers being substituted for something with a bit more content in the event that somebody's iPhone or iPod Touch becomes a little app-bloated.

8/10 Available here

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Texas Hold Em App Review

Price at time of writing £2.99 (approx $5)

I am no poker expert but do know how to play the game and what a great game this is too in fact with it's great graphics I would descibe it more as a poker simulation.

Multiplayer is available from the main menu but single player against the various AI opponents is just as entertaining.

If you play holding your iPhone or iPod Touch in landscape mode you can play a faster game as you just have the overhead table top view.

If you want to view the excellent photorealistic animation in gameplay and are happy with a slower, but more true to life game, simply turn your gadget to portrait mode at any point.

Despite a few moans and groans thst I have read in the iTunes review the vast majority of users agree that this is a superb simulation.

For the price I mention above I think the game is excellent value.

Like Texas Hold Em in real life making money is not easy, easy to learn, but not easy to win big.

You start off your career playing in the Garage but your ability to play in the Cruise Liner, Aquarium, Vegas and other amazing venues you will have to perform well in each successive venue. This success is hard to earn and that gives it superb replay value. Believe me I've spent so much time in the garage I feel at home there now - I have progressed out briefly to higher venues briefly only to be outplayed by the AI players.

I love the beautiful animation in portrait mode of both the dealer and players. The facial expressions are great. If I have any critisism at all it's that I wish a few more animations had been taken of the players as they are somewhat limited.

Controls have been well though out and are simple to exectute. Everything from folding by throwing your cards in to "checking" by a double tap on the poker table is so easy.

Texas Hold Em is a superb application by Apple Inc. at a very fair price. I will be exploring other poker apps in due course but this will be hard to equal let alone beat.

10/10 and downloadable from here

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