Introducing Bus Simulator Racing on Google Play

Do you like driving simulator games? Here's one that has a unique twist by letting you drive a double-decker bus. Bus Simulator Racing is a new game out from Universal Games. It's a free download for Android.

It has fun graphics, starting with the bus itself. You drive a bright red bus designed to look like a classic British bus. There's also cool scenery that reminds me of the countryside.

The object of the game is to drive bus passengers safely to school, which involves navigating a bridge between the mainland bus station and the island where the school is located. The bridge is narrow and difficult to navigate, so the game tests your skills in regard to timing, as well as your skills navigating the bus as you tilt your device or turn the steering wheel to drive.

You can compete against players from around the world as you collect stars while you drive. The game includes bus engine sound effects as well as background music. Many users have described the scenery of the game as relaxing. Plus, the game is optimized for use on tablets as well as phones.

I've posted before about the free games available from Universal Games. They've created a variety of fun, colorful games that are perfect for when you have time to spare and want to do something relaxing but also challenging enough to make you want to keep playing. You can see a list of all of their games on Google Play.

Introducing Pixel Robot Jump Saga on Google Play

If you have an Android phone, Pixel Robot Jump Saga (available on Google Play) is a game that has charmingly retro graphics and a simple, fun interface.

The game features, yes, a pixel robot character, and the goal is to make the little guy jump vertically as many times as you can. The catch is that he's jumping inside a moving circle, and there's a gap in the circle, so you have to time your jumps carefully so that he doesn't jump through the gap, thus ending the game.

This YouTube video gives you a very clear idea of how the game works.

This game is made by Universal Games Team, and I asked them if there was anything in particular they wanted readers to know about it. They replied, "Pixel Robot Jump Saga is an insanely difficult retro game with pixel design and vintage sounds, making Flappy Bird seem easy."

I have to agree about the vintage sounds; listening to the game reminds me of my old Atari system in the best way possible. :) And the ease of the game--you just tap to jump--reminds me of old-school games, too.

I also asked the team what makes the game fun to play, and they said, "It's a frustratingly addictive game, an almost impossible game where you must tap to help a robot jump vertically out of a rotating circle and help it get back in safely. Just test your reflexes and see if the highest score you can obtain exceeds a single digit--you'll be a master if you get a two-digit score."

Have you played a game like this, where the creators say it will be hard for you to break into two-digit scoring? Sounds like a worthy challenge, if ever I've heard one!

Learn more by checking out the free app on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pixel.robot.jump.

Introducing TuiLand, Chat without Registration

Do you ever feel like chatting online but don't feel like signing up for another social website? TuiLand is a web-based chat tool that doesn't require registration. You just go to http://tuiland.com/en/, choose an avatar from a limited selection of cute, cartoony images, and then you can chat. You don't even use your real name--you use the name assigned to the avatar.

TuiLand was created with an idea in mind of the groups that form outside of the internet (classmates, work colleagues, etc). In other words, sometimes circumstances put you together with people, rather than choices based on common interests--or even geography. As anyone who has made online friends before can attest, you never know when you might meet someone with whom you end up building a lifelong friendship.

When visiting TuiLand, participants enter a social network made up of a fixed number of 32 people, equal parts men and women. The rest is totally casual. Because in TuiLand you don't use photos and real names, only avatars, you have the safety of guarding your own identity, and the freedom of chatting freely. The creators of TuiLand hope that in this new space, you can be yourself, starting from zero.

You can download the TuiLand app from Google Play, which is a fun and easy way to try chatting at different times of day when you have your phone with you and a free moment or two to try something new. Learn more about TuiLand and connect with other users in a less anonymous way on TuiLand's Facebook page.

Introducing Penguin Run Saga on Google Play

I recently interviewed one of the game designers from Universal Games Team about their car racing game called Neon 2 Cars Saga, available on Google Play. They have so many fun and creative games that I wanted to feature another game in its own post, so this post is dedicated to their game called Penguin Run Saga.

Do you love cute animal games? This game lets you be a cute penguin who is trying to catch fish, but who also encounters obstacles like snowballs and ice cones. The more fish you collect and points you rack up, the more colorful penguins you unlock. As with other games from Universal Games Team, you can compete against players all over the world using the global ranking feature.

I asked the game's creator to share what he wants people to know about the game and he described it as "a frustratingly addictive and challenging game with cute and smooth graphics." He added that his goal in creating the game was to give players an opportunity to test their reflexes with the high-speed action in the game.

The setting of this game is really fun, and as you play, be sure to carefully watch the behavior of the Antarctic and Arctic animals.

To learn more and to download the game and become a penguin legend, check out https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cartoon.penguin.run.

Meet Universal Games Team, Creator of Neon 2 Cars Racing Saga on Google Play

Universal Games Team has created a number of creative mobile apps available in the Google Play store. One such app is called Neon 2 Cars Racing and has received (at the time of this writing in early January of 2016) nearly 500 reviews, with an average of 4.6 stars.

It's a neat, tablet-optimized game that lets you race two neon cars--you control both cars at the same time, which makes it challenging to keep both moving in a straight line. The game has obstacles as well as things to collect as you race. You can challenge and compare scores with players all over the world using a leaderboard function as well as social media sharing.

Reviewers are calling it addictive, fun, and more. Our interview below is with the creator of the game.

1. How did you first get started creating apps?

I'm a self-taught designer. I picked it up from books and researching on the internet. As I learned more about apps, I started experimenting with my first hands-on introduction to building a simple user interface and handling user input. I got started by learning to use Android Studio and SDK manager, Android app design.

2. What do you like best about the process of app design?

I like to keep dreaming for ideas. It's a really creative process, and there is no end to the different apps a person can develop.

3. How do you come up with the ideas for your apps?

As I work, I draw from a lot of different influences. For this particular game, I was inspired by my enjoyment of cartoons, as well as action and adventure racing games. Neon technologies further inspire me. I also wanted to make this game a perfect fit for those that want to test their reflexes.

4. What inspired you to create Neon 2 Cars Racing Saga?

In short, I wanted to combine the beautiful properties of neon, and car racing games. I wanted a design that people would enjoy looking at, with relaxing music to listen to while they played. My goal was to create a perfect game for girls and for boys.

5. In your opinion, what separates a good app from a great one?

A great app design is one that will balance appearance with function. It should be a frustratingly-addictive game and a free game!

Learn more at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.neon.cartoon.twocars.

Introducing ZyShopper, an App for iOS and Android

Do you like window shopping? Is it hard to find the time to actually walk down the street or through the shopping mall and browse for items to buy? Well, the idea behind the ZyShopper app is to give you a browsing/shopping experience from your smartphone.

The way the app works is that when you click to open it, you're taken to a selection of ten items from one of the stores that partners with ZyShopper. You can browse through the items and, if you're interested, you can buy them and/or click to view similar items from that store. You can also choose to look at a new set of ten items from a different store.

The idea of the app is to create a fast and fun way to shop online--from anywhere. Whenever you have a few minutes, you can open the app and find new fashions. So far, over 100 of the world's largest brands are represented in the app.

For the best idea of how ZyShopper works, check out this YouTube demo:

The app is available in the iTunes store and through Google Play.

An Introduction to Casino Apps, A Review Website

For those who enjoy playing casino games on their smartphones and tablets, there are a wide variety of casino game apps in the iTunes and Google Play store. But how do you choose which ones to play? There's a website called Casino Apps which offers reviews and screenshots to help you sort through the many options.

The Casino Apps site is divided into several sections for different types of games, including bingo, slots, roulette, poker, and even solitaire. As an example of one of the site's popular bingo app reviews, the review of Bingo Party emphasizes both the social and single-player aspects of the free app, which allows users to connect with friends via Facebook to play as well as to play offline by yourself.

The site is a good place to find out what different apps provide in terms of a user experience--and to make your best judgments in terms of which apps you want to try given their potential costs. While most of the sites are free and involve playing for credits rather than real money, there are some sites which involve real money, so play at your own risk!

In short, this is a useful site for getting an idea of some of the casino apps out there: it's a nice starting place that puts several things all in one place so that you can save yourself some Googling and clicking through search results.

Meet Bob Pinto, Musician and Composer

Bob Pinto lives on Maryland's Eastern Shore in a modest house with a wife and cat. He has varied musical interests and has been playing music since elementary school when he first studied saxophone and piano. These days, Bob creates contemporary, melodic instrumentals utilizing electronic synth libraries. His album, Winds and Journeys, is available on Google Play. Samples of his ambient music are also available on YouTube.

1. When did you start composing music?

I have always had tunes running through my head since taking music courses in college but never developed any real songs until a few years ago. The foundation of theory was there but no creation.

One day as I walked towards my piano, for lack of a better term, I "saw" a pattern of notes and thought I could write a complete song. It wasn't great but it was a starting point. Within time I found a style that worked best.

2. What inspires you to create music in the ambient, electronic genre?

I was fascinated when I first heard experimental music on the earliest analogue synthesizers. I also liked the synth sounds used by Pink Floyd, E.L.O., and Vengalis.

Later the music of Enya, George Winston, and Yanni opened up a great interest in this type of music. The unfortunate moniker of "new age" has been used to describe this genre. I prefer ambient electronic and even then I write these songs to be listened to and not just some background sound.

3. Your album contains music which addresses several themes; what was your process in putting the album together and arranging the tracks to cohere as a whole?

After the pieces are written, sometimes I'll look at a piece and say, "All right, what is it? What do you call it?". Here is where many music writers give some vague, otherworldly or foreign name. I could name some pieces names like that but what would they mean?

One song on the album started out as a piece to be submitted for review by people who were a go-between for A&R producers. They wanted something that could have been written by Vengalis. Well, I had always been fan of his and knew his style. The song reviewers deep-sixed it, but I didn't. I included it on the album and called it "Los Vengalis."

In nature, nice breezes are soothing as they interplay with various trees and brush. They're spontaneous yet constant. The leaves make the same sound but in arrhythmic waves. I just love the sound of it. Jesus even speaks of it poetically referring to the spirit. It can be a gentle lullabye or an invigorating rush. I love winds, so I made it a recurring theme or element in the music.

The journeys aspect of the album is largely influenced by the fact that I and many of us have undergone crisis or been thrown under the bus, either by people or workplaces or even medical crisis. You learn to get through it, recover, and, hopefully, are the better for it. The song "Journey through Crisis" deals with this in that way. It, too, is broken into three sections. The music reflects everything starting out good, then lost in seconds, and lastly the recovery begins.

One song, "Niddle Dance" (a made up word), takes place in an imaginary pub and celebrates the recovery. I actually wanted to call it "I finally got rid of the dang thing" but didn't. :o)

4. Do you have a particular process you follow when composing music?

Actually, I do it all on computer, writing the midi notes as I go. If I were smart, I'd plan everything first. But what I'll do often is write a few measures, play it back, and see what it suggests. Sometimes things flow very smoothly with only some editing of small details, and other times I have to beat it to death to make it sound right. But I'll always try to keep style and methods in mind as I go.

5. What sort of work do you do for your day job, and how do you maintain a balance between your music and your other work?

I do assembly work in a manufacturing facility. I also do church music, so time management becomes important. I do hate having to quit creating and then pick up where I left off the next day. You just try to leave outlines on how to proceed when you start the next day.

Art is hard for us to make a decent living at it. It often has to be supported out of pocket and then you have to be a genius at promoting it. And then, I don't want my wife to become an art or computer widow. A healthy balance has to be maintained.

Thanks, Bob!

Meet Naser Abdulghani, Game Designer and Entrepreneur

Naser Abdulghani is an internet and multimedia entrepreneur who has recently launched his new Maryland-based start-up company, Jokerware LLC, specializing in mobile games and application development. Naser works alongside his creative team on a creating and launching new, challenging, and fun games that appeal to almost every type of gamer. Naser has launched his first ever mobile game "Love Gears" and is willing to launch more games in the near future.

Download Love Gears from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

1. What was your inspiration in designing your first mobile game, Love Gears?

I've always been a fan of mobile games that I play during my free time which I consider as a mind sport. I always look for a game that joins simplicity, fun, and challenge, and this is where the idea of creating my own game came from. 

  2. What are the unique challenges in creating a mobile app, as opposed to a game that would be played on a larger screen?

Mobiles are very easy to be carried around wherever you go, so the need for mobile games is much more higher than larger screen games; therefore, the competence to stand out from the crowd is higher and more difficult. There are hundreds of thousands of mobile games available at reasonable prices, so the tricky part is to design a game that fits perfectly with the taste of players. 

3. How did you get started in designing games, and what would you suggest other people do if they are interested in making games themselves?

Mobile games are today's trend, and there are many good and bad games out there. The idea behind the game should be unique and fun. I would advise people to innovate and be creative when it comes to designing games. People who download games are smart and would not fall for replication or boring ideas.

4. Who do you think would especially enjoy Love Gears? Are there other popular games you might compare it to?

Love Gears is designed to match the taste of people who like challenging, addictive games: people who like to think while they play and spend their time in something fun and useful. Love Gears is suitable for all family members especially those who like to challenge each other. Our game has been compared to "Cut the Rope" which flatters us and makes us proud as start-ups to be compared to such a successful game. 

5. What's next for Jokerware?

This was our first game, but stay tuned for more interesting competing games.

Thanks, Naser!