Amazing Sudoku: A New Twist On a Classic Game

Omar McFarlane — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:00:39 +0000

Like ever ubiquitous flashlight apps, Sudoku games in the App Store are a dime a dozen. However, while the game play between them is roughly the same, there is a staggering difference between the graphics and what they offer in terms of options. The current king would be Amazing Sudoku, available for $1.99 for the full version or the free version that limits you to only the easy difficulty.

There are two game modes to play, Classic and Magic, with three difficulty settings each. If you have played Sudoku before, then the classic mode will come as nothing new. It’s the typical fit the numbers 1-9 in all of the nine 3×3 grid while not duplicating the numbers along the rows and columns. Beyond some impressive, if not superfluous, graphics and a Asian-esque soundtrack, the only thing it brings to the table is an “autonote” feature that will automatically let you know what options a cell has based on all the other cells around it. This is a nifty feature as it makes game play easier without inherently making the game any easier. There is also a hint button that gives you up to three answers should you get stumped along the way.

The second mode, Magic, is a very interesting modification of the classic game type. In addition to being a regular Sudoku game, you also have to make sure that each diagonal column from the outer most corners also contains a 1-9 sequence. And if that weren’t enough, there are also colored squares for which the numbers inside them can only be equal to or less than the amount of colored squares in a 3×3 grid. So, if there are five colored squares, you can only have numbers 1-5 inside them, a 9 would make the grid incorrect. This mode definitely adds just enough variation from the Classic game play without deviating too far from the root of Sudoku, offering something to those that might get bored of the normal game type or need that extra bit of complexity.

The game play and controls are solid, and make the game easy to dive into, despite all its glitz and glamour. Amazing Sudoku boasts an unlimited number of levels, so there is no end to the fun that you can have with it. There is also an online scoreboard that, interestingly, makes use of the location services giving you the option to see the Top 25 scores near you, though it makes no claim of what the radius is. About the only thing missing is a daily puzzle in which everyone can compete for the high score on. Otherwise, it definitely brings a fair amount of extras to the table to differentiate itself from the pack and ends up being just as it claims, an amazing take on the cult game.

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12 Mac Apps to Waste Your Time

Josh Pigford — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:09:54 +0000

So lets face it. Sometimes we all just need to kill a little time. It’s relaxing.

Whether you’re on your lunch break at work (or not) or if you are just bored one night and can’t sleep…this list should help you cure your boredom.

I’ve compiled 12 apps that do a fantastic job of killing time in just about every way you’d want to. This list includes everything from games to design modifications to monotonous tasks to widgets and more. So get reading and have fun!

CandyBar

URL: http://www.panic.com/candybar/
Amuse yourself for hours on end searching down cool icons to replace your boring default system icons.

CandyBar is the app that lets you easily switch out icons with practically no hassle. This method of time-killing will set you back $12.95.

Garage Band

URL: http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/
Apple’s very own GarageBand comes on most new Macs…so there’s a pretty good chance you have it already.

Whether you’re musical or not, it’s a lot of fun to put together loops and then share them folks.)

Photo Booth

URL: http://www.apple.com/imac/isight.html
On man…the fun that can be had with this little gem.

In the past two years or so since Apple began including built-in iSights with their iMac and Macbook(Pro) lines, they quietly began including a little application called Photo Booth that lets you take pictures from your built-in camera or iSight.

The key to good times here are the different effects tabs that let you take absurdly stupid pictures of yourself (like the one of me above). :)

Frenzic

URL: http://frenzic.com
Frenzic is a high-paced puzzle game that “takes minutes to learn and months to master,” according to The Iconfactory, the makers of the game.

The best way to describe it might be Tetris on steroids that just drank a bottle of Incredible Hulk juice.

What’s really great about this game is that it ties in to their high score system so you can see how you rank compared to all Frenzic players.

Price for this starts at $14.95. There is a free trial that is definitely worth your time…especially if you’re trying to kill it.

Moody

URL: http://www.crayonroom.com/moody.php
Covered before, Moody is a way to tag your tunes based on mood.

How does this help you waste your time? Well, you have to tag a large number of your tunes before it really creates a good mix of music. But trust me, it’s worth it…especially when it is completely free!

Last.fm

URL: http://www.last.fm
Sure it’s cool to see lots of stats like who you listened to the most in the past week, but what I really love about Last.fm is how you can find lots of really cool new tunes.

Last.fm creates personalized radio stations based on your listening habits and I’ve found it to be a great way to find new artists I haven’t heard of.

Finding new music is one of my favorite ways to kill time.

Twitterific

URL: http://iconfactory.com/software/twitterrific
I’m not really a Twitter fan, but it is certainly a fantastic way to waste time. In fact, with Twitter you would actually be twittering about how your twittering to waste time.

Twitterific allows you to conveniently twitter from the comfort of your operating system.

Sudoku Fun Widget

URL: http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/games/sudokufunwidget.html
From the widget page, Sudoku Fun Widget is a “widget that lets you play this addictive, Japanese number-place logic puzzle on the Dashboard.”

There are plenty of people who can’t function without their daily dose of Sudoku, so if that’s your bag…you should check out this handy little widget.

Second Life

URL: http://secondlife.com
Second Life is the popular virtual reality world. Create your own character and walk around doing…pretty much anything you can imagine.

Reactive

URL: http://www.revaro.net/index.html?Reactive/index.html
What else could you possibly want to do with your time than be a 2-legged chameleon armed with 9 weapons and having a bad day?

Reactive is a 20+ level game that includes features such as network play, multi-player gaming, and fluid simulation.

It’s free to download and play but you’ll need to fork over $12 if you want access to all 20+ levels.

FunBooth

URL: http://thefunbooth.com
FunBooth is the close cousin of Photo Booth. Instead of altering the actual photos, FunBooth lets you attach all sorts of props from wigs to glasses to mustaches and more.

After disguising yourself in FunBooth, send your photos to friends and family to show them that you don’t do anything productive!

Flappie

URL: http://www.tastyapps.com
Flappie is basically a virtual pet for your Dashboard. Flappie needs food, play, and sleep. If you give him everything he needs, he’ll continue to grow and become something magnificent. If you don’t…he dies.

One thing that makes Flappie unique over your average virtual pet game is that it is affected by your local weather. So hopefully you life in a Flappie-friendly environment.