There are those among us who are blessed with an uncanny talent, an ability that few possess. Many have tried to acquire this skill through years of practice only to become merely adequate, but those naturally talented few demonstrate this ability with such finesse that it puts all others to shame.
This talent, this revered skill is, of course, the ability to accurately flick.
I know! I know! Like you, I've tried my hand—make that finger—at flicking. I was young then and didn't realize how important a skill flicking would become. Now I'm a jaded old man, envious of those younger and far more capable than I ever was. And now, in a world full of mobile devices with touch screens, the ability to accurately flick is nigh a necessity.
My grandson is two years old and he can flick faster and with far more accuracy than I on my best day. It's because he has access to my daughter's iPhone, and he has developed his talent. As he matures his flicking ability will become formidable. In fact, I contend that we have bred and are breeding a whole generation of advanced flickers, and there's no telling where that will lead us. Will we flick for the greater good of mankind and the world on which we live, or will we succumb to our baser instincts and flick maliciously?
Only time will tell.
How good are you at flicking? Unless you're like my grandson, you could probably use some practice. But how can you practice where it doesn't involve flinging something nasty or the possibility of injury to others? You can flick on your iOS device, of course, and I happen to have three fine flicking apps that are bound to please.
So let's get to it.
Skim It [50.3 MB, all iOS devices iOS 3.1.3 or later, Maker: Flippin Pixels Ltd]
Ever skip stones across a pond? That's what you can do virtually in Skim It.
Toss stones by flicking in the direction you want in order to sink paper sailboats, ducks and other pond denizens. Logs bounce your stones back and frogs eat them (ugh!). Flick as often as you can and try to stink combo targets to get more points. Points lets you buy power-ups and upgrades (of course).
You have a "day" to get as many points as you can. Each day is divided into three periods where your targets get faster and smaller. As the days progress new obstacles keep you from getting points. And so it goes.
Combos! Yes!
This app's graphics is powered by the Unity Engine which is responsible for some stellar iOS games so you know it's going to be good to look at. And it is.
Check out Skim It. It worth a look.
Gongshow Saucer King [81.2 MB, all iOS devices iOS 5.0 or later, Maker: Gong Show Gear Inc.]
Ahh yes! This is an interesting game.
Hockey sticks and goals are not just for hockey anymore, or so it seems. The ability to lob a puck in a goal in nearly any environment, not just on ice, is a skill even the skate-less seem to enjoy. With Saucer King you can now enjoy the sport from the comfort of your couch.
The object, as I've mentioned, is to put a puck in a goal with a flick of a stick. It's not as easy as it sounds. The goal's angle and distance varies on each attempt and there are environmental conditions to contend with, so your flicking has to be controlled.
It's gonna be a good one!
The first level is pretty easy so after you've gotten a feel for flicking and have made some righteous goals, let the timer run out to advance to the next level, that's where it gets challenging. Wind speed picks up, random obstacles appear, even the type of goal changes, all adding to the fun.
The game is ad free if you don't count the gratuitous billboard ads for Gong Show, makers of hockey apparel and the game. It's a bit rough around the edges, but give Saucer King a chance. I think you'll get hooked.
Glass Pong 2 [45.6 MB, all iOS devices iOS 4.3 or later, Maker: Beyond Inc.]
Now here's a sport that should be in the Olympics. Bar Pong, Beer Pong, and Cup Pong are some of the many names this bar game goes by, and the rules vary, but the basic premise is the same; bounce a pingpong ball into a cup.
In Glass Pong 2 the goal is a beer glass positioned in various places around a bar and with various obstacles in your way. You start out with twenty pong balls. Get one ball into the glass and you advance to the next level. Your score depends on how many balls you have left and how many times you hit the glass in your attempts.
A bounce and it's in...maybe
Some of the goal setups are surprisingly tough, some you really have to luck the ball in. The flicking isn't as accurate as I'd like, and you really need accuracy to make this more fun, but as it is Glass Pong 2 is a fun time.
And that's a wrap for this week.
If you like a fun flight fight game then check out this week's free App of the Week, Sky Gamblers: Storm Raiders. It WWII dogfights! Oh yeah!