Five to Try was off last week thanks to the madness surrounding I/O, but the ay Store never sleeps—so now we have two weeks’ worth of app releases to sift through. kémon Magikarp mp, just out this week, leads our selection, delivering a silly new spin on the virtual pet simulator featuring one of the franchise’s more maligned monsters.
Meanwhile, ayOn Cloud is an app that can save any show from top streaming services onto your phone, ’s Audio Factory is a delightful, Daydream VR-aided exploration of sound. And if you’re looking for other game options, Old Man’s urney is a heartwarming adventure, while Arkanoid vs Space Invaders is a throwback mashup that’s well worth the cost.
kémon Magikarp mp
Magikarp finally get a starring role in the latest kémon game.
ether or not you’re still enthralled by the G-driven kémon Go, there’s yet another new mobile game (beyond this spring’s kémon Duel) that you can now play on Android. kémon Magikarp mp is, as the title suggests, focused solely on the dopey-looking fish creature, it takes the form of a virtual pet simulator of sorts.
You’ll catch your very own Magikarp then gradually train it to flop up higher into the sky, waging one-on-one battles against other Magikarp to see who can manage the largest leap. The more your fish trains eats, the better it’ll perform in league battles, each new generation that follows will only be more skilled. It’s simplistic but also funny: Magikarp are considered pretty worthless in the world of kémon, Magikarp mp is definitely in on that joke.
ayOn Cloud
ck your service show you can grab offline, on-the-go recordings.
Most streaming video services don’t give you the ability to save content for offline viewing. Outliers like Netflix Amazon Instant Video can be lifesavers for long flights or connectivity-impaired commutes, but even Netflix puts limits on what you can save. However, ayOn Cloud is designed to save anything from top services onto your phone, whether it’s from Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, or some other app.
How does it work? ayOn Cloud exists in some kind of legal grey area, it accomplishes the feat by queueing up a remote web browser on a server somewhere, recording what’s streaming on the screen, then sending you the file. Yes, you’ll have to wait the full length of the video for it to be captured—but it does work.
However, it’s not free, as each stream recording costs one credit at a regular price of $0.40 apiece. so, you will need your own login credentials for each premium service. It feels a bit iffy, certainly, since the services offered aren’t really playing along it’s not an official solution, but ayOn Cloud is still up running for now ( has been on iOS for a while). Might as well give it a look if you don’t mind paying a little extra for offline access to streaming favorites.
Old Man’s urney
Old Man’s urney is really, really beautiful.
The new kémon game might provide simple, silly fun, but if you’re up for something a bit heavier, then Old Man’s urney ($5) might do the trick. It begins with the titular man receiving a letter with some clearly heartbreaking news, it inspires him to venture back out in the world to relive memories of his past attempt to make amends along the way.
Old Man’s urney isn’t heavy on complex gameplay. imarily, you’ll drag drop hills in the backdrops to create walking paths, interact with people objects to push forward the storyline (which is shown, not told). But it’s a real stunner: The h-drawn graphics are rich deeply emotive, while the flashback scenes the old man’s reactions might draw a tear or two along the way. It’s short mechanically straightforward as an adventure game, but also very sweet.
Audio Factory
p it into a Daydream View you’ll get an immersive, sound-centric experience.
Got a Daydream View headset one of the compatible phones? If so, then you should definitely check out Audio Factory. Released last week amidst the frenzy of I/O, the -made Daydream app is designed as a quick showcase for its spatial VR audio tech. Essentially, you’ll use the Daydream remote to interact with items while visiting various floors of a test facility, with each new destination providing impressive new aural delights all around you.
For example, you’ll drag pulsing ambient audio beats drop them into a funnel, which then showers the surrounding plants with water. Or you can play with a hful of rather cool-looking instruments that fill the space with sound. It’s more of an experience than a game… more of a tech demo than an experience, really. In other words, it’s pretty much par for the course when it comes to Daydream content. But it’s worth a look ( a listen) if you have the hardware hy.
Arkanoid vs Space Invaders
st like the olden days… well, not exactly.
Now here’s an instance of two great games that surprisingly play great together. Arkanoid vs Space Invaders ($5) mashes up the classic Taito franchises into a br new form, picking elements from both the former brick-breaker the latter alien-blaster into a surprisingly cohesive hybrid experience.
You’ll use your paddle at the bottom of the screen to reflect the Invaders’ laser shots from above, send them surging back at both the aliens themselves any bricks around them. It’s a clever hybrid that honors the originals while presenting a br new experience, plus old-school gaming fans will surely appreciate cameos from other classic Taito characters. And best of all, it bucks the freemium norm: It’s a paid game with nary an in-app purchase to be found.
