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The knight games in »Medieval II: Total War« are now also available for smartphones
Photo:
Feral Interactive
Games, learning programs and smart everyday helpers: every month we trawl through the new smartphone apps and take a look at which useful tools and entertaining games have appeared for iOS and Android.
This time we send pocket-sized knights to battlefields, try to identify bands based on a short song snippet and compare our resting heart rate with the frequency of other data donors.
These are our current app tips:
»Medieval II: Total War« – The knights follow the finger
Big battles on a small screen: Smartphones are now powerful enough to calculate hundreds of virtual archers, spearmen and catapults.
Almost 16 years after the Windows version, »Medieval II: Total War« has now also been released for iOS and Android.
Players can choose from 17 nations and reenact legendary medieval wars such as the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
App users don't have to do without rich voice output and cutscenes either.
The troop orders can be transferred surprisingly well to the smartphone, although the real-time strategy game is clearly designed for mouse and keyboard.
With swipe gestures and large tiles, the developers try to make the controls as easy as possible.
But as soon as the knights have to be aligned with two fingers, it gets quite cramped for an app that costs 15 euros.
You should also check the list of supported iPhones and Android devices beforehand.
Otherwise there is a risk of a jerky game.
Medieval II: Total War
, for iOS and Android, from 17 years, 15 euros
"Loopy Wizard" - The pointer is on spells
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This little magician drives the players of »Loopy Wizard« to despair
Photo: Jesse Venbrux
Round combat in its purest form: The bearded comic magician in »Loopy Wizard« can only jump one tile at a time or fire a magic spell against monsters.
The trains must therefore be well divided in order to escape from the mini labyrinths.
Numerous magic spells provide variety, but they can also backfire.
Because when the pointer is on magic and there is no opponent, the magician is sizzling.
»Loopy Wizard« is a so-called »rogue-like« game that starts over and over again without save points if the main character fails on the tiny game board.
The app is based on the crazy titles by indie developer Michael Brough, who shaped the genre with games like »868 Hack«.
However, the continuous loop only motivates gourmets for a longer period of time.
Since the app isn't embedded in a story, the idea wears off pretty quickly.
Loopy Wizard
, for iOS and Android, ages 6 and up, about two euros
»SongTrivia 2 – Guess the Song« – quiz for music fans
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SongTrivia2's online competitions aren't just about guessing the song or band correctly - speed counts, too
Photo: Anthm
Was that the typical guitar riffs of Deep Purple or is it Ozzy Osbourne singing?
»SongTrivia 2« doesn't leave much time to think.
Because in this music quiz, other online players are also guessing.
If you want to end up in first place, you have to quickly tap the right solution field to secure points.
This is great fun.
This is also due to the fact that song scraps from the original pieces are played.
At the beginning everything runs quite fast.
There are numerous playlists to choose from.
Players can choose from pop songs, rock classics, country hits, and even Korean K-Pop for their guessing bets.
But after a few rounds of quizzes, the flow of the game falters.
Tickets for the next round are running out, the experience level is too low for a new playlist.
Then it gets annoying that you have to watch advertising videos for double the reward or take out a subscription for around 40 euros a year or five euros a week.
Unfortunately, there is no fixed price offer.
SongTrivia 2
, for iOS and Android, from 4 years, free but with in-app purchases of up to 100 euros
»Mastodon« – Twitter alternative appears for Android
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The social network Mastodon is now also available for Google devices
Photo: Mastodon
Tesla boss Elon Musk wants to buy Twitter for $44 billion.
This gives a boost to competing apps like Mastodon.
An official app for the decentralized social network has also appeared for Android users, just in time for the flare-up of the change trend.
iPhone users have been able to download the app since July of last year.
Registration works quickly and easily on Android smartphones.
However, the social network is by no means as clear as one is used to from Facebook, Twitter and Co.
Some users complain that local and global news feed is missing like browser view.
The names of the followers are not yet displayed either.
According to the developers, this should be added later.
The first thing to do is to fill the empty feed with content.
And that's not easy at all, so far not too many friends, celebrities and brands are at Mastodon.
Mastodon
, for iOS and Android, 18+, free
»Heart Hive« – Show your heartbeat
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Anyone who donates their health data to "Heart Hive" can compare their values with other iPhone users
Photo: Helix Apps
Stride length, resting heart rate and fitness level: The “Heart Hive” app compares collected health data with the values of other iPhone users.
To know if your heart rate is faster than your peers or if your max oxygen uptake could be better, donate your fitness records from Apple's Health app.
The settings are unfortunately quite confusing.
It takes a while for the permissions to be set correctly.
According to the developers of Helix Apps, the data is anonymized and only assigned to gender, weight, height and age.
Anyone who reveals their values is placed in a comparison chart and receives average values from the other data donors.
According to the developers, "Heart Hive" is intended to "give an impression of where you stand in comparison to others with the supporting health data".
The developers clearly advise against a medical self-diagnosis with the app.
Heart Hive
, for iOS, from 4 years, free, the Pro version costs five euros
You can find our app tips from the previous month here
.