escape

Without a doubt the highlight of our trip to Comic-Con was The Walking Dead Escape takeover of Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.

Spanning across multiple levels of the stadium, the 45-minute obstacle course led us through a zombie-filled apocalyptic simulation where "survivors" must outrun the living dead or become infected themselves.

This event was no joke. We were told to stretch out before, wear gym clothes, and be sure to not leave anyone behind. Armed with our head- and chest-mounted GoPros, we documented the entire experience. Of course, not everyone could survive. So who made … Read more

Ski Safari (99 cents) challenges you to swoosh down a powdery mountain to avoid an avalanche, with animal friends and other vehicles along the way to help you with your escape. This distance game quickly became my go-to time-waster on both my iPhone and iPad, so when an update was announced last week, you can bet I was at the App Store immediately. The update adds a new mountain you can choose for your run, a new animal to help you along your way, and added achievements to keep you coming back for more.… Read more

Smash Cops is a fast-paced police-chase driving game with innovative controls, a helicopter's-eye-view interface, slick and satisfying sound and graphics, and some frustratingly imperfect design choices.

At its core, Smash Cops is great fun: You direct a cop car through a series of quick missions -- 22 in all, from simple pursuit to prisoner transport to skill challenges like navigating traffic cones or collecting items. You race around a detailed cityscape, navigating with either a traditional virtual joystick or a neat (if at times less accurate) system of dragging your finger behind where you want to go, almost as … Read more

The perpetual running game genre that works so well on touch devices doesn't seem to be winding down anytime soon -- and I, for one, am very glad it keeps getting refreshed with new and unique games.

Running games are perfect for when you need to kill a little time because you can go for your high score a couple of times while waiting in line at the DMV or perhaps while riding the train, but they're not so involved that you can't put them down at a moment's notice. There are plenty of classics to explore in this category, such as Hook Worlds, Monster Dash, and many others, but I thought I would run a little comparison of old vs. new to see where the genre is headed.… Read more

The Hunger Games: Girl on Fire for iOS became available on the same day as the launch of the movie, and while it is free, it's only moderately fun for a very short time. As a person who read the books, maybe I hoped the game would be better, but it is about as good as most movie games: more about advertising the movie than playing the actual game.

The game is an endless runner/survival game with the object of staying alive as long as possible. The 8-bit graphics are charming initially, but the gameplay makes you forget … Read more

If you haven't guessed already, I'm a big fan of platform games. Maybe it's my background of playing games from both the Mario and Sonic franchises or the sheer number of solid platformers in the iTunes App Store, but I simply can't get enough of them. There's just something charming to me about exploring a level, making all the right jumps, and trying to collect all the items to go on to next level.

There have been several popular platform games to come through the iTunes App Store, but as time goes on, I've noticed the genre evolving in interesting ways. Particularly with a few of the newer games, I'm seeing unique types of challenges being added that take the genre to places it hasn't been before.

This week's collected iOS apps are all platformers with something extra. The first uses an interesting foreground/background playing dynamic that adds to the action. The second is a continuous climber with added bonuses that keep trying to get higher and higher. The third offers tons of side challenges and secret areas for those who like to explore.… Read more

Even though its graphics and gameplay are of the simplest variety, Line Runner is a fun, addicting, and surprisingly challenging game.

Essentially, you are a 2D stick figure, running furiously and trying to avoid hitting blocks along your way. To earn a higher score, all you have to do is run farther. It's very simple.

When the game starts, your character begins running automatically. Tap the left button to slide under blocks or tap the right button to jump over them. Hold the right button a bit longer, and you'll get just a little more air time to … Read more

Even though its graphics and gameplay are of the simplest variety, Line Runner is a fun, addicting, and surprisingly challenging game.

Essentially, you are a 2D stick figure, running furiously and trying to avoid hitting blocks along your way. To earn a higher score, all you have to do is run farther. It's very simple.

When the game starts, your character begins running automatically. Tap the left button to slide under blocks or tap the right button to jump over them. Hold the right button a bit longer, and you'll get just a little more air time to … Read more

Ford engineers looking for ways to create a quieter cabin in the new Escape have turned to an elliptical acoustic mirror for results.

According to Ford, this is a new approach to reduce wind noise and deliver a quieter interior in a sport utility vehicle. The technology has been used by European luxury vehicle car makers, but is considered a breakthrough among U.S. manufacturers.

The mirror, which resembles a satellite dish with a microphone, measures noises on the surface of the vehicle and in the airflow. "The mirror identifies 'hot spots' where noise penetrates the interior of the … Read more