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Changing technology puts young gamers on the go [The Brunswick News, Ga.]
(Brunswick News (GA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Feb. 15--The advent of game applications for smartphones and tablet computers has provided millions of people with entertainment in the palms of their hands.
And like the technology that supports the games, things are constantly changing.
Now that the phenomenon of Angry Birds has passed, teenagers have found new games to play.
Elizabeth Graiser, a sophomore at Glynn Academy, is one teen who isn't an Angry Bird player.
Instead, Elizabeth enjoys games like Solitaire, the traditional card game, and Cut the Rope, a physics-based puzzle game.
The objective of Cut the Rope is to place a piece of candy in the mouth of a little, green monster. The candy hangs from one or more ropes that can be cut by the player, along with other objects the player can use to help guide the candy.
The player must keep the sweet treat in control, not allowing it to travel outside a certain area or touch anything hazardous, all while also trying to collect stars by touching them with the treat.
"To me, both games are really entertaining and very addicting. I usually play them when I have nothing else to do," she said.
Another popular game is Doodle Jump, according to Frederica Academy senior Meredith Moseley.
In Doodle Jump, a player must maneuver a long-snouted creature, a "doodler," up countless platforms without falling. UFOs, black holes and basic gravity are just some of the obstacles the doodler must avoid to reach the top.
"It's a fun game. I like it because it inspires me to go out and conquer my obstacles, like the doodler in the game," Meredith said.
Temple Run is another obstacle-avoidance game that is popular among teens, said fellow Frederica student Trae Tolleson, a junior. In an Indiana Jones-esque escape, the player must try to steal an ancient idol, only to have to guide an explorer through a cave as he is chased by a group of rabid monkeys.
While the explorer runs for his life, the player uses his finger to avoid obstacles and also tilt the device being used to help the little explorer earn coins. These coins help purchase bonus items and power-ups to help the explorer get farther away.
"I love Temple Run, because it's entertaining and you can try to beat your own high score and your friends' high scores. It's real competitive among my guy friends," Trae said.
Landon Borrow, a sophomore at Frederica Academy, plays some popular sports game applications, like Stick Man Golf and Flick Home Run. In both games, a player uses fingers to control the power of a swing and the direction a golf ball or baseball will travel.
But the games don't take place on a typical course or field. In Stick Man Golf, play can be on the moon or in a disco. Flick Home Run might congratulate a player for nailing an old Volkswagen van or avoiding a breaching whale.
"I pretty much play every sport in real life, other than golf and baseball, and (both the games) give me a chance to do something I don't really get to do and be good at it," Landon said.
Among the most popular games are the "With Friends" series -- a group of word games that allow players to connect with people they know, or don't, and to compete against each other.
Trae plays the version "Hanging with Friends," a hangman game in which each player tries to spell a word an opponent chooses, based on the letters he or she is given. The characters are suspended by balloons over bubbling lava. Every time a player is unable to spell a word, a balloon pops and his or her character gets closer to the lava, until it finally falls in.
Meredith and fellow senior Claire Byers enjoy "Scramble with Friends" and "Words with Friends." In Scramble, a player is given the opportunity to spell as many words as possible in two minutes -- from front, back, diagonally -- in a four-by-four grid of letters. Whoever has the most points at the end of three rounds wins.
In the original of the series, "Words with Friends," two players compete in an almost replica of the game Scrabble and they can play on their own time. The ability to play the game anywhere at anytime is the real appeal, Claire said.
"I love Scrabble, and there's no pressure. You can take a week to spell a word," she said.
Elizabeth also enjoys "Words with Friends" for the opportunity it offers to connect with her buds.
"I play 'Words with Friends' on both my iPad and phone, I like the challenge of each level and being able to compete with other friends. It's fun to do in your free time," she said.
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(c)2012 The Brunswick News (Brunswick, Ga.)
Visit The Brunswick News (Brunswick, Ga.) at www.thebrunswicknews.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
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