Christmas doesn’t just take over the town centers and television commercials it also appears in our games and apps and none more so than on smartphones.  Temple Run 2 has just announced a festive update allowing you to run around in a Santa suit collecting presents and candy canes as you escape the black beast behind you. Angry Birds Seasons also gets an update as additional Christmas themed levels are added to this hugely popular game.

But when it comes to Christmas apps there is always one I like to get, as it lights up the faces of my children like no other. PNP – Portable North Pole is fantastic as it allows you to create personalized messages from Father Christmas himself. Users can see these created videos staring the man himself as he talks to your Children by name, and armed with photos and a list of things they have done it really feels like he knows the child.

If you have a child of a certain age then you’ll do this every year as the video quality is excellent and you can make sure no two videos are the same by using the paid options. My Children’s messages are all ready to go and I can’t wait to see their faces when Santa talks to them through the computer.

If you haven’t heard of this one I would recommend it wholeheartedly as it not only has a free option but plenty of variations (for a price). It also has a range of games for the kids as well but it is the video that really makes it.

Download the app here:

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/pnp-pere-noel-portable-2013/id742926049?mt=8

Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ugroupmedia.pnp2013&hl=en

The post My Favorite Christmas App: PNP – Portable North Pole appeared first on AppTrawler.

Hook Champ, 59p .99 (On sale from .99) – We were given a preview of the update earlier this month, and all the new content and features the developer teased us with are finally here. Aside from a new playable character, and another set of levels, Hook Champ also features full OpenFeint integration with achievements and the ability to compete against your friends’ times in any level of the game. Hook Champ Lite is also available (although obviously lacking the new content) if you haven’t had the chance to give the game a try yet.

Doodle Jump, 59p 99¢ – What may possibly be the best iPhone game ever created has been updated with yet another holiday theme pack. Entering the name “snow” when you submit your score turns the normal platforms and bad guys in to ice-covered platforms and demented (but cute) holiday-themed monsters. Also, instead of your normal projectiles you shoot snow balls, and the whole time you’re playing it’s also snowing.

Pocket God, 59p 99¢ – Episode 29: The Pyg Chill includes a new DLC holiday themed skin pack as well as performance enhancements and an entirely new ice island. On this new island your pygmies will have access to an igloo as well as battle a new enemy… The giant ice monster. If you’re a Pocket God fan, you likely have already updated. If you don’t own the game yet, now is a good time to pick it up as the amount of content it comes with now is just downright ridiculous compared to the original versions of the game.

The post Update Round Up: Hook Champ, Doodle Jump, & Pocket God appeared first on AppTrawler.

There’s something about Christmas that just feels magical. Even when you’ve outgrown the timeless Christmas stories and belief in that jolly old man in the red suit, thinking about the holidays makes you feel warm inside – despite the cold weather. Santa’s Run is the first Christmas application I’ve played this year, and it stirred up all those emotions in just the right way.

Santa’s Run is the right combination of easy to play but difficult to master. There are two main mini games that make up the application – Around the World and Endless Delivery. Around the World is a campaign mode where you play Santa. Your objective is to deliver presents to houses around the world -from Europe to Asia, the Islands to America. Santa’s a busy, busy man. The game will record your accuracy, but you have infinite tries to get the presents to the right house. This is definitely a positive, as my first accuracy was only about 20%!

What makes the app so difficult that I had a 20% accuracy? The premise is simple – fling the presents into the chimneys. Each chimney has a set number of presents that must go down it. The aiming and power are what is so difficult. I found that after a few tries, though, I caught on to the aiming. Your accuracy and scores will be reported via Open Feint, so that you can compare your scores to the rest of the world.

Endless Delivery is a really fun version that records the amount of presents you deliver in a row without messing up. Three houses will be shown, and one will be highlighted. You must deliver the presents to the highlighted house. Be careful though, because the highlighted house changes periodically! In Endless Delivery, you can choose which of the 4 levels you wish to play on. America is the most challenging, as there are far more houses there than any of the other locations.

If you’re looking for a fantastic application to put you in the Christmas mood, look no further. Santa’s Run is fun, challenging, and a bargain at only 99 cents. I recommend it to anyone looking for a little holiday cheer.

Developer Description:

Holiday season is upon us, and Santa needs your help to deliver gifts and spread Holiday cheer!

To deliver a present, touch, drag and release it from our colorful strength meter to throw the desired distance. (Don’t forget to take the wind into account!) The accuracy of your deliveries to chimneys and doorways worldwide is crucial to spreading cheer and keeping your score high. And, while playing either mini-game, enjoy our original, catchy Holiday jingles.

Easy to learn but difficult to master, enjoy this Holiday season by playing Santa’s Run. Track your achievements and compare your high scores on our global leaderboards. So, get into the Holiday spirit today and start delivering presents on Santa’s Run!

Santa’s Run features:
* Two mini-games (Around the World and Endless Delivery)
* Four colorful and unique background locations
* Original Holiday-themed background music and sounds
* Innovative and colorful strength meter to control throwing distance
* Varying wind conditions which affect each present’s path
* Open-Feint enabled
* Multiple achievements and local/global scores

Broken Thumbs Apps is committed to making quality, compelling games for our fans. We listen to you – the real experts. The more feedback we get, the more we can improve our games, so keep your suggestions and opinions coming! All feedback is welcome at SantasRun@BrokenThumbsApps.com.

To learn more about Broken Thumbs Apps, visit us at http://BrokenThumbsApps.com, follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BrokenThumbsApp (No “s”), or become a fan of ours on Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BrokenThumbsApps.

And, for more fun games by Broken Thumbs Apps, also try “Snaked” and “Chasing Colors” today!

The post Review – Santa’s Run appeared first on AppTrawler.