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App reviews: Defend the Planet, Fast Like a Fox

Defend the Planet

You have a simple goal in this game, and it's right there in the name: Defend the Planet. Players are made the guardians of a planet - your starter globe looks a lot like a cartoon version of Earth - and are in charge of the planetary defense shield, which can protect about half of the planet at any time. You have to rotate the shields to respond to constant asteroid bombardment, and preferably time the action well enough to let some space shuttles land. (It's worth your while to make that happen.) You can also generate extra one-time use shields and defenses over time, which then must be deployed strategically.

There are a lot of ads in this app. You'll see one every time you lose - punishment, perhaps, for letting a meteor crash into the planet - and it can be particularly easy to inadvertently click on an ad while you're trying to hit the restart button. You can also choose to watch short video ads for bonuses, or pay $1 to remove ads. You can also pay to strengthen your defenses if you feel as if the space rocks are flying in a little too hot and heavy. Free, for iOS.

Fast Like a Fox

Do you drum your fingers on the table when you're bored? Finally, there's an app that can channel that nervous habit into something moderately useful. Fast Like a Fox is a game that lets players control the speed of its protagonist by tapping the back of their phones. (You can also choose to control the fox by tapping the screen, but it's not as fun.) It's a novel form of control, and good for a bit of fun as you control a fox who's on a quest to recover stolen treasures. As you control the fox's speed with one hand, the other hand is used for jumping, which you can do by tapping the screen. Timing is everything, and you're racing against the clock.

Each level has three basic goals - turn in the fastest time, collect jewels and collect coins. These goals don't always work in concert, so you may have to replay levels if you can't stand to leave goals unfinished. The tapping controls can be hard to adjust to, and you may find yourself hitting the volume buttons, which can be frustrating mid-play. But you get used to it over time. There are periodic ad breaks in this game, but you can pay $1 to banish them.

Free, for iOS and Android.

Fast like a Fox by Fingersoft is a game that lets players control the speed of its protagonist by tapping the back of their phones.
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