Catch the Princess is an addictive and gorgeous new puzzler, where users are tasked with protecting a Princess through 60 levels of intense game play. The game is already garnishing some great buzz from the gurus at TouchArcade. And if that high profile review alone doesn’t wet your appetite, check out the 60 second intro video below to see why this is one of the most buzzed about apps to come out of Calgary in quite some time.

The game looks absolutely stunning on the HD screen of the iPad. From the opening seconds of the launch, you know you are in for an incredible treat. The stunning animation and picturesque feel of each level invokes a dark and sombre aura akin to something out of The Portrait of Dorain Grey. Catch The Princess is one of the few games to really understand the importance of ambiance, mood and mystery – and it absolutely nails it. The game play and game mechanics are incredibly well done. It’s clear that a great deal of time and effort, was spent testing these elements out and it pays off in the addictive nature of the game. The sound track and effects are equally as moody and tie in nicely to the entire user experience.

Catch The Princess is out now and available on the iPhone and iPad. To celebrate the launch we’ve got a Promo Code for one lucky reader for the iPhone version of the app. (All you have to do is send us a quick tweet with “I wanna Play Catch The Princess” and we’ll DM you the code)

Following in the foot steps of Flipp’s Bikeyyc and Medium Rare’s Next Stop, yycParking in the next step in the evolution of custom Calgary-centric apps. Relying on the Calgary Parking Authorities open source data RSS feeds, yycParking allows users to see real time available parking spots at a variety of high traffic downtown lots.

The app scrapes data directly from the Calgary parking authority’s site, which in turn allows yycParking to display the number of available spots, the percentage of the parking lot that is full and even the available number of disabled parking spots. The app also plots the data in a swanky map interface, to allow users to quickly scan the downtown core for the availability of spots, the location of nearest parking lots and even receive directions to the lot directly on your phone. From a user perspective, yycParking is an incredible tool that will make find spots in the core that much easier.

From a design perspective yycParking is a beautifully designed app. The map interface is simple to read and detailed, while the available parking stall interface gives a nice reference to the binary aesthetic of from the parking authorities stalls around the city. The information within the app is beautifully displayed and it’s obvious to see that time and effort was taken in every detail of the app.

And while the app itself is fantastic, let’s not also discount the great achievement of apps such as yycParking in helping to push the open data agenda in Alberta. The yycParking app and the work from the guys at Random Type (and other design outfits in Calgary) only further demonstrates the benefits of releasing useful data to the public. If the information is available publicly, then there’s no telling what the ingenuity of local design outfits is capable of.

So with that, a big congratulations to the team at Random Type is due. Hopefully we’ll see more of these types of apps in the future!

It easily ranks up there with popping a giant sheet of packing bubbles as one of the world’s greatest ways to release the pent up frustration of daily life. But now with Yellow Fox Studios’s first iPhone Game release Bursty, users get take this joy with them on their daily commute.

In this simple, yet elegant game, users are tasked with the job of bursting through an army of floating multi-coloured balloons. User start of the game by selecting from a variety of difficulties, either easy, medium of hard. Each difficulty level provides it’s own unique challenges; whether it’s the number of balloons on the screen at one time, the speed at which balloons race through the screen, the order in which ballons must be popped or even worse – the dreaded Balloons of Death - which when popped automatically reduce the user’s life total. In each round, players are trying to burst as many balloons as possible to prevent them from slipping by through the top of the screen and in to the atmosphere. If a Balloon squeaks by the game is automatically over and users will have to restart their quest for the highest score all over again.

For a first release Yellow Fox Studios has shown some exceptional potential with Bursty. The graphics are clean and crisp, with special detail attached to the transparency effect on the balloons and of course my favourite piece – the epic skull and crossbones on the death balloons. Even at the higher levels the balloon animation is flawless and smooth. In regards to game play, Bursty plays like a seasoned pro. There is no major stuttering and more importantly, users aren’t left feeling robbed that they swore they popped a balloon that wasn’t registered. Overall it’s a pretty flawless port.

So if you’re a fan of such games as Doodle Jump or Fruit Ninja, make sure you take a run at Bursty. You definitely won’t be disappointed.

As mentioned, Jet Set Go! Is the latest release from local power house developers Big Stack Studios. The game leverages the incredibly popular time management formula of 2010′s smash hit Sally Spa. (The studio also contains many of the creative minds behind that huge hit) But instead of a Spa, users are thrust into the role of an upstart travel agent.

You start fairly simple, with a small quaint office in Montreal and from there you attempt to expand your travel agent empire into other larger metropolitan centers. All the while providing customers with the quickest and most enjoyable experience.

In each city, users work the agency floor, ushering in each new customer and walking them through the decision making process of choosing their dream vacation. Users then try to earn as much money as possible to upgrade the store’s decor and to fill up flights to a large selection of vacation spots. When your flight is full, users get to tag along to such exotic locations as Niagara falls and the Galapagos islands. But there is no R n’ R on these flights. To ensure your customers receive the best experience money can buy, users embark on a variety of entertaining mini games.

It would be a lie to say that I was even remotely familiar with the Sally Spa time management phenomena. Personally, these types of games aren’t my cup of tea, but I now understand why these are such a huge hit. It also helps that with Big Stack’s pedigree, Jet Set Go! is as perfect as a game as they come. It has the unique advantage of not being repetitive and enough mystery to keep you hooked. The main game elements are never overdone and the mini games are perfectly timed. You’ll never be stuck playing the same element for hours at a time just to achieve the next level.

Graphics wise Jet Set Go! is a real treat of a game. The colour palette is bright and engaging, with exuberant character crafted with fine detail. The controls are intuitive and the learning curve is minimal. In honesty, in the hands of a less capable outfit, Jet Set Go! would be a complicated mess, but instead it’s a treasure of a game.

As mentioned, this type of game isn’t typically my cup of tea, but Jet Set Go! executes so many elements perfectly that it’s impossible to find a single flaw. The graphics are beautiful and incredible smooth. Game play is executed to an absolute tee, with just enough difficulty and the perfect balance between the mini-games and main game to keep you coming back. While i could go on and on about the game’s various elements, I’ll instead leave it my 14 year old niece’s opinion. Who after playing it for an hour straight, just looked up and said, “I’ve gotta have that game.”

BigStack Studios and Broken Kings, known for the ultra-addictive puzzler Sigma, ever popular Castle Conflicts and the nerd-management simulator Hottie Hookups, branch out to the world of tactical strategy with their latest game. You command a fearless army of cats, dogs or mice in an effort to destroy the base of your enemy. What sets this game apart from other tactical strategy games such as Starcraft (aside from the cast) is the moveable base; should the action become a little too heavy, you are able to maneuver the most important item in your fleet out of harms way. Mine resources, build your army and cleanse the land until only your chosen race remains (this is probably the only time (in your life?) you’ll get to do this in an appropriate manner).

Variety is the spice of life in Furious Tactics as the game provides 26 levels for your legion of crafty critters to wage unholy battle upon each other. Levels are designed for anywhere from 2-4 players (human or computer controlled). Each level is designed to force players to reevaluate strategy and will keep you on your toes (or paws… or whatever mice have).

The ace up the sleeve for Furious Tactics is the addition of online multiplayer. No longer are we shackled to our families for gaming companionship as BigStack has given us the ability to venture out and challenge our virtual friends in addition to our real ones. With full Game Center support, friends can wage war or track the progress of other players all without leaving the safety of our own homes.

Stylistically the game is very original. It would appear the lack of opposable thumbs has slowed development of our four-legged soldiers to the point that they are only at the Medieval stage of warfare technology. No gunplay for Fido here, the killing is up close and personal with swords and arrows. There’s something about the image of a puppy in full body armour, wielding a spear that makes my heart soar.

If there is something I’d change about Furious Tactics it’s that there is a bit of learning curve and at times it seems confusing as to what the user is supposed to be doing. After a few games, though, you’ll be scratching, biting and clawing your way to worldly domination.

So to celebrate this bevy of new releases, we’ve finally added a slew of new apps to our ever growing list. Including:

• Jet Set Go! from Big Stack Studios
• Broken Kings’ Furious Tactics and an older game Skwerl
• Pix From My Phone
• Bulletproof Outlaws Elusive Ninja
• Renegade Citizen’s Infinite Control
• Infinibee’s Invincible Demon
• Surje Software Solutions’ CryptoQuip
• Code and Data Inc.’s Mortgage Plan
• There’s an App for That’s iBra Calculator, Surefire USA, Coaches Basketball Whiteboard
• and finally Times Table Quizzer

In addition, we have updated the local developers page with four new companies. We’re also going to be releasing a few new reviews over the next two weeks, so please stay tuned for that.