Weekly App Round Up 27/08/14

Welcome to this week's Weekly App Roundup! Each week we'll be shining a light on the latest and greatest apps available for your phones and tablets. This week we're taking a look at Instagram's new app, the new game from Flappy Bird's creator and a new take on Pac-Man!

By Alex Choros

Welcome to this week's Weekly App Roundup! Each week we'll be shining a light on the latest and greatest apps available for your phones and tablets. This week we're taking a look at Instagram's new app, the new game from Flappy Bird's creator and a new take on Pac-Man!

Swing Copters
Free
iOS, Android

Swing Copters is the sequel / spiritual successor to the surprise hit Flappy Bird. Swing Copters literally turns Flappy Bird on its side; players now fly vertically and avoid hammers swinging from metal girders. Masochists will be pleased to find that Swing Copters is even harder than Flappy Bird – I still haven't managed to score a single point, but I haven't stopped trying.

Hyperlapse from Instagram
Free
iOS

Hyperlapse is a new standalone app from the Instagram team designed for making timelapses. After a user films a video, they're able to make playback up to 12 times faster. While other apps with similar functionality are available, Hyperlapse's secret sauce is its ease of use and its image stabilisation technology. I do a pretty awful job at handheld filming, but the first video I took with Hyperlapse was smooth as butter. Check it out below!

Hyperlapse isn't inherently tied to Instagram or Facebook. Use of the app doesn't require an Instagram account, but users are given the option to load up the app after they finish taking a video to share it. If a user doesn't want to share a video, it will still be saved in their smartphone's photo album.

Pac-Man Friends
$6.49 on iOS, Free on Android 
iOS, Android

Pac-Man Friends is a new, level-based take on Pac-Man. Similar to the original Pac-Man, Pac-Man Friends requires players to tilt their phone to navigate Pac-Man through mazes while gobbling up palettes without bumping into ghosts. However, Pac-Man Friends not only has the player controlling Pac-Man, but several of his friends as well – all at once.

While the game's tilt controls can be a bit frustrating at time, they are far more rewarding than the touch-based option. The touch-based controls remove much of the challenge, as you're no longer relying on your timing and coordination.

Pac-Man Friends features plenty of levels, and these are varied enough to make it worth the asking price on iOS. Most importantly, the game doesn't seem overly reliant on in-app purchases.
Pac-Man Friends

Want more? Check out last week's apps here!