Pastel Games and I don’t have the best history together.  To see what I mean you can check out my reviews of their first two games, Submachine and Oceanic.  I think they’ve got some good ideas with their games, they just don’t push the content and execution far enough.  On the plus side, Toxic Jump is probably my favorite game of theirs to date.  Unfortunately, what should have been one of those titles that reels me into that “one more time” mentality ends up becoming hopelessly frustrating instead.  And that’s on the easy level...

I do not like sliding puzzle games.  I find them boring, tedious, and ultimately frustrating.  Thankfully, some developers seem to feel the same way and are actually making attempts at turning the genre into something fun and compelling.  The developers of COGS have succeeded in a big way.  Each puzzle is different, and they managed to infuse the third dimension into the game play in such a way that it not only doesn’t destroy the premise, but actually enhances it.  Add to that some nifty contraptions rendered in stylish graphics and you have yourself a winner with COGS.  If you’ve been avoiding the slider puzzle genre as it’s permeated the App Store, now would be a good time to try one out.  Just don’t get your hopes up that any other slider puzzle will come close to this one in terms of enjoyment.

I get some pretty interesting press releases from Retrevo, with the latest touting the fact that before the January 20 announcement 26% of those surveyed said they had heard of the forthcoming Apple tablet but weren't interested in buying one. And after the January 20 announcement? That number jumped to 52%. Also, before the announcement, 49%  said they didn’t think they needed an Apple tablet, which rose to 61% after the announcement. Still, I think it will be popular.