SharePod is an application to allow you to circumvent the use of iCrap (iTunes, for those of you still attached to the demon that have yet to realize it). I utilized this, along with the temporary assistance of SongBird, to prepare my iPod and skip iTunes altogether.

GTAIV is a sandbox/action/roleplaying game where you take on the roll of Niko Bellic. You come to Liberty City, America on a promise from your relative and a string of lies ensues. He lets you live at his apartment, and the game drops you into its massive world. Usual GTA storyline start since GTA3.

I know this was already done here more extensively than my review, but it's my preferred program.  Check it out: http://aram.dcmember...ware/direct-folders/

All of these programs appear in my wannabe Zaine list:
http://aram.dcmember...erior-software-list/

It's been a long time coming, but I finally put up my first DC software review.  I implemented some new features for the first time in this article, to make it look more professional, like something you read in a magazine.  Please check it out: http://aram.dcmember...ftware/findrun-robot

Defense Grid: The Awakening is a high quality Tower Defense game created by Hidden Path Entertainment. The story is that hundreds of years previously, a bunch of aliens attacked. After the aliens were (barely) defeated, the General who commanded the armies (or whatever) had his brain downloaded into a Defense Grid in case they ever attacked again. Well, now they are attacking again, and the Defense Grid awakens. That is, the Defense Grid is the AI that controls all aspects of the towers. Aiming, firing, building, upgrading, etc. You're just the guy who tells the Grid where to put stuff. The power cores provide electricity to the grid and that's why if they're all stolen, it's game over--because when they're gone, all the defenses power down.

The objective of the game, like all TD games, is to build defense towers along a path to prevent the aliens from reaching your base. Your "base" in this game is really the location of the power cores. It differs from most TD games I've played in that when the aliens actually reach the power cores and take them, they don't just disappear and the power core is not immediately lost forever^*. Instead, the aliens have to make their escape with the power cores. This gives you a chance to recover them if you kill them before they escape. When an alien carrying a power core is killed, the power core slowly makes its way back to the base. But if any other aliens are nearby, they can pick it up wherever it is when they reach it and start running toward the exit.

Introduction

Now this time, some of you may know what Cortex Command is, due to the extremely generous act by Scancode a few weeks ago. But i take it that not everyone knows what it is, or that you may just want a rating before you try it.

See, Cortex Command is a retro-style platformer-like shooter game, which is still under development. Right now there's only a minimal part of the campaign available, but Data, the creator, has said that there will be a full and extensive campaign once it's done. Although it's a WIP game, Data has been charging for licenses since Test Build 19. The current price is 18 US dollars, but should be expected to rise as the game nears completion. The current test build is 21.

In game, everything is based on the pixels you see. There are basically three types of pixels: Active pixels, which are moving and have physics applied to them, passive pixels, which are frozen and act like terrain, and background pixels, which can't be affected by the player at all, and are generally behind everything. This might be misleading though, as one might get the sense that you just control a pixel or something, which is entirely wrong. Your (standard) avatar would basically be a brain in a jug, sort of. This brain can control clones, robots, rockets and so on, and you can freely switch between all your units.

But there are two things that really makes Cortex Command shine: The physics, which applies to anything that is active, and even to terrain to a certain degree, and the near-absolute modding freedom. Everything except the very core of the game can be modified, and you can also create your own content.