Go into the weekend with an eye toward relaxation and recreation with today’s leading Fresh iPhone Apps. Liftopia makes it easy to grab information on ski resorts and find cheap lift tickets, and an updated Golf Channel app will tie you into all the latest news and videos about the sport. The Adventures of Tintin: The Game leads our selection of games today, with plenty of puzzles and action lifted from the new animated film. And finally, there’s Seal Force, a runner game with the gameplay of Flight Control.
Liftopia (iPhone, iPad) Free
With winter in full swing and many of us about to take some vacation for the holidays, it’s a perfect time to grab the skis and hit the slopes. Liftopia is an app that’s a lot like Groupon for skiing. It links you into all kinds of deals on lift tickets in more than 150 resorts and makes it easy to book a ticket and learn about different skiing opportunities.
Liftopia is also a good way to find ski resorts. It links you into lots of information about the ones near you and makes finding them and making bookings at them easy to do. The app makes use of your iOS device’s GPS capabilities to find resorts and deals near you, and you can save your favorite resorts and find out what their snow conditions are like whenever you want.
Golf Channel update (iPhone, iPad) Free
It’s not snowy everywhere, and some of us prefer warmer climes and the relaxing (or maybe not so relaxing) sports they offer. Golf Channel makes it easy to stay connected with the world of pro golf, and the app has just gone through a major update to hit version 3.0. With the update comes a brand new user interface, and iPad users will find the ability to chat with other golf fans along with all the other features the app offers.
Those other features include tons of information about golf. You can read articles and blogs on Golf Channel, view videos, follow your favorite players and view tournament leaderboards, all within the app. You can also share articles and videos that interest you through connectivity with Facebook and Twitter, watch the latest Golf Channel shows, and even get behind-the-scenes looks at the programs you enjoy.
The Adventures of Tintin: The Game (iPhone, iPad) $6.99
Releasing ahead of the upcoming Steven Spielberg animated film, The Adventures of Tintin: The Game puts you in the role of the famous investigative journalist as he’s embroiled in a mystery that follows the plot of the movie. You’ll play as Tintin, his dog Snowy and his friend Captain Haddock through the course of the game, engaging between third-person action in which you’ll sprint and sneak around various levels.
Tintin is more about solving puzzles than it is about action, but there are hearty portions of each throughout the game. It also looks gorgeous, with graphics that pretty closely match the look and feel of the movie. The game is meant to be fun for all ages, too, so you can feel safe handing it off to the kids.
Seal Force (iPhone, iPad) Free
Combine the gameplay of App Store hits like Jetpack Joyride and Flight Control and you might have something similar to Seal Force. It’s part endless runner, part line-drawing arcade title. You control an elite team of three seals – that’s marine mammals with special forces training – as they fight to take down an evil scientist and his army of evil crustaceans. To defeat them, you’ll need to draw a line from each seal to the krill of the corresponding color to destroy them and rack up points. If krill get through your defensive shield without being stopped, you lose the game.
You’ll also get a chance to gather up tons of power-ups and shell coins that can be spent to improve your seal team, but no matter what, you can only control one seal at a time, so you’ll need to be smart and economical with the paths you draw for them or risk being unable to deal with a new threat. Seal Force also packs missions you can complete by achieving objectives, and Game Center support for achievements and leaderboards.
