Drainpipe: A clever, but frustrating experience (Review)

Overview:

Drainpipe is a 2D arena shooter where you play as a rat, Ratfink, trying to survive against a horde of spiders in the sewers of the world.

Developer: SeudoApps

Cost: Free (with ads)

Impressions:

Drainpipe is certainly an odd one. It has some clever humor and excellent music, but the gameplay itself is frustrating and the levels can spike in difficulty as you progress.

The controls are probably my biggest complaint, as you have to use the accelerometer/gyro to move your character but still have to tap and aim on the screen itself. This forced me to hold the phone in an odd position where I could both see and maneuver the phone, while still able to have the ability to use a finger to aim and fire, something I’m sure would look silly in public. A set of on-screen buttons would have made much more sense for the gyro controls, so I could hold the phone like a controller. Also, the stage navigation is a bit hit or miss, and collision detection for enemies is the same.

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You have an assortment of powerups and weapons at your disposal, and a good amount of stages to play. The weapons are primarily powerups with two main items- the shotgun, and flashlight, being your handheld tools. The shotgun has limited ammo which runs out quickly, and after level one, it becomes weak and useless unless you get really good at dodging. I would have loved to see ammo drops appear, or at least the option for more varied and powerful weapons.

There are powerup drops, but they mainly consist of a new shotgun or flashlight, which only drives the spiders back and doesn’t hurt them, or health and bombs to so some area damage. The bomb is also kind of weak unless all the enemies are really close but, the freeze powerup is the best by far. There’s more to unlock as you progress, including some upgrades, but they aren’t exactly substantial. My second biggest complaint is the way you complete levels, by blasting walls away that block the exit. These things are bullet sponges and you need to juggle shooting spiders, the wall, and dodging, all with limited ammo and a timer.

On higher levels, the enemies do huge damage, and it makes for an extremely difficult and frustrating game. Sometimes I’d die within 2 seconds depending on how unlucky I was. I don’t profess to be a professional, but this game really is that hard sometimes.

There are some positives about the game, for sure. The music is excellent if a bit of a mismatch and the cartoony art and sound effects in the game. It’s pumping and a great listen, and the developers credited the artist so you can find it for yourself. Also, the humor in the writing of the game, especially in the tutorial, is cute and clever. The developers are aware the game’s concept is silly, and they use that to their advantage to get a few laughs out of an otherwise standard 2D shooting gallery.

Conclusion:

Overall, I don’t think Drainpipe is my cup of tea, but there is certainly something there. It’s not completely unplayable and it has some good things going for it that may appeal to some. The music alone makes this game worth a look if only just to get the tracklist.

Download Drainpipe on the Google Play Store

EC Technology Bluetooth 4.1 Headset: Solid headphones without breaking the bank (Review)

When it comes to Bluetooth Sports Headphones, the options are plentiful. Even the price range is ample with a high-end in the thousands and the low going as low as five dollars. There are many things to consider with a new purchase. If you’re looking for a budget pair of sports style headphones, EC Technology’s Bluetooth 4.1 Headset could be some to consider. Here is a little something to help you decide.

Design

EC Technology’s Bluetooth 4.1 Headset is a lightweight sports neckband that comes in three different colors. The earbuds are magnetized so you don’t lose them while they hang around your neck. You also have the option of three different styles of ear tips. The first is a set of ear hooks that fit securely in your ear. The second is triangular shaped set that looks like it should be universal. Finally, you have three sizes of traditional ear tips that should cover any size ear.

The cord measures two feet and is made of a durable flexible rubber that, instead of being traditionally round, is flat, which seems to get tangled less. Built into the cord are the in-line controls and a USB port for charging. There are three buttons on the controller. Two of them control volume/skip while the other controls the answering/power. The Micro USB cable is one foot long and can plug into any USB slot to charge.

The sound quality is acceptable with all ranges from treble to bass coming in fairly clearly. These earphones can get quite loud with the highest volume setting easily letting others around you can hear the song you’re listening to. The call quality is very nice, as well. I could hear callers clearly, and the mic is so sensitive that the other end can even hear people around you.

Ear Tips

Since there are five different tips to choose from, you are sure to find a suitable size that fits your ear. The ear hooks fit the best for exercising and lots of movement while still being comfortable. The flaw I found in these tips is the sound. When listening to music of all genres from rock to hip-hop, the bass can’t be heard. No amount of adjustments seemed to help either.

The triangle shaped ear tips are the ones that were on the Bluetooth headphones out of the box, but these were not comfortable. They failed a movement test of jumping up and down by falling right out of my ears with ease. This could be because they just wouldn’t fit in my ear correctly, but nevertheless, I had no luck with these.

The last style is the traditional silicone ear tips that come with most in-ear headsets. After testing all three sizes to find my fit, I put them through the movement test, and they were acceptable only falling out under extreme exercise with. These were also the best for sound quality and did not muffle any of the sound’s ranges. Even when using a loud lawnmower, I could still hear podcasts and music clearly.

While this isn’t necessarily ear tip related, the in-line controls do affect them in a negative way. What I mean is the in-line controls are a bit on the heavy side, which drags the headphone out of your right ear. This means you need to make sure that you get a tight fit so it doesn’t fall out easily.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth connectivity was one of the things I was impressed with as I have had a few different budget headsets with Bluetooth that wouldn’t even reach from my pocket. The sound would just break up which resulted in me running with my Note Edge in my hand to keep it clear. I honestly expected the same from these headphones; however, I was pleasantly surprised.

They claim a 10 meters (32 feet) range, and it delivers on that. Strolling through my house, it went through a few walls and still picked it up. I will confess while cutting the grass, the phone was in my pocket and there were a few hiccups, but these were minor and did not happen enough to consider bad. Bluetooth connectivity is by far the best thing about this headset feature wise.

Usage

Set up was a bit annoying at first. Having to hold down the button to turn on for x amount of time wasn’t seeming to work. But once it got hooked up, it was good to go without further problems. I got four hours of continuous playback at full blast. Under normal conditions, you should have no problem getting a full day on a single charge. Recharging only takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Summary

Like I stated earlier, this is a large market to get into. EC Technology has provided a good quality budget headset that you will get your money’s worth out of. There are plenty of ways to make these a comfortable even if you’re like me and mismatch your ear tips. For $25.99, this is good set that can serve as your main headphones or a nice back up pair.

To purchase EC Bluetooth 4.1 Sports Headphone

Official Website

[Review] Consider an Aukey lens for your photography bag

If you’ve been reading most of my work here on AndroidGuys, you’ll know of my photography hobby. If not, check out my past articles about photo apps and mobile photography tools. Recently I was sent an Aukey super wide angle lens attachment for smartphones.

First Look

Lens attachments for smartphones range from affordable to expensive. The two most important factors when it comes to cameras are the digital sensor and the lens. Aukey’s line of lenses are more affordable for your needs, but that doesn’t mean they are low quality.

The packaging is very simple: it consists of a cardboard cube, and in the box you’ll find the lens, a little carry pouch and a small cleaning cloth. The lens is simple to use: slide the clip on the lens, attach the lens to your phone, and start capturing.

Specs

• Model Number: PL-WD02
• Function: 238° Super Wide Angle
• Dimensions: 90*90*68mm
• Package Weight: 145g

Super wide angle means that the lens acts as a sort of “reverse fish-eye”, allowing you to capture huge scenes all at once, like a cityscape or mountain range. I found that the lens works great for macro photography too. You have to hold your phone a certain way; the angle is so wide that it captures your fingers in the shot too, which is amazing since they are behind the lens.

Duke says “meow!”

The lens was easy to use, and I was able to clip it on my phone quickly, which is great for those spur-of-the-moment shots.

Conclusion

As you can see in the images I’ve taken, the lens is very adaptable and can be used for a variety of shooting situations. Although, maybe not for portraiture. The lenses are available for iPhones and certain Android models, and I recommend them for mobile photographers everywhere. You can pick up the super wide angle lens for $40 on Amazon.

If you decide to get this or other lenses, I’d love to see the photos you take. Tag AndroidGuys or me on Instagram, and I’ll be happy to check out your work.

Instagram: @androidguys | @orrandrew91

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