How to debloat and speed up your Samsung Galaxy devices for just $1 without root

It’s no secret that Samsung Galaxy devices come preinstalled with a ton of bloatware and duplicate apps. Some of those are useful, but a vast majority of them are resource hogs that don’t need to exist on your smartphone.

Samsung has been duplicating apps for several years now in its version of Android with TouchWiz. It has also partnered with carriers like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile to preinstall a wide variety of apps that you con’t need, even though you pay an ultra premium price for its devices. It’s one reason why so many people are driven to Apple iPhones, official Google smartphones like the Nexus and Pixel, and is one reason for rooting your devices.

Rooting a device gives a user explicit control over all of the software installed on a smartphone. It’s one way users can remove bloat and customize the software to maximize the most their hardware. However the process is complicated and will void your warranties.

I for one don’t root devices because I don’t have the time to research how to do it. I also don’t like voiding my warranties. However I like bloatware even less and hate how it hogs my device’s resources.

I’ve come across an app that will remove the bloat from your Samsung Galaxy devices like the Note 5, S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, S7, S7 edge and even the recalled Note 7. The app is called Package Disabler Pro and it is available at the Google Play Store for just $0.99.

I was highly skeptical this app would remove the bloat (it doesn’t uninstall the bloat, it just disables it) from my Galaxy devices. I tried the app on my S7 edge and Note 7, and within minutes both of my devices were faster than they were out of the box.

Some of you might never experience Samsung lag, but I always encounter it and it drives me nuts. I don’t understand Samsung can be satisfied with devices that slow down over time when its rival devices that cost half as much can outperform them. If you’re in the same camp as me, you should try out the solution I’ve come across.

All you have to do is install that app and give it Admin access to get started

In order to get started on your path to bloat freedom, get the Package Disabler Pro app from the Google Play Store. It will cost a dollar but it is one of the best investments you can make for your Galaxy device.

If it doesn’t work for you, the developer offers a five day money back guarantee.

Once installed simply open the app and give it Admin access to your phone.

You’ll want to be careful not to click all of the disable boxes as it might hamper an app you need. However you can select “Disable all Bloatware” in the three dot menu at the top right, and it will disable all of the apps the developer knows is unnecessary. I selected this method and it disabled 91 apps on my AT&T Note 7 and 84 apps on my AT&T S7 edge.

It not only disabled apps like DirecTV and the AT&T Locker apps, but it also disabled useless Samsung apps like Flipboard Briefing and the Game Launcher.

If you want more control over which apps you do not want, simply scroll through the list of items and select which ones you want disabled. It doesn’t get any simpler.

I’ve disabled these apps for over two weeks and noticed better battery life and improved speeds. There are ways to disable preinstalled apps, but that method is not nearly as fast or as efficient as the Package Disabler Pro.

While you’re at it, there are five apps made by Google that you should consider as replacements to the stock apps on your Galaxy devices.

Package Disabler Pro only costs a dollar

Samsung is the number smartphone manufacturer in the world. That means you’re probably using some sort of Galaxy device. There’s a good chance you’re experiencing Samsung lag and you can fix it with the Package Disabler Pro app. It’s only a dollar and is one of the best investments you can make to help your device run smoother and improve battery life.

KEY FEATURES:

* Disabling and enabling any packages /apps
* Package Disabler Helps to Identify 100+ Bloatware’s on most of Samsung Handsets
* One click bloatware removal to quickly improve device perfomance and save battery
* Export your disabled list to the external storage to import them later
* Batch operation to enable all disabled packages
* Filter to show all disabled packages
* Password protection
* Filter to show all installed apps
* Filter to show all system packages
* Quickly find apps using the search functionality

Pegs ‘n Holes: Is this puzzle the perfect fit for you? (review)

It’s amazing how a simple game can entertain us so easily. Let’s take Connect Four for example. The company I work for recently had a Connect Four tournament for all the employees. It was hilarious to see full-grown adults getting so hyped over watching two people try to line four circles in a row. I actually spent hours practicing with my roommate only to lose in the first round to my boss. If you’re reading this Beth, I’m taking you down next year.

Let me introduce you to Pegs ‘n Holes, another simple, yet addictive game that resembles a Connect Four board.

• Developer: Jordan Naftolin
• Price: Free (In-app purchases)
• Download: iOS and Google Play

Overview

Pegs ‘n Holes is a logic-based puzzle game that involves matching the circles with the board’s holes in the correct sequence. Tapping the circle will slide it to the corresponding colored hole, eliminating it from the board. The goal is to match and eliminate all the holes in the board.

Finding the correct sequence is harder than you think. The game will only let you tap the circles that give you a potential move. The tricky part is that there are multiple circles that can potentially go into the hole that you want to clear. The concept is similar to Sudoku,
where numbers can go into multiple boxes, but only one box will complete the puzzle. Prepare yourself for the frustration you will encounter when you only have two boxes remaining with the wrong colored circles.

There is an undo and restart button during gameplay. The undo button comes in handy when you realize you’ve moved the wrong peg. You can undo as many times as you want and you will not be penalized for using it. There is also a colorblind mode option that uses shapes instead.

The game offers two modes: solo play and online competition. Solo play lets you choose different board sizes such as 4×4 up to 9×9. 4×4 will be for beginners, while 9×9 will be for those players with a lot of time to kill and need some mental stimulation.

The online competition mode features a 7×7 board, where your completed time will be ranked against other players. I have managed to get last place almost every time in this modes. Some of these times are obscenely fast. I average around 100 seconds for a 7×7 board. The top ranked players are finishing at around 16 seconds.

There is only one in-app purchase which is to pay $0.99 to remove ads at the bottom of your screen.

Impressions

I really enjoy puzzles so it was no question that I had a great time playing Pegs ‘n Holes. The game is quite addicting and I found myself playing constantly. I really appreciated the simplicity of the game. You don’t have to invest much time to be entertained. The challenging levels were great exercise to keep my brain sharp.

The animations of the game were really smooth. Tapping the circle was quick and responsive. You can tap two circles at the same time to shave off key seconds. The only issue I had with the touch screen interface is that it became harder to tap the correct circles when the board grew bigger. I found myself tapping the wrong circle in the 9×9 mode frequently. This could be partly due to my fat fingers, but I can imagine users with smaller phones having an equally difficult time trying to tap those small pegs.

One more minor thing that bugged me was the restart button. There were numerous instances where I accidentally grazed over the restart button and ended up restarting the game right before I was about to win. This could easily be fixed by adding an “Are you sure you want to restart the game” option when the restart button is pressed.

Conclusion

It’s amazing how a simple game can keep people entertained for hours. This is the main reason why puzzle games will always have a spot in your phone.

Pegs ‘n Holes is a logic-based puzzle game that uses pegs to eliminate all the holes in the board. The two game modes gives you the freedom to play casually or competitively. This game is perfect for anybody who has a couple minutes to kill and wants to challenge their brain. With all mindless games in the app store, it’s nice to have an option that actually requires some thinking.

VirCities: Complicated, but fun if you’re willing to put in the time (review)

Mobile games have always been my antidote to boredom for as long as I can remember. I remember sitting in math class, playing Phoenix on my TI-83 calculator. Let’s be real, what teacher is going to punish you for “using” your calculator in math class? This was the perfect cover and the real reason why I didn’t learn anything in algebra.

Let me introduce you to VirCities, an economic and political simulator for mobile platforms. It is a complex game that gives you the freedom to make all the decisions you would make as a citizen in a fictional society.

• Developer: ILKFINKOM LTD
• Price: Free (In-app purchases)
• Download: iOS and Google Play

Overview

This is one of the most complex mobile games I have ever played. VirCities is a virtual world run completely by the citizens. The first thing you’ll do is to choose what city you want to be a citizen in. The cities have different languages so it is imperative to choose English, if you only know how to speak English. There is always the option of changing cities later but it will cost you.

There are limited things that you can do when you first start the game. The main focus in the earlier stages of the game will be to level up your character and make money. This will be primarily done through finding a job. The options are fisherman, scientist, builder, farmer, worker, cook, miner, and lumberjack. I chose scientist, which is fitting because that is the profession I chose in real life.

It will cost you energy to work and you will be rewarded with money and experience. You can increase your skill set by working more, which will increase your salary. Your salary is also dictated by the economy. For example, during a war, the highest paying jobs will be in the weapons factories.

Another way to make money is to fight off criminals in your city. This part of the game brought back nostalgic memories of playing Mafia Wars six years ago. The mechanics are very similar in that you spend energy to fight and will win or lose based on the strength of your character. You can work out in a stadium to increase attributes or equip your character with weapons.

As you progress throughout the game, there are a variety of activities you can participate in. This is where the complexity of the game comes in. You can open businesses, fight neighboring cities, join political parties, and open a newspaper. Trading centers are available to trade goods to other players to make a profit.

There are in-app purchases that range from $0.99 to $99.99. These in-app purchases are only to buy vGold which is a special currency in the game. There are special options such as moving to a new city that only cost vGold.

Impressions

The developers designed this game for the hardcore players who want to be able to control every facet of the game. The concept of the game is very interesting. I like that the players control every decision in the game, including how the city is run. However, my biggest criticism is that they made this game too complicated to even begin playing. Usually a game will have a tutorial or introduction phase. The developers decided to opt out of a tutorial because they wanted to keep a minimal text interface. I spent a majority of time in the beginning of the game, clicking aimlessly trying to figure out what I was supposed to do.

The developers decided instead to write a guide, which is actually quite helpful. This leads to my second issue with the game. I chose the English mode because I only know how to speak English. However, many parts of the game are in different languages. The chat room and news section of the game have many posts that are in Russian. There were various sections in the guide which were in different languages or just had a blank page.

Despite all the issues, I had a pretty fun time playing this game once I got familiar with it. This is a game that I would not get bored very quickly because there are an abundance of things to do. The high replay value of this game makes it worthwhile to play. The game needs to be refined to make it easier for new users to play. It took me an hour of reading the guide and researching what to do to figure out how to play the game. The majority of players are not willing to spend that amount of time and will uninstall due to frustration.   

Conclusion

Mobile games will continue to be very popular because it is such a good way to kill time. VirCities is an economic and political simulator for mobile platforms. The game lets you control a citizen who can make all the decisions you make in real life. You can choose a job, open a business, or write for the newspaper.

If you need to relieve some pent-up rage, you can go fight off street criminals and make your city safer. This game has the potential to be a great game, but the developers need to fix the language issues and introduce a tutorial to benefit the new player. This game is perfect for users who are tired of endless runners, or games that offer no real gameplay options.

AXGIO Roadbooster QC deluxe dual-port Quick Charge 3.0 car charger (review)

There’s a very good chance that you have upgraded your smartphone in 2016. With an almost record setting number of Android smartphones released this year, almost none of you could resist the newest builds and features.

With that upgrade came several updates to charging speeds, with the latest Quick Charge 3.0 from Qualcomm allowing you to charge your device faster speeds than ever. One of the drawbacks of that change is the need to replace your chargers. However there are a wide variety of great options to choose from at great prices, and the AXGIO Roadbooster QC deluxe dual-port Quick Charge 3.0 car charger is one worthy of an upgrade too.

Build & Usage

The AXGIO dual-port car charger is made with high-quality plastic with a matte finish. It’s compact and barely sticks out of your automobile’s DC port, or what I still call a cigarette lighter.

It’s one of a few chargers that offers maximum charge output with Quick Charge 3.0 in both USB ports. Many other car chargers might have a single port for Quick Charge speeds, but this one is designed to charge two devices simultaneously at maximum output. In more technical terms, Quick Charge 3.0 supports voltages from 3.6V to 20V. It’s compatible with microUSB and USB Type-C which is the latest charging standard manufacturers are moving to.

Devices that run the Snapdragon processors, 820, 620, 618, 617, and 430 can recharge up to 50% in less than 30 minutes if you’re using compatible chargers like the AXGIO Roadbooster. I tested the AXGIO with several devices over the past month: LG G5, Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and Note 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPad Pro 12.9.

The AXGIO Roadbooster charged all of the devices at their maximum allowed speed, with the G5 charging up to 50% from dead in about 25 minutes several times. The Note 7 and S7 edge went from 15% to 100% in about an hour. While iOS devices don’t charge at Quick Charge speeds like Androids, they still are compatible with the AXGIO charger and charge at high speeds too.

If you’ve upgraded your phones like I have, the car charger is probably more important than a wall charger for home use. You have less time  to recharge your device in your car, and sometimes need the extra boost of energy to get you through the next event in your day. I’m someone who has several devices that need charging while I’m on the road – smartphones, dash camera and sometimes accessories. Having the AXGIO Roadbooster offers the most compatibility with the latest devices and works as advertised.

I really appreciated AXGIO’s inclusion of two microUSB cables in the box, which normally would cost $3-7 on their own. I grabbed my charger from Amazon for just $13.99 with the current discount code EJXL5AAN to save an extra $4 off the $17.99 retail price.

Summary

If you’ve upgraded your smartphone, or plan on it in the near future, then upgrade your car charger too. Many old chargers don’t even have enough output to keep your phone going while you use it, especially with demanding processes like GPS navigation. Take advantage of the latest technology in your devices.

The AXGIO Roadbooster QC deluxe dual-port Quick Charge 3.0 car charger is a bargain at $13.99 (with discount code EJXL5AAN), and even comes with two microUSB cables and a two-year warranty. It’s small, well-built and backwards compatible with all of your USB devices. It’s one of the better deals on mobile accessories we’ve tested in a long time and is highly recommended.

The Leeron Sport Bluetooth Speaker is a cheap, waterproof, shockproof option

If you’re looking for a brand new Bluetooth speaker, you may have missed the newest offering from Leeron, but you may want to look again. Leeron isn’t the biggest name in electronics here in the States and that hurts them in search results, but when you compare the quality of its build, they stand up to anyone else on the market.

Build and function

The Leeron Bluetooth Speaker is cylindrical in shape, but also sports some very modern and stylish straight lights. The front grill is tapered near the center and remains wide on the ends, almost appearing like a cynical grin. The soft plastic and TPU adorn the outside and give the speaker a tough exterior that won’t get beat up, but also adds some grip. I really enjoy holding the speaker in my hands due to the texture and feel comfortable knowing that when I put it down, it won’t slide off a slightly inclined surface.

On top of the speaker sits four buttons, M, Play, Minus, and Plus. The M (which stands for “mode” is not only the power button but also switches it between Bluetooth and Aux mode. The plus and minus buttons, as you might expect, raise and lower the volume with a short press and skip tracks with a long press. The play button pauses and resumes music as well as answers calls.

Around back is a flap that covers the power port, aux bus, and a micro SD card slot. The slot MUST stay closed to keep your speaker waterproof (IPX7) so make sure that you’ve taken a look at it whenever you’re around water. The inclusion of the micro SD card slot is a nice one that you don’t normally find on speakers.

The internal battery is rated at 1800mAh and Leeron claims that gives you about 16 hours of battery life. The company must have tested this at very low volumes because I only got about eight hours of battery life out of mine. I do leave room for error here, though. I believe that the battery was completely charged, but since it charges so slow there is a possibility that even after hours on the charger it wasn’t completely full. Still, eight hours is a pretty decent battery life for a Bluetooth speaker and should definitely get you through whatever party you’re hosting.

Sound

So, what does a $30 waterproof Bluetooth speaker get you in terms of audio quality? Well, as long as you aren’t expecting top tier performance, you won’t be disappointed. After roughly 20 hours of listening to Leeron Sport speaker, I can honestly say I enjoy the sound signature.

First, let’s start off with the negatives. The Bass isn’t the greatest in the world. This will, by no means, start rattling around or vibrate itself off a table due to an abundance of bass. You will get some of those sharp kicks you get in the lows, but that deep rattling bass is absent. Listening to electronic and rap can still be enjoyable experiences, but you will make a sacrifice in the lows.

The highs can feel a bit muddy, too. It’s not horrible and certainly not enough to take me out of the experience, but I have heard other (much more expensive) Bluetooth speakers that offer better highs.

Where the Leeron Sport Bluetooth Speaker really shines is first and foremost in overall loudness. When I pair my phone to the speaker and leave the volume on my phone at 100%, I have to turn the speaker all the way down to get it at a sane volume. If you’re looking to bring a speaker to an outdoor party where there are no walls for the music to bounce off of, this is a really good option due to how loud it can get.

I’d rate the audio quality about average speakers in this price range. You’re not going to be blown away by the audio quality, but you certainly will be by how loud this thing can get.

Summary

So, what sets the Leeron Sport Bluetooth Speaker out from its competitors? I think the fact that it’s the complete package really makes it stand out from other speakers. Sure, the audio quality isn’t the best, but I don’t think it holds the speaker back in any way. When you’re tubing down a river, you don’t care about hearing each individual instrument or how much the bass kicks.

Leeron added some nice features like the ability to use the speaker as a speaker for calls, which is great for conference call situations. I love the included carabiner for hooking onto a backpack too. Due to the construction of the speaker, I would have no qualms about carrying it around in this manner. You certainly don’t need to baby it.

And, you can’t say enough about the waterproofing. That opens up such a huge world of opportunity to use this speaker. I found the speaker clipped to our shower caddy one morning because my wife took a bath the night before and wanted to listen to some music.

If you’re interested in picking up the Leeron Sport Bluetooth Speaker, head over to Amazon where it can be had for $29.99 with free Prime shipping.

Bringing healthcare to the masses: Practo app is revolutionary

Overview

Created in India in 2009, Practo is a healthcare app that aims to bring healthcare to the masses. The aim of the app is simple: bring healthcare to every patient in the country. The revolutionary app has grown rapidly in the last few years, bringing together 200000 healthcare practitioners, 200000 doctors, 8000 diagnostic centers, 10000 hospitals, and 4000 wellness centers.

In a country such as India, it is often difficult for every patient to know which doctor to approach, and they often rely on word-of-mouth as a way to find their doctor. This can be an unreliable method and sometimes patients simply don’t have enough information to make an informed decision.

Using Practo, millions of patients can today find a medical professional that is best suited to them using a range of tools that the app offers. In a country with over a billion people, this is certainly a step in the right direction.

A great feature of the Practo app, which makes it stand out in a large country such as India, is the location feature. By turning on the GPS function on your phone, users can allow the Practo app to link to Google maps on their phone, making it possible to show the user all the healthcare practitioners or wellness centers located near them.

Currently available on the iOS and Android platforms, the Practo app can be used in 100 Indian cities. It is also available in a few countries outside India including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and most recently, Brazil. The app hopes to soon be available in more countries in Southeast Asia.

As of 2015, 10 million users in India were using Practo’s search engine to find healthcare providers and two-thirds of the total traffic was coming via smartphone users.

Experience

The app can be downloaded for free on both the Android and iOS platforms. The idea behind the app is that a user can search for clinics and doctors in their local area and can then book an appointment with the practitioner of their choice.

After logging in, a user within India, for example, will have 100 cities to choose from. Once a user picks a city, they will be shown all the doctors and clinics in that area. The app is very user-friendly and easy to use with three main tabs to choose from on the home screen.

The first tab that the user sees is the Speciality tab. This is a vital feature of the Practo app and since each city has over 200 specialities, the user is spoilt for choice.

Once a speciality has been picked, the user is shown an informative card for every doctor that shows how experienced they are, their consultation fee, the clinic address, and what customer feedback they have received. The feedback feature will help potential patients see how satisfied other patients found a practitioner’s work.

Another field found on every doctor’s card is the ‘like’ button. The ‘like’ button can be seen as a tool that can be used to build a community of patients, similar to the patient feedback section. These are some of the features that show how the Practo app is built to be increasingly centered around the patient.

The app is helping to bring transparency into the decision-making process, and by looking at the reviews for each doctor or wellness center, a patient is able to make a more informed decision.

When the user clicks on the card of a healthcare practitioner, they will be able to see further details for that doctor. This screen shows each doctor’s appointment timings and free spots that are available for booking. The screen will also inform the user about any other hospitals where the doctor might be practicing.

Personalization

If a user wants to find out more about any clinics or doctors in a particular area, then the second and third tabs allow them to do so. If you have multiple appointments that you need to keep track of, the dashboard can be personalized to do so.

Another great feature of the Practo app is the filter option which gives you truly personalized results. When searching for a healthcare provider or clinic, the user can adjust the search to suit any preferences. For example, if you have a limit on how much you can pay for a consultation, the Practo app even lists doctors who offer free consultations.

For users who have a problem meeting with a doctor during particular days of the week, the search results can be filtered to show specific days of the week when a doctor is available.

The gender of the doctor is also a preference that users can make use of to find a suitable practitioner. Another great filter option is the time of day when a doctor can meet patients. This will be a useful option for users who can only see the doctor early in the day or late in the evening. Some doctors only practice for a few hours a day at their clinic, spending more time at hospitals.

Final Thoughts

Thanks to India now having more Internet users than China or the U.S. and due to the surge in smartphone users in the past few years, apps such as Practo are seeing greater acceptance. The Practo app is an all-encompassing, end-to-end solution provider for patients who are looking to find a suitable healthcare provider and want to find out all the information about a practitioner while also being able to seamlessly book appointments.

Finding a suitable doctor can be a herculean task in countries such as India, and the Practo app is helping to bridge the gap between patient and doctor.

Along with doctors, Practo also helps its users find pharmacies, spas, yoga centers, and gyms. The app has also given a lot of importance to securing patient’s data since it is home to a lot of sensitive medical data. Its data center is hosted on Amazon.com, Inc.’s cloud and complies with the highest global security standards. Investors believe the end-to-end capability of Practo is what will bring it long-term success.

Omaker 3-in-1 Universal Car Phone Mount review

We’ve got a question for you today. When you get in the car to drive somewhere, where do you put your phone? Please tell us you don’t put it in a cup holder or some sort of cubbyhole. If that thing comes out of your pocket, it needs to go somewhere handy and practical. Your phone deserves a mount of some sort.

We have reviewed a number of car mount accessories over the years, some of which suction to the dash or window. Others that have come across our path can be placed in an air vent. Up for review today is a kit that bundles together three different types of mounts in one package; we looked at Omaker 3-in-1 Universal Car Phone Mount and would like to share our impressions.

Packed neatly in a small little box, the Omaker kit includes a number of pieces which can be assembled to your liking. If you’d like to mount your phone on the dashboard, there’s a sticky base that grabs hold tightly and ensures your handset doesn’t go anywhere.

Prefer to put your phone up a little higher or in the windshield itself? Opt for the different mount which offers up a flexible yet strong arm that bends to your exact placement. And, if you’re the type of person who would rather stick their device somewhere a little different, you might like the air vent mount.

Taken as a whole, there are seemingly endless places you can place your phone with the Omaker 3-in-1 Universal Car Phone Mount kit. And, lest you worry that you’re stuck with any one placement, the universal bracket screws and unscrews with minimal effort. It’s a breeze to go from one mount to another. The only downside we saw was that the dashboard one’s sticky bottom doesn’t seem as if it would be as strong if you got in the habit of moving it around.

The bracket itself has a nice foam padding to it on the rear as well as the side arms and bottom. Once snugged up, the phone is protected on nearly all sides with material that ensures your phone doesn’t get scratched. The bottom leaves the center of your phone clear so you can plug in a charger.

Because of its design, the Omaker 3-in-1 Universal Car Phone Mount lets you change the orientation of your phone at a moment’s notice. Heading out on a long trip and need to use the GPS or navigation function of your phone? Turn the bracket 90 degrees in whatever direction you want and get going.

When it’s time to take your phone out of the mount, there’s a button on the rear near the bottom. It is intuitively placed and lets you loosen the side arms; they slowly expand while you hold the button down.

We thoroughly enjoy the Omaker 3-in-1 Universal Car Phone Mount as it’s one of the most user-friendly products of its kind. Moreover, it’s flexible and highly customizable to suit needs. At only $14 on Amazon, it also happens to be an incredible bargain. Note that the price was discounted at the time of publication and is subject to rise without notice. With that said, we feel comfortable recommending this one even at $30-$35.

The City Traffic: Fun, fast-paced, but shallow (review)

Like it or not, we always have to wait for stuff. We seem to be made to suffer. It’s our lot in life. That’s why it’s always good to have in your phone some games aimed at making your waiting times a bit more fun (or, actually, a bit less annoying). Enter The City Traffic, a game by developer MGDL, which takes one of the biggest inconveniences of our times (traffic) and turns it into a fun game with nice, welcoming graphics and engaging gameplay.

Developer: MGDL

Price: Free (with ads)

Setup

If you’ve ever downloaded a game from the Google Play Store, then you’re probably familiar with The City Traffic’s setup already. Just choose your Google Play Games account and away you go. This will let you upload your high scores to the Play Games platform and compare it with your friends that also have the game installed. Unfortunately, there’s no support for achievements yet.

Overview

The game itself is really simple. You are in control of four traffic lights: two for cars and two for pedestrians. The main objective is to dispatch them as fast as you can without triggering an accident (that is, don’t let cars crash either into each other or into pedestrians). Even though the concept is simple, the game can get hectic very fast, and you have to process a lot of stuff swiftly to avoid provoking a mess. Just ask the families of all the pedestrians I’ve killed while playing this.

The game starts easy enough…

Things wouldn’t be that hard (or interesting) without some kind of factor that keeps putting pressure on you. The catch in The City Traffic is that you can only have five cars piled up in both streets, and ten pedestrians fill up the two busy sidewalks of the city. If you let this limits overflow, it’s instant game over. Sure, when you start playing it’s fairly easy to control the limits, but as you keep going on, cars and people just keep coming at you without mercy, making it incredibly hard and requiring a lot of skill, concentration, and even luck to get as far as you can.

Fortunately, controls are responsive and work well enough in order to avoid becoming an inconvenience. The game has a nice pace that keeps getting harder the longer you play. Each successful car and pedestrian that makes it through the crossroad in one piece will give you points. Rack up points and you’ll advance through levels (read: the game will get harder).

When you finish a game, you get the option of returning to the main screen (for some weird reason, since it is nothing more than a way of starting the game again), restart the game, or look at your place on the leaderboard. You can also compare your current score with your highest score.

The controls are so simple that this is literally the only explanation you’ll need.

Sadly, this last part is more important than it should, since it’s the only element of the game that provides replay value. There’s no achievements or progression in the game: it’s just you against your high score.

This means that, after several times playing the game, you already have seen all it has to offer. Make sure you play in short bursts, then. You might start to get a bit bored of it after a while if you do otherwise.

Graphics

Absolutely every asset of the game is done in a pixelated way. You may or may not like the increasing influx of games featuring pixel art, but I think that, as long as it chooses a pattern and sticks with it to the end, it’s fine. Fortunately, The City Traffic has done a good job in making sure that every asset follows the same pattern for the most part. This results in a game with a cohesive appearance and that looks pretty.

My only complaint is that, in my opinion, perfect circles do not belong in a game with pixel art. There are some places where perfect circles are displayed (very apparent in the traffic lights you have to press to control the game), so they look a bit off when you see them against the buildings, cars, and pedestrians.

Things can get frantic really fast.

Sound

There’s one song that plays through each of your rounds. It has a very soothing and relaxing vibe to it (which is a nice contrast to the mayhem that’s happening on screen). There are some other sound effects sprinkled here and there, but nothing to write home about. Everything is appropriate and of a quality decent enough to not disturb the gameplay but enhance it.

Ads

There’s a small, persistent ad at the bottom of the screen at all times. That’s not bad at all, and something that a lot of games and apps do in order to avoid having to charge customers.

Get used to this screen, because you’ll se it a lot.

However, the big problem comes when you finish a game (and, as you may have figured, that will happen a lot). Sometimes, it will show a full-screen video ad, which is, in my opinion, the most unforgivable sin of mobile advertising. Nobody likes video ads, and even less when they’re full screen on a phone that probably has a limited amount of data. Unfortunately, with each passing day, video ads are becoming the norm rather than the exception.

There’s no way of removing them for now through an in-app purchase, something the developer should consider since there are still people out there who are willing to pay for removing pesky ads.

Conclusion

The City Traffic is a nice game if you want to burn some minutes while waiting for the bus or to avoid making eye contact with the other patients at your doctor’s office. Solid graphics, decent sound, and a frenetic gameplay make this game suitable for short bursts. Don’t expect it to be a deep, story-driven game, though. Apart from improving your high score, there’s no replay value and nothing to bring you back other than your own addiction. If you don’t mind this, then it’s a fun, easy-to-play game that will serve you well.

Download The City Traffic from the Google Play Store.