Homerun Battle 3D

Platform: Android

RATING:
4 out of 5

PRICE:
$4.99

TASTY:
Go head to head, DROID vs. iPhone, and compete to be the world’s top slugger!

BUMMER:
Some nagging performance issues on original DROID phones, forces 17MB download to your SD card upon install. Some reports of online cheating and difficulty in restoring high score and earned items after recent updates.

COOL:
One of the few Android-iPhone titles that just plain work via wifi. Potentially addicting!

Read all of my past Android app reviews at Appolicious and Yahoo! Tech -- click here.

REVIEW:
Finally, a developer that gets it. Homerun Battle 3D is one of the first truly cross-compatible Android-iPhone games that leaves the mobile turf wars aside, and immerses players in a first-rate experience that can be enjoyed no matter which phone you own.

Fire up the app, link to your foe (or go solo), and start swinging. The first time you hear the crack of your bat against a virtual gold ball, you’ll be hooked. The graphics are first-rate, and the side by side, picture in picture online match-ups are truly satisfying.

Hitting home runs takes practice. You’ll need to use your phone’s accelerometer to hit the strike zone to send balls over the fence. You’ll also need lightning-quick reflexes to tap the screen along with X to send your balls flying. Vibration makes things feel even more realistic, with a quality soundtrack and sound effects rounding out this top-quality offering.

As you earn gold balls you’ll be able to customize your uniform and the overall look of your avatar. Tweaking your jersey, cleats, glasses, and pants along with your glove, helmet, and bat adds to the feeling of achievement as you progress.

The only things holding back this game from a full five-star rating? Some players report nagging performance issues on original DROID and iPhones. There’s a massive 17MB download to your SD card upon install, and I’ve read some persistent reports of online cheating and difficulty in restoring high score and earned items after recent updates.

Obviously Com2us, the app’s developer, is working out the kinks. And with a recent content update on the iPhone, there’s no doubt a similar release will occur for Android sometime this winter.