It’s the first day of fall but that doesn’t meant that you can’t have a little bit of July 4th in your pocket. There are two fine fireworks simulations for the iPhone, and though the programs are similar the execution is surprisingly diverse.
iFireworks
Rusty Red Wagon’s iFireworks is the original fireworks simulation for the iPhone and certainly features some nice features. Just load the app and pick a background from around the globe and you’re ready for a spectacular display. The included cityscapes are bright and colorful and global locations include Seattle, Walt Disney World, Sydney, San Francisco, and standbys like Paris, London, and New York. A blank screen is also available and in all cases the fireworks are presented in landscape orientation.
The fireworks appear in several colors and tapping on the screen will shoot additional fireworks in that area of the screen. It must be said, however, that tapping doesn’t seem to make much difference in where the fireworks appear.
The sound effects in iFireworks are top notch, and there’s an on/off toggle in case you’d like your fireworks in silence.
iFireworks is a simple program and as such the $0.99 cost is fairly reasonable.
Useless Productivity Rating:
Cost: $0.99
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Fireworks
Matt Stroker should really be ashamed of himself. Through his software shingle of Pixio software, he has created Fireworks, which is similar to iFireworks but better in nearly every way.
After choosing from one of fifteen global locations and an interplanetary one, you can watch the fireworks that are colorfully animated in various shapes. There are settings to control the size of the fireworks as well as the number of sparks. The fireworks sound are well done, with a quieter squeal than iFireworks but a better boom.
What sets Fireworks apart is how much more interactive it is. You can turn off the automatic show setting and tap the screen to shoot the fireworks. And unlike iFireworks this feature actually works like you’d expect. It’s a lot of fun! In addition to choosing the location where the fireworks will explode, if you hold down your finger a color wheel will appear where you can choose the color of your fireworks. The landscapes in Fireworks are fun and about as well done as in iFireworks, but they can be displayed in either landscape or portrait modes. So, Fireworks is a much more flexible product.
I’ve got to say that Mr. Stroker is leaving money on the table, because compared to the $0.99 price of iFireworks, he should be charging at least $1.99 or $2.99. Instead, Fireworks is available for free! Get it now, while you can.
Update: As a reader pointed out, Fireworks is now $0.99. We told ya…
Useless Productivity Rating:
Cost: Free $0.99
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2 users responded in this post
The Fireworks App is .99 now…checked on 9/22/2008 @ 3pm EST.
Thanks for posting. I’ll update the blog post.
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