It was a great week for Android gamers, with Sony’s official Xperia announcement, and Zynga introducing its second major title, Words With Friends, into the Market. Both pieces of news came at the Mobile World Congress event, which put a spotlight on Android OS updates, devices and apps. With the promise of powerful processors and high-end graphic chips, this year’s Android devices are obviously made for gamers.

News from MWC

Zynga’s brought another popular game to the Android Market. Words With Friends is a free and social game, with a theme similar to Scrabble. Build words strategically for big bonuses, chat with friends during online play, and share achievements with friends. Already popular on the iPhone and Facebook, Words With Friends was an instant hit for Android.

The Sony Xperia game phone isn’t out yet , but here’s the next best thing. FPse for Android is a new PlayStation emulator after the full experience, from audio to graphics. Save games, use an on-screen controller and customize your button assignments. Costing almost $5.00 FPse is a worthy purchase for PlayStation fans anxious for the mobile experience.

Download the free Appolicious Android app

In the Air

Fly Gaga is quite a baby. Light and flexible, this infant bounces on a massive trampoline, flying higher with every jump. Collect milk and candy as you rise and fall, veering slightly to the left and right to catch them all. You’ll need to power through some obstacles, and avoid others, like drunken birds, dangerous balloons and black holes. Cute and entertaining, Fly Gaga is free to download.

AirAttack HD Lite is an air combat shooter sending you on missions to destroy enemies on the ground and in the air. Starting with two missions, two planes and a dozen or so enemies, improved skills earn you bonus weapons and high scores. The popular iPhone game is already gaining in the Android Market, and is free to play.

Farm Tower is an amusing game of physics, presenting impossible predicaments for you to solve. Get your farm animals out of their towers and back to the ground, each level with its own puzzle to crack. Nearly 100 levels of logic will keep you busy. Share high scores via OpenFeint. The Pro version costs around $2.00.

On the Defense

Who doesn’t love a good zombie shooter? Kill off as many as possible in Stupid Zombies, where each level brings a new challenge for fending off the walking dead. Knock off a few at a time by shooting oil barrels, or strategically direct a single missile to destroy them all. This new Android game is free.

Home Invasion is a location-based game where you invade your “real” surroundings as a ruthless alien. Using GPS, this game overlays missions onto a real map, sending you out into the world to destroy all the targets. Free, this Android game comes from a new breed of overlaid entertainment.

Related: Twitter update leads Android Apps of the Week

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Tags: Games

The Saginaw Spirit became the sixth team in the Ontario Hockey League to clinch a playoff spot after beating the Sarnia Sting 6-2 on Saturday night.

Saginaw has now won four straight games, putting the Spirit atop the West Division and behind only the Owen Sound Attack in the Western Conference standings.

Defence has been at the heart of Saginaws success, with only 167 goals allowed so far this season, best in its conference and fourth in the OHL.

Special teams were key as the Spirit scored twice on the power play in eight tries while the leagues top-rated penalty-kill unit shut down the Sting, who were 0-for-8 with the man advantage.

Jake Paterson, in only his fourth start this season, turned aside 25 shots for his third win. Brandon Hope had 25 saves for the Sting.

Elsewhere in the OHL it was: Erie 8 Guelph 3; Belleville 4 Sault Ste. Marie 3 (SO); Plymouth 4 Windsor 3; London 7 Barrie 3 and Oshawa at Owen Sound (ppd. due to inclement weather).

At Saginaw, Mich., John McFarland and Mathew Sisca each had a goal and an assist to lead the Spirit (36-16-4). Anthony Camara, Justin Kea, Ryan OConnor and Josh Shalla, with his 40th goal of the season, also scored.

Brandon Francisco and Alex Galchenyuk scored for Sarnia (19-29-6).

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Otters 8 Storm 3

At Erie, Pa., Mike Cazzola scored and added two assists as the Otters rolled Guelph.

Brett Appio and Shawn Szydlowski both scored twice as Erie (32-24-2) tied a season high with its fifth-straight win and equalled a franchise record with eight consecutive home wins. Brett Thompson, Brett Cook and Phil Varone all had singles.

Francis Menard had a goal and set up one other for Guelph (27-24-5), while Tim Campbell and Brock McGinn also scored.

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Bulls 4 Greyhounds 3 (SO)

At Belleville, Ont., Adam Payerl had two goals plus one in the shootout as the Bulls dropped Sault Ste. Marie.

Carter Sandlack had the other for Belleville (16-35-4).

Rudy Sulmonte, Ryan Sproul and David Broll all scored for the Greyhounds (19-30-8).

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Whalers 4 Spitfires 3

At Plymouth, Mich., the Whalers took a 2-1 lead into the third period and held on after Windsor scored twice late in the game.

RJ Mahalak, Tyler Brown, James Livingston and Robbie Czarnik scored for Plymouth (31-21-4), with Czarniks empty-net goal at 19:34 of the third proving to be the winner.

Jeff Browns second goal of the game came 17 seconds later for the Spitfires (31-20-5). Derek Lanoue had the other.

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Knights 7 Colts 3

At Barrie, Ont., Colin Martin and Vladislav Namestnikov each recorded hat tricks as London blasted the Colts.

Seth Griffith also scored for the Knights (29-22-5), while Jared Knight added three assists.

Trent Hawke, Eric Locke and Dylan Smoskowitz replied for Barrie (12-41-4), which has now lost five of its last six contests.

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Generals at Attack (ppd.)

At Owen Sound, Ont., the game between the Oshawa Generals and Owen Sound Attack was postponed due to inclement weather.

The OHL has rescheduled the game for Sunday at 6 pm

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Tags: Games

By Kyle Nagel,

Staff Writer

9:25 PM Saturday, February 19, 2011

The NBA All-Star celebrity game on Friday night was actually pretty good TV.

Not just because Justin Bieber was the MVP. Its a light-hearted way for the celebrities for some of them, that term mightve been a stretch to pretend theyre athletes for a night. At least, those who werent actually athletes.

So Im wondering why we dont stretch this idea to other sports. A celebrity Pro Bowl, for instance, and Id have to take Vince Vaughn as my quarterback. Or Mark Harmon. Just not Adam Sandler.

You think The Rock (sorry, not The Rock, Dwayne Johnson) couldnt still play?

The softball celebrity game played during the baseball All-Star festivities is usually just as good, except this time Id like to see 90-mph fastballs instead of softballs. Its about time one of them gets a little chin music.

What about a celebrity event during the high school wrestling tournament? Or volleyball?

Its common that athletes want to be rock stars, rock stars want to be actors and actors want to be athletes. This is their chance, and it makes for a pretty entertaining piece of television. A mix of young and old(er), former athletes and guys who just like getting invited to these games (Michael Rapaport? Seriously?).

It reminds us more than anything that these games the professional athletes are playing are supposed to be fun.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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Tags: Games

The online App Store (part of iTunes) offers thousands of great games to download, many of which are only a couple of bucks apiece.

If youre an iPad owner looking for something new to try whether its for an upcoming plane ride or for simply lounging around the house consider one of these downloads.

Doodle Jewels HD

(Software River Solutions; $2.99; softwareriver.com; 3 stars out of 4)

If youre a fan of those match-3 puzzle games where you swap adjacent gems on a board to create a row or column of at least three same-colored ones then youll enjoy the relaxing game play found in Doodle Jewels HD for the iPad.

Similar to with Bejeweled 3 (which, unfortunately, isnt available yet on the iPad), youll try to rack up a high score by matching colored jewels, clearing increasingly challenging levels and using special jewels for extra points. But Doodle Jewels HD is unique in its presentation as it looks like the gems are drawn with a pencil crayon on a piece of paper, plus youve got to change the color behind each gem to gold in order to advance.

You only have a certain number of swaps available per level, but you can earn additional moves by opening treasure chests.

While the game play can get a tad repetitious over time, this enjoyable and attractive puzzler should provide many hours of family-friendly fun.

CardBoard Castle HD

(Bulkypix; $1.99; bulkypix.com; 3 stars out of 4)

Dont be fooled by the charming graphics in CardBoard Castle HD a medieval world that looks like it was made from paper cut-outs because this adventure game has you slaying dragons and sea creatures, crossing chasms and firing catapults at castles.

In order to help your brave knight rescue imprisoned characters, you must study the 2-D environment and use the tools available to accomplish your goals. For example, early in the game youll cut down a tree to make a bridge, tap the sun to dry out some papier-mache and find a key to unlock a door.

These logic-based challenges might take some trial and error to figure out what needs to be done, and in which order if you mess up, youll have to start the level again. The game features three main modes and an unlockable Race Against the Clock option.

Great fun, especially for those who prefer thinking games over those that require fast reflexes.

Death Worm

(PlayCreek, 99 cents; playcreek.com; 4 stars out of 4)

Based on the popular PC indie game of the same name, Death Worm for the iPad puts you in control of an underground monster that resembles a giant worm, and you must cause as much carnage as you can above and below the surface.

Using your fingertip, youll control the worm as it emerges from the soil to eat people and animals, cause tanks and cars to explode, and if you can gain enough height, take down airplanes, helicopters and UFOs.

The campaign mode starts in the desert, but to advance to the next level and eventually unlock new areas, including a city and jungle youll need to accomplish a number of goals, such as kill 80 people in two minutes or devour five underground creatures.

You can earn upgrades (such as thicker skin, longer length or faster speed); pick up power-ups that let you shoot fireballs or enjoy temporary bursts in speed; or use the environment to your advantage, such as knocking rocks into the sky to take down flying objects.

Death Worm also features a survival mode and minigames, and includes Apples Game Center integration for global leader boards and achievements.

The game is a blast for action-loving iPad owners but be aware of imagery that includes animated violence and blood, making in unsuitable for young players.

Contact Saltzman at C1Tech@gannett.com.

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Tags: Games