Before nabbing an amazing iPhone, I was the proud owner of at least eight other mobile phones, the first one dating all the way back to some eight years ago. Most of these were Java-enabled, and whenever possible I made sure I install the best Java version of my board game of choice, Reversi (also known as Othello), that I could find. So when I got my current mobile phone, with its unique platform, I also set out to put in it my perennial favorite. My search for the one Reversi iPhone app deserving of a secure spot in my very dynamic home screen ultimately led me to Cool Reversi.
Like the other Reversi apps for the iPhone, Cool Reversi involves tapping on an empty square on the game board to place a disc, a far cry from the somewhat tedious D-pad and keypad controls of the Java representations that I tried in my pre-iPhone days. What sets this apart from the others though is its more refined visuals. The discs are shaded well so they don’t appear to be flat as paper and on the very same plane as the board. Also, instead of merely changing the color of the intermediate discs from black to white, or vice versa, whenever a move is made, a simple yet polished flipping animation is shown.

The app allows full configuration of the game. You can choose what color to play, whether to play against your iPhone or a friend, which difficulty level to play in, what board area to use, and which color the right of first move is given to. You can also opt to show possible moves and mark every last move. Sound effects, which are already minimal, can be disabled.
Undo and Redo move buttons are also included, as well as a Constructor feature where you can place discs at desired positions on the board and start a game from your construction.
The Statistics button shows your performance within the app. It was after selecting this option that I discovered a couple of seemingly random bugs. At times, the Back and Discard buttons within Statistics did not function and I’d have to force quit. There was also an instance when the skin within Options was distorted. These, however, did not in any way affect any aspect of the game when I went back to the board.

All in all, this app lets you play Reversi on your iPhone/iPod touch, and as far as I’m concerned, despite some display and button functionality bugs, it really is what the adjective in its name says it to be.

Quick Take

Value: High

Would I Buy Again: Yes

Learning Curve: No problem if you already know Reversi. If you don’t, the About section will be a big help.

Who Is It For: Reversi/Othello fans

What I Like: Great visuals

What I Don’t: A couple of bugs

Final Statement: If you want to play Reversi on your iPhone/iPod touch, flip this app up.

App Store Details and iTunes Link