Touch Arcade » Best iPhone Games

Best iOS Games January 2012

Eli Hodapp — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:40:21 +0000

Our ratings for games we reviewed in January are now in place, and we now present to you the ones that are on the top of the heap. Each game reviewed receives a 1-5 star rating relative to the other games from that month. Generally, a three-star or higher is considered a "good" rating.

Our final scores are not the product of any traditionally objective measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others. Keep in mind, this listing is comprised of games we reviewed in January, and not necessarily games that were specifically released in January.

5 Stars

Super Crate Box, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Vlambeer knocks it out of the park with this ultra-frantic crate collecting game. With great virtual controls, and gameplay that is great for pick up and play mobile gaming sessions, Super Crate Box is a game you shouldn't miss.

4.5 Stars

Blockwick, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - A really slick puzzle game that you can try for free. After that, level packs of increasing difficulty are sold in bundles of 60 for 99¢ a pop. Don't let the initial pack it comes with turn you off, think of it more as a really long tutorial.

Hero Academy, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This multiplayer tactical game by Robot Entertainment has become incredibly popular amongst our community, and even was the topic of a recent Penny Arcade comic. If you're looking for people to play with, hit the forum link and you'll find tons of people looking for a game.

Run Roo Run, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - From the creators of Scribblenauts comes this super-fun mini-level jumping game. Most levels will only take a few moments to complete, but thankfully, there's a ton of them. Clearing a world unlocks some really difficult levels that'll really put you to the test.

Smash Cops, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Not only does Smash Cops have great graphics, but it also has a new control method that we haven't seen before for controlling your cop car. You use your finger to "push" the car where you want to go. It sounds strange, but it works great.

Triple Town, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - There's a definite learning curve to Triple Town but once you get over that hump and come to grips with how the mechanics of the game works, you'll be building amazing towns and cursing at bears in no time. Argh, those bears. They ruin everything.

Windosill, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This iPad exclusive puzzle game originally started its life as a Flash title. It's aged incredibly well, and feels like a perfect fit for the iPad. Multitouch adds so much, even if you played the original, it's worth trying again on the iPad.

The rest of the game ratings can be seen in their respective rating categories (also found in the sidebar navigation): 5 Stars, 4.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 3 Stars, and 2 Stars.

As always, we expect there will be some debate about relative scores, but keep in mind that everyone's personal ratings may vary based on individual tastes.

For more of our favorite iOS games, check out our "Best iPhone Games" category which includes all of these monthly posts as well as other special compilations of the greatest games the App Store has to offer.

2011 TouchArcade Year End Roundup

Eli Hodapp — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:13:40 +0000

We're about to lean back in our chairs, puff our proverbial pipes, dust off our hands, and put 2011 to a close. It's been a heck of a year for iOS gaming, and we've gone totally overboard with year end coverage, listing the greatest games the App Store had to offer.

TouchArcade has gotten even more awesome over the year, and our community has grown to be an even better place for iOS gamers to chillax, find out about new games, and discuss their favorites. We're super-excited for 2012, and I can't wait to see what new iOS devices will be released, what games will surprise us, and everything else that comes with being totally immersed in the world of iOS.

Here's a list of our various year end coverage in case you missed any of it:

Also, just for fun, here were our top ten most viewed stories in 2011:

We hope you all have a safe and happy New Year, and hope you all stick with us through 2012!

2011 TouchArcade Staff Favorites - Blake

Blake Patterson — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:02:04 +0000

After getting together to pick our official best games of 2011, we also had our writers take a look back at the last year and compile lists of their personal favorites along with their reasons why.

All of us here at TouchArcade joke about how rare a thing it is to actually sit down with an iOS game that we really enjoy and play it -- just for fun -- given the number of titles we evaluate week-to-week for our readers.

I've been writing for Touch Arcade since the beginning, but for much of this year I've been pretty heavily involved with more of the other aspects of the website: work on backend tools, HTML theming, and pieces of our coming iOS app. For the moment, I pretty much only cover the retro games and news that crosses the desk. As such, I've actually had more time (and inclination) to sit down and play some of the iOS games I like best -- for fun -- and it's been enjoyable.

This year I've definitely been spending time and having fun with more games than I've listed here, but the five titles below (since the other folks all kept it to five) are the games I've spent the most time with, of those that landed sometime this year. I am not calling these the "best" or "most significant" titles from 2011 that I've enjoyed, but they are the ones I've spent the most time with. So, without further ado...

Forget-Me-Not, $1.99 [Review] About an hour after I first discovered Forget-Me-Not, I tweeted that it was the best game I'd ever played, in my entire life. A little heat-of-the-moment excitement may have exaggerated the matter -- but not much. For a lover of both retro and modern games, like myself, Forget-Me-Not is a dream come true. It was outstanding when I first played it, and its gameplay has since evolved through updates (the latest of which brought iCade support), and it has even made its way to the desktop.

In my March review, I called Forget-Me-Not the "retrolicious lovechild of PAC-MAN and Rogue," and there's really no better way to describe the game. It sports an amazing scoring system, fantastic retro graphics, and frantic action as the game progresses. If the thought of PAC-MAN combined with dungeon crawling at all piques your interest -- hell, even if it doesn't -- you can't call yourself a Gamer (note the capital 'G') unless you have Forget-Me-Not on one of your devices.

Tiny Wings, $0.99 [Review] Designer Andreas Illiger discovered an itch that most of us carry around with us deep down in our souls, and with his February release, Tiny Wings, he has enabled us to scratch it...or try. The itch that I speak of is a deep, deep craving to land an object on a parabolic trajectory into a series of parabolic crests and troughs, perfectly. That's what Tiny Wings is all about. It requires perfect timing and immense precession, but the reward -- on every perfectly executed landing -- is something like a tiny little mind-orgasm. And it's all wrapped up in a lovely pastel paper-craft rendering. Some people find the music maddening but, to me, it sounds like possibility. This is a game not to be missed.

GoatUp, $1.99 [Review] "Climb up, tryst with amorous billy goats, eat grass, give birth." That's a brief description offered by Jeff Minter of Llamasoft regarding his ungulawesome game, GoatUp. What more could a boy want out of a retro-styled iOS title? The graphics are crude (by design), the sound sounds are all bleeps, bloops and barnyard, and the oldschool classic visual nods are quite blunt. But, GoatUp is just an insane amount of fun -- and I've personally seen non-retro-oriented folks (that is to say, "normal folks") call it incredible. Minter is a veteran game designer that has always marched to the bleat of a different drummer, and GoatUp is not evidence to the contrary. It's a platformer of the endless climber sort, inspired by several oldschool classics, including the Atari 2600 title Man Goes Down, Nebulus, and Rainbow Island. It's awesome.

Minotaur Rescue, $0.99 [Review] Look -- another Jeff Minter title! What can I say? The guy has a true knack for quickly knocking out games that deliver pure, simple gameplay that's loads of fun and highly appropriate for the mobile platform that is iOS. All of his titles have an intense retro look and feel, and I can't imagine them any other way, given that it was on home computers of the early '80s that he learned the formula to making lean games that don't lose track of the fact that gameplay is king. Minotaur Rescue puts you in control of a ship orbiting a star amid a psychedelic spacescape filled with encroaching asteroids. Game the gravity, blast the asteroids, release and grab the minotaurs, repeat. There are saucers too, and an Atari Combat mode. Actually, you'd better just watch the video -- and grab the game.

Jetpack Joyride, Free [Review] There are lots of side-scrolling, endless running obstacle avoidance games in the App Store. It's a genre that became popular on early feature phones with the simple, one button, "keep your flying dot from hitting the sides" game Copter, or thereabouts. Over the years, titles have come along, improving on the formula, adding in elements, and bringing with them greater appeal. But not one of them brought with them real innovation combined with perfect balancing to deliver a truly exceptional game experience, until Jetpack Joyride. This game gets it all right. There's the core gameplay mechanic, the temporary vehicular change-ups that keep things from getting dull at any point, and the slot machine at the end that brings with it the easy potential for prizes after death. Jetpack Joyride is one of the rare games that I consider perfect. I could never tire of this one.

And, so, there you have it, my 2011 list of five. Anyone out there who likes this mix, have a look at my 2010 TouchArcade Staff Favorites post from a year ago. And, Happy New Year, everybody!

2011 TouchArcade Staff Favorites - Eli

Eli Hodapp — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:59:44 +0000

After getting together to pick our official best games of 2011, we also had our writers take a look back at the last year and compile lists of their personal favorites along with their reasons why.

2011. What a year. The App Store has been online for over three years now, and it still feels like the future to me most days. Looking back on my life of gaming, it's just crazy how far we've come, and not only in terms of the quantity and quality of iOS releases. When I was begging my mother to take polaroids of me as proof that I beat NES games, the very existence of devices like iPhones and iPads would've seemed like some sort of unattainable future eternally found only in science fiction. But, here we are, almost to the point that we're taking being able to download ridiculously great games, wirelessly, from anywhere, often for a fiftieth (or less) of the price for granted. That's crazy.

My responsibilities as Editor in Chief of TouchArcade here has me cycling a silly amount of games through my iOS devices, as I make sure to at least try every game we review to make sure I agree with what we post. I usually just don't have the time to get incredibly invested in too many of these games, as serving as the gatekeeper for TouchArcade content really just doesn't allow for it. There just aren't enough hours in the day, as badly as I wish there were.

So, the games I end up playing for extended periods of time are an eclectic mix of titles that may have larger over-arching goals, but are totally conducive to quick pick up and play sessions. I'm not sure I'd call any of these games the best games of the year, but they ended up being my favorites, and the ones I spent the most time with:

Dungeon Raid, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Even though Dungeon Raid was technically released very late in 2010, it didn't hit its stride until a few updates later in 2011. No other video game (including consoles) released this year even comes close to the amount of time I've invested in Dungeon Raid. I loved Puzzle Quest, but the way Dungeon Raid boils down that formula its core essence is pure genius. Unlockable classes, random abilities, and game balance that makes any strategy viable with some work has created not only one of my favorite iOS games, but one of my favorite video games in general. I can't believe I'm saying that about a match three.

King of Dragon Pass, $9.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Since completely abandoning PC gaming at some point in the last ten years and becoming a full-fledged "Mac guy" I've missed out on so many of these obscure PC titles. At first glance, King of Dragon Pass might not seem that friendly to iOS style pick up and play gaming since it's a shockingly involved game of managing a tribe that can go on for months (assuming you're good enough, of course). Where KoDP wins me over is that it's the perfect game to load up, make a few management decisions, close the game, and come back to it later. I'm in the midst of a game that I've been playing for close to three weeks total now, and while I'm not sure I'll ever ascend to position of King of Dragon Pass itself, each game is random enough that it feels totally fresh. A universal update is coming too, which I'm beyond excited for.

NBA JAM by EA SPORTS™, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - The only series of sports games that comes with more nostalgia for me is the Mutant League games. I couldn't even guess how much of my life I've spent playing NBA Jam between the ancient console versions, the four player arcade machines, and subsequent ports and re-releases. 18 years after NBA Jam's original release, I still smile like an complete idiot as I shatter backboards, dunk on fire from a hundred feet in the air, and as the announcer exclaims, "BOOM SHAKA LAKA." The iOS port is absolutely fabulous, although I really wish it had online multiplayer. I'll keep my fingers crossed on that.

The Last Rocket, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I'm all about games that feel like they offer a totally complete package that all meshes together in perfect harmony. It was this reason why I loved Sword & Sworcery so much, and I feel like The Last Rocket comes packed with similar magic. Too many games hinge on retro tropes, but don't go "all the way" (for lack of a better way to put it). Pixel art and/or chip tunes with modern gameplay can feel a little disjointed at times, but The Last Rocket nails the whole thing to the point that you could load it on to a NES cartridge and blast it back through some wormhole to 1985 and it'd fit in perfectly on a shelf at Funco Land. The appropriately barebones story, the graphics, the music, the gameplay… Flawlessly nostalgic.

Battleheart, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Without a doubt my favorite iPad game of the year. Battleheart is one of the few games that seems to really just click on the iPad, as the touch interface allows you to control four characters at once to have these surprisingly intense battle sequences that feel like you're micromanaging an entire party of players in an MMORPG. I really wish there was more to it, as I feel the end-game is a little lacking, but I've had a silly amount of fun over the year just re-starting the game over and over to level up a new party, relying on a vastly different class composition each time. I've really really got my fingers crossed for sequel treatment, similar to what Zombieville USA saw, as more than anything else Battleheart feels like the foundation for a game that could be beyond incredible.

2011 TouchArcade Staff Favorites - Eric, Nissa, and Troy

Eli Hodapp — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:40:44 +0000

After getting together to pick our official best games of 2011, we also had our writers take a look back at the last year and compile lists of their personal favorites along with their reasons why.

Among the many things that changed around here this year at TouchArcade was massively ramping up our writing staff with freelancers from quite literally all over the world. We now have writers in four of the seven continents, checking out games and writing reviews around the clock. Maybe in 2012 we'll pick up some people to review games in Africa and Asia, but I'm really not sure how we're going to swing Antarctica.

Our content output is through the roof compared to previous years, which has allowed us to broaden our focus to include games that we normally would have passed on just because of not having the bandwidth to review anything but the absolute best games. I think it's made TouchArcade a much more varied, and better daily read, along with giving a bunch more games some exposure. 2012 should be even better, as ramping up even further along with releasing the TouchArcade app!

Anyway, Eric, Nissa, and Troy were our most active freelance writers in 2012, so I asked them to join the party in compiling lists of their top five games. Check it out:

Eric

Avadon: The Black Fortress HD, $9.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I've been a big fan of Spiderweb Software since the days of playing Exile on my Performa, so I was intrigued when I first heard that they would be releasing a classic style, isometric RPG. Avadon does not disappoint as it not only succeeded in taking me back to the glory days of 1990s-era Mac RPGs but it also made the entire genre accessible to a whole new generation of gamers. All I can say is that after this fulfilling nostalgic experience, I'm hungry for more.

Jetpack Joyride, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Jetpack Joyride has the honor of being the first endless runner to successfully capture me in its grasp for a very long time. Its
presentation, style, and approachable gameplay are top notch making the game appealing to even the most reluctant of gamers. Most importantly, it has that rare quality of making each run feel new and unique - something that so many other similar games try to achieve and fail.

Dungeon Raid, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I'm not the biggest fan of match three games. Yet, out of all the games on my list, Dungeon Raid has probably gotten the most hours played than any other. Maybe it had something to do with the way its RPG elements meshed seamlessly with the standard match three gameplay. Or maybe it was the huge amount of unlockable classes, spells, and equipment making each play through different. Regardless, Dungeon Raid has continued to be my de facto option for quick gaming sessions on the go. If you're one of the few that haven't played this by now, hurry up and grab it.

Battleheart, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Battleheart gets a lot of elements right, but in my opinion it's really all about two things: versatility and multitasking. With so many different classes, equipment, and spells, I spent a lot of time playing this real time strategy action-RPG simply to discover various combinations and styles of play that worked. Add in the fact that the game successfully implemented a control scheme that had you simultaneously control four different characters, each with their own abilities and class roles, and it's not hard to see why Battleheart is one of the better strategy games of the year.

Mega Mall Story, $3.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - You really can't go wrong with any Kairosoft game, but Mega Mall Story was by far my favorite release from them this year. Taking a more concrete approach than some of the other 'Story' games, Mega Mall had more short and long term goals littered throughout the game while still giving you enough leeway to build mostly anything however you wanted. I also loved the wonderful pacing that the game set; providing countless rewards and incentives to continue playing while making them just rare enough that they continued to be meaningful throughout the playtime. Also, how could you not love building your own tower?

Nissa

Async Corp., $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This is the one game that can cheer me up in nearly any situation. It has smiling blocks, bright colors, and cheerful music, which is pretty much the perfect recipe for a good mood. Add the constant positive reinforcement you get for being a productive worker and there's just no way to be down when playing this game - unless you think about what happened to the team who made it. But layoffs aside, Async Corp is by far my favorite matching game. I appreciate the variety of modes it has on offer, but what really gets me is that it's just so relentlessly cheerful.

Wind-up Knight, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - At some point in the past year or two, I went from hating difficult platformers to craving them. Wind-up Knight is the cream of the crop of that genre. It's gorgeous, runs smoothly and is unfailingly punishing. But it's never unfair, and that's why I love it. That, and the terribly clever storytelling conceit that's tucked away in its loading screens.

Mighty Fin, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I'm a huge sucker for endless-whatever games. Runners, climbers, cave fliers, you name it and I can probably name five I adore. Mighty Fin topped the pack this year with something like nineteen endless levels to obsess over, and an equal number of more traditional arcade levels. It also has an adorable protagonist, high production values and dozens of unlockable costumes.The one thing that really makes it stand out from the crowd, though, is that it's updated regularly and still manages to stay entirely IAP free.

Elder Sign: Omens, $3.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This one goes out to all my fellow tabletop nerds. In its tabletop form, Elder Sign is one of those overly complex card and dice games that I hate to love - they're just so messy. On iPhone, the experience is streamlined and still tons of fun. I've rolled a lot of dice in my time, and Elder Sign makes it a particularly compelling activity. It's a little bit RPG, a little bit board game, and a whole lot of Elder Gods devouring your face. I hope this is a sign of more great things coming to iOS from Fantasy Flight.

Poker Pals, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - As Words With Friends becomes increasingly bloated, I've moved away from it as my asynchronous game of choice. Poker Pals has taken its place. It's not an incredibly deep game, but it is super accessible, so I can play with just about anyone I know. Seriously, if you've somehow managed to avoid learning how to form poker hands, it's a skill you can pick up in under a minute. The game's progression system is also pretty cool. But when you get right down to the heart of it, what I really adore about Poker Pals is that it (almost) fulfills my long-standing wish to play Sword & Poker online with friends.That game gave me a serious love of poker puzzling, and Poker Pals brings it right back.

Troy

jAggy Race, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This fantastic game gave me so much pleasure - I know this because I happily re-played the same tracks hundreds of times, searching for the optimum routes. I loved memorizing each crazy track and searching for new gravity-defying jumps, or short-cuts to shave a second off my times. It was especially fun to compete with the skilled TouchArcade forum members, who dominated the jAggy Race leaderboards, because each time someone else achieved a top score, I knew my own strategy needed some adjustments. The blend of fast-paced cart-racing, memorization and strategy made jAggy Race a personal favorite.

Dungeon Raid, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Dungeon Raid is one of my favorite games to play on the smaller iPod screen, which is unusual as I generally prefer playing match-3 games on the iPad. Initially I loved it's simple appearance, the way it's so responsive to rapid swipes, the excellent sound effects and it's ability to reverse out of the lines you're drawing (which is handled better than any other line-drawing game I've seen). But mostly, it's the deepness of the RPG elements which gave it a longer lasting appeal and for that reason it's staying on my iPod.

Vetica, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I love innovative games which are relatively unknown, because it gives me a smug satisfaction, as if I've discovered something that other people have missed. Vetica is one of my favorite shmups of the year, mostly because it creatively constructs animated enemies using the helevetica font (which I totally dig), but also because it's also entertaining to play, not just a gimmick. It's hard enough to be challenging, without being too difficult to complete.

Perfect Cell, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I'm a sucker for platform games in general, but Perfect Cell was particularly fun because it added a line-drawing mechanic for rapid dashes. I never tired of decapitating multiple guards in a murderous high-speed dash, or taking them down by knocking their legs out. The ability to split in two (or three) for stealth ambushes or for puzzle-solving was a neat feature. Technically it came out at the very end of December 2010, but I'm listing it here because it came out just after our annual round-up last year… and because it's awesome.

Tiny Wings, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Tiny Wings is a cute and lovable gaming experience that manages to be both soothing and challenging at the same time. I loved the way it was packaged to perfection with a likable soaring bird, unique procedural graphics for the islands, perfect one-touch controls and a totally chilled out sound-track. I usually spot areas for improvement within most games, but Tiny Wings ticked all of my boxes and made me smile each time the bird chirped. It also felt like a special success story because it came from an indie developer (ie: I was willingly caught up in the buzz of popularity it generated).

Yes, I realize we included Dungeon Raid twice in these lists. The game is that good.

2011 TouchArcade Staff Favorites - Jared

Jared Nelson — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:42:34 +0000

After getting together to pick our official best games of 2011, we also had our writers take a look back at the last year and compile lists of their personal favorites along with their reasons why.

(Image via lauren mh)

Here is a moment I’ve been dreading all year: coming up with my own personal top games of 2011. I am horrible about picking my favorites in anything, be it movies, music, food, whatever. I always just want to take the easy way out, and just pick ALL my favorites with no compromise. But that’s not what this list is about. It’s about the top 5 games that rose above the rest, and in the year of stellar releases that was 2011, distilling my favorite games from the year into such a short list has been a task more difficult than I had anticipated.

That said, I present to you the top 5 games that I felt had to be included. My criteria was mostly which games I continued to play the most even after all the previews, reviews, and update posts had been written. In other words, these are the games I began playing to fulfill my job duties, but continued playing for myself.

The caveat, of course, is that there are plenty of games that I really wanted on my list but just flat out didn’t have room for. As such, some of the ones that I was really going back and forth with ended up not being included because they have already been featured in our overall Game of the Year and runners up list or our 2011 Buyers Guide. In fact, almost every game from both of those lists was in my “seriously considering” pile, so be sure to check out both and know that they include a ton of my favorite games from this year too.

At any rate, 2011 was a crazy great year for crazy great games on the App Store. And by the looks of things, 2012 is already shaping up to be even crazier.

Sonic CD, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I never owned a Sega CD, so my experiences with Sonic CD were limited to brief interactions at friends’ houses and a bit of tooling around with the Sonic Gems Collection on consoles. But I never really got hooked on Sonic CD until it hit iOS. And, almost 20 years later, I can finally see what all the fuss was about. The game is sublime, and caters well to those simply looking to race to the end or to those looking to invest some additional time exploring, earning bonus emeralds, or jumping back and forth through time. The fact that the touch screen controls have never once gotten in the way of me enjoying this game really cements Sonic CD as one of the definitive iOS games of 2011.

Bumpy Road, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Bumpy Road initially caught my attention with its unique ground manipulating mechanic, but the final product managed to tap into my mind on an emotional level. The whimsical music and visuals gave me reason to keep playing as I escorted an adorable couple on a Sunday drive in their motorcar. The fact that you don’t control the main characters directly gives them a chance to shine on their own, but the extremely personal and organic way in which you manipulate the environment with your touch inputs made me feel like an integral part of their journey. Similar sentiments could be said for games like Tiny Wings and Whale Trail, which also hit me at that emotional level. But in the end, it was Bumpy Road that captured my heart the most.

Mos Speedrun, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Stellar iOS platformers were plentiful in 2011, but Mos Speedrun is the one that I obsessed over more than any other. Developers finally figured out that precise virtual controls could be possible on a touch screen, and Mos Speedrun indeed has fantastic controls. Its neo-retro visuals and awesome chiptune soundtrack also tickled my fancy in just the right way. But all of these elements are things that several other platformers did just as well this year, and what set Mos Speedrun apart for me were its incredible level designs. Literally built for speedruns, some of the most fun I’ve had in gaming were the late nights spent playing Mos Speedrun levels over and over again trying to find that one special shortcut that let me shave just a fraction of a second off of a completion time.

Touchgrind BMX, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - The folks at Illusion Labs don’t release games that often, but when they do, they excel at practically every level. Touchgrind BMX is no exception. It brings impressive visuals and unique multitouch controls to the world of BMX, much like the original Touchgrind did for skateboarding. Touchgrind BMX surpasses its predecessor though by offering a great variety of different environments and obstacles to bike on, rather than just a single sandbox-style skatepark. The controls are complex but intuitive, and I’ve spend hours upon hours just trying to sharpen my dexterity to a razor sharp point in order to allow me to pull of some of the insane combos that are possible in the game.

King Cashing: Slots Adventure, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that a slot machine game would be in my top 5 picks for 2011, I would have called you a dirty liar and possibly punched you in the face. I honestly don’t like slot machines much at all in real life, but King Cashing takes just the basic idea of a slot machine and uses it in a fresh way by making it the battle mechanic in an RPG-style setting. With a great character leveling system and tons of interesting weapons and items to collect, King Cashing was the perfect game to pick up for just a spare few minutes or to sink tons of hours into. It made me a fan of slot machines, and proved once again that you can add RPG-style leveling to just about anything and it will be better for it.

2011 TouchArcade Staff Favorites - Brad

Brad Nicholson — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:17:08 +0000

After getting together to pick our official best games of 2011, we also had our writers take a look back at the last year and compile lists of their personal favorites along with their reasons why.

Free to play hit in an even bigger way in 2011, and personally, I wouldn't mind if the bottom fell out of that whole market in 2012. Here's the thing: we all love the idea of a free game, but the constant micro-level cash exchanges that these titles usually require aren't good for gaming as a whole.

We often pay for free-to-play games to skip the game part of the game. This is disastrous, and it's also bad game design. Instead of focusing on creating sharp and satisfying titles with a beginning, middle, and end, these studios are artfully creating games designed to juice the user. Free to play game design all too often hinges on piling on enough tedium and other garbage to get players reaching for their wallets, and the game only "ends" when the player gets tired of playing (and paying).

The premises of some of these games are compelling and the social hooks are often fun, so people are willing to spend a bit of cash to keep the action going or one-up their friends. This core audience, though, probably doesn't know a thing about good games like, say, Sword & Sworcery or The Blocks Cometh.

My personal favorites list this year is a shout-out to the App Store titles that I have spent the most time with and don't have a single free-to-play mechanic. All five are as balanced as any other great game and boast a wealth of content to interact with and to puzzle out. These are satisfying games that show a tremendous amount of creativity in the space. They're helping to move the medium forward and keep it as popular as it is.

Bumpy Road, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Virtual control sticks or on-screen UI is endlessly frustrating to me because of games like Bumpy Road. Simogo, now one of my favorite developers, crafted a game in 2011 that not only was grippingly beautiful and artistic, but also endlessly fun to play without a d-pad. Its bread and butter is the direct interaction with the game's environment, which gives you a level of control that rivals what you could do with a controller if it appeared on consoles. Intuitive, simple, and graceful -- you've got to see this one and experience it.

Rebuild, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Let's get this out of the way, first: Rebuild looks like a flash title, and yeah, it was at one point. But it's also mind-numbingly brilliant as a strategy game. It requires the same kind of skill and crisis management you'd expect in a Civilization and then marries that with the town-building of any other simulation out there. Aside from some of the mechanical novelties, what really makes this a delight is its infinite re-playability and vision. This isn't a game about winning clean; it's about survival at whatever cost.

EPOCH., $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Cover mechanics in most cover-based games are usually boring. They're a means to get into the act of what's actually fun: the shooting. One of the cooler aspects of Epoch is that its cover mechanic is entertaining. Jumping, diving, and slamming into barriers is particularly athletic and requires some thoughtfulness. I also dig the writing; instead of force feeding you a story, Epoch invites you to discover it yourself.

Whale Trail, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Whale Trail is kinda tragic because of its sillily weak price, but let's put that aside for a second. For me, this was easily the best flyer of the year, as it combines some brilliant one-touch controls to atmospherically insane visuals. I love the production side of this game from head-to-toe, but the game part is smooth, furious, and easily playable in spurts between whatever you're doing.

Machinarium, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Like Sword & Sworcery, Machinarium is a delightful mash-up of experiential production married to solid point-and-click adventure play. Sure, this leans a lot more on the latter, but it's still delightfully fresh as far as these kinds of games go. It has some awesome puzzles, a beautiful art style, and runs pretty well on iPad 2.

Our game of the year, Sword & Sworcery and our runner-up, Anomaly Warzone Earth, are also two brilliant examples of games that are moving the genre forward while offering everything players could want -- at one price, period.

TouchArcade Game of the Year 2011: 'Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP'

Eli Hodapp — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 23:28:37 +0000

We've mentioned in the past how difficult it was deciding on Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor [99¢] as our game of the year in 2009, along with Space Miner [99¢ / HD] in 2010. It shouldn't come as much as much of a surprise that as the App Store has gained even more momentum, making these picks has become much more challenging. Interestingly enough, this year all of the games that we had in consideration for game of the year were also universal, which made the decision to drop the differentiation between the iPhone game of the year and iPad game of the year that we did in 2010 incredibly easy.

In 2011, we're looking at iOS games as exactly that, games for iOS devices. We might prefer playing some of these games on the iPad (or in some cases, even the smaller screens of the iPhone or iPod touch) but they're all fantastic experiences regardless of what device you're playing it on. With the advent of iCloud, we're hoping in 2012 developers take universal compatibility to new levels, and create games that are not only great on all devices, but can be seamlessly played on as many devices as you own.

Also, if you'd like to get some more insight on the TouchArcade game of the year process, check out the most recent episode of The TouchArcade Show. We discuss what we each liked about all of these games and more.

TouchArcade Game of the Year

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Our minds were blown at GDC 2010 when we first got our hands on Sword & Sworcery. The initial experience of playing the game is so powerful that it gave me chills. I really can't think of any other mobile game that has invoked a similar emotional response that I've played in my entire life. Sworcery is an absolute flawless combination of an entirely original soundtrack by Jim Guthrie, pixel art that is easily among the best I've ever seen by Craig D. Adams, and the creative genius of Kris Piotrowski along with the proverbial behind-the-scenes glue provided by Capybara Games to bring the whole project together.

Sword & Sworcery is universal, and while we ever-so-slightly prefer the overall experience on our iPads, it's still just as incredible on the smaller screens of the rest of the iOS device family. In fact, if all you have is an iPhone or iPod touch, you might want to just opt for Superbrother: Sword & Sworcery EP Micro [$2.99], which is a couple bucks cheaper at the expense of losing universal compatibility. Regardless of what device you play it on, S&S is a game you simply must play, from start to finish, with a great pair of headphones on if at all possible.

TouchArcade Game of the Year Runner Up

Anomaly Warzone Earth, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Tower defense games have always been an App Store staple. It just seems to be a genre that perfectly meshes with both the touch controls of iOS devices, as well as providing an overall gameplay experience that works really well for playing on the go. Unfortunately, it seems there's only so much you can do in a tower defense game, and even though the past few years have brought some great entries into the genre, they all felt sort of the same. Then, from out of nowhere, comes Anomaly Warzone Earth. In essence, 11 bit studios took the traditional tower defense formula, and flipped it around, offering a whole new take on an otherwise stale section of the App Store.

They didn't stop there though, as especially when played with headphones, Anomaly Warzone Earth is ridiculously immersive. Incredible amounts of effort went into creating a game that looks and sounds as good as it plays, and the game feels fresh the whole way through, as 11 bit studios constantly throws new challenges and gameplay elements at you all the way up to the last level. Similar to Sword & Sworcery, Anomaly Warzone Earth [99¢] is also available as a slightly cheaper although non-universal version as well.

Honorable Mentions

We also wanted to honor three other stand-out iOS titles that were among all of our best-of lists for the year. Like our game of the year and runner up, they're all universal and should be on every iOS device that you own if you're even remotely interested in iOS gaming.

Infinity Blade II, $6.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - A great sequel to Infinity Blade [$5.99] by Chair Entertainment, Infinity Blade II expands upon the original in every way possible. It's by far the best looking game on the App Store, and we suspect it will likely serve as the graphical benchmark of what iOS devices are capable of throughout 2012. If you want to stretch the legs of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and see what its truly capable of, Infinity Blade II is the game to do it with.

Mage Gauntlet, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Rocketcat Games has had a fabulous track record for releasing phenomenal iOS titles with its Hook series of games, and Mage Gauntlet continues that tradition by being its best game yet. Flawless controls combine with all the retro trimmings to make us warm with nostalgia while feeling modern enough that even people who weren't around for the great action RPGs of the 16-bit era can appreciate it. Recent updates have improved gameplay even further, and have added universal compatibility. We can't wait to see what Rocketcat does in 2012.

SpellTower, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - The App Store is home to a plethora of clever puzzle games, and Zach Gage's SpellTower is our favorite of the year. Gage elegantly combines the simplicity of a word game with the complexity of a strategy game, and its multiple game modes provide something for everyone regardless of whether you like to take your time and hunt for the best words, or be on the clock and racking up points as quickly as possible. We prefer SpellTower on our iPads, but it's just as much fun on the iPhone and iPod touch as well.

Best iOS Games: 2011 Buyer's Guide

Eli Hodapp — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:40:55 +0000

Each year before Christmas we've put up a buyer's guide listing the best iOS titles of the year. Looking back at the 2009 Buyer's Guide and the 2010 Buyer's Guide, we've come a long way. Below you'll find all of 5 star rated iOS titles, as well as the standout 4.5 star games.

If you just opened an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad for Christmas, this is a great place to get started. To make this list a little easier to digest, we've broken these games into a few very vague categories. Oh, and if you also opened an iCade this Christmas, don't forget to check out our list of iCade supported games.

Casual

Tiny Wings, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - It's not every day that Angry Birds gets knocked to the #2 position on the top sales charts, but Tiny Wings did it. It comes packed with delightfully simple single button gameplay that even kids could enjoy along with increasingly difficult goals that even hardcore gamers will find challenging. Get this game, now.

Angry Birds Rio, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - As easy as it is to groan at Angry Birds Rio getting a 5 star rating, it's a fantastic game. It obviously takes the original Angry Birds formula and builds on top of it with the Rio tie in, boss battles, and some spruced up interface elements. There's also a few extra layers of parallax scrolling that really make this version of Angry Birds look much better than the others as well.

Bumpy Road, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - It's not often that a game comes along in the App Store that makes you think, "Wow, why didn't someone think of this sooner?". Bumpy Road is just that kind of game. The control system to control the game world rather than the car is remarkably clever, and since its initial release it's even seen some update love from the developers.

Tiny Tower, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - NimbleBit set some sky high expectations with Pocket Frogs [Free], their previous (and first) foray into the free to play world. I'd go as far as to say that Tiny Tower is even better, as it has completely taken over my household.

Temple Run, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Imangi Studios doesn't release games all that often, but when they do, they sure are good. Temple Run takes the endless runner formula, adds a third person chase viewpoint, some tilt mechanics, and heaps of power ups to cheat death. Additionally, Temple Run was voted the forum game of the week when it was first released.

Platformer

EDGE Extended, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - We thought the original Edge was incredible, and Extended somehow takes that same game formula, applies a substantial layer of awesome, then knocks it out of the park. Clever platforming mechanics combined with fantastic music really just create an experience that you can't miss.

Bring Me Sandwiches!!, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Adult Swim is batting 1000 lately with fabulous iOS games, and Bring Me Sandwiches!! keeps that tradition going strong. It's a cross between the collect-everything-you-see gameplay of Katamari Damacy with a platformer game. Additionally, tons of control schemes make the game great to play no matter what your control preference might be.

Sonic CD, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Here we have the best installment of one of the greatest gaming franchises, which received both flawless review scores and game of the year awards when it was originally released ported with complete perfection to iOS. This is a game you flat out need to buy if you even vaguely consider yourself an iOS gamer. Not only because it's such an impeccable port of an important piece of gaming history, but because we need to vote with our wallets to tell Sega (and anyone else who might be watching) that this is the quality we demand out of retro games brought to the App Store.

Whale Trail, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Most games you can plot along a line graph with "gameplay" on one end and "presentation" on the other. The best games wind up somewhere in the middle, and Whale Trail definitely sits deep into the "presentation" side of things. Still, the game looks fantastic, and the incredibly vibrant graphics almost make you forget the gameplay is so simple.

Wind-up Knight, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Picture Super Mario Bros. Got a nice image in your head? Good. Now imagine Mario could never stop moving and would only change direction if he hit a wall. A little tougher. And what if absolutely everything could kill him in one hit, and there was no such thing as a checkpoint? That sounds like the sort of game that would have you cursing, spitting, and contemplating throwing your controller, and it also sounds a lot like Wind-up Knight.

Adventure

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This is the closest thing to what we'd call a "system seller" of a video game since the iPad was originally released. Sword & Sworcery is an absolutely incredible experience, a thought that has not only been shared by the gaming press, but also the mainstream media as well. If you have an iOS device and $5 to your name, there's no excuse not to spend it on this game. If you don't want to fork over a couple bucks more for the universal version, Sword & Sworcery Micro [$2.99] is just what the doctor ordered.

Machinarium, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This game generated a heck of a lot of controversy when it was revealed that it'd only run on the iPad 2 only, which had us more than a little worried about its performance if it requires top-end hardware. It turns out, Machinarium runs fantastically, despite its Adobe Air-based innards. If you've got the hardware, don't miss this remarkably clever adventure.

Aquaria, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Imagine if a Metroidvania went underwater with a fantastic touch-based control scheme. That's what Aquaria is in a nutshell, but you've got to appreciate its fine touches and vision even if its formula doesn't jive with you.

Retro

Forget-Me-Not, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - In our review we called Forget-Me-Not the "retrolicious lovechild of PAC-MAN and Rogue," and I'm really struggling with a better way to describe the game. An amazing scoring system combines with fantastic retro graphics that only bolster how much fun Forget-Me-Not is to play. If the thought of PAC-MAN combined with dungeon crawling at all piques your interest, stop what you're doing and download Forget-Me-Not immediately.

The Last Rocket, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Retro-inspired games are fairly common on the App Store, but The Last Rocket is one of the best examples we've seen of a modern-day title that could have easily passed as an absolutely fabulous NES game. The Graphics and music are all delightfully 8-bit, but even without all these retro trimmings the gameplay could stand on its own.

Velocispider, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This fantastic tilt-controlled shooter has sucked up entirely too much of our time. With nods to retro shooters like Space Invaders, awesome pixel art, and universal compatibility Velocispider is simply fantastic.

Another World - 20th Anniversary, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - It's hard to find a game on the App Store with more history behind it than Another World. Touch-based controls (as well as an optional virtual D-pad) along with both original and remastered graphics make for an outstanding port of this classic adventure game.

Role Playing

Infinity Blade II, $6.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - We put incredibly powerful devices in our pockets and on our laps daily, but rarely do we see games that utterly embrace this like Infinity Blade 2 has. It's a showcase piece; a technically and visually gifted game that consistently delivers eye-popping stuff. The gameplay is great, too.

Mage Gauntlet, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Almost too many games lean on pixel art and chip tunes just because it's in style, but Mage Gauntlet draws inspiration from that era and allows it to permeate every aspect of the game. If you have any fond memories of Super Nintendo-era action RPGs, don't miss this game.

Pocket RPG, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Crescent Moon Games' latest is this awesome spin on entirely randomized Roguelike gameplay mixed with the action-packed style of a dual stick shooter. It's a combination that works incredibly well, and being entirely randomized, is infinitely replayable. If you don't feel like springing for the universal version, there's also a cheaper Pocket RPG iPhone Edition [99¢].

Strategy / Sim

King of Dragon Pass, $9.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - No lie, I've spent more time playing this game than all the other games that we reviewed in September combined. If my exhaustive review wasn't clear enough, here's all you need to know: If you like simulation games, you needed King of Dragon Pass on your iPhone yesterday. I've still got my fingers crossed for an iPad version, but I'm more than happy managing my clan whenever I've got a few seconds to spare on my iPhone.

Great Little War Game, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - As mentioned in our review, this game is anything but little. Great Little War Game is a turn-based strategy game that we consider a must have for anyone even vaguely interested in the genre. The developers are remarkably active in our community, and thus far GLWG's updates have been fantastic, both in implementing new features as well as forum feedback.

Pocket Academy, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - It seems like ever since Game Dev Story [$1.99 we just can't get enough of Kairosoft simulations. This one in particular puts you in charge of a school, and while many of the mechanics might not be immediately apparent, once the game grabs you, it doesn't let go.

Tiny Heroes, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - geoDefense and geoDefense Swarm cranked tower defense on the App Store up to 11, and, dare I say it, Tiny Heroes makes a great attempt to crank it to 12. Or, at least, 11 and a half. This fantasy-based tower defense title should not be missed by anyone who even vaguely fancies the genre.

Sid Meier's Pirates! for iPad, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This pirate sim is a game with a ton of history behind it, and 2K Games did a marvelous job of porting it to the iPad. It has depth on top of depth, and will keep you busy for quite some time if it manages to suck you in. We've got our fingers crossed for more ports like this of incredible games that work phenomenally on the iPad.

Anomaly Warzone Earth, $1.99 / HD - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Who knew that turning tower defense in reverse would make for such an incredible game? If you're even vaguely interested in anything to do to tower defense, Anomaly: Warzone Earth needs to be on your iOS device. The mechanics are solid, the atmosphere is cool, and it'll leave you wanting for a sequel.

Action / Shooter

Dead Space™, $6.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - "Console quality" is a phrase that's thrown around a lot to describe portable games, and really, it's a fitting title for this iOS-exclusive version of Dead Space. We tend to prefer Dead Space for iPad [$9.99] over its iPhone counterpart, but both are fantastic games that should be a part of your collection.

Battleheart, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This single player game perfectly combines everything that's good about complex party-based realtime battles found in MMO-style games with wonderfully simple and intuitive touch controls. Multiple character classes are included, as well as equipment upgrades. It's incredible just how much flexibility there is for tweaking your party and how you play the game. Battleheart is fantastic on the iPhone, but you can't miss it if you own an iPad.

THE KING OF FIGHTERS-i-, $6.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Back in the day of the arcade fighter arms wars, it was Street Fighter versus The King of Fighters with as fierce of a rivalry among gamers as arguing Nintendo vs. Sega. KoF has arrived on the App Store, and it's every bit as good as its Street Fighter, although it remains to be seen if they'll match the online play found in Volt.

Jetpack Joyride, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This is our favorite game of the month, as this endless power-up packed single-button flying game is responsible for sapping days of productivity across the entire TouchArcade staff. There are so many hooks to keep you playing that you can do "one more game" for hours through achievements, missions, unlockables, and all sorts of cosmetic customizations.

Bug Heroes, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Much like how Dungeon Raid took typical match three gameplay and made it awesome, Bug Heroes takes the dual stick shooter to the next level. The core of the game is based around the typical dual stick shooter formula, but multiple playable characters (each with strengths and weaknesses) as well as elements of both castle and tower defense make this a game that everyone needs to check out. Just keep in mind, it will be very difficult to go back to your basic survival-mode dual stick shooter after this.

Zombieville USA 2, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Tightly-constructed, well-executed, charming, different and entertaining are all words we freely use when describing Zombieville 2. It's a near perfect iterative entry to the franchise, as it artfully hones in on and turns up the volume on the two best parts of the original: the shooting and upgrade models.

Grand Theft Auto 3, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Even though GTA 3 wasn't designed for virtual controls, you'll have a great time with it, even if all you do is drive around Liberty City listening to the fantastic in-game radio stations. (My favorite is the talk station.) As you become more accustomed with the splattering of virtual buttons all over the screen, you'll find hours upon hours of content to plow through. Having played GTA3 to completion many times in the past, I'm incredibly happy to be able to take it anywhere with me on my phone of all things.

Bug Princess, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Aside from a few small quibbles, Bug Princess offers yet another stellar entry in CAVE’s series of iOS shooters. It’s probably the most straight forward and least complex out of them all, which makes it a great starting point for bullet hell newbies, but it does have its share of depth for those looking to master its strategies.

STREET FIGHTER IV VOLT, $6.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Capcom is following their time honored tradition of relentlessly re-releasing Street Fighter with Street Fighter IV Volt. This time around there are three new characters as well as online multiplayer.

Dark Meadow, $5.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Atmospheric horror is a game genre that never really seems to translates to portable devices very well, but Phosphor Games did a great job of it with Dark Meadow. Set in a creepy hospital, and utilizing the Unreal Engine, the game looks and sounds great. A repetitive combat system drags down this otherwise fantastic title.

Puzzle

Where's My Water?, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This super-fun liquid-centric physics game puts you in the driver seat of helping an alligator take a shower. Sure, it's hard to come up with a more ridiculous premise, but maybe that's part of this game's charm. A wacky scrolling mechanic on some levels is the only thing we have to complain about, otherwise Where's My Water is fabulous.

Dungeon Raid, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - As mentioned in our review of the game, with the number of fish in the match three sea, it takes a lot to make one that's just as fun (if not more so) than the match three staples like Bejeweled 2 and other classics. Dungeon Raid accomplishes this by distilling the Puzzle Quest formula down to its basics, and providing match three gameplay that retains its simple nature while offering a shocking amount of depth via random equipment and character upgrades. Also, there's much more to matching than just high scoring, clearing each type of block has a purpose, and the order you clear them in can mean life or death. This game has stolen hours of my time, I can't recommend it enough.

Casey's Contraptions HD, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - There are tons of contraption-building games on the App Store, but few are as good as Casey's Contraptions. The theme of the game is gloriously whimsical, and you can spend hours delving through the clever and convoluted solutions your friends post via Game Center.

Gesundheit!, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This stealth-centric sneeze-powered puzzle game comes with fantastic controls, some of the best hand-drawn art we've seen in action on the App Store, and details like shadows moving relative to your iOS device's gyroscope readings. We prefer the iPad version, but only because you'll want as much screen real estate as possible to enjoy this game's incredible art.

Wooords, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Games where you search for words within a pre-defined set of letters have some serious roots, heck, this kind of puzzle was published in newspapers before video games even existed, and there's a zillion variations on the App Store. Words totally impressed us with its slick presentation that feels less like playing a word game and more like moving magnetic letters around on a refrigerator.

SPY mouse, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Firemint has managed to de-throne Angry Birds from the #1 position on the App Store with this line-drawing-powered stealth game. Collect cheese, evade cats, use various tricks, and even fight bosses. All the gameplay elements go together incredibly well, and Firemint even managed to remove a lot of things that have historically annoyed us about stealth games in the process.

SpellTower, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Word games can still be fun. Elegant, clever and fun, SpellTower a complete package, brought together by Gage's trademark use of cheerful colors, simple patterns and elegant typography.

iBlast Moki 2, $0.99 / Universal HD - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This game sets the standard of what gamers should expect of sequels. It's got familiar puzzle-centric physics mechanics of the original with tons of new features that add complexity and all kinds of new ways to solve puzzles. Additionally, a perfectly integrated solution system can show you how your friends completed a level if you get stuck.

Monsters Ate My Condo, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Adult Swim and Pik Pok joined forces to bring us one of the craziest matching games we've ever seen on the App Store. The game requires matching similarly colored floors while appeasing nearby color-coded monsters, each with a more ridiculous super-power than the last. Also, you can score billions if you're good. Billions!

Scribblenauts Remix, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Originally released on the Nintendo DS, Scribblenauts is a game that's so unique that you simply must play it. Remix combines the best elements from both of the DS games along with 10 iOS-exclusive levels. In addition, it's even universal and boasts complete iCloud save syncing support.

Bejeweled Blitz, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Popcap takes the glorious match-three mechanic of the classic puzzle franchise, pumps up the volume on the jewel and match bonuses, and then condenses it all down into frantic, one-minute bursts of eye-gasmic, point-laden play.

Sports

NBA JAM by EA SPORTS™, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - iOS gamers really couldn't ask for much more when it comes to EA's port of NBA Jam… Multiplayer was even added in an update! All of the massive dunks and secret modes are intact, making this a surprisingly faithful port. EA even recently updated the game's roster, bringing it in line with this NBA season.

Pocket HalfPipe, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This incredibly awesome skateboarding game is highly reminiscent of the halfpipe in the classic NES series Skate or Die, but with much better graphics and crazy dual stick controls that allow you to pull off all kinds of moves. The game could easily be described as basic, but it's so much fun that we don't care. The tricks you'll be able to pull off after a bit of practice are cool, and stringing a massive chain together is hugely rewarding.

Fight Night Champion by EA Sports™, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - A surprisingly competent boxing game that feels like an equal to its console counterpart instead of a typical watered-down mobile version. Great touch screen controls combine with different game modes to create a boxing experience that is among the best that the App Store has to offer.

Music

Groove Coaster, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - There have been a ton of rhythm games released on the App Store, but none have the amazing presentation of Groove Coaster that almost makes it less of a game and more of an experience-- And this is one experience you really can't miss especially if you enjoyed its creator's other game, Space Invaders Infinity Gene.

Radballs, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - We fell in love with RadBalls inside of the first few seconds of the trailer, and by the time it was over we were ready to yield our first born to its creator. Oh, yeah, the game is fun as hell too. It's a music-centric matching game that even allows you to use your own tracks. Check it out.

Best iOS Games December 2011

Eli Hodapp — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:47:25 +0000

Our ratings for games we reviewed in December are now in place, and we now present to you the ones that are on the top of the heap. Each game reviewed receives a 1-5 star rating relative to the other games from that month. Generally, a three-star or higher is considered a "good" rating.

Our final scores are not the product of any traditionally objective measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others. Keep in mind, this listing is comprised of games we reviewed in December, and not necessarily games that were specifically released in December.

5 Stars

4.5 Stars

Bag It!, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - It's rare to find a puzzle game that feels so fresh but also so obvious. I've never played a game about bagging groceries before, but why not? It should be mandatory training for everyone who moves out on their own, never mind the folks who work at grocers.

Don't Run With a Plasma Sword, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - From presentation to gameplay to overall fun factor, Don't Run With a Plasma Sword simply shines. It's got distinctive character and a great sense of humor. It's also a treat to look at -- great design, excellent color.

Zen Pinball, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Pinball games have been great on iOS devices, and Zen Pinball is one of the best ones we've seen so far. It's totally free to try, and if you like the game engine and the pinball physics (which you will), you can buy additional tables via IAP.

Containment: The Zombie Puzzler, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Containment: The Zombie Puzzler for the iPad from Bootsnake Games is definitely not your typical match-3 game. In fact, you don't even need to match three of anything. Instead, the goal is to surround zombies with cops, soldiers, scientists or punks.

Snow Fight, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Snow Fight is a really fresh-feeling real-time strategy game, a fun re-imagining of Capture the Flag that engages you in wintry warfare against scrappy neighborhood kids in a kind of snow battle royale.

The rest of the game ratings can be seen in their respective rating categories (also found in the sidebar navigation): 5 Stars, 4.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 3 Stars, and 2 Stars.

As always, we expect there will be some debate about relative scores, but keep in mind that everyone's personal ratings may vary based on individual tastes.

Apple's "App Store Rewind 2011" Features 'Tiny Tower' and 'Dead Space for iPad' as Games of the Year

Eli Hodapp — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:54:13 +0000

If you're new to iOS devices, or haven't been following the scene as closely as you should have been over the last year, Apple's year end feature App Store Rewind 2011 has an incredible amount of must-have games and apps that, in my opinion, you can basically just blindly download as they did a great job of picking out the cream of the crop.

Apple's iPhone game of the year is NimbleBit's Tiny Tower [Free], a great free to play little tower building simulator that we loved in our review. If you haven't tried it yet, you really should. Runners up to iPhone game of the year include Tiny Wings [99¢], which shockingly enough we also thought was great. Illusion Labs' Touchgrind BMX [$4.99] also made the cut, and, believe it or not, we positively reviewed it as well.

On the iPad side of things, Dead Space for iPad [$4.99] took home the title of game of the year. We had some issues with the title when it first launched, which we mention in our review, but all those things were massaged away with subsequent updates. Keep in mind, even if you don't have an iPad, Dead Space [$6.99] is also available for smaller screen devices, although I can't really explain the price discrepancy.

Runners up include Contre Jour HD [$2.99], which we gave 4.5 stars to in our review. Contre Jour [99¢] also comes in a non-HD variety for non-iPad owners. Last, but certainly not least by any stretch of the imagination is Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP [$4.99]. We've got an exhaustive review and if you don't feel like springing for the universal version, you can save a couple bucks by grabbing Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP Micro [$2.99] which is only optimized for the iPhone and iPod touch.

We'll be releasing our games of the year with out year-end roundup closer to the holidays, but needless to say, Apple has assembled a fine list of games here.

Best iOS Games November 2011

Brad Nicholson — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:38:26 +0000

Our ratings for games we reviewed in November are now in place, and we now present to you the ones that are on the top of the heap. Each game reviewed receives a 1-5 star rating relative to the other games from that month. Generally, a three-star or higher is considered a "good" rating.

Our final scores are not the product of any traditionally objective measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others. Keep in mind, this listing is comprised of games we reviewed in November, and not necessarily games that were specifically released in November.

5 Stars

4.5 Stars

Rebuild, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Rebuild can ruin a life like only a Civilization can. Don't mistake us; that's huge praise for Northway Games's atmospheric and engaging strategy game, which has you building and managing a city while zombies bump in the day or night. iPad 2 exclusive -- for now, at least.

Saving Yello, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Tactile Entertainment's Saving Yello and is a hip, fresh, and adorable physics-based puzzler about a pet goldfish named 'Yello'. Tons of well-designed levels and environments, as well as wonderful production values make this a stand-out.

Space Tripper, $3.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - After being released on various other platforms over the past decade, it's finally our turn for an iOS port of this top-down arena-based shoot'em-up, which features a main campaign plus score attack and challenge modes to unlock. And heads up: it was worth the wait.

RAVENMARK: Scourge of Estellion, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Delivered in a visual novel-esque manner, this strategy game's greatest strength lies in the fact it is not pretentious. The protagonists are not larger-than-life heroes; they're men. And you'll care, maybe just as the developers seemed to judging by the outrageously solid presentation and overall direction.

Aquaria, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Imagine if a Metroidvania went underwater. That's what Aquaria is in a nutshell, but you've got to appreciate its fine touches and vision even if its formula doesn't jive with you.

Chocohero, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Chocohero is certainly not the only "falling platformer" out there, but it’s definitely one of the best designed. In addition to tight controls and well-designed levels, the art style and music are perfectly complementary. Also, it's super-adorable).

Junk Jack, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - While there are any number of blatant Minecraft knockoffs on the App Store, Junk Jack distinguishes itself in nearly every category. It's fun, bright, and pretty mind-numbingly awesome.

Elder Sign: Omens, $3.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Elder Sign is a board game crossover that takes the Lovecraftian horror of Arkham Horror and distills it down to about half the time and only 200 pieces or so. More importantly, it works brilliantly on a touch screen.

Oh! Edo Towns, $3.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - If you're fond of Kairosoft's other, much more grand strategy simulation games, you'll probably dig this one. It's basically old-school SimCity, but re-envisioned with Kairosoft's signature cutesy art, formula, direction and style.

Greed Corp HD, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This is a strategy board game that feels right at home on iPad, and it outdoes much of its competition on the platform. We wouldn't get it solely for online multiplayer, but with a vast single-player campaign and support for up to four local players, it's a gem of a game for any other purpose.

The rest of the game ratings can be seen in their respective rating categories (also found in the sidebar navigation): 5 Stars, 4.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 3 Stars, and 2 Stars.

As always, we expect there will be some debate about relative scores, but keep in mind that everyone's personal ratings may vary based on individual tastes.

Best iOS Games October 2011

Eli Hodapp — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:00:26 +0000

Our ratings for games we reviewed in October are now in place, and we now present to you the ones that are on the top of the heap. Each game reviewed receives a 1-5 star rating relative to the other games from that month. Generally, a 3 or higher is considered a "good" rating.

Our final scores are not the product of any traditionally objective measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others. Keep in mind, this listing is comprised of games we reviewed in October, and not necessarily games that were specifically released in October.

5 Stars

4.5 Stars

Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation, $6.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Gameloft has had two solid entries in the Modern Combat series so far, and the third is somewhat expectedly the best one yet. A heavily scripted single player campaign is supplemented by online multiplayer with oodles of maps and game modes.

Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Movie games are almost universally terrible, but I don't have a problem getting behind this trend of taking a great existing game and adding a layer of movie tie-in on top. It worked for Angry Birds Rio, and works just as well here. Bandito mode is a ton of fun, and would be fun regardless of the Puss in Boots tie-in.

Forever Drive, Free - [Review - Forum Thread] - This clever racing game, as the title suggests, allows you to drive forever in community-created tracks. It has a cool atmosphere, and a great spin on the freemium model where paying truly feels optional, something I wish we'd see a little bit more.

Slam Dunk King, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - The best part of NBA Jam was always the ridiculous dunks, and Slam Dunk King distills that formula even further to a ultra-casual sports game that focuses solely on wicked dunks. It's even free, and similar to Forever Drive, paying feels very optional.

The rest of the game ratings can be seen in their respective rating categories (also found in the sidebar navigation): 5 Stars, 4.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 3 Stars, and 2 Stars.

As always, we expect there will be some debate about relative scores, but keep in mind that everyone's personal ratings may vary based on individual tastes.

So You Just Got an iPhone 4S… Here's What You Need to Know!

Eli Hodapp — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:30:25 +0000

Why hello brand new iPhone 4S owners. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Eli, I'm 6 feet tall, brown hair, blue eyes, and love long walks on the beach… Wait, wait, wait, wrong introduction. Err, anyway, let's assume you've just unboxed your iPhone 4S, peeled all the plastic off of it, and are currently waiting for it to do its first sync. You looked up "iPhone game reviews" trying to figure out what you should downloaded, and that landed you here.

[Note to current readers: This guide is written for people who just got their iPhone, or are stumbling across TouchArcade for the first time today trying to find games for their new device. If you're a close follower of this site, chances are high that you're already aware of the things I'll be discussing and the games I'll be linking, but you never know, you might learn something!]

TouchArcade is the largest iOS-specific gaming site on the internet. We've got a whole staff of writers dedicated to finding and reviewing the coolest games available on the App Store, and our forums are widely regarded by iOS developers as the place to be to discuss iOS gaming. Come back often, and I promise we'll always have new and exciting things to check out every time you do. We've even got an app in development which will make TouchArcade-powered game discovery even easier.

Every month we'll do a "Best iOS Games" roundup post that bundles up all the best games that we reviewed in a particular month. These articles are the best place to get started if you want a quick glance at all the best games that have come out, accessible via the Best iPhone Games category link in the far right column. (Or by clicking that link I just dropped.)

We've also done more substantial "best of" roundups at the end of each year, as well as when new devices are released, much like this post. Here's a list of those:

Also, we record not one, but two iOS gaming specific podcasts that we do on a weekly basis. The first, which generally lands early in the week is our "Bonus" show where we'll interview leading iOS developers on their games, as well as their past and future as game developers. Every Friday evening we release The TouchArcade Show proper which is an hour-ish long recap of the games and news of the week. There's four ways you can get our podcast:

iTunes Link: The TouchArcade Show
Zune Marketplace: TouchArcade.com Podcasts
RSS Feed: The TouchArcade Show
Embedded Streaming Flash Player: TouchArcade "Podcast" Category

Also, if you're new to the App Store, you'll likely be delighted to find out about the incredible culture of sales, freebies, and other promotions of great games. While even new release "premium" games are never anywhere near as expensive as traditional portable console games, if you're careful with following and tracking sales, you can get an unbelievable amount of titles for either free or 99¢. I've written up a handy dandy guide on how to use our sister site AppShopper, as well as the AppShopper App [Free] to basically never need to pay full price for anything-- As long as you're patient. With the release of the 4S, and developers scrambling for your dollars, the "Popular Games With Price Drops" section of the site is particularly active lately.

I think that's everything you really need to know to be on your way to being a savvy iOS gamer. And seriously, I can't stress enough how much you really should check out our forums. Our forum community is crazy enthusiastic about iPhone games, and you'll find threads posted for newly released titles before anyone else has posted about those games being available and threads for the best deals, often moments after dropped prices appear on iTunes. It's really pretty incredible.

So now that I've blasted your head full of knowledge, here's some iOS games that'd be a great fit for your brand spankin' new iPhone 4S, or really, any brand new iOS device. Keep in mind this obviously isn't a list of every game you should have, for that check out the previously mentioned Best iPhone Games listing, or stop by the "What Should i Get? thread on our forums where people can recommend exactly what you should check out if you post what kind of thing you're normally interested in.

Graphical Showpieces

Probably the best place to get started is on games that'll truly stretch the legs of the iPhone 4S's dual-core A5 processor. These games are packed with eye candy.

Infinity Blade, $5.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - ChAIR's amazing gesture-based swordfighter which utilizes the Unreal Engine was released last year, but it's still the best way to show off what your iOS device can do. Incredible graphics are paired with a great gesture-based sword fighting system, and constant updates have kept the game fresh. There's even a sequel coming on December 1st.

Dead Space™, $6.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - "Console quality" is a phrase that's thrown around a lot to describe portable games, and really, it's a fitting title for this iOS-exclusive version of Dead Space. Playing in a dark room with headphones makes for an incredibly creepy experience, as EA totally nailed the sound design that has made previous Dead Space titles so awesome.

Real Racing 2, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - A marvelous sequel to Firemint's original Real Racing, which improves upon the first in every way imaginable. A career mode, licensed cars, and 16 player online multiplayer are just a few of the new features. If you've got an AppleTV, it'll even stream wirelessly to play on your TV, among other cool things.

Dark Meadow, $5.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - A wonky combat system is the only thing that has stopped us from fully recommending The Dark Meadow. If you can deal with that, you'll be in for a treat as the atmosphere and story of the game are absolutely phenomenal. If you're a fan of creepy atmospheric games, you'll likely love this one.

SHADOWGUN, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This game is an entirely formulaic third person cover-based shooter that feels a bit more like a tech demo than it should, but it's still an incredible display of what the Unity engine is capable of. A multiplayer update with no ETA is on the horizon, which would be a welcome reprieve from an otherwise repetitive (but great looking) title.

iOS Classics

On the opposite spectrum from the graphical showpieces are the iOS classics, games which are so casual your grandma could play 'em that are still fun as heck even for stodgy "hardcore" types-- And have sold millions of copies.

Angry Birds, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Chances are you've already heard of Angry Birds, unless you've spent the last year of your life living on Mars in a cave with your eyes closed and your fingers in your ears. It's ridiculously popular, and for good reason: The game is incredibly fun, very simple to play, and updated often. I'd start with the original Angry Birds, but be sure to check out the other flavors, Angry Birds Seasons [99¢] and Angry Birds Rio [99¢].

Doodle Jump - BE WARNED: Insanely Addictive!, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Before Angry Birds' rise to power, Doodle Jump was king of the App Store. This simple tilt-based jumping game became a party of early iPhone pop culture, getting mentioned in sitcoms, name-dropped on various talk shows, and even appearing on stage at a Lady Gaga concert. A recent multiplayer update made this game even better.

Canabalt, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - While I'm not sure that Canabalt was responsible for bringing the endless runner to the App Store, it did it the best. A great soundtrack is paired with pixel art graphics and gameplay that basically begs for one more play through. If you want a similar game that's fleshed out a bit more with goals and unlockables, Halfbrick's Jetpack Joyride [99¢] is one of our recent favorites.

Fruit Ninja, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - In this game, you pretend your finger is a ninja sword and you slice up fruit. The premise is simple, but the gameplay is basically perfect for these types of touch-based portable devices. Play sessions can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, and multiple game modes offer something for just about everyone.

Flight Control, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Single-handedly responsible for popularizing the "chaos management" genre, Flight Control also made "line drawing" a popular control mechanic that's used in a ridiculous amount of iOS titles now. For some additional variety, you can also pick up Harbor Master [99¢] which provides similar gameplay, but with different levels and a nautical twist.

Free to Play

Love it or hate it, free to play games have taken the App Store by storm this year. These games are a little more fun than your average Farmville clone, mostly because they feel like more of a game and less of a money-vaccuuming compulsion loop:

Pocket Frogs, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - In this game, player control a habitat of cute little frogs-- Endlessly breeding for new varieties, mutations, and more. Aside from collecting 'em all, Pocket Frogs offers other in-game goals such as a daily challenge to breed a particular frog. Once you get a handle on how the breeding mechanic works, you can have a frog-breeding super-lab up and running in no time.

Tiny Tower, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - From the same developer as Pocket Frogs, this time you're put to the task of acting as a building manager for a sky scraper filled with pixelized citizens (or "bitizens"). Gameplay focuses on building your tower, as well as managing the various businesses and residencies that exist inside your tower.

DragonVale, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Mixing many of the elements from other popular free to play games, DragonVale is the latest from Backflip Studios who already have an impressive free catalog on iTunes. You create dragon habitats and breed your own colony of dragons, on the search for the legendary rainbow dragon, a rare breed of dragon that is driving players on our forum mad trying to find.

Tiny Farm by Com2uS, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Similar to DragonVale and Pocket Frogs, Tiny Farm has a great breeding mechanic which seems to add a lot more depth to the game. There's a hunting system to get mega-rare animals, a super-cute art style, and there's even plans for crazy seasonal ghost animals coming up for Halloween.

Asynchronous Multiplayer

One of the best part about the iPhone is its always-on connectivity which has allowed for the miracle of push notifications. These games all rely heavily on the push notification infrastructure, sending you an alert when its your turn:

Disc Drivin', $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - People around here are absolutely obsessed with this game. Imagine a racing game with shuffleboard-like mechanics, tons of power-ups, and push alert based multiplayer. That's Disc Drivin in a nutshell. There's also a ad-sponsored version available, Disc Drivin' Free [Free].

Words With Friends, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Since we first covered Words With Friends, the game has grown to an absolutely -massive- scale. You now can play cross-platform with Android and Facebook players, and the developers have been acquired by Zynga in the process. If their take on Scrabble isn't your cup of tea, Hanging With Friends [99¢] offers up Hangman-style gameplay and what Chess With Friends [$1.99] provides should be fairly self explanatory. All the versions of these games also have free ad-based versions, but you're better off just buying them as the interstitials can be pretty annoying.

Puzzle Games

The App Store is home to a serious amount of puzzle games of all shapes and sizes. Here are a few of our favorites:

Puzzle Quest 2, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - If you want even more depth than Dungeon Raid has to offer, check out Puzzle Quest 2. It's a great sequel to the original in every way, and it even has a multiplayer battle mode. Multiple character classes add some serious replay value to the game, making this something you can sink days of your life into if it sucks you in.

Helsing's Fire, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Helsing's Fire sends you on a quest to destroy Dracula, placing you in 90 randomly generated, dungeon-like levels across three different worlds. The challenge is to eliminate said beasties by moving your torch about the screen, which casts brilliant beams of light and dark shadows about the play area. It's one of the most unique puzzle games we've played, and several updates has made it even better than when we first checked it out.

Drop7 by Zynga, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This game came out all the way back in 2009, which is ancient in App Store terms, but I've found myself playing it again and Drop7 is as fun as ever. It's a numerical puzzle game where you've got to drop numeric discs into rows and columns, and when that row adds up to that disc, it disappears. There's all kinds of different tricks and nuances you start to notice as you play, making Drop7 almost perfectly fit the "easy to play, difficult to master" mega-cliche game description.

Other Great Games

I'm not really sure what to categorize these as, but they're some of my absolute favorite games the App Store has to offer:

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - If you only ever install one game on your iOS device, let it be this one. Sword & Sworcery is an amazing experience from top to bottom. The best pixel art I've ever seen is combined with a custom-tailed soundtrack to create an iOS title that's as much of an experience as it is a game. The "full" version is universal, but if you don't care about that, you can save a couple bucks by picking up Sword & Sworcery EP Micro [$2.99]

Space Miner™, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Looking back on the game releases of 2010 trying to pick what we thought was the best lead to us continually coming back to Space Miner. We loved the classic Asteroids-style gameplay, the clever storytelling, and the degree of customization that kept us coming back for more through multiple play throughs. Depending on how you load your ship out, the game plays much differently. For instance, you can be a glass cannon prioritizing asteroid-pulverizing guns, or take a more slow and steady approach prioritizing shields and cargo space for huge hauls of ore.

Carcassonne, $9.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - There are many board games that have made their way to the App Store, but Carcassonne is by far the finest. Online asynchronous multiplayer, Retina Display graphics, universal compatibility, and classic gameplay. It doesn't get much better than this.

Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - We choose Tiger Style Games' Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor for our 2009 Game of the Year first and foremost because it's a great game, but also because it perfectly represented the promise of iPhone gaming. A clever method of story telling only provides the player with as much depth as they're willing to get out of it. You can chose to play as a spider, just completing objectives… Or let your human curiosity take control and try to unravel the mysteries of Bryce Manor.

Game Dev Story, $3.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - At first glance this appears to be an abysmal port of a J2ME game... Then you play it. A few hours later you will be looking for your charger to keep playing. In the game you run your own game studio, managing staff, making games, and even releasing your own console. Once Game Dev Story sucks you in, it's impossible to put down. I think this is their easiest game to get engrossed in, mostly because of the familiar subject manner. If you like this style of gameplay, check out Kairosoft's library of games on the App Store for tons more.

The hard part about putting together lists like this is that for each game I've included, I can think of at least ten (actually, way more than that) titles that are easily worthy of being on any must-have list for a new iOS device owner. So, instead of leaving the typical "Argh! Why is _______ on the list but _______ isn't?!" comments, I'd like to invite everyone to leave comments listing off their favorite games. Imagine a friend of yours just got an iPhone 4S, and asked you what do get. What would you tell them? More importantly, why do you recommend each of these games? A list is nothing without some context as to why they're so amazing!

So, congratulations new iPhone 4S owners. I'm glad you've discovered TouchArcade. Regular readers, I hope you learned at least something new. If nothing else, the launch of the iPhone 4S makes the pool of iOS devices even larger, which only benefits the iOS community as a whole.

Best iOS Games September 2011

Eli Hodapp — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:53 +0000

Our ratings for games we reviewed in September are now in place, and we now present to you the ones that are on the top of the heap. Each game reviewed receives a 1-5 star rating relative to the other games from that month. Generally, a 3 or higher is considered a "good" rating.

Our final scores are not the product of any traditionally objective measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others. Keep in mind, this listing is comprised of games we reviewed in September, and not necessarily games that were specifically released in September.

5 Stars

4.5 Stars

Fling a Thing, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - It seems physics-based game that rely on flinging mechanics always work well on iOS devices. Fling a Thing follows this formula, and the addition of a crazy art style, excellent puzzle progression, and, well, things to fling makes it a great little game to have.

Gyro13 – Steam Copter Arcade HD, $5.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - It took way too long, but developers are finally starting to utilize the Unreal Engine in some interesting ways. Gyro13 puts you in charge of a cool looking gyrocopter to rescue miners trapped inside of a shockingly dangerous mine. The graphics and sound are great, and the skill requirement makes completing objectives feel like a major accomplishment.

Orbit1, Free - [Review] - The iPad is home to a ton of awesome single-device multiplayer games, and Orbit1 is one of the finest we've seen so far. Simple controls combined with incredibly fun gameplay make for the perfect game to play with friends while waiting in line, or doing anything else where you're bored and have an iPad as well as four people hanging around.

GoatUp, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Jeff Minter's Llamasoft is responsible for releasing quite a few great retro-inspired games, and GoatUp is no exception to that. It's an endless climber with a fantastic retro spin, complete with graphics to match. If you've been a fan of Minter's previous works, make sure you don't miss this one.

jAggy Race, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - What do the best kart racers always have? If you answered "TONS of jumps," you are correct. jAggy Race is filled with jumps and all sorts of other aerial stunts to perform in the wide array of tracks it comes loaded with.

1112 episode 03, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - We enjoyed ourselves through the first two episodes of 1112, and the third installment is no different. I'd start with the earlier games first, just so you're playing everything in order. Now… If the developer could start releasing more than one episode a year…

DrawRace 2, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - The original Draw Race was a ton of fun and Draw Race 2 is better in absolutely every way. The line drawing control mechanic is fantastic, and the menu system could potentially fool people into thinking it was a real serious business racing game.

The rest of the game ratings can be seen in their respective rating categories (also found in the sidebar navigation): 5 Stars, 4.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 3 Stars, and 2 Stars.

As always, we expect there will be some debate about relative scores, but keep in mind that everyone's personal ratings may vary based on individual tastes.