Games
Thirty must-have games for the iPhone and iPod touch
By Peter CohenDecember 1, 2009, 9:20 am PT
The iPhone and iPod touch both make great handheld gaming systems. The iPhone 3GS and latest-generation iPod touch sport some under-the-hood improvements that make games load faster and perform better than before. Here’s a roundup of thirty games that will keep you busy into the wee hours with your iPhone or iPod touch.
iTunes 9′s Home Sharing feature is the budget-conscious gaming family’s best friend this holiday season. Why? Because just like with music and videos, you can share the applications you download from the App Store on up to five Macs, and on the iPod touches or iPhones you have connected to those machines. So you only need to buy one copy of a game – then each member of the family can load it on their device.
But with tens of thousands of games to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming to figure out what the best choices are. So I’ve compiled a list of thirty games – ten in three different general categories – which I think you might like.
Please make sure to check the ratings of individual games on the App Store to make sure they’re appropriate for your family, by the way. Apple does a good job of identifying content that it thinks might be unsuitable for younger players, so if you’re buying stuff for your kids, please heed the notifications.
Racing
One of the App Store’s most popular gaming categories is racing, and it’s easy to understand why: the iPod touch and iPhone’s accelerometer and touchscreen controls lend themselves perfectly to racing games.
Real Racing
Firemint’s Real Racing is one of the most realistic auto racing titles on the iPhone platform – it sports 48 cars in 4 classes, 12 tracks and five different game modes, a sprawling career mode, Wi-Fi based multiplayer and more features you can shake a stick(shift) at. It’s a great value for $5, but if that sounds pricey, check out a special GTI version commissioned by Volkswagen. Same great physics and graphical detail, just specifically with VW sport hatchbacks.
Need for Speed Undercover
EA’s $5 Need for Speed Undercover is the iPhone OS version of the same game you can get for your home console. It puts you behind the wheel as an undercover cop infiltrating the dangerous underground racing scene in fictional Tri-City as you race 20 real-world cars. There are eight race modes, three different unique environments, customization options that let you trick out your car with spoilers, wheels, body kits and paint, performance upgrades and more.
Asphalt 5
Gameloft has created a memorable franchise with its Asphalt series, most recently immortalized on the iPhone in version 5. It sports 30 real-world rides from Lamborghini, Audi, Ferrari and other manufacturers, 12 exotic locations like St. Tropez and Aspen, eight different events to challenge you, six-player support for Bluetooth and online, and other features to keep you interested. It’ll set you back $6.
Wave Blazer
Polarbit’s $4 Wave Blazer is a boat racing game that puts you in the cockpit of high-powered hydrofoils racing more than a year old, so it’s getting a bit long in the tooth by iPhone game standards, but that doesn’t make it any less fun. It’s a favorite in our house because it reminds us of some of our favorite racing games from the old Sega Dreamcast days.
Shrek Kart
This was an unexpected hit in our house. The big green ogre made popular in DreamWorks’ movies has his own racing game, Shrek Kart. Designed to appeal to younger players who have cut their teeth on fare like Mario Kart, Shrek Kart sports all of your favorite Shrek characters, four game modes and multiplayer support, ten unique karts, power-ups, 15 tracks to choose from and more. It’ll set you back $5.
2XL ATV Offroad
2XL Games’ 2XL ATV Offroad lets you rip mud and dirt behind the handlebars of four-wheel all-terrain vehicles across 16 different tracks, including two freestyle levels where you can bust crazy stunts. There’s an extensive career mode and achievement system, Wi-Fi multiplayer support for up to five opponents, two different classes (250cc and 450cc), lots of vehicle and rider customization options, eight different control schemes, adjustable difficulty and a lot more under the hood to keep you coming back for more. I like this game a lot more than their previous effort, 2XL Supercross. It’s pricey as iPhone games go, though, coming in at $8.
Rally Master Pro 3D
As fun as track racing can be, let’s face it – it’s not nearly the same test of skill and fortitude that you’ll find in a rally race. Scramble through pavement and over dirt roads, mud, snow and worse as your navigator shouts out directions. Fishlabs’ impressive $5 Rally Master Pro 3D is an ambitious attempt to bring that sort of racing to the iPhone platform. You can race 27 tracks in three different game modes, simulate damage and weather, and check your high scores against others online.
Cro-Mag Rally
Pangea Software’s Cro-Mag Rally first saw the light of day on the Mac, and has been resurrected to run on the iPhone OS. It’s a kart racing game in the same vein as Shrek Kart, but featuring bone-throwing cavemen (and cavewomen) that careen around nine different tracks in 11 vehicles with a bunch of powerups to grab, as well. It’s a steal at $1 (on sale for a limited time).
Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D
Activision’s Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D still ranks in the top ten of paid racing game apps almost a year and a half after the game debuted; in fact, it was one of the first games to appear on the iPhone. It’s hard to argue with that sort of success, and in truth, it’s a lot of fun. A 3D kart racing game featuring the beloved cartoon marsupial (of PlayStation gaming fame), it features a dozen tracks, different powerups and simple gameplay mechanics that make it a surefire hit with younger players, especially those familiar with Crash’s exploits on other game systems. It costs $3.
Fast & Furious The Game
I usually don’t expect very much from movie tie-ins, but Fast & Furious The Game is surprisingly good. The $2 game sports seven modes, Wi-Fi multiplayer support, “ghost racing” that lets you challenge other players’ drive times by downloading their “ghost” and racing against that, 36 different cars ranging from import to sport to exotic, and 18 different levels in four environments.
Action
The “action” moniker cuts a pretty wide swath, and I admit that I’m being a bit loose with the definition here, because at least a few of the titles I have on this list also fall into other categories like strategy, sports and RPG. But the bottom line is that all of them demand your full attention and quick reflexes in order to play – and they’re all loads of fun.
Star Wars Trench Run
THQ’s $5 Star Wars Trench Run puts you in Luke Skywalker’s shoes, piloting an X-Wing as you battle TIE fighters above the surface of the Death Star, then down a trench before firing off proton torpedoes into a thermal exhaust port to set off a chain reaction that will destroy the Death Star once and for all. It’s a one-trick pony, I admit, but it recreates the best part of the original movie that serves as a high-water mark of Sci-Fi for so many of us.
Dungeon Hunter
If you’re looking for a Diablo-style experience on the iPhone, one of the most impressive so far is Gameloft’s $5 Dungeon Hunter. You select from Rogue, Knight or Mage classes as you explore a fantasy world filled with monsters and mayhem. There’s tons of hack and slash action as you acquire weapons, armor, magic items and more across the world of Gothicus, achieving quests and missions on your way to fight the evil queen who now rules the land with an iron fist.
Call of Duty: World at War Zombies
The $10 price tag hasn’t dissuaded thousands of iPhone gamers from downloading Activision’s superlative first person shooter, Call of Duty: World at War Zombies, and that’s a good thing. First of all, $10 – in fact, all the game prices you see in this round-up, is a pittance compared to what you’d pay on the DS or PSP. Secondly, this is a load of fun – kill zombies in a World War II setting. Zombies and Nazis? Life doesn’t get any better than this.
Blades of Fury
One of the favorite game series of all time in my house has been the Soul Calibur line – 3d arcade fighting games that pit elaborately costumed characters against each other in fairly bloodless but intense dueling combat. That’s unquestionably Gameloft’s biggest inspiration for Blades of Fury, a technically impressive and fun fighting game for the iPhone. $5 gets you 10 characters, each with about 20 different attacks and combinations, 10 arenas, four game modes, multiplayer support over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and more.
Backbreaker Football
Don’t get me wrong: Madden and NFL 2010 are impressive games, but they are, like the sport they simulate, very, very technical. It’s easy to get bogged down in the details of selecting and executing plays. Backbreaker, Natural Motion’s $1 action game, distills the football experience down to its basics: All you’re doing is running the ball, as fast as you can, into the endzone. Of course, defenders are going to try to block you, more with each passing level, and that’s where sprinting, juking and spinning will get you out of (or into) trouble.
Underworlds
Don’t mistake Underworlds, a $3 RPG from Pixel Mine, as a Diablo pretender. Although squarely an action RPG, Underworlds harkens back more to classics like UItima (or more recently for Mac fans, Spiderweb’s excellent Avernum series). I loved Underworlds when it first came out, and Pixel Mine has expanded it dramatically with another chapter.
Dark Nebula Episode One
If you’ve ever played Labyrinth – either on the iPhone or the real wooden maze game – you’ll have a basic idea of what to expect in 1337′s $1 game Dark Nebula Episode One. You move a ball through a maze. But that’s where the similarities end. This game is optimized from top to bottom for the iPhone, and features scrolling levels and platforms filled with futuristic pitfalls and perils. It’s ten levels long and I can’t wait for episode two.
Auditorium
Hands down, my favorite music game by far on the iPhone is Auditorium, priced at $3 from EA. It’s a puzzle game of sorts in which you must guide the “Flow” around the screen using various mechanisms at your disposal. As the Flow passes into each Container, it’ll activate a loop of tranquil, symphonic music. Guide the Flow through all the audio Containers to pass the level. The game includes five “Acts,” each with seven levels, and In-App Purchases let you buy additional “Movements” to extend gameplay. It’s based on a title that was originally developed for the Mac and PC, and definitely worth checking out.
Skee-Ball
Freeverse and Graveck teamed up to create a simple but memorable simulation of the Skee-Ball bowling game found in arcades, midways and Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants around the country. The game even rewards your high scores with tickets which you can redeem for virtual prizes. The physics and sound recreate with perfect accuracy the experience of the real game, and integration with Ngmoco’s Plus+ Network add some social networking relevance, too. Impressive for just a buck.
Garters & Ghouls
Namco Networks’ Garters & Ghouls puts you in the role of Marie Dupois, recently brought back from the dead to battle the shambling minions of The Thrum. The game features 25 levels and a progressive level design that will challenge you throughout. You collect weapons and powerups as you blast zombies and other monsters in a storyline that will have you chuckling along the way. Poor Marie rises from the grave, unaware that she’s dead and unclear on what she has to do to be at peace.
Strategy
Strategy comprises one of my favorite categories in the App Store’s games catalog. There are a ton of really fun strategy games ranging from real-time strategy to tower defense, simulation and more.
Command & Conquer Red Alert 3
EA’s Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 is an adaptation of the spinoff of the popular real time strategy game series; a tongue-in-cheek variation that pits the East and West in a pitched battle for supremacy in an alternate world where the Soviets and the U.S. are still fierce rivals (along with the mysterious Empire of the Rising Sun, the Japanese, available as an expansion pack). It costs $7.
Grunts
Freeverse and Strange Flavour’s $1 Grunts is fun and funny – you move a squad of squeak-talking grunts around 40 levels as you try to stop General Issimo’s invasion plans. Four difficulty levels, online high scores and an unlockable zombies mode make the game more fun, all with the trademark humor and zaniness you’d expect from a Freeverse/Strange Flavour joint effort.
SimCity
That’s right, EA has brought the classic Maxis hit to the iPhone, and charges a mere $3. SimCity for iPhone OS resembles the old SimCity 3000 game, rendering graphics in intricate isometric detail. You can create and customize a thriving metropolis in three different time periods ranging from the dawn of the 20th to the dawn of the 21st centuries, saving the populace from disasters natural and manmade, managing utilities, transportation and expansion and figuring out how best to spend your municipal budget.
Flight Control
In fairness, there are a burgeoning number of air traffic control-style games on the iPhone, including some that have you controlling boat or spaceship traffic instead. But Firemint’s $1 Flight Control is a best-seller. Simple graphics and easy-to-understand gameplay mechanics bely a serious challenge as you try to land airplanes of varying types and helicopters in an increasingly busy airspace. The latest update to the game incorporates four airfields and 10 aircraft types. You can plug in your high score to a worldwide database that will even tell you how well you’re doing against other opponents in your geographical region.
Fieldrunners
The tower defense genre has gotten really crowded, but one of the standout games in the genre has to be Subatomic’s $3 Fieldrunners. You defend your home base from invasion by erecting a battalion of defense ranging from artillery to missiles to ray guns and more. The game features cartoony graphics, top-notch animation and superlative gameplay. It’s really a standout.
The Settlers
Gameloft has adapted Blue Byte’s long-running strategy game The Settlers for the iPhone and sells it for $7. Romans, Vikings and Mayans compete (or cooperate) to reach a variety of goals in newly occupied lands. You must make sure your settlers have ample access to raw materials in order to build thriving towns and cities, engage in trade, forge alliances, or build armies and lead them into battle.
The Oregon Trail
I think there are two games that have to be on any gaming platform before they can be considered legitimate: Tetris and The Oregon Trail. This $5 adaptation of the game which dates all the way back before the advent of the personal computer puts you on the trail of early American pioneers as they traveled westward. Updated for the iPhone and iPod touch, The Oregon Trail features colorful graphics, sound and eight skill-based mini games that will have you hunting, fishing, fording rivers, rafting and more.
Cooking Dash
Playfirst has adapted their enormously successful casual task-management game Cooking Dash as a $3 iPhone game. You’re Flo, and you have to manage food prep, service and cleanup in five DinerTown restaurants to keep the money flowing in and the doors open. The game features more than 50 levels.
Crystal Defenders
Cut from the tower defense cloth, Crystal Defenders is an $8 game created by Square Enix, makers of the legendary Final Fantasy game series. You have to position units to keep monster hordes at bay. Crystal Defenders uses characters from the popular game “Final Fantasy Tactics A2″ like Black Mages as they progress through 360 stages of action in three different game modes. It’s not cheap, but if you like tower defense games and you’re a Square Enix fanboy (or fangirl), look no further. Also check out Vanguard Storm, the $5 sequel.
Harbor Master
Similar in concept to Flight Control, Imangi’s Harbor Master puts you in control of boats as they enter and leave one of six harbor settings. You have to steer them into port, let them offload their cargo and passengers, then direct them away, making sure that they don’t hit each other. Smaller ships are faster, bigger ships carry more cargo. Some are color-coded and can only dock at piers of the same color. It requires careful time management skills and a steady hand, and it’ll keep you busy – well worth a buck.
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Thirty must-have games for the iPhone and iPod touch
By Peter CohenDecember 1, 2009, 9:20 am PT
The iPhone and iPod touch both make great handheld gaming systems. The iPhone 3GS and latest-generation iPod touch sport some under-the-hood improvements that make games load faster and perform better than before. Here’s a roundup of thirty games that will keep you busy into the wee hours with your iPhone or iPod touch.
iTunes 9′s Home Sharing feature is the budget-conscious gaming family’s best friend this holiday season. Why? Because just like with music and videos, you can share the applications you download from the App Store on up to five Macs, and on the iPod touches or iPhones you have connected to those machines. So you only need to buy one copy of a game – then each member of the family can load it on their device.
But with tens of thousands of games to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming to figure out what the best choices are. So I’ve compiled a list of thirty games – ten in three different general categories – which I think you might like.
Please make sure to check the ratings of individual games on the App Store to make sure they’re appropriate for your family, by the way. Apple does a good job of identifying content that it thinks might be unsuitable for younger players, so if you’re buying stuff for your kids, please heed the notifications.
Racing
One of the App Store’s most popular gaming categories is racing, and it’s easy to understand why: the iPod touch and iPhone’s accelerometer and touchscreen controls lend themselves perfectly to racing games.
Real Racing
Firemint’s Real Racing is one of the most realistic auto racing titles on the iPhone platform – it sports 48 cars in 4 classes, 12 tracks and five different game modes, a sprawling career mode, Wi-Fi based multiplayer and more features you can shake a stick(shift) at. It’s a great value for $5, but if that sounds pricey, check out a special GTI version commissioned by Volkswagen. Same great physics and graphical detail, just specifically with VW sport hatchbacks.
Need for Speed Undercover
EA’s $5 Need for Speed Undercover is the iPhone OS version of the same game you can get for your home console. It puts you behind the wheel as an undercover cop infiltrating the dangerous underground racing scene in fictional Tri-City as you race 20 real-world cars. There are eight race modes, three different unique environments, customization options that let you trick out your car with spoilers, wheels, body kits and paint, performance upgrades and more.
Asphalt 5
Gameloft has created a memorable franchise with its Asphalt series, most recently immortalized on the iPhone in version 5. It sports 30 real-world rides from Lamborghini, Audi, Ferrari and other manufacturers, 12 exotic locations like St. Tropez and Aspen, eight different events to challenge you, six-player support for Bluetooth and online, and other features to keep you interested. It’ll set you back $6.
Wave Blazer
Polarbit’s $4 Wave Blazer is a boat racing game that puts you in the cockpit of high-powered hydrofoils racing more than a year old, so it’s getting a bit long in the tooth by iPhone game standards, but that doesn’t make it any less fun. It’s a favorite in our house because it reminds us of some of our favorite racing games from the old Sega Dreamcast days.
Shrek Kart
This was an unexpected hit in our house. The big green ogre made popular in DreamWorks’ movies has his own racing game, Shrek Kart. Designed to appeal to younger players who have cut their teeth on fare like Mario Kart, Shrek Kart sports all of your favorite Shrek characters, four game modes and multiplayer support, ten unique karts, power-ups, 15 tracks to choose from and more. It’ll set you back $5.
2XL ATV Offroad
2XL Games’ 2XL ATV Offroad lets you rip mud and dirt behind the handlebars of four-wheel all-terrain vehicles across 16 different tracks, including two freestyle levels where you can bust crazy stunts. There’s an extensive career mode and achievement system, Wi-Fi multiplayer support for up to five opponents, two different classes (250cc and 450cc), lots of vehicle and rider customization options, eight different control schemes, adjustable difficulty and a lot more under the hood to keep you coming back for more. I like this game a lot more than their previous effort, 2XL Supercross. It’s pricey as iPhone games go, though, coming in at $8.
Rally Master Pro 3D
As fun as track racing can be, let’s face it – it’s not nearly the same test of skill and fortitude that you’ll find in a rally race. Scramble through pavement and over dirt roads, mud, snow and worse as your navigator shouts out directions. Fishlabs’ impressive $5 Rally Master Pro 3D is an ambitious attempt to bring that sort of racing to the iPhone platform. You can race 27 tracks in three different game modes, simulate damage and weather, and check your high scores against others online.
Cro-Mag Rally
Pangea Software’s Cro-Mag Rally first saw the light of day on the Mac, and has been resurrected to run on the iPhone OS. It’s a kart racing game in the same vein as Shrek Kart, but featuring bone-throwing cavemen (and cavewomen) that careen around nine different tracks in 11 vehicles with a bunch of powerups to grab, as well. It’s a steal at $1 (on sale for a limited time).
Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D
Activision’s Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D still ranks in the top ten of paid racing game apps almost a year and a half after the game debuted; in fact, it was one of the first games to appear on the iPhone. It’s hard to argue with that sort of success, and in truth, it’s a lot of fun. A 3D kart racing game featuring the beloved cartoon marsupial (of PlayStation gaming fame), it features a dozen tracks, different powerups and simple gameplay mechanics that make it a surefire hit with younger players, especially those familiar with Crash’s exploits on other game systems. It costs $3.
Fast & Furious The Game
I usually don’t expect very much from movie tie-ins, but Fast & Furious The Game is surprisingly good. The $2 game sports seven modes, Wi-Fi multiplayer support, “ghost racing” that lets you challenge other players’ drive times by downloading their “ghost” and racing against that, 36 different cars ranging from import to sport to exotic, and 18 different levels in four environments.
Action
The “action” moniker cuts a pretty wide swath, and I admit that I’m being a bit loose with the definition here, because at least a few of the titles I have on this list also fall into other categories like strategy, sports and RPG. But the bottom line is that all of them demand your full attention and quick reflexes in order to play – and they’re all loads of fun.
Star Wars Trench Run
THQ’s $5 Star Wars Trench Run puts you in Luke Skywalker’s shoes, piloting an X-Wing as you battle TIE fighters above the surface of the Death Star, then down a trench before firing off proton torpedoes into a thermal exhaust port to set off a chain reaction that will destroy the Death Star once and for all. It’s a one-trick pony, I admit, but it recreates the best part of the original movie that serves as a high-water mark of Sci-Fi for so many of us.
Dungeon Hunter
If you’re looking for a Diablo-style experience on the iPhone, one of the most impressive so far is Gameloft’s $5 Dungeon Hunter. You select from Rogue, Knight or Mage classes as you explore a fantasy world filled with monsters and mayhem. There’s tons of hack and slash action as you acquire weapons, armor, magic items and more across the world of Gothicus, achieving quests and missions on your way to fight the evil queen who now rules the land with an iron fist.
Call of Duty: World at War Zombies
The $10 price tag hasn’t dissuaded thousands of iPhone gamers from downloading Activision’s superlative first person shooter, Call of Duty: World at War Zombies, and that’s a good thing. First of all, $10 – in fact, all the game prices you see in this round-up, is a pittance compared to what you’d pay on the DS or PSP. Secondly, this is a load of fun – kill zombies in a World War II setting. Zombies and Nazis? Life doesn’t get any better than this.
Blades of Fury
One of the favorite game series of all time in my house has been the Soul Calibur line – 3d arcade fighting games that pit elaborately costumed characters against each other in fairly bloodless but intense dueling combat. That’s unquestionably Gameloft’s biggest inspiration for Blades of Fury, a technically impressive and fun fighting game for the iPhone. $5 gets you 10 characters, each with about 20 different attacks and combinations, 10 arenas, four game modes, multiplayer support over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and more.
Backbreaker Football
Don’t get me wrong: Madden and NFL 2010 are impressive games, but they are, like the sport they simulate, very, very technical. It’s easy to get bogged down in the details of selecting and executing plays. Backbreaker, Natural Motion’s $1 action game, distills the football experience down to its basics: All you’re doing is running the ball, as fast as you can, into the endzone. Of course, defenders are going to try to block you, more with each passing level, and that’s where sprinting, juking and spinning will get you out of (or into) trouble.
Underworlds
Don’t mistake Underworlds, a $3 RPG from Pixel Mine, as a Diablo pretender. Although squarely an action RPG, Underworlds harkens back more to classics like UItima (or more recently for Mac fans, Spiderweb’s excellent Avernum series). I loved Underworlds when it first came out, and Pixel Mine has expanded it dramatically with another chapter.
Dark Nebula Episode One
If you’ve ever played Labyrinth – either on the iPhone or the real wooden maze game – you’ll have a basic idea of what to expect in 1337′s $1 game Dark Nebula Episode One. You move a ball through a maze. But that’s where the similarities end. This game is optimized from top to bottom for the iPhone, and features scrolling levels and platforms filled with futuristic pitfalls and perils. It’s ten levels long and I can’t wait for episode two.
Auditorium
Hands down, my favorite music game by far on the iPhone is Auditorium, priced at $3 from EA. It’s a puzzle game of sorts in which you must guide the “Flow” around the screen using various mechanisms at your disposal. As the Flow passes into each Container, it’ll activate a loop of tranquil, symphonic music. Guide the Flow through all the audio Containers to pass the level. The game includes five “Acts,” each with seven levels, and In-App Purchases let you buy additional “Movements” to extend gameplay. It’s based on a title that was originally developed for the Mac and PC, and definitely worth checking out.
Skee-Ball
Freeverse and Graveck teamed up to create a simple but memorable simulation of the Skee-Ball bowling game found in arcades, midways and Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants around the country. The game even rewards your high scores with tickets which you can redeem for virtual prizes. The physics and sound recreate with perfect accuracy the experience of the real game, and integration with Ngmoco’s Plus+ Network add some social networking relevance, too. Impressive for just a buck.
Garters & Ghouls
Namco Networks’ Garters & Ghouls puts you in the role of Marie Dupois, recently brought back from the dead to battle the shambling minions of The Thrum. The game features 25 levels and a progressive level design that will challenge you throughout. You collect weapons and powerups as you blast zombies and other monsters in a storyline that will have you chuckling along the way. Poor Marie rises from the grave, unaware that she’s dead and unclear on what she has to do to be at peace.
Strategy
Strategy comprises one of my favorite categories in the App Store’s games catalog. There are a ton of really fun strategy games ranging from real-time strategy to tower defense, simulation and more.
Command & Conquer Red Alert 3
EA’s Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 is an adaptation of the spinoff of the popular real time strategy game series; a tongue-in-cheek variation that pits the East and West in a pitched battle for supremacy in an alternate world where the Soviets and the U.S. are still fierce rivals (along with the mysterious Empire of the Rising Sun, the Japanese, available as an expansion pack). It costs $7.
Grunts
Freeverse and Strange Flavour’s $1 Grunts is fun and funny – you move a squad of squeak-talking grunts around 40 levels as you try to stop General Issimo’s invasion plans. Four difficulty levels, online high scores and an unlockable zombies mode make the game more fun, all with the trademark humor and zaniness you’d expect from a Freeverse/Strange Flavour joint effort.
SimCity
That’s right, EA has brought the classic Maxis hit to the iPhone, and charges a mere $3. SimCity for iPhone OS resembles the old SimCity 3000 game, rendering graphics in intricate isometric detail. You can create and customize a thriving metropolis in three different time periods ranging from the dawn of the 20th to the dawn of the 21st centuries, saving the populace from disasters natural and manmade, managing utilities, transportation and expansion and figuring out how best to spend your municipal budget.
Flight Control
In fairness, there are a burgeoning number of air traffic control-style games on the iPhone, including some that have you controlling boat or spaceship traffic instead. But Firemint’s $1 Flight Control is a best-seller. Simple graphics and easy-to-understand gameplay mechanics bely a serious challenge as you try to land airplanes of varying types and helicopters in an increasingly busy airspace. The latest update to the game incorporates four airfields and 10 aircraft types. You can plug in your high score to a worldwide database that will even tell you how well you’re doing against other opponents in your geographical region.
Fieldrunners
The tower defense genre has gotten really crowded, but one of the standout games in the genre has to be Subatomic’s $3 Fieldrunners. You defend your home base from invasion by erecting a battalion of defense ranging from artillery to missiles to ray guns and more. The game features cartoony graphics, top-notch animation and superlative gameplay. It’s really a standout.
The Settlers
Gameloft has adapted Blue Byte’s long-running strategy game The Settlers for the iPhone and sells it for $7. Romans, Vikings and Mayans compete (or cooperate) to reach a variety of goals in newly occupied lands. You must make sure your settlers have ample access to raw materials in order to build thriving towns and cities, engage in trade, forge alliances, or build armies and lead them into battle.
The Oregon Trail
I think there are two games that have to be on any gaming platform before they can be considered legitimate: Tetris and The Oregon Trail. This $5 adaptation of the game which dates all the way back before the advent of the personal computer puts you on the trail of early American pioneers as they traveled westward. Updated for the iPhone and iPod touch, The Oregon Trail features colorful graphics, sound and eight skill-based mini games that will have you hunting, fishing, fording rivers, rafting and more.
Cooking Dash
Playfirst has adapted their enormously successful casual task-management game Cooking Dash as a $3 iPhone game. You’re Flo, and you have to manage food prep, service and cleanup in five DinerTown restaurants to keep the money flowing in and the doors open. The game features more than 50 levels.
Crystal Defenders
Cut from the tower defense cloth, Crystal Defenders is an $8 game created by Square Enix, makers of the legendary Final Fantasy game series. You have to position units to keep monster hordes at bay. Crystal Defenders uses characters from the popular game “Final Fantasy Tactics A2″ like Black Mages as they progress through 360 stages of action in three different game modes. It’s not cheap, but if you like tower defense games and you’re a Square Enix fanboy (or fangirl), look no further. Also check out Vanguard Storm, the $5 sequel.
Harbor Master
Similar in concept to Flight Control, Imangi’s Harbor Master puts you in control of boats as they enter and leave one of six harbor settings. You have to steer them into port, let them offload their cargo and passengers, then direct them away, making sure that they don’t hit each other. Smaller ships are faster, bigger ships carry more cargo. Some are color-coded and can only dock at piers of the same color. It requires careful time management skills and a steady hand, and it’ll keep you busy – well worth a buck.
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Discussion 277 comments so far
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Love the list, Peter. I must say, I’d love to see the Iconfactory’s Ramp Champ on the list as well. It’s what I’ve been spending all sorts of time playing, and it hasn’t gotten old in the slightest.
Thanks. I like Ramp Champ and I’ve written about it before – http://www.loopinsight.com/2009/10/01/skee-ball-and-ramp-champ-bring-midway-games-to-iphone-and-ipod-touch/. Alas, I had limited space to work with, and many other games that I thought were equally noteworthy.
WHAT ABOUT BLUE ATTACK? THE GAME HAS A GREAT DEAL OF DEPTH, THINGS TO MAKE YOU KEEP COMING BACK AND IS ALOT OF FUN.
I have it, and it gets so boring after you do all of the challenges, and buy everything
I think Settlers of Catan should be on any best games list for the iPhone/iPod. It’s an excellent game and fits the platform very well.
I assume you’re referring to Catan: The First Island, USM Verlag GmbH’s iPhone adaptation of the original “Settlers of Catan” board game.
It’s not on my list for three major reasons:
- I thought the user interface was lousy.
- I thought the performance was bad.
- “Hot seat” multiplayer is weak. The game came out long after iPhone OS 3.0 was announced, and after it was released – there’s no excuse not for Bluetooth or Wi-Fi multiplayer.
“Best of” lists are by their nature subjective. What you like and what I like are bound to differ. I don’t pretend to assume that I know what’s best for everyone. So while it may have made your list, it didn’t make mine, and those are the reasons why.
Your initial assumption is correct. I did not mean to imply your list was faulty in any way. I apologize if that’s the way my comment came across. Both “lousy” and “bad” are subjective terms, and without further definition not very useful. I have had no trouble with the interface and I have found the game to perform well and provide a challenge each time I play it. If I wanted to play the game with someone else, I would choose to play it on a table and not a 2×3 inch screen; ergo, the “hot seat” option is not a selling point for me. The ipod/phone I find ideal for solitary activities, unless, of course, one is making a phone call.
Surprised that they haven’t posted Civilization – my favourite game by far and very well-adapted for the Iphone/itouch
I’d love to see the old Myth games (maybe a new version/story) brought to the iPhone. The point and click controls should translate perfectly to the touch screen.
I think you are talking about the Myst games, right? The first Myst has been ported to the iphone, and is available for download.
Three personal favourites: Monopoly, UNO, and Solitaire.
Looking for a spider solitaire game with one deck. Do you know of one?
SharkSolitaire/CardShark has a single-deck implementation of Spider Solitaire. It’s fully functional in the free version of the game, too.
I LOVE the solitaire games!! I take my iPod into the bathroom and play! I am addicted!! I think I will try UNO next! Thanks for sharing!
Words with friends (scrabble)
that´s a nice list! thanks !
but where is minigore and i dig it? they are both quite simple, but also beautifully designed and both fit in the platform perfectly!
Labyrinth 2 just came out today in the App Store and it’s a friggin’ winner.
Jean-Michel:
I’ll check Labyrinth 2 out, thanks for the recommendation. I heartily recommend Dark Nebula, which is on the list. Its physics are similar – a rolling ball game – but it’s really cool, with a sci-fi setting, scrolling levels and lots of challenges.
NIce list, Peter. Of course, if I were compiling it then there would be a fourth category for word games.
I guess I’ll have to give Underworlds a try–as soon as I finish with Spiderweb’s Avernum 6 (now available for Mac, with Windows version March-ish.)
A quibble: You could always share music, apps, etc. with other computers (not just Macs) in the house. iTunes 9 just makes it more convenient.
Yeah, there are a lot of categories I could have included, but this list was getting ungainly, so I decided to stop with three. Sports games, puzzle games and word games, for example, definitely deserve their due, as well – I hope to get some additional lists up soon.
Peggle!
bejewled!
doodle jump!
bad bad bad
Thank you on Doodle Jump. Love it!!! Just .99 it's the best!
omg, u luv doodle jump 2!!!!!!
do u have a girlfriend?<3 :*
r u hot?
(yes, im a girl)
omg i luv doodle jump 2!!!!!!!
do u have a girlfriend?<3<3
u sound sweet,
<3
(in no particular order)
Dungeon Hunter
Sandstorm (anything gameloft really)
Asphalt 5
Jet Car Stunts
Gangstar
N.O.V.A
Eliminate
Skater Nation
Assassins Creed
Terminator
Blades of fury
Hero of sparta
Brothers in Arms
Real football 10
Rolando Series
Pocket God
RavenSword
Resident Evil
Call of duty
Wolfenstein 3d
Jelly car 1 & 2
Fast & Furious
Need for speed
Real Racing
Minigore
Starwars Force Unleashed
Warmen
Tap Tap games
Bloons
Doodle Jump
MonkeyBall
Castle of magic
etc..lol
I don’t know that all of those would have fit into the top 30.
i agree but N.O.V.A is a preety good app
Love the list, and have a few of my personal favorites… all free!
- TapDefense
- Sol Free (free solitare game with 6 different modes)
- Lux Touch (Basically Risk)
- Paper Toss
- Jelly Car
Just some nice picks that are free!
ineed nmany more bike racing games.
Soosiz! It’s the best game I’ve experienced for iPhone.
Have to totally agree on Soosiz – easily the best game I’ve played yet on the iPhone.
The arcade genre was left out and in that I would certainly include Helion.
New games too pricey!!!!!!!
ORLY? Compared to DS and PSP games, everything on this list is a steal!
I disagree, the DS &PSP games are of a higher standard – they have greater depth and player involvment than any Iphone game. To say that iphone games are a steal in comparrison to DS/PSP is not really true, yes they are cheaper, but cheap does not nesercerialy represent value. Given the choice of playin PSP games or Iphone games, PSP almost every time. The iphone games are ok for passing the time on the bus etc, but lets not get carried away, its no dedicated portable games machine beater.
ps mx mayhem & UpThere are my favs
And now I disagree with you, andyb. It doesn’t matter how big and deep a game is, if you find yourself playing iPhone games more than DS or PSP games, then the iPhone wins.
The iPhone provides both short and long-term play cycle games. Quick games like Bejeweled 2: Blitz, Canabalt, Words with Friends, etc. all provide very quick fixes. Dungeon Hunters, Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM Classic, Resident Evil 4, Archibald’s Adventures, etc. all provide a long playing experience.
If you play games on the iPhone more than DS/PSP then, yes, the iPhone is a dedicated portable games beater.
i totally agree with you. It depends on witch game you choose to play more. I have all three systems and me using my iphone more often, i believe it has more "quick fixes" . That being said, the quality of the games on the iphone are obviously worse than a DS/PSP game
Drop7 should be on the list of your puzzle games. Remarkably simple, yet surprisingly addictive.
For those whose enjoy word games for iPhone, iAssociate is a definite must (#1). It’s witty and keeps you on the hook for long.
I love GloBall, give it a try. Also I think Doom is pretty good, the new one, the old one is a bit clunky.
Rogue Planet by Gameloft should definitely be in the strategy category!
It came out last week and this game rocks at a cheap price.
Still playing it a lot.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rogue-planet/id337568038?mt=8&uo=6
This is a great list of games, bu i would like to see Jelly Car on it because is a free, very funny, addicting game. Thanks for the list!
Sorry……….I forgot…can you make a list of free games?
I am from Romania and here i can take free apps only, no iTunes, just free apps….so please make a list for people like me. Thanks.
You just go to the app store and select top 25 and then top free if 25 choices isn't enough you can load 25 more…
Its better is you hack your Ipod Iphone with Blackrain, then hack it to run hacked .ipa..
I got all those games for free.
I’m really surprised that Tap Tap Revolution and Rock Band have been left out from this list. Both are great games and the device is primarily used for listening to music music. They just fit.
The genre of Doodle games need a list too. I like:
Doodle Jump
Stick Wars
Little Runner
Parachute Panic
A Doodle Flight
My personal very favorite is missing here:
Rope’n'Fly. How can the best 30 iphone games site not list Rope’n'Fly?
Definitely! Rope’n'Fly is A MUST!
In case you missed it: (Free Lite version)
http://itunes.apple.com/se/app/ropenfly-2-lite/id330977951?mt=8
“How can the best 30 iphone games site…”
Because this isn’t a list of the 30 best iPhone games. It’s 30 must-have games.
If you put together a puzzle game list, check out Copy Cat: A Painter’s Puzzle. It’s a unique visual brain-teaser, also very relaxing music.
One in the icon-matching category is “The Treasures of Montezuma”. Like “Bejeweled” with RPG enhancements. Very addictive, and a steal at $2. Highly recommended. There’s a “Lite” version if you want to try it before you buy it.
http://itunes.apple.com/app/the-treasures-montezuma-lite/id320479298?mt=8
Would love to have seen Doodle Jump on the list. It’s so much fun! They are constantly updating and adding features, which keeps the game fresh! A holiday version was just put out where if you change your player name to “snow” it’s a whole new world!! Try it!
of course Zen Bound is also an amazing app missing from this list… amazing concept beautifull music (available for download )
I love Shove, it’s a game based on the old english game of Shove Ha’penny. I can’t stop playing it!!!
http://itunes.apple.com/app/shove/id326467512?mt=8
…then you should try Bump’ny. Bump’ny is a much better take on Shove Ha’Penny. More polish, one and two player modes, and a unique way to interact that I have yet to see elsewhere.
Can somebody provide a list of good FREE games!! Some of them are priced high!!
TowerMadness Zero is the best free game ever.
Totally agree. I’m addicted. Also Scramble 2, for those of you that like word games (it’s like Boggle on steroids)
“Ragdoll Blaster – A Physics Puzzler” is my current favorite.
Now several friends have this and one bought an iPhone just to play this game.
In the RPG theme I really liked Kingdom of Gorath. The graphics are basic and there isn’t much in the realm of tutorials, However what it lacks in accessibility is more than made up for in it’s addicting gameplay. I spent weeks playing the game, collecting items, and building my character before I was able to finished. It’s really a flashback to the old school ultima/diablo genre where you actually had to read the manual but once you played the game you couldn’t put it down. Most of the people who gave it a chance actually found they played it more than dungeon hunter (if you read the reviews) because the gameplay was just more addicting.
Don’t forget TowerMadness! That game rules.
Totally agree – most addicting and long lasting fun game I own out of 100's and 100's. They have a free add-supported version, too for those that don't have even $3 to give to a hardworking small group of creative geniuses….
When you look at puzzles, take a look at Gaia — my personal favorite. The best I’ve found for the match-three puzzles on the iPhone – makes great use of the accelerometer. Easy to pick up at any time. The high score screen is totally unique -I’m surprised other games do not copy it.
Our team’s first app is “itonk” the card game that is similar to rummy. It’s in the itunes store
zenonia, tap tap revenge lady gaga, jelly car 1-2, anything smule, cube runner,
I don’t think the word superlative means what he thinks it means….
What is the name of the iPhone OS game that is a flight game in the Apple ads? They really should but a subtitle at the bottom of the screen to tell you what the game being show is.
If it’s the same one I’m thinking of (you can see it on Apple’s Web site, too), it’s Top Gun from Paramount: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/top-gun/id313885030?mt=8
Samurai: Way fo the Warrior – best hack and slash game !!!!
Why was Monkey Island not in there?
And may say the same about Beneath a Steel Sky?
Erol:
As I’ve explained elsewhere in this thread, this isn’t a “best” games list, and isn’t intended as a comprehensive list. It’s simply a “must-have” list of games that I think are outstanding, for various reasons.
try 9000 bc
A jewel of a game
I like FieldRunners, but believe geoDefense (path-based) and geoDefense Swarm (open field) distill the graphics down to their base elements, but provide wonderful playability. Sometimes the pseudo-3D elements seen in most Tower Defense games can bog down gameplay – but the simple, Geometry-Wars-inspired graphics of these games, coupled with GREAT play balance, and audio elements, keep me coming back for more.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/geodefense/id305608325?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/geodefense-swarm/id326563285?mt=8
Real Racer and Wave Blazer are sick. Incase made it that much better with their new iPod Touch game-case (www.goincase.com). Check those out.
Nice to see a comment (thx Randy Gittens!) about Bump’ny. He’s right, it’s in a totally different league than Shove, what with its unique way of interacting with the game. I did lookn at Shove, but judging by the Shove video, its physics are no match for Bump’ny. Bump’ny feels just like the real Shove Ha’penny game – and it’s $1 cheaper too!
Would be kinda cool to see a simple board game like Bump’ny in a top 30 list… it’s an easy game to play and great way to while away a few minutes here and there.
I would like to play Scrabble on my iMac, do I need to import Windows in order to do this?
@Jim Straughan: Here are two possibilities for Mac play. The first is info on a Mac app and the second is the best online experience.
http://www.scrabblepages.com/scrabble/mac/
http://www.pogo.com/marketing/landing/lp-scrabble-mt.jsp?sourceid=scrabble_Broad_Free_GOO_C0033_A0001_LP0001
Follow-up on Mac Scrabble…
There’s also the Board Game Trio series. You can find them at amazon.com and elsewhere. BGT III includes Scrabble Journey, which I don’t know much about. I get the impression that it’s one-player only. The original BGT and BGT II both include regular Scrabble.
No need to import Windows.
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/games/cards_puzzle/scrabble.html
Words With Friends – play on the iphone with your friends or against random partners.
Dear Peter, Thanks for the list. I enjoyed the information on the must have games from the apps listed. I really do enjoy my new Itouch. I appreciate that everyone has different opinions but since you know more that most of us on the subject it was nice to see your choices. Again thanks for the info and your hard work.
In my opinion miss two more games for iphone and I’m waiting:
-Pokemon
-Final Fantasy (for now exists only the minicard game of FFVIII: “Triples” but I want an entire game like FFX)
pokemon can be played on your iphone, but you would need to jailbreak it and then SSH an emulator onto your iphone then you could play any gameboys games you want on it.
Nice list Peter (and good to see where you’re at these days post MW) maybe a few too many racing games but guess that’s a fave genre of yours!
Funnily enough I’d add a racer to that list (probably in place of Asphalt 5 (only tried the lite but found it a bit too unrealistic – impossible to go of course – so deleted pretty quickly)
Aqua Moto Racing is just about the most fun I’ve had on iPhone – on a par with Real Racing (and that’s saying something)
Other one’s I’d suggest would be Blimp and Edge(Edgy) Maybe both are more Arcade than Strategy but they both rely on strategy to be played well
but cheers for a great list, Peter, will certainly check a lot of them out
geoDefense and geoDefense (2) Swarm should be in this list also – both only $1 each
why wasnt doodle jump there?
I don’t really like those games. An amazing game is The Sims 3, which is $10.99, but it’s worth it because it’s a 3-D virtual world of fun, friends, and life!
Why are all the lists about iPhone games constructed by people who know nothing about it?
Peter, thanks for the list. It’s always helpful to have lists like this. I’m older, but consider myself very computer savvy, however, I’ve just never enjoyed video games. I’ve tried with a lot of them, but can’t get into them. Most action games bore me pretty quickly, and aside from the pictures on the screen, I fail to see the difference between racing boats, bikes, cars, karts, etc. or playing football, soccer, basketball, etc. The few games I tend to enjoy are more strategy oriented, but less war-focused. I have always enjoyed lemonade (although, it’s a little too easy to figure out the basic concept/formulas to success and can also quickly become boring). Can you recommend a game for someone like me? Thanks so much.
Ironically, I find a lot of newer games to be too complex or overwhelming, and lose interest in them quickly. Personally, the ones I find to be the most fun long-term are word games and puzzle games, which I’ll round up at some future point.
For a strategic puzzler that’s been occupying a lot of my spare time lately, Matthew, I’d recommend Jigami. It’s a new release from A Sharp that combines Reversi (also known as Othello) with jigsaw puzzle pieces. It’s simple and needs some refinement (it’s at its 1.0 release right now), but it’s maddeningly addictive.
Hey Matthew,
For a unique strategy game that is completely non-violent try Ragdoll blaster from Backflip studios. Full disclosure, I have absolutely no connection to the company or the inventors, but this one is brilliant and kept me up several nights in a row! There is a free trial version, and for a buck or 2 you can buy 50 more levels if you get hooked.
Like you, I dislike action games. If you want to really test your brain, get Pushy. The game requires you to to analyze if-then relationships and solve puzzles, frequently relying on trial and error as new elements are added to the puzzles. There are currently 126 puzzles (called Levels) and you must solve each one in order to advance to the next. Some are very simple, while others may take hours. Very challenging and lots of fun.
Matthew: Just a thought… you might enjoy a game called Bump’ny. Very different game play, but sort of hard to describe without showing you, it’s based on an old English pub game called Shove Ha’penny. Check out their website – bumpnycompany.com – for a video demo.
I can. Tap Farm – strategy and design involved.
http://www.iphoneappreview.com/buildings-animals-trees-landscaping-and-more-tap-farm-released-dec-9th-brings-the-real-fun-of-farming-to-the-iphone.html#more-17092
How about “Know How” or “Blocked”? Both make you push blocks around a square field to free one or more different colored blocks in the middle.
I’d personally recommend Soozis. It’s easily the best platformer for the IPhone/touch, and it provides hours of play, with an innovative design.
As for the racing games, I’d say your list is right.
To everybody: read some book sometimes and communicate more with people!
Maybe you should take your own advice and learn how to put a sentence together.
I don’t think that Nino see the irony in what he wrote about reading a book and communicate with more people. Nino you were sat at your computer writing the reply encased in your own little world. lol duffus
Grammer is fun.
Grammar*
Great list – thanks. I particularly love the Firemint games – Real Racing and Flight Control.
A couple you’ve missed off the list…
- Aera (nice 3d aerobatic flight sim with bluetooth 2 player dogfighting mode)
- FlingFree (cute puzzle value for the kids!)
- Splojit (OK – biased since I’m the developer – Simon Says memory puzzle game with a twist)
Matt
Add to the list “Meteor Blitz”
Challenging gameplay (especially level 6) where you blast meteors and attempt to survive a diverse mix of enemies from snakes to spinning ‘motherships’
Well worth a look
Cheers
Thanks for the list i just wonder if you could have a list with free games ?
Yeah, I was kinda wondering the same exact thing. I can’t afford to keep buying games.
Best strategie game and also funny: the good old MONKEY ISLAND – also with new design. I love it!
If you’re a fan of first-person shooters, a must have game is Eliminate Pro. It is a fully featured online multiplayer first person shooter complete with leveling, five different maps, upgradeable weapons and armor! Given the quality of this game, one would expect to pay around $5 for it, but it is in fact FREE. A must-have for any fan of first-person shooters.
What about Super Monkey Ball 2?
I think everyone needs to get off apple’s jock.
Is ‘Soozis’ spelled correctly? A search on iTunes turns up no results.
Never mind. Found it – Soosiz
This is a great list!
If you can’t get harbor master, shipwreck is a very good clone that i have and its free.
Also Eliminate Pro, best free FPS there is.
Dropship
Touch Pet Dogs
If you want to try real racing, there is a lite version with GTI cars.
I guess where im pointing to is to make another list with the best free apps. Andi mean like non lite version free.
My kids are addicted to TAP TAP and my wife is hooked on WORDS PREMIUM. neither on the list
Excellent post, thanks!
Your communication regarding the production of a free (non-lite) games and/or apps listing is most appreciated as well!
Between music, music videos, general production apps, monthly iphone service fee, audio books, etc. Having a promotional token would we very welcomed during this holiday season!
Nice list, thanks.
For some great indie titles (and really, they’re just great games), I highly recommend:
1. Canabalt
2. Eliss
3. Primrose (and if you’ve never played it on the desktop, Passage, from the same developer)
4. Edge (by Mobigames)
Others I’d include are Spider, Squareball, Zen Bound, Critter Crunch, and for shmup fans, TAITO’s Space Invaders Infinity Gene is fantastic. For total relaxation, Ancient Frog is nice too.
Also fun on the indie list is Arctic Shuffle (zinc Roe games). I tend to avoid action games as well. This one incorporates physics and exploding penguins – what could be more entertaining?
i think its OUTRAGEOUS how much some of these games cost!!! $5 for a freakin itouch/iphone game?! so not worth the money.
thats why i jailbreaked (free apps)
@ b love,
You’re kidding, right? The average price of a DS or PSP game is $30 and $40, respectively, not including taxes.
I think it would be fare if ” The Settlers” will be in the Strategies games. It’s one of the best games I have ever played on it. In rest, it’s a good post, most of them I have played, and one thing is certain they’re great! I love the iPhone and iPod touch platform! Keep on doing great stuff(for the developers, as for the Apple.Inc)
Hey guys, thanks a lot for the suggestions. I’m looking forward to checking them out.
I loved Oregon Trail and Cooking Dash. I just discovered a true gem yesterday called Touch Attack Free. It’s for free, has a bunch of smaller games in it, and has a lotta fun stuff to unlock.
I would love to see a list f free games as well, I have very few paid apps, but one standout app is Pocket God. You have your own island of pygmies that you can control. and whats cool is, it has 2 paid apps in 1. Harbor master(mentioned before) and doodle jump. Plus a ton of other fun minigames. They say they update every week but the size of the episodes and many new apps keeping apple busy this has been bumped to about once a month. Only a buck and by far the most entertaining app I have. I showed one of my friends and they wanted to buy an iPod touch just for that app! You will not be disappointed, I guarantee it! And on another note, as mentioned before Eliminate Pro is a great free app.
I agree totally about FlingFree. Only trouble is my 6 year old was better than me and I had to buy the full version as she got through all the levels so fast! Even my 4 year old can do quite well on the lower levels.
What about Rope’n'Fly 2?
Flood-it is an amazing game. Innovative and challenging, I would definitely recommend it for someone of your tastes.
Any crossword games? My wife works the paper every morning and I would like to get her a crossword game for her Itouch
@Jay Rouse: There are a slew of crossword apps. The better known ones are Crossword, 2 Across and the official NY Times app. There are also lots of free and lite version apps to try the concept out. Some people love being able to solve anywhere and some people miss the newspaper in their hands.
My advice is to research the app before buying and to visit the developer’s web site after purchase. Here’s a link to the iTunes search on “crossword”. Warning: many of the results are crossword solvers or apps only vaguely related to crosswords (word games and the like.)
http://ax.search.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/search?entity=software&media=all&page=1&restrict=true&startIndex=0&term=crossword
Does she also play Sudoku? There’s a version called KenKen (by CapCom) that adds a math dimension to the grid, with 5 levels, and a zillion challenges. Been playing it exclusively for a month – so far.
Hi,
I have enjoyed iAssociate, try the free version http://www.itunes.com/apps/associatethis
(warning: this game makes you play all night long …)
= Jari =
Peter,
Thanks for the great list. It would also be nice to have kids category here in future. My six-year old daughter found some simple and some more challenging games a lot fun:
1. Shape Builder (very simple, but good game to start using touch)
2. Matching Zoo (good memory game, well finished UI)
3. Unblock Me (like the traditional Rush Hour, so much challenge, yet keeps you trying …)
Not too interested about action games, but more on great concepts around puzzle and word games.
This is a great list! Thanks! I however have found some entertaining games NOT featured on this list as have some of the other posters above.
Zen Bound is a puzzler unlike many other things out there (Great soundtrack!)
HR Battle is a great simple home run hitting game
Tower Bloxx (free and paid) is really fun and my 4 year olds fave game!
Waterslide is fun and free!
Hero of Sparta is a great game! Fun (violent, therefore more aimed at adults) and at times on sale for a great price
Stick Wars LE is a fun quick game
Bejeweled 2 is fun but I found the old Palm version faster and more responsive
Monopoly Worldwide is fun for fans of the game, as is Scrabble!
I’m sure there are others out there! I like to use AppSniper to help find free and discounted apps!
Since you mention Zen Bound, let me mention my current favorite game, made by the same guys: Stair Dismount. I would not recommend it for children, though, as the game’s premise is a little bit sick (my wife finds it rather disturbing too). They have already submitted an update to the store with global high scores.
Thanks. It’s a great list!
I’ve recently found a fantastic new small game
It’s simple, looks awesome on my iPhone, plays great…..
IMHO, it deserves to be included in this list.
Floating Memory
You’ll find it on: http://itunes.apple.com/nl/app/floating-memory/id340386785
Cheers, your iPhoneAddict
Erm… what about Rolando (1&2), Real Football, Kern…
There are many great free Apps. You don’t have to spend money to enjoy a good game. Word Warp and Scramble are two examples that are good and free!
Add Star Defense. WAY better than field runners, and just $1
It’s a shame that almost none of those games (excluding Harbour Master, and the VW derivative) is available to me in the South African app store.
I don’t understand why developers wouldn’t couldn’t make games like these available over all areas and locations… what sort of limitations could there be?
wow apple just wants money from this
This should be “30 must have games for MEN” only one of these is one that I have, and none of the others tickle my fancy..
it is written by a man and this is just his opinion.
what might be a more productive use of your time is to suggest that there be a women who could write a review about this topic.
Right, so since you don’t want them, your opinion must reflect that of everyone else who is a female. That’s a bit sexist and overgeneralized, don’t you think?
HI THERE NO APPLE IS NOT TRYING TOO JUST WANT MONY APPLE IS OFFERING THE BEST GREENEST GAMMING CONSOLLE ON EARTH APPLE IS ALWAYS GREEN MY XBOX 360 AND SONYS PS3 ARE POWER HUNNGRY WHY ELSE IS MICROSOFT AND SONY REFUSING TOOO OFFER A LIGHTING FAST ENERGY EFFICENT SOLID STATE FLASH DRIVES INFACT APPLE PROMMISES 100% OF APPLE COMPUTERS WILL BE WIND POWERED BY THE YEAR 2020 TO 2050
Settle down, sure iPhone is good, but I think you love apple a little to much.
learn some grammar
Best game on the iphone is Reign of Swords. EXCELLENT turn based strategy, much like Advance Wars on the Game Boy.
Whoa there calm down James you’re a spaz…
Geez, you must be a “mean girl”.
Sgt. Steve Smith
US Army
maverlous!
i love this game, all of them!! apple apps, more power
Beatmaker by Intua Software is amazing. It provides hours of fun, months of creation. It’s a complex beat designer studio that lets you make patters, record your voice, make songs and chose from hundreds of sounds in the soundbank to construct a beat. It’s very complex yet organized, and every button you see does what you think it’d do. Only $20. They even have an online forum on their website, http://www.intua.com
My addiction? Jumbline (formerly TwistyText)! I love word games and this is my favorite – so far. Let me know what your favorite word games are.
You missed Uniwar. Civ and Lux follow Uniwar.
I can’t say I agree that these are the best games. While some of them offer higher end graphics (by iphone standards), complexity and lengthy game play, none of these games are as good as say “hook champ” “geo defense” “unblock me,” or “spyder: the secret of brynn mannor” — which as far as iphone games go, really make use of the interface and digitizer as well as offering legitimate challenge and rewarding gameplay..
“I can’t say I agree that these are the best games.”
That’s good, because neither did I. These are thirty must-have games.
Hey! Where is Doodle Jump?!
Guys. Most of these games suck! they boring and just have good graphics HAHAHAHAHA. Yeah i don’t even know why i have even bothered writing this because it a waste of time to both me (the writer) and you (the reader)!!!!!
#31 on the must-have games for iPhone or iPod has got to be Tap Farm. Download @ tinyurl.com/tapfarm
Check out this review:
http://www.iphoneappreview.com/buildings-animals-trees-landscaping-and-more-tap-farm-released-dec-9th-brings-the-real-fun-of-farming-to-the-iphone.html#more-17092
best iphone tappy app
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/happy-tappy-car-racing-challenge/id334851635?mt=8
i socialize a lot gme a lot and socalize WHILE gaming a lot so
yea. oh and i am not very well about grammar.
the funniest and best app to play by far and it is totally free is the dr. digit app. what a great, funny app this is to play. LMAO
The 5 yr old daughter is hooked on Touchpets Dogs. For a free app it must rate close to a perfect 10 for young girls.
Hey where is Ravensword: The fallen king
that one is way better then Dungeon Hunter
Mini Gore! WHy does Apple not like mini gore? They constantly reject the apps updates. Let Mini Gore be free. My vote for best game mini gore.
Yes!!! Agreed!!! Mini Gore is too dang fun.
yh mini gore is da best !
Zombie Skydive is AWESOME! must get, try lite but full version is much better
WHY ISN’T ASSASSINS CREED ALTIARS CRONICLES ON THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
idkk. it needs to be though cause its likee the bestest game out there!! :] haha. okayy well then i knoww i wasnt nooo help but i atleast stuckk in my opinion!! okayy thenn byeee. =)
For the love of all things, please write in English. You are writing on a computer, yet you don’t use spell check or grammar check. I am so depressed by kids’ use of the Internet. It is destroying language as we know it.
I totally agree! Not only are the kids of today good grammar deficient … so are the folks in the news media and entertainment industry. Have you noticed the lack of good grammar on TV and big screen? It is really sad.
well said!
Kind of irrelevant, isn’t it? It’s got nothing to do with the topic so, I’m sure you can understand when I say: “GTFO the topic”
Grammar Maggie,
… isn’t good grammar, now is it?
These kids need improve the grammar as same as the people who defend them. “GTFO the dictionary” or buy “Grammar for Dummies”
cuz the graphics and game play sucks (—-)
The posts about ‘teens’ grammar are ridiculous.
Need backgammon and chess on i phone ?
anyone remember the PS1 (playstation one) game ODDWORLD: ABE’S ODDYSEE and ABE’S EXODUS??? i would LOVE to see them on the AppStore. They could do it i rekon. Plus a game like ‘mushroom wars’ would be cool if they dont have one already…btw where’s Tap Tap Revenge!? or did i just miss it
yeah. I remember it….it was soooooo fun! we actually still have both the game and PS1 in working order.
I miss oddworld…and munch!
How could you leave off Civilization Revolutions… at $6 this was the best investment in my iPod touch ever. I play it more than I use any other function on the iPod (and that’s including music!)
MiniGore is definitely one of my faves!
This is definitely not a must have line-up!, why would you want 10 racing games?
This shows the top ten games in each category. So the first ten games are racing, not specifically the top ten games overall.
cos racing games are the best games
really labryinth is on e of the most amazing games ive played
Labyrinth 2 is even more amazing!
i 100% agree sometimes the old school stradegy games are best
I say: Doodle Jump, best value for money and loads of fun (and frustration!). Doodle is my favourite for 2009
I agree — DoodleJump is the BESt!
Doodle Jump is BY FAR the best application in the App store.. coupled with Words with Friends…
YES. DOODLE FOR THE WIN.
How the hell is baseball superstars and nba live not up there those games are beast
How come Pocket God is not on this list?
Good call on Pocket God. The developer keeps it fresh by constantly adding cool new episodes.
Love the t-rex!!
GeoDefense and GeoDefense Swarm rock!!!!
Why games and not utilities?. Next year the anti-theft
THIEF BUSTER will be on the list, you can bet!
One that seems to be under appreciated is Bump’ny. I like it anyway.
Aha, another Bump’ny fan! Yeah, it’s a cool game, I haven’t found anything that works quite like it, it’s really different.
i CAN not believe that AMATEUR SURGEON from adult swim isn’t on there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u all have 2 get this game…i had it sense it came out and still play it at least 4-5 times a week…..my girl and my 6 year old kid even love it….GET IT NOW
N.O.V.A is totally the best game on the appstore, period! best graphics too.
Party Games weren’t mentioned at all unfortunately. Check out Dirty PartyWord / PartyWord for some fun with the family at Christmas!
Currently i’m playing “iFluenza: swine flu” – and I really like the gameplay (once i figured how to play…)
WHY ISENT TAP TAP REVENGE 2 IS NOT THERE???
MINI GORE IS THE BEST GAME!!
Hey! Where’s Farm Frenzy?! Best casual time management game?!
no tap tap ??
The iPhone game library is looking better and better everyday. They’ve got such amazing titles. Labyrinth with the accelerometers really became a new game and is a lot of fun. Basically, the iPhone introduces different planes of interaction and thus adds many new dimensions to gaming. Another cool game is Doodle Jump. It’s more casual in nature but super addictive. Great fun. Some other good titles I can think of are: Bust a Move, Command & Conquer, Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Monkey Ball and a few more iPhone and iPod touch games.
I recommend Star Defense / Geo Defense and Hero of Sparta as well.
why is fifa 10 not there for?
Hey, how do i put games on my Ipod touch if anyone can help. I aready bought the games from i tunes store
@tony: Your Touch came with a USB cable. Connect this cable between your computer and your Touch. Launch iTunes (if necessary.)
http://www.apple.com/support/ipodtouch/
good grief how stupid can people be???? Like everything Apple, it’s easy and intuitive. If you’re a pc user, forget everything you know, it’s not hard, it makes sense, (which could be why you’re not getting it)
sorry if this looks too detailed…
1-connect the iPod to your computer
2-open iTunes.
3- If you already used copied songs to your Touch than skip this step
Sync the iPod to iTunes (authentication process to let u use your iPod with the iTunes Software on your computer : Music, Movies, Apps, etc..). )
4-On ITunes > go to the applications section on the device(iPod). Should appear under the Store on the left side menu.
5-choose “Sync Applications” (the ones u bought should appear on the screen on the right
6- when sync is complete eject the iPod from the iTunes Software and check if the apps show up on the Touch.
i think that´s it.
POCKET GOD IS ALSOME IF U GET THE CHANCE CHECK IT OUT! ULL LOVE IT!!!
life & hold’em should be listed
Great list, but the one game that always keeps me coming back for more is CopterKid! Graphics are mad good and so so addictive!!
Yes!!! agreed 99.9% Tap tap Revenge 3 is good, and should be on here aswell
LUV POCKET GOD!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT WOULD BE MY #1 GAME TO GET FORTHE iPHONE OR iPOD TOUCH!
OK… Now I’ve gotta get one of those things!!!
WHAT ABOUT iCopter?!?!?!?!?!?! :@
there’s only 3 categories of games?
try the beer game
Can anybody help me with playing games with my daughter she has Ipod touch and I have the Iphone and we want to play against each other
Claudia:
What game or games are you specifically interested in playing head-to-head?
I can try to help you – just drop me a line by e-mail.
Tap Rev online I needed to know how to add her as a friend
I agree with most of this list but of course there are loads of others I’d like to add too. If you’re now to iPhone/iPod Touch gaming then I’d recommend a load of the older titles, such as “Flight Control” – well worth the money and will keep you coming back for a long time. In terms of the newer games, has anyone found “KickSwerve” in the app store? Not without a bug or two but flat-out the most addictive and fun game I’ve played on my iPhone this year!!!
How about medl mobiles Box Head The Zombie Wars?
What happened to “Seed: The Rise of Darkness”? It’s one of the best RPGs out there and it’s FREE! Just because something is free doesn’t mean it’s lame and doesn’t deserve a review. Well for all you old school Zelda fans out there…. get SEED!
all these are lame
these games rulzzz
You have all this time for games LOL I never ever find the time.
Sebastian
Happy New Year
~hug~ someone today, phone your mom and dad!
Nice list, but I would have to add super monkey ball. It’s one of my favorite games since that App Store opened.
Well, Amateur Surgeon is far the best. I think. If someone likes it then I say: Good! You’re my friend.
DoodleJump. Period. Not only the best game on the iTouch, but also the most addictive. Simplicity is best.
In my opinion, the two best games for the itouch/iphone are Zombieville USA & OMG! Pirates
I love Am I Hot? you can literally be in the game LOL
It would be nice to see games that didn’t pay the author for advertisement space. Their are more clever games that should be on lists like this.
subatomics fieldrunners always keeps me fun when im bored, i never get tired because they have 2 new dlc and come out with updates rarely, but when they do they are alot of good updates
funny game- BabyBuilder
The Impossible Quiz
UNO
Traffic Rush (personally favorite)
LightBike
18000 cool jokes
Brick Free
Frames
Spazzle!
iSoda
iMilk
iMunchies
AIM
Facebook
i think tap tap revenge 3 us the best and facebook is the best soical one
JET CAR STUNTS DUDE
Isn't anyone else on here completely addicted to Words with Friends? My friends and I are for sure….
Pingpong tennis game is the best!
Great list, going to check out a few of those I haven't yet downloaded.
i love tap farm, iquarium, fast&furious among others.
I like Crazy Tanks on my Touch. So do my grandkids.
Great upper body work-out!
myTown…. truly one of the best.
Drop 7 is my favorite game by far. It's extremely addictive. I've played it nearly everyday for the past 6 months or more. It doesn't get old like other games. I think the main reason for this is that you have a lot of control in the outcome, unlike games like Bejeweled which rely a lot on luck.
How does one share apps. I see all my playlists but no applications?
a few of my favorite games are…
parking mayhem
crazy penguin catapult 1 and 2
fall down
jelly car
dark nebula
monkey blast
traffic rush
rat on the run
icaption
ilol dogs
funny pics rofl
paper toss
eliminate
text free
a lot of those apps are free so check them out i like every one of them
cool lolz:
Crazy Train is by far the best action puzzler game!
That's a cool looking racing game!
Oh ! ! ! And NFS Undercover is awesome. And I love cricket t20 as well.
penis… try that game guys its great
I would like to add Tap Tap Revenge 1,2 and 3 in there too. (yes I'm a huge fan of tap tap revenge, its really fun).
Thanks for the great list! I travel a lot and I have to say that its a really nice way to spend some long hours in the plane. I would have those 2 suggestion since you haven't mentionned them:
-Monkey Island
-Super Monkey Ball
They are definitely very entertaining to play.
Doodle jump is definetely one of the greatest apps out there
yay im the first comment writer woo hoo even though its not a big deal
Real Racer and Wave Blazer are sick. Incase made it that much better with their new iPod Touch game-case
[...] 15 Must Have Games for the iPadBy Jim DalrympleJune 30, 2010, 10:49 am PTLast winter we presented 30 Must Have Games for the iPhone and iPod touch. That garnered your attention and plenty of comments, so we’re happy to present its natural [...]
I’m surprised Doom Classic isn’t on that list!
Angry Birds is good and so is Amateur Surgeon from Adult swim
Angry Birds! My boyfriend is a developer and whenever he’s not working, he’s playing AB.
woo hoo Dark Nebula ROCKS SOCKS!!!!!
Angry birds is great as is DoodleJump and 3D mini golf
I was scrolling through all these, waiting for someone to say Angry Birds and finally someone did. I absolutely love this game. I just wiped my iPod clean and so I had to start all over, but it is ridiculously addictive, especially trying to get three stars on all levels. For only a buck, it’s pretty great.
Need for Speed Undercover is great…
everybody is missing out on the best game of all PEGGLE!
best puzzle game is Copy Cat! sooooooo addicting
Great list. It’s like you’ve read my mind – I’ve got all of them on my iPhone
… another 2 great games are: geoDefense and Peggle.
Great Blog BTW .. +1 returning visitor
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command and conquer 3 is the best strategy game i played ever, now i have a new game on iphone called plans vs zombies, it’s a great game and highly recommended.
Actually Need for Speed Undercover is the real interesting ipod video game. I very much like this game.