Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2021 i Essential Apple User Magazine

DEVELOPER Gameloft PRICE £2.99 SIZE 161 MB AGE RATING 12+ Although we do like it when developers create unique versions A of their popular console games for the mobile platform involving a side story to the main console or PC title they release, we have found ourselves cursing at our iPhone more than usual during this side scrolling platform game. The main issue is the complete lack of camera adjustment to your situation. You will be running full bore across rooftops with very little visual headway, then all of a sudden a gap appears and down you tumble. On the flip side the developer has done a really nice job with the animations for the combat sequences, especially the assassination moves during stealth mode. If you are a fan of…

DEVELOPER BBC Worldwide PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 0,79€ SIZE 11.4 MB AGE RATING 4+ Hats off to the BBC for its fabulously successful reinvention of Doctor Who. Earlier incarnations of the program were as fondly remembered for their wobbly sets and low-tech effects as for they were for their compelling storylines, memorable baddies and charismatic succession of Doctors. It’s been brought well and truly up to date now though, and replica sonic screwdrivers sit comfortably alongside Ben 10 and Star Wars in toy departments up and down the country. So what’s it all about then? Well, the good Doctor and his flame-haired sidekick Amy Pond have arrived on board a space station in response to a distress signal and what do you know? Those nefarious tin cans the Daleks are behind…

DEVELOPER Fuse Powered Inc. PRICE Free SIZE 24.8 MB AGE RATING 12+ The futuristic adventures of this unhinged lawman, who is only separated from the criminals he “judges” by the motivation behind his actions, seems perfect fodder for gaming success. Yet when judging his many gaming incarnations the instant sense of indifference is quickly replaced by disappointment and anger. Judge Dredd vs. Zombies for iPad and iPhone does little to break with tradition and once again delivers an experience where in the titular character is annoyingly expendable rather than central to the experience. The core gameplay is akin to the arcade classic Smash TV, by placing Dredd in a series of 30 similar locations which are equally limited in size and scope and are filled with an army of unexplained…

DEVELOPER id Software PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 0,79€ SIZE 1.19 GB AGE RATING 12+ Rage, from veteran developer id Software, was launched on PC, Xbox and PS3 earlier this year, and has been a big hit on all three formats. What you may not have known is that there is a version for the iPhone and iPad which has been available since late last year. It’s only an on-rails shooter based on one small area from the sprawling world of the full game but my god, does it look stunning. Think Time Crisis crossed with Doom and you will pretty much have an idea of what this app is going to offer you gameplay-wise. It is played out as a Zombie killing quiz show game, not unlike Mad World on the…

DEVELOPER Jump Games PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 €0.79 SIZE 269MB AGE RATING 9+ Based on sci-fi movie of the same name, Real Steel is kind of like a cross between Robot Wars and Rocky. The success of the Transformers movies proves that everybody likes seeing cool robots bash the heck out of each other and that’s exactly what happens in the game. You select a robotic pugilist to use then you go up against a series of increasingly tough opponents. The simple goal is to reduce them to a pile of twisted metal while avoiding the same thing happening to you. The graphics are very good and the sound effects ensure that every blow lands with a satisfying feeling of weight. Battles are won as much through skill as brute force.…

DEVELOPER Hutch PRICE £1.99 US$2.99 2,39€ SIZE 109 MB AGE RATING 4+ Smash Cops is basically a destruction derby set in a city where the police apprehend felons by hurtling around at full speed, doing donuts and smashing criminals off the road along with half the law-abiding civilian population. If you were to combine those two classic arcade games of the 1980s Chase HQ and APB and then add a weapons-grade dose of steroids this is what you might come up with. 20 levels of fender-bending mayhem stretch before you when you start the game. The most innovative feature is the push control system. You place your finger on the screen just behind your vehicle and kind of drag it to change direction. It takes some getting used to but…

DEVELOPER CAPCOM Co. Ltd. PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 3,99€ SIZE 363 MB AGE RATING 12+ If you are fan of the Street Fighter series then you maybe a little disappointed with this port. Although staying true to the classic style and theme, it’s just lacking in content and value. First you might be curious how a game that relies heavily on a joystick to perform the moves will fair on a touch screen? Well actually it isn’t bad, the developers have clearly spent time making sure the control system works and I think they succeeded. But as a result to make things easier for the new-comers there is the SP button, which basically allows you to pull off the moves without performing the required button combinations. Although handy for the novice,…

DEVELOPER Imangi Studios PRICE Free SIZE 19.5 MB AGE RATING 9+ Single-player swipe controlled games are in essence limited, and this entertaining romp is no different, however unlike the majority of its kin we found ourselves returning for that elusive “one more try” over and over. This hook clearly isn’t inspired by the general structure. As expected, the player assumes the role of one of the five playable characters, running through a series of increasingly complex maze-like platforms and corridors while avoiding numerous hazards as well as a hoard of mutant apes which are always only few steps behind as they give chase. Visually the game offers little in the way of stand-out gloss. the blocky graphics and repeated textures resemble an HD port of an average PSone game. the…

DEVELOPER Namco Networks America PRICE £1.99 US$2.99 €2.39 SIZE 23.4 MB AGE RATING 4+ Back in the mid-90s on-rails lightgun shoot-‘em-ups started to get very popular in the arcades with the likes of Virtua Cop, House of the Dead and of course time Crisis. time Crisis added an extra element to the gameplay in the form of a foot pedal that enabled the player to duck behind cover, giving the game a more interactive and dynamic feel. time Crisis Strike on iOS recreates this by tilting the device backward to take cover and forward to stand up and fire. the system works pretty well. to fire you just tap on your targets and this is less satisfying as it doesn’t really feel like you’re using a weapon. Some sort of…

Most of us lead fairly hum-drum lives, going to school, college or our boring daily jobs, and the closest we get to excitement in an average day is choosing which TV channel to watch after dinner. We might secretly long for a life of adventure, but few of us will ever get to experience it for real. That’s where adventure games come in. Through these games we can live vicariously as Batman or Lara Croft, seeking out adventure and excitement in a fantasy world limited only by the imagination of the game designers and our skill with the controls.…

DEVELOPER Lima Sky PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 0,79€ SIZE 20.1 MB AGE RATING 4+ Simple but addictive. that is probably the easiest way to describe this game and yet it has gained massive popularity. We had heard many things about this game and even the – sadly removed but excellent - subtitle “BE WARNED: Insanely Addictive!” litterally shouted its merits but we remained sceptical. this isn’t because we don’t find games addictive; there are certain versions of time management games that can hold my attention for an unnaturally long time. But normally games that claim they are addictive are really not. this game on the other hand is one very big exception. Not all the platforms are the same in this game, for example the brown ones will break if you…

DEVELOPER Gameloft PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 3,99€ SIZE 238 MB AGE RATING 9+ As far as the graphics and sound go, Rayman 2 is very well put together. Visually it’s similar to the old Dreamcast version and the soundtrack keeps true to the mood of the game. But this doesn’t hold true once you’ve got over the initial nostalgia. Two fundamental aspects of any 3D platformer are the controls and the camera. Controlling Rayman is done with a virtual joystick on the left side of the screen, and a set of buttons on the right are used to jump and toss orbs. Some other buttons appear as needed, such as a dive button while you are in water. The camera is moved by swiping your finger in the desired direction across…

Head back through the history of gaming to the genre that started it all, Arcade. From reproductions of classic arcade games to all new iOS games that offer that trademark blast of quick-fix gaming thrills, this time you don’t need a pocket full of coins to play your favourite games. Arcade games include retro classics like Dragon’s Lair, Street Fighter and Mega Man, as well as new classics in the making such as Angry Birds Space, Jetpack Joyride and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Put your reflexes to the test and see if you can beat that elusive high score!…

DEVELOPER Donut Games PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 €0.79 SIZE 7.9 MB AGE RATING 4+ Donut Games specialises in colourful, simple, addictive games and that sums up Action Driver pretty much in a nutshell. It’s an ideal way to blow off a bit of steam when you’re taking a break from work or whatever. You control a car on an endless left to right scrolling road. Drag the car up and down using your finger to avoid obstacles such as potholes big enough to swallow a car whole, or giant falling boulders. there are also ravines which need to be jumped by hitting the conveniently placed ramps. You can also hit traffic cones and run over dollar signs to collect cash. As you progress, more and more hazards are thrown at you…

DEVELOPER CAPCOM PRICE Free SIZE 319 MB AGE RATING 4+ The legend of Capcom was born in arcades across the world. Their catalogue of classics reads like a history lesson of gaming. So how could any gamer resist having 12 Capcom arcade games in the palm of their hand? All of those amazing classic titles, such as Street Fighter II, Final Fight, Ghosts ‘n Goblins, Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, Commando, 1942 and more for free? Alas while the concept and sadder still the execution are sound, the complete reliance on in-app purchases for long term play is incredibly harmful. You get just ten credits free, and once those are gone you must either purchase more or purchase the individual games themselves, and sadly they don’t come cheap. If this app was…

DEVELOPER FDG Entertainment PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 €0.79 SIZE 31.7 MB AGE RATING 17+ Appearances can be deceptive and that certainly goes for this odd little game from FDG Entertainment. It started out as a flash game but it’s been released as an app for iOS devices and it’s well worth checking out, if you’re 17 or older of course. You play the role of a hitman in a highly stylized world of sparse but cool graphics inhabited by stick figures that pack far more personality than you might have thought possible. the main goal is to take on a series of hits for various clients which earn you money. this can be used to buy better rifles. there’s also a boxing mini game where you can earn extra cash beating…

DEVELOPER CAVE CO PRICE £1.99 US$2.99 €2.39 SIZE 125 MB AGE RATING 9+ Cave is one of the kings of the hardcore ‘bullet hell’ style of shoot-‘em-up that remain hugely popular in Japan. The genre is typified by entire screens filled with waves of swirling enemy bullets. At the same time your own ship blasts out a constant and seemingly unstoppable torrent of pure firepower to the point where it’s hard to actually tell what’s going on at all. This is gaming at it’s most pure and intense. Total ‘in the zone’ concentration is needed along with lightning reflexes and precision movement every step of the way. It’s eye-melting stuff and certainly won’t be to everybody’s taste. To use slightly inappropriate vernacular, this will be heaven to bullet hell fans.…

DEVELOPER Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH PRICE £1.49 SIZE 16.4 MB AGE RATING 12+ Unlike the more visceral thrills of Resident Evil, Konami’s entry into the survival horror genre Silent Hill offered more psychological horrors. the series saw gamers entering into a fog-shrouded nightmare world, where the macabre tone and terrifying character design offered no escape from the darkness. Silent Hill wasn’t exactly fun, but remains an experience never matched and one firmly embedded in gaming history, until, that is, the sequel machine began turning. Silent Hill for iOS manages to retain a level of the original’s dark tone and atmospheric style, but the maze-like structure is very limiting both in terms of narrative and lifespan. Most unforgivable is that experienced players will have their fondly remembered Silent Hill expectations turned…

The key to a great game is the fun you can have with it, and what could be more fun than running around with oversized weaponry, battling against hordes of enemies and causing stuff to blow up? Action games are all about excitement, adventure and adrenaline-pumping combat, and no other genre can offer you a more explosive gaming experience than this! Whether you’re defending the Earth from alien invasion, defeating Nazis in World War 2 or just helping some Angry Birds get their eggs back, dive right in to these amazing applications and get your pulse pounding!…

DEVELOPER Rovio Mobile Ltd PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 €0.79 SIZE 15.8 MB AGE RATING 4+ Released for Halloween 2011, Angry Birds Seasons started as a shameless cash-in, offering new content which was little more than a standard free Angry Birds update, but for a price. Initial reaction was far from favourable, but as the game has developed and new content has been added, what started life as an inferior follow-up has grown into a superior game in its own right. If you haven’t discovered this title then you’re in for a treat. Upon launch the first screen is the main menu, from where you can choose which unlocked stage you wish to play, check out the achievements list, use Game Center to compare scores with the rest of the world, adjust…

DEVELOPER Lima Sky PRICE £1.99 US$2.99 2,39€ SIZE 30.7 MB AGE RATING 4+ Doodle Jump finds you in control of a bizarre fireball-spitting creature on an endless journey, jumping through various themed platform filled stages, with a mix of hazards and power-ups to aid and end your quest. Like many early iOS games your goal harks back to the early days of gaming, to simply claim the highest score. However modern gamers will find this little motivation to play, and the frankly awful (a matter of taste of course) hand-drawn graphics may prove equally off-putting to a contemporary audience. As with most retro classics the addictive gameplay is the key to the hold this game will have upon you. Beating your top score is massively satisfying and with one click…

DEVELOPER lugames Inc. PRICE 0.69 US$0.99 0,79€ SIZE 218 MB AGE RATING 9+ During the 16-Bit era of home consoles long ago, almost every licensed game would be an action platformer. From The Simpsons to The X-Men no-one was safe from this over-used sub-genre. The two became so interconnected and overly familiar, the damage done to the credibility of the platforming gaming style and the licensed game industry is still felt today. Thankfully the cast of Family Guy not only survive the retro styling of this game but somehow manage to restore a little faith in it! From the lush visuals to the fiendish level design, developer Glu has taken everything that makes both the TV show and this style of game so enjoyable and blended them into one excellent…

DEVELOPER Namco PRICE £4.99 US$6.99 5,49€ SIZE 93.8 MB AGE RATING 4+ If you don’t know what Katamari is, it’s a game where you have ball and your job is to make it into a very big ball. Do this by rolling over objects which stick to your ball, starting off with small objects and getting bigger as your ball grows. Each level has different objects, and the levels are very well designed and look just like any version of Katamari that you will find for any other game system. the storyline is that you are creating Katamari in order to replace the stars that the King of All Cosmos knocked out of the sky. He will send you to different places and have you roll a Katamari big enough…

DEVELOPER Warner Bros PRICE £1.49 US$1.99 1,59€ SIZE 42.1 MB AGE RATING 12+ How you appreciate the collection of games on offer here will depend a lot on your age. If you’re under 30 then you’ll probably turn it off in disgust within seconds. Even if you are old enough to remember the likes of APB, Total Carnage, Spy Hunter and Defender with affection you still have to be a fairly committed retro gamer to enjoy them now in any way more meaningful than a brief trip down memory lane. APB, Total Carnage, NARC, Gauntlet and Gauntlet II are available as in-app purchases. The basic app comes with Spy Hunter Rampage, Joust, Root Beer Tapper, Defender, Arch Rival and basic arcade versions of air hockey, basketball, pool and Roll Ball.…

DEVELOPER TAITO Corporation PRICE £7.99 US$11.99 €9.99 SIZE 37.5 MB AGE RATING 4+ This hardcore shooter from Taito first hit arcades in the early 90s. It was also released with the title Layer Section. It’s very much in the traditional scrolling shooter style with wave after wave of enemies flying at you from all angles and large bosses to deal with at the end of each stage. The action is fast and frenetic with the screen often literally filled with projectiles. A lot of these are your own thanks to good old autofire which is available as one of the control options. To optimize the game for iOS you can choose touch control where you drag your ship with your finger, your cannons constantly blast a stream of projectiles while…

DEVELOPER Capcom Co. Ltd. PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 3,99€ SIZE 77.6 MB AGE RATING 9+ Set six years after the destruction of Raccoon City, Leon S. Kennedy – formerly a Raccoon City cop – is on a top-secret mission to rescue Ashley Graham, the President’s daughter. You will encounter unimaginable horrors and must discover who or what is behind everything. The game sports some of the best 3D graphics ever seen on an iPhone game, using a third-person perspective for an intense experience. Getting used to the controls may take a while and at times they can be slightly awkward. A nifty feature is the ability to reload your weapon by shaking your iPhone. After you have completed the game you will unlock “Mercenary Mode”, which is a completely separate mission…

DEVELOPER Gameloft PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 3,99€ SIZE 510 MB AGE RATING 12+ Once a mighty franchise, the Splinter Cell series has lost a lot of its vigour in the eyes of gamers, and alas it would appear this iPhone version isn’t going to put the series back on target. Once again playing as Sam Fisher, you take on the role of a highly skilled Special Forces operative and fight a corrupted secret agency to get your daughter back. Follow a trail of intrigue that leads from Iraq to a high-security building in Washington. Run, jump, fight, and shoot to get to your goal or maintain stealth by improvising weapons from with nearby objects without attracting too much attention of your foes. That’s what you would think anyway, since stealth has…

DEVELOPER TAITO Corporation PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 €3.99 SIZE 3.1 MB AGE RATING 4+ A long with Pac-Man and Pong, Space Invaders is the ultimate in Retro Gaming. the simplistic, pixelated image of the Space Invader is even more iconic in gaming now than it was when the first Space Invaders arcade cabinets appeared all the way back in 1978. now approaching its 35th birthday, the influence of Space Invaders on gaming and modern popular culture in general cannot be overestimated. the graphics are basic and the gameplay rudimentary at best but it sets out the basic framework for so much of what has come since. In fact it could be aregued that until the Wii came along and introduced a new way to interact with games, that almost every game…

DEVELOPER Andreas Illiger PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 0,79€ SIZE 10.2 MB AGE rating 4+ The natural successor to Angry Birds as the iPhone’s favourite ornithological arcade puzzle game is here. Tiny Wings shares quite a few similarities with Angry Birds and these are immediately apparent. The main protagonist is a chubby little bird who gets launched from left to right across a colourful, scrolling 2D landscape. The aim in Tiny Wings is simply to travel as far as possible. As the title suggests, your little bird only has tiny wings so he can’t fly very far. Instead he must slide down slopes on his belly to gather momentum then launch himself into the air off the crests of hills. He can flap his wings to fly a little but soon falls…

DEVELOPER THQ Inc PRICE £1.99 US$2.99 €2.39 SIZE 30.4 MB AGE RATING 12+ With its emphasis on floor grapples UFC isn’t the easiest fighting style to simulate in a game. THQ’s console interpretations have pleased fans of the sport but don’t have much appeal to casual players. Can the game still stand up on iOS devices despite the control limitations? The answer is yes and no. The developers have tried to make you use of the touch screen so you have a big punch and kick button. Swiping across these performs differnet punches and kicks. When you get into a grapple you can then perform a series of swipes as prompted on screen to get your opponent to submit. The result is a fairly stilted and unfluid fighting game that…

DEVELOPER CAPCOM PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 €3.99 SIZE 91.7 MB AGE RATING 9+ Most people like a good courtroom drama but it’s not a movie genre that lends itself to video games in any obvious way. Trust the Japanese to make the impossible possible. Phoenix Wright made his first (court) appearance on Nintendo DS and now the game’s been ported to iOS devices so even more people can enjoy this strange, off the wall and totally fun game for themselves. As Phoenix, you must take on five cases defending the accused from various wrong-doings. Each case starts out with an investigative phase in which you piece together evidence and try to decide upon the best strategy with which to get your client off. In the second phase it’s off to the…

DEVELOPER Gameloft PRICE £4.99 US$6.99 5,49€ SIZE 584 MB AGE RATING 12+ Gameloft is at the forefront of mobile gaming and has created some hugely impressive titles in recent years. The technology that’s being packed into mobile devices these days is very powerful indeed but when a game as impressive-looking as Backstab comes along it still causes the average person to stop and think ‘wow’! Good as they are, the iPhone and iPad aren’t going to be challenging Xbox360 or PlayStation 3 as most people’s gaming platform of choice, but games like Backstab offer clear evidence that they’re not as far behind as some might think. Mobile gaming doesn’t have to be all about Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies. Backstab plunges you into beautifully realized Napoleonic world of action…

DEVELOPER Gameloft PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 3,99€ SIZE 202 MB AGE RATING 9+ Avatar the game begins years before the setting for the Avatar movie. After starting a new game and selecting a difficulty level you will be taken to the “training facility”. This is where you will learn how to use all of the basic controls as you collect items. The entire first level is set up like an obstacle course and it gives you a chance to practice all the basic controls before you get into the main game. The controls are pretty easy to get used to – there is a control pad in the bottom left corner of the screen and a couple of buttons on the right side that allow you to different things based on…

DEVELOPER Konami Digital Entertainment PRICE £1.49 US$1.99 1,59€ SIZE 249 MB AGE RATING 9+ As contradictory as it may sound Konami’s first MgS game for the iPhone is one least likely to appeal to fans of the console series. It ignores the expected third-person viewpoint mixture of exploration, stealth and action, instead opting for a light-gun shooting gallery. Worst still the inclusion of familiar characters and locations serve to remind fans of what it could have been. Despite this the game plays well enough, with the player tapping the screen to target enemies, and using the same cover and shooting mechanics of genre standard, Time Crisis. With the bonus of additional weaponry, sniper rifles and rPg’s and some impressive end of stage bosses, even casual gamers will breeze through the…

DEVELOPER Somethin’ Else PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 3,99€ SIZE 122 MB AGE RATING 12+ Forget your consoles because the iPhone is now home to one of the most original games in many a long year. to give it some context, Papa Sangre is a stealth adventure. the player must negotiate room after room where lurk various monsters that would like nothing better than to tear you limb from limb. the basic aim is to sneak around them, get to the exit and get out. So far so mundane, where’s the originality in that, you cry. Well Papa Sangre’s world is some kind of land of the dead and it’s completely pitch black. You literally can’t see anything. In other words there are no graphics. nada. Zippo. Developer Somethin’ Else has created…

DEVELOPER Gameloft PRICE £4.99 US$6.99 5,49€ SIZE 568 MB AGE RATING 17+ First person shooters have faired rather well on the iPhone and iPad, with several entries in the genre both performing and playing decently, and titles such as N.O.V.A and Eliminate Pro offer solid single and multi-player thrills. With this follow up to the mildly disappointing Modern Combat: Sandstorm, Gameloft has corrected the vast majority of the flaws that were present in the original, most notably tightening the control method and improving the online multiplayer mode. As a single player experience the game is well thought-out and enjoyable, offering a decent lifespan with twelve missions, and a good variety of objectives, weaponry and locations. Whilst Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus is unquestionably fun there is little in the way…

DEVELOPER Gameloft PRICE £4.99 US$6.99 5,49€ SIZE 1.05 GB AGE RATING 17+F Fallen Nation is the third instalment of Gameloft’s franchise, possibly best described as an homage to Activision’s extremely popular ‘Call of Duty’ series of console and PC games. However with the release of the sequel to MC2: Black Pegasus we were all taken by surprise by just how much both the single player and the multiplayer modes have been improved. The developers clearly have a talent for pushing the limitations of the iOS platform. With the release of Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation yet again it seems this Midas touch is in no danger of losing its shine. As any gamers who have previously signed up for Modern Combat will agree the franchise has always been home to…

DEVELOPER Gameloft PRICE £4.99 US$6.99 5,49€ SIZE 467 MB AGE RATING 9+ “Spider-man, Spider-man. Does whatever a spider can!” Although arguably the world’s favourite superhero (sorry Supes), and with a series of smash-hit movies to his credit, Spidey’s career in games has previously been rather less than heroic. Until now, that is. We true believers finally have a game worthy of our favourite Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-man. Gameloft’s Spider-man: Total Mayhem takes place in the “universe” of Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-man series, and offers game play just as overblown as the great comic book visuals. Spidey isn’t limited to just “catching thieves, just like flies” because the game features six of the comic’s most over-the-top super-villains, including Sandman, Rhino, Electro, Venom, Dr. Octopus and of course Green Goblin! “Look out! Here comes…

DEVELOPER Kronos Games PRICE £1.99 US$2.99 2,39€ SIZE 15 MB AGE RATING 4+ Bowling seems to be one of the most suitable sports for the B causal console gamer, just ask the millions of Nintendo Wii owners, yet how does bowling fit on iOS? We have to admit that when we played our first game the controls seemed quite difficult, but this only adds an extra challenge to the game. It’s not just another one of those games that you can figure out a formula that will get you a strike every time. Every little detail in your shot counts. A lot of the other bowling apps available lack a decent physics engine, but this one gets it just right. In some bowling apps it is almost impossible to pick…

DEVELOPER Atari PRICE Free SIZE 19.6 MB AGE RATING 12+ Retro home gaming is a polarising subject. Fans will proclaim their rose tinted love for the long gone era of “classic” gaming, where imagination played just as big a part in the gaming experience as grasping the joypad, while the rest of us will look on in bemusement at the little awkward sprites and squelching sound effects that are bafflingly bringing aficionados such amusement. This collection of “Greatest Hits” from the once mighty Atari offers a selection of 18 arcade games, which do admittedly hold the interest briefly, and a total of 92 Atari 2600 games which were cutting edge over 30 years ago but now look horrible and are worse to play. to make matters worse, you have to…

DEVELOPER Namco Networks America PRICE £1.99 US$2.99 €2.39 SIZE 28.4 MB AGE RATING 4+ Another classic game from the days when arcades were king returns to delight a new generation of players as well as those who remember the original. Dig Dug was released in 1982 and follows a similar blueprint to Pac-Man. there are however enough differences to give it its own identity. It’s a little bit more strategic although it lacks the sheer intensity of Pac-Man when it’s fully heated up. the basic idea is to dig down through each single screen level eliminating baddies as you go. You can do this by lieing in wait for them then inflating them with your biscycle pump until they pop or luring them under loose rocks which fall and crush…

DEVELOPER Game Jelly Online PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 0,79€ SIZE 3.2 MB AGE RATING 12+ At first glance this app seems more suited to the entertainment category of the App Store than the Games section. You’ve probably seen this daring but stupid game played in movies, but hopefully you’ve never been foolish enough to try it for real! Place your hand on the iPad screen and then tap around your fingers to mimic the stabbing motion. the faster you tap, the faster your score mounts up. If you do happen to make contact with your fingers, you will spill some virtual blood! A game like this is limited to social groups as it gets tired very quickly for the single player. the visuals are well done and when in a group…

DEVELOPER Freeverse, Inc PRICE Free SIZE 54.9 MB AGE RATING 4+ Skee-Ball, for anyone who’s not come across it, is a game usually found in American amusement arcades in which players roll balls up an alley with a ramped lip at then end and try to ‘skip’ them into cups. the harder the cup is to hit, the more points it’s worth. this game from Freeverse does a pretty good job of recreating the experience. You roll the ball by flicking your finger down the alley. the length and speed of your flick determines the power of your shot and the angle gives it direction. When the ball is in the air you can tilt the iPad left or right to swerve it if necessary. there are achievements to earn,…

DEVELOPER SEGA PRICE £1.99 US$2.99 2,39€ SIZE 4 MB AGE RATING 4+ SEGA really had something going back in the 90’s with our blue friend Sonic. His cool demeanour and fancy tricks made for such an addictive game. Now with this port of the 1991 version, which first appeared on the MegaDrive/Genesis, you can now re-live the old days of 2D greatness. The problem is, they haven’t done a very good job of converting it over to the iPhone. With the need to have lightning reflexes to make those pinpoint jumps to gather rings or avoid Dr. Robotniks little nasties, you’ll find the control system just doesn’t quite cut it. Graphically it’s much as expected but there seems to be some emulation issues, resulting in jagged movement. If you are…

DEVELOPER John and Eric PRICE £1.49 US$1.99 1,59€ SIZE 5 MB AGE RATING 9+ This is a simple app that allows you to become the hero of stick figures and take out everyone in sight. Stickbo is a very simply designed game in which you attack wave after wave of enemy stick figures with a variety of weapons. At times it can be a little hard to aim the gun and there is just not enough challenge or variation to the game. You get an insane amount of health, almost to the point where it appears that the character may be immortal. While it may not be the most challenging or the most strategy filled game, it is really great when you have a few moments and you just want…

DEVELOPER Chillingo Ltd PRICE £2.49 SIZE 103 MB AGE RATING 9+ The tower defence game is a staple of the App Store. The real-time weapons placement and short gameplay bursts seem perfect for a portable touch screen device. While we are big fans of this genre we have found ourselves getting a little tired of the predictable gameplay. The setting and plot may change but the concept of defending your base using various static weapons from waves of approaching enemies has remained the same. However just as fatigue appeared to have set in, Anomaly Warzone Earth has blasted on to the iOS and flipped the tower defence genre on its head. This time you take control of the attacking craft as they battle through the landscape avoiding or destroying the…

DEVELOPER Chillingo PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 0,79€ SIZE 268 MB AGE RATING 4+ The platforming genre is surely the most enduring in videogame history. Its roots can be traced back to the very earliest days of home computing with the likes of Hunchback and Jet Set Willy. Nintendo set the standard with the 2D Mario games but there have been many other well-loved entries in the platforming pantheon. The reason for its ongoing popularity is that it embodies the purest elements of what video games are about, and developer Chillingo has captured that with Fancy Pants. It first came to the attention of gamers as a Flash game and has since been made available as an Xbox Live Arcade title, and now you can play it on your iPad too. The…

DEVELOPER Halfbrick Studios PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 €0.79 SIZE 18.5 MB AGE RATING 4+ Most people agree that ninjas are pretty cool. A lot of people also like fruit. Combine the two and you’re surely onto a good thing. Halfbrick Studios did combine the two and they came up with one of the most enduring and addictive mobile games available. As with many of the best mobile games, the concept and gameplay is simple but it’s the execution and presentation that makes it so addictive. Various types of fruit fly up in the air and you have to slice and dice them with your ninja sword by swiping across them before the disappear. Bombs complicate matters as swiping these will cause you to lose a life. Lose three lives or miss…

DEVELOPER Namco Networks America PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 €3.99 SIZE 22.9 MB AGE RATING 4+ Starring the cute dinosaurs Bub and Bob from Bubble Bobble, Puzzle Bobble first hit the arcades back in 1986 and has appeared on just about every gaming platform since. Unlike the more action-oriented games of its era, Puzzle Bobble’s gameplay hasn’t really dated and it’s still as addictive as it ever was. the graphics and this version are particularly appealing as you fire coloured bubbles from a catapult, attempting to match like colours together to pop them and clear the screen. It’s a lot of money to pay but this is a timeless game that you’ll still be playing months and even years from now. It’s pure playability above everything else and this is probably the…

DEVELOPER Firemint PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 3,99€ SIZE 430 MB AGE RATING 4+ After the original Real Racing brought console quality racing to A the iPhone, this $2 million sequel is a shining example of just what can be accomplished on the iPad. It’s clear to see where that monster budget went with fifteen locations, forty miles of track and up to sixteen cars racing simultaneously. These are impressive numbers indeed. Graphically it’s magnificent, with solid, smooth backdrops, seamless visual effects and even some cool damage modelling on the cars. No expense has been spared on the mechanics either. A host of toggleable driving aids are included enabling it to be played as an arcade blast, a true simulation or many shades in between. A career mode and wealth of customisation…

DEVELOPER Madfinger Games PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 3,99€ SIZE 239 MB AGE RATING 12+ Shadowgun is a great looking game from Madfinger that offers more than a passing nod to the mighty Gears of War series, the third and final outing of which recently hit home consoles. Shadowgun copies the tried and trusted combination of hugely muscled men in powerful looking armour with enormous guns fighting mutant beasties with the emphasis on cover rather than run-and-gun. There’s even a liberal sprinkling of banter and one-liners as found in not only Gears of War but also Epic’s other blast-everything-that-moves-to-bits extravaganza Bulletstorm. There’s plenty to praise about Shadowgun. It looks superb with excellent HD graphics and the movement is handled well. Your character automatically assumes cover position when running into appropriate positions and…

DEVELOPER PlayFirst PRICE £1.49 US$1.99 1,59€ SIZE 9.7 MB AGE RATING 4+ The “Dash” series of games has recently become extraordinary popular. They have little to no story line and basically offer little more than repetitive tasks. Why then are they so popular and fun to play? Well for many of us the cute graphics and levels that get more and more challenging and offer more features as you go, can actually be very addictive. Spongebob Diner Dash is no different. For me the Dash games have reached the end of their entertainment value but I do have a soft spot for Spongebob Squarepants. I can’t exactly explain why but it’s just fun nonsense that is great to watch when you just need a reason to smile. As you progress…

DEVELOPER NamcoBandai Games Inc. PRICE Free SIZE 55 MB AGE RATING 4+ The all-time heavyweight champion of the beat-‘em-up genre, tekken was made famous by its innovative but instinctive control mechanics, its cast of bizarre characters and the unique mini games that the console versions brought with them. With this in mind the decision to bring the Tekken franchise to App Store, to sit alongside fellow legends of the genre Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, but introduce it with the bowling mini-game from its PS2 début still seems slightly strange. Tekken Bowl is exactly what you would expect from the title, a bowling game. Featuring only three characters from the console version, the gameplay is enhanced by a complete HD graphical overhaul. the game is split over three modes; single…

DEVELOPER Electronic Arts PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 0,79€ SIZE 51.3 MB AGE RATING 12+ While this is not an exact replica of the original arcade game, it is very similar. the main menu has several options, including the ability to set what music you listen to from within the game. this option allows you to select any music from your iPod instead of listening to the default music in the game. I did find one thing a bit disappointing. In the original arcade game you could control several different characters, but in this version you only get to control Homer. However since the story is new and original that does go some way towards making up for the lack of playable characters. As you progress through the game you do get…

DEVELOPER Disney PRICE Free SIZE 187 MB AGE rating 9+ Having been one of the few people on the face of the planet to have enjoyed Tron Legacy I have been soaking up as much Tron-based media as possible in anticipation of the potential third sequel. Naturally therefore, as soon as I saw this official Tron app I jumped right on it. At first it only had the Tanks game but a recent update has introduced the infamous Light Bike game. Handling on this however is tricky and requires some distinctive over-exaggerated swipes to be sure the Light Bike actually turns. It does have some cool powerups, but I have to admit I wasn’t overly impressed with the Light Bike mode. The Tank mode however is much more fun. One…

DEVELOPER Mika Mobile PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 0,79€ SIZE 26.7 MB AGE RATING 9+ The whole zombie thing is getting quite tiresome now, but there’s always room for one more as long as it tackles the subject with some originality, inspiration or zest. Despite being extremely basic in gameplay terms, Zombieville USA has enough charm that you’ll find yourself quite happily mowing down yet another zombie horde with an assortment of pistols, rifles, shotguns, automatic weapons, flamethrowers, chainsaws (of course) and more. The setup is simple. You play a trucker-looking type of dude whose town has been overrun by zombies. It’s a left-to-right scrolling shooter in which you kill the zombies, enter houses for more ammo and cash which you can spend on weapon upgrades at the end of each level.…

DEVELOPER Disney PRICE £2.99 SIZE 53.5 MB AGE RATING 4+ This is Disney’s app store spin off to tim Burton’s movie, and you don’t have to play it for long to realise that it’s lost in the grey area between platform and puzzle game. Let’s break it down to examine this “game of two halves” a little deeper. the platforming sections work very well, the controls are fluid and react well to the player’s onscreen movements. taking control of the various playable characters is easy, if somewhat lacking in speed. Each character you take control of has a unique skill set which alters the gameplay and adds variety. the level design is quite inventive in places, and graphically the game beautifully reproduces the colour and spectacle of the source material.…

DEVELOPER Fire Maple Games PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 0,79€ SIZE 40.8 MB AGE RATING 4+ If you’re a fan of classic point-and-click puzzle games, in particular I the likes of Myst, then you’re going to love this delightful adventure from Fire Maple Games. After a brief introduction, which doesn’t really have much bearing on the actual game itself, you’re deposited in a jungle full of Inca-style ruins and the puzzling begins. the game is made up of lots of different locations. You click the screen exit point on each to move to the next. this might be a path, a door or a ladder. Each screen contains various items. Some can be collected, some can be moved or manipulated in other ways and some can be used with items you have…

DEVELOPER Gameloft PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 3,99€ SIZE 156 MB AGE RATING 12+ There have been a lot of games that have attempted to take on the iPhone FPS genre, but very few that have succeeded in being more than just eye candy with a half-baked interface thrown over them. Thankfully what you get with N.O.V.A. – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance is a game with a deep storyline, a great user interface, plenty of weapons and even an online multiplayer experience. The single player campaign offers 13 levels with varying terrain and enemies. There are three difficulty levels that allow anyone to enjoy this game without getting too frustrated. This game has set the bar high for FPS games and very few have managed to match it. RATING…

DEVELOPER Rovio Mobile Ltd. PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 €0.79 SIZE 15.7 MB AGE RATING 4+ Angry Birds is the number one success story in mobile gaming. Its popularity has moved beyond the merely successful to become an actual phenomenon. Everyone knows about Angry Birds, even people who don’t own a smart phone or tablet. The Angry Birds themselves appear on merchandise including socks, plush toys and more. It’s hard to put your finger on exactly why it’s been the success that it has. It is, after all, a very simple idea in a market place full of very simple ideas. In fact when you break it down it’s little more than ademonstration of a physics engine. “Angry Birds Space introduces a whole new element into the mix that really freshens up…

DEVELOPER Gameloft PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 0,79 SIZE 805 MB AGE RATING 4+ Gameloft is one of the biggest and most highly regarded names in the App Store, launching a huge range of high quality games for the iOS format while keeping the prices low. With its focus clearly on providing high quality mobile gaming, and an impressive back catalogue to show for it, Gameloft’s pedigree is beyond question. So if you are seeking not only a very playable racing game but also a graphical showcase for your iPhone, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline must be your first choice. Our experience of the long running Asphalt franchise is limited to Asphalt Urban GT and its sequel on the Nintendo DS, and in comparison to those, this iPhone instalment takes pole position right from…

DEVELOPER Electronic Arts PRICE £1.99 US$2.99 2,39€ SIZE 346 MB AGE RATING 9+ After the critical success of the original Dragon’s Lair for the iPhone and iPad, of which we are massive fans, we were delighted that its rarely seen sequel was now available on iOS devices. Could the adventure live up to the previous instalment? Playing as Dirk, you are presented with eight stages of overblown and exciting action as you attempt to battle your way through time to save your beloved Princess Daphne, yet again. You have the four directional arrows and your sword to help you in your journey and it can get tricky and at times frustrating as you try to follow the on screen directions with perfect precision. The game really relies on getting just…

DEVELOPER Full Fat PRICE £0.69 US$0.99 0,79€ SIZE 62.6 MB AGE RATING 4+ Now this is a tricky one; if this app had been called Flick Driving! we strongly suspect that we would be adding a couple of extra stars to our review score. However for a game that proclaims to have “Reinvented” the golf game, to find that sinking the ball in the hole is merely optional shows that this reinvention is more than a little ill-conceived. the control method is fantastic; swipes replace the standard power bar and the ability to add spin and curve by rapidly tapping the screen is indeed inventive and pleasingly instinctive. However while this game may involve flags, greens, bunkers, balls and clubs it simply isn’t golf! Each hole is little more than…

DEVELOPER Room Candy Games PRICE £1.49 US$1.99 1,59€ SIZE 12.2 MB AGE RATING 9+ Squeezing zits is a teenage rite of passage that most of us could well do without. At least when the teenage years are over you can forget all about it, right? Well, wrong actually. Thanks to Room Candy you get to re-live your teenage years all over again! While many games aim to recreate scintillating pastimes that few of us will get to experience for ourselves, such as crashing a Ferrari or playing in a rock band, Pimple Popper simulates the most of heinous of teenage afflictions. So gross-out comedy has come to the iPhone and, as is the case with the vast majority of entries in that genre, it’s a one-trick pony that quickly outstays…

DEVELOPER Namco Networks America Inc PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 €3.99 SIZE 360 MB AGE RATING 12+ Seeing Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy up and running for the first time on an iPad is one of those wow moments. It takes up the mantle of AfterBurner and more recently the Ace Combat series of games (also by Namco) to bring adrenaline pumping arcade dog fighting into the palm of your hand and featuring a whole catalogue of the greatest combat aircraft in history from the P-51 Mustang to the F-22 Raptor via the SR71 Blackbird and more. The first things you’ll notice are the speed and sheer volume of things whizzing around in the air. Much of the action takes place at extremely low altitudes as well so you’ll find yourself swerving down…

DEVELOPER WMIT PRICE Free SIZE 10.6 MB AGE RATING 4+ WMIT’s Snake ‘97 has completely divided the team, but the battle lines offer an interesting division far beyond “like or dislike”. The casual gamers have thrown their support behind it, while the more seasoned gamers throw up their hands in disbelief at such an endorsement. In the interests of unity we have decided to take a look at this free version, which removes all but a single gameplay and two control methods from the paid version. For those of you too young to remember, back in the prehistoric era of the mid-90s, before huge full-colour screens and HD-quality graphics were the norm, mobile phone screens were limited to an 84x48 grid of grey-on-green pixels. Despite this limitation there were some…

DEVELOPER Dragon’s Lair LLC PRICE £2.99 US$4.99 3,99€ SIZE 248 MB AGE RATING 9+ More Don Bluth interactive animation from the 1980’s laser disc arcade hardware finds it way to the App Store. This game, while popular, never achieved the same level of admiration as the earlier Dragon’s Lair and it is easy to see why. After the overkill of interactive cinema in the current generation of consoles games, from Sony’s God of War to Microsoft’s Halo 3 ODST, the single tap controls and gameplay style seem rather cliché. Which is shame as this game is great fun but when held in comparison with Dragon’s Lair, the flaws become to obvious to ignore. First the animation is too fast-paced which fails to raise the excitement levels as intended; in fact…