Ilounge 2008 Buyers' Guide
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
100Best Apps+Games There are over 5,500 third-party applications in the iPod touch and iPhone App Store, the most expensive of which was a $999.99 program called “I Am Rich.” Apple pulled that title, declaring it useless, but left hundreds of other clunkers up for download. Some are free. Most sell for $20 or less. Few users have time to sort through them. Guess who’s been scouring the Store every week since it opened? That’s right: lucky, lucky us. We’ve actually been watching iTunes for new software since 2006, downloading every single iPod Game that Apple released. Now we’ve assembled a list of the 100 best apps and games we’ve tested - for iPhones, iPod touches, and Click Wheel iPods - focusing on titles with mainstream appeal rather than ones made for narrow audiences. Inside, you’ll see only the good stuff, including games - the Store’s most popular genre - and apps that let you create art, share photos, record audio, stream music, buy movie tickets, and much more. 62 2009 Buyers’ Guide 100 best apps + games Trism Aqua Forest Tetris Bubble Bash The iPhone’s best original Mixing Japanese cartoon Better than the many Available for iPods and puzzle game has you graphics and an amazing versions that have iPhones, this bubble- match colored triangles fluid simulator, this come before, this one busting game has by tilting and touching unique puzzle game adds touch- and shake- tropical themes and lots the screen. Multiple needs turns and touches controlled attacks to help of levels; it’s aim- and modes, great fun. $3 to control liquids. $8 clear colored blocks. $8 time-pressured. $5 Super Breakout Tap Tap Revenge Bejeweled 2 Diamond Twister The official sequel to the As one of the only rhythm Both iPods and iPhones A cheaper Bejeweled arcade game is the best games for the iPhone, this have versions of this variant, this one changes iPhone block-buster, has you tap a bar at three “match 3 gems in a line” the number of on-screen complete with element- points as balls touch it, to game, but the iPhone gems and introduces themed art, music, and the beat of music. A new version has better effects both “reward gems” and a new power-ups. $5 song, every week. FREE and more jewels. $8 storyline. $5 Block Breaker 2 Brain Challenge KuGon GalCon While the iPod original Sold for iPods and A puzzle game for math With great touch-based is good, the iPhone iPhones, this clone of nerds? Yes - use logic to controls, you launch Breakout clone is great - Nintendo’s Brain Age figure out which numbers ships at enemy planets tons of powerups, action, keeps you quickly solving fit into empty spaces on to conquer single-screen and a two-player mode, trivia questions to raise a grid. It’s better than it galaxies. Many modes all intense + fun. $5 your brain’s acuity. $10 sounds. Really. $3 and multiplayer, too. $5 100 best apps + games 2009 Buyers’ Guide Blackjack 21 MotionX Poker Solitaire Forever Texas Hold’em Making blackjack Impressively realistic, this Hiding 150 different Based on the iPod poker worthwhile as a paid dice-based poker game solitaire games behind an game, the iPhone version game is tough, but this lets you shake to roll five interface that is as flashy sells for the same price one’s many features - art, dice into winning hands. or flat as you prefer, this and features higher-res gambling, and rules - Great art and unlocked title makes great use of artwork, new levels and make it worthwhile. $2 features, simple play. $2 the iPhone’s 3-D. $6 wi-fi multiplayer. $5 Moonlight Mahjong nikoli Sudoku Platinum Sudoku Zen Pinball: R One of our favorite Fans of the popular For sheer scale, no The lack of truly great iPhone tile-matching number-based puzzle Sudoku title can compare pinball games pushes games uses 3-D to let game can play Hudson’s with this one, which has this one to the top, a you solve gravity-defying “official” Volume 1 with tons of themes, fonts, and complete 3-D model of puzzles that would be Japanese or Arabic songs, plus Kakuro, a full a rollercoaster-themed impossible in reality. $5 numerals, plus music. $6 second game. $2 machine that tilts. $5 De Blob MazeFinger aMaze! Topple As action games go, this Use your finger to trace Though the very similar Think Tetris in a cartoon “run around coloring an electric path through Labyrinth has 500 mazes, Jenga world, where buildings with paint” title mazes, set to the beat of the 110 here are all solid, you stack blocks to set is pretty fun, offering techno music and aided letting you tilt the device heights, fearing collapses. intuitive controls and a by cool special effects. to make a ball safely exit, Cute, challenging, and kid-friendly theme. $7 Addictive, and... FREE avoiding trap holes. $5 cheap - a lot of fun. $1 2009 Buyers’ Guide 100 best apps + games Shanghai Mahjong Flick Sports Bowling Mondo Solitaire More customizable than any other Only Freeverse has gotten bowling With over 100 different variants on tile-matching game for the iPhone, right on the iPhone, with fun touch- solitaire, this cleanly designed game this title lets you download new art, based controls, 3-D graphics, and features user-selectable art and a puzzles and tiles for free. $5 nice audio. It’s simple and fun. $5 straightforward interface. $10 Real Soccer 2009 GL Golf Bomberman Touch Equal in execution to any Nintendo There’s no truly great golf game yet Based on the classic console action- DS soccer title, this one uses 3-D on the iPhone, but this version at puzzler, this lets you walk mazes graphics, an on-screen joypad, and least has smooth 3-D ball tracking blowing up enemies and blocks to licensed teams to great effect. $10 and five different 18-hole courses.$8 find exits. Lots of levels to play. $8 Asphalt 4 Elite Racing Neverputt ME Cro-Mag Rally Originally glitchy, the most With over 100 holes, this miniature Impressively smooth, detailed levels technically advanced iPhone racer golf title makes up for its lack of and vehicles use caveman-themed gives you 28 different vehicles, 9 cool interface polish with lots of unique art. There’s a ton to explore and race tracks, and a multiplayer mode. $10 course designs, and a low price. $1 through, now at a great price. $2 iSlots BiiBall 3D Missile Command Picture the typical pocket-sized slot Cheap, fun, and simple - you roll Atari’s 1980 “shoot down the missiles machine simulator. Now imagine it a ball through mazes filled with before they hit you” game gets done right. This is as good as free collectible stars, then shoot certain refreshed with easier touch controls one-armed bandits get. FREE blocks that get in your way. $1 and much-improved AV. $5 100 best apps + games 2009 Buyers’ Guide Star Trigon Spore Origins Uno Twice the price on iPhone as on The first fifth of Spore sees you grow Currently only for iPods, this iPods, this puzzler lets you create from a single cell nto a deadly fish, rendition of the classic card game is triangles by jumping from planet to collecting DNA in the water. Prettier fast-paced, fun, and playable by one planet, rescuing floating people. $10 on iPhone, cheaper on iPod. $5-8 to four people at once. $5 Peggle Spin Monopoly The best iPod game released in the Beautifully illustrated, this simple Another iPod-only title, EA’s version past year, this super-addictive mix of puzzle game challenges you to turn of this classic board game looks, pachinko and pinball has you hit and a 3-D object to match a flat 2-D feels, and plays like the original, only remove pegs to beat levels. $5 silhouette. Quite good for kids. $5 with superior automation. $5 Song Summoner Naval Battle Venger A complete iPod-only strategy RPG iPod-only, this enhanced version of The iPhone’s best 3-D space shooter by Japan’s famed Square Enix, this the classic Battleship includes great offers 20 challenging levels with lets you use iPod music to create visuals and numerous stages rather mixes of Star Wars-like trench soldiers that fight evil robots. $5 than just the same old board. $5 dodging, asteroids and bosses. $4 Vector Blaster TanZen X-Plane 9 Based loosely on the old arcade This puzzler has you turn and place This amazing sim is educational, game Tempest, this lets you move seven small shapes to recreate a not an action game; it uses realistic a spaceship on the outside of a larger, silhouetted shape. Free for 18 plane, weather, and terrain models to wireframe, shooting enemies. $3 levels, 200 levels for a buck. $1 teach real flying skills.$10 2009 Buyers’ Guide 100 best apps + games Pandora Radio Last.FM allRadio Sportacular This amazing app streams Though Pandora’s picks Unlike Pandora and Last. If you need sports scores music directly from EDGE, are better, this offers a FM, this app lets you tune for your favorite teams 3G or Wi-Fi, auto-picking similar “choose a favorite over 4,000 Internet Radio while on the road, this songs you’d like based on artist, hear similar songs” stations over EDGE, 3G, or app is customizable, a single artist or title. Plus, service that also works Wi-Fi, picking genres and includes news, standings, it’s free, like radio.