While the App store isn’t even 2 years old yet, the numbers of apps that has surfaced on the App store is as abundant as plankton in the vast ocean. Therefore those of us at AGG have compiled a list of the 10 best iPhone games for real gamers, and that is not to be confused that any of these 10 games are even remotely hard-core games, they are not. It simply means that these are totally unique games on the iPhone that fit the platform, for the people who love games and own all major consoles and handheld systems and still want to experience something that is unlike anything they can find on popular platforms. Not that the hardcore games on the iPhones are bad, but they simply provide an infinitely inferior experience to the console’s counterpart. If you had Oblivion on the 360, you would not want to play Ravensword. If you had Soul Caliber on the PS3, you would not want to play Blades of Fury. If you had GTA4, you do not want to play Gangstar: West Coast Hustle. If you were an adventure gamer you are much better off playing XBLA or PC version of Monkey Island SE over the iPhone port. If you want to play those games and doesn’t own a console it is definitely time to get one. No matter how well the virtual pad is implemented, it is not here to replace the physical analog stick. And the fleeting battery life of the iPhone is not for prolonged gaming session. Our best iPhone games list follow these simple 2 rules, a control system that fits the iPhone perfectly, and at most 5 minute play session — which is perfect for when you are out and waiting for your take-outs to be ready, when you wished you had a PSP or a DS with you but you would just have to settle with an iPhone. Exactly why you would use it to take pictures at the family gathering, not because it is a better camera, it is the only thing you got. So, here goes, in some kind of chaotic order that only makes sense to us:
10) Doodle Jump by Lima Sky – $0.99
Perfectly Simple yet insanely addictive, this game has topped the chart for months. Simply tilt the iPhone and make the little green alien jump upwards landing on different platforms, tap on the screen and make it shoot. As a survival game, the level design is random and endless. It inspired a lot of jumping clones and doodle style games but this is still the best one out there.
9) Zen Bound developed by Secret Exit Published by Chilingo – $4.99, Lite Version
This game fits right with our theme, Zen. That is really the only appropriate word you can use to describe it. It is different than anything you have played before, it is a Zen experience. It is a puzzle game where you wrap a piece of rope tied to a nail on and around a 3D wooden figurine, rotating the figurine with your finger. Zen Bound is an artistic statement, it is the Flower (PS3) of the iPhone.
8) XenoWars by Juhong Min – $.99, Lite Version
This game is castle defense type RTS meets Puzzle Quest. On the right side of the screen you get to play a Bejeweled type of match-3 game, and on the left side it is a medieval battlefield which you can deploy your troops with mana, the currency you earned from the puzzle side, and your goal is simple — swarm your opponent’s castle. There are a lot of options you can upgrade your units with, not all of them useful, this game definitely has a lot of areas the developer can improve on, but we feel that it is unique enough to earn our recommendation.
Honorable mention: Stick Wars, Cartoon Wars, Knights On Rush
7) Summation by JetFable Studio – $.99, Lite Version
A beautiful chalkboard themed Tetris-like educational puzzle game that tests your Math skill. Alright I admit, as the author of this article and the developer of the game, I am hardly an impartial judge here. But I am not without morals, this was one of the recommended Sudoku-like game for math lovers from Appgamer.net. The key to mastering this game is not just just being a math wiz, but understanding the random number is sometimes the key to forming high chain combos and unlocking high scores. It is definitely something that trains your brain in additional to being fun.
Honorable Mention: Drop 7, DropSum
6) iFighter by Epic Force – .99 cents, Lite Version
This is 1943 on the iPhone but manages to be different enough to be fresh, fun, and intensely satisfying. There are 3 control methods in this game but the tilt control manages to be perfect for me to dodge the incessant waves of oncoming bullets. In previous versions this was a very difficult game, but once the checkpoints were placed this game became much more accessible to casual gamers and could be played in short sessions, highly recommended as it stands out from the plethora of iPhone shooters out there.
5) Enigmo by Pangea Software – .99 cents (sale)
Enigmo is Incredible Machines meets the Lemmings on the iPhone, a puzzle game where you use different contraptions to direct the water droplets to their destination. This 3D game has realistic physics and is mind-bogglingly addictive, a casual game for the hard-core, and definitely perfect on the iPhone. While Enigmo 2 is already out and could potentially be a better game, we haven’t tried it enough to recommend it. But both games are a steal at 99 cents during the Thanksgiving sale.
4) Parachute Panic by FDG Entertainment – $0.99, Lite Version
For months we were hooked by this game, from the quirky hand-drawn pencil-on-scratch-paper artwork to the appropriate and funny soundtrack, this was a perfectly light-hearted arcade game on the iPhone. Deploy parachutes by tapping on the falling skydivers, influence the trajectory of their fall by swiping on the screen creating wind, and prevent their untimely deaths by tapping on the helicopters and UFOs.
3) Gaia by Quicksand Interactive – $2.99, Lite Version,
While Gaia certainly lacks fancy graphics, it is one of the most innovative puzzle games on the iPhone. Once you get past the simplistic presentation, you will find an in-depth and addictive game that simply mastered the iPhone platform by fully integrating the orientation of the iPhone into its puzzle design. The game board is filled with eco-themed tiles, which clump together when they come into contact and tapping on the screen makes them disappear, leaving a vacuum for oncoming tiles to drop depending on how you rotate your iPhone. The key to scoring high is to cultivate as large a group as possible before making it disappear. Currently there is a prettier Xmas version which is $1.99. Be warned, this is an insanely addictive game that is well worth the price.
Honorable Mention: Trism, Aurora Feint
2) Flight Control by Firemint – $0.99
This game pioneered a new line-drawing genre that plays awesomely on the iPhone, as a matter of fact we were torn between Flight Control and Harbor Master but we ended up choosing the more original Flight Control. As a time management game, your job is to land an ever-increasing number of inbound aircraft at one of the 3 different airports by drawing the flight path of the different colored planes which fly at different speed. Avoiding collision and surviving is the only objective of this game, and there is a pretty good bluetooth head-to-head online play which makes the game infinitely harder. Flight Control’s gameplay could get repetitive quickly and it is not for everyone but it is perfect for short sessions on the iPhone. While it inspired a swarm of line-drawing successors / clones, it remains to be the best one still.
Honorable Mention: Harbor Master
1) Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor by Tiger Style – $2.99
As the only iPhone game we find worthy to have officially reviewed so far on AGG, need we say more? This is the casual game that is made for hardcore gamers, and perfectly controlled on the iPhone. It reeks of heavy production value yet retaining its indie artistic beauty that will drown you in utter bliss. We described it as Castlevania meets Bad Mojo, an action adventure game in which you explore the mysteries of a manor in the body of a spider. A hardcore game at its heart, it doesn’t break the rule of short session gameplay, even though you would be holding on to the game until the battery of your iPhone gives out. Read our review if you need more convincing, well read it anyway, and then buy the game. No 2nd thoughts necessary.
Amazing as always :)