You know that old saying "You get what you pay for"? Well, it holds up just about everywhere, but the App Store is pretty obviously an exception. Because there are so many apps to choose from, you can almost guarantee you can find a comparable experience for less money. Thing is, if you don't have the original, you won't know if our alternatives are better, so we think you should consider getting both!
For your run sideways needs:
Mos Speedrun ($1.99), Canabalt ($2.99)
I love games without a clear ending. If I drop $2 on a game, how cool is it that I could (possibly) be improving on a score... forever? Really cool. That's why my score in Canabalt was 89th in the world and why I love Mos Speedrun more than blackberry pie.
While Canabalt isn't exactly the same genre as Mos, it will doubtless appeal to the same crowd. In Canabalt, you run sideways jumping over cliffs and alien robots. In Mos, you're able to run in all directions and jump over spikes, spike pits, and spikey bad guys. But in Mos, you can also compete against the ghosts of your previous runs, which encourages you to play the same level over and over again until you're sure you've completed it as fast as possible.
It's this perfectionism element that will appeal to Canabalt lovers, who memorize everything from the terrain to the sounds of a far off "pop" just to know exactly when to jump. With plenty of unlockables levels, Mos will keep perfectionists busy for a very, very long time.
Simply Find It (free), Pictureka for iPad (4.99)
Simply Find It is a "spot the difference" game, Pictureka is a "find this" game. While both will have you intensely focusing on your iPad, they're quite a bit different. For one, Simply Find it uses pictures instead of drawings. Plus, in Simply Find It, you can't just tap away at the screen. Each time you guess incorrectly you lose seconds. That makes it much more of a finesse game than the tapping frenzy that occurs during Pictureka.
More importantly, SFI is free (or $2.99 without ads). Which means you don't even have to waste another second wondering if you should buy it.
Asphalt 6 Adrenaline ($6.99 in the Mac App Store), Need for Speed Carbon (Around $40 for Mac on Amazon)
Asphalt 6 Adrenaline is such a fun racer, that everyone from Mario Kart fans to Gran Turismo fanatics will love it. The levels are all bright and cheerful, and crashing your car into helpless automobiles has never been more gratifying. Except that it's pretty easy to crash into every car you're racing against, which means shortly after a race starts you won't have any opponents.
Asphalt 6 also has tons of secondary goals for each race, so not only are you trying to place first, but you're trying to do it while drifting and crashing into every car. The graphics look a little blown out on an iMac's screen, but the impressive color spectrum and fast-paced gaming makes it hard to tell.
What are you favorite alternatives to great games? Leave a comment and we'll be sure to check them out!
