When the eggnog wears off and your wacky aunt starts reminiscing about the "war on Christmas," you're going to need some new iOS games to distract yourself from the ensuing mayhem of family celebrations. Whether you're an existing iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch owner-- or are convinced you'll receive one in a shiny box in the short term--here are ten recent releases that'll keep your mind (and eyes) where they need to be this weekend: playing games.
Arguably the most gorgeous iOS release to date, Infinity Blade lets you battle against an increasingly challenging series of armored warriors, using swords, special attacks, and magic powers to make your way to the ultimate battle against the God-King. Should you fall --and you most certainly will--you'll start the adventure over again as your defeated warrior's son, albeit with all the weapons and experience left by his father. It's an interesting and addictive mechanic that may pull you in for hours at a time, and the stunning architecture and character models are unlike anything previously seen on the iPhone or iPad. Come for the intense visuals, but stay for the thrilling adventure.
We loved this innovative indie puzzler when it hit the Mac (and Wii) back in 2008, but this impressive new iPad version is a perfect fit for the device, letting you use the touch screen to place a variety of colored balls to construct inventive, wobbling towers. Each devious stage challenges you to build towards an exit pipe while avoiding hazards like spikes and flames, and we love the hand-drawn visual aesthetic and haunting original soundtrack. World of Goo is truly unlike anything else out there, and the intense and oftentimes exciting campaign offers several hours of entertainment for iPad owners.
We've been flinging ticked-off birds at those devious swine all year long, but the holiday season calls for something a bit different. Angry Birds Seasons--evolved from the popular Angry Birds Halloween app--offers up 25 seasonally specific new stages, which unlock on a once-daily basis from the beginning of December through Christmas Day. In addition to the visual overhaul, these new challenges offer fresh hazards, such as frozen blocks that stay suspended in midair even when you clear the screen below. The advent calendar approach had us desperately loading up the app each morning, but those of you downloading the iPhone or iPad version on Christmas can enjoy it all at once. Bonus!
Electronic Arts' popular racing franchise takes a fresh turn on the iPhone and iPad this time around, with a driving experience that puts you on either side of the high-speed struggle between outlaw racers and police enforcers. Thanks to a recent update, the app includes a full career mode for both racers and cops, with numerous event types for each. As an officer of the law, you can shake down unruly drivers with your bumpers, spike strips, and EMP blasts, or jump into one of the licensed exotic cars and speed away from the 5-0 or battle other drivers for the checkered flag. It's an intense and exciting formula, and one that breaks away from the more straightforward racing of Need for Speed: Shift.
We love a dead-simple iOS game that keeps us coming back again and again, and Sushi Boy definitely meets that profile. It's little more than a game about running back and forth to collect falling sushi, but within that seemingly one-note premise is an entertaining and surprisingly intense experience, especially when you consider the hazardous items that drop amidst the delicious delicacies. Also, between each stage, the titular child dons rocket boots and shoots towards the sky in speedy coin collection segments that only augment the already-amusing aesthetic.
This recent iPhone sensation--at least amongst media journalists and their Twitter pals--is actually an updated port of an ancient, little-known Japanese PC game, but the concept rings true today: build your team, create video games, and repeat until you're the next monolithic developer or miserably failed studio. While the simple pixel graphics and menus don't exactly push the iPhone's processor to new heights, the pairing of team management and concocting amusing game combinations never fails to wholly enrapture us, sometimes for hours at a time. After all, if you're not going to make the next amazing historical audio novel game for the Intendro IES, who will?
Tomb Raider's famed heroine hits the iPhone and iPad in a new adventure that looks and plays nothing like the third-person action experiences that made her a gaming superstar. Instead, Croft's journey plays out from an overhead perspective and is a bit more action oriented, as you'll traverse ancient tombs and blast enemies and creatures with your firearms and thrown projectiles. Also new is the fact that Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is best experienced with a teammate, and the iOS versions support both local multiplayer and online co-op via Game Center.
Rocketcat Games' original side-scrolling action games Hook Champ and Super QuickHook have been retro-stylized iPhone hits, and the latest iteration, Hook Worlds, is the best one yet. Like Canabalt, your character continually runs to the right in the side-scrolling worlds, but as the title implies, each level's hero is equipped with a grappling hook that lets him/her avoid hazards and vault over enemies, as well as an attack or special move exclusive to each character. With four distinct worlds, intense gameplay, and excellent throwback visuals, Hook Worlds is a powerfully addictive option to have on your iPhone this holiday season, even if you're totally new to the series.
Like the original Modern Combat first-person shooter for iOS, Black Pegasus brings Call of Duty-like military action to the iPhone and iPad (separate apps) with sharp visuals, solid shooting, and little cinematic moments that serve to better immerse you in the experience. While the single-player experience offers hours of narrative-led missions, we were particularly drawn to the online multiplayer modes, which include a comprehensive ranking system and game types like deathmatch and capture the flag. Battling through intense 10-player online matches is surprisingly smooth, and the ranking system rewards your time investment with unlockable weapons.
Created by the studio behind legendary shooters DOOM and Quake, Rage HD is an absolute showcase title--a beautiful (in a grim, depressing sort of way) example of what a big developer can do with the iPhone and iPad hardware. At its core, Rage HD is an on-rails shooter, which means your movement is automated and your sole purpose is to blast the hell out of any and all aggressive creatures in your path. It's a brief experience, as the three levels can be cleared in about half an hour, but for a couple bucks, this universal app should be on any iPhone 4 or iPad, if only to catch a solidly entertaining glimpse at the evolving future of iOS gaming.
