Ridiculous Fishing ($2.99) puts a comical spin on the outdoors activity by having you first dodge the fish on the way down before snagging as many as possible while reeling the line in. Once the creatures hit the surface, they fling into the air, where you'll blast them to bits with guns. Gorgeously presented and packed with humor, this original affair is absurdly fun and seriously memorable.

Building upon the excellent 2D golf approach of the original, Super Stickman Golf 2 ($2.99) serves up puzzling single-player courses to solve with a club and a ball, as well as speedy online and local multiplayer showdowns. But the sequel also adds a very welcome turn-based asynchronous online option, letting you trade swings with a far-off opponent during the down moments in your day.

Dropping the premium app approach that worked so well for earlier entries, Real Racing 3 (Free) emerges as a free-to-play juggernaut of a driving simulation, serving up gorgeous visuals, smooth gameplay, and a wealth of content available without dropping a penny. Spending a few bucks adds some helpful variety, but this is still a hugely impressive console-like racer that's available for free.

Like Grand Theft Auto III before it, the 10th anniversary re-release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ($4.99) delivers a huge and entertaining open-world action experience in the palm of your hand, and at a very reasonable price. Set in a neon-soaked, Miami-like city in the 1980s, you'll rise through the criminal underworld while evading (or battling) the cops and taking on myriad exciting missions.

Tiny Wings ($0.99) might not feature the best-known birds in the App Store, but it's one of the absolute top iPhone originals. In this side-scrolling, one-touch affair, you must build momentum by sliding down the hills and launching the flightless bird up the other side, sending him soaring to stay ahead of the setting sun. Bite-sized objectives and leaderboard score chases make it electric. Read our review.

Originally designed for play with a controller, Bastion ($4.99) makes an incredibly graceful transition to iPhone, and the end result is an engrossing, emotional adventure that you can soak in wherever you are. As one of the last survivors following the Calamity, you'll hack and slash foes against stunning hand-painted backdrops, with incredible audio narration adding impact to your actions. Read our review.

One of the most beloved modern board games is also unsurprisingly one of the most obsessively enjoyed iPhone multiplayer affairs. Carcassonne ($9.99) is expertly designed to work as either a local turn-based or asynchronous online multiplayer game, wherein players place tiles of land and followers to secure territory. It's also playable individually, and offers optional expansion sets. Read our review.

Its popularity makes it an easy target for some, but Angry Birds ($0.99) is a sensation because it's an incredibly fun and wonderfully addictive experience. Whether you prefer the original flavor or one of the variations -- like Seasons or Space -- the pull-and-fling affair continues to endure as one of the most enjoyable iPhone titles around, with steady free updates making each a great value as well.

The sequel to one of the most influential iPhone games of all time, Infinity Blade II ($2.99) only builds upon that iconic action framework, tossing you into gorgeously-rendered duels in which taps and swipes of the screen translate into sword slashes and strategic parries. The stunning 3D quest includes plenty of player customization, as well as social challenges and HDMI output support. Read our review.

When the undead apocalypse finally begins, you might hope for a shotgun or a blunt object; but in Plants vs. Zombies ($0.99), all you'll need to ward off the invaders are seeds and a bit of strategy. In this unconventional tower defense game, you'll place pea-shooting plants and organic landmines in the backyard and on rooftops to slow and slay shambling foes. It's cute, colorful, and ingenious. Review

Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation ($6.99) shows that a flashy first-person shooter can sing on the small screen of the iPhone, serving up production values unmatched by most other apps. It's in the online multiplayer battles that this military shooter comes to life, letting you match up in 12-player skirmishes over the Internet, though the cinematic single-player campaign is solid popcorn fare.

What started as a brilliant Wii game is an equally brilliant iPhone game with World of Goo ($2.99), an indie classic in which you'll solve puzzles by building structures comprised of sticky, bouncy balls of gunk. The tap-and-drag interface works perfectly for assembling the little creations, while the slick hand-drawn look and haunting music keep you engaged beyond the excellent gameplay.

Need a wacky little diversion? Jetpack Joyride (free) is more than up to the task, what with its side-scrolling obstacle course that you'll navigate via a rocket-powered, bullet-spewing backpack. It's a fast and frenzied affair, and one that requires both skill and creativity to conquer, as you can choose from a wide array of equipment and bonuses to create a combination that matches your play style.

Touchscreen rhythm games that try to recreate Guitar Hero without a controller inevitably fall short, but Groove Coaster ($2.99) charts its own amazing path. Following a winding, roller coaster-esque pathway through dazzling worlds, you'll tap the little beats that appear in time with the thumping original tracks, creating a sensation that's happily unlike any other rhythm game we've played.

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP ($4.99) isn't an easy game to describe, nor is it a particularly accessible experience. But endure its quirkiness and you'll find a remarkable touchscreen adventure in which you'll explore dazzling pixel-art landscapes, solve obtuse puzzles, and even battle bosses. It's not a game designed for spare moments, though; set aside time, put on headphones, and dive in.

The game that kick-started the whole "auto-runner" genre is still one of the absolute best, as Canabalt ($2.99) delivers ample thrills within a tiny, monochromatic package. As a little guy evading what seems to be an alien assault, you'll tap the screen to leap between rooftops, floors of crumbling skyscrapers, and construction girders, all while the speed consistently amplifies. It's a true classic.

One of the most gripping adventures on any platform, Walking Dead: The Game (free) uses the zombie outbreak as an opportunity to force you to make brutal choices and live with the aftermath. It looks like the comics, but charts its own narrative path independent of the source material, with four additional episodes available for purchase within (at $4.99 each) that flesh out the story until its gripping conclusion.

Cut the Rope ($0.99) is an enduring iPhone favorite, and for great reason: the devious, physics-based puzzles are intelligent without overwhelming, and with 300 total levels now, it's one heck of a deal. Whether you're slicing strings to guide a piece of candy to the monster or navigating odd portals and other obstacles in the more advanced stages, Cut the Rope continues to compel.

Tower defense has thrived on iPhone thanks to the ability to place and upgrade enemy-slaying towers with a tap of the finger, and Kingdom Rush ($0.99) is our favorite of the bunch. The cartoonish look belies serious strategic depth, as you must use limited resources to buy and smartly enhance the arrow-flinging and bomb-tossing towers, all in an effort to protect your base. It's an absolute blast.

Words with what, now? Letterpress (free) has become our new iPhone vocabulary obsession, as the slick original offering blends creative term creation with unique territorial domination elements. Taking turns working with letters on a 5x5 board with an online opponent, you'll aim to generate new words while claiming tiles for your color, with surrounded ones locking down points in your favor.

Hero Academy (free) shows that the asynchronous, turn-based approach can be used for much more than word and board games, serving up an engaging tactical strategy games where players battle it out across a grid. It's plenty enjoyable as a free download, though additional teams and options open up if you drop some coin. Still, it feels nicely balanced despite the microtransactions.

Following countless clones and fun spins on the formula, we still end up coming back to the original produce-slashing hit. Fruit Ninja ($0.99) remains an excellent iPhone game, one in which you'll aim to rack up a high score by cutting the pieces of fruit that fling into view. It's a challenging affair, despite the straightforward approach, with varied modes shaking up the simple core concept.

Here's an arcade-stylized game well worth fixating on. Super Crate Box ($1.99) serves up a distinct objective: collect all of the little boxes that appear, all while blasting the frantic invaders using the random weapons that spawn from each crate. It's one of the best high-score chasing games on the App Store, with the leaderboard battles prompting hours spent staring at its retro pixels.

While its price might seem ludicrous, The World Ends With You: Solo Remix ($17.99) is the rare game that can justify such an investment. This upgraded Nintendo DS favorite is a sprawling role-playing epic set in the flashy Tokyo district of Shibuya, and features fantastic artwork and killer tunes, but what really shines here is the lengthy, engaging storyline and stellar combat mechanics.

Looking for a free game that warrants serious dedication? Tiny Tower (free) is a free-to-play favorite thanks to its light but engaging gameplay, wherein you'll build up a skyscraper one floor at a time by keep stores stocked and residents happy. It's the rare freemium title that can be enjoyed in full without spending a dime, delivering the sheer joy of building a taller tower than friends.