You may get older, wiser and more sophisticated, but let none of this fool you: it’s still amazingly fun to polish off an opposing team by launching an air strike or exploding sheep in their general direction.

Enter Worms HD for the iPad, the latest entrant in the classic Worms series in which you take control of a group of commando worms that must slaughter all opponents in turn-based gameplay. Like the previous entries, Worms HD tasks you with quickly annihilating your enemy while keeping your units safe, using terrain and distance to your advantage.

Despite being among the first native titles for the iPad, the effort doesn’t feel rushed or hurried. Beautiful graphics meet outstanding sound, the vocal work remains above reproach, and you’ll still laugh and cringe as your opponents taunt you after their attacks or curse your name in falsetto tones after you wipe one of their allies out. Additional bells and whistles like achievements, unlocks, and multiplayer gameplay (up to four teams can compete, passing the iPad around as needed) make things fun. And the heart and soul of Worms remains.

Unfortunately, there are some wrinkles. The iPad represents entirely new terrain for the Worms universe, and actions such as moving to the left and right, aiming a weapon, and jumping don’t feel as natural as when using a keyboard and mouse. Although Team17 included a lengthy slide-based tutorial, a playthrough guide to teach the new movements and gestures would not be out of place, especially when your computer-controlled opponents can readily effect complex movements without a hitch on the easiest play mode.

Worms HD could use a true multiplayer gameplay system, too. There’s a certain visceral joy in annihilating your wormy foes online, and if this can be shared over a Bluetooth connection or via a simple Internet-based browser, it’d be that much harder to put the game down.

Even with its shortcomings, Worms HD remains fun, addictive, and a worthy successor to its series. The weapons are interesting, the tactics can be as casual or as involved as you let them be, and the humor is still there. The application ran without a hitch during our tests--Team17 is off to a great start.

Worms HD 1.0
COMPANY: Team17 Software, Ltd.
CONTACT: worms.team17.com
PRICE: $4.99
REQUIREMENTS: iPad running iPhone OS 3.2 or later
Good graphics; great sound and gameplay. Title retains the same humor, tactics and outright visceral fun the series is known for.
Tricky learning curve for character movements (a play through tutorial would be welcome); would love to see Internet-based multiplayer gameplay as well.