There have been some outstanding games that have been made available on the Apple Store as of late. There are also some great games that have been around for more than a year, but you may not have even noticed them on the ordering screen.
Here are 12 games that you’re going to want to download right now.
#1. Retry
Retry is deceptively addicting. From the makers of Angry Birds, you’re a little airplane that needs to navigate some very difficult terrain. If you crash, don’t worry – you get to retry! There are multiple checkpoints throughout each course. The one downside is that you’ve got to watch an ad to save a checkpoint unless you’re willing to spend a coin. It takes freemium to a whole new level of annoying, so if you love the game, maybe invest a little dough into it.
#2. Smule
For a free app, Smule Magic Piano brings back a lot of the love that was initially brought into the video game market by Rock Band. Many of the music game franchises have run their course, but Smule has made the platform fresh. With multiple instruments to play, classical music to tap out, and four finger timing that requires you to take off your multitouch functionality [trust me on this!], you’ll be jamming out like you were in 2008 on your gaming console.
#3. Tetris Blitz
Tetris has been around for ages, but Tetris Blitz takes the game to a new level. Instead of frantically trying to match up your awkward pieces into straight line blocks of 4 to get a bonus, just tap where you want the piece to go. If you love Tetris [or Dr. Mario for that matter], then you’ll love this game.
#4. Plants Vs. Zombies 2
The second edition of this game is the rare sequel that is stunningly better than the first. Better zombies, better plants, and a streamlined gameplay show that the designers learned from the mistakes of the original PvZ and kept all the good stuff. Unlock new lands to get new zombies, grow new plants, and start working on that green thumb when you download this game.
#5. Doctor Who: Legacy
The game itself is a little weak. All you’ve got to do is match different colors up and you can trade out virtually any tile for another one. What makes the game intriguing is that there are stories infused throughout and you can control several characters at once. You’ve also got the option to purchase TV shows directly through the game if you want. It’s a fun little diversion.
#6. Minion Rush
This runner is a great little game that has all of the humor you’ve come to love from these crazy yellow creatures. Control a minion through complicated levels, get vacuums to suck up rewards, and eat jam that will turn you into a giant that can crush stuff. Unlike other runners, you’ve also got to use the motion sensors on your mobile device to control the characters at times, like when your minion goes down a slide.
#7. PunchQuest
What do you do when you’re stressed out after a long day? You could go spend $70 on a decent heavy bag to punch stuff… or you could invest nothing and download this game. You’ve got two things to do in order to be successful: punch stuff before it punches you and be able to jump at the right time.
#8. Crazy Taxi
I spent hours on this game when it came out on the Sega and now the iOS version is almost as good. It’s still got the same feeling to it, but there are more upgrades that can help to customize how you like to play the game.
#9. Paint Monsters
It’s a matching game that brings cute little monsters to your iOS device in the style of Candy Crush Saga. The game is uniquely addicting, offers the same pathway experience that other social gaming platforms provide. Instead of matching 3 in a row, however, you can match them on the diagonal for extreme combos. It seems easy at first, but sucks you in like a good book will.
#10. Pac-Man and Friends
It’s more than just your regular Pac-Man on this app. It mixes the elements of the classic original with some puzzle-solving abilities that at first are so easy that you’ll groan, but then become so difficult that you’ll spend hours trying to figure them out perfectly.
#11. Cars: Fast As Lightning
What’s great about this game is that it involves more than just racing Lightning McQueen around a race track. You get to build your own community, Sims-style, compete in races, and have all the characters from the original hit movie [not that Cars 2 nonsense] interact with you. It’s good fun for the whole family.
#12. Heads Up
It’s just like the card game, but optimized for the iPhone. Why settle for a 6 inch screen when you could play with an iPad on your head? If you’ve got friends who all carry around Apple tech, then have everyone download this game and you’ll have a great time.
