There's an App for that...

by Luke Jones

I haven’t posted any updates on the blog for a while, so as they have kept me such good company during my recent liaison with the flu I thought I would do a list of the best gaming Apps currently to be found on my iPhone. This is by no means exhaustive, so if you have any suggestions feel free to post them in the comments section below.

In no particular order...

1. Angry Birds (£0.59)

The definitive iPhone app. So popular that even David Cameron claims to play it regularly, Angry Birds would be the iPhone’s own Mario if it hadn’t been ported to every other console under the sun in recent months. Alarmingly simple but fiercely addictive, it sees the player catapulting the eponymous angry birds with the aim of hitting enemy pigs, who are often housed in an assortment of protective structures. These can be made of wood, glass, stone or metal, and are able to withstand varying amounts of punishment, with the strategy being to use your birds effectively to avoid the toughest elements.

Developed in Finland, over 10million copies of the game have been sold since it’s release in December 2009. The publishers are now being courted by everyone from Microsoft to Google, with millions of dollars in revenue making it one of the most profitable games ever released. Whenever anyone asks about the future of gaming, just point them to Angry Birds.

2. Plants Vs Zombies (£1.79)

Perhaps the second most famous app, Plants Vs Zombies is a tower defence game that stands out because of it’s humourous personality and great design. Players are faced with a small grid, with zombies walking slowly from right to left. The player has a variety of plants they can place on the grid to stop the zombies from reaching their goal (your house): some shoot peas, some freeze the zombies for a short time, some even explode.

The game does a great job of introducing something new with each level, ensuring that the gameplay never gets stale. Then, when you have finished a level, you can replay it later with the newly unlocked plants, testing out new strategies. Oh, and despite featuring zombies there is little to no gore (even then only plants being munched on) so everyone can enjoy this brilliant game.

3. Paper Toss (Free)

The sheer number of apps in the app store means that a lot of the free content available is either rubbish or filled with adverts to keep up the revenue stream. Paper Toss has it’s fair share of ads, but luckily they’re minimal and easily skipped. A more environmentally friendly version of the old office favourite, Paper Toss gives you a ball of paper and a basket and asks you to go nuts. Swiping your finger across the screen you have to consider both the power of your tossing (ahem), as well as compensating for the curve caused by a fan to either the left or right of the screen. Keep it up and a little cheer arises with each successive basket, a nice touch that is sure to bring out the more competitive side of your nature.

4. Star Wars Arcade: Falcon Gunner (£2.99)

‘Don’t get cocky, kid!’ Relatively expensive because of the licence, this Star Wars themed shooter sees every Star Wars nut acting out their fantasies of escaping the Death Star on board the Millennium Falcon. Although the game itself is slightly ropey, it wins points for using the iPhone’s built in camera and motion sensors to use your real-life surroundings as a background for the game. Move the iPhone and the game moves with you, meaning you can shoot TIE Fighters off your sister’s face, your neighbour’s cat, and even the Daily Mail if you so wish. Just try not to get too carried away and start humming along with the music...

5. Game Dev Story (£1.79)

Currently soaking up every spare minute of my time like a hungry black hole, Game Dev Story could easily have been another entry in Bullfrog’s classic 90’s Theme (Park, Hospital) series. The player is given a small room, asked to hire some staff, and develop video games. You can choose the type of game, the setting, how much effort is put into the gameplay and graphics, and once the game is finished you are even reviewed by four separate (and I must say extremely critical) magazines. Appealing to every gamer who has ever said ‘well I could do this better’, you’ll soon find minutes turning to hours as you strive to improve your review score for each new game. Throw in some funky 8 bit visuals, and a soundtrack that will quickly become etched into the very fabric of your being, and you have a winner.

Of course I’ve only scratched the surface of some of the portable gems that can be found in the App store, so look out for more reviews in the future.

Please note: Apps were reviewed using an iPhone 3GS.