Best iPhone Games November 2009
posted by arn on December 3rd, 2009 1:21 PM EST in Best iPhone Games
Our November game ratings are in place now, and here are the top of the heap. Our monthly "best of" round-up summarizes the top rated games that we looked at in the previous month. Each game reviewed receives a 1-5 star rating relative to the other games from that month. Generally, a 3 or higher is considered a "good" rating.
Our final scores are not the product of any traditionally objective measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others.
November was a great month for iPhone game releases, and our expanded list reflects that activity. November's "Best iPhone Games" are highlighted here:
5 Stars
Jet Car Stunts – A remarkably fun jet car racer/platformer that had us coming back again and again due to its great controls, fresh visual style and mind boggling levels. The only real complaint we've seen voiced has been the relative difficulty of the game, but, honestly, that's what made it so addicting. (Review, App Store)
Eliminate Pro – We know some readers were unable to get past this game's pay model, but we've logged more hours in this game than almost every other… and we never paid a single penny for it. Online deathmatch with our friends and quick sessions throughout the day kept us playing this regularly all month. (Review, App Store)
4.5 Stars
I Dig It Expeditions – A wonderful followup to the original with all the added maps and upgrades that you would have hoped for. Pilot your digger throughout several different locales searching for archeological treasures and other valuable things to be sold at your base camp. Money is used to buy upgrades that tweak every aspect of gameplay as well as consumables like all kinds of different explosives and power-ups. (Review, App Store)
Call of Duty Zombies – A surprisingly faithful rendition of the console version of this zombie survival shooter complete with online coop play. While the game itself only comes with a single map, it has consistently been one of the most talked about games on our forums since its release thanks to its surprisingly fun online component. (Review, App Store)
Asphalt 5 – A really fun arcade racer with a great sense of speed and online multiplayer. Obviously inspired by the Burnout series, Asphalt 5 is the next best thing on the iPhone. The difficulty of Cop Chase mode seems to be the major sticking point, but that's said to be addressed soon. (Review, App Store)
Honorable Mention (4 Stars)
Here are just a couple of several games that received 4 stars this month that we wanted to highlight:
Wheeler's Treasure – An original game with a surprising amount of depth, you keep trying to ride your wheel further with each play as you earn special items and powerups. The gameplay is so original, however, you really have to "get it" before you can really enjoy it. (Review, App Store)
Ravensword – We felt compelled to highlight this impressive action RPG in our round up for its technical achievements as well as its fun. A few components may have detracted from the "full RPG" experience, but is still a very worthy title. (Review, App Store)
The rest of November game ratings can be seen in their respective rating categories (also found in the sidebar navigation): 5 Stars, 4.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 3 Stars, and 2.5 Stars.
As always, we expect there will be some debate about relative scores, but keep in mind that everyone's personal ratings may vary based on individual tastes.
Hmmm, I don't quite agree with this, but as you said – it is all personal opinion.
Personally I would have rated Asphalt 5, COD: Zombies and Ravensword 5 stars with the other being 4/4.5 starts (or 2 stars in Eliminate's case).
Okay, yes we get it, you dont like Eliminate :p
I agree with him I think Eliminate should have gotten 2 stars. By the way the majority of the people hate Eliminate, just take a look at the app store there is more one star reviews than there are five star reviews.
That's what usually happens with free games.
The fact is the people who are rating eliminate so low aren't rating eliminate, they're rating the stupid cell system. Granted, it is quite annoying, but actually looking at gameplay, replayability, graphics, the match-up system(the speed mostly, sometimes it's way off) and general interface, this game well deserves 5 stars. The fact is it's a fantastic game with a stupid payment model, but the ratings shouldn't suffer because you can't play it for hours straight, that would be no fun.
MiniSquadron needs to be on this list. 4.5 stars minimum, but I'd say 5.
Jet Car Stunts deserves that score though, props True Axis!
Ravensword's worth mentioning, but is nothing special apart from the perspective it gives. It mostly boils down to a simple hack and slash fest presented in the type of visual perspective craved by console gamers.
Jet cars goes into completely new gaming territory and actually builds enough on that which it reinvents to merit being called original. It's good to see that TA places a good emphasis on originality when narrowing down the choices for what to give 5 stars. There's more originality in any one track from jet cars stunts than there is all the towns, er, town of Ravensword.
How is a fast stunt car game original? Burnout and STUNTman have exactly the same ideas in them, even pilot wings on the N64 had an element just like this. yes it's fun, I agree about 5 stars, but it isn't even remotely original.
actually, not wanting to contradict my lower down rant, You can't really compare those games.
Personally, I think Labyrinth 2 should be added (even though it's released for a couple days).
It's released in December. :p
Ravensword surpasses all imo.
Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies and Ravensword should be 5 stars IMO.
Oh well, it all personal opinion.
Re: Ravensword…
"A few components may have detracted from the "full RPG" experience"
…like…not being an RPG at all.
So you don't PLAY a specific ROLE and it isn't a GAME. I think you need to go ask wikipedia what an RPG is.
minisquadron should definitely be added to this list with a five star rating, no question.
that game was one of the best ever.
also skater nation should be added, maybe four stars.
zombie attack and ravesword, others i have no interest in.
Ravensword and Jetcar 5
minisquardron 4,5
+1
I don't know how any sane person can hate Eliminate.
It's free tournament shooter that plays well. You can't play it all the time unless you pay, but so what. It's free and you can play a lot already.
Don't complain about the match making either. You win some and you lose something. It can't be perfect.
Umm, you can play it as much as you want, you just upgrade your character all the time
I don't hate it, I'm pretty indifferent actually. I also have no objection to the pay model, though I do feel the prices are extremely high for what you get in return.
However, it's not a five star game. It's a sub-par FPS that would have been ignored on consoles or the PC in 2002. Compare it to a really great handheld FPS like Metroid Prime Hunters DS for example, and you can see why it's really lacking. There's nothing really innovative about Eliminate aside figuring out a control scheme that works. There's no charm to the design, the characters and levels are adequate but lackluster. The best you can really say about it is that it's a fun and competent FPS that works on the iPhone. It's fun to play because FPS games are fun to play, and kudos for the technical achievement, but as soon as the FPS version of Jet Car Stunts comes out Eliminate is going to be instantly forgotten.
So I'd say it's a three star game, really. There's nothing wrong with that and three stars is still pretty good.
And before someone contradicts me, what I mean by "the FPS version of Jet Car Stunts" is a fresh and original take on the FPS genre. Not a Jet Car FPS.
HOW the hell can you compare Eliminate to that pile of rotting carcasses that nintendo call a game? Eliminate has fantastic graphics given it's system, it has fantastic online speed(even on an average connection), it's got great gameplay, a whole lot of customization(where is this in MPH?) and despite added extras it IS still FREE. The fact is this game on a console would be entirely different, but it isn't on one, and isn't different, you can't even come close to comparing the two because it's a handheld game designed for a different audience and a different generation of gamers. You should be ashamed for even mentioning the 2 together.
Did Cross Fingers come out in November? Personally I think that one's a five star game.
Well, COD:Zombies was my favorite game on this list, but nevertheless, in an attempt to make a socially objective claim, I feel like all the scores were assessed accurately.
Eliminate definitely deserves top spot, and it looks like I have to give jet car stunts a try
Tumble Jumble – now with online level sharing should be on this list!
With 2009 soon coming to a close, I think it would be cool if the admins, mods, and some respected and fair minded members on TA (Big Albie for example) were to make a list of top games released this year in various genres and let TA members vote on their favorites, kinda like TA's own version of People's Choice award.
That is a good idea. Hope they listen to you.
I agree with most of the list… but where's Mini Squadron?
Maybe I'm just getting old But I found Eliminate dreadfully slow – especially turning (even on an iPhone 3GS) and Asphalt 5 Lite was lame as hell – maybe the full version is better but I found the physics neither believable nor fun – Real Racing is 100 times better and more satisfying due to greater realism IMO
oh well, will have to check other sites now before relying on reviews here (luckily found out my difference of opinion on free versions)
You know you can change the sensitivity of Eliminate right?
Jet Car stunts isn't just the best game on the iPhone so far, it may be the best for a while to come. It's so unique and so well executed, I can't explain adequately the sensation I get playing it. It's one of frustrated zen. The shading and colors get me on every single surface. I'm genuinely moved by that game. It's everything stunt driving/test drive III wished they were. It's a retro fantasy driving game made modern, then retro, then modern. I've never seen anything like it on any platform. A true 5 star game, but it really deserves a mention all of it's own. Best of the month; best of the year.
Go Twin Axis.
*True* Axis.
Jet Car Stunts is awesome! Currently the most played game on my iPhone
CoD and zombie attack for sure. The others are weak. Eliminate is totally weak, especially the pay-through-the-roof model. It is cheaper to play WoW on the PC.
Eliminate still doesn't deserve 5 stars with that pay model.
Ground Effect should be in that list. I've been glued to it for weeks.
Eliminate should be 4 stars. People just rate it high because of the forum talk and all the hype.
However, for being FREE it's amazing.