Well, it's Friday and our week of the best iOS games of 2012 is over. Looking back on all these posts, we saw an incredible amount of amazing games over the last year. No matter what genre(s) you prefer, we dug through everything the App Store had to offer and came up with the best of the best.
If you disagreed with any of our picks, or misunderstood the purpose of these lists and thought we "missed" things, you're in luck- The TouchArcade Forums 2012 Game of the Year nomination process is still taking place. Head on to the thread and give it a look then drop your favorite games in for inclusion.
We'll post about the winner when the whole thing is over with the release of the next batch of new games on the 3rd, but if you want to participate, don't wait.
Anyway, here's a handy list of all of our "Best of" articles:
2012 had a lot of cool surprises and good games, as you've probably noticed. But not all of those good games could be neatly categorized. This post is for the weirdos, the games that straddled too many genre lines or are members of genres that have too few rad games to sufficiently flesh out a "best of" post.
You'll see some oddities in this listing -- games that really stretch the meaning of game or apps that just have stupendous gaming elements. There's also titles that can be firmly categorized, and would have been, if there was more to celebrate.
It'll be interesting to see what 2013 will bring. Will we see way more card games than we did this year? What about open-world god games? New trends might have us re-thinking the way we categorize and the lists we bring to you.
For now, though, here's our best of the best of the rest of 2012.
Topia World Builder, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Topia World Builder has the creation and the emergent systems we look for in a solid god game, but shrugs off messy scenarios. In the game, you can build valleys, rivers, trees, and animals. Then, you can watch world you've created work. It's kinda wild.
Hatchi - A retro virtual pet, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Hatchi is a spiritual successor to the Tamagotchi. In the game, you hatch a pet monster and then care for it, subtly changing the way it grows and forms as you do so. The retro visuals and simplistic mechanics might be a drag for some, but for those of us who had a pet monster on a keychain, they struck the right chord.
Magic 2013, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 is a brilliant follow-up to a rad series that not only show you how to play Magic the right way, but allows you to jump in without plunking down dollars for cards. It's also nice that the core action of Magic is front and center throughout. This is truly a joy.
Zombies, Run!, $3.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - If you like jogging, but hate the tedium that can sometimes come along with it, consider giving Zombies, Run a try. It measures the distance you run and all of that jazz, but it also tells you a great survival story in the process. The audio has some neat hooks in it that gets you running faster, as well as systems that reward you for the effort.
Shufflepuck Cantina, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Shufflepuck Cantina is what happens with adventure game meets sports game. Presented as a "space western," Cantina tasks you with dominating a bar's shufflepuck table, while also learning about the world's creatures, characters, and mysteries. It's weird, but we think you'll dig the game's commitment to seeing its premise through.
Organ Trail: Director's Cut, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Organ Trail is an awesome little satire that rips on Oregon Trail. In the game, you play as a survivor of a zombie apocalypse on a journey to get his friends to a so-called Safe Haven. Along the way, you'll have to hunt for food, as well as repair your car's tires and mufflers. This is one you shouldn't miss.
Micro Miners, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This is a weird one. In Micro Miners, you control a horde of little miners and are tasked with collecting every possible scrap of resource as a screen scrolls eternally downward. Solid controls bolster the experience, while a great art style really sells it.
Skee-Ball 2, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Skee-Ball 2 is, oddly, a big favorite around here. It's a Skee-Ball game through and through, but it feels remarkably good, boasts a ton of lanes and balls, as well as a good amount of collectibles to obtain as you rock out.
So maybe the physical arcade is dead, but the spirit and experience of the arcade lives on in the App Store. It's a platform with a ton of simple titles with one goal: score a lot of points. It's also a platform rife with disposable games -- games that have kick, but allow you to walk away easily whenever the real world starts calling.
In that way, arcade games are the ultimate mobile games. Neither lean forward or lean back, arcade games fill in the spare moments of our lives before we have to get off the bus and start walking to work or clock back in after a break.
In 2012, we saw a lot more super impressive arcade-style games that had us shooting for high scores or flicking out our phones constantly. This is our list of our favorite ones that hit this year.
Burrito Bison, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - It took a while for Burrito Bison to make it's way to iPhone and iPad, but the wait was worth it. This is a fantastic "flinging" game with serious style and a ton of persistent systems that ensure that every single time you pick it up, you'll be working towards new upgrades and therefore longer runs.
Super Hexagon, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Super Hexagon is a game about life. Or it's about death. It depends on who you ask. We aren't so about either of these things to be frank, but we do know that Hexagon is one of the best arcade-style games of the year. We dig its style, its music, and its core mechanic, which revolves around reflex and your ability to completely synch with the rotating hexagons flying into your FOV. Neat stuff.
ZiGGURAT, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Ziggurat delivers on the high score mentality that we love so much about classic arcade games. In Ziggurat, you're charged with shooting as many aliens as possible as they fly, scramble up, and jump down on top of the ziggurat-structure you're guarding. Really good touch controls bolster the simple action loop.
Heads Up! Hot Dogs, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Heads up Hotdogs has to be one of the weirdest games we've played in 2012. In the game, you're tasked with balancing hotdogs on top of passerby's heads. The more you can place without dropping one, the higher your score. It's fast, fresh, and surprisingly fun.
Ow My Balls! XL, $0.99 - [Forum Thread] - The name of this one might be enough to turn you off, but give this one a shot. Sure, it's definitely a video game about kicking a dude where it hurts, but it's also one of the more mechanically brilliant physics games we've played. How long can you keep the protagonist in the air (and in pain)? We can go all day.
Tower of Fortune, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - If you took key elements of a roguelike, took out the dungeon crawling stuff, and focused just on straight up battles where the actions that take place during are determined by the spin of a slot machine, then you basically have Tower of Fortune. For some reason this mashup works exceedingly well on mobile, letting you jump in and partake in a couple of battles or challenge a new floor of the tower when you have a spare few minutes.
Plicplic, Free - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Vertical endless games have been done every which way, but somehow Plicplic managed to put a fresh spin on things. You play as an umbrella and, as you might be able to imagine, you aren't the most maneuverable thing in the world. That's what sets it apart though. Timing your dips towards either side of the screen to pick up stars and boost yourself higher, while also avoiding enemies and hazards along the way, was tricky and challenging. It was also unique and simple enough for anyone to pick up and play, making it one of the best arcade games this year.
Cool Pizza, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Easily one of the most stylish games of the year, Cool Pizza has you playing as a skateboarding gal on a mission. That mission is to beat the crap out of flying objects that are trying to kill you. From a Space Harrier-esque faux 3D behind the back perspective, launch off of ramps then whale on enemies, trying to time your strikes carefully so as to bounce from one enemy to the next and stay in the air. It's simple to play, but challenging and deceptively deep. I'm calling Cool Pizza as my Solipskier of 2012.
Cubed Rally Redline, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - The original Cubed Rally Racer was a fun and extremely challenging isometric racing game that we really dug back in 2010, but its purposely touchy controls were a big part of what made it such a hard game, and some people just could never warm up to them. That's why it was such a brilliant idea to make the car auto-accelerate in this follow-up title, leaving you to just worry about changing lanes and avoiding hazards. Not to make it sound like Redline is easy, though, as the game gets progressively tougher as you go, and at the same time gets an even wider variety of crazy challenges that are trying to block your path. Something about it just clicks, and this was a hard game to put down in 2012.
I've always hated trying to categorize games into their different genres. Heck, not even in just games but music, movies, pretty much everything. However, as is especially the case with video games, some things could fall into a number of different categories.
While an "action" category is a bit nebulous (don't pretty much all games have some sort of action?), some games seem more defined by the action they provide than with their narrative or other components.
The important thing is that when you have a few spare moments of downtime, or maybe even an entire afternoon, the iOS platform is ready with a ton of great titles that will provide you with action in some form to keep you enthralled and entertained. Below is a short list of titles whose action elements kept us on our toes during 2012.
God of Blades, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Sometimes games are more than the gameplay they offer, and God of Blades is a good example of that. Its style and overall atmosphere speaks to a very specific theme of prog rock and fantasy settings. It's as much about experiencing the game than playing the game itself. That said, God of Blades has an interesting combat mechanic that takes a while to reveal itself to the player, but once it does offers an incredibly unique, almost rhythm-based action. Once it clicks, then all the overarching visuals and themes really come together to provide a cohesive package that feels like it wouldn't be possible on any other platform.
Dynamite Jack, $2.99 / [Free] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - When the creator of the beloved strategy title Galcon announces a new game, you take notice. The resulting Dynamite Jack turned out to be one of the more interesting action-puzzlers released this year, and feels right at home on the touchscreen. Your imprisoned in a mine deep below the surface, and must escape floor-by-floor until you can finally bask in the fresh air once again. Utilizing some stealth mechanics that harken back to the original Metal Gear, as well as tons of exploration and puzzle elements that are required to find each exit, Dynamite Jack was a satisfying journey from beginning to end.
ORC: Vengeance, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - It seems like people are always clamoring for the iOS platform's "Diablo" equivalent, but nothing ever quite felt up to snuff. I can't quite say that Orc is it, but it's for darn sure one of the best isometric dungeon crawlers available on the platform. Gorgeous visual, tons of loot, and missions that are appropriately bite-sized for gaming while on the go. A huge update hit recently adding even more content to this already fantastic game, making it the one to beat for all future dungeon crawlers.
Hornâ„¢, $6.99 / [Free] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Horn was an ambitious title, wanting to deliver an action RPG inspired by newer Zelda titles, and it succeeded on many levels. The world was gorgeous and fun to explore, with a likable main character and intriguing story. I thought the actual combat was very well done too, and a lot of fun, though it tended to feel repetitive the further along you went in the game. Still, Horn was a standout title this year that I enjoyed a lot and I'd love to see future entries in the series.
Rage of the Gladiator Premium, $2.99 - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - I'd never even heard of this game until it came to iOS, but it was a popular WiiWare title that released in 2010 and has been updated and improved for its mobile release. It's a one-on-one arena combat game that might strike you as being similar to Infinity Blade, but shares more in common with the classic boxing game Punch Out!Rage of the Gladiator's combat mechanics are great and feature a number of cool weapons and special abilities to utilize against the cast of crazy monster-like opponents.
METAL SLUG 3, $3.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - The Metal Slug series is one of the best run 'n gun shooter series of all time, and the third entry is widely considered to be the best of the bunch. It made the transition to the touchscreen quite beautifully, maybe not at first but with a subsequent update that addressed any issues we had in our original review. With the first Metal Slug recently popping up on iOS as well, I'm really holding out hope that this classic SNK franchise will see all of its games released on the platform at some point.
In 2012, puzzle games continued to shine in a big way on the App Store. Branching out from the typical word games and block sliders of days of yore, 2012 brought some seriously unique and innovative experiences- Both as spinoffs to existing App Store franchises and from developers that came completely out of left field with all new titles. Puzzle games are great because even as a "hardcore" gamer, you can often appreciate a puzzle game then share tips and recommendations to friends who are potentially far more casual with their game tastes.
Our favorites this year span new iterations on classic formulas like 10000000 to shockingly in-depth hidden secrets of the mysterious widgets found in The Room. If you're looking to have your brain twisted, and walk away feeling a little smarter (or a little dumber in the case of failure) check out some of our favorite puzzle games of 2012. Keep in mind, the "puzzle" section of the App Store is quite crowded, so this list is a little bigger than the rest:
The Room Pocket, Free / The Room for iPad, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - As featured in our 2012 Game of the Year post: Few games succeed at providing the level of immersion of The Room. Play it on your iPad if you can, but otherwise, grab your headphones, turn down the lights, and dive in. As a player you're put to the task of unraveling the riddles of a curious mechanical box. Secrets are everywhere to discover, and each "layer" of the box reveals an increasingly detailed puzzle to solve. The only real down-side to The Room is that it ends shockingly abruptly, leaving you remarkably hungry for more. Fingers crossed for The Room 2 in 2013.
The Hacker, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Released months before The Room was this similarly atmospheric puzzle game. Inside The Hacker, as the title would suggest, you play as a hacker infiltrating various computer systems. The plot is laid out via emails, instant messages, and other communication mediums as you're constantly delving deeper into different puzzles that all vaguely play on computer security systems. While the actual puzzles themselves may feel a little basic at times, as a complete package, The Hacker truly shines.
Girls Like Robots, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Adult Swim knocks it out of the park (once again) with this puzzler that puts you to the task of satisfying the needs of women by appropriately seating them near robots and away from nerds. The premise is silly, and sounds a little basic, but can be downright brain-twisting as you pour over which grid squares to place girl, robot, nerd, and pie slices to make everyone happy. (Nerds like pie, you see.) If logic puzzles are something you enjoy, Girls Like Robots is among the best we played this year.
Beat Sneak Bandit, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Part rhythm game, part stealth game, and part puzzler, filing Beat Sneak Bandit amongst our puzzle game grouping feels the most appropriate. In the game, you play as the beat sneak bandit, trying to sneak out of single-screen rooms by tapping on your screen in time with the beat. It's a remarkably clever gameplay mechanic, but comes with the distinct drawback of absolutely requiring sound of some kind to play the game, which may not always be ideal. I highly recommend it though, so bust out those headphones and go to town.
Dream of Pixels, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - There have been a lot of Tetris variations on the App Store (most of which are swiftly nuked by EA's legal team) but Dream of Pixels does things differently by quite literally turning the Tetris formula on its head. My favorite part of the game is the puzzle mode where you're only given a select few blocks to entirely clear the screen. Be sure to give this game a try if you like Tetris and looking for something new.
Triple Town, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Don't let the super cute graphics fool you, this game can be tough, almost like playing a single player version of Chess with bears who are total jerks and constantly thwarting your progress. The town building process is delightfully complicated, and once you have that moment of clarity where you finally understand the strategy of the game Triple Town evolves into a puzzler that you can't put down. On the up side, it's free to try, so you can see if it clicks with you before spending a cent.
10000000, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - As featured in our 2012 Game of the Year post: On the surface, it's a simple row sliding-based match three, but once you play through the tutorial you begin to realize that it's more about managing the board state over forming any single specific match. For instance, you'll need sword and stave blocks in an immediate sense, as matching those is how you attack enemies. However, without managing removal of the stone and wood tiles, you quickly run out of available board space for swords and staves. Stone and wood are used for upgrading and repairing your castle, adding a sense of over-arching progression between individual match three dungeon crawling sessions.
Polymer, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Polymer took the tried and true mechanic of sliding columns and rows to create matches and turned it on its ear. Here, you're sliding to make polymers, essentially combining the proper pieces to create larger, continuous shapes across the game board. The trick is that once you have things lined up, sliding a row or column could potentially mess up your created shape, meaning careful forethought and planning many moves ahead are crucial to success.
Puzzlejuice, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Hey, you, you like word games, yeah? But what about Tetris? Like that too? Well, Puzzlejuice is the delightfully frantic hybrid of the two and doing well not only requires a killer vocabulary but also flawless planning and spatial management as you deal with the letter tiles on the game board. If you liked last year's SpellTower, don't miss PuzzleJuice.
Letterpress – Word Game, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This amazing turn-based multiplayer word game was actually the first title that was popular enough to bring down Game Center. Seriously, that happened. In the game, you form words to take over territory on a game board. As fun as it is, the game's major flaw is the lack of any kind of tutorial. Letterpress is nearly the perfect casual word game, but I feel like every time I recommend it I then have to spend a considerable amount of time explaining how to play it. Regardless, check it out. (Just don't ask me how to play it, I'm at capacity.)
Angry Birds Space, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - When asking "What's next?" for the Angry Birds series, I'm not sure anyone expected them to go to space. Regardless, this title further iterated on the classic Angry Birds formula, but in some really clever ways that ratcheted the difficulty up as you not only needed to aim your shots precisely, but also potentially deal with various types of gravity fields from different planetoids and obstacles.
Angry Birds Star Wars, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - I think the internet as a whole let out an audible groan when news broke that Rovio was teaming up with Star Wars, but Angry Birds Star Wars is actually quite good. The progression through the Star Wars story told in the Angry Birds universe is incredibly clever, and it's really neat getting new abilities for your existing birds as you... Err, further your Jedi training.
Bad Piggies, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - When Rovio mentioned their next game would be from the pigs' point of view, I think we all expected to sling pigs at birds. That made sense. Instead, they surprised us with this surprisingly elaborate contraption building game which not only puts players to the task of actually constructing the pigs' contraption, but piloting it to the goal. Definitely check this one out if you haven't already.
While looking quite a bit different from each other on the surface, all of the shooters here actually have a lot in common. Fast, frantic action that will test your reaction times and aiming ability, both offline and online. The major difference here is perspective. Some are first-person affairs, some are behind the back, and some are top-down. With such a variety of shooters on the App Store there's bound to be something to suit every type of gamer.
If you've found yourself being quite adept at virtual controls in first-person shooters, then Modern Combat offers the full suite of features that you might expect from a console title. If you need something that's a bit easier to control but doesn't skimp on the action, Trigger Fist is the way to go. Top-down dual-stick shooters have proven a great fit for both touchscreens and mobile, and there were some fantastic ones released this year.
No matter your preference, if you crave some fast-paced shooter action then the App Store most likely has you covered. Here's a list of some of our favorite shooters from 2012.
Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour, $6.99 - [Review] - [MP Review] - [Forum Thread] - Gameloft's Modern Combat series has long since strived to be the Call of Duty of the iPhone, and in this year's installment they get as close as ever to delivering that same type of experience to a device that fits in your pocket. The single player campaign was entertaining enough, though derivative and full of over-the-top stereotypes, but the online multiplayer side of things is far and away the most stellar offering on iOS or practically any handheld. Not to be forgotten, the visuals in Modern Combat 4 are nothing short of jaw dropping.
Trigger Fist, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - While Modern Combat tries to fit the full console experience onto mobile, Trigger Fist tried to re-imagine what a 3rd-person shooter would be like built with mobile and touchscreens in mind. They totally nailed it by limiting your aiming to a single horizontal plane, like shooters used to do back in their infancy a couple of decades ago. It proved a brilliant move too as now rather than fumbling around with full-range aiming you could focus more on the action. And Trigger Fist delivered action in spades with a fleshed-out multiplayer offering as well as hands down the best AI anywhere, meaning you could have just as much fun offline playing solo too.
ARC Squadron, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - The Unreal Engine has long since been used to exploit the graphical potential of gaming hardware, and Arc Squadron is no exception. It's gorgeous, but to its credit it also managed to avoid the tropes of the engine like overly dark, gritty, and shiny visuals. Arc Squadron is colorful and expansive, and makes you feel like you're really out their in the vastness of space. Beyond visuals, it offered a fun 3rd-person on-rails shooting experience full of action, huge enemies, and tons of explosions. Its unique gesture control system also felt very natural for the touchscreen and gave you a very hands-on feeling between you and your craft.
Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Like racing games, flight combat games are a staple of video games. They let you take control of a vehicle you typically would never be able to in real life, and experience death defying moves and gunfights right through the safety of your screen. Air Supremacy epitomized that, giving you free reign over a ton of awesome jets and arcade-y action that's faster and furiouser than any Vin Diesel flick. It strays from reality, but that's part of the appeal. It's a graphical showpiece for iOS devices and also offers a ton of incredible online multiplayer options, along with a huge community behind it. Its follow-up title recently hit the App Store and appears to maybe take things to the next level, but prior to that Air Supremacy was the de facto flight combat game on the iOS platform this year.
Minigore 2: Zombies, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - We've waited three long years for a sequel to 2009's Minigore, and this year we finally got it. While not fundamentally different than the first title gameplay-wise, I don't think it set out to be. Minigore 2 added layer after layer of upgradeable items to buy, unlockable characters, a host of cool power-ups, and a variety of different maps to play on. On top of all that was a huge cast of new enemies as well as the ability to display a staggering amount of them onscreen at the same time. The result was the Minigore we know and love turned up to 11, and with visuals that took advantage of all the latest hardware as icing on the cake.
Beat Hazard Ultra, $4.99 / [Free] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Seeing as iPhones are descendants of the iPod, and we tend to keep our mobile music collection on them, games that can use your music library are incredibly interesting. Few do it properly though, but Beat Hazard Ultra doesn't fall into that category. It takes one of your songs and turns it into a level, with the number of enemies, boss battles, and level of frenzy all being determined by the music track itself. It's not just a gimmick either, as each song feels like a unique experience. Visually it's one of the most intense games around, and it has the crazy action to match. This is hands-down one of the most enjoyable and engaging ways to experience your music, on top of being just a great dual-stick shooter in general.
MUTANT STORM, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - While technically just a port of an old PC title, Mutant Storm feels like it was destined for the iPad. It helped usher in a new era of retro-inspired arcade shooters ten years ago on PC, and became even more notorious with a release on Xbox Live Arcade in 2005. Visually speaking Mutant Storm is intense, and offers up a psychedelic experience with neon lights and particles filling your screen and eyeballs. The dual-stick controls feel nearly perfect, and with more than 80 levels, a compelling multiplier system, and a progressive difficulty system that has you earning different colored belts like a karate class, Mutant Storm should satisfy your arcade shooter needs for a long, long time.
The platforming genre has been a staple of video games since Mario invaded our living rooms nearly three decades ago, and it's a genre that thrives on iOS as well. Plenty of fantastic platformers were released to the App Store this year, in a variety of flavors. Some take the more traditional route and offer up the kind of running, jumping and enemy-stomping that you would expect from this kind of game, carried out through the use of virtual buttons.
Others tried to play up to the fact that virtual buttons can be a pain, and instead offered an auto-running kind of experience where simple well-timed taps would have your character negotiating the tricky terrain of cleverly designed levels. Some games focused more on exploration, some focused on speed running, and some focused more on combat or puzzles. Of course, some blended elements of everything together into a cohesive package.
One thing's for certain, though, and that's with the variety of different kinds of platforming games found on the App Store you're bound to find a style that suits you personally. Here's a list of the platforming games that we enjoyed the most throughout 2012.
Mikey Shorts, $0.99 / [Free] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Being the first release from a new developer, Mikey Shorts surprised everybody with just how fantastic it came out. It found a perfect balance between being a platformer that's fun for anybody to play, as well as a highly competitive experience for those who obsessed over speedrunning its levels and competing with others on the leaderboards. Plus, it has excellent controls and a great sense of humor and style.
Mutant Mudds, $4.99 - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Already a well-established and beloved downloadable title on the Nintendo 3DS, Mutant Mudds made the transition to iOS very well, and has the chance to reach a much larger audience now. It's slower-paced than most iOS platformers, requiring plenty of thought and well-timed jumps to reach the end of each level. Fantastic touch controls and a checkpoint system makes the task more manageable, and a whole host of secret levels and alternate endings fleshes out the experience even more.
League of Evil 2, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - One of our favorite iOS platformers of all time got a sequel this year, and delivered more of what we loved back in early 2011. Namely, tight controls and Super Meatboy-style quick-hit levels - short, sweet and extremely challenging. A brand new art style traded in the retro-pixel aesthetic for one that was more stylized and looked great on high resolution iOS screens.
Sonic The Hedgehog 4â„¢ Episode II, $4.99 / [Free] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Sega took a huge step in restoring gamers' faith in the Sonic franchise with Sonic 4 Episode I in 2010, but as pretty as it looked and as hard as it tried to mimic the classic Sonic titles, something still felt a bit "off." Episode II this year improved that feel a lot, plus added team moves with Tails and a whole unlockable episode that followed Metal Sonic and his exploits after Sonic CD. While not perfect, Episode II was another great new Sonic game that I really enjoyed, and I hold out hope that Sega continues with the series.
Wimp: Who Stole My Pants? HD, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Wimp came out of nowhere when it released this year, and turned plenty of heads. Great controls and plenty of clever puzzle elements made it a joy to play, as well as challenging. Its fantastic art style made it stand out with smooth animations and a ton of personality for a main character that's essentially just a green ball of goo. New mechanics and abilities were introduced at a perfect pace, giving the game a great sense of progression that urged you to keep coming back, and a "3-star" reward system made it fun to explore every inch of a level to complete all its challenges.
Incoboto, $3.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - While some of the puzzle-platforming elements in Incoboto failed to impress, the game more than made up for it with story, atmosphere, and emotional draw. The world is ending, and you have the overwhelming task of putting it back together piece by piece. Paramount to this task is your sun friend Helios, who doesn't seem to have the capacity to offer compassion for this dying world. Though it looks bright and happy on the surface, Incoboto is oddly dark and melancholy, which is an incredibly unique position for a platforming game. It's also what made us become drawn into the strange world of Incoboto this year, and recently the experience was shrunk down for the iPhone and felt just as powerful on the smaller screen.
Rayman Jungle Run, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Ubisoft and Pasta Games were able to take the heart of the stunning Rayman Origins console and handheld game and repurpose it for a mobile device with a touchscreen. Rayman just runs his heart out through each level and it's up to you to make sure he jumps, floats, and punches with pinpoint precision in order to reach the goal. Simple two-button controls allow you to focus on negotiating obstacles and collecting every last Lum, which is a satisfying challenge.
Mega Run - Redford's Adventure, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Trading in the endless and random nature of most runners, Mega Run was comprised of a ton of carefully crafted levels that encouraged you to explore, take alternate paths, and utilize different strategies to earn enough points to snag the coveted 3-stars. A Pixar-level visual style and a cast of colorful characters made Mega Run feel like you're playing an interactive cartoon, somewhat fitting seeing as its follow-up title is the just-released Monsters Inc. Run [$1.99]
Polara, $0.99 / [Free] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Polara took your pretty standard endless running formula and turned it on its ear by adding in an Ikaruga-like polarity switching mechanic. It doesn't sound like much, but that small change made Polara one of the more compelling and challenging runners, and a super smart progression system made it feel like you were always improving your skills at the game.
Fighting games have really emerged to become one of the most popular genres on iOS. If you had told me that back in the early days of the iPhone, I wouldn't have believed you. But somewhere along the way developers have found a way to make fighting games work through a combination of responsive virtual button controls as well as some ingenious tricks to map the typically complex input combinations that fighters are known for into just one or two taps and swipes.
This year saw ports of a couple of different classic fighters that are really cool to be able to carry around in your pocket. We also got an updated version of one of last year's best fighting games, as well as a new entry for iOS that pits two of the biggest fighting game franchise rivals against one another in the same game. Below are the fighting games released in 2012 that had the biggest impact on the genre.
SOULCALIBUR, $14.99 - [Review] - [Forum] - This game was a landmark release for the Dreamcast back in 1999, and more than ten years later it feels just as good on my iPhone and iPad. Everything is intact just how you remember it if you were a fan of the game originally, and while the initial release was somewhat technically imperfect a later update smoothed things over and restored the beautiful 60 frames per second that made the original game standout so well.
MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 2, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - One of Capcom's cult-classic fighters arrived on iOS this year, and although it is definitely showing its age there's still really nothing quite like carrying it around in your pocket. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 takes a staggering list of fighters from both the Marvel and Capcom universes and pits them against each other over the top moves and obnoxiously flashy supers. It's not the most well-balanced fighter in the world, but it's definitely among the most fun, especially when playing against other people.
STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN MOBILE　, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Capcom has had great success with their Street Fighter games on iOS, and this mobile version of the console hit released this year takes things to the next level in many ways but also takes some steps backwards. It's still a ton of fun, and having fully 3D character models and backgrounds is a big visual improvement from previous games. An iffy online token system and lack of playable characters brings things down a bit, but it's still amongst the best fighters available on iOS.
THE KING OF FIGHTERS-i 2012., $6.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Last year SNK Playmore took on the king of the iOS fighters, Street Fighter IV, and came out swinging with King of Fighters-i. It felt nearly identical to Capcom's fighter in controls and interface, but offered up a huge selection of classic characters from the various SNK fighters from over the years. This year's version kept everything great intact and added a bunch of new characters and online multiplayer in the mix, making it a serious contender for best iOS fighter.
Auto-runners have really found a home on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Built from the ground-up for portability, these games are easy to pick up and put down on a whim. You can play for seconds, minutes, or hours depending on your mood and location. Playing couldn't be simpler, either -- with intuitive swipes, taps, and tilts, you can guide a given avatar through magical worlds full of dangerous obstacles without fumbling with your device.
In 2012, we've seen the runner take off. Most owe a lot to Imangi's Temple Run [Free], but the best of the best we've seen this year have executed on their own unique ideas and built on the concept of the runner, as opposed to straight-up copying.
Our favorite auto-runners of 2012 show that there's more to the runner than what meets the eye. Each of these bring something really cool to the table, be it a fun new perspective, a new style, a fun take on a known property, or even new mechanics.
Into the Dead, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - We're tired of running away from zombies, too, but Into the Dead invites you to experience the physicality of an escape, which is a welcome thing. Presented in a first-person perspective, Into the Dead puts you right into the thick of the action of the zombie her. Smart camera work as well as animations make every stumble and turn feel real, adding to an overall feel of recklessness of a run.
Verticus, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - This isn't as much of a stretch as you think it is. Verticus is a game about falling, but it leverages runner ideas and constructs in order to deliver a fast, wild ride that has you tossing, tilting, and turning in the skies to avoid mines, grab coins, and of course, to save the world. It's a nice change of pace that uses familiar stuff.
PITFALL!â„¢, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - The re-imagining of Pitfall is more than an everyday behind-the-back endless runner. It does some really cool stuff with perspective switches, pulling you out of the typical action in favor of more traditional third-person platforming. Pitfall also has a great visual style, as well as sharp instance design. One second you'll be jumping over pits and avoiding snakes, the next you'll be riding in a minecart.
Temple Run: Brave, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - These runners probably wouldn't exist as they are if Temple Run was not a thing that hit it big on the App Store. Brave isn't so much of a twist as it is a change scenery, but it's a welcome one. Brave feels fast and honest to the Brave IP, and it's a blast to play just like Imagini's first game.
Subway Surfers, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This was one of the first behind-the-back runners to use a lane-switching mechanic that actually felt fun and intuitive to use. It also introduced a variety of interesting environmental challenges and choices, with alternate paths and moving trains that had you making split-second decisions just to keep yourself in one piece. Add a boatload of customizable items and rewards to earn and this was an endless runner that stood out from the pack.
Punch Quest, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - Punch Quest adds punching to the runner mix, and it's an awesome addition that adds some actual interaction to a genre that normally asks you to be purely reactive. Plus, there's tons of stuff to unlock between actual abilities you can use and superfluous hats you can wear, so the "one more run" nature of the game has a greater purpose.
Ski Safari, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Ski Safari was novel back when it released in May for having an excellent sense of style and utilizing a brilliant one-touch control scheme. Simply hold down on the screen to rotate Sven your skier as he navigates the bumps, cliffs and hazards of a mountain while trying to outrun an avalanche. Its wide variety of environmental elements, customization options, and unlockable items and themes make Ski Safari one of the silliest runners around, and that continues to expand through steady content updates.
One of the more interesting things we've been observing on the App Store over the last three or so months is the rise of endless racing games. Built like runners, these games have you driving cars with questionable suspensions across craggy levels. The goal is to drive as far as possible before crashing. The longer you travel (and the more tricks and jumps you can pull off along the way), the higher your score.
We're not 100 percent sure why these are hot, but our guts say the upgrade models have a big hand in it. The best endless racing games have in-game currencies. As you drive, you pick up coins that can be used to upgrade components of cars and buy newer, faster ones. As Call of Duty continues to prove, the click-treat that comes with upgrading and unlocking is powerful stuff.
When something gets hot on the App Store, whether it's a genre, style of game, or even an IP, you see a lot of knock-offs. We've certainly spotted a couple of terrible cash-in endless hill racing games. Our best hill climbing list ignores these and celebrates some of the originality we've seen in this fledgling space.
Extreme Road Trip 2, Free - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - Extreme Roadtrip 2 was the game we feel like started it all. It's still the strongest of the hill racing games we've encountered so far. Great visuals coupled with superb sounds and reliable physics make this a blast to play. Plus, the fun upgrade paths and unlocks keep you coming back for more.
Earn to Die, $0.99 - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - It's the post-apocalypse and you only have a shred of gas to escape from the incoming horde. In Earn to Die, your goal is to slowly build up a collection of cars that can get you out of a bad situation -- and into, sometimes, worse ones. The premise of this one goes a long way in making the hill climbing action click.
I Hate Zombiesâ„¢, Free - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - At first glance, this seems like a pretty mundane hill climbing game, but after playing for a bit, you'll appreciate just how solidly constructed it is. The physics are wonderful, the car selection is ridiculously robust and the addition of a jump mechanic certainly sprinkles some extra flavor into the experience.
MotoHeroz, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - The makers of Trials HD on consoles wanted to bring a similar experience to mobile without just rehashing the same old thing. The result was Motoheroz, a game with a fantastic look and devilishly designed levels. Just completing each one is a challenge on its own, but throw in time-trial, hidden items, and a 3-medal scoring system and Motoheroz is a game you can spend a ton of time with.
Role-playing and adventure games are great when you've got a lot of time to burn, want to participate in a massive story, or just want a game that's meatier than normal. We want them to fill up our lives, to hook us, and not let go. That's just how it is.
These are well-explored genres on almost every platform, including the relatively new ones like mobile. As a result, developers have a ton of expectations to manage. They've got to nail scale and scope. They've got to create uniques universes and fill them with interesting enemies, villains, characters, and scenarios. And most importantly, they've got to wrap this all up in a cohesive, accessible package.
A ton of RPG and adventure games were released in 2012, but only a few were able to really deliver on those promises. Our listing is of the best games that delivered.
Walking Dead: The Game, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - Walking Dead: The Game is a five-part episodic series that takes place in the gory and wretched Walking Dead universe where the people are often much more dangerous than the undead. The adventure told a genuinely heartbreaking tale. Great writing, superb voice, and great controls allow you to feel the emotions the game wants you to.
Penny Arcade's On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - One of the more remarkable things about Rain-Slick Precipice 3 is how it melds old and new school RPG design into one coherent package. This is a funny game and a deep game, as well as thoroughly entertaining one from a story and combat perspective.
CHAOS RINGS II, $15.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - In a lot of ways, Chaos Rings II is the quintessential JRPG. It's kind of grind-y, it's linear, and the story is nuts. But, Chaos Rings embraces what it is, much to the game's credit. It's a refined take on the genre and the tradition, both meaty and familiar, as well as consistently solid.
Squids Wild West, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - The thing we appreciate about Squids the most is how action-y it feels, despite the fact that it's ultimately a turn-based strategy RPG. Superb art and sound work bolster combat and the game's various RPG systems, which by the way, are really good.
Ravensword: Shadowlands, $6.99 - [Review] - [Hands-on] - [Forum Thread] - Crescent Moon Games continues their legacy of offering Western-style RPGs with vast open worlds to explore and stellar visuals in Ravensword: Shadowlands, the follow-up title to the 2009 original. Shadowlands raises the bar yet again for what is possible on a mobile device. You can spend hours with the lengthy main storyline, and partake in dozens of side quests along the way. Shadowlands is a fully-realized world that fits in your pocket, and is just begging to be explored.
FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS, Free - [Review] - [TA Plays] - [Forum Thread] - Square Enix managed to capture the feeling of their earliest Final Fantasy titles with Dimensions, and it felt incredibly at home on mobile. Probably because it was originally released for mobile phones in 2010 before releasing on iOS this year. We reviewed the free initial version just to see what kind of experience it offered for zero dollars, and it's actually pretty cool how you can buy additional chapters as you go through IAP.
Saturday Morning RPG, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This game offered a pretty simplistic, retro-feeling RPG experience at its core, but earned its merit by tickling our '80s nostalgia bones with witty and humorous dialogue along with a mind-blowing amount of parodies and nods to some of our favorite childhood memories. Saturday Morning RPG continues to grow and expand too, getting progressively better with each new chapter released.
Liliâ„¢, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Lili is an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous game, and even was used as a showpiece for the new widescreen iPhone 5 when it was unveiled. Beyond just looks though, Lili managed to do some pretty progressive things for an action-RPG-adventure game. First its protagonist is a smart female devoid of the typical sexed-up stereotypes reserved for females in many games. Second is that it employed a completely non-violent form of combat, which actually played right into the game's overall them quite nicely.
Devil's Attorney, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Devil's Attorney took the basic idea of a role-playing game and took it in a really interesting direction. Here your role is that of a sleazy attorney who must defend some equally sleazy clients. Your turn-based battles play out as courtroom cases, with the plaintiff and defendant sides each exchanging blows. Its style and humor added to the whole experience and really pushed it to the top of iOS games released this year.
McPixel, $2.99 / [Free] - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Oh man, McPixel you guys. Essentially a point-and-click style adventure game, McPixel lets you loose in a variety of completely absurd scenarios. Inspired by the MacGruber character on Saturday Night Live, which itself is a parody of the MacGyver TV show, you'll need to learn how to diffuse each situation before blowing yourself up or otherwise killing yourself and others in various crazy ways. Like classic point-and-clicks, the answer is rarely the obvious or logical choice, which is all part of the fun.
Arranger, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Probably one of the most unique adventures you can take on iOS this year is in Arranger. It's heavily retro-inspired and revolves around exploring a crazy world in search of your full set of musical instruments. The style of the game is often over the top and crazy, which adds a lot to the appeal. Its focus on music and inclusion of tons of neat mini-games made Arranger a standout title this year.
Racing games are one of the oldest genres to be digitized into video games, and they make a great fit for a mobile or handheld device. That rings especially true with iOS devices which come equipped with gyroscopes that feel incredibly natural as faux steering wheels during an intense race.
This year it went beyond that though, as traditional racing games were rethought from the ground up for an experience that can be picked up at pretty much any time when you have a few minutes to kill. Some games even take the connectivity of our devices in interesting directions by allowing us to race against friends and strangers worldwide to see who is the most proficient racer around.
Looking forward to next year, Real Racing 3 looks to take that even further with something they're calling "time-shifted" multiplayer. It's something that resembles racing a ghost time but if that ghost had an advanced AI that would react to your own decisions in real-time.
It'll be interesting to see how that shakes out, but for now let's look back at the wide variety of different kinds of racing titles that made an impact on iOS in 2012.
Need for Speedâ„¢ Most Wanted, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - While definitely a more streamlined, mobile-friendly version of the console game of the same name, Most Wanted brought a high-end feel in a small package. Not just a pretty face though, it also featured solid racing and some of the most exhilarating moments of any game this year.
Reckless Racing 2, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - The original Reckless Racing brought an over-the-top arcade racer to iOS that was tons of fun but felt rough around the edges and like it could have been more. The sequel kept the core of what made the first game great while toning down the over-the-top nature a bit and expanding it with a more fleshed-out racing experience. Reckless Racing 2 feels like a grown-up version of the original, and is one of the best top-down racers around.
Slingshot Racing, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Somehow Snowbolt Interactive found a way to take all of the things that are great about playing a racing game and make it work with a simple one-touch control scheme. Searching for the best racing line and replaying tracks over and over to shave seconds off your time became an obsession for me, just like a traditional racing game, but doing it by launching a hookshot out to grapple and swing my vehicle around each corner made it one of the more unique racing experiences I've had.
Sky Gnomes, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - While it sure doesn't look like a racing game, Sky Gnomes brought a fresh approach to competitive racing on mobile. A brilliant online leaderboard and tournament system meant that hopping into the game to take on the top times became a daily habit. A wide breadth of characters and specialty items added variety to the experience, and simple one-hand controls made Sky Gnomes a joy to play on a mobile device.
Mad Skills BMX, $0.99 - [Review] - [TA Plays] - [Forum Thread] - Turborilla took everything they learned from 2011's Mad Skills Motocross and applied it to the world of BMX in Mad Skills BMX. The first big improvement is an intuitive touchscreen control system that takes advantage of gestures and swipes rather than virtual buttons. With impeccably designed tracks it was a blast trying to achieve a perfect run and shave fractions of a second off your best score.
Scrolling shoot 'em ups, or shmups if you're lazy, have found a happy home on iOS devices. The tall screens are a perfect place for the action to unfold, and it's one of the few genres that actually feels at least as good or better on a touchscreen rather than with physical controls. At least in terms of controlling your ship, as something is definitely lost without a set of arcade buttons to smash away at with their satisfying clicks, but I digress.
In this arena, Cave dominates with excellent ports of their wide selection of arcade titles that feel awesome on iOS. In fact, it's somewhat telling how good the platform is for shooters that the majority of this list is made up of ports, as there's a huge selection of back titles that could find new life on iOS.
However, there are a couple of new titles here that continue to push the genre forward, and more importantly are built form the ground up with mobile in mind making them great games to tote around in your pocket. Enjoy this list of both old and new titles that hit in 2012 that put the frenetic shoot 'em up experience in the palm of our hands.
DODONPACHI MAXIMUM, $11.99 - / [Free] - [Forum Thread] - Cave's brand new designed for mobile shooter hit Windows phones exclusively earlier in the year, but thankfully came to iOS in the fall. It used the pretty cool theme of being a "bullet hell simulator" which through you into various virtual combat situations against a variety of enemies from previous Cave shooters. Because it wasn't a port, it was the best looking Cave game to date and felt perfectly at home on the platform.
DoDonPachi Blissful Death, $4.99 / [Free] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - A prequel to the fantastic Dodonpachi Resurrection, Blissful Death offered yet another solid shooter from the folks at Cave. It was slightly less complex scoring-wise than its follow-up, but it had its own set of strategies and hidden tactics to discover that didn't diminish the experience one bit. In fact, its more simplistic nature might make this one of the better entries to get yourself familiar with Cave's brand of shooter.
Bug Princess 2 Black Label, $13.99 / [Free] - [Forum Thread] - One of the cool things about Cave is how they often release special "Black Label" versions of their games, which typically offer tweaked scoring and game modes and a remixed experience from the original. A couple of months prior, we really liked the original release of Bug Princess 2 and the new Black Label version didn't fail to live up to our expectations either.
DoDonPachi Resurrection HD, $13.99 / [Free] - [Forum Thread] - This year I was elated to have my absolute favorite Cave game re-released with Universal iPad support as well as many completely redrawn assets in order to bring it up to speed with the high-res screen of iOS devices. It truly felt like experiencing the original game all over again. Now, if we could get some more of their titles to get a similar treatment, and iPhone 5 widescreen support, I'd really be in heaven. Whaddaya say, Cave?
DARIUSBURST SP, $10.99 - [Forum Thread] - In 2009 Taito resurrected their classic Darius series with a brand new entry in the series on the PSP. It featured impressive 3D graphics and side-scrolling action that harkened back to the originals while still feeling fresh and new. This year a port of the PSP version came to iOS in a big way, and aside from boasting some of the best visuals on iOS it also through a ton of imaginative enemies and gigantic bosses into the mix.
BLAZING STAR, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Oh, look. Another port! That's ok though, as the original release of Blazing Star on the NeoGeo system back in the '90s was likely not experienced by very many people. Now on iOS it has the ability to find an entirely new audience, as well as allow original fans to relive the title on the go. A future update addressed pretty much all of our concerns from our review, making Blazing Star a top choice for shooters on the App Store this year.
Raiden Legacy, $4.99 - [Forum Thread] - The Raiden series was one of my favorites growing up, and I always wondered why it hadn't show up on iOS. This year we finally got it though, as the original Raiden joined 3 other games in a compilation package. The original game still holds up today, but the Raiden Fighters games are ones I never got a chance to play and surprised me with how fantastic they are. If we can get Raiden II and Raiden DX in a future compilation, I'll be set for life.
iOS devices almost seem made for pinball games. It's the kind of thing that can be controlled perfectly fine with just simple taps, and the added benefit of motion detection by way of the iOS gyroscope means you an get down and dirty shaking your device to get certain results, just as if you were banging away at a real-life pinball table.
This year actually saw the release of a lot of different pinball tables. Although many of them were actually pretty decent, nothing ever felt like it stood out to me amongst the many options out there already. The short list below are the exception to this, as they all offered some pretty unique experiences from one another and represent a good cross section of pinball types, from realistic to fantastical, which should appeal to a broad audience of iOS owning pinball enthusiasts.
Pinball Fantasies HD, $3.99 - Last year we were treated to Pinball Dreams HD, an enhanced remake of the classic Amiga pinball game that was painstakingly built from scratch to recreate the same tables in 3D with modern enhancements like Universal iPad support and Retina Display resolution. It totally succeeded at keeping the same feel of the originals while bringing everything up to date. This year the second game in the original Amiga trilogy got the same treatment, and was equally as enjoyable and impressive. Now I'm hoping that in the new year we'll get Pinball Illusions to complete the trilogy in HD on iOS.
Pinball Arcade, $0.99 / [Free] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - When the makers of the Pinball Hall of Fame games announced last year that they were working on a mega-compilation of all the best real world pinball tables, and that it was coming to iOS in addition to other platforms, it was huge news. This year we finally saw the release of Pinball Arcade, and while the digital versions didn't quite play exactly the same as their real-world counterparts, carrying such a huge list of classic tables around in your pocket or on our iPads was a priceless experience.
Revenge of the Rob-O-Bot, $2.99 - [Forum Thread] - This game is still fairly fresh on the scene, but it's already become one of the most popular pinball tables amongst our community. And with good reason. It features some of the most realistic visuals I've ever seen in a digital pinball game, with fantastic shininess that makes the chrome parts feel like real metal, creepily realistic lighting effects, and a dot-matrix scoreboard that reflects off the glass of the table in real time. It's nuts! Also it's got a fantastic physics system that feels realistic as well, not to mention a really well-designed table layout. Don't miss this one.
Monster Pinball HD, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - The original Monster Pinball was one of our very favorite games when it launched back in 2009, and when I heard that developer Matmi was working on an enhanced HD remake I was thrilled. Monster Pinball HD didn't disappoint either, and gave me all my favorite tables in glorious HD and with Universal iPad support. New additions like Game Center and the ability to unlock each table for individual play was like icing on the cake.
It happens every time. We'll boot up a game like Vice City, Max Payne, or Crazy Taxi on our iPads and iPhones, and then it hits us: we're playing console games on devices that can take phone calls, browse the web, and fit in the palms of our hands. In the case of Vice City, it wasn't so long ago that we were waiting in the line for the game, eagerly anticipating playing it all night on our PS2s. Now, we can play it on the bus.
Like last year, 2012 has seen quite a few ports released on the App Store -- and not all of them of former console titles. We've seen DS ports and PSP ports, in addition to some notable PC ports. The App Store is full of them.
Not all ports are great, though. Sometimes, in the translation, they pick up a few new bugs or issues that never get squashed. Controls are often questioned, too, as few ports nail the transition from gamepad to touch screens.
Our top ports of 2012 show that there's an art to porting. Each of these games feels at home on iPad and iPhone, which is to say, they control well, they look great, and they provide insanely satisfying experiences on level (or beyond) their source material.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - Aside from its touch implementations, Vice City remains the same 80's-themed, open-world shooter you fell in love with as you cruised a color-infused Miami and jammed to Flock of Seagulls in a stolen car. The touch joystick and buttons feel great, and don't take away from the experience.
The World Ends with You: Solo Remix for iPad, $19.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - As we said in our review, The World Ends With You: Solo Remix is not a game built for five-minute diversions. Rather, it's one meant to leave a permanent impression. And it does on iOS, in addition to DS. The use of touch with taps and swipe gestures makes it stand out amongst the port crowd.
Crazy Taxi, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - Crazy Taxi's iPhone-sized package presents the perfect time-killer while you're waiting for a table, bustling along on the commute to work, or looking for a fun pass-and-play style game with friends. Check it out.
Bastion, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - [ TA Plays ] - Bastion started out as an XBLA title before branching out to other platforms, including touch. With two superb control methods, it's surprisingly flexible as far as play styles are concerned. And as for the game, it's a fantastic action adventure game with solid sound design, great writing and tons of other awesome content.
Max Payne Mobile, $2.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Max Payne, as a shooter, does feel a little dated. Some of the scenario design has that old-school save and reload sensibility, and boy those textures look gross. On the other hand, this is Max Payne. The sand-box-y combat remains satisfying and the writing holds up pretty well, too. The touch implementation is superb.
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS for iPad, $17.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] -
Some of the control implementations of The War of the Lions are arguably not so great, but for the most part, they work and work well. If you're looking for a deep, insanely long tactics game on your iPhone or iPad, you won't find better on the App Store.
GHOST TRICK: Phantom Detective, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Ghost Trick on mobile is, basically, a pixel-perfect port of the DS version -- and like most DS ports, Ghost Trick feels stunningly good on mobile. Solid gesture-based controls coupled with the game's superb premise, writing, visuals make this game a don't miss.
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, $9.99 - [Forum Thread] - Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition's new content might be forgettable, but the journey that the game takes you on isn't. Enhanced Edition is a solid port of an amazing RPG that had a hand in steering modern western RPG development. If you missed the game the first time around, this is a great entrance point.
THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Square Enix managed to take all of the fantastic musical numbers from the Final Fantasy series over the years and turn it into a game that lets you interact and play with it. Cool. Theatrhythm was a standout title on the Nintendo 3DS this year, and although the port over to iOS included a bunch of changes as well as a decidedly different pay model it still translated extremely well. In fact, rather than flip out about how much the game would cost if you bought every single music pack on iOS, I rather appreciated that I could buy certain packs at my own pace, which should extend the life of Theatrhythm on my iOS device for quite some time.
Well, it's Friday and our week of the best iOS games of 2012 is over. Looking back on all these posts, we saw an incredible amount of amazing games over the last year. No matter what genre(s) you prefer, we dug through everything the App Store had to offer and came up with the best of the best.
