I had reasonably high hopes for Area 51 Defense, due in mo small part to the drool-inducing visuals, but the experience has dashed them to pieces. It's not a terrible tower defense game, but it's hard to recommend over the glut of other more user-friendly and downright enjoyable titles out there. Plus it kind of falters right out of the gate since it's so ridiculously similar to Epic War TD, which is free right now.

A very good-looking game, and one that is well-designed. The levels can be daunting at times, but it really just takes some strategic planning in order to solve the game's challenges. For those who have played one too many tower defense games and want a new perspective on things, this is worth checking out.

Angry Birds feels like it's getting a bit old, but it doesn't feel like it's Rovio's fault. There may only be so much that they can do with the core gameplay and formula, but they're at least showing that even when they could get away with a quick cash-in, they're actually trying to continue to iterate.

I can't recommend World of Goo enough. If you are a fan of physics puzzlers or just a good games in general, this is a must have. While it's not a new game, it's good to have it finally on a platform that it seems to have been designed for.

Put together, Youda Survivor sounds incredibly intense. It's actually not. It's a relaxing yet satisfying time management experience that eases the player in gently. With branching paths within the campaign and some keen times set to acheive gold medals, there's a lot of fun to be had here for fans of the genre.

A quality experience for players keen to boost their mental reactions.

From the moment DarkGate begins, players will be transported back to an era long before such things as particle effects or extensive dialog trees existed. The game's retro, yet modern sensibilities make it accessible for players of all ages and experience levels, while not alienating the grizzled veterans. Boot the game up and take a trip down memory lane. This is an adventure well worth embarking on.

For fans of fighting games that want some new portable pugilism with projectiles, Street Fighter X Tekken is a great choice, if only because it's the best looking entry yet, and it supports the iPad! Hallelujah!

The game does have tons of content, varying gameplay, and some interesting level design. It's not wholly original, but it's a fun, lengthy trip.

That's Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden's main strength: its ability to keep the player interested with such choice. It's a fine example of what works so well for the genre, even if it doesn't quite revolutionize.

If the biggest issue with Pig's Dreams is repetition, when the "fun level" is this high, there could be much worse problems to have. Plus, the "dream" world structure leaves plenty of room for expansion later on down the road. Clocking in at only ninety-nine cents, this is the kind of game that will certainly give you more than enough bang for the buck to justify an instant purchase.

Fans of the genre will enjoy the variety of the challenge, however, and find themselves keen to see what happens next. Just like I did!

Being inspired by another game isn't necessarily a bad thing. 300 Dwarves comes complete with impressive graphics, decent gameplay and a solid storyline. Ultimately, the disappointment is that it could be better. It doesn't offer anything new and exciting and it feels more like a sequel to a game I've already played. Those looking for a new TD game will enjoy picking up this title, but don't expect to be blown away by it.

Not great, nor is it terrible. It ultimately is just a jumbled mess that still needs work.

Two of the three control methods are broken in my opinion.

RiseToFameHD doesn't integrate the work of recognizable musicians, and it provides no microphone for singing a Red Hot Chili Peppers song poorly and comes without a faux drum set for drunkenly accompanying a tone deaf lead singer/roommate. This alone sort of kills the party atmosphere of group, frat boy fun, but the animation is slick, the music is lively, and the interactive features are good fun.

An inspiring title that through artistic flair, innovative wind physics and particle effects creates an intricate world that is a pleasure to visit every time.

It's a stunning game to look at but even for a JRPG nut such as myself, it lacks any real passion.

Spell Rift makes finding words feel like playing Myst.

Of all the Hitman games available on iOS, Absolution provides the best overall experience despite being a somewhat idiosyncratic chapter for the series.

Management gameplay takes a back seat to this sharp and compelling interactive fiction experience that has aged remarkably well.

The idea of a game about rearranging seating to fit everyone's needs a preferences sounds a lot more novel than it actually is.

There are too many caveats and pain points involved in playing this sandbox murder-simulator on iOS for it to feel rewarding.

Enter the Gungeon is an uncompromising challenge that will keep on surprising you as you as you try to learn all of its tricks.

Cat Quest III all but perfects the charm, creativity, and sleekness that has come to define this delightful action rpg series.

Wargroove 2 has some core problems and mobile friendliness issues, but even with those remains a solid tactics game.

There's not really any trick or rug-pull to this game. It very much is a game about digging a hole, and provides the simple satisfaction you can get from performing that action.

Although at times it can feel like asks players to create their own fun, there's enough hidden surprises and unique features in this tower defense game that it provides a solid and specific experience.

This attempt to modernize beat 'em ups fixes some problems while creating others. The underlying issues that plague the genre persist, but so does the charm and appeal, especially if you are a TMNT fan.

Despite some charming visual flair, No Way Home has a hard time selling its brand of loot-based shooting in a way that makes it noteworthy.

This somewhat shaky port does a great job of capturing the spirit of Prince of Persia games to the point that some of the changes introduced feel pretty weak or unnecessary by comparison, but its core is sound and enjoyable nonetheless.

As compelling as it premise may be, this card-based rpg is a bit too messy to recommend unless you have a big screen and a lot of patience.

Resident Evil 3 probably isn't my favorite of the remakes, but it is the best mobile port of them by a mile. For that reason alone, I hope Capcom keeps pumping out console titles onto the App Store. And, uh, Capcom--if you're reading this--how about Monster Hunter next?

Despite its ramshackle state, Songs of Conquest still manages to deliver an extremely satisfying strategy experience.

Sometimes you don't have to reinvent the wheel (or ski, rather) to make a satisfying sequel. What Grand Mountain Adventure 2 lacks in innovation is compensates by just sticking to its strengths.

I have a hard time thinking of a more compelling action experience than I Am Your Beast, on mobile or elsewhere. Every aspect of it is so tightly wound and propulsive that it makes you want to churn through it just as quickly as Alphonse kills people, and--trust me--that is a good thing.

This action game makes a triumphant return to the App Store and feels just great as it did 15 years ago.

This cat-themed word game is cute and fun, though perhaps a bit too procedural.

In a more traditional "game rating" sense, The Longing isn't exactly something I'd say would net a particularly high score, but it has arguably more value as an experience than many other games I may rate more highly than it. Do I want to play it again? No. Am I glad I played it? I guess? Was it a worthwhile experience? Absolutely. If you're left here scratching your head, probably the best advice I can give you is that if anything I said above hasn't completely turned you off from trying it, you will probably like The Longing.

Of all the Resident Evil mobile ports, this is the most definitive survival-horror experience you can get.

It is a testament to the quality of this dungeon crawler that it stays compelling within the confines of this poor mobile port.

Although Balatro looks great and is clearly very well designed, I do in fact wish there were some more options to make this mobile version friendlier for the small screen. There are other games that do Balatro's thing with enough of the same kind of flair while also adapting better, and if I'm going out of my way to play the mobile version, that is more important to me. Outside of the hype surrounding this game--which will fade--it shakes out to feeling like another great game to add to a pile of similarly great games.

My feelings about RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard are almost perfectly summed up by the opening moments of booting the game. Before you reach the game menu, there's this opening cinematic that plays set to a cover of "Go Tell Aunt Rhody." Choosing a centuries old folk song that has decidedly creepy vibes is a really inspired and evocative song choice, but this performance of it is so melodramatic and over-the-top that it loses all of its impact. Looking back on my time with RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard, it's fairly easy to see this pattern of excellent decision-making getting kneecapped all over the place. It makes for an uneven, and sometimes frustrating--experience, but one that is nonetheless easier to enjoy than its less-inspired counterparts on the App Store.

Hoyoverse’s new action rpg continues to serve up the same brand of approachable gacha gaming in a more self-contained and stylish package.

This peaceful puzzle game is at its best when you can establish your own flow.

This remade tactics game has a lot to offer, but its charm can wear thin before you’re done with it.

This game pulls out all the stops to make a game that is essentially about research and plant identification a compelling adventure.

In the loops of time since release, this novel dungeon-crawler has lost some shine.

This roguelite deckbuilder isn’t perfect on mobile but it has enough charm and novelty to make it worth playing.

Ghost Trick is a charming and unique puzzle adventure experience, and I'm not sure there's anything else out there quite like it. It's certainly not the smoothest play (especially these days), but this remaster definitely adds enough shine to make it worth picking up on iOS.

This dice-based dungeon crawler has no shortage of design ingenuity and distinct identity, making it a standout roguelike experience.

This quirky detective visual novel is the charming start to a lengthy adventure.

This rpg is so exceptionally paced and designed that its poor storytelling doesn’t play a factor.

Seeing modern, major releases come to mobile is worth celebrating, but that doesn’t change the fact that this “re-make” is fairly disappointing.

This kingdom management game stands out by prioritizing its intentional and personal narrative.

This stylish rally racer has a hard time keeping pace with its mobile peers.

When Hitman: Blood Money - Reprisal is behaving the way that it should, it's an amazing port of a pretty great game. The technical issues are obviously a problem, but--generally speaking--they did not sour me on the experience. The fact that the stealth-action of Hitman: Blood Money - Reprisal works so well on mobile despite the rough parts almost makes Feral Interactive's work on this version even more impressive.

Despite its problems, Coromon seems to be the best classic Pokémon experience you can hope for on iOS right now. It is certainly far from perfect, but there's a lot of love and ambition behind this project that is plain to see, and this makes putting up with some of its rougher edges relatively easy to do.

This action roguelite is fairly standard and otherwise kind of unwieldy in this mobile port.

This iOS port is fine, and otherwise this Resident Evil game is enjoyable in a kind of risk-averse, tried-and-true-formula kind of way.

The changes to the Kingdom formula here feel about as shallow as the schlocky 80s tropes this game is paying homage to.

This puzzle game mixes pool, mini-golf, and a bunch of video game nonsense and produces mostly good (and occasionally confusing) results.

This roguelite shooter is straightforward and generic, but that works in its favor more often than not.

Yet another great Apple Arcade title is now available on the App Store, and it is still a refreshing game years after its debut.

This FMV game presumes you’ll want to play it exhaustively to uncover its secrets but doesn’t really give you reasons to want to do that.

This game is nothing new in more ways than one, but it is now bursting with variety and is perhaps the most mobile friendly way to deckbuild around.

The latest game from A Sharp takes its unique blend of strategy and narrative elements to new heights.

This stylish shooter looks a lot cooler than it feels on touch.

This adventure game finally puts an appropriate end cap on Guybrush Threepwood’s story while also finding creative ways to keep an old style of game feeling fresh and modern.

This game wedges compelling roguelike and deck-building systems into a slot machine to create a surprisingly strategic experience that feels perfect for mobile play.

Just like the creatures it is about, this game is oddly exactly what it appears to be and also not.

This arcade-style sports game is still in its early stages, but already shows a great deal of promise.

This reverse dungeon-crawler doesn’t quite know how to make its systems fit together in ways that satisfy.

This tower defense roguelite is a downgrade from its excellent predecessor in nearly every way.

This multiplayer game’s unique blend of sports and MOBA concepts is both extremely entertaining and free-to-play friendly.

This FMV game puts the focus on action and little else.

This FMV mystery game is bursting of twists and turns, but certain ways they are meted out can make the experiencing all of them a bit tedious.

This puzzle-y, arcade-y roguelite makes dungeon-crawling a relaxing but surprisingly deep experience.

This game doesn’t really try anything new or flashy, but it’s built well upon a tried and true foundation.

This horror game is an enjoyably twisted and complicated web of narrative, but it feels perhaps a little too laser-focused on its core mystery.

This storytelling game is blunt and to the point in a way that’s pretty refreshing.

This arcade brawler presents some simple, challenging fun.

This mashup of Immortal Rogue and Vampire Survivors is fun enough, but ultimately less satisfying than both of those games.

I was not expecting to enjoy the story of a mobile game that ties into a universe I have no frame of reference this much. Gomorrah is a well told crime drama that is reasonably paced and enjoyable to make your way through, provided you can take your time to read through it carefully.

I can see and appreciate the things Endling is going for, but it mostly only makes troublesome and weak attempts to reach them. Outside of the marketing, it never really feels like a game where you are the last fox on the planet. You don't actually get a good window into the horrors of human destruction. Yes, you play as a fox and you see cut down trees, but the message isn't sold to you within the game itself or through the things it asks you to do, which is pretty disappointing.

Overall though, Ten Dates is a quality follow up to a game that I already enjoyed the first iteration of. It's an enjoyable and lightly humorous exploration of the dating world and is full of charm without feeling too cringe or awkward.

By the time I finished Madness/Endless, I wasn't interested in playing through its endless mode or exploring an alternative ending. I was satisfied that I had conquered its challenge despite what felt like occasionally faulty controls. I only stuck it out because--when working--Madness/Endless feels like one of the best action titles you can find on mobile.

This mix of interactive fiction and sports management is its own brand of strange, though it doesn’t quite reach its full potential.

There is nothing funny about making something bad on purpose and asking people to play it.

This adventure game doesn’t do anything surprising or ambitious, but it is perfectly enjoyable nonetheless.

This mech combat game is stylish and cool, but has some pacing and difficulty issues.

This follow-up to To the Moon is a heartfelt exploration of inner life, and does so successfully as a standalone experience.

Afterplace isn’t the easiest game to make your way through, but a lot of its friction and weirdness is also what makes it a special experience.

Vampire Survivors is a power fantasy distilled down into an extremely potent form, but there's also more to it than that. On mobile it plays as well as can be expected, but also allows for traditional controller support if people just want another platform to be able to play this amazing game on, and for free no less!

This adventure game may take a moment to distinguish itself, but once it does it is a nice and affecting tale. [Provisional Score = 80]

This racing game shows some detailed destruction but getting the game to create these moments just doesn’t feel all that great.

This narrative sci-fi adventure creates one of the most nuanced and complete game worlds that has ever come to mobile.

This survival crafting game avoids weighing itself down with annoying mechanics in favor of burying a mountain of secrets within its world.