In creating a title which gives us a diverse array of racing experiences, the developers were on the right track. Unfortunately, this racer falls off the rails with a third rate control system. Variety may be the spice of life, but sans the proper navigation, those hot wheels will continue to spin in the wrong direction.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 is a failure in almost every way a game can be a failure. Terrible level design, rampant glitches, minimal content, janky gameplay, and a complete lack of polish all mar what's (hopefully) the final entry in a previously great series.

I really would have loved a few less ads for NFL Pro 2014, but since I’ll devour anything with a helmet and pads, I’m okay with the horrible compromise.

Godzilla provides an experience soaked in nostalgia that simply isn't fun to play after putting in time with it. Sure, hearing the roars, tearing through towns and beating up on Rodan were entertaining for the first few minutes, but it all goes downhill quite quickly.

In the end, all we could come up with was that Umbrella Corps was meant to reach out to everyone and ended up being something that will please no one.

Hits all the right notes, giving players an intriguing and entertaining gameplay experience.

Downhill Supreme isn’t reinventing the bicycle wheel or anything. but it does deliver a solid little game and will please both hardcore fans and casual gamers alike.

A fantastic entry to the tower defense genre.

Evilot is an engaging journey that pretty much fires on all cylinders. The only thing this title needs is some Game Center integration, and it’s just a shame that a few achievements can’t be unlocked along the way.

As dull and uninspired as its name suggests.

Nikko RC Racer is well worth its free price. Anyone more familiar with racing games may not enjoy the finicky controls, slow-moving cars, and uninspired level design, but as a game for people who just want to drive some cars around, you could do worse.

In terms of innovation, CastleMine doesn’t break any new ground, but it exceeds expectations with its addicting game play.

This game had a lot of potential as a strategy game, but it’s just built on a shoddy foundation of gimmicky retro graphics and painfully basic gameplay that does little to inspire the tactician in players.

Chock A Block is quite the fun little game. It’s simple, while providing a decent challenge and a workout for your fingers and your brains. If you like puzzles and crave a variety of game modes, consider checking it out.

If you want a cheap, but surprisingly solid game that will grab your attention for bits at a time, then Bloom Box is definitely one to get. After all, what could be more fun than proving to a machine that you’re smarter than it? It may not be Boom Blox, but this little puzzler manages to topple a lot of other titles in the App Store.

Selling wares to heroes didn’t seem appetizing until Merchant to the Stars found its way to my iPad. Bashing someone’s head in for glory, honor, and a few trinkets may, upon further review, seem a bit foolhardy. Besides, bloodshed is really bad for business, unless you’re a merchant.

All in all, Jet Point feels a little too raw for a mass audience. But I do think it could serve as kind of a test run for a better title. Fortunately, all it takes is an update to fix some of the problems. Such is the magic of iOS indie releases.

It’s a semi-fun puzzler that’s held back by a cap on playtime, thanks to the key system, and an in-app purchase store that’s totally unneeded.

It’s not fair to write off a side scroller for being a side scroller, or a puzzle game for being a puzzle game. So in that sense, it’s only fair to treat ScribbleMix as its own thing, providing that it is contributing something new. And after playing around with it for a bit, I can safely say that it is.

I guess you could say stuff like this is also part of Plants vs. Zombies, but I feel like they handled it better and it felt more balanced. Overall, this is an enjoyable title that should please not only tower defense fanatics, but anyone who can appreciate a game that’s eager to have some silly fun.

As a pinball game, Marvel pinball is wholly unremarkable, and in a marketplace overflowing with other great pinball games (like the Pinball Arcade), you can forgo seeing your favorite characters in exchange for a much more entertaining experience.

Although many of Pyramus’ charms are subtle, don’t let the lack of flash fool you. It’s a solid RTS that should gradually win you over once you master the controls.

Overall, Pocket Mobsters is a decent game. Anyone wanting to play with others in an online community will probably enjoy it, but know that it could cost you some money.

If you absolutely loved Aladdin and would like some form of a modern game that follows in a Cave of Wonders-esque adventure, then Treasure Tower Sprint is an inexpensive choice that would occupy time. Otherwise, I’d rather just keep the dollar and not chase peacocks.

If you’re a fan of mysteries and locked-room games, this one’s definitely for you. There’s a lot to do and it could take you a while to solve everything. But there’s something about the game that just keeps you enraptured and wanting to chug along, despite the fact that you might have prior obligations.

Ultimately, Mad Dragon is an uninspired but charming title most people can enjoy for free. As with most free iOS games, players will eventually reach the harsh conclusion that you cannot get the things you want most from the title (that afro-wig!), without having to spend money for supplementary in-game content.

Kingturn RPG Plus is a worthy turn-based strategy game, if that is your thing. If you aren’t familiar with the genre, then you’d best look for a more accessible introduction.

Unlike the Pixar movies themselves, which parents can enjoy just as much as their young ones, the same cannot be said for this pair of games.

Puzzle Pirates is one stop shopping for gamers. Whether its multiplayer challenges, mini games, upgrading tasks, or cutting a destructive path on the high seas, the game’s goal is to fully immerse us in its expansive world. Sega America has a winner on its hands with this engaging journey, and suddenly it’s a pirate’s life for me.

Its progressive upgrades and zany nature are reminiscent of other great mobile titles like Punch Quest and any of the games by the Adventure Time people. If simple and weird is the way you like it, and you don’t mind wrestling with the controls, then Zorbie might be ze thing for you.

Charade Parade is a beguilingly simple game mired in freemium hell.

It’s hard to recommend such a limited game, but Attack of the Spooklings’ fast gameplay is surprisingly addictive, and if new options are added it really might become something awesome.

Free to play titles usually offer a cute looking game with an empty shell, but The Lone Ranger, amidst all that brush and beauty, actually shows us how the West was won.

1941 Frozen Front enables gamers to use their intellect, as well as a little luck, to commandeer their own army. The initial in-app purchase threw me for a loop, and HandyGames gets a slap on the wrist for that irritating choice.

There is vast amounts of potential, but without spending actual money to unlock some of these potentials, Cross Horizon is simply your run-of-the-mill iOS RPG with a fresh coat of cel-shaded paint.

Smash ‘n’ Bash is a free download, so if saving money is the name of the game, you probably won’t be too disappointed. With such a promising start, Ingvar ends up a hero with tons of guts and gusto, but a surprising lack of finish. He may eventually get his beloved ship once and for all, but you may need a lot of patience and suffer a ton of in-game deaths before reaching gaming Valhalla.

Once Naughty Boy fixes its bug issues, I may return for a few rounds. But since batteries aren’t really included after you run out of your first batch, I may just delete this app altogether. I’ve paid for in-game additions only to be disappointed with a few glitches down the road.

If nonstop action and a hail of bullets is your guilty pleasure of choice, A Thug In Time won’t disappoint. It’s a shooter that’s on sensory perception overload with gunfire that would make even Tony Montana blush.

If you’re in need of a virtual batting experience should download this free to play title. Just don’t expect a home run.

I really wanted to like X-Rainbow, but it just didn’t deliver on any front, whether it was through its music, controls, graphics or gameplay.

TurtleStrike doesn’t blow you away upon first impression, but turtles understand that slow and steady wins the race.

If you’ve got nothing better to do and want to check out a decent time-waster, definitely download Battle Rush. It won’t blow your mind, but it’s free and provides enough of a distraction that you can pass the time while the next great endless runner is being developed. Which should be within the next five minutes.

League of Mages plays exactly as advertised, but there’s not much else to it, with little incentive to keep on playing besides endless grinding for hours in order to change your character’s outfit.

A wildly amusing and charming game.

Happy Dinos gives you a lush and compelling world at your disposal.

The 3D graphics are passable, if not somewhat boring, and the sounds in the game are also decent. But if I had to pick the hero of BattleFriends at Sea Reloaded, it would be the social gameplay that can provide a brief distraction.

It provides a very real tennis experience, but is also very limited in the extra options it provides.

A major downside to Mini Warriors being a F2P title is that you are limited in the number of fights you can have per day, and Warriors’ main currency (t-crystals), were a rarity, encouraging you to spend real-life money in order to get more t-crystals (which you use to unlock more daily fights).

Cross Hearts Arcadia gradually drew me into its embrace. It’s absolutely corny, but it’s like seeing an old friend for the very first time. Both of you may not be the brazen warriors of the past, but that’s okay. We get by with a little help from our friends. Even if they’re a total pain in the Eng.

Nun Attack: Run & Gun is an above average endless runner which should put a smile to your face thanks to its addicting action and its infectious score.

Butterfly Sky is much more difficult than it looks, and summoning most of your concentration and gameplay acumen is mandatory. It’s not easy living up in the clouds, and catching flying insects is improbable even if you’re stuck on the ground. But stay vigilant, find your rainbow, and see if heaven is only a few butterflies away.

My love for When Ian Fell in the Machine also stems from my personal obsession with sausage. During my obese, high blood pressure ridden thirties, I would travel to my favorite breakfast joint and order a potato drenched sausage burrito. As I currently sit eating a few blueberries mixed in with way too much oatmeal, I drift back to my halcyon eating days.

It is a shame that Past Memories isn’t all that much fun to play. It has some interesting ideas and design, but the gameplay stumbles along and falls.

Street Cats is an interesting, blood-soaked game that might have needed a little more time and planning to become something truly great. Right now, the crushing difficulty of its Survival Mode is keeping many players from enjoying its other content.

I cannot recommend Pocket Land to any fans of strategy or puzzle titles since it is still very unfinished.

Maniac Manors certainly isn’t the best point-and-click adventure out there, with its moderately unimaginative puzzles, poor graphics, and name so close to Maniac Mansion that it borders on copyright infringement, but it’s still a pretty decent point-and-click adventure.

Skate Madness plays exactly how it looks: a mediocre endless runner with absolutely zero replay value.

Even aside from the issues, Ninjas – Stolen Scrolls can be pretty fun. Power up your ninja, equip him/her with better weapons, pound on some baddies’ faces, and search for the stolen scrolls. As is typical with most iOS games, the in-game purchases are fairly pricey, so be prepared to put in the time or some real-world dimes.

Perfect Kick’s seamless and uncomplicated online mode should immediately get you hooked. Thankfully, it doesn’t exploit its free to play model and ask for your bucks right off the bat. Kicking and protecting a ball isn’t rocket science, but who needs to think when you’re having so much fun?

Dying: Sinner Escape may have a bleak outlook on humanity, but it’s hard not to be drawn into its spellbinding environment.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones has a few nice touches that I dig, but will I resume my Shadow Hunter duties anytime soon? Probably not, since there’s just way too many great apps out there waiting to be played on my iPad.

BattleFriends in Tanks is an interesting concept, but doesn’t quite live up to the game it could be.

Way To Go is puzzler that is cute, but ultimately two dimensional. It offers a few minutes of fun, but I have to recommend you steer your finger clear of the little tile icon in the App Store. There are so many better destinations for your puzzle loving brain.

Once my dragons get stronger and my land appreciates in value, I’ll either start my own tribe (it costs 50,000 coins), or simply join the herd. I’ve had my share of doubts regarding free to play titles, but thankfully Battle Dragons has reignited my faith in a freemium universe.

Essentially, if you are a super fan of Senses Fail, Grindcore might be worth it to you. You can learn so much more about the members and get extra posters/wallpapers. However, if you’re just looking for some fun, steer clear of Grindcore. The rewards will not interest you, the gameplay’s not that fun, and it’s kind of glitchy.

Hill Bill should have kept me leaping towards new horizons, but unfortunately, the only thing it’s jumping is the proverbial shark.

Ben 10 Slammers is decently priced at two dollars, and while it’s possible to make in-app purchases, the game doesn’t harass you to get you to make said purchases, which is aces in our book.

The ads are a total downer, and once they annoy me again I’ll immediately head over and open up another app. It’s a decent enough title for the football enthusiast who has nothing better to do during commercials, and even though this isn’t a ringing endorsement, my kicking days are far from over.

It is perfectly serviceable, but for the average gamer, it isn’t going to provide the satisfaction that so many of us crave. It’ll leave you dried up like the salt flats.

It may not replace Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014 as your go-to for trading card gaming goodness on the iPad, but it’s a decent enough game for you to pick up and play every few hours on your iPhone. Just don’t expect to get terribly strategic.

I really do love Bravoman: Binja Bash, and if it wasn’t for the control issues, it would easily stand as one of my favorite apps of 2013. But it’s just one minor flaw in an otherwise first rate experience.

If you’re looking for a sporting fix to add to your iPhone, you can’t do much better than International Boxing Champions. It is simple, fun, and if I may snatch the same word again from the introduction, a knockout.

If it seems like the type of game you’d like to play over and over again with your buds, or even as an ice-breaking tool to use on strangers at a cafe, Don’t Fall in the Hole could be right up your alley.

Fix the Leaks is a cute, fun puzzle game. It’s inexpensive and respects the players enough not to bombard us with additional in-app purchases and ads. If you like Cut the Rope, you’re sure to like Emotion Rays Entertainment’s adorable new puzzler.

It may not offer anything innovative or new to the party, but when you’re busy gleefully blasting a horde of enemies planning to lay waste to your kingdom, who cares?

I absolutely adore Max Steel: Rise of Elementor, as its combination of a combat and endless runner experience had me absolutely hooked.

Let’s face it, if you’ve played earlier versions of ControlCraft 3, you have played this newer one as well.

Alphaman might be billed as an app that will help children build their vocabulary, but it’s a game that will appeal to all ages. It’s a pleasurable trip I don’t mind taking a few more times down the road, and maybe this time the words, or my preconceived notions, won’t get in the way.

All in all, Zombie Typomaniac is a solid title. The typing can get a bit tiring and cumbersome, and you’ll likely long for the satisfying clack of a real keyboard, but the gameplay is fun and unusual, and features America’s favorite hobby — zombie killing!

If you’re in the mood for a casual experience that doesn’t use too much of your brain power but is cute as can be, Bombcats: Special Edition is a worthy enough download.

Cosmoplan: A Space Puzzle encourages thought, geometrical planning and expert timing.

Rooms of Memory is a first rate mystery and puzzler that’s filled with nuance and ingenuity. Unfortunately, the free to play mechanic severely handicapped any kind of pure love I had for the title, and maybe if I truly inherited Bellows’ lavish mansion I’d buy every single in-app purchase available.

Pet Peaves Monsters is a highly recommended download, especially if your app filled existence yearns for those Tamagotchi days. As long as you’re willing to think outside the box and eat a few mushrooms along the way, the trip should be nothing short of fantastic.

Lego Pullback Racers fulfills the basic need of a fun little video game on your iPhone/iPad.

It’s appalling that a game like this exists. The people involved should be ashamed of themselves for trying to profit from the hard work of the original developers, and Apple should do a better job policing apps that so clearly rip off the intellectual property of others.

No matter what kind of iOS platformer you’re looking at, though, it’s probably going to be better than Squid Up, which about as average of a game as you can possibly make. It’s fine, it works, but there’s just nothing special to it.

Spirit Runner may be a little rough around the edges with it’s activity log, but the main focus of this app is to motivate its users to go out there and really embrace exercising on a daily basis, and the outdoors as well. Yes, this app is geared towards kids, but adults can easily use this as well.

It aims for a younger audience and should do quite well in helping children sharpen their minds and learn important logic skills. Still, I’m not so sure it’s worth $2.99 for five simple matching games. But, if you really want a teaching tool for the young person in your life, you could do a lot worse than Fiete.

Dodge This! is a fun, solid game. Exactly how long it stays fun will depend on the player, but thanks to the high degree of repetition and stingy upgrades and unlocks, the fun will run out eventually.

Rage Warriors gives us plenty of options to fight within this bleak, unforgiving universe, and hopefully we don’t end up on the wrong side of the sword.

Although it’s not the most complex app to play, Alice in Wonderland: A New Champion is perfect for gamers who are still in the process of exploring.

Football fans will love NFL Runner: Football Dash because it’s a blast to play. You could get super competitive, building up enough coin to top whatever team that you hate, or just strive to topple as many obstacles as possible. Either way, it’s game on!

There’s a lot of fun to be had with Dragon Finga.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2: Foodimal Frenzy is fun to play through but a little too easy for my taste.

Sidekick Cycle is a simple game that’s fun to play in bursts, but there are better endless runner/downhill racer experiences to be found in the App Store.

If you can master the controls, it’s a lot of fun to try to beat your high score and check off the achievements linked to GameCenter. But, with as finicky as these controls are, most players will find more aggravation than fun here.

Puzzle Knights is a diverting title that enables gamers to enjoy two different experiences within the same app. The combat mechanic may not be as intense as Infinity Blade III, but if you want a relatively peaceful, easy feeling experience with an RPG puzzler, this app doesn’t disappoint.

Coin Quest could have been something decent but fails to entertain.