Pangolin should wind up with more fans than critics, though. Despite its frustrations, it's cute, it's unique, and swirling safely into the portal at the end of a level is oh-so satisfying. If you're into gravity puzzles and putting, pick up Pangolin. He's cuddlier than a golf ball any day of the week.

But once you accept what it is – a clone of a great game that's not available on mobile devices yet – it becomes fairly easy to appreciate what Gameloft has delivered here. Mix in some fun Oregon Trail elements, and you've got a recipe for a terrific little social game about settling the Old West.

Fading Fairytales is cute, and it offers a compelling story. If you don’t mind an otherwise typical turn-based strategy game that takes its time, you could do worse than visit this storybook world.

In its current state, simian.interface is clever and well worth experiencing, but far too brief for its own good.

Even ignoring the incompatible touch controls, Gun Commando doesn’t satisfactorily accomplish any of what it set out to do.

Skylanders Battlegrounds isn't a terrible experience by any stretch, but it's pretty far from what most adult players will hope for. And with the unforgiving controls, younger players may find little more than frustration waiting for them.

If you’re a real enthusiast of tiny bodies of water and other types of liquid, then by all means, you should give this one a try. But if it’s a quality physics-based puzzle experience with an actual sense of purpose and riveting gameplay that you’re after, then Puddle is more likely to make a tiny PLOP! instead of a triumphant splash.

There’s just too much silliness to suffer through to dig into the parts of Archangel that are good. This is one of a wave of titles showing how pretty mobile games can look on up-to-date hardware, but the beauty is definitely only skin deep. Gameplay matters, even on phones and tablets.

A near-flawless victory for mobile gamers.

Charming and refreshing.

It’s a shame, as Atari Mania has clearly been made with love and care and certainly doesn’t feel like a cash-in – but it can’t fail to pale a little in comparison to Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.

If, like the developers seem to have done, you ignore the more complex facets of the game, there’s still a lot of Civilization-like fun to have. It’s just a lesser experience than even the first Revolution was.

While more games than not in Flick Champions are kind of a bummer, I found enough enjoyment in the Soccer and Ice Hockey/Tennis games to make me keep coming back for more.

Crow should be lauded for ambition and its attempt to raise the bar in mobile gaming. At risk of looking a gift horse in the mouth, however, I'd argue that it doesn't deviate all that far from the platform's mini-game standards; instead, it wraps them in a much glossier package.

If you’re going to emulate another game, you might as well follow the example set by one that is best in class, and while I doubt that CoC has anything to worry about from CoD, this is a perfectly acceptable genre and franchise mash-up that shoud garner its fair share of fans.

It’s just not a title that stands with the best JRPGs on mobile. But this is a single entry in a planned series, and sequels often bring big improvements.

Breach & Clear is a game that does a lot of little things right, but once the gameplay hits, almost all of that is thrown out the window. The customization alone may be more than enough to keep some players invested for a short while. On the other hand, the bare-bones gameplay will be a huge turn-off to both hardcore strategy fans and users looking for a new mobile game.

Like the best shoot-em-ups, play here is about fine margins and non-stop action, and once the onslaught begins, it's especially hard to stop the beat running away with you.

You'll likely play it frequently and often without thinking. Skipping Stone is the kind of game you play when you have five minutes to spare and need something to occupy your hands. Given its outrageously affordable price, this makes it a definite must buy.

Its speedy combat and inbuilt adversity make it a great candidate for the app treatment. A skilled app designer and an experienced author have collaborated and managed the rare feat of creating something greater than the sum of their individual talents.

That's not to say that Last Inua is incomplete, just unfulfilled: The story is engaging and the presentation outstanding, but the game itself is repetitive and uninspired - a great, stormy mass of potential that just isn't quite met.

A game like What The Golf? strikes a far better blend of ridiculousness and actually engaging gameplay, although younger gamers might still get something out of this.

All said, without the needed variety for these types of games, and with less than ideal controls, expect Red Ball 3 simply isn't worth your time and money.

For those of us who are old enough to remember the days of quarter-munching arcade classics, X-Men does a great job of scratching our itch for nostalgia.

This is Godfire: Rise of Prometheus! This! Is! Boredom!

If you want an open-world Spider-Man title, The Amazing Spider-Man delivers a decent experience along with a slew of flaws. However, if you're simply looking for a smooth Spidey adventure, stick with Total Mayhem.

Angry Birds Stella is fun and its cast is charming, but it’s not as if it delivers a wildly innovative experience. What’s here has been done before. And again.

The online multiplayer co-op may have been fun, but try as we did for over 20 minutes, we simply couldn't find a game at all.

There are tons of enemies to take down, and they're all goofy and just a touch creepy. The game's events are fun to follow thanks to decent writing, and even Slimer makes an appearance without getting up in anyone's face with stupid antics. If you ain't afraid of no ghost, give Ghostbusters a try. Alternatively, you can just fire up your old NES Ghostbusters game. Horrifying!

If you’re already a fan of shooting / hunting games, there’s enough here to compel you to look down a scope and into the heart of a fourteen-point tofu buck.

When you do manage to eke out a victory, however, and balloons are popping, Birds flying, and Pigs falling over, Angry Birds Blast is true to its name. It has much of the Pig-bashing and Bird-saving excitement we look for in our Angry Birds games, wrapped in the joy of puzzle-matching with dynamic power-ups. Although it sometimes feels too generic and like it missed out on some Angry Birds-specific thematic opportunities, we still consider this yet another bullet on the Birds’ long list of successful avian excursions and human diversions.

For what it is, Meganoid 2017 is fine if you can get past the control irritations and weirdly spontaneous platforming rule changeups. There’s a fun game here, I can see it. But I so rarely get to experience it with everything being the way it is. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that an update takes care of the button issue if nothing else. But hey, if none of that is an issue for you, then more power to you. We hope you can find the fun that we keep coming so close to.

Angry Birds 2 is a free download, so there’s nothing to be lost by giving it a try. But given how little its gameplay varies from classic Angry Birds, you might be better off paying a bit of money to grab the first game.

Song Pop is the perfect game for the music obsessed, but not to the point where it alienates those who don't fit that bill.

Really, the only real issue I can see with The Witcher Battle Arena, aside from some stability issues that will no doubt get ironed out before long, is that it feels like a side gig that CD Projekt Red whipped up while most of its team was polishing the next big PC game, and it probably was.

Jones is so responsive—able to jump or charge the instant her last action is complete—that even failing on harder levels still feels like your own fault, not the game’s. Couple that with the adorable kitties who celebrate your success with fireworks, the blocky retro graphics that make even an overflowing litter box endearing, and the chiptune soundtrack that is charged with enthusiasm for kitty-rescuing, and Jones on Fire is an excellent automatic runner pick-me-up for the feline at heart.

Spellfall is free, so despite its aggressive panhandling for in-app purchases, you have nothing to lose by downloading it. But it would have been nice to drop a couple of bucks for a great-looking match-three battle game that lets you concentrate on its story without being pulled out of the fantasy by sales pitch after sales pitch.

Never Yield is an impressive technical achievement from solo developer Neil Jones in many ways – and the soundtrack is undoubtedly superb – but as a game it simply doesn’t come together.

There's nothing inherently wrong with MaXplosion, but it really didn't wow me that much.

This is a solid port and an interesting title, but certainly not one of the Neo Geo Pocket’s most essential titles.

Ultimately Space Invaders Forever puts together three very different takes on the arcade classic, but it’s a shame nothing new was created for this collection. Because of this lack of new content the pricetag feels a little high, although if you’re a shooter fan who hasn’t played all three of these games before this is undoubtedly worth picking up.

If you find yourself craving a retro 2D side scroller, Random Heroes is definitely worth a try. However, unless you absolutely need another game in your mobile collection, there's little reason to buy it on your device instead of playing it for free online.

Devil May Cry 4: Refrain is trying too hard, while seemingly ignoring the device it's running on.

A ho-hum platformer with a brilliant photo-based level creation tool.

Whether it's the game for you depends on how much experience you already have in the field. For defense veterans, Wildlings is likely to disappoint and deflate in equal measure. For newcomers, however, Metamoki's bird battler is an alluring first step towards far weightier wars ahead.

A fun game. It is incredibly simplistic, but each aspect of the game is polished and entertaining.

Some talented people made this game – that much is very obvious. Control issues are the game's main problem, and really prevent me from giving this one an enthusiastic thumbs up.

If players are already fans of Kingdoms of Camelot, then they'll still likely enjoy this mobile version. That said, it does not connect to the web rendition, so it is a bit of a discouragement. As for new players, just be prepared to lose… a lot.

With its decent puzzles and wonderful presentation, Hidden Runaway has a lot of potential as both a nostalgia trip and a means to revive adventure games on a new platform. Unfortunately, the wretched hidden object component makes it a hard game to recommend. Newcomers will quickly get frustrated, and the series' fans will wind up on the couch alongside Gina and Brian as one more victim of a broken heart.

Despite its technical hiccups and the odd menu design, Last Knight is still a fantastic romp through a vibrant medieval kingdom, with eye-popping visuals, incredible challenges, and just all-around fun. If this is the future of endless runner games, then sign me up, because I'm on my way to buy a new pair of running shoes.

Blitz Brigade has almost all of the basic elements it needs to be a great multiplayer FPS on iOS devices. It looks great, plays great, and has a fair number of unlockables and the like to keep players motivated. Unfortunately it’s missing the most important one: server stability. With a little time and an update or two, I have every confidence that this could be one of the iPhone’s biggest online shooters. But at the moment, it’s a total dud.

All in all, Strike Wing: Raptor Rising isn’t a bad game, but it kind of drags a bit, and isn’t helped by its predisposition towards nudging you to get your wallet out. There is something with the potential to be really good here, but it needs more refinement to truly make it shine.

The world they have built—which promises to be much larger than this single alien ship—is one worth exploring, with cinematic environments that are both cavernous and claustrophobic.

Team17 has crafted an intriguing little mobile game here, but in the end you’re going to want to reach for their much meatier fare. (R)evolve isn’t going to change the world, no matter how many times you spin it.

Super Monkey Ball Bounce is a decent game.

That said, if you can ignore the missions and just find fun in the gameplay, Run Sackboy! Run! offers a tremendously good time for gamers in search of a new endless runner to add to their collection.

Elune Saga is a great free-to-play game, and I encourage fans of turn-based RPGs to check this one out. It definitely packs enough value to make it worth your time.

Unkilled is a nice looking zombie shooter with a solid control scheme that is held back by stale monetization methods.

OK Golf by OKIDOKICO doesn’t have a lot of charm, but then again, charm isn’t something it needs to have. It accomplishes everything it promises in the name – it’s an ok, but not particularly amazing, golf experience that can be enjoyed by golfers and non-golfers alike. What sets it apart from other mobile golfing experiences is its diorama-style holes. You never have to wonder what’s around the corner because you’re always working with a full 3D topographic view from tee to flag. Although the graphics aren’t exceptionally detailed, it’s very much beautiful in a minimalist sense.

Ultimately Freakpocalypse won’t disappoint fans of the comic strip – who likely backed the game when it was funded via Kickstarter – but it won’t blow them away either. It’ll likely leave everyone else a bit cold.

The Act strives to do a great thing by bringing new ideas and new blood to the full motion video/quick time event genre, but the execution is lacking. React Entertainment shouldn't give up, though. Far from it. Some tweaks might help make The Act more satisfying to play, and we look forward to seeing how the studio will bring games and animation together in the future.

find the One-Touch mode to be a real game changer for Tetris on touch based devices. It'll never replace good and true Tetris, but it's truly awesome and a blast to play.

It simply calls for a level of precision that you're not easily afforded on the device, thus turning a potentially fun and challenging game into an overly-frustrating affair.

There are some enjoyable elements – the combat isn’t as mind-numbing as in similar titles, and there’s clearly been some effort made to make the presentation bouncy and light – but it never pops or gets your blood pumping. And for the high price tag that feels unforgivable. Even the excuse that this is made for younger players doesn’t hold much water, as your child will get a hundred times more out of your average Mario game than this. Add in some strange bugs and you have a 3D platformer that’s not worth it for even for more forgiving fans of the genre.

If you’re a Star Wars fan who’s looking to pass some time before the release of The Force Awakens, you could do far worse.

The few small things Zombie Farm 2 does to improve it over the original will at least keep it as quirky and addicting as usual. It's just a shame to see some of the biggest pitfalls of the original, like combat, end up as a simple cut-and-paste job.

A very conventional CCG that does nothing of note any better than the already well-established heavyweights of the genre. And I rather strongly suspect that most CCG fans will prefer to spend their time with games that aren't quite so enthusiastic about making them spend their money on it too.

There’s little to complain about with Gold Diggers, and little touches like your hit points being communicated by the number of cars left on your drilling machine, or the perturbed facial expression of your anime-esque character when you run directly into a wall will charm you for the duration. None of the limitations with the genre are solved here, but you’ll still strike some gold with your time.

I think Paper Titans might be a bit of a misnomer here, as nothing about this game – not the characters, nor the world – is particularly epic in stature or in the fun department. While my initial impressions were that Paper Titans would be a stunningly original creation like origami, it becomes painstakingly clear after only a few minutes of playing that this is one platform adventure that has instead been through the paper shredder more than a few times.

Epic isn’t the worst movie/game tie-in by far, but neither is it particularly memorable. Kids will probably download it upon exiting the theatre, enjoy it for a bit, and then abandon their village to weeds and ivy.

The Dark Knight Rises, like The Amazing Spider-Man, is a game that I desperately want to love, but I'd be fooling myself if I didn't say it could be a good deal better. Add in additional hand-to-hand combat options, debug the crashes, and diversify the missions and you'd have a perfect game.

We’re still very early days in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, but we’ve thoroughly enjoyed the little of it we’ve seen so far. It’s captured our imaginations in a similar manner to the books and movies, and makes good use of the Pokémon GO mechanics for the most part.

The great combat mechanic is largely overshadowed by repetitive play and the lack of any real incentive to push forward.

It finds itself solidly in the middle ground, somewhat mired in a few weird design choices and the lack of any kind of innovation. It just sort of exists. It most likely won't offend the people that decide to play it, but it won't stand out or be memorable for them either.

Lewis Carroll's strength with Alice in Wonderland was weaving disparate, sometimes unbelievable threads into a cohesive whole; a story that you could get behind regardless of disbelief of any one individual element. Sadly, A Wonderland Story suffers from just the opposite affliction, planting the seeds of a compelling universe, but forgetting to water them. Die hard fans of the mythos may want to pick this up to tinker around with a clever take on a colorful world, but after a short amount of time, many others will feel like (Jabber) walking away.

A game so focused on sending the player backward, that it never thought about whether it was propelling its genre forward in any meaningful way.

Gears POP! is a mixed bag. We appreciate the attempt to change up the Clash Royale formula, but we won’t personally make the transition. Gears POP! is a busier, less balanced, and uglier game with an unsatisfying cover system that doesn’t do enough to change up the formula.

Technical difficulties prevent this title from being the crowning achievement in "average." The first five minutes are kind of fun, but it's all downhill from there.

If the journey to get to the best parts of Uncanny X-Men: Days of Future Past was as interesting as the destination, this would be an excellent comic-based mobile game. As it is, it has to settle for being pretty good, and something that hardcore fans of the source material are going to appreciate much more than non-comics readers.

All the charm in the world can’t make up for control issues, especially in a game where speed and precision are everything.

You’ll enjoy moments of Puzzle Fighter but it’s rarely enough, and it’s certainly not enough to make you want to throw money at the situation. The basic formula might be correct, but, ultimately, Puzzle Fighter feels a little lazy at heart.

As a fan of Metroidvania style gaming, it was hard not to get excited at the thought of what Dark Incursion could potentially offer. And with so much of the package being exactly what it needed to be, the poor controls only sting that much more. Dark Incursion is a great, great game – but it's one with a serious flaw that ultimately hampers the experience too much. Be sure to keep an eye out for this one, but only after its version number moves past 1.0.

Between the great story, goofy characters, and solid production values, Evertales is easy to recommend. The gameplay might be a little too simple for hardcore action fans, but just about everyone else will love it.

Sacred Legends is big and bright, and there’s an awful lot to do here, but it completely fails to capture the attention in any meaningful way. It’s like Christmas lights — fun to look at to begin with, but eventually just another shiny thing indiscernible in a sea of brightness.

It’s too bad Nibbler can’t just lock you in a cryogenic tube like he once did to Fry while you wait everything out. If you’re a diehard fan of the series, this might be a game where you shrug off the bad stuff and just enjoy it for giving us the great Futurama world again, but otherwise, Worlds of Tomorrow often feels like you’re sitting around waiting for the year 3000 the old-fashioned way. Hypnotoad, if you could convince us it’s more fun than it is right now, we’d be much obliged.

Sadly the lack of concrete level designs and high price tag means Nightmare Reaper should only be looked into by the most dedicated FPS roguelite fans.

The game isn't quite perfect, but it still comes really close. Now we just need to cross our fingers and hope Super C(ontra) receives the same treatment.

A game which might have had great potential, but as it is, has too much working against it to truly be memorable.

Trials Frontier looks and sounds great, and plays smoothly.

If House of the Dead Overkill: The Lost Reels had a little more zombie meat on on its bones, I’d be telling you to fire up the App Store and download it right away. As it stands, I’d say it’s best to wait for a sale ($2.99 would be a good price), or to go back and purchase either the Wii or PS3 version.

And while Magikarp Jump has more in common with a pet simulator than the series it’s spun off from, it still manages to emulate many of Pokémon’s recurring features. Getting progressively stronger to conquer the League Battles; catching new and different variations of Magikarp to add to your pattern dex; knowing when it’s time to move on to the next Pokémon: all of these contribute to the rewarding sense of growth and collection that should appeal to Pokémon fans and non-fans alike. If you enjoy these aspects of the series, event-based clicker gameplay, or the Magikarp Song that has been linked directly from the in-game TV, then you’ll almost certainly love Magikarp Jump.

Dawn of Magic is a competent yet forgettable RPG. The game's main selling point is that it's free. At that price, it's a worthwhile adventure to noodle around with while sitting in a doctor's office or waiting for a train to work. The characters are mildly endearing in spite of the Engrish translation, and the RPG gameplay is completely functional.

While there are a ton of equipment options, skill trees, and other back-end options, the things that really matter-combat, navigation and story-leave a lot to be desired. The game is free so you're not going to be out any money, but time is a more precious resource. Save it and pass on Illusia II.

All problems aside, though, Manos was a pretty addicting experience. It felt just like a game out of my childhood, and continued to call me back for another playthrough after running out of lives.

J.A.M. would have done better to double the level count, or tweak the upgrades so that it had more of the few purchasable items that felt exciting and optional. I'm far more inclined to throw my money at a game that feels like it respects my time, not one that feels like it's asking me to buy survival.

Ultimately, there’s enough here to remind you to come back for more, with its fan service being a particular delight, especially when it comes to offering previously unreleased tracks. However, even non-fans who enjoy a solid RPG should be able to rock out to what Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast has to offer.

It boggles my mind that Capcom can flawlessly port new titles like Street Fighter IV and Ghost Trick, but somehow struggle with classics like Mega Man X and Marvel vs. Capcom 2. It still contains all of the characters, modes, and combat of the original, but limiting that with occasionally slow and murky presentation gives the impression that Capcom is simply trying to make a quick buck as a cross promotion with the Marvel-heavy Avengers film.

I felt like KooZac relied too much on aspects out of my control. No matter how long I played I just couldn't get past the fact that I had no power over 50% of what I needed to score points, and had to bide my time and hope it worked out. It's okay, but it could have been much better.