Overall, Sine Mora is well worth the time of anyone into mobile shoot’em ups. There are plenty of annoyances, especially for the less experienced player.

The iOS version of Nuclear Outrun is loud, violent, and packed with nonstop action—all of which may actually be a turn-off if you’re a fan of the original game’s eerie minimalistic presentation. The steep price for in-app purchases certainly robs you of the sense of progress that’s granted in the original Nuclear Outrun, which is disappointing.

So all things considering, Galactic Skater is a fantastic addition to the endless runner genre at large, and with its swift and simple controls, its rewarding sense of progression, and the sheer amount of variety in its addictive skating gameplay, I think it’s safe to say that this one is truly out of this world.

The clean aesthetic, soothing sounds, and repetitive (in a good way) nature of the game go hand in hand together and create a wholly enjoyable puzzler experience. For the low price of free, it's a few good hours of tapping and dragging, and plenty of eye-popping color.

Turd Birds also lets you collect feathers that unlock more birds with hilariously appropriate names (if Otis Splotus can’t get the job done, no bird can). The new birds have awesome abilities like rapid-fire pooping, but some of them require hundreds of feathers to unlock. You can, of course, spend real-life money to unlock birds and power-ups, and of course, you’re probably not going to want to bother (unless you’re really itching to explain to your significant other why you spent $100 in a game called “Turd Birds.”)

Cannon Crasha is a rather simple game backed by a ton of fun. The standard cannon battles are consistently exciting and they steal the show. It’s a shame that the other gameplay modes are present at all because they do nothing but damage the overall experience.

Blastron is in every way a competent Worms-style battle that translates well to touch screens and does more than most games on the style front. If you’ve got a strong stomach for microtransactions and a hefty appetite for physics-based humor, then open wide to catch this hand grenade between your teeth.

Wheel of Fortune: Cubed is a bit of a strange take on the Wheel of Fortune franchise, but it does manage to create a playable atmosphere with some honestly challenging puzzles to solve. The controls tend towards the awkward side, but most of the time you'll be too busy wondering what a tree-hugging bear is and how you can spell that in five blank spaces.

In every way possible, Tiny Thief manages to raise the bar between what can be accomplished on the mobile platform today in 2013, as it settles right into its impeccable balance between fun, original gameplay, and the bright accessibility of games like Angry Birds.

Lengthy initial install times and over reliance on forcing ads into players’ faces aside, Baseball Slam is a wonderfully ridiculous hybrid of two very unlikely ball games. It’s colorful, chaotic, easy to play, and even easier to keep playing. And this is all coming from someone who cares as much about the MLB as the current precipitation levels in Tasmania.

City Cat is exactly the kind of game that gives the endless-runner genre a good name, and is perfect for people looking to game for reasons ranging from short and sweet fun, to experiencing addictive competition with their friends. Download this game immediately.

Crossword battles are an interesting idea, and if you match yourself up with the right opponent, CrossMyWord is a lot of silly fun (“Cuts vegetables, hates turtles: S-H-R-E-D-D-E-R”). Serious crossword buffs won’t be impressed, however, at least not until the game receives some much-needed fine-tuning.

Even with these problems, Deus Ex: The Fall sets a precedent for first-person shooters on mobile. The touch controls are the best among mobile shooters, and the story does a great job complementing them.

Big robots beating the mess out of big monsters... if there isn't much more to the movie than that, and you don't mind much more to Pacific Rim the game, either, then this might be for you. But if you want something that you can put a little more of yourself into, then you might want to just keep on looking.

Sprinkle Islands is a really tough call to make; the original was pretty good, and for the most part, this one does well to uphold those same elements, but in the end, we just weren't enjoying this one quite as much. If you decide to pursue this one, do so with some caution, but if you haven't played the original either, give that one a try instead.

So for everyone who’s always wanted a hardcore gaming experience on a mobile device, while still maintaining that simplicity of design and addictive short bursts of gameplay, then Dungeonism is most definitely the dungeon crawler for you. And if anything, it can always teach you a thing or two about making it out alive.

If you've avoided CCGs because you've been holding out for one that satisfies your deep and abiding love of all things Joe, then G.I. Joe: Battleground is definitely the game for you; but if not, you can do better elsewhere.

Greedy Dwarf is a compelling amalgam of quality game mechanics that doesn’t take the lazy endless runner route and doesn’t waste the player’s time with chaff. Drag it out into the harsh light of day that Tiny Wings occupies and you’ll find that it looks like, well... a dwarf, but you’ll be content to stay underground with this one for a while.

Ultimately, Escape the Titanic is a fun puzzle game when it decides to play fair, but it’s marred by the instances wherein it decides to take you for a ride. It’s worth downloading the title for free, and then you can decide if you want to pay for the in-game tips or just let the darn ship sink to the bottom.

MetalStorm: Aces is a great follow-up to a popular dogfighting action game. It looks pretty, the controls are nice and responsive, and there are a fair number of options for most gaming tastes.

If nothing else, Arena of Heroes is an interesting experiment that succeeds in changing something that seemed intrinsic about a specific type of game and showing how it could be done differently.

Unfortunately, the new additions to Diner Dash Rush can’t save the game from being so overly redundant and sometimes boring.

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.

Too easy, but still highly engaging.

Charade Parade is a good way to pass a few minutes. Heck, it’s free. Don’t expect to get much mileage out of it, though: if the technical issues don’t prompt you to delete the app, playing a one-on-one guessing game remains fun for only so long.

There was little doubt that an app maker as accomplished as Toca Boca would fail to take the first step from pre-schoolers to junior school age kids, and Toca Builders proves it.

But even though Dark Manor suffers from some needless online restrictions and early connectivity issues, once you’re actually able to get going on your hunt and start building up your haunted mansion, then the game becomes an absolute blast.

Smash Spin Rage is, at the very least, one of the more interesting titles on the App Store today. It has the potential to speak to fans of dungeon crawlers, brawlers, or even Japan-o-philes. Still, it’s hard to overlook curious design choices that cause your own hand to obscure your view of the action.

While a few of the later environments are nice to explore, the bafflingly bad controls will dissuade you from even wanting to, and the lack of any clear direction or purpose as an adventure game makes Return to Castlerama better rolled up in another scroll and left somewhere where no one is going to read it.

Quite possibly the best game on the App Store. Its twenty dollar price tag may seem a bit high, but the amount of detail and polish makes it easily worth the price.

If you've only played a handful of tower defense games, Siegecraft TD will be right up your street. It's polished, it's to-the-point, and it's meticulously crafted. But if you're looking for something more from your tower defense games, Siegecraft TD is going to be a passing distraction and nothing more.

Disney's Monsters University is a disappointingly bland offering with little by way of unique and engaging gameplay or replayability.

While the bite-sized nature of Cover Orange 2 lends itself to mobile play, the difficulty of the puzzles may not. The physics on tap are definitely up to par, and the way a round plays out is novel, but if you get stuck and don’t really like physics puzzles, there’s nothing superlative here to drive you onward. Who’ll stop the rain? Probably not most people for very long.

The controls in Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage are easy enough to get used to given time, however. Between the game’s good humor, varied gameplay, and interesting puzzles, it’d be a shame to sit out this voyage, even though hitting an iceberg is inevitable.

Dracula 4: The Shadow of the Dragon isn't a fast-paced action-oriented game, but it's filled with enough mystery and intrigue to rivet you to the screen from the beginning.

After playing this new mobile version of Rivals for Catan, I’m sorely tempted to grab a copy of the physical game to add to my collection.

A lovely example of how hidden object scenes should be designed on iOS devices, with large items and clear graphics. But for everything the game does right, it does something much worse in its effort to earn players’ money. The game isn’t horrible by any stretch of the imagination, but we’ve also seen plenty of better options released in the space.

It’s extremely difficult to be all things to all people, even if we’re only talking about one relatively narrow genre of gaming, but Solstice Arena does the best job yet of pulling it off. If you’ve never played a MOBA but always wanted to give it a try, this one is an excellent way to take that first step.

Overall, the feeling Spiral gives is of a decent, if unremarkable game from a bygone era. Nothing we experienced is enough to recommend against it, though the starting price tag of $4.99 might be a little off-putting to some for a work of this quality. It doesn't really excel in any regard, but nor does it offend.

It's difficult to come up with any real flaws in Where's My Mickey?, as it feels like the best iteration to date.

A work of adorable potential hidden behind gold-plated barriers.

While Cling Thing may have a lot of heart in its quest to become the next big thing in cutesy physics-puzzling, the game is really hurting in terms of its charm. With bland, forgettable characters and boring level designs, not to mention controls and physics that do more to harm the playing experience than do it any good, this is probably one game that’s best left stuck on the back of your chair like a stale piece of gum.

One of those mobile games that are so simple they just work. The swiping/tapping mechanism will be familiar to everyone, even kids, and the bright colors and easy-to-see stars make it a very accessible game. Star Thief also has a lot of replay value, a good variety of environments, and straightforward gameplay that doesn't punish you if you're not an iOS virtuoso. Extraordinarily enjoyable on every level!

Thor: Lord of Storms is an amusing castle defense game. It's not quite as complex as other titles in the genre, but I think that actually works in its favor by making it easier to focus on the task at hand. I wouldn't say it's mind-blowing or anything like that, but what's there is perfectly respectable and a good way to kill time.

The game has lengthy load times, boring writing, and tiny sprites that make navigation difficult, even when you’re zoomed into Bikini Bottom as closely as possible. It should be rolled up in a carpet, and then it should disappear into the depths of the Krusty Krab’s dumpster.

An outstanding game and a fine follow-up to Towelfight 2. It's fast, it's challenging, it's funny, and most important of all, it's a lot of silly, goofy fun.

Stickets offers endless chances for improvement and entertainment; I made the right choice sticking with door number one.

Bringing Agricola to the small screen was a very tough task. Playdek has tried extremely hard and managed to come up with something that’s a lot of fun, but does fall down in a couple of key areas. But for experienced gamers wanting to play online, fans of the solitaire variant, or those who simply want to find out what all the fuss is about, this most-talked-about board game should be picked up without question.

The Forest of Doom is actually pretty good, and packs in some nice extras including achievements, an extensive art gallery that catalogs your encounters, a history of the Fighting Fantasy series and the story behind The Forest of Doom. The biggest knock against it is simply that it lacks sophistication.

There are even boss battles to contend with. Every so often, Gru’s rival, Vector, will show up in his battle-mech and toss smaller robots at you. You need to tap on these robots to send them flying back at him, which requires tricky timing. Younger players might need to turn to an older sibling or a parent to help them best the gangly super-villain.

Despite my harping on the overuse of a particular formula, which I’ll admit probably wasn’t pioneered by Mobage’s juggernaut, I still enjoy it. It’s painfully familiar at times, but adds at least a couple of different features to the mix as well as a fantastically illustrated series of futuristic cannon fodder. It encourages competition but doesn’t outright punish anyone who’d rather simply collect cards and build out their dream squad.

There’s no story, dialogue, interesting art style, humor, characters, flash, or multiplayer to rely on as hooks. If you’re not immediately inspired to struggle for survival against the CRUSH!, then you probably aren’t going to be. Public tours available, hard hat required.

There’s nothing bad about Tribal Quest, but it gets lost in a sea of similar and better endless runners.

Cubemen 2 doesn't really do anything all that exciting with the original concept, and the game ends up feeling quite underwhelming as a result.

At its best, Kyubo requires precise planning and execution to make magical “aha!” moments a reality; these moments are its legacy, and what Kyubo will be remembered for long after he’s tumbled out of the tower.

Supreme Heroes is a decent free-to-play CCG with lots of powers to collect and upgrade, as well as other players to spar with and show off your costume designs. But it’s just not as big and bold as I’d have expected a game about super powered crime fighters to be. I mean it’s not bad; it’s just rather bland.

9th Dawn is not only an exceptional RPG from start to finish, but a shockingly detailed and expansive one for its launch platforms.

Dumb Ways to Die is free to download, so if nothing else, it’s great for a few chuckles. You probably won’t stick with it for long, but even if you delete the app, remember that train safety is forever.

Sparkle 2 is a quickie, but a polished quickie. There's plenty to do and see if you've got the time to invest – especially if you're a fan of the genre. And even if you're not, it's cheap enough to try out. Give it a whirl and see if you don't get into the marble game.

You’ll have to put up with banner ads at the bottom of the screen and constant encouragement to try Urara-Work’s other games, but neither of these overly detracts from the experience.

Scurvy Scallywags may not be a perfect voyage, but you should expect some rough waters when you travel with sea dogs. Raise a bottle of rum to Ron Gilbert, King of the Pirates.

No, it’s not the worst endless runner you’ll ever play, but it lacks the charm and creativity of similar titles like Robot Unicorn Attack.

If you were a Draw Something fan, but felt like it needed a breath of fresh air, ScribbleMix may be exactly what you’re looking for.

Most iOS games are good for about ten minutes, and then immediately deleted. But Bridgy Jones is at its best hours later, with little charm to hold you over until then. If you’re a fan of the genre, this is probably for you; but if you still need to arrive at that station, well this train don’t stop there anymore.

Much like its web-based predecessor, then, Total Domination: Reborn's general design is somewhat average fare for the social strategy genre. But much like the original Total Domination, it excels because it handles this template so well. It looks good, it plays well enough, and it provides a ton of units and buildings that all make for a rich strategic experience.

Color Zen is a rewarding experience from start to finish; I only wish that finish didn’t come so quickly.

So the characters may be a tad bit too small, and so some of the more impressive heroes are pretty expensive to buy; these complaints are easily dwarfed by the impeccable tower defense gameplay, the vibrant and lively cartoon visuals, and the deep and lengthy campaign that all make Kingdom Rush: Frontiers a serious force to be reckoned with on the App Store today.

It's a shame, because there's so much depth waiting in Castlot if you're willing to endure such drudgery. I, however, could not: even with the advantage of finding an active league full of helpful players that eased me out of the week-long protection period and into the faction warfare that lies at the heart of Castlot.

This collection on iOS is already pretty solid at its foundation, and even at its worst, is still playable and enjoyable, if a bit distracting due to some sloppiness at times. It's definitely worth looking at, and with any luck, perhaps Capcom will "Wright" what few wrongs there are to be found here in short order.

The bottom line here is that you're just not going to find many top-down dungeon crawlers better than this one. Warhammer Quest is an outstanding example of the genre, and proof that you don't always need a new trick to impress the crowd if you can perform your old trick really, really well.

SlamBots is good solid fun, and a novel experience based on a seemingly simple idea. If you like to bop every now and again, this is definitely one for you.

The bottom line is that Mansion Run is a very simple, basic game that will give your swiping finger a workout, but probably doesn't have the depth to keep you coming back for very long. It's an amusing diversion – just don't expect it to be anything more.

Even with a large amount of content that keeps downloading after the initial install, though, there's something about Battlestone that leaves you feeling just a tad unfulfilled. Just like the four-door model usually ends up the smarter choice over the two-seater, there are games out there that don't look as sexy but will probably hook you in more completely in the end.

It's not a bad concept, and it's executed fairly well. However, somewhere along the way, it just somehow manages to feel bland in comparison to the original concept. In short, it feels like just another endless runner.

Bombcats is a good game brought down by a couple bad design decisions, but it’s still worth picking up if you need more physics-based animal launchers in your life. The game does provide the option to skip a level every two hours, but it would have made a lot more sense to just not have levels the player was going to want to skip. Meow.

It's sad that the game's approach is buried under a sea of boredom, technical issues, and the ability for some players to get stuck in a daily loop of waiting. Patience is a virtue, but that patience feels much more rewarding when you're waiting for a fun game.

Greedy Grub has a worm or two, but the overall experience is charming even if you only engage with the game for a few minutes a time. Go ahead and hug a slug.

The best part about The Best Park in the Universe is that it feels like a video game that Mordecai and Rigby would actually play themselves in the cartoon show, while slacking off during the work day and trying to avoid Benson’s constant list of chores to do around the park.

With a variety of beautiful level designs, challenging stage layouts, awesome power-ups and intense gameplay, Hyper Breaker Turbo is one of the best brick breaking games we've seen in a long time. Simple to play, but mastering it will take a very long time!

Tetris needs no introduction, and this is the only version without a D-pad and A and B buttons that’s worth playing. It’s also free. For these reasons it’s an easy recommendation, even if the original’s charm has been replaced by neon and marketing.

Quell Memento is an easy recommendation, if not a must play, for fans of puzzles, indie-style games, art games, people who want their games to take story more seriously, and anyone with an iDevice in need of a new relaxing distraction. Quell Memento is ideally suited for mobile play, and exactly what I want from a mobile title, and games in general.

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.

Combo Crew is a fun game with plenty of replay value. The biggest hindrance is the occasional problem with the controls, which still manage to work for the most part. If you're a fan of beat 'em ups and brawlers, Combo Crew is worth a try.

As intricate and meticulous as all the stat and equipment management can be, Dragon Bane is actually pretty hands-off. I mean that in a good way.

This is a great game for anyone who just plain likes the genre, or might be looking for a light title with which to pass the time. Control issues, pesky micro-transactions and silly music aside, this is a solid enough experience and a great way to celebrate over five decades in business for Nikko.

Games Insight and innoWate obviously had some new ideas to throw into their city builder, but they just didn’t include enough of them or push them to the limit. In that respect, 2020: My Country ends up just like the real world when compared to the future of my younger self’s dreams: a bit of a letdown.

If just one of Frozen Synapse’s many game modes was available on iPad, it would be one of the most original and rewarding tactical experiences on the platform. With everything else on offer, itmay just be the One.

Overall, Rebirth of Fortune 2 has a strong foundation. Its high level of customization and ease of access make it appealing to a large crowd. It’s unfortunate that the turn-based battle system feels slow and clunky, and that the online play favors those who have either spent money or played deep into single player.

Overall, Heads Up! won’t carry your party into the wee hours on its own, but it’s a great way to pass a little time while you’re waiting for the brie to hit room temperature.

While the Triple Triad battle mechanic and licensed charm of Star Trek combine into an engaging distraction on the surface, underneath Star Trek Rivals is currently incomplete, a hollow moon boulder without any real weight.

There’s fair amount of content in Turbo Racing League. It’s unfortunate that the slide mechanic is bad and the levels feel empty.

Certainly not a bad game: it’s just a little too much on the simple side. It has a shining presentation and beautiful visuals, but the lack of things to do can quickly sour the total experience.

Luckily, Running With Friends works well as a single-player experience. You do need an opponent, but you can choose not to obsess over your distance. Just pull on your running shoes and get going.

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.

Dig! is an intriguing little arcade game that takes a seemingly "boring" idea and spins it into a decent little platformer/digging adventure that requires intelligent tactics and planning for success. If you're a Dig Dug or Qix fan, you'll find plenty to like here.

It's nothing new in any real sense, but at the same time it's still fun to gather and upgrade new cards. There's no real action to speak of, but that frees players up to simply enjoy the aesthetics and flashy effects. I think I'd recommend it to people who are unfamiliar with Puzzle and Dragons-type experiences, but anyone who's already well versed in the mechanics might want to pass.

A must-have for any fan of the new cartoon, save for those who might hate endless runners. Even then, we'd urge you to give this one a chance, as it just may sway your opinion. Michael Bay news/rumors aside, Nickelodeon has otherwise done a stellar job managing the franchise since acquiring it, and this game continues that trend.

At launch, the promised network multiplayer mode was a no-show, and selecting that mode confusingly sends you back to the App Store to download the latest version of the game. There’s also no difference between the campaigns for each country, so buying them is really a matter of whether you want the different planes to fly.