Rayman Fiesta Run may not dramatically deviate from the formula, but it maximizes the excellence held within and delivers a richly entertaining mobile platformer that’s tough, funny, and ultimately pretty wonderful.

Papa Sangre II’s audio-only horror adventure offers an intense and unsettling improvement on its stellar predecessor, but its uncompromising latter stages may prove too much to bear.

Good looks and a blockbuster movie tie-in don't save Thor: The Dark World from its sloppy battles and lame freemium model.

Every fantastic thing about Dead Trigger 2 is offset with an overriding push towards greedy in-app purchases and/or obnoxious special offers.

Backyard Monsters: Unleashed offers a solid blend of base building and tower offense in a free-to-play package, although its cycle of monster and building upgrades drags it down as you reach higher levels.

With a different economy or more restrained enemies, Romans from Mars might have been able to use its mechanics more meaningfully. As it stands, though, this game is too frenetic and unsubtle to use the tried-and-true designs it sets out to use.

Echo Prime offers plenty of energetic stages full of foes to blast and slice up, but its repetitive nature weighs down some of the more interesting elements.

Even Up’s un-sexy, straightforward approach may not enthrall everyone, but its logic isn’t without merit.

Batman: Arkham Origins features almost none of the complexity Batman games are now known for on other platforms, but it's moderately fun for a while — at least until the game starts trying to milk your wallet.

CSR Classics holds all the appeal of its predecessor with a nice hot rod restoration element, but progression proves extremely slow and repetitive.

First of Awesome suffers due to a lack of variety, but it remains an enjoyable experience in small chunks.

Simogo’s keen eye for design and multimedia elevate what otherwise could have been a breezy mystery novella into one of the best puzzle games on the App Store.

Great visuals and a tactile control scheme combine with the Formula One license to produce a stellar top-down iOS racer. F1 Challenge comes with bells and whistles, but its fundamentals prove top-notch.

Monster Adventures mashes up different genres to give you a compelling and seemingly fresh experience each time you play.

Duet’s elegant brilliance is starkly defined against its unforgiving difficulty, and there’s a truly entrancing puzzler lurking beneath its surface.

With an excellent mix of costumes, tons of collectibles, some truly clever dialogue, and a pleasant sense of humor, Costume Quest is a very likable adventure. Over time, exploration and battles can grow repetitive, but that shouldn't stop you from digging into this sweet Halloween affair.

Getting around has its frustrating moments, but Type:Rider remains a fascinating interactive exploration of typography that's unlike anything else on the App Store.

The relationship between player decisions and race results can be hard to determine in NASCAR: Redline, while vestigial in-app purchases put the brakes on what could have been a solid lightweight sim.

Touch screen controls force Machine at War 3 to sacrifice some depth, but it largely makes up for it with a robust selection of gameplay modes and units.

Level 22 needs some crucial fixes if it hopes to be a competent Metal Gear tribute.

There's nothing revolutionary here, but Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign does a good job of spicing up the match-three genre for comic fans with its hero-centric nerdiness, tense combat encounters, and strong collecting elements.

NBA 2K14 shapes up well for some LeBron-fueled magic, but it fumbles the pass and struggles to meet expectations after a promising 2012-13 season.

A great mix of strategy and time management, Pocket Trains offers a lighthearted and awesome diversion for rail enthusiasts with a sweet tooth for cuteness.

FIFA 14 feels more at home on iOS than any of its forebears, thanks to a deep-but-approachable Ultimate Team mode and a similarly layered gesture-driven control scheme, but its A.I. still needs work.

Though the charming Buddy & Me is clearly designed with kids in mind, it can be fun for adults too, especially those who like a slower-paced affair that feels more relaxed and casual.

Boson X is easier than quantum mechanics, but don’t call it easy.

An innovative indie experience that melds the bizarre with the sublime, Incredipede tests your problem-solving skills and patience in intriguing ways.

Disney Infinity: Toy Box really does bring the core creation concept to iPad, though it takes some getting used to after such a wonderful experience on the consoles. Thankfully, the fun isn't lost in the occasionally awkward transition.

Deer Hunter 2014 serves up some robust shooting and free-to-play progression, but it lacks challenge, walks an ethical tightrope, and provides only a tiny portion of the complete hunting experience.

Angry Birds Star Wars II has a glossy and charismatic exterior, but compared to past entries, its appeal feels largely skin deep.

Infinity Blade III caps off the epic franchise in a largely dazzling manner, though the repetitive nature of the series resonates more strongly than ever.

Dead Effect is an uninspired first-person shooter that does nothing original, proving most memorable for its hilariously awful dialogue.

Elegant and taxing, Strata is a great choice for aesthetes and thinkers alike.

Go Dance is a simple and enjoyable iOS dance game, though its lack of robust features and very thin soundtrack limit its fun.

Where’s My Water? 2 provides more physics-based puzzles without rocking the boat, but a barrage of freemium roadblocks – thanks in part to the baffling inclusion of an energy mechanic – drains fun from the latest adventure.

In true Adult Swim fashion, Giant Boulder of Death's oddball tone and gameplay are equally entertaining – in small doses.

Oversimplified card combat and a weak interface sap the fun in this Star Wars fan-fest.

Junk Jack X certainly has some of the absorbing potential of the games it nods to, but the fun is harder to come by thanks to tricky controls that get in the way.

Yu-Gi-Oh! BAM Pocket offers a decent trading card game rooted in the world of the long-running franchise, but its good points lose out against a weak story, a lack of variety, and a clear departure from the source material.

Even if you've played it elsewhere before, Terraria on iOS is a must-have for on-the-go exploration, building, and adventure.

Madden NFL 25's excessive, overlapping freemium limitations actively discourage playing and investing time in it.

Dream House Days is a cute concept that’s almost ruined by free-to-play shenanigans.

With a smart runner-like design and plenty of free fun within, Smash Bandits captures the rush of the getaway in bite-sized bursts.

Ultima Forever’s stripped-down approach to dungeon-delving might alienate more hardcore fans, but the satisfyingly simple battles and the amount of content on offer make it worth a trip to Britannia.

Fast, slick, and startlingly affordable, Asphalt 8: Airborne redefines iOS arcade racing.

Though it has its irritating moments, the addictive pursuit of constantly upping your rolling arsenal makes Lionel Battle Train an amusing freebie.

Pirate Legends HD can't quite match the quality of the game it aims to duplicate, but it comes close enough to consider.

More isn't necessarily better, though Plants vs. Zombies 2 still shines as a slick and fun free offering.

If comical medical insanity and gutsy operations don't gross you out, this silly surgeon simulation will tickle your funny bone for hours on end.

Mikey Hooks is a worthwhile successor to Mikey Shorts that's short, but a rush while it lasts.

Accessible and engaging, Rymdkapsel puts a fun retro-minimalist spin on a familiar genre – a perfect combination for gobbling up your free time.

While certainly enjoyable at times, The Drowning's free-to-play implementation hampers the game to an inexcusable degree.

Pivvot is an interesting homage to Super Hexagon that proves simultaneously easier and more challenging.

Unless you’re a huge fan of The Muppets, you’re better off with one of the many other sim games that execute this format with a bit more subtlety.

Dropchord dazzles with its presentation, but doesn't make a lasting impact with its interactivity.

Riptide GP2 doesn’t reinvent the iOS racing game, but with loads of well-executed content to offer, it's still a largely great option.

It's not the 1993 original, but dodging traps and cutting down monsters as the re-imagined Prince is still a fun way to dive back into its universe.

While there's something to be said for Cold War's new gameplay elements and decent multiplayer, the Sky Gamblers series appears to have entered a deep freeze.

Sky Tourist is delightfully unique and blast to play when it works, but be prepared to muddle through some irksome moments as you push into this interesting, but shakily-executed adventure.

A Ride Into the Mountains overcomes a few small rough spots to offer a challenging, intriguing, evocative, and memorable adventure of horseback archery with a stellar minimalist aesthetic.

The novelty of uploading your face into Bloodmasque is a lot of fun, but the enjoyment wears thin due to unreliable controls and repetitive action.

Sine Mora is still worth exploring on iOS if you can’t play it elsewhere, but know that it’s the difference between eating filet mignon and ground chuck.

Pac-Man Dash! is a surprisingly tight platformer, but it gets bogged down by an unfortunate pace-killing stamina meter.

Breach & Clear is a short-lived but smartly designed tactics game with impressive military authenticity.

If you don’t already own a Zumba game or simply want the experience with you at all times, Zumba Dance will definitely make you sweat — and that’s a good thing.

It doesn't have quite the same emotional punch as Season One's lengthier story, but 400 Days does an admirable job with what it's given. If its purpose is to get us primed and ready for the second season, then mission accomplished.

Tiny Thief is a cute, challenging, and inventive offering that sucks you in from the get-go with it's ample charm. It has its tough moments, but they're worth muscling through.

Kavinsky isn't particularly fun to play, but this stylish freebie may still steal away a few minutes of your time.

Defying expectations, Deus Ex: The Fall is a slick-looking, enjoyable offshoot — and while it doesn't feature quite the same level of depth or versatility as other games in the series, it's still a staggering achievement for iOS.

This mellow auto-runner offers some interesting gameplay, although it may leave speed freaks craving something more energetic.

Progression can be a pain and the controls need refinement, but Super Paper Pool still makes an intriguing puzzler out of pool and putt-putt.

As mesmerizing on iOS as anywhere else, Limbo is a concise and fascinating puzzle platform adventure that really sticks with you.

Samurai Shodown II could have been a fantastic arcade port, but it's held back by crummy controls and performance problems. It's still entertaining, but iOS 7's gamepad support can't come soon enough.

More than just checking the familiar boxes you'd expect from a yearly update, Magic 2014 adds a few welcome fresh elements to the mix alongside a glut of new cards and foes to tussle with. It's a must-have for Magic fans, whether you played last year's edition or not.

Want to play Contra the way it's meant to be played? Get an original Nintendo.

Layton Brothers Mystery Room may have some annoyances, but overall it's a polished adventure with fun characters and an intriguing story, and the content is definitely worth the asking price.

Even with some flaws, Toca Builders is a colorful and imaginative game that proves plenty of fun while encouraging problem-solving skills in younger players.

War of Nations brings a few small improvements to the free-to-play strategy boilerplate, but high prices and glitches diminish the experience.

Icebreakers: A Viking Voyage is a puzzling treat that packs a surprising amount of depth into a few simple mechanics.

A great spooky aesthetic plus ample atmosphere enhance the unsettling storytelling in this indie adventure, though it's just a bit too compact and open-ended.

Madagascar Math Ops takes the gameplay of Angry Birds and throws in educational content. It might not make your kid a math whiz, but it’s better than flash cards.

Kingdom Rush Frontiers is another excellent – albeit now familiar – tower defense entry for strategy fans seeking a potent mix of brains and brawn.

If you’re looking for a very solid mobile MOBA, Solstice Arena is compact but robust enough for quick bursts of fun on the go.

Casual fans might balk at the huge download or $20 price tag, but for serious gamers and strategy fans, the lure of a near-perfect portable XCOM may be irresistible.

Man of Steel offers decent Infinity Blade-style fighting, but not even Superman can save its shallow depth, pathetic plot, lazy repetition, and unoriginal gameplay from certain destruction.

Gangstar Vegas may not be "Grand," but it’s sure to satisfy your hunger for a good open-world game on your iPhone or iPad.

Quadropus Rampage would benefit from more exact directional controls, but the action pacing and amusing tone carry themselves well on iOS devices.

While perhaps enough to satisfy the most dedicated of Marvel fans, Avengers Alliance's high points are marred by some pretty notable flaws.

Scurvy Scallywags erects a grand scaffolding of curious creativity on a well-worn puzzle formula, resulting in a familiar experience with lots of fun new twists.

Stickets looks deceptively simple, but, well, there’s the rub. Brilliant.

World War Z is an entertaining film-inspired game, even if its combat system could use some polish.

Ace Attorney is one of the best series to come out of Japan in the past decade. Despite some issues, this compilation is recommended whether you’re a dedicated fan or a newcomer to the franchise.

Even if you're not much of a poker fan, Poker Night 2 is crammed with enough entertaining banter and silliness to keep things fun — and the poker's pretty good, too.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of the best games of the 2000s, and the iPad version is an uncompromisingly faithful port.

Bam Fu’s hectic same-device multiplayer is finger-bashing fun, but the shallow gameplay ultimately taps itself out of contention for anything other than a short bout.

Blip Blup is a very good puzzler for abstract visual thinkers, even if the difficulty spikes can be tough.

An intuitive control scheme and loads of cartoonish charm make Combo Crew's brawling action a real treat for your fingertips.

While stunning to look at, Fast & Furious 6: The Game loses its luster after a short time.