Phantasy Star Portable teeters on the edge of being too complicated but its innovative controls ensures the action RPG always stays playable.

An intense blast of hardcore shoot 'em up action packed full of delightful touches. The only problem with Metal Slug 3 on iOS is that it obviously wasn't designed with touch controls in mind.

It's fun and challenging, and there's a lot of content, but for all of that, Pirate Legends TD doesn't add much to the tower defence genre.

Reasonably entertaining and well-constructed, Stickman Base Jumper never manages to make you feel like you're doing something dangerous.

High Flyer Death Defyer provides nice fast-paced arcade action, though it does get repetitive after a while.

A relaxing puzzler or a frantic screen-swiping arcade blast, And Then it Rained lets you decide which it is.

Makes useful and inventive use of multi-touch, twisting tangram into exciting and challenging new shapes - recommended.

Iron Knights doesn't exactly break the action RPG mould, but it scratches the itch quite well.

Slightly wooden in appearance, but a first-class representation of classic American wrestling, complete with balletic behemoths and melodramatic flare.

With a bit of sprucing up here and there, Sumioni: Demon Arts could be a keeper. In its current form, there's still plenty to enjoy.

Ava's Quest HD is an enjoyable platforming game that boasts decent controls and lots of stuff to collect.

There's nothing broken here, not really, it's just a little scrappy in places. There's charm all the same, and a decent graphical style that changes from level to level. It might not have the bright ideas of the best action adventure games on mobile, but there's enough to keep you playing right to the end of everything Mr Future Ninja has to offer.

A modern take on a classic, Titan Attacks! is definitely worth a blast.

There's a really great game here, but it misses out on a better score thanks to some slightly poor decisions.

If you're feeling the itch for a platformer of yore, Callys Caves 2 is an easy recommendation.

A fast-paced runner with some fresh ideas, Time Tangle - Adventure Time isn't perfect, but it's got a lot going for it.

Violent and tough, Beatdown! won't be to everyone's tastes, but if you're a veteran of the 16bit era, it'll be right up your street.

Squad Command strives to be as accessible as possible, and while the casual slant is clearly a great idea, a few basic issues prevent the game from being all it could be.

A polished and poised puzzler with some clever ideas, Super Looper isn't perfect, but it doesn't outstay its welcome either.

With excellent visuals and plenty to do, this demanding game of strategy, management, and combat only appeals to a specific crowd, but serves that crowd well.

A fun and humorous operation, Amateur Surgeon 2 suffers from complications with its controls and difficulty spikes, but remains an appealing prospect.

A Little Bit of... Dr Mario is a challenging and enjoyable match-four game, but one that's undermined by poor presentation.

An unusually slow-paced puzzler with a single control niggle which holds it back from greatness.

Frustrating at times and vague to the point of being obtuse, Paper Mario: Sticker Star still shines where it counts.

Replacing swords and sorcery with stuff rabbits and deadpan humour might not seem like a good idea on paper, but Zombocalypse Now proves that there's room for experimentation in the genre.

Living up to its claims of revolution, the game offers a fresh perspective on paint-based puzzling save for its harsh penalty for failure.

If you go into Zombie Tycoon 2: Brainhov's Revenge expecting Civ, you'll come away disappointed. But if all you want is a playful strategy game to be played in 30 minute-chunks, it's great.

A very good physics-based puzzler that's held back by a woolly scoring system.

Zen Puzzle Garden is a solid puzzler that doesn't break new ground, but does perform its task without quarrel.

War. What is it good for? A pretty decent builder / battler that will appeal to the more domineering fans of freemium strategy on mobile.

An MMA simulator as beautiful as the bloody and bruised fighters it celebrates, MMA Manager is nevertheless fun and well-constructed.

Outlaw shoots first and asks questions later, but its entertaining brand of arcade gunplay and sympathetic approach to IAP make it strangely refreshing.

There's a solid touchscreen shooter here, but Epoch 2 doesn't quite hit the right marks.

Its title suggests big changes to the formula that just aren't here, but Dynasty Warriors NEXT will appease series veterans who just want to have a copy of their favourite franchise anywhere they go.

There's not quite enough new material to give it a full recommendation, but the original formula is still great. If you want more zombie slaying, look no further.

While it doesn't win any awards for originality, Pizza Boy is a well-executed, if too short, tribute to classic 2D platform gaming.

Getting your head around its name might be an epic quest in itself, but 10000000 is an enjoyable fusion of match-three and RPG.

MonsterCrafter is a unique monster-battling game that forces you to show a little too much love to your critters.

Gorgeous to look at and fun to play, Lightning Fighter 2's biggest weakness is the greediness of the developer.

An impressive if slightly lacking debut that delivers high-octane thrills by the bucketful.

Puyo Puyo Champions is a fun, cheap entry into the world of Puyo Puyo, but don't expect to be playing it for very long.

Slayin is a solid casual game that chooses its influences wisely but doesn't entirely do them justice.

Online battles and loads of loot save Chronicles of Inotia 2 from errand-like missions and lackadaisical spirit of adventure.

A slightly daunting prospect, but one that's fun if you put the work in.

Moto Racer DS is a good choice if you're after a semi-serious bike racer on the DS. It's got more mileage than your average Suzuki's tank.

Reckless Getaway runs out of petrol before the finish, but otherwise this exciting racer is well worth a test drive.

A decent enough wander down memory lane, Spy vs Spy hasn't aged that well, but it's still fun in small doses.

A simple and competent ball-flicking game bolstered by largely satisfying mechanics and a well-judged progression system.

Warcraft Rumble is a strategic "tower offence" game where you deploy miniatures via cards across short real-time battles. Familiar faces from the franchise pop up with a variety of abilities you can get tactical with, but it does start to get grindy fairly early on. You can engage in some PvE missions though to level up before you take on others, so it's worth giving it a shot if you're looking to add a new twist to your standard PvP affair.

Baseball Superstars 2011 makes enough improvements on its predecessor to become the definitive version, but it doesn't offer anything substantially new.

Bad Dinos has enough clever ideas to refresh the tired tower defence genre - at least for a few hours.

A solid and entertaining match-stuff puzzler, but Angry Birds Match isn't much more than that.

The Level Devil is waiting to torture you with a series of short and tricky levels that you can speed through when you've got some time to spare.

A decent enough arcade experience that's easy to pick up and play, Ultimate Briefcase isn't quite a must-get though.

Don't expect much in the way of useful tuition if you're an experienced player but for the novice this is a superb place to start.

A super sharp, violent action game that's worth checking out.

Don't let the initial impressions of cheapness and shallowness put you off - Las Vegas! manages to reel you in with its blend of luck, strategy, and multiplayer competitiveness.

Sqwords is an addictive word game that anyone can play, though the presence of in-app purchases might cheese some players off.

Yet another auto-runner platformer, with a fair amount of charm, quite a lot of frustration, but no little green men.

A kompelling combination of a klassic bloody brawler and spin-off mini-game, Ultimate Mortal Kombat's few flaws are dealt a good kicking by the game's awesome online multiplayer.

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain feels dated, but anyone who experienced the Fighting Fantasy books as a kid should enjoy reliving the past.

The Rhythm of Fighters is quite the odd duck, but it's also interesting enough to keep you entertained for a good long while.

Technically solid – if increasingly familiar – racing action but set within a dynamic that often feels unnecessarily controlled.

It's Full of Sparks is a fun, colourful platform-puzzler that doesn't quite ignite as it should thanks to a few mechanical imbalances.

It'll likely find a sizeable audience, but there are problems with Axes & Allies that keep it from greatness.

Super Doggo Snack Time offers a cute twist on the usual tapping game, though the high difficulty curve will either frustrate or entice you.

An engaging little game with a neat hook, Trappped is well worth some of your time.

In spite of its lack of coherency, Payback 2 HD is still an immensely entertaining experience.

There's fun to be had here. But while Vlad's strengths are many, its weaknesses stick their heads up a little too often.

A retro styled, arcade blast from the non-specific past, Box Cat is fun, frantic and well presented, but its progression system and repetition might not be to everyone's taste.

A fresh twist on a genre that's starting to grow stale, Potshot Pirates won't be to everyone's tastes, but it is a lot of fun.

A strong tower defence game that does very little new, but doesn't put a foot wrong, either.

Obviously inspired by Advance Wars, EndWar adds enough interesting elements of its own to make it worthy of consideration.

All in all it's a tidy little gamebook, and hopefully the first of many, with some great style and an engaging story. Is it worth paying for? That one's questionable.

A decent gaming snack, but Kirby Squeak Squad is unlikely to satisfy those hungry for a challenge.

Gurk III - the 8-bit RPG is an authentically old school experience. It's a warts and all re-creation of a bygone era of role-playing. It's tough, tactical, and sure to be divisive.

An expensive but intriguing experience. Anki Overdrive isn't perfect, but if you've got enough money to experiment with it, it's a lot of fun.

It's not the toughest game out there, but there's a lot to like about House of Shadows's approach to touchscreen stealth.

A solid and good-looking puzzle game that was pipped to the post by its more characterful rival.

Half-3D action game, half-strategic tower defence game, the rough-and-ready Heroes and Castles combines its elements well to create a tough and rewarding genre mash-up.

Gunman Clive 2 is full of good ideas and surprises, but it can often feel a little flat.

Less game, more interactive narrative: this curious and very distinct release weaves a lengthy tale of samurais and love to good effect.

About as Zen as a rock concert, Zen Training is a quick puzzle game that juxtaposes tranquility with frantic gameplay in all the right ways.

This block-matching puzzle title is appealing enough to hold your attention, but the relatively lackluster presentation might prove too off-putting for some.

Twin Blades isn't revolutionary but its graphics and upgrading make it a decent side-scrolling action game.

A stylish endless faller that makes up for a lack of anything particularly new with tactile controls and a pumping soundtrack.

Pokémon Art Academy won't make up for you being inherently bad at art, but if you're interested in Pokémon, and drawing, it's a solid purchase.

A tasking and entertaining arcade blast, Futuridium EP is let down by its occasionally inaccurate controls.

A sedate, gloomy adventure with enough going for it to make it worth a look.

Easy to pick up and difficult to master, the deceptively twee Hopeless: The Dark Cave is a perfect game for short bursts of entertainment.

Pirate's Treasure is a doubloon in the giant chest of twin-stick shooters: it's worth its weight, even if it's only one of many.

An engrossing tower defence game that takes a slightly different - if occasionally awkward - route to success.

A good tennis game for the dedicated player looking for a sim-like gaming experience. But for most, Virtua Tennis 3 is more appealing, accessible and, ultimately, fun.

A frantic battle to the death, and then to the death again, that does lose a bit of its shine in the grind.

The Sims 3: Ambitions builds on the core game with a welcome slate of new features, even if they don't make for a must-have expansion pack.

The upgrade-focused gameplay means that skill doesn't count for much in Asterix: Megaslap, but it's jolly good fun all the same.

Dead Effect 2 is more of the same, but if that's what you're after, and you can look past its ickier traits, you'll enjoy it.

While not quite worthy of a Michelin star, fans of the film and kids looking for fun will be thrilled. It might not offer the biggest of helpings but, while it lasts, Ratatouille tastes great.