A shiny new look for tower defence games that breathes some new life into the genre, Defen-G Astro isn't quite a revolution, but it's still good fun.

Bright, simple, and fiendishly addictive, Explodables is in desperate need of some simplification and a balanced level structure with a more gradual learning curve.

Megastunt Mayhem is a light-on-its-feet monster truck game with arcade fun.

Riot Rings may not be as violent as its title suggests, but its huge amount of content, excellent polish, and addictive gameplay ensure it runs rings around its opposition.

This old skool casual puzzler is functional but lacklustre.

A retro remake with a real sadistic streak that fails to bring anything other than frustration and annoyance back with it.

It looks and sounds great, but the dire AI, weak combat, and a lack of online multiplayer leave Ancient Trader HD's strong premise all at sea.

Pod Odyssey is a nice Lunar Lander homage, but heavy controls hamper the fun.

Old before its time, Hunger Calls's disjointed approach to time management doesn't call for second servings.

A running game that doesn't stand head and shoulders above the crowd, but is still fun enough to warrant a try.

A fleeting pleasure, Panda Picnic shows freemium can sometimes mean forgettable.

A great Foosball game that anyone can play, with enough packed in that it'll keep you entertained for hours.

Compared to other better one-finger games, Tiny Whale! isn't worth the time.

A decent slice-'em-up with a ridiculous premise, Ninja vs. Vikings fails to offset its borrowing of ideas with some unique ones of its own.

While Idyllic isn't terrible, nor does it live up to its name or its intriguing premise.

While it can't pretend to be breaking entirely new ground, SteamBirds: Survival manages to refine the concept of the original and turn it into something even more tense, gripping and addictive.

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

Starbase Orion is a nice ode to old skool RTSs, but provides little guidance for novices.

Flip Riders is a ferocious challenge, but rarely an enjoyable one.

Poor controls and curious track design stifle a compelling concept in this disappointing intergalactic racer.

A buggy puzzler conversion, which doesn't live up to the majesty of the Rubik family crest.

Cosmonauts takes the worn-out trajectory shooter genre and makes it feel fresh and new.

A solid but entirely unremarkable puzzle game that does little to differentiate itself from the crowd.

An endless-runner in the Jetpack Joyride mould, Sea Stars's gameplay is solid and slick, but its reliance on in-app purchase sits uncomfortably with the game as a whole.

SpyCorp looks and plays like a tweenie version of Metal Gear Solid, with vibrant production design and some brilliant gags. But the in-app purchase model is flawed and this detracts from the experience.

Only minor improvements, but if you missed Age of Zombies the first time, this update is great fun in small doses.

Nutty Sam is a decent three-star puzzler that's not nearly as charming as it seems to think it is.

Excellent gameplay and precise controls impress, but a skewed overarching structure means that Splishi Splashi is best enjoyed in small doses.

A blend of arcade racing and sales negotiations, Shine Runner is an original experience.

Prope's fast running action puzzler gets a lot right, however squiffy controls put a real dampener on the otherwise impressive porky proceedings.

It's a largely ambitious game, but Osiris is let down by its mindless combat, dull plot, appalling controls and spate of glitches. It's not worth the premium price tag by a long shot.

Green Farm 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but balanced in-app purchases and colourful graphics make it worth your while.

Mired in mediocrity, Boom Bugs fails to excite.

As tough as it is fun, and with a brilliant soundtrack, CheeseMan is a fine slice of iOS platforming at its best.

While episode two has some better puzzles than before, Jurassic Park is still a barely-interactive rollercoaster ride that's more about watching pretty cutscenes than actually playing a game. With its premium price tag, it's very tough to recommend it.

A poor-quality port of a game that has aged terribly.

Despite being comprehensive in terms of content, Chuck's Challenge is too dated to really stand out.

Wonky mechanics and no multiplayer support at launch mean that this boardgame may end up gathering dust in the cupboard until an update is deployed.

The central premise of Mad Tracks works fine and once unlocked the races are varied, but getting to them takes ages, requiring you to re-play the same courses with the same monotonous AI too many times.

Lander Hero may prove too tough for the more casual gamer, but it's a supremely polished and playable game that deserves to be played.

A clever puzzle game with smart mechanics and a satisfying structure. Recommended.

A solid game and an astonishing achievement in mimicry. Play Cut the Rope again instead.

A demonstration of how brilliant design can enliven the simplest of ideas, Azarashi is a terrific test of your reflexes.

CrimsonHeart offers the same tried-and-tested action-RPG gameplay, but its improved controls and excellent visuals help to elevate it slightly above its peers - of which there are many.

A simple pleasure for an hour or so, but lacks the longevity of its iOS peers.

Sploosh is (too) short and (too) sweet. If you've completed Where's My Water? and are looking for a temporary fix, this should float your water physics-puzzling boat.

The Jurassic Park games have always been disappointing, but with less action and virtually no puzzles, episode three is the worst one yet.

A little light on content and design, Demolicious is an interesting first step for a talented team, but one that doesn't quite live up to its billing.

A feast for dragons, but a pitiable spread for the rest of us. Tasty visuals and concept let down by poor implementation.

A by-the-numbers addition to the App Store, Zombie Bunnies does nothing to make itself stand out, and ends up another also-ran.

This fantasy epic sets out to be a faithful copy of the 16-bit classics of old, but its poor English script and samey gameplay make it entirely forgettable to anyone but the most dedicated JRPG fan.

The Lighthouse HD is a visually impressive and much-needed twist on the classic line-drawing genre.

Tiny Town will literally hold you to ransom: pay up or your town will die. A few interesting features, but there are far better sims on the App Store.

A brilliantly stripped-down and pure racer, Pocket Racing 2 is demanding, precise, and darn addictive - even if the World Tour mode occasionally frustrates.

A spirited attempt to do something different with the tower defence genre, though its presentation lets the side down.

A strange little game dressed up like a freemium title, Dragon Keeper suffers from a lack of impetus that inevitably makes it forgettable.

While it might have sky-high aspirations, Fishbowl Racer is a mundane, frustrating experience at the best of times.

Terrible English localisation throws a spanner in the works for Toy Factory. Somebody dropped the ball in the QA dept, which is ironic considering the subject matter.

Ironworm is a good game at heart, but a poorly balanced freemium model seriously undermines its gameplay.

Don't Fry The Frog is mildly entertaining, but there are better casual gaming experiences out there.

Released into a genre that is perilously close to saturation point, Towers N' Trolls doesn't bring anything new to the table but still promises tower defence fans an enjoyable ride.

As garish as it might appear, Storm Strikers is a precision piece of bullet-hell gaming that can only add to the gaming credentials of iOS.

It's content rich, it's no looker, it's well put together, it's a match-three puzzle game. If you just can't get enough jewel busting in your life, then Cradle of Persia is for you.

This physics-based puzzler does at least attempt to try something a little different, and fans of the genre will appreciate the finer points of the precise and demanding gameplay. Casual players may become annoyed due to the stern challenge, however.

Node.Hack will eat.up your time and spit it out as thorough enjoyment.

In trying to add a 3D twist to the Angry Birds premise, Picnic Wars ends up losing the addictive simplicity of Rovio's masterpiece.

An entertaining hack and slash defence title, Samurai vs Zombies Defense could do with a bit more hacking and slashing, but it's still worth a try if Japanese violence is your bag.

There's a good idea for a game here, but TwinSpin's execution leaves a lot to be desired, resulting in a bare port of the Flash title it's based on.

It may not bear the closest resemblance to the sport it claims to simulate, but Ski Champion is a perfectly adequate way of wasting a few minutes.

Unrelentingly difficult, 774 Deaths doesn't just raise the bar for hardcore platforming on iOS, it beats you senseless with it.

While it's not entirely original or polished, Antithesis is a clever take on Pong that would benefit from a multiplayer update.

A thinking man's puzzler, Traffic Wonder HD is not a game to be taken lightly. However, put enough effort in and you will be rewarded with a gripping and satisfying brain-teaser.

Once you've got into PathPix Joy's tightly focused, gently paced logic puzzling, good luck getting out.

It doesn't reinvent the motorbike wheel, but Trial Xtreme 2 Winter Edition provides more petrol-fuelled hi-jinks for fans of previous games. We just can't shake the feeling that it would have worked better as a paid-for expansion to the existing Trial Xtreme 2 game.

A decent Bejeweled clone with horrifically expensive micro-transactions and long load times, the Vita's first freemium title is a misplaced first step into the brave new world of free games on portables.

Far from grand strategy or intricate planning, StickWars 3 is about flicking little men into the air and watching them flop down in glorious puddles of gore.

As a trinket for retrophiles to coo over it's fine, but as a game Kale In Dinoland will just end up making your blood boil.

Got Cow? is a clever and bracingly difficult physics-puzzler that's been pipped to the post by a more famous rival.

Blast Ball's joyously kinetic gameplay and simple premise make it instantly gratifying, but the occasionally annoying controls and lack of depth count against it.

Not quite bullet-hell heaven, Endless War can't match Cave's classics in terms of spectacle, and while its RPG elements are intriguing they're not enough to lever it above the pack.

A strange, if sadly under-developed twirl-'em-up that fails to exploit the potential at its intriguing core.

While there's nothing overtly wrong with it, Beeing is a fairly underwhelming addition to the seemingly endless list of cutesy casual games on iOS.

Proof that originality doesn't always trump sheer design smarts. Your fingers will never know what hit them.

This arcade racer manages to mess up the basics of racing game design, while looking and sounding poor at the same time.

An unexceptional endless racer that's competent enough for a few minutes busywork but far from the best the App Store has to offer.

A solid physics-puzzler with a limited lifespan and in need of some polish.

Downhill Xtreme is fun, good looking, and doesn't require a penny to play.

A beautifully polished, richly rewarding take on the tower defence genre.

A quirky, intriguing endless-floater that's simply far too shallow to captivate for long.

A thoughtful and well-put-together puzzle game, Reiner Knizia's City of Secrets Pipes is an enjoyable, deep, time-consuming brainbender.

Not exactly original, but a well-made and lovely looking castle defence game.

Cheese Please is far smarter than it seems, but lacking in flair. An Edam, then, rather than a delicious Brie.

Frantic, fast, and a little bit special, Ring Fling is a brilliant party game in your pocket.

Sakura Slash is a slice of fun but throwaway screen-swiping nonsense.

Fun and occasionally frantic, Zombie Ace has enough intriguing tricks up its undead sleeve to keep you entertained for a few hours.

A polished twin-stick shooter with bags of cartoony charm that just needs a little more variety to keep you blasting in longer bursts.

Near console-standard footy on a phone, from a team who go from strength to strength.

Too simple, a little rough around the edges, and lacking design nous, Split! never manages to make the most of the two genres it spans.