Yes, it's maybe just a little on the shallow side, and it has this annoying stash of red power-ups that you have to avoid because they leave you decidedly worse off for a while, oh, and it features boss battles, too. We honestly don't mind too much, though, because of the non-stop rocket action.

Super Crossfire eases you in gently - perhaps too gently, because most of the first 'chapter' of waves is a dull walkover. But subsequent chapters are more demanding, requiring quick thinking and rapid strategic adjustments. Additionally, the ferocious Dark mode and one of the finest power-up mechanisms we've seen ensures this game is one of the very best retro-oriented shoot 'em ups on the system.

If you're the sort of person who stares at your open fridge for hours trying to find the butter, only to realise that it's slap bang in front of your nose, then you won't get on well with Stray Souls, since you find most of your objects by spotting them in a very detailed scene.

It's challenging and entertaining, with courses that feel alive, and it has more than enough content to justify its price-tag.

Squids merges the Angry Birds firing mechanism with top-down billiards-like physics, then welds the result to a cute, if short, role-playing adventure.

Whether you're a word-game dabbler or a recovering Tetris addict with a penchant for letters, SpellTower is essential.

However closely you choose to follow the ravages of war, in the turn-based strategy genre Ravenmark reigns supreme. Boasting AI that can outflank you at 10 paces, and 15 varied campaign missions with the promise of more to come, at two quid it's a steal; with multiplayer, it'd be obscene.

It might look a bit casual, but be warned: it doesn't take long to become very tricky indeed, which at least results in some top operatic comedy.

Where Skateboard was great, Snowboard is better. The graphics are sharper, the controls are tighter and the levels are more interesting, with more varied hazards. We initially had a snowy sense of déjà vu, but it disappeared, along with most of a day, as we strove to beat our high scores. Still, here's hoping Ratty's next outing is a little more innovative.

The obvious touchstone here is Angry Birds, but there's a neat element of strategy to each level that keeps everything from descending into a mere shoot-and-hope affair.

It is, however, a joy to look at and – in spite of its lows – highly replayable. Like guns, robots, and hiding behind walls? Then EPOCH.'s a no-brainer.

Really, the game only catches on fire under scrutiny's magnifying glass when it comes to patrol path deletion, which occasionally lacks responsiveness. It's frustrating, but hardly a deal-breaker in an otherwise great game.

If you didn't like the original, this won't convert you – and we hope Chair doesn't soon roll out the next in an infinite number of Infinity Blade games merely with new Titans and metal hats. But if you enjoyed battling the God King, Infinity Blade II's a no-brainer purchase.

Our biggest gripe? We keep spending the entire day humming those bloody tunes.

Sky Gamblers: Rise Of GloryThe infuriating thing about Sky Gamblers – Rise of Glory is that just as you're swearing blind that the controls are completely impossible and that there's no way on earth that you'll ever be comfortable with them, you find that the controls have clicked and you're mostly enjoying yourself.

Few of these challenges are tough enough to rouse your ire or hold up progress – we happily powered through much of the game without resorting to the 'skip' button. Delivering your projectiles to their targets is still as satisfying as potting the black into the designated corner on your first go, though.

Chances are that it's not going to be up your street, but if you're gazing at the screenshots and drooling at the prospect of lightspeed arcade action then, well, step right up.

In short, it's an RPG that anyone – fans, old gamers, youngsters and newcomers alike – can enjoy.

In short, MC3 is a game that, while slightly muscle-headed in its approach to character development, more than delivers when it comes to gripping, relentless and spectacular gameplay.

You get four visually stunning locations, driven by the alien's desire for different cuisines, and each level has plenty of potential for exploration and experimentation. Even some slightly iffy controls didn't dampen our hunger for this game.

Bung in a vexation-defeating undo and an AI that amusingly flat-out lies during proceedings and you've got an essential iOS action-puzzler.

But creator Zach Gage is clearly some kind of evil genius, because no sooner had we weaned ourself off his furiously addictive game than he laughed like a maniac and presented this update, which boasts Retina graphics, universal support and two new modes.

It's pretty much Ants vs Zombies, but Ant Raid's controls are more organic than those in PopCap's game, and the oddball sense of humour and design is, if anything, superior. Our only criticism, bar the game's slightly repetitive nature, is it falls between two camps: a bit lightweight for dedicated RTS fans and too tough for casual gamers. Otherwise, it's f-ant-astic. (Sorry.)

The game is therefore a little like Doodle Jump, but if jet packs and rockets were platforms and everything else was to be avoided. [Gold Edition]

With each jump consuming energy, they must periodically switch places, and the angled chunks of ice make movement less predictable than in most jumping games.

One of the earliest iOS smash hits. The game was released in April 2009, and by the end of the year it had been downloaded over a million times. It's since spawned a slew of similar titles, and although few have come close to matching the original's financial success, many offer enough innovation for any iOS gamer obsessed with helping a virtual character bounce towards the stars.

It's messy but when it works – that is, when you're comfy with the controls, laying waste to a horde of Mexican gangsters and not being bothered by the nonsensical plot – it works rather well, and to sweeten the deal there's a full dose of multiplayer, in which we spent a lot of time getting one-shot killed by people with much better weapons.

We love it, especially on iPad, where the bigger screen affords you more precision, while a boat-hat-wearing mutant crab and mecha-driving giant dog aim to bring your tower down. Like we said: odd.