The world of Penumbear might not be one you'd want to explore on your own, dark as it is. Navigating a friendly little bear through, on the other hand? Well, that works quite well.

Of course retro junkies will no doubt find room for subtle strategy, and use patience to their advantage in the climb to maddeningly high tallies. Even then, in the hands of less committed players, you'd be hard pressed not to get at least 1001 fun-filled attempts out of this one. I'd buy that for a dollar - and so should you.

A big update with new control options is in the works, so things are likely to improve in the future, but it's a shame about TowelFight's controls in their current state because otherwise it's an incredibly enjoyable game.

It's a bit dorky, and it needs a few tweaks to really offer much lasting value, but what's here is quite fun. It just needs a little more worth digging.

Hackycat is a solid game of kick-ups wrapped in a pretty delightful package—and hey, if you're going to kick cats, make it these ones. They need the help, and you need the cheeseburgers if you're going to kick 'em all.

The Gods: Rebellion does a decent job recreating the character action experience on iOS in nearly every aspect save controls. If you have more patience than me (or are simply used to iOS character action titles) by all means check out Rebellion as it offers a lot in its other elements.

Where the original at times felt like a nicely implemented tech demo, King Cashing 2 is an excellent game in its own right, improving on nearly every facet over the original and well worth checking out.

If you're a free to play gamer used to the often basic games that litter the Top Free chart on the App Store, Real Racing 3 is going to knock your socks off.

Rather than judge a book by its publisher, pick this up today: it'll be a delight for your left and right brain alike.

This is such a weird game to even review, as I can fully admit its flaws are numerous, and it's definitely not for everyone... But, any game that has us yelling at our phones definitely deserves some attention.

If all Dance Wars did was take the standard DDR gameplay and music selection and infuse it with some social features, I would have happily played it without much complaint. The problem is its excessive freemium system not only prevents you from playing, but blatantly puts monetization ahead of any semblance of balance between unlocking songs and having to pay for IAP items. It's really a shame and is a far cry from the previous DDR offering.

If you're willing to buy into Year Walk, to explore it's shifting landscape and learn its lessons, you'll find a tremendous game. I've never played anything quite like it.

Recoil Games hasn't come up with anything all that fresh or unique in the world of one-touch platformers, but Rock Runners has hooks that work. If the rest of the game worked as well, relied less on repetition and more on thoughtful level design, we might have something special. Instead we find ourselves with a runner that isn't quite the same old thing, but doesn't do nearly enough to stand out.

PinWar isn't quite enough of anything. It's not quite pinball enough to please the pinball purists, and not quite competitive enough to really hook the adversarial among us. It is, however, a lot of fun.

Relic Rush may not have the length or variety to propel it to the upper tier of iOS casual games, but it's still worth a shot for folks looking for a simple platformer to try.

Like any of its logic game brethren, Puzzle Restorer thrives on the strength of those rules. Because they make a solid foundation, the game is free to open up into greater and greater challenges without ever becoming bogged down in complexity. This could be the start of a puzzle game legacy if Gavina Games has the tenacity to keep it going. As a new twist on a popular type of puzzle game, there's plenty of room to grow.

Still, I give QuestLord a lot of credit for properly introducing me to a genre that I never really could get into. With a streamlined attribute and quest system, there's not a lot of depth that is traditionally found in other titles. However, it's for this exact reason that I think it succeeds for newbies like me. Assuming you're looking to give dungeon crawlers a try, I'd definitely recommend QuestLord as an introductory taste.

Even though SlotZ Racer 2 HD can be considered more of the same, it's still an enjoyable virtual slot car racer. For those that didn't have the pleasure of playing the original SlotZ Racer, this sequel is well worth checking out. For others already familiar to the scene, SlotZ Racer 2 might not offer enough new features to warrant investment. Fortunately, considering SlotZ Racer 2 HD is available for free, you can at least check it out before making a decision.

Anyway, Help Volty is a strange game set in a strange world, for sure, but that's the best part; you can't figure it out and you can't help but want to continue because you want to try. It's neat.

Finding Teddy is a delight and a surprise. It's a game that could easily languish as a hidden gem of the platform, but it's just as sure to be evangelized by those that play it. It's an easy game to love, particularly if you're a fan of point-and-click adventure. The story of a girl and her teddy bear may not seem like the must-play hit of the moment, but it has so much love to give. A little of your time isn't much to ask in return.

A note on in-app purchases: the free, ad-supported version of Beastie Bay is robust and enjoyable and, as far as I can tell, in no way different than the paid version. $4.99 strips the game of advertisements and lets players use their iDevice's portrait mode. Portrait mode is, admittedly, the superior way to play Beastie Bay, but there's an inordinate amount of well-designed, well-executed fun to be had for free.

The controls are responsive and well-suited to touch devices, but more importantly, Kairo brings something fresh and unique to the platform -- there's nothing like it, to the best of my knowledge, on the App Store. We need more games like it.

You may get the sense that Little Inferno walks a fine line between satirizing our gaming habits and revelling in them. If you take it lightly, it works. Give it serious thought and you might find a bit of hypocrisy buried between the lines, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a game that sticks with you.

In the crowded iOS racing genre, there's a growing collection of decent racing titles that either focus on killer visuals or innovative gameplay (with the best succeeding in both). Table Top Racing falls in the former category with a fun visual style that does a good job eliciting feelings of nostalgia. Whether that's enough to differentiate itself from the pack is a matter of opinion, but as far as racing titles go you can do a lot worse.

In a sea of matching games, few feel simultaneously as rewarding and as respectful of a player's skill as Rise of the Blobs. It may be soft and jiggly on the outside, but it's hard as nails underneath.

Archipelagos' unique combination of strategy with an element of encroaching menace should have similar appeal to a certain set today as it did back in 1989.

In the end, Cracking Sands ends up being a title recommended to racing fans that are looking for a title with a wealth of content. That's pretty much all it has going for it as the visuals aren't particularly inspiring, the controls aren't as precise as I'd like, the weapons-based gameplay, while fun, can easily become too hectic.

Pixel People takes an apocalyptic future and makes it hopeful, cheerful and bright-if it's where freemium games are headed, we have a lot to look forward to.

Yes, Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes is worth playing. If you have a recent iPad or an iPad mini, it's probably worth playing on iOS, though you might want to hold out for a few bug fixes. With those in hand, this could easily be one of the best puzzle strategy games on the platform. Without them, it's simply not.

A flawed but admirable port of a game that fundamentally isn't touch-friendly. If you're still on the fence, just know that this game requires commitment. There's gold here, but Baldur's Gate keeps its treasure for the dedicated and does not tolerate dabblers.

For those who like lovely things, for those who like music generation games, for those who like flyers, Lucky Frame has made something special.

Foursaken's Heroes and Castles does a great job of not only successfully melding third-person combat with tower/castle defense, but also creating a game with a great deal of replaybility via its heroes, upgrade system and online multiplay.

Momonga's Pinball Adventures is already a winner. In part for its impressive look, certainly, but the charm and challenge of the game are a big part of what makes it so loveable.

If you weren't a huge fan of the first Temple Run then I doubt the sequel will drastically change your mind.

ATB was disappointing enough in the fact that it's not a real RPG, but it's downright appalling when you think about the fact that it's simply a cash-grab. For everyone but the most stalwart FF fans (and I implore even them): this trip down memory lane isn't worth it.

Sure, a lot of the game's themes have been done before and a lot of the core gameplay elements are relatively familiar, but everything Vegend does is accomplished well. When it comes to any game, that's the most important aspect, and in that regard Vegend is certainly worth a recommendation (at least for fans of the genre).

It's not the most complex roguelike, or the cleverest. It is, however, just right for a casual dungeon delve on a mobile device. There's just enough meat to keep it compelling, and not so much complexity that you'll ever have trouble recalling your strategy when you come back from a break.

Battle of the Bulge is a must-have for anyone with an interest in historical wargaming. It's only flaws are limited single-player replayability and the fact that it is so easy to start playing that some players may jump in expecting a Risk-like game, only to become frustrated when the game's nuances assert themselves.

I imagine Rōnin will probably only pique the interests of either dedicated endless runner gamers or fans of its Asian-influence art style. Otherwise, there isn't much here to explore.

Mutant Mudds really has it all, and in terms of the slower-paced, exploration-based platforming games it's unmatched by anything else on the App Store.

I get something new and different from playing Time Surfer, a rush that proves there was untapped potential in the formula. The game is vicious, it's ridiculous, and it looks like something that came off a Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper.

Joe Danger is the complete package. It's the console-caliber game that everybody craves on their mobile device, except in this case the console it was made for is actually the iOS platform.

Repulze is refreshing in its straightforwardness and execution, preferring to be excellent at one simple thing -- visually and mechanically -- than mediocre at several.

For all its tapdancing there just isn't anything interesting going on here.

A world with gorgeous, complex puzzle games like this at the forefront is a world I'd be happy to live in.

I'm looking forward to the forthcoming chapters of the series, but my ultimate judgment of the series will depend on how Skygoblin handles the larger themes in the world and the continued development of the characters, especially Lina, a confident and intellectual woman who is clearly central to the plot, but who spends this game waiting for Bwana and Kito to get their act together.

If you treat Anomaly Korea as more of an expansion pack rather than a full-on sequel you'll be pleased with the purchase. Even if you wanted more, I find it hard to believe that you can resist more pure Anomaly.

Though the puddings themselves would object to this characterization, think of Pudding Monsters as a tasty snack-it might not keep you fed for long, but it'll get you through a break or two. ZeptoLab has executed the recipe beautifully; it's just too bad it was rather bland from the start.

Most of the time, though, The Walking Dead: Assault isn't much more than a decent tie-in, one that won't make any waves.

Mister Frog! is very pretty, with responsive controls and pleasantly old-timey music. This is a game that you and even a very young child might be able to share, trading turns and comparing scores. It's not terribly ambitious, certainly no One Tap Hero, but it does well within the limited scope it sets for itself.

If you're interested in classic games, especially fantasy and/or strategy games, Lords of Midnight is a must-have. On the other hand, if you are an action gamer whose idea of "old school" is Goldeneye 64, you'll want to give this one a pass.

It might take a little adjustment to get into the interactive fiction swing, but it's well worth learning the language.

There's also the simple fact that Vice City is an amazing game in most regards. In this regard, the high points far outweigh the control issues, making Vice City for iOS a no brainer for most gamers.

Most of the time, though, The Grading Game is pretty cool-assuming your idea of cool is finding other people's mistakes and punishing them.

The overall story, character development and pacing are excellent. The modifications to the core gameplay, whether they were changed from the US SNES version to the DS version or created exclusively for the iOS port, make the game more accessible to a wider audience.

The new Karateka legitimately feels like it might be what Mechner's original idea would have been, if then were now. And that's a win. For those who remember the original, the new Karateka must not be missed.

It sounds cliched, but it's hard to believe I'm playing a game of this caliber on iOS. All too often we see games that sacrifice gameplay depth for visuals or vice versa. Other than a few minor glitches, Ravensword: Shadowlands is the real deal, and is an excellent open-world RPG with a decent story, ample content, deep character customization and beautiful visuals.

When it works, it works unbelievably well - and with no asking price for those early, heart-pounding moments, there's absolutely no reason not to get this game.

Those wanting a serious sim challenge in an unlikely arena, look no further than Vertigo Gaming's culinary tablet masterpiece.

Similarly satisfying were the options with lasting consequences but no game-over possible, affecting the lives of others.

There's always been something satisfying about match-3 mechanics, but after enough years playing them over and over they're bound to start feeling stale. Pixel Defenders Puzzle steps beyond that by taking something from a game that was already an excellent evolution of the genre and moving it forward to another, even-more satisfying level.

Double Fine has produced a superior freemium timer-based sim, but Middle Manger of Justice only mitigates the flaws common in it's genre, it does not eliminate them.

The steep IAP costs will probably act as a barrier to everyone interested in owning the whole extensive library of songs this title. Still, I'd recommend everyone at least check out the included free songs, as you might like what you play.

Matchblocks is fast, furious, and potentially painful, a pretty good combo in a matching game. So yeah, come for the bright shiny colors-they're worth it. You'll end up staying when Matchblocks teaches you just how fast your fingers can fly.

A rather rock-solid and fun adventure game well worth sinking the handful of hours it will take to fully explore and enjoy everything this point-and-clicker has to offer.

The core gameplay is enjoyable and there's a lot of room for strategy while still leaving some of the outcome up to chance. However, it's obvious that Fluxx was meant to be played in-person, and a lot of the fun gets lost in the asynchronous multiplayer.

I can't help but feel that if this was made by any other developer, we really wouldn't care that much.

Throwing Chuck into danger is a great pastime, even if we're the ones that suffer when he fails. As the game deepens in difficulty, there's a real satisfaction to be found in slipping around the opposition, taking them out when they're not looking.

Partia doesn't just have potential: the most essential parts of the game are well-realized. The problem is that everything else has been left unpolished to the degree that the game feels unfinished. Despite all of these flaws, I'm still playing it.

Ultimately, Word Derby has a lot of moving parts to it. Some move more fluidly than other, but the old girl's got plenty of legs and horsepower in it before being overtaken by another, more clever word game.

While some may complain about the lack of significant improvements, I'm willing to be satisfied with the fact that Gameloft has taken a successful series and preserved the single player campaign with small changes and improvements to an otherwise well-done formula.

It's pretty good at what it does, and doesn't try to do much else. Why should it?

There is a near-painful amount of potential here, for what is already a reasonably entertaining multiplayer game.

Despite the nice improvements to the visuals, Jet Set Radio seems relegated to that pile of console ports that lose something due to the controls. True, the game is undoubtedly playable, but no where near as playable as it would be with an actual controller.

I doubt I'll unlock all of The Fleet's endings, and I'm fairly certain I know everything about the Grix that the game has to tell me, but I'm not done with this one, not yet.

True, the gorgeous visuals certainly warrant consideration (especially on newer iOS hardware), and the battle system is filled with potential, but the controls are a huge black mark on the entire experience.

Vectrex Regeneration wraps that emulation in a jaunty 3D interface, offers most (soon all) of the original game library for those who like the free-download taste, and has trimmed it all with subtle touches that do make a difference. It all comes together to deliver an impressive Vectrex experience, even despite a few rough-start issues that are being presently addressed.

If you're fond of the franchise and want to play something that takes that source material seriously, and tells a great story while it does it, this game is definitely it. You seriously need to get this.

Motley Blocks is a fun little matching game. It lets you create, destroy, and rebuild, all with a tap or a swipe of your finger. It's also intensely competitive, if you're into that sort of thing.

Depth, strategy, and looks, all wrapped around tried-and-testing word-building mechanics-that's QatQi for you.

In the end, the biggest problem with this game is that it's charmingly vapid: the exact opposite of Lauren Faust's reboot of the franchise.

My only concern is I don't think that Endless Road's visuals do enough to carry the game to lofty heights. Sure, the game looks and sounds great, but the three-lane style of play and supplemental upgrades/power-ups feel pretty basic and somewhat mundane.

True, it's no RollerCoaster Tycoon, but it's still a highly competent coaster builder with a nice dose of puzzle objectives. Suffice to say, if you're a fan of making thrill rides, you should give it consideration.

It might not be the most full-featured game out there, but the gorgeous environments, hypnotic music and sound effects, and attention to detail all make Dragons Dream a compelling offering, especially for fans of Dean's work.

Battle Cats (read: not a Thunder Cats knockoff, in case you were wondering) has staying power if you so desire it.

With decent visuals, a great cohesiveness of thematics, and a good amount of content and replayability elements, N.Y.Zombies 2 is worth checking out for any horror fans.

This not your average, micro-stage mobile game. Thankfully, only a handful of stages made me wish there were checkpoints.

Cubed Rally Redline is a great excuse to get back into the bouncy, blocky world of its predecessor without just doing the same old thing. It's a simpler sort of game, but the simplicity just makes it that much easier to get hooked.

Arranger isn't one of those things you should play if you like adventure games, or music game, it's one you should play if you like games, period, and the interesting things they can achieve.

As it is, iBomber Attack's biggest complaint may be that its too simple.

Wraithborne is Alpha Dogs' freshman effort, and it's not a bad one: it's well-realized within its own confines and makes good use of its visuals and level design. It's probably a bit short and shallow, but touch-controlled action gaming is really difficult, and Wraithborne stakes its claim valiantly.

As mindless games go, this one hits the perfect balance between easy enough to play without much attention and hard enough that it's not actually mind-numbing.

The only potential flaws or suggestions I have for Dream of Pixels would be to allow players to switch out their tetromino or see upcoming tetrominoes for tactical strategies. Maybe it's not necessary, but seeing multiple pieces only in the puzzle mode's HUD made me miss them when they weren't in the others.

This isn't called Virtual Boxing, or Street Boxer, or Extreme Boxing. It's called Real Boxing for a very good reason, and it lives up to its name impeccably well.

So take your hallucination-inducing antimalarials, zip up your fancy weatherproof jacket, and stop to get a cup of chicha (fermented quinoa) before heading out into the jungle. There are ruins to be documented and/or pilfered!

It just so happens this is a game where you can shove a grandmother behind you into an advancing helicopter. And either that's gonna grab you or it ain't. And if it doesn't, hey: Go shove it up your shove-hole (a.k.a. the solar plex-shove).

It's my favorite game in the series, and is well worth the status of 'must-play' for any iOS gamer.

It's obvious that Psyonix put a lot of care and effort into ARC Squadron and it certainly shows in all facets of the game. With a ton of content, smooth controls and visuals worth talking about, there's little to not enjoy about ARC Squadron.