Swords & Arrows, like the game it pays homage to, is an easy-to-pick up, fun way to wage war with your friends, and it's quite welcome in my software library anytime.

Headland is worth considering if you’re looking for some simple monster mashing enjoyment, but don’t expect it to tax your skills or wits in any serious fashion.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a good port of a decent game from an era before we knew the blessings of even Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. It can’t compete in most little ways and even a lot of big ways. But there is a purity to it, being from that era. It isn’t trying to sell you gems at every turn. It has no DLC or any intentions of such. No unlockable skins or guest characters. You can log in every day and you will have nothing extra to show for it. Here is the game. Here is the adventure. Here is the ending. Thank you for your ten dollars (Er, um, five dollars if you happen to catch its very-soon-after-release sale price–Ed). That’s kind of lovely, even if there are a lot of parts of it that aren’t. It might be the tonic you’re looking for right now, because we frankly don’t see a lot of things like this on mobile anymore.

Labyrinth Legend is one of those games that is nice to play when you want something relatively mindless to pass the time with. In that respect, it does what it does well. It’s engaging enough to keep you from getting bored, but it doesn’t demand a lot of heavy decision-making or tests of dexterity. The story isn’t very interesting, the setting is as generic as it gets, and I can’t really say it has any special gameplay mechanics to set it apart. This is not a game that will live in my memory very long now that I’ve completed it. But I can’t say I didn’t have a good time slowly digesting it over the course of a few evenings.

Gleamer doesn't aim too high, but as a result, it feels very grounded and straightforward, with a unique visual style to boot. You know exactly what you're getting into here, and the precision platforming holds up despite a few design flaws.

With more games this could be a must-buy for those of you have a friend to play with. Just temper your expectations.

The game marginalizes its one clever hook, but it's still clever! And I think that long-term, I can see auto-battling being useful for most people. I just can't get around that it exists and sinks a game I otherwise really enjoyed.

If you don’t mind a slower-paced puzzler, Gematombe might be of interest to you. Its fundamental rules and gameplay mechanics work well, the art style is vibrant and appealing, and it offers a lot of ways to play. Those looking for a speedier affair might find this one a little plodding for their liking, and its lack of any sort of online multiplayer or leaderboards also hurts it a little. Not bad for a first attempt, but I could imagine a sequel that builds on things and really takes it to another level.

While Feed Me Oil 2 is wrapped in a rather pretty package, it's still fundamentally the same game as it predecessor, and doesn't push the puzzle genre in any way. Having said that, if you loved the original, this one is a no-brainer.

Like a lot of endless games out there, Kayos doesn't break the mold or check any boxes than you'd typically see checked by the genre. It does, however, offer up an escape for a short while into a beautiful opaque world of sights and sounds.

While not reinventing the genre, Wolf Boy is an entertaining game with plenty of action, although it can tend to feel a bit repetitive.

Wild Dogs isn’t without its issues. The bosses drag on a bit too long thanks to their high HP, some of the gimmick sections aren’t terribly fun, and the game just can’t get out of the shadow of the game it’s paying homage to and lacks much identity of its own as a result. It’s also single-player only, which is unfortunate given how much of an appeal point that was for Konami’s shooter. But it gets enough of that Contra energy right that fans of the series will likely have a good time stomping through it, and maybe that’s enough.

The First Tactics is kind of like a pomegranate. It's good, but it's such a pain in the neck to get at the delicious bits that it's tempting to just grab something easier to get into.

If you’ve enjoyed all of the previous Reigns games and haven’t played this one before on mobile, you’ll have a pleasant time digging into Reigns: Three Kingdoms. On the other hand, if you’re like and have felt a little burnt out on the last couple of games in the series, I’m not sure this one will really thrill you despite its new elements. Reigns: Three Kingdoms tries to teach this old dog a new trick or two, but in the end it’s still relying on the same old show.

The game's admittedly cheesy fun is kind of spoiled by all of the technical issues, but as long as you go in with the patience to deal with them, I think you'll find the game has a lot of charm. Awkward charm, goofy charm even, but charm nonetheless.

While Dungeon Rushers offers a lot of fun for at least a few hours, some balance issues see it turn into something of a party guest that just doesn't know when to go home. Even when it hits that point, it's not as though it becomes actively unpleasant. It's just a bit wearisome and out of new topics. If you don't mind the idea of making slow progress through a game through a ton of shorter sessions, you'll probably have a blast with Dungeon Rushers.

If you’re a fan of the genre, this should provide a nice challenge. For the average joe, however, there are just too many other similar games on the App Store to say for sure whether you'll click with this particular brand of tower-based defending over any other.

Webbies might be casual-friendly, but it's got plenty of potential for those of us looking for more of a challenge.

At the end of the day, Kavinsky is a shiny, shallow, yet highly enjoyable romp through the 1980s and well worth picking up, especially considering that the game is totally free and there is no IAP to speak of.

If you're a fan of Mortal Kombat then you'll likely get enough enjoyment out of this version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 to justify the purchase, but if you're looking for a comparable fighting experience to the iOS version of Street Fighter IV then you may want to hold off and see how this game evolves over time.

There's quite a bit of fun to be had from playing Crazy Taxi: City Rush. It's buried deep under its heavily-monetized metagame, full of energy systems, wait timers, and currency systems, in a way that is extremely labyrinthine, and I wish the energy system wasn't there at all, or at least had a way to buy out of it, but they far from ruin this game.

The drop off in pace from Iron Age to Classical Age was too sharp as it felt like I'd suddenly run out of things to do, but otherwise this is a solid game with exceptionally high production values and a fair free-to-play system.

Atlantis Invaders, like the original Atlantis, is basically a re-jiggered take on the Missile Command formula that, to today's gamers, will exude a retro feel.

Like a real waterslide, it’s cheap, kinda shallow, and won’t last forever. But it’s an undeniably good time while it does last.

A fun shooter with a silly premise, and worth picking up if you can ignore the ads rotating on the main menu.

As a game, Pinball Quest is just mediocre in my books. It’s interesting to be sure, but the physics make things really annoying. Still, it’s nice to see games like this given a shot at capturing a new audience with rereleases like this. City Connection has done a good job with this wrapper and its suite of features, even if it’s not the prettiest thing around. If you have an interest in this game or have happy memories of it, this is a good way to explore it. Just keep in mind that the featured game is one with plenty of rough edges, so if you want a sick game of pinball you may want to look to Zen Studios instead.

NFL Rivals certainly adds new social gaming features as well as a fresh coat of paint in the NFL license and an upgraded graphics system. However, in the end, the gameplay is nearly identical to Backbreaker Football and may not be worth your while.

With cool powerups, a strategic multiplier element, and charming graphics, Bounce On Up is worth taking a look at even if you've previously had your fill of this type of game.