Okay, this will be a bit longer than my previous app review post about design and development apps, because, well, there are a lot more games. I’m sure I’ll miss some good ones, so feel free to leave a comment if you know of any I should check out. Whether the iPhone / iPod Touch is a viable gaming platform is still arguable, but the apps below have me leaning towards yes.
Games!
Dragon Panic, by Clickgamer Technologies Ltd – Okay, so this one only really gets 3 stars (which is why it’s first), but as it has dragons in it, it was the first game I bought for my iPod Touch and I’ve gotta give it mention. The dragon is stuck in a little room in which items of varying deadliness fall from the ceiling. He is controlled by tilt and breathes fire at a tap to destroy said items, which grants him points and prevents them from destroying the floor he’s standing on over lava. Its only use is as a time killer, and there are probably better ones out there, but I’m keeping it on my iPod until someone puts out a better dragon game (hint hint). 
($.99)
iShift, by Armor Games Inc – Taking its cue from Portal, Shift places the player in the role of a test subject who must pass through various rooms of danger and frustration in order to survive. “Shifting” switches the orientation of the black and white landscape, turning the floor into the ceiling and back again. The game can actually be played online here, but I find it is perfectly suited to the i* Touch platform. Arrows left and right turn into jump buttons when the opposite one is pressed, and a “shift” button is at the top of the screen on either side for easy thumb access. Alternately, you can choose to shift by tilting the device, but I prefer the buttons. I give this puzzler four stars for fun and implementation; although it can be played for free online, but I’d rather take it with me to fiddle with in line at the grocery store than have it eat my time at the PC. ($.99)
Sway, by Illusion Labs AB – Unlike the last two games which were, in order, “meh” and “good” games, I rate Sway as absolutely outstanding. You play as a sort of a cross between a sock monkey and a Lego man. As the story goes, “Wiz made a no-no” and blew up the worlds, so they are now made up of little broken bits of floating islands. You traverse them by swinging (“swaying”) along from hand to hand, gripping by pressing down on the screen and swaying back and forth by touch. It takes some getting used to, but once I got the hang of it (har har har), it became an instant favorite of mine. The background music is upbeat and fun, and a recent update allows you to play tunes from your library as well. I have yet to beat all 25 levels or unlock all 10 characters, and I’ll be a bit sad when I do. Fortunately, each level has a bronze, silver, and gold score to reach, so I’ll have an excuse to replay them. ($4.99, but worth it. Try it for free here)
Icon at Release
Castle of Magic, by Gameloft – This is another outstanding game and ties with Sway as my favorite i* Touch game to date. The vivid colors and playful style are reminiscent of early Spyro games (though with better graphics), while the gameplay is all Mario and Donkey Kong. A d-pad on the left and action buttons on the right provide all the interface you need, though you can tilt your device to direct gems towards you in certain cases. I don’t know quite what else to say about this one except that if you enjoy side-scrolling adventure games like Super Mario World or Kirby, you should enjoy this. As I said, it’s tied with Sway as favorite i* Touch game. ($4.99, well worth it, try for free here)
The following apps I have gotten trial versions of, but have yet to purchase the full games. I mention them here because the free versions have convinced me to pay them money for more; I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Revised reviews will be forthcoming after purchase if needbe.
Glyder Free, by Glu – A game in which you glide through a surprisingly three dimensional world, using thermals to ascend and gaining speed by diving, while collecting sparkly things. So far I’d give it three to four stars, rating it “good” rather than great, but at $1.99 for the full version I think it’s appropriately priced.
Galaxy on Fire 3D Light, by FISHLABS – So far I’m very impressed with this Wing Commander style game. You take command of a small ship and play through missions to earn cash which you can then use to buy upgrades and newer, better ships. Having only played the free version through the tutorial and one short mission, I tentatively rate it at five stars for graphics and gameplay. ($4.99 for the full version)
Rolando Lite, by ngmoco, Inc – Okay, so call me cheap, but after seeing a striking 322 five star reviews for the new Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid (which retails at an equally striking $9.99) I still wanted to try a free version. Sadly, there isn’t one, so I fell back to the original Rolando, which does have a demo ($5.99 for the full version). Although I hesitate to spend even $5.99 for an app, I think I may be sold on Rolando 2 in spite of its outlandish price tag. I can best describe the gameplay as Lemmings meets Mario. Just download the demo and see for yourself. 
Rolando
Rolando 2
