I had to laugh when I saw this. Uncomfortably. Reason being, I am (sort of) addicted to iPhone apps. And I am definitely guilty of the activity dubbed "apping," which I'm guessing means the process of ignoring basically everything that's going on around you in favor of checking your RSS feeds and just... one... more... hand... of Texas Hold 'Em. I promise.
Anyway, before I get sidetracked by conquering the barbarian villages and reading Facebook status updates, I'd like to revisit the subject of iPhone games. There's always been a debate as to whether the iPhone is a viable gaming console, and my answer is a resounding YES, but only for "bite-size" gaming... which is becoming a favorite pastime of mine. Here's some of my recent picks.
Mr. AahH!
Great game, stupid (potentially dirty?) title. Remember the ultra-addictive "WarioWare" for Game Boy Advance? This particular title is basically one of those mini-games that never ends, and you really don't want it to. You control the action with one finger. You're the little stick man, and you have to tap the screen to jump from pedestal to pedestal.
Slick graphics, tight gameplay, and a nifty soundtrack make the game easy on the eyes and ears, while the online scoreboards add to the addictiveness. Throw in randomness along with wind and gravity effects and you get a winner, for only $.99.
Canabalt
I love independent games, and Canabalt is one of the best I've played recently. It debuted as a flash, browser based game by Adam Atomic and Danny B, which became so popular it was quickly ported to the iPhone. Another game that is controlled by only tapping, this one chronicles your "daring escape" from unnamed robotic overlords. The gameplay consists of jumping from skyscraper to skyscraper, dodging bombs that turn you into a "fine mist," crashing through windows, and avoiding obstacles.
Timing is everything here, as with Mr. AahH, but what makes Canabalt truly special is the heart and soul that obviously went into setting the tone. The riveting, intense soundtrack is a perfect pairing to the dark, ominous atmosphere. Huge robots and warships loom in the background, and birds scatter as you fly past. You can even Twitter how far you've ran... and believe me... you WILL die. And play over and over again. It may seem "expensive" at $2.99, but once you see the obvious effort and polish that went into it, you'll realize that it's a great value. You will also receive +2 karma points for supporting indie devs!
Puzzle Prism
This one happens to be made by the same folks that made Mr. AahH (Ponos Software) and is equally polished. If you like Tetris, you'll like this... maybe. Do you recall ever taking those spacial recognition tests in school? If you sucked at those, you can add this to your "do not want" list. However, if you have a "mathematical" brain like I do, you might just get addicted to this one.
The concept is similar to other "falling blocks" games, except for that the tower is in 3-D. It rotates continuously around a fixed point, and the blocks you are given can be rotated and dropped by sliding left to right or down. Since it's not on a flat plane, you'll have to remember where the "holes" are in your tower to perform the best, adding another "dimension" (groan) of challenge to the game. $2.99, but there is a free "lite" version you can take for a spin before committing.
Skee Ball
Ahhh... the best for last! I am so incredibly addicted to this game, for reasons unknown even to myself. I shouldn't like it as much as I do, but it's so awesome. Here's why. Freeverse Software (one of my favorite Mac devs, by the way) has created about as elegant and accurate of a Skee Ball simulator as possible, short of a Wii Bowling-style experience.
Simply flick your finger to toss the ball. Varying the speed and angle of your flick will control the ball, and you can even add a little "adjustment" to its path by tilting your iPhone. After each game, you'll rack up virtual tickets which you can spend on virtual junk to add to your loot stash. You can even purchase new balls, which, as far as I can tell, have varying physics. (Please, let me know if it's all in my head. Can anyone verify?)
What's most addictive about this game is the online ranking and the skill star system. The better you play, the more multipliers you get to your score and tickets, encouraging you to polish your Skee skillz as much as possible; however, there's always that element of randomness to add that extra "grrr" moment, such as when balls hang on the edge of the 100 hole just before falling into the abyss. Try it, you won't be sorry, and for $.99 it costs less than one of these.
