A month late to report it, but happy to announce that I am finally the proud owner of an iPod Touch. I may be a bit late to finally jump on the bandwagon (as opposed to missing the boat entirely, I mean I was there for the big bon voyagé of the touch revolution), but when my good buddy Jay was looking for someone to adopt his iPod, I knew that it was my direct ticket to get in on all the fun.
When the Wallstreet Journal published an article about a year ago, claiming that the iPhone would eventually become a worthy opponent in the ranks of handheld gaming, I remember harboring sentiments of doubt with many of my gaming colleagues that such a newcomer to the gaming world could threaten to dethrone the likes of the DS or the PSP. Two years have since passed since the iPhone debuted, and I can safely say that since I've had my iPod it has proven itself a handheld console worth it's weight. A few weeks ago I reviewed ngmoco's newest game Rolando 2 with Ryan O'Donnell of the CO-OP crew, but hit the jump to check out the other iPhone games that have won my heart, and have left my DS and PSP presently catching dust in the corner.
For the record, I love the fact that the iPhone/iPod Touch lend plenty of unique gameplay utilizing the device's touchscreen and accelorometer, but for me the main appeal so far is owning a handheld platform that opens its arms and welcomes independent game developers. Here's what I've been playing as of late:
Eliss ($2.99 On Sale for 99¢!) - Stunning demonstration of how the iPhone's touchscreen capabilities can inspire original and creative gameplay. Steph Thirion's first game Eliss is an enchanting galaxy of coliding nebulas and stars. Be sure to set your iPhone down on the table and play with four fingers, you'll need them when the game starts to get tough!
Drop7 ($2.99) - Terribly addictive, and perfect for a medium bus ride home after work.
Mew Mew Tower (99¢) - What can I say. Is there anything better than stacking the tallest tower you can with an unlimited supply of adorable, mewing kittnes? Recommended to me by Garth.
Rolando ($5.99) and Rolando 2 ($9.99) - ngmoco knew what they were doing with Rolando and Rolando 2, both colorful platformers that take full advantage of both the touchscreen and the accelorometer. I'm a huge fan of the puzzles and the little characters in the game, plus I think the music gives the game a good bump!
Enviro-Bear 2010 (99¢) - The best bear-driving-car simulator you could ever hope for. Trust me.
Anything I'm missing? I'd love some recommendations!
Aside from what you listed, my other favorites are:
* Lux Touch - My old childhood boardgame favorite, Risk!
* Galcon - Stripped down resource based strategy game; planets produce ships, ships can take over more planets. Do this until you control the galaxy.
* Zentomino - Arrange 12 Tetris-like shapes so that they fit exactly into a template.
* Geo-Defense - My favorite tower defense game so far
* Ivory Tiles - Figure out how to slide one or more tiles around a wooden board to get them aligned with the target space.
Posted by: Garth Webb | July 30, 2009 at 03:37 PM