back to article Ten... top iOS games

Reg Hardware Mobile Week Love 'em or hate 'em, iDevices - iPad, iPod and iPhone - are now serious players in handheld gaming. We love the new PlayStation Vita, but we can see why some folk would want to game on a gadget they're already carrying with them. And the bigger screen play offered by Apple's tablet can be a real joy …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Amazing how much better

    The quality of the games is compared with the Android game review. Even though the article writer completely omitted Infinity Blade II which would wipe the floor, drop the jaw of even the strongest fandroid. Its amazing what is being put out quality wise on the iOS platform pushing the hardware to the near limits while your average Galaxy S II owner sits there all smug with great hardware specs but crap to show running on it.

    1. 1Rafayal
      FAIL

      Re: Amazing how much better

      Really?

      Are you suggesting that this line up of games proves that iOS games are better than those for the Android platform?

      I dont really understand how or why you can say that, based on the games listed in this report.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        FAIL

        Re: Re: Amazing how much better

        Indeed, half of these "amazing" iOS games are just re-hashes of old 16-bit or 8-bit titles. Meh.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Stop

          The Troll

          Don't feed it.

        2. GitMeMyShootinIrons

          Re: Re: Re: Amazing how much better

          I have to say, this is a platform independent point - there's a lot of this scattered all over, whether Android, iOS and I'm sure one day WinMo.

          To be fair, most of the best game concepts were built originally during this period, so I suppose it's inevitable. Plus, porting old software or coding old ideas on a new platform is going to be easier than actually showing some imagination.

          There are *some* original games, but many are either what you suggest, or otherwise cut down versions of commercial releases.

        3. JEDIDIAH
          Linux

          Re: Amazing how much better

          > Indeed, half of these "amazing" iOS games are just re-hashes of old 16-bit or 8-bit titles. Meh.

          I had a copy of Arkanoid for the ST.

    2. Law
      Trollface

      Re: Amazing how much better

      I smell a bit of a troll.

      Even if you based your troll-opinion on these two articles - the quality of the graphics on the android roundup were just as good as the iOS games, if not better (ShadowGun, Sprinkles) - the games scores were mainly in the 90% range for the android games, iOS were more around 88%. The iOS roundup had more rehashed retro games too - less originality.

      But besides all this - the two articles were personal roundups of games on different platforms by diffierent authors. Not a summary of the very best available on either platform.

      The only real places I think Android suffers in terms of game quality are:

      1 - half-arsed ports of existing iOS games that take over a year to come out after the iOS versions... but now Android has more marketshare in mobile space I expect that trend to be reversed.

      2 - Lack of HD games aimed at tablet screens. I don't see this changing until the tablets get cheap enough to grab more users and equal the iPad in popularity.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Amazing how much better

      What drugs are you on?

      The Android games were all substantially better. iOS gaming seems to have a certain sheep mentality where they all jump from this weeks great game to the next (none of which actually being that great).

      I'm guessing Android owners are more inclined to play what they like and have a tendancy to try stuff out more (hence the reason they didn't end up with an iPhone...)

      1. ThomH

        Re: Re: Amazing how much better (AC, 20:47)

        So that's two trolls not to feed.

    4. Van

      Re: Amazing how much better

      Amazing that those games make me realise I'd be just as happy cranking up a £20 Amiga off an auction site. Enough money left for a good holiday.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Not a fan

    Of any of those to be honest. I do like my pinball though and Pinball HD is brilliant.

    Frenzic is worth a look as is Tiny Wings and the Incident. Admittedly they'e a bit old now, but still new if you've never played them before

  3. Wombling_Free

    Eh?

    No mention of Galaxy On Fire 2 - the closest thing to Elite in your pocket?

  4. Ian Ferguson
    Thumb Down

    Fairly mediocre selection of games if you ask me. Whizzy graphics but little to no gameplay value.

    Top iOS games to me would be Super Crate Boy, SpellTower, Tiny Wings, Orbital, Beat Sneak Bandit, Minotron, Drop7, Reckless Getaway, DrawRace2 and Quarrel. Not to mention Infinity Blade II and Angry Birds.

  5. Law

    I know they were both essentially personal lists - but I'm a bit surprised that neither Plants Vs Zombies, Peggle or Angry Birds didn't show up in Android or the iOS game roundups.

    Still, nice list. :)

  6. Tiny Iota
    Unhappy

    Cross-platform

    In your Top 10 Android Games roundup, Sprinkle got 95%. Here, it’s not even mentioned. I guess it is a bit pointless reviewing the same game twice, but maybe a review of the top 10 Android/iOS games should feature games only available on that platform and another article should have cross/platform games. Does the quality really vary that much between platforms? Some more fervent fanbois/fandroids may only read their own device’s article and miss out on the other cool stuff.

    1. Law

      Re: Cross-platform

      I've had an iPhone and a couple of android phones (Desire being the current one). I've had a few of games that were on both too... Peggle is the one I play more often that was on both and it was almost identical on both my Desire and the iPhone 3G. Maybe the iPad/iPhone 4S have a different game experience now.

      The only issue for me was it took like 2 years for it to to show up on Android Marketplace after the iPhone release, despite being promised a port fairly soon after the iOS version.

      Aside from the fact that EA are the devil, they are releasing decent quality games on Android and iOS now, I've got Sim City Deluxe, Peggle, Plants Vs Zombies and Worms and all are pretty high quality and run well on my ageing android phone.

  7. Marc Spillman

    What about Bejeweled?

    I know it's been around for yonks, but the current version which now includes 'Butterflies' is bordering perfection in terms of a touch screen phone. The original match 3 and possibly the best. If it gets the Poker add on in the next update, it'll be even better still - and only 69p.

  8. thecresta
    Coffee/keyboard

    Contre Jour, but no World of Goo?

    In fact, Contre Jour appears to have quite a few 'influences'...

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Any top 10 list will always be a little personal but this is clearly just a 'My Favourites' list without looking for whats really good, innovative, different and special. If you ask me this could easily be a list of the 10 worst games for iOS.

  10. h3

    Does Siegecraft work better on iOS than Android. (I have it on my Xoom the idea is good (Well I suppose it comes from the game crossbows and catapults but I used to love it as a kid) but it is not well implemented.) ?

  11. Tom 79

    Match Up

    I like Match Up.

  12. Nick Woodruffe
    Thumb Up

    Carcasonne for me. Great on iOS, no idea if it's available for Android

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      It is on both. Cost is £3.49 in marketplace - £6.99 in iTunes for iOS. Presumably more features in iOS?

  13. zanto
    Thumb Up

    siegecraft looks nice

    I don't think I'll ever use an apple product, but damn! that picture of siegecraft and description are way cool.

    1. Paul Webb

      Re: siegecraft looks nice

      Siegecraft is available in several versions in the Android marketplace.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Gimp

    Magnetic Billiards

    No Magnetic Billiards? It's one of the best iOS games out there and just yesterday v2 was released. It's coded by the Pickford Brothers who know a little about gameplay thanks to a career that dates back to the mid eighties with such seminal 8 bit games as Zub and Feud.

    The game is made with so much love and attention to detail it just leaps from the screen. The game is free to play but if you like it you can unlock extra features with a skeleton key that costs a couple of quid. I've been hooked and at one stage I was nudging the top 10 some of some of the leaderboards.

    http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/magnetic-billiards-blueprint/id432152950?mt=8

    I have no connection with the game other than being a long time admirer of the Pickfords work that dates back to a day circa 1986 when I picked up a game called 180 for £2.99 for my Amstrad CPC in the local newsagents. That was ace, so is Magnetic Billiards.

    1. durandal
      Coat

      Re: Magnetic Billiards

      Thanks, there goes my productivity!

  15. Tony Paulazzo
    Happy

    Cheers for the Cthulhu heads up, wasn't even aware of that.

    Perhaps El Reg should run a readers best of... For example, a 3 colour match up game, 'The treasures of Montezuma 3 HD', Ascendacy for 4X goodness (an old PC game), and iAssociate for word relationship game (barely any graphics but gets your brain working).

    As for Apple vs Android I'm sure they're all equally as good as each other, so let's all play nice.

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