Games

We're spoiled for choice when it comes to games nowadays; new apps come out every week, and there are hundreds of development companies working around the clock to create the most addicting, entrancing, and entertaining distractions possible. Games are as old as humanity itself, but we haven't always had such a wide variety of them; for thousands of years, we made do with just a handful of brain-teasing puzzles. These games were challenging enough to carry on down through the generations, and their influence is still occasionally seen today. Zengrams ($0.99), by Gameblyr, is one such example; it takes inspiration from ancient Chinese tangram puzzles. Translating to “seven boards of skill,” tangrams consisted of seven flat geometric shapes; the goal was to use all of the pieces to completely fill a larger outline. Tangrams are some of the most famous dissection puzzles on earth; from the seven standard shapes, there are over 6500 configurations currently known.

After all this time I still don’t get the Flappy Bird phenomenon. Not only was the game a mess, but most of the clones have been even worse. Thankfully every now and again one of the progeny not only rises above the pack but is actually quite playable, and such is the case with C.H.O.P.S. (Free with IAP) This game takes the simple “touch to fly, let go to fall” mechanism and adds some depth with power ups, level ups, and unlockables. It even sports one of the best examples I’ve ever seen on how to implement IAP in a game. This gets my ultimate stamp of approval in the “Thanks For Not Being Flappy Bird” category.In 

The following dozen games are either ports of popular console titles, or iOS games that shine in their own right as being console quality. To be included on this list, a game must either be a new release as of this year, or it must have been updated recently to support iOS 8 and Apple's advanced new programming interface known as Metal. With the introduction of iOS 8 and Metal, alongside the powerful A8 and A8X processors that are inside the latest iDevices, Apple has leveled the virtual playing field. It would be ignoring the facts for a core console gamer to say that iOS can't support video games that are on par with console or PC titles, especially if you indulge in iOS' streaming capabilities that allow us to play these great games on a large screened TV. With the graphic capabilities of iOS 8 and the exciting titles currently available for the platform, it's easy to see how Apple's iOS is leading the way in a mobile eSport industry that is on track to bring in a revenue of over 24 billion dollars this year, and set to overtake PC and console gaming's revenue in 2015. As the holidays are upon us again, don't forget that you can gift any of these apps to your favorite gamer via the App Store.

Video games on iOS are huge right now. In acknowledgement and celebration of this fact, Apple's newest iPhone 6 commercial is all about gaming, specifically a new game entitled Vainglory (free). Vainglory debuted alongside the introduction of the iPhone 6 series of iPhones and was used at the unveiling to demonstrate the prowess of the new iPhone's gaming capabilities, and with good reason! Vainglory has absolutely gorgeous graphics as well as intense and fast-paced, strategic multiplayer gameplay, built from the ground up for iOS.

Whether you are stuck in traffic, anticipating a long wait in the dentist’s office, or simply bored while lining up to pay for your groceries, this new puzzle game can help you kill time.

I try not to generalize, but when folks besides Big Fish Games or G5 put out hidden object games they tend to be not much more in-depth than moving from scene to scene to find a list of objects. Lost Civilization ($4.99) fits right in with the best titles from the two aforementioned companies, with a strong storyline, interesting characters, and game play that goes far beyond simply uncovering a bunch of items in a few panoramic scenes.  Phoenix Online Studios already made a strong stand in the iOS adventure game world with the Cognition series, and now they’ve shown that they know a good hidden object game when they see it as well.

If you know about Tilt to Live ($2.99), well then I need not describe the pulse-raising pleasure of endlessly dodging morphing blobs and armies of dots. The name says it all. If you don't know, then by all means go check out these original and popular games from One Man Left Studios (we have reviewed both here at iPhoneLife). If you think you are ready to take on toughest Tilter yet, then Gauntlet's Revenge ($2.99) is waiting in the app store (with an attitude) for you to try.

As I was preparing for an article on the future of iOS gaming (for the current issue of iPhone Life magazine), I had the pleasure of interviewing Tino Soelberg, Chief Technology Officer of gaming peripheral manufacturer SteelSeries. 

Sometimes you want a game that tests your reflexes and makes your fingers fly; other times, you want a lazier, more Zen-like experience. If swiping back and forth through your iOS home screens isn't quite stimulating enough, then you might want to give Chillingo's Find the Line (Free) a try. While you don't do much more than move your finger, you're rewarded for your efforts with an enjoyably unique puzzle style. It's got its problems, but it's definitely worth a look.

Game Centered features roundups and in-depth reviews of the best in iOS games and related gaming news. This week we have a special Halloween-themed installment featuring some of the best horrifying and fear-inducing games the App Store has to offer.

Do you know what #GamerGate is? It's a term that's received a great deal of publicity lately. If you are a someone who plays a lot of video games and keeps up with current events then you are likely quite familiar with GamerGate. Whatever your gaming platform of choice happens to be, whether it's a console, a tablet, or a smartphone, if you are more than a casual gamer then the issues that are swirling around the hashtag #GamerGate have to do with you. GamerGate is about the sometimes controversial content of video games, the people that play them, and the press that covers them, and from a broader perspective, GamerGate is about lingering stereotypes and prejudices that play out in video game land.

The recent blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy broke the mold for superhero movies. The characters, while part of Marvel's stable, were not traditional heroes like Thor, Iron Man, or Captain America, and the lead actor hadn't carried a film before. Even two of the lead actors, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, were just voices for a wisecracking raccoon and a tree with a limited vocabulary ("I am Groot!")

This is really two mini reviews in one. A while back the folks at Parrot wanted me to check out their A.R. Drone remote controlled aerial vehicle. So I spent a couple of months doing some product testing. In the process I utilized the quadricopter's two onboard cameras along with Parrot's FreeFlight (Free) drone control app to shoot some video, which I wanted to include with my reviews. Then the dilemma arose of where the heck to find the time in my busy schedule to both write a review and edit about 25 minutes of aerial video down to a short snippet that I thought people might be interested in watching. Enter the remarkable video editing app, Replay, which I learned about during Apple's live presentation of the iPad Air 2.

Game Centered features roundups and in-depth reviews of the best in iOS games and related gaming news. This week we've got some great news for any core iOS gamers looking for great gaming gear, as well as a teaser for the upcoming Game of Thrones game, and a new word game that you are going to love from popular game developer Zynga.

I've been using an iDevice as my primary means of game consumption since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007. Since that time, I've see the landscape of iOS gaming change dramatically, but perhaps never more significantly than this year with the introduction of the iPhone 6 Plus alongside Apple's A8 chip and Metal interface. If Apple's iOS devices presented a challenge to consoles and dedicated handhelds alike before now, I would consider the iPhone 6 Plus the beginning of the end for the age of console-dominated gaming. 

Air Supply – SOS (Save Our Sheep) ($1.99) is a great game, and it does what any Air Supply game does best; it provides you with plenty of stuff to unlock. There are also boss fights, a mini game, and perks. Life is all about perks, right?

Can You Steal It? is a nice throwback to the Flash games of the 2000s but is too easy for those who would find it nostalgic.

The iPhone I've been requesting that Apple make is finally here. My iPhone 6 Plus safely arrived this morning and it's everything I hoped it would be. With great finesse and style, it encapsulates all I'd envisioned a larger iPhone would offer. I am not in the least bit disappointed, in fact, if it was a quarter-inch to a half-inch bigger that would've been just fine with me. My first impressions (and unboxing video) follow after the break.

Game Centered features roundups and in-depth reviews of the best in iOS games and related gaming news. This week we've got some of the biggest news to concern iOS gaming ever, that's no exaggeration. You've been hearing all about the new and improved power of iOS 8's Metal, which vastly enhances the way games and other graphic-intensive applications can access the power of your iDevice's computer chip. Well, the day has finally arrived and iOS Metal can now be taken for a test drive. Metal is the most significant advancement in the world iOS gaming since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007. Have you tried it out yet?