Our monthly feature offers a handy guide to the past month's best new game releases for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
Great games on a dollar a day
What are the best new iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch games available for a total budget of $30 -- or about a dollar per day? Below are the best-reviewed titles released over the past month. All games are available for all Apple portable devices unless otherwise indicated.
Best-Reviewed New iPad/iPhone/iPod Games, $30 Total Budget - November 2010
| |
Game |
Genre |
Rating |
Metascore |
Price |
 |
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 |
Action-Adventure |
9+ |
90 |
$4.99 |
 |
Mushihimesama Bug Panic |
Shooter |
4+ |
89 |
$4.99 |
 |
Galaxy on Fire 2 |
Adventure |
12+ |
88 |
$6.99 |
 |
Silverfish |
Action |
9+ |
88 |
$1.99 |
 |
Baseball Superstars 2011 |
Sports/RPG |
4+ |
87 |
$4.99 |
 |
Linkoidz |
Puzzle |
4+ |
85 |
$0.99 |
 |
Fragger |
Puzzle |
9+ |
84 |
$0.99 |
 |
Age of Zombies |
Action |
12+ |
80 |
$2.99 |
 |
Amateur Surgeon 2 |
Simulation |
17+ |
79 |
$0.99 |
| |
|
|
TOTAL COST: |
$29.91 |
Below, we take a closer look at each of the past month's best new games. (Note that all game summaries are from the publishers' official descriptions.)
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
Experience the events of Harry Potter's first four years at Hogwarts – LEGO® style. Play as Harry, Ron, Hermione and many more as you explore Hogwarts and engage in countless hours of gameplay spread across 40+ levels based on the Harry Potter books and movies. LEGO® Harry Potter™: Years 1-4 brings the world of LEGO® Harry Potter to life on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, giving gamers the power to play with LEGO characters and models in a brand new way. Based on the first four Harry Potter books and movies, LEGO® Harry Potter: Years 1-4 builds on the foundations of previous LEGO® videogames by offering a mix of fun, accessible gameplay and light-hearted humor – appealing to all ages. Players can explore the wizarding world and feel as though they are at Hogwarts.
What the Critics Said
| Score |
Publication |
| 100 |
AppSpy |
| While the lack of suitable controls can prove to be bothersome, it doesn't take away from the game's otherwise simple and compelling gameplay. |
| 100 |
Slide to Play |
| Harry Potter's unabridged adventure on the iPhone is first class. |
| 90 |
148Apps |
| Lego Harry Potter is simply stunning. For $4.99 you get a good 15 hours or so of gameplay and it's all excellent fun. |
| 90 |
TouchGen |
| You will have hours of fun at the fraction of the cost for the same game on Nintendo DS. |
| 80 |
IGN |
| A crazy-good deal for your iPhone. Right now, it's priced at $4.99 (although it could go up in the future as Warner Bros. lists it as an introductory price) and offers an easy 20 hours of play time if you really want to collect everything and enjoy mixing-and-matching LEGO parts to make goofy characters. |
| 80 |
Pocket Gamer |
| LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is a charming adventure hampered by an ill-conceived touch control scheme. |
Mushihimesama Bug Panic
A bomb-throwing bug-busting action game based on the legendary arcade shooter series Mushihimesama. A mysterious voice, and a mysterious girl... what's going on in Shinju Forest? Reco's adventure begins now. Use three different types of seed bombs to bring peace back to the insect kingdom.
What the Critics Said
| Score |
Publication |
| 100 |
AppSpy |
| Mushihimesama BUG PANIC goes out on a creative limb, but fans won't be disappointed as they're given plenty of bullets to dodge while dispensing justice to bugs with a unique weapon system. |
| 100 |
No DPad |
| It is easily among my favorite new app store releases. |
| 100 |
Slide to Play |
| Mushihimesama Bug Panic enters a crowded shooter genre on the App Store, then blows them all away with thousands of glowing bullets. |
| 90 |
GamePro |
| The touch-based lock-on controls work amazingly well, and as a result the game is a joy to play. |
| 80 |
Pocket Gamer |
| Quite unlike any other twin-stick shooter you've ever played, Mushihimesama Bug Panic is a mini-masterpiece that combines gorgeous visuals with arresting gameplay. |
| 80 |
TouchGen |
| But, after playing it, and thanks to some truly great controls, challenging boss battles and endearing graphics and music, CAVE have done it again… I'm hooked. |
| 75 |
IGN |
| Bug Panic is a cool action game. I like the mash-up of twin stick shooter, Bomberman, and an adventure. |
Galaxy on Fire 2
Catapulted into a war-torn future, eminent space adventurer Keith T. Maxwell finds the galaxy at the mercy of a powerful alien race. Uncovering the truth about this dangerous species, he boldly takes the fight to their doorstep. Join Keith in an intergalactic trek of exploration, pirates, space battles, weird aliens and romance. Featuring a living galaxy with over 20 inhabited solar systems and 100 space stations, Galaxy on Fire 2 allows you to travel using hyperspace and wormholes to visit the far reaches of this fully 3D, war-torn galaxy. Follow the rich and engrossing storyline for over 10-hours of action-packed gameplay, or head off at any time on an interplanetary journey of your own design; mining asteroids, trading ore and supplies, taking on mercenary missions, working as a pirate and manufacturing new weapons and equipment.
What the Critics Said
| Score |
Publication |
| 100 |
Slide to Play |
| Galaxy on Fire 2 is a supernova. Get lost in space and don't bring your head up until you've reached the end. |
| 90 |
148Apps |
| With over 100 different space stations to explore and four different races to interact with, Galaxy on Fire 2 will take you much longer to complete than the 10 hours that FISHLABS promises. |
| 90 |
TouchGen |
| Galaxy On Fire 2 is one of those games that rewards gamers the further they progress. It's a trend that has faded in recent years, and I fear that too many gamers may get bored before they experience the best that GOF2 has to offer. |
| 80 |
AppSpy |
| Galaxy on Fire 2 tries to bring a console level of content to the App Store in a genre that guarantees a huge amount of gameplay time even before factoring any side-missions you partake in. |
| 80 |
Pocket Gamer |
| The stars are nearly aligned for Galaxy on Fire 2, a wonderfully varied, in-depth action-adventure game that could benefit from expanded combat controls. |
Silverfish
Weave your way through swarms of menacing space bugs and defend yourself with powerful detonations. Silverfish combines pure arcade action with stunning visual effects. Reaper Mode: Charge your POW and avoid enemies with the awesome Time Shock powerup. Earn MAX POW and turn the tables on your foes! Onslaught Mode: Destroy waves of enemies as quickly as possible to avoid overwhelming swarms. Drive up your score multiplier to rack up points and earn extra lives. Scavenger Mode: Keep your POW from draining by destroying enemies and collecting tasty Protons.
What the Critics Said
| Score |
Publication |
| 100 |
GamePro |
| Silverfish is an expertly crafted arcade-style "shooter," and I expect to find myself playing it regularly for a long time to come. |
| 90 |
148Apps |
| Silverfish is a fantastic example of what you can do to take well-known genre influences and mix them up to make a fresh and addictive game. |
| 80 |
AppSpy |
| Silverfish is the sort of game you'd get if you crammed Snake and Geometry Wars together, but instead of some half-half mix it's a unique blend that looks and feels solid. |
| 80 |
Pocket Gamer |
| Like a shoot-'em-up sans bullets, Silverfish offers challenging gameplay that revolves around keeping your enemies close at hand without being taken out in the process. |
Baseball Superstars 2011
Baseball Superstars® 2011 is a full featured baseball game which includes 6 different modes to satisfy everyone's needs. My League Mode contains unique RPG elements in a sports title, Season Mode requires great management skills, Exhibition Mode provides sheer entertainment, Homerun Race offers quick challenge, Mission Mode demands finest skills and Match Play Mode allows you to boast your talents to the rest of the world.
What the Critics Said
| Score |
Publication |
| 100 |
AppSpy |
| While it may be hard to put down the previous titles, Baseball Superstars 2011 adds more depth and detail to an already choc-filled series. |
| 100 |
Slide to Play |
| Baseball Superstars 2011 is a Must Have sports game; it's as simple as that. |
| 90 |
GamePro |
| I'll be honest -- this is not a game for people looking for a lightweight, pick-up-and-play baseball game. Despite its cutesy appearance, Superstars is about as hardcore of a simulation game as you can get. |
| 80 |
148Apps |
| Baseball Superstars 2011 is still far from being a perfect game, and the changes in this year's version are really only minor tweaks to the overall formula. But the minor tweaks add up to make this a better game, in some ways, even if the pitching is still far from perfect. |
| 80 |
IGN |
| If you're looking for a fun baseball experience that also dabbles in the world of RPG gameplay, Baseball Superstars 2011 is for you. |
| 70 |
Pocket Gamer |
| Baseball Superstars 2011 makes enough improvements on its predecessor to become the definitive version, but it doesn't offer anything substantially new. |
Linkoidz
Linkoidz is an out of this world new arcade puzzle game. Crash landed on an alien planet, you must fight off the Linkoidz onslaught with only your gravity gun and trusty energy shield. Linkoidz has 3 different Arcade modes, as well as 30 training and challenge missions. The training missions will teach you the basics, then you'll be on your own against all the Linkoidz and their queens if you want to escape. The Endless arcade mode offers non stop adrenaline fuelled action, but there's also the Sprint mode for a quick game, and Zen mode if you prefer a more relaxing game. All of the arcade modes can be played in a variety of different difficulty settings.
What the Critics Said
| Score |
Publication |
| 100 |
Slide to Play |
| Linkoidz is a surprisingly polished, fast-paced puzzle game that vastly exceeded our expectations. |
| 90 |
148Apps |
| Even if you're jaded on match-3 games, Linkoidz is worth playing. |
| 80 |
AppSpy |
| Linkoidz gets the best of both worlds as it matches fast-paced three-match gameplay with an element of strategy to create something unique and fun to enjoy over and over. |
| 70 |
Pocket Gamer |
| A blend of arcade pace and tactical nuance makes Linkoidz an innovative match-three puzzler, which is notable in and of itself. |
Fragger
The world of Fragger is at risk, and he needs your help to explode all enemies. Unleash your shooting abilities to kill all the enemies and unlock 3 different perks. Featuring 160 challenging levels, and 5 different worlds, Fragger guarantees you many long hours of exploding fun. Once you become and grenade launcher expert, compare your score online with the millions of Miniclip users that play Fragger.
What the Critics Said
| Score |
Publication |
| 100 |
AppSpy |
| What started out as a competent Flash game has quickly come in to its own on the App Store and now boasts 130 levels with more on the way; HD content; and a physics puzzle style that's satisfying to solve. |
| 100 |
Slide to Play |
| Fragger is a deviously fun game that's quick and easy to pick up and play. |
| 80 |
148Apps |
| Fragger is a solid, well-developed, addictive pick-up-and-play title that should appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers alike. |
| 70 |
GamePro |
| It's hard not to draw the comparison between Fragger and Angry Birds, but the similarities are obvious. Fragger has arguably better level design than Angry Birds, but Angry Birds has a bit more variety because of its different types of birds, so the two coexist well and are certainly not clones. |
| 70 |
Pocket Gamer |
| A neat action puzzler, Fragger is another example of a popular Flash game making a welcome leap to iPhone. |
Age of Zombies
From Halfbrick, the creators of Fruit Ninja and Monster Dash, comes their newest and biggest adventure yet. Lock and load through the history of time as a tough-as-nails commando named Barry Steakfries, who is looking for nothing more than to shoot some zombies and make it back in time for a hearty dinner. The evil Professor Brains has sent hordes of undead to the furthest reaches of time to destroy mankind, but Steakfries won't be taking that lying down. He'll take it with a gun, a Zombie T-Rex and a whole repertoire of cheesy one-liners. Shoot up ninjas, mummies, cavemen and massive bosses with a huge variety of weapons and explosives. Bonus Survival mode to take your zombie-blasting skills to the next level, with Game Center leaderboards and achievements. Age of Zombies is the definitive action-comedy experience for the iPhone and iPad.
What the Critics Said
| Score |
Publication |
| 100 |
AppSpy |
| Age of Zombies goes for bigger, badder and better and as a result Halfbrick studios manages to rekindle the magic of slaughtering zombies en masse. |
| 90 |
GamePro |
| Age of Zombies doesn't play that differently from any other shooter on the App Store, but it has enough personality to easily warrant my recommendation. |
| 90 |
IGN |
| Age of Zombies is a great game to have in your pocket. It's clever, the soundtrack is fun with different tracks for every time period, the voice announcing what weapon you picked up changes depending on what era you're in, and -- most importantly -- it's great to jump in and play for a bit. |
| 80 |
148Apps |
| On a device where solid gameplay is king and dialog is an afterthought, it is refreshing to see something that epitomizes the full package. |
| 75 |
No DPad |
| While imperfect, it's a great game and highly entertaining. |
| 75 |
Slide to Play |
| Age of Zombies reveals more about Monster Dash's Barry Steakfries, and his obnoxious personality is the most enjoyable part of the game. |
| 70 |
Pocket Gamer |
| Age of Zombies needs to pull back on the lame jokes to let its nicely designed gameplay shine through. |
| 60 |
Eurogamer |
| Although decent fun in short bursts, Age Of Zombies is a little too relentlessly repetitive to enjoy over the longer term, and this general lack of variety makes the inflated price seem a tad questionable. |
Amateur Surgeon 2
Alan Probe is back with new patients, new surgeries, and a whole slew of medical ethics violations. Taking place 51 years after the events of the first Amateur Surgeon, Amateur Surgeon 2 brings Alan Probe out of retirement to contend with twenty new surgical procedures of questionably necessary proportions. Facial reconstruction. Clowning emergencies. And a squidectomy. Grab your pizza cutter.
What the Critics Said
| Score |
Publication |
| 90 |
148Apps |
| Amateur Surgeon 2 is one of the best experiences that you will have in the App Store. It's full of personality, has great graphics, and uses the touch screen to perfection. |
| 80 |
AppSpy |
| Amateur Surgeon 2 continues its whacky take on backyard hospitalization, fixing issues from the original that help to make this a far more immersive title. |
| 75 |
Slide to Play |
| Amateur Surgeon 2 can be a bit repetitive, but it's certainly not amateur. |
| 70 |
Pocket Gamer |
| A fun and humorous operation, Amateur Surgeon 2 suffers from complications with its controls and difficulty spikes, but remains an appealing prospect. |
What not to buy
The new iPhone version of Splatterhouse is a huge disappointment, with a Metascore of 49, though the title for the lowest-scoring game of the month goes to Voice Fantasy 44. Other games receiving poor-to-middling reviews were Zombie Crisis 3D 60 and Star Wars Arcade: Falcon Gunner 63.
What are you playing?
Have you tried any of the games above? If so, what did you think of them? Are there any other new iPhone or iPad games that deserve a download? Let us know in the comments section below.
