In part two of our three-part series chronicling the best games to play on the iPad (so far), we take a look at Pinball HD and other classic titles that score on the 9.7-inch screen of Apple’s tablet computer.
Other installments of this series detail the best strategy and tower defense games available for the iPad, and even get into a little Earth, Wind, and Fire.
Pinball HD ($2.99)
If you’re a fan of pinball, run (don’t walk!) to the App Store and grab this instant classic. Sporting beautiful graphics, perfect physics and solid controls, Pinball HD ($2.99) turns your iPad into a handheld pinball machine, complete with a trio of unique tables (The Deep, Wild West, Jungle) that will take you weeks to master. You’ll swear the game is in 3-D, it’s that good. Even the soundtrack is unique and perfectly suited to each table. Pinball wizards, take note: feel free to shake your iPad to influence the ball, but not too much. TILT!
MultiPong for iPad ($2.99)
Looking for a kid-friendly multiplayer game for your iPad? MultiPong ($2.99) is here to take full advantage of your device’s expansive multitouch screen to keep your kids happy on a long drive. Fire up a new game, position your finger over a bumper, and slide it left and right to stop the shiny metallic balls from getting past. With five different ball sizes, eight unique bonuses including gravity, multi ball and power, as well as a top-quality physics engine, this is an instant classic you can’t find on any other platform. If you were a fan of the 1970’s rotating-dial version, you’ll love this welcomed multitouch update for today’s modern gamer. (Take it from a now full-grown kid who had the original back in the day.)
Brothers in Arms 2: Global Front HD ($4.99)
If you’re a fan of Modern Warfare 2 or Battlefield Bad Company 2, you’ll instantly appreciate Brothers in Arms 2: Global Front HD, a portable WWII shooter. Sporting cinematic cut scenes, 13 levels set in five locations (Pacific Theater, Normandy, North Africa, Germany and Sicily), and a solid set of vehicles to commandeer, you’ll swear you’re sitting in front of your Xbox as you blaze your way through this title. Multiplayer battles for up to five friends are available in free-for-all, team deathmatch and domination modes. Taken together, you’ve got yourself a solid military shooter for your iPad, with features to spare.
Small World ($6.99)
Fans of this ever-popular board game can now take their favorite game on the road. Small World ($6.99) makes it easy for two-to-five players to choose a race of creatures to take over land and grow their civilization (sound familiar?) on a planet that’s too small to accommodate everyone.
Leverage your race’s exclusive attributes and traits to snag zones of land and their resulting victory points. There’s no game AI, so be sure to have a friend or two along to play. With some minor things to fix in the future, this is an inexpensive way to get your Small World on anywhere you take your iPad. It’s one of the first board-game-to-iPad conversions we’ve seen, with many more on the way in 2011.
Labyrinth 2 HD ($7.99)
I keep coming back to this title anytime I have a few minutes to burn. Why? Labyrinth 2 HD ($7.99) offers a truly unique gaming experience that takes full advantage of your iPad’s accelerometer. Drop your ball into a simulated wood maze, hold your iPad flat in your hands, then tilt it in every direction to dodge cannons, bumpers, magnets, fans, merry-go-rounds, lasers (yes, lasers!) and more to drop yourself successfully into the exit. The physics are spot-on, the graphics are rich and an editor (available on your PC/Mac) makes it easy to author and share levels of your very own. Add multiplayer via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and you’ve got yourself a smash hit of an app every iPad owner should pick up.
