Another week, another shiny new toy from Apple for you to dream about. But while you have to wait a few weeks to get your hands on the iPhone 4, there are plenty of shiny new games that you can own right now.
From the debut of Guitar Hero on the iPhone to Superblox, the next great tilt game, there’s likely just enough here to keep you entertained until the new phone is released — or at least until next week’s list.
1. Guitar Hero
The music game genre is already reasonably well represented on the iPhone, most notably by the hits Tap Tap Revenge and Rock Band. So Activision’s Guitar Hero ($2.99) is a little late to the party, but it’s immediately evident that this is as good as music gaming gets in the iTunes App Store. In addition to the standard tapping, you also have to strum, slide and use the whammy bar to make your way through songs in this title, making this a surprisingly comparable game to its console brethren. The app comes with six songs (artists include Queen, Rise Against, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Vampire Weekend and Weezer), and you can buy three-song add-ons for $1.99, with artists such as Minus the Bear, Protest the Hero, AFI and Dillinger Escape Plan available. There are four difficulty levels and a good deal of customizable options that allow you to dress up (or down) your rock star avatar, and the game allows you play both bass and guitar. Guitar Hero is an all-around impressive effort that almost certainly will be mentioned as one of the best games of this year.
2. Superblox
Nothing beats a really well done tilt-based game, and few games use the control as well as Casual Friday Games’ Superblox (99 cents). In this game, you maneuver around fantastic looking backgrounds as a block, with the goal being to bump into like-colored blocks until you have joined four together, at which point they disappear and you are given points. My description probably doesn’t do it justice, as the accelerometer controls are just about perfect and the game is both challenging and fun. There are three game modes, including two timed challenges (“Beat the Clock” and “New York Minute”) and one called “Sudden Death,” in which you have to avoid spiked enemies. I won’t recommend this game to a fan of any specific genre; instead, I’ll just say that if you like iPhone games, chances are you’ll love Superblox.
3. HECTOR: Badge of Carnage Ep1
The adult adventure game HECTOR: Badge of Carnage Ep1 ($3.99) truly is about as adult as a game can get and still make its way to the iTunes App Store. This game from Straandlooper truly has it all when it comes to offensive material: filthy language, porn shops, blood and violence, and even a little drug use. If you’re not yet turned off, then you should also know the game is laugh-out-loud funny, with brilliant dialogue that is supported by nice voice-overs and a great look to boot. Hector is a police detective from the fictional British town Clappers Wreake and he’s faced with a hostage situation, and a villain with a list of odd demands. You go through the town performing tasks and talking to people, using your wits and studying your environment instead of relying on button-mashing skills. As you can tell from the title, this is the first of what looks to be three episodes, and as long as you accept the things I listed earlier, this game is an all-around good time.
4. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
It took me a little while to accept that “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” – a book that mixes the undead with the Jane Austen novel – was a real thing, but after checking multiple reliable sources, I decided that it was, in fact, an actual book. Not only that, but it has become so popular that it has now spawned an iPhone game of the same name, because all we need is another zombie game. Freeverse’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ($2.99) is an action game that will let you play out all the important parts of the book, as you guide Elizabeth through a zombie-stricken countryside. The controls are incredibly simple, with a d-pad and attacks that are utilized by either tapping the screen or making a swiping motion to perform specials. This game also has a nice look, though there’s no way to get around the fact that this game will only appeal to fans of the book; it’s a niche market, but apparently a large one.
5. Soccer Superstars
The good news is that Gamevil’s Soccer Superstars ($4.99) succeeds in the same areas as the company’s baseball title, Baseball Superstars. The game’s arcade-style gameplay almost takes a back seat to a player management feature that flawlessly includes elements of RPG gaming. The bad news is that, unlike the baseball title, Soccer Superstars’ competition is much stiffer on the iPhone and it’s impossible not to mention that the gameplay doesn’t stand up to EA’s FIFA games or X2 Soccer. But back to the positives; the game has cartoon-like graphics, but its looks professional and has an above-average presentation. The controls are simple and they will appeal to gamers who are more interested in the player development part of this game, but hardcore soccer fans are likely to be less impressed. So it’s just as good as Gamevil’s baseball title, and if you’re a fan of that game and have an interest in soccer, then grabbing Soccer Superstars is a no-brainer.
