The first week of 2012 has been a bit sparse in terms of games, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some standouts among those titles that dropped into the iTunes App Store right before and right after the holiday freeze. Leading today’s charge is Wind-up Knight, a runner game similar to many others in the App Store but packing a lot of depth. Read all about it and four other quality choices below.
Wind-up Knight (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
A side-scrolling running title with lots of platforming elements, Wind-up Knight has you jumping goals and fighting off enemies as you charge through each level. Timing is critical, and so is paying careful attention to the obstacles you face so you can fight through them by gathering swords, shields, armor and other upgrades. Wind-up Knight has a whole bunch of levels to play through and a fair degree of difficulty to keep challenge-seekers busy. It’s a solid take on a popular genre in the App Store, and Wind-up Knight brings a lot of freshness to it.
Justin Smith’s Realistic Summer Sports Simulator (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
Justin Smith’s RSSS is a pretty hilarious take on track and field events you might find in the Summer Olympics. Despite the name, the game is definitely not realistic, nor is it really much of a sports simulator. But it does use a unique take on touch controls to do things like throw a javelin or guide a horse over gates in an equestrian event. RSSS’s super low-res graphics, coupled with an old-school feel and a goofy control scheme, make it endearing. Its high degree of difficulty and four-player pass-and-play multiplayer also make it fun to play with friends.
Super Crate Box (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
Vlambeer’s port of its PC smash hit is a blast to play on iOS just like on your computer, but it’s still pretty difficult. The premise is simple: fight off endless hordes of enemies to collect a single crate on each side-scrolling, platform-filled level. Each time you grab a crate, you get a new gun and your score goes up. And each time, a new crate appears somewhere on the level. You’re constantly changing weapons, braving the onslaught of bad guys and fighting for your life with weapons ranging from revolvers to rocket launchers. Super Crate Box has lots to unlock and earn, plenty of challenge, and a sufficiently old-school feel.
Zenonia 4 (iPhone, iPad) Free
The fourth installment of the highly popular role-playing series makes the game free to play, but maintains all the cool things about Zenonia like choosing a class of hero, hours and hours of gameplay and finding and upgrading equipment. Even better, Zenonia 4 packs lots of multiplayer options that let you take the fight online. The title has the best graphics of the series, as well as plenty of immersive gameplay. Just beware that the freemium style is meant to get you hooked and then encourage you to spend money within the game. This can definitely turn off some players.
Legendary Heroes (iPhone, iPad) Free
Replicating the popular massively multiplayer online game League of Legends, Legendary Heroes puts you in control of three “heroes” placed in a battle against other heroes and their minions. You can control one hero at a time moving from your side of each level to the enemy side, where you’ll need to destroy towers and enemies in order to take over and dominate. Destroying the “source” deep in enemy territory wins you the game, and Legendary Heroes balances a lot of strategy with careful control of your forces to come out victorious.
