The phenomenal indie puzzler World of Goo, already great on the iPad, migrated to the iPhone this week — and it’s just as great as it is on other platforms. It’s our favorite game this week, leading our list of quality titles that includes some other brand-new arrivals like You Don’t Know Jack, the hilarious game show-simulating trivia game, and Coconut Dodge, a deceptively challenging, award-winning port of a PlayStation Network title in which you catch coins and dodge falling coconuts by controlling a crab. Read on and enjoy.
World of Goo (iPhone) $2.99
There’s a reason the indie puzzler World of Goo has won so many awards — it’s a great, deep game in which you use its titular goo to build structures from one side of each level to the other. Each little goo ball can link to two other goo balls by anchoring to two other points, making squares or hexagons as you build. The fewer goo balls you can use to build your structure, the higher your score at the end of the level, and leftover goo is saved for another game mode. The more goo you bring home with you, the more you can use to see how high a tower you can build, which you can measure against other players to see how you stack up.
You Don’t Know Jack (iPhone, iPad) $2.99
The classic PC fake TV trivia game show is back, with new versions for the iPhone and iPad. You Don’t Know Jack puts you in the role of a buzzer-wielding contestant on the show, which fires a series of pop culture-laden questions at you in a variety of different ways. The faster your answers, the more “money” you win, but if you screw up, the total gets subtracted from your running total. You Don’t Know Jack includes 20 “episodes” of the show at launch, with about 15 questions per episode, a hilarious host and a lot of other great humorous touches. It lacks the ability to play with friends (which is a huge bummer), but You Don’t Know Jack’s humor and creative trivia make up for it… for now.
ReRave (iPhone, iPad) $1.99
Rhythm games have a tendency to be mostly the same: prompts descend down the screen and as they cross a specific spot in time with music, you tap the screen on the prompts. Keeping up with the beat and maintaining hand-eye coordination is key to success, but that’s about it. ReRave, on the other hand, moves the interface around the screen in time with the music, making for a different and more dynamic experience. You’ll need to watch carefully to react to what kind of prompts appear and where they show up. ReRave comes with three free tracks when you download it, and there are three more free tracks available in the game’s track store. More can be grabbed through in-app purchases to keep the game going.
Coconut Dodge (iPhone, iPad) $0.99
Coconut Dodge was the 2010 PlayStation Network Game of the Year, and it’s not immediately apparent why when you first download the iOS version of the game. But Coconut Dodge is actually an addictive and fun casual game in which you control a skittering crab that has to dodge falling coconuts while catching falling coins. The game becomes both challenging and creative in its level design. Coconuts fall all over the place, causing you to have to move quickly to dodge them, and also in patterns which then create mazes that you’ll have to navigate. But all your motion is done laterally, adding to the challenge.
Men vs Machines (iPhone, iPad) Free
Dual-stick shooters are cool, but they’re better with two players. That’s what you get with Men vs Machines, either in online multiplayer, or with a computer-controlled ally, along with a steam punk setting and tons of brass, clockwork robots trying to take you out. But you’re not defenseless — the more robots you destroy, the more weaponry, items and armor you can purchase from the game’s store. With better weapons, you can take on bigger, more evil robots and rack up high scores for the Game Center leaderboards and earn new achievements. Men vs Machines is a lot like Gun Bros, another Glu game, and it has a high level of quality just like that title does. Plus, it’s free.
