Good to see you back after another work week. We’ve got some great titles lined up this time around so dive in and check them out!
And don’t forget to send us your tips and suggestions for apps to look at — we can’t always catch them all!
Doodle Boat
Doodle Boat
Since everything seems to require a doodle-oriented game, it was only a matter of time until boats got the treatment. While we wait for Doodle Segway, here’s a quick look at Doodle Boat.
Simple and breezy, this little title falls into the category of games you turn to when you have a few quick minutes to burn and no patience for immersion or depth. Using basic tilt controls, you maneuver a boat through a narrow channel, picking up fuel cells and avoiding obstacles as you go. There really isn’t much more to it than that, which is just fine considering the casual nature of the game.
You can get your feet wet for free if you don’t mind ads, but if you’re annoyed by having to paw at marketing when you’re just trying to play, then 99 cents gets you a fun and uncomplicated time-passer.
Price: $0.99
Developer: Mass Creation
Download: App Store
Jump O’Clock
Jump O’Clock
Another quick to pick up title, Jump O’Clock is a surprisingly well-polished game that boasts slick steampunk art and silky smooth animations.
Tapping the screen encourages your little robotic avatar to jump among the randomly-generated cogs and clockwork machinery in an ever-ascending quest to pick up small nuts (no, not that kind. The kind you screw with—Oh nevermind) and a nice high score for OpenFeint.
In fact, it’s hard to believe that this game is free. It’s one of the better titles in its genre and you have no excuse for not giving it a try.
Alien Space
Alien Space
I miss space shooters. I was always a fan of them on other platforms, so it makes me happy to see the genre getting something of a re-awakening on the iOS platforms. Alien Space is a robust game that boasts great production values and balanced gameplay.
Controlling a flying saucer, you wield various weapons against your increasingly powerful and numerous foes. Movement and firing is achieved with relative ease using the two control circles; one of them moves the ship while the other aims your weapons. There are 30 levels for now, but the lasting appeal comes in the form of the survival mode, which helps you hone your skills once you’ve done the main levels. You can, of course, compete with friends for the highest scores via OpenFeint.
At $3.99, Alien Space is fairly pricey by iPhone standards, but the graphics, sound, and replay value make it worthwhile for fans of space shooters.
Price: $3.99
Developer: Owens Rodriguez
Download: App Store
Urban Ninja
Urban Ninja
An almost unfairly cool game, Urban Ninja features the amusing combination of ninja antics and French people combined into one very engaging and incredibly well-presented game by the makers of Traffic Rush, Monkey Flight, and about a dozen other iOS titles. The experience is plainly evident in the tight gameplay and sleek design of Urban Ninja.
Controlling François the chubby French ninja (I kid you not) while he bounds around levels collecting stars and avoiding obstacles is a joy. His parkour adventures on the rooftops are smoothly animated in an attractive art style that seems to hint at the 8-bit aesthetic without quite succumbing to it. Plus, it’s kind of funny.
This is a one-dollar no-brainer, folks. Take a look and enjoy!
Price: $0.99
Developer: Donut Games
Download: App Store
Gravbot
Gravbot
Last but certainly not least for this week is another can’t-believe-it’s-free game called Gravbot. As you’d expect from the game, gravity is a central aspect of the gameplay and you will be spinning your phone around a lot to navigate the challenging later levels that Team Phobic offers for a small in-game purchase.
Even just the first 12 levels (free) are enough to grab your attention and get you craving more. The gameplay involves changing gravity’s orientation in order to allow your cute TV-on-wheels avatar to explore the levels, flipping switches and collecting items to complete each stage. Despite being fairly easy to begin with, the game does a great job of easing you in with some tutorial notes in the first stages in case you’re confused about what you can do.
Gravbot will encourage you to think outside the box a bit and test your spacial awareness, even if you decide to stop after the free levels. The fact that it runs smoothly and looks great is just icing on the cake.
Price: Free
Developer: Team Phobic
Download: App Store
What Have You Been Playing?
If you’ve got some other fresh games that have been entertaining you this week, drop a comment below and tell us about it! And don’t forget to toss us any tips about upcoming games we should look out for in coming weeks, we love to get your suggestions and feedback.