10 Must-Have iPhone/iPod Touch Games

By Josh Pigford Jul. 16, 2008, 11:12am CST 143 Comments

Despite the issues Apple had with product launches this past week, the launch of the App Store has been an overwhelming success, with over 10 million downloads in the first weekend.

The App Store is home to a plethora of applications in over a dozen different categories. Some applications do make you wonder how Apple ever approved them, but for the most part the selection really is top notch. The most entertaining category (and certainly the one that has wasted most of my time and money) is the Games category.

With over 40 different games currently in the store, it can be a bit overwhelming to know what is worth your money and what is not. I took a go at quite a few of the games and have put together my top 10 favorite ones (some free, some not). Check out the list and then let me know what games you have been enjoying.

Aurora Feint: The Beginning 

Cost: Free | Game Link

There is so much more to this game than simple puzzles. With a complete system of level ups and in-game addons, this game will seriously keep you occupied for hours.

The sound effects and background music really help move the game along and keep you zoned in on the game and zoned out of anything productive.

Most amazing thing of all? The app won’t cost you a dime.

Break

Cost: Free | Game Link

Block-breaking games are probably one of the most basic games that just about any has played. Break is no different. Simply use your finger to move the paddle back and forth and break the blocks.

It won’t win awards for being the best block-breaking game you’ve ever played, but at a cost of zero bones you really can’t pass up this sort of fun.

Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D

Cost: $9.99 | Game Link

Out of the four racing games I tried out, Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D was my favorite. The way the accelerometer handles just feels more natural than the other games and thus you spend less time being frustrated and more time just having fun.

There are 12 different tracks as well as a number story line to follow, if you choose to do so.

I highly recommend this game if you’re looking for some racing fun.

Cro-Mag Rally

Cost: $9.99 | Game Link

Pangea’s Cro-Mag Rally will most likely be familiar to a lot of Apple computer owners as demo of the regular version of Cro-Mag Rally has been included in the past with some new computers.

The iPhone/iPod touch version of this game delivers quite well and certainly is the best Neanderthal fun you could ever hope to have. There are 9 tracks, 11 vehicles, and a slew of different power-ups to snag while racing.

The game handling came be a bit frustrating at times but overall it’s worth the time/money.

Cube Runner

Cost: Free | Game Link

A surprisingly addictive game that simulates flying/running through a maze of cubes. The flow of movement is quite soothing and a lot of fun.

If you’ve got this game, you were definitely an early adopter as the game creator pulled the game a few days after the App store launched. The game should hopefully be back in the store within a few days. This game is now back up in the App Store. Hooray!

Enigmo

Cost: $9.99 | Game Link

Oh my. This is easily the most loved and hated game on my iPod touch.

50 levels of bouncing, dropping, sliding, and shooting water, oil, and lava through a maze of walls and obstacles creates hours of fun and pure hatred for this thing. This is by no means something you could sit and finish in a couple of hours…so don’t even try.

Seriously though, this really is a fun and challenging game that is worth every penny.

Moto Racer

Cost: $9.99 | Game Link

This racing game handles quite well and is a lot of fun. With 10 tracks and 3 different characters, game play can stay fairly unique. Each stage has a series of check-points to pass and early on they make sure it isn’t super easy (a good thing).

The graphics feel a tad cheesy and this is probably one game I’m not convinced is worth $10 (demo’s would be great right now for this sort of thing), but overall if you’ve got the cash to spend, I would definitely suggest this one.

Super Monkey Ball

Cost: $9.99 | Game Link

Reviews for this game have been surprisingly negative. My guess is that there was so much hype for this that the final product sort of let some people down, but I love this game.

With 110 stages and the level of difficulty being pretty hard early on, this game won’t get old any time soon.

My only gripe is that the controls were quite hard to get a hold of. The “ball” is significantly harder to control than it should be so it can take quite a bit of time to warm up to the game.

Tap Tap Revenge

Cost: Free | Game Link

Certainly you’ve played (or at least heard of) Guitar Hero. Just imagine this as Guitar Hero for your iPhone.

Tap Tap Revenge throws a series of dots and arrows at you based on the beat of the song that you must tap or shake.

This is another game that you really can’t believe is free. I’d pay for this in a heartbeat. The only thing lacking is the ability to pull from your own music collection.

Trism

Cost: $4.99 | Game Link

For fans of games like Tetris and Bejeweled, Trism is a puzzle game where you line up series of triangles to game points and level ups.

Trism uses the iPhone/iPod touch tilt sensitivity to decide how to slide in rows of triangles (which has a significant impact on the game).

Some say this is the best game in the App Store. I say at $4.99, it’s worth at least trying.