The best puzzle games are both strategic and mindless at the same time in my view. Tetris — the best puzzle game of all time — had that something special that enabled you to play it on autopilot while staying mindful of the various techniques required to be successful. The team from Atlus USA has [...]
Echochrome was one of my favorite games of 2008. It was a PSP downloadable puzzle game that was all about changing perspectives and using physics to solve puzzles to complete levels. So when a game brings back memories of spending hours playing through Echochrome, it’s a very good thing in my world. Shift isn’t a [...]
Firemint's follow up iPhone offering goes a different route than the causally inclined Flight Control that has been a consistent occupant on the Top 25. For me, Real Racing is a surprise coming from Firemint as they’ve rolled out a powerhouse racing title that is determined to shock and awe gamers of all stripes. This [...]
In the arms race to supplant the reigning kings (e.g Flight Control, Pocket God, etc.) of one dollar casual gaming, development teams have to bring it hard. FDG Entertainment's Parachute Panic is one the latest games looking to make some noise in that space. There isn’t an exact science to creating the right kind of [...]
lilt line - As the music genre continues to gain mainstream traction with the Guitar Heros and Rock Bands of the world, it’s inevitable that we’ll see efforts that aim to imitate instead of innovate. This point has already been proven with six versions of the critically and casually acclaimed “Tap Tap Revenge” titles on [...]
Need for Speed: Undercover - For nearly 15 years and several generations of gaming hardware, the Need for Speed franchise has endured as a beloved arcade racing franchise for all gamers. Granted it has come in several different themes over the years (e.g. exotic cars, rally racing, street racing, police pursuits, etc.), the quality of [...]
Pocket Monkey Games hopes you’re totally digging the recent influx of dramatizations based on Greek mythology. Whether it’s serious dramatic films, satirical movies and television, or the variety of AAA gaming franchises; it’s virtually impossible to avoid the Spartan universe. Sparta is a 2D side scrolling action game that doesn’t take itself too seriously while [...]
Mover - Someone infinitely more wise and insightful than myself once said that “the best things in life are free.” That maxim didn’t resonate with me until I became an adult as I realized I found the most pleasure in simple joys and pleasures. Infinite Labs has tapped into that territory with the release of [...]
Car Jack Streets - Here we welcome a new game that enters the sandbox genre popularized by the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series. Like the excellent torchbearer Payback proves, the iPhone is very capable of delivering free-roaming fun. Car Jack Streets, developed by the original GTA team, puts you in the shoes of a character [...]
Pollys Popping Parrots is quite possibly the cutest violent game I’ve played in quite some time. Granted there’s a slight touch of hyperbole in that aforementioned claim, it’s not a bad thing from my perspective. p13development has created a simple little game that’s all about blowing up a bunch of cute and unassuming parrots for [...]
What is it about underdogs that makes us root for them? Is it our empathy for the challenges they have against more experienced competition? Maybe it’s their audacity to try when it doesn’t make sense to the rest of us. Regardless of the reasoning behind why we root for underdogs, two guys (Jack Archer and [...]
BubbleHead - For those of you that can appreciate a little quirkiness in your life, please pay attention here. The talented team over at CrowdCafé has put together a meaty casual game that leverages an inspired art style and some slick controls. I invite you to continue reading to get an understanding for why BubbleHead [...]
I must admit, I’m a sucker for a classic arcade coin-op. But from playing pixel-perfect retro games as an adult, the experience is somewhat tarnished from being spoiled by the quality of today’s games. Flying Tiger Entertainment recognizes this and, in turn, has created an arcade-style shooting game that has the look and feel of [...]
Bloons - One of the best remedies to a slow day at the office is loading up a good ol’ flash game that can be played through your Internet browser. I wouldn’t dare engage in such a shameless waste of my employers time, but I’m just going by what I hear... Digital Goldfish has brought [...]
Dark Raider - I’ll admit it, I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for a good hack-n-slash dungeon crawler. You don’t really see too many of them being made nowadays, but I distinctly recall spending hours glued to a Gauntlet coin-op in my local Pizza Hut restaurant as a kid. So Dark Raider by Rocking Pocket [...]
