Unblock Me can get frightfully hard, but it’s so apt at getting^. inside your head that it’s near impossible to put down. Basic gaming done fabulously well like this is always a joy to behold and this is one of the best examples on the App Store of a simple idea executed as close to perfection as you’ll find.

Unblock Me For iPad | Music/Puzzle Games is a post from: TCGeeks

Alpine Crawler World For iPad | Racing Games is a post from: TCGeeks

While it can’t compete with the graphical magnificence of the come ports, this nevertheless looks good, although it lacks the shine of more recent offerings. The draw distance is very good which comes in handy during online play), and the animation s spot-on, while the environments are nicely detailed and full of character.

Predictably, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 does fall down in me key area — the control interface. No matter how many first­-person shooters we play on the iPad, they’re invariably let down )y cumbersome controls, and Battlefield is no different. Neatly dividing the screen into two invisible areas, the left-hand side controls your movement, while the right lets you view the game world. Shots are fired by tapping the right side of the screen, while grenades, crouching/entering cover, reloading and switching weapons are handled by tapping or swiping the relevant onscreen cons. It’s still no match for a keyboard or gamepad.

It’s a relatively straightforward system, and for the most part works well, but as more enemies appear, it becomes tougher to move and aim without fumbling the controls, or inadvertently throwing a grenade.

Fortunately, the Al is fairly pedestrian on all but the hardest difficulty setting, and the ability to change both your turning speed and the position of various icons does make things easier, which is handy, as Battlefield throws plenty of enemies at you.

The levels themselves are quite linear, often requiring you to follow simple objectives, ranging from blowing up vehicles to clearing sections of enemies, but the fast-paced gameplay doesn’t make this a problem. Far more worrying is the Al of your companions. They’re completely blasé for the most part, and in many sections will simply stroll forward as the battle rages around them. Luckily, there’s enough cool set pieces and variety to keep you entertained through the surprisingly lengthy solo campaign.

Another nice touch is the multiplayer mode, which supports up to ten players. Playable via Bluetooth and online, it’s an enjoyable experience that’s only let down by the inability to use vehicles.

It might lack the bombast and bravado of the home consoles, but Battlefield still manages to be great fun on the iPad.

Battlefield : Bad Company 2 For iPad | Adventure Games is a post from: TCGeeks

The game is almost exactly the same as the iPhone version, but for good reason – the added screen real estate is the only upgrade the wonderfully honed horticultural horror really needs. Making great use of the iPad’s multitouch capabilities, the game has you furiously planting various weird and wonderful defensive plants to try and prevent a horde of zombies making their way across your lawn (and later, rooftop). With a limited set available during each level, choosing the right combination of plants is crucial to making it out alive.

The early levels are brilliantly designed to gently introduce you to the gameplay, which soon becomes frantic and often challenging. Ever seen a team of bobsledding undead? You will. They’ll be right behind the zombie driving an ice tractor. Pea Shooters that fire real peas (the frozen ones, slow zombies down), a Squash that lives up to its name, or a magic mushroom that will have the zombies grooving out of control – they’re all in there too.This is a game with a real sense of humour, and some of the most engaging gameplay we’ve encountered in years.

Plants vs Zombies HD For iPad | Music/Puzzle Games is a post from: TCGeeks

For the most part, Etolis: Arena repeats much of the quality that has gone into their past titles. The first thing to note is the effort that has gone into making this a good-looking game, and though it doesn’t answer to the likes of Rage HD and Infinity Blade, it is certainly another example of how capable the iPad is as a ‘games console. The objective is to eliminate wave after wave of increasingly difficult enemies by navigating the level and blasting away with whatever weapon you have to hand. Auto-aim is enabled by default, and does an adequate job of assisting those unable to manage the larger swarms of enemies, though this should be turned off if you hope to get more precision from your attacks.

Etolis: Arena For iPad | Arcade Games is a post from: TCGeeks

Plot-wise, it’s as generic as they come, but still entertains as you steer a low-level trim named PThug to notoriety. Missions are varied and range from simple deliveries to extravagant hits, while the colourful characters you interact with are just as memorable as those from GTA. Even combat is extremely good thanks to a great lock-on system that makes scraps and gunfights a breeze.

Only a lack of side quests and the tricky accelerometer-assisted driving sections let down what is otherwise a stunning achievement. Much more of this kind of thing please Gameloft. This is the kind of escapist nonsense gaming is all about.

Gangstar: West Coast Hustle For iPad | Action Games is a post from: TCGeeks

The aim of the game is to to unroll an on-screen toilet roll as fast as you can. It certainly sounds dull, but it’s surprising how quickly you get drawn into wanting to get the best time possible. You soon become transfixed with learning new ways to scroll the paper and improve your time – long swipes up and down the screen, fast, smaller pinches, or swiping with two fin­gers in a walking motion.

It doesn’t have a massive amount of longevity, but with the addition of leaderboards, your competitive spirit will be sated.

iDragPaper For iPad | Board/Family/Kids Games is a post from: TCGeeks

Here though, the port has clearly been given a great deal of care. This isn’t a director’s cut like the first game, so you won’t find any new puzzles or added scenarios, but it borrows that version’s excellent transposition of mouse controls onto the touch screen, making moving, interacting, and managing your inventory snap. Also brought over are character portraits from comic-book artist Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), who contributes a new digital comic prologue as well, and a general cleaning up of the game’s graphics, which largely remain detailed and beautiful. This version brings plenty more to the table, though. It’s now a universal app, so those with more than one of either an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch will no longer be forced to choose or buy it twice, and it actively encourages cross-platform play, with innovative Dropbox syncing for saving (see boxout). In the absence of any official way to back up saved games and move them between devices, this feature could prove to be incredibly useful.

As a game, however, The Smoking Mirror simply isn’t as good as the original. While it has its own share of memorable moments, there aren’t as many great characters to meet along the way, and it’s a little too easy for experienced adventurers, who will breeze through without much difficulty. That said, it’s still an enjoyable ride, made all the more pleasurable by some gorgeous artwork and characters who are still as entertaining as they’ve ever been. Even with our reservations, The Smoking Mirror comes recommended. This is a superb adventure that’s been given one of the most polished iOS ports we’ve seen yet.

Broken Sword – The Smoking Mirror : Remastered For iPad | Adventure Games is a post from: TCGeeks

The reason it translates so much better in the playing is that the control you have over the object is astounding; the physics involved in the way the rope behaves is mind melting. We really haven’t seen another app that can compete with this for great gameplay and polished design.

Zen Bound For iPad | Music/Puzzle Games is a post from: TCGeeks

Controls are slick, with a functional eight-way joystick zone in the bottom-left of the screen, and a rack of punch, kick and special buttons on the right. The special button is superb, letting you pull off complex moves that would have been simple on a joypad, but have been refined for the touch format. The special move changes depending on which direction you hold while you press the icon, and because it’s accurate it never misses a beat. Put simply, The King Of Fighters-i is impressively close to a full console release, and for a fraction of the price, which is something other developers can learn from.

The King Of Fighters-i For iPad | Arcade Games is a post from: TCGeeks