November 09 iPhone Picks
November has brought iPhone owners an interesting mix of great games ranging from simple yet addictive puzzlers, to homages to R-Type and finally a very ambitious 3D adventure title. That's not forgetting an appearance by the legend that is Chuck Norris, skateboarding tricks on your phone and some old school RPG action. Without further ado, on with the show.
365 Puzzle Club (1.19 GBP)
There's no denying that there are many Sudoku applications on the iPhone, an almost bewildering number in fact. So just what does 365 Puzzle Club offer that makes it worth paying attention to? Variety. As well as offering a huge number of Sudoku puzzles, it also offers Kakuro and Tenpenki puzzles, one for every day of the year in fact! All three puzzle types follow the same rough structure where logic counts most towards your chances of success, with basic mathematical skills useful for Kakuro which involves adding up numbers in a Sudoku-esque puzzle. Offering a Calendar Tour mode which unlocks a new puzzle for every day of the year as well as a Season mode to work your way through, there's plenty to do here. The variety of being able to switch from one puzzle type to another whenever you want is particularly welcome and keeps the old grey matter busy. 365 Puzzle Club is the ideal companion for any iPhone owner in need of filling time on their daily commute.
Cell War (1.19 GBP)
From a game that challenges you cerebrally, we come to a game which challenges your reactions, Cell War is distinctly reminiscent of the arcade classic R-Type. It's another formula that's been done before on the iPhone but for such a low price Cell War offers a lot of fun. Using a mixture of tilt controls and touch firing, Cell War is simple to get to grips with but also challenging depending on which difficulty level you set it to. The difficulty is set perfectly with lower levels providing slower and fewer enemies, while Hard provides a decent challenge for the more experienced gamer. The bosses offered fond memories of previous shoot em up bosses of the past and are guaranteed to put a satisfied smile on your face as you traverse your way through the game. Ideal fodder for when you want something a little more violent and excitable on your iPhone.
Chuck Norris: Bring on the Pain! (0.59 GBP)
Yes you read that right, Chuck Norris is starring in a game now. And guess what? It's actually really good fun! Harking back to the days of arcade beat 'em ups such as Double Dragon and Streets of Rage, Bring on the Pain is simply about Chuck Norris destroying mostly everything around him. As you would expect from such a legend. It's a very tongue in cheek affair with a great dash of humour to it but it's also extremely good fun. The combat is simple yet effective, while there are a number of mini games which show off the accelerometer and touch controls well. In an innovative twist you can even take a picture of your friends to add to the game, thus beating up your friend if you so wish. Bring on the Pain doesn't take itself seriously yet in doing so it makes for an ideal game to play, especially at a mere 59 pence.