Kicking off this week’s list of must-have iOS games is Dreamcast classic Jet Set Radio, a terrific skating game in which you rollerblade around a fictional city and tag buildings, rival gang members, and more with spray paint. It’s accompanied by Pong World, the first official Pong game for iOS; a massive update to FIFA 13, and more.
Jet Set Radio — Universal ($4.99)
Jet Set Radio for iOS is an almost identical port of the original, but Sega has made some improvements, such as sprucing up the graphics for Retina display devices, and adding Game Center achievements and leader boards.
There are also new controls for touch-based devices, which allow you to apply graffiti by swiping the screen; and you can use your device’s camera to take pictures that can be used as graffiti in the game.
Jet Set Radio wasn’t only famous for its unique gameplay, but also its awesome soundtrack. And 29 of the 30 tracks in the original game are in the iOS release. Isn’t that awesome?
I don’t think I need to convince you that this title is worth your hard-earned cash. So what are you waiting for? Go grab it!
Pong World — Universal (Free)
https://youtu.be/zW_k1tG0U5w
It’s been 40 years since Atari released the first Pong game, and to celebrate the milestone, the company just released the first official Pong game for iOS. Called Pong World, the title delivers a new way to play the classic arcade game, in addition to a colorful new look and a whole host of new features.
Pong World is a new generation of Pong. As opposed to being just a paddle and a ball, there’s a whole lot more:
Explore Pong World by defeating opponents while collecting all five paddle creatures; Shaggy, Chompers, Sir Bouncelot, Razzle and Gnop to help you in your journey for domination.
Each paddle is equipped with unique powers and upgrades, and you’ll use them to tackle 4 different locations, each with a unique twist. Once you’ve completed those, there are other game modes to enjoy, such as survival and two-player battle.
FIFA 13 — Universal ($6.99)
FIFA 13 isn’t strictly a new iOS game — it first hit the App Store back in September — but this week saw a massive new update that introduces the FIFA Ultimate Team game mode. A favorite with console gamers, Ultimate Team allows you to take control of your own squad, with full control over almost everything — including your play style, your formation, your kits, and more.
You can play for free, or you can purchase packs of cards that feature new players, new kits, new badges, new stadiums, and more. All of this is in addition to the other game modes FIFA 13 offers, including the awesome online multiplayer mode, and manager mode.
The Bowling Dead — Universal (Free)
https://youtu.be/USGXdAY8QoI
There are a ton of zombies games on iOS, and many are a close copy of each other. But The Bowling Dead from Activision is a zombie game like no other. You are thrown into a world that’s overrun by the undead, and it’s up to you to save what’s left of the human race. However, you have no guns, you have no shields, you don’t even have pea-shooting plants. All you have are your balls.
Bowling balls, that is. You must trust your bowling skills to take out the hordes of zombies that are coming for you. It’s sounds crazy — and it is — but it’s a lot of fun, too. The campaign mode consists of more than 40 levels, which will keep you entertained for hours. Then there’s the intense survival mode, which will see how long you can last in an effort to beat your friends’ highest scores.
BattleFriends at Sea — Universal (Free)
BattleFriends at Sea is a terrific new multiplayer game in which you challenge friends or random opponents to naval battles. It’s like Battleship with a big focus on social play, and with some colorful 3D visuals.
The cross-platform support allows you to begin a game on your iPhone, then pick up from where you left off on your iPad, and you’ll receive a push notification when it’s your turn to play. Invite friends to play via Facebook or email, or let the game find you a random opponent.
What’s Your Favorite?
So that concludes our list of this week’s must-have iOS games. If you’ve picked up something that you think we should have included, be sure to let us know about it in the comments.
