The Trawler Report: the best free iPhone games on the App Store

In some respects, Apple's App Store is like a chimpanzee - it may throw a lot of crap at you, but never fails to win you over when it flashes a well-meaning grin in your direction.

Many have complained that, thanks to the sheer rate at which apps are released, it's virtually impossible to find time to uncover the hidden gems that nestle in the App Store's undergrowth.

However, the recent success story of iShoot, propelled into the number 1 position of the paid apps chart thanks to the release of a Lite edition, will doubtless see even more developers try to rack-up some more downloads of their paid-for games with freebie versions.

Welcome as this trend is, it'll make the App Store even harder to get a grip on. To help you touch-gaming fans out, we'll be checking out every freebie released each week and reporting back to you with the best bits.

We'll also be awarding soon-to-be sought-after, or indeed avoided, trophies for the pick of the week and the worst excuse for a game or app we come across in the week.

The best free iPhone games: January 26th 2009

Downhill Bowling Lite
By Game Resort
What is it? It's a 3D arcade bowling platformer

Possibly the loopiest bowling game on the App Store, Downhill Bowling is really more platformer than bowling game.

You control a bowling ball using the accelerometer as it hurtles down a hill. Along the way, there are coins to collect and ten sets of pins to try and knock down. There are also boosts, power ups and jumps to add a little spice.

In this Lite version, you only get one of the ten levels from the full game, but the two game modes (standard and time attack), great production values and the genuine oddball vibe make this worth a look.

3-Hand Blackjack Free
By MobilityWare
What is it? It's blackjack

There are already a number of free blackjack games available for your iPhone or iPod touch, but if you haven't had your fill, here's another one. Fully featured but ad-supported in a fairly innocuous way, 3-Hand Blackjack has thumb-friendly controls, unlike some other blackjack games that annoyingly make you deploy your fingers as well.

As the name suggests, you play three hands at once instead of one, and you can place bets as you like on any of them. In a worryingly realistic move, if you run out of money you have to go to the ATM machine to withdraw some more. Thankfully, it won't charge your real-life debit card. If it does, I'm in trouble.

Archibald's Adventures Lite
By Rake in Grass
What is it? It's a charming puzzle platformer

Platform games are difficult to get right on the iphone. Some go for drawing buttons on the screen, but without the tactile feel of the buttons at your fingers it's too easy to lose track of exactly where they are in the heat of the action.

Archibald's Adventures avoids this by primarily focusing on left and right controls alone. This means that, for the first parts of the game at least, gameplay is more about timing, careful movements and judging run-ups.

For your £0.00 you get a lot of gaming content, with 32 levels from the full game's 100+. They're all fairly short, requiring only a minute of two to complete, but with some well-designed puzzles, many will require a satisfying head-scratch too.

Freebie Pick of the Week

Theseus
By Jason Fieldman
What is it? It's an ingenious puzzler

Since the full version of Theseus netted a gold award when reviewed, it's perhaps no surprise that the new Lite version of the game picks up the first freebie pick of the week award too.

It's a puzzle game where you have to get to the exit of a maze without being caught by the minotaur (or 'horned red blob' if you prefer.) It may not look like much from this screenshot, but its slick blend of time-bending puzzling shouldn't be missed.

Offering 17 levels spread over the 85 of the full version, there's enough content to play through here for Theseus to worm its way under your skin. In short, don't blame us if you end up buying the full version.

Crap Apps box of shame award

Hold On!
By Imak Creations
What is it? It's a shameless waste of time

Laughably residing in the Productivity section of the app store, Hold On! involves seeing how long you can press a button for.

Yes, that's it.

Really though, we're playing into Imak Creations's hands here, as the blurb on the game boasts that the application has been lambasted on the web. Well, here's some more for you, Imak.

If anyone sends in photo of a truly embarrassing high score for this game, we'll give you a mention in next week's report. Whether we'll be laughing with you or at you is another question.