The Trawler Report: the best free iPhone games on the App Store (Sep 03 2009)

We've pulled-in a big catch this week, with several golden oldies of the App Store making a bid for a second (or third) sales wind by chucking freebies our way.

In time, we'll see if it works for them, but with some quality gameplay on show here's hoping it introduces a few new faces to some old classics.

There are some newborns as well, with a possible Fieldrunners-beater and a surprisingly good advergame taking centre stage in competition for your fingers' attention.

The game of the week, however, is undoubtedly Tap Tap Revenge 2, the iPhone's completely free, fully functioning answer to Guitar Hero.

The best free iPhone games on the App Store

Bike or Die 2 Lite
By Chillingo
What is it? It's 0.2 per cent of the most popular trial bike game on the iPhone
Type Demo

Bike or Die 2 has been around for ages now, having been released a while before the new year. As the App Store's premier trial bike game, it may not quite look like a million dollars with its cheerily half-polished visuals, but thanks to the 2500+ levels available in the full version, the game's value has never come into question.

Perhaps that's why it hasn't been down to a particularly cheap price point as yet. This Lite version will at least give you a taste, offering five levels that show you a few of the game's chops.

It's a title that deserves its fanbase though, so expect to be enticed into spending £3.99 with the promise of thousands more once you've finished these freebie levels.

Sentinel Lite
By Origin8
What is it? It's a lovely-looking tower defence game
Type Demo

In spite of valiant efforts from 7 Cities, the Creeps! and GeoDefence, no one's managed to topple Fieldrunners from the tower defence throne yet. Sentinel is the next premium TD game in line, and it's up there with the best. Other than looking great, it mixes-in a few real-time strategy game features for an original flavour.

These include the repair bots you can buy which will maintain you defences and mine the land for extra cash when they're at a lose end. The Lite version gets you a single mission where you need to protect your base and defensive walls from 40 waves of enemies.

Pop Lite
By Nnooo
What is it? A trippy bubble-popping ride
Type Demo

At review, Pop won one of our shiny silver awards thanks to its funky casual gameplay. It's a dead simple title that makes great use of the touchscreen alongside some understated physics that bring the whole experience to life.

All you have to do is try and pop the bubbles while avoiding tapping any nasty skull symbols.

A distinctly light Lite version, you can run through the content on offer here within a couple of minutes, but Pop has an addictive high score-bashing element that'll get you replaying more than once.

Enigmo Lite
By Pangea Software
What is it? One of the App Store's original genius puzzlers
Type Demo

A great many waves of puzzle games has been released since Enigmo arrived on the App Store many moons ago back in the early months of iPhone/iPod touch gaming. However, it's a game that rarely beaten in terms of packing-in ingenuity.

In each level, you need to get droplets of water from a spout to a container, except there will always be a labyrinthe of walls and obstacles to get past in between. With an inventory of droplet-bouncing and spewing appartatus at your disposal, you have to help the water find its way through.

You get the first five levels to play through in this version. A game that still holds up against new premium titles, Enigmo is a game that deserves a second sales wind- especially at its current 59p price point- so hopefully this Lite version will see it creep into the charts once more.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
By THQ Wireless
What is it? It's a touchscreen-swiping lightsabre action game
Type Demo

When we reviewed The Force Unleashed back in September, we criticised it because of its short length. This demo is no different, and you'll be able to finish it in fifteen minutes or so.

However, it's worth checking out for its nifty use of the touchscreen in bringing force powers and lightsabre action to the App Store.

It's a looker too, with an accomplished blend of 3D and pre-rendered backgrounds giving The Force Unleashed the feel of an interactive movie. If you're a Star Wars fan not keen on shelling out the few quid for the full version, this is well worth a download.

Volkswagen Polo Challenge
By Fishlabs
What is it? A promotional racer to support the new Polo car
Type Full

The App Store is in some ways the perfect place for advergames to pop up. We've seen a few appear recently too, including a BMW one and a more lightweight racer from Walkers Crisps, no less.

You never expect them to be all that good though, since the focus is always going to be on getting the name out there rather than making a genuinely decent game. However, Fishlabs had a great starting point for this Polo project, having made racing games on mobile years before they started developing for the iPhone.

Volkswagen Polo Challenge may not be quite up to the standards of the top Fishlabs racers, but it's damn good for an advergame.

Predictably, you've only got one car to drive, but there are 8 tracks to unlock by finishing the previous track within a particular time limit. The tracks are pretty, the driving physics are decent and the price is unbeatable.

Pick of the Week

Tap Tap Revenge 2
By Tapulous
What is it? It's the sequel to the hugely successful free rhythm game Tap Tap Revenge
Type Full

The original Tap Tap Revenge must be one of the most-downloaded titles on the App Store. With a decent track selection and ultra-solid Guitar Hero-style rhythm gameplay, we've been eagerly waiting for this sequel for a while.

It features a new visual engine, boasting 3D effects, plus some new gameplay nuggets.

Tap Tap Revenge 2 comes with a few tracks in each difficult level to play through, but you can also download a load more from within the game. Seen as a marketing opportunity that'll boost sales outside of the game, you don't even have to pay for these additional tracks either. It's a bargain combo of extreme proportions!

Crap Apps Box of Shame award

Laser Shark
By Ernest Properties
What is it? It's not that awesome considering it's got sharks with laser eyes in it
Type Demo

Everyone wants a shark with a laser beam attached to its frickin' head, right?

Of course you do but, unfortunately, Laser Shark isn't the place to get it. In this game, you control said shark using tilt control, while the touchscreen is used to aim the laser at nearby unsuspecting fishies just waiting to be zapped.

Unfortunately, the control as awkward as a great white trapped in a fishbowl and the visuals are as creaky as the special effects in Jaws 4. Sharks may be cool, but this game, well, isn't.