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10 games that weren't on Apple's App Store anniversary list, but should have been

C'mon, Apple, you couldn't have made the list just a little bigger to include these sweet games?

10 games that weren't on Apple's App Store anniversary list, but should have been
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For the first anniversary of the App Store, Apple graciously identified its favourite games. 30 cool games made the cut, from heavyweights like Real Racing and Rolando to lesser-known titles Eliss and Labyrinth. It's an eclectic mix of great games to be sure, but we were struck just as much by what didn't make the cut as much as what was on the list.

Sure, there are thousands of games on the App Store, and we can whine all day about how our guilty pleasures have been cast aside (an episode of Jake Hunter, anyone?), but there are some killer games that deserve a little recognition. How can you talk about tower defence on iPhone without mentioning Star Defense? What about role-playing? We didn't see any role-playing games on the list.

Apple's list definitely has gems we can agree on, though we're confident you'll want to give some love to these ten games that should have made Apple's chosen 30, too. There are a lot more cool games that we couldn't mention, so give your favourites a shout out on the forums.

10 games that should be on Apple's App Store list

The Oregon Trail
Publisher/Developer: Gameloft

The Oregon Trail (iPhone)A couple of Gameloft titles made Apple's cut, though one lost on the road to the App Store's first anniversary.

The Oregon Trail hit iPhone as a phenomenal update to the classic educational game from the '80s, with bright graphics and equally brilliant gameplay. It's among our favourites for the skillful way it takes the original Apple II release and reshapes it for a faster pace and greater accessibility.

Even better, mini-games add action to a game that was largely static. This game is just so endearing, so fun to play over and over again that we're sick to our stomachs that it didn't make Apple's list. Hopefully we don't have dysentery.

Star Defense
Developer: Rough Cookie
Publisher: ngmoco

There are many tower defence games on the App Store, but there's only one that we consider our absolute favourite. Star Defense shines brighter than any other title in the genre, offering an impressive slate of features to match its slick graphics.

Simple mechanics ensure that any tower defence newcomer can get right into the thick of things, kicking S'rath across both Challenge and Career modes with ease. Twitter and Facebook integration add a welcome social component, not to mention it being the first title to support ngmoco's Plus+ iPhone gaming network. We just can't get enough of this phenomenal game.

Zenonia
Publisher/Developer: Gamevil

ZenoniaIn the small pool of iPhone role-playing games, Zenonia sits at the top. Classic hack-n-slash adventuring comes to comical life in this charming role-playing game that straddles the fine line between portable accessibility and depth.

Good character development elements and the ability to customise equipment ensure Zenonia feels like a true representative of the genre. Hilarious dialogue and phenomenal narrative pacing keep things moving along, which is idea for quick sessions out and about.

How this didn't make the list is beyond us because there's absolutely no question that this is the best role-playing game on the App Store.

Drop7
Publisher/Developer: Area/Code

Drop7Built on the back of Tetris, Drop7 transforms the block-dropping gameplay of that iconic puzzler into a challenging, stylish numbers game. It's one of the few games that we return to because of its effortless, totally engrossing gameplay.

Numbered discs descend from the top of the screen that you place in any of seven columns. The goal is to clear discs by stacking them in numbers as shown on the discs themselves; additionally, you can clear discs by row.

Others developers have caught onto the game's genius, devising similar experience though we're all about staying faithful to this overlooked original.

Burning Monkey Casino
Publisher/Developer: Freeverse

Burning Monkey CasinoAll bets are off on this hilarious assemblage of casino games that somehow missed Apple's spotlight. No worries because we're willing to lay the cards on the table and tell you this cheesy collection of mini-games and bad jokes is exactly the sort of stuff we love to play.

The casino mini-games are decent fare - blackjack, five-card stud poker, and even scratch-off tickets - but it's really about the charming visuals and comical style that makes Freeverse's oft-overlooked game a winner.

Lounge acts caught between runs at the tables really give the game flavour and cement it as one of our go-to titles for a chuckle.

Crystal Defenders: Vanguard Storm
Publisher/Developer: Square Enix

Crystal Defenders: Vanguard StormAnother unique title passed over by Apple in its anniversary hub-bub, Crystal Defenders: Vanguard Storm introduces a new style of defencive play that differs dramatically from the ubiquitous tower defence formula.

Instead of plunking down towers to beat back waves of enemies advancing on your base, here you deploy moveable characters to fight foes in direct combat. Characters under your control occupy the right half of the screen, while enemies approach from the left.

Classes pulled from the Final Fantasy series - mages, soldier, dragoon, bishop, and others - provide tactical variety from which you can draw upon to defeat a host of nasties. It's among the most original releases so far this year and among our favourites.

Soul Trapper, Episode 1: Ollie Ollie Oxen Free!
Publisher/Developer: Realtime Associates

Soul Trapper, Episode 1: Ollie Ollie Oxen Free!We had doubts about Soul Trapper and its emphasis on audio as a gameplay device upon first look. A thorough play of this charming adventure, however, proved our concerns wrong.

The first episode in what has been proclaimed as a more substantial series of games illustrates the cool ways in which iPhone can deliver different gaming experiences.

At its heart, Soul Trapper is a simple adventure game creatively told through audio cues. An occasional tap-based mini-game pops up, but most of your time is spent listening to this well-written story unfold.

Sure it's cheesy in spots, which only makes us love it more.

Aqua Moto Racing
Publisher/Developer: Resolution Interactive

Aqua Moto RacingRather than toying around with funky new elements or bizarre control schemes, Aqua Moto Racing just does jet ski racing right. It's a wonder that it didn't earn Apple's favour with such brilliant graphics and spot-on gameplay.

Fine-tuned tilts of your handset enable you to steer your watercraft through 12 championship races packed with competitive fury. There's a trick system (though we're not as big on it as we are its brother's trick system, Dirt Moto Racing) to keep you on your toes, awarding you extra boost for nailing stunts.

We like it because it's pretty, fast, and as fluid as the water on which it races.

Pop
Publisher/Developer: Nnooo

PopTap action doesn't get any more straightforward than Pop. Originally devised as a casual title, there's plenty of challenge awaiting you in this bubble popping game.

The objective lies in furiously tapping to pop coloured bubbles as they float quickly past the screen. Each wave of bubbles brings new shades, speeds, and direction of flow.

Special chains can be racked up through careful popping, though the ultimate goal is preserve enough time on the clock to reach the next wave. The ability to earn achievements has been drawing us back ever since its original release, which highlights just how hard it is to reach the game's most advanced levels. A simple game, yet still a notable one months after release.

DrawRace
Publisher/Developer: RedLynx

DrawRaceIt's new, but DrawRace holds the same innovative promise that we saw in Firemint's contemporary classic Flight Control. It's inventive, simple, and fun to play.

The concept of tracing out races with a slide of a finger seems too basic to be fun, yet DrawRace provides both ease of play and challenge.

Competing against other players over the network using ghost data proves more challenging than we initially assumed, hooking us on this great game. Even better are the two and three player hot seat races that you can set up with friends passing around a single handset.

DrawRace may only be a newcomer, but it's definitely one of our favourites.
Tracy Erickson
Tracy Erickson
Manning our editorial outpost in America, Tracy comes with years of expertise at mashing a keyboard. When he's not out painting the town red, he jets across the home of the brave, covering press events under the Pocket Gamer banner.