Top 10 iPad games of 2010 so far
No iPadding
Over the past four months iPad has been steadily winning over the cynical public and establishing a decent foothold on the electronic landscape.
It’s a testament to its success that so many other companies are now rushing out tablet devices of their own, when this time last year the format was considered a dead duck by pretty much everyone bar the engineers at Apple HQ.
While it’s still at an early stage of both it and the tablet’s life, developers have been slowly coming to grips with what it can offer gaming.
There’s still a tonne of games that receive the magic words "HD," a price increase, and absolutely nothing else, but as you can see from this list, there’s also a growing library of titles that genuinely do offer something different over their iPhone siblings.
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck’s RevengeDeveloper/Publisher: LucasArts
£5.99/$9.99 [iTunes link]
It may be old, but Monkey Island 2 is still considered one of the finest examples of the adventure genre: funny, tricky, and bursting with memorable puzzles and characters.
The remastered iPad version is not just better than the equally charming iPhone and iPod touch port, but also plays better than the home console adaptation. With fully voiced dialogue, directors commentary and some exquisite usage of the touchscreen, it's surely the definitive version of the LucasArts classic.
Mirror’s EdgeDeveloper: Iron Monkey
Publisher: EA Mobile
£5.99/$9.99 [iTunes link]
Still an iPad exclusive despite the angry mob of iPhone and iPod touch gamers camped outside EA Mobile headquaters, Mirror’s Edge was the trump card during the iPad launch and remains one of the best games for the device.
Transforming the 3D parkour game into a 2.5D Canabalt-style racer was a clever move as it retains the sense of speed from the original console game without the trudging backtracking when you hit a dead-end.
The inclusion of excellent two-player split-screen modes should keep its place at the top of the iPad games list even when the iPhone version does finally get a release.
Plants vs Zombies HDDeveloper/Publisher: Popcap Games
£5.99/$9.99 [iTunes link]
Everyone loves Plants vs Zombies. It doesn’t matter if you’re a grizzled first-person shooter fanatic or a grandmother who just bought an iPad on which to read books, Popcap Games's tower defence game oozes charm from its every cartoon pore.
Another example of the extra screen estate enhancing the experience, the iPad version features an expanded interface to make it easier to plant your zombie-destroying garden.
OsmosDeveloper/Publisher: Hemisphere Games
£2.99/$4.99 [iTunes link]
Osmos is a tricky game to describe, but an easy one to praise.
Essentially it’s a collecting game in which you control an amorphous blob that must absorb smaller blobs. It's an inelegant description that does a great disservice to the thought and innovative lengths developer Hemisphere Games took in expanding this simple concept.
While it has made an appearance on PC, Mac, and now iPhone, the combination of the touch screen controls and the larger screen makes iPad the best way to experience this relaxing, physics-based indie gem.
Zen Bound 2
Developer/Publisher: Secret Exit
£1.79/$2.99 [iTunes link]
Originally an iPad exclusive, Zen Bound 2 is now a universal app, but it’s arguably far more enjoyable to use on the "bigger iPod touch" than on the smaller iPhone and real iPod touch screen.
Officially the best paint-wooden-objects game ever made, Zen Bound 2 is a relaxing and tactile experience almost as fun to play as it is hard to describe.
Chaos RingsDeveloper: Media.Vision
Publisher: Square Enix
£9.49/$15.99 [iTunes link]
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For a device intended for lounging around the house with, the epic role-playing game fits like a particularly comfy woollen glove.
Square Enix’s first original role-playing game for iPhone and iPod touch is possibly the perfect candidate then for an iPad update. With striking visuals and compulsive one-more-level-up gameplay, Chaos Rings outclasses it’s smaller rival in both comfort and style.
Labyrinth 2 HDDeveloper/Publisher: Illusion Labs
£4.99/$7.99 [iTunes link]
When I showed my parents iPad they were impressed but a little scared of breaking it; when I showed them Labyrinth 2 I had to pry the device from their sweaty hands.
Illusion Labs's simple game of tilting a ball around a wooden maze shouldn’t be one of the best experiences on iPad, but the large screen, understated visuals and the sheer volume of clever mazes makes Labyrinth 2 a game that’s easy to get into and very hard to get out of.
Madden NFL 11
Developer/Publisher: EA Mobile
£7.49/$12.99 [iTunes link]
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It may have picked up a slightly lower mark than its iPhone cousin, but Madden NFL 11 still ranks up as one of the finest sports games available for iPad.
The lack of any form of multiplayer is a disappointment, especially given how well EA Mobile integrated split-screen play in earlier titles like Mirror’s Edge, but the ability to trace out hot routes for both offense and defence players is far easier on the larger screen.
Flight Control HD
Developer/Publisher: Firemint
£2.99/$4.99 [iTunes link]
Picking up a well-deserved Pocket Gamer Gold Award back when it was released alongside iPad in April, Australian developer Firemint’s now legendary line-tracing game is still the benchmark for the genre.
The iPad version is easily the best version of the game, offering up larger, and therefore more hectic and engaging, airfields, and a fantastic split-screen multiplayer mode.
Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials
Developer/Publisher: Mumbo Jumbo
£5.99/$9.99 [iTunes Link]
Hidden object games, like adventure games before them, feel completely at home on a large touchscreen, but good hidden object titles are often harder to find than the objects in the games themselves.
