The free iPhone game Trawler Report: Tron, Super Laser, Minigore

Here we are with yet another batch of free iPhone game recommendations.

This week we have a movie tie-in that doesn’t completely suck, an old skool 2D shooter that even the cack-handed can enjoy, and a suspiciously familiar strategy game that lays on the toilet humour.

We’ve also got the return of a trend-setter and one of the most queasily inept apps we’ve ever had the misfortune to meet.

Download the first four, ignore the last one, and enjoy your weekend!

Tron
By Disney
Type Full

Disney’s game is a tie-in for the forthcoming sequel of the cult 1980s sci-fi film (you got all that?). While the two game styles it offers up – classic top-down light cycle racing (like a competitive Snake) and tanks (a typical twin-stick shooter) – are nothing particularly spectacular, the implementation of online multiplayer for both marks Tron out as a cut above most movie tie-ins.

In addition to the game, you can also watch the trailers for the film and the forthcoming console game, as well as view preview art for the graphic novel prequel. It’s an elaborate multimedia advert, basically, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Download Tron here

Super Laser: The Alien Fighter
By EpicForce Entertainment
Type Full

Super Laser is another of those old skool shoot-‘em-ups that seem to work so well on iPhone. Unlike some of Cave’s recent mind-meltingly hardcore efforts, though, Super Laser is slightly easier going.

That’s not to say it’s easy, but a replenishable health bar at least gives you a fighting chance, as do your potent ‘Orbiter’ weapons.

There four multi-purpose satellites can be used to block bullets and cause direct damage to the swarms of enemies. They also provide a neat lock-on system, whereby if you can keep your sights on an enemy for long enough you’ll unleash a devastating super-laser attack.

Download Super Laser: The Alien Fighter here

Bear Vs Penguins
By Mobile Art
Type Full

With the immortal, inexplicable opening line, “Are you ready to lick a penguin’s ass or more penguins’ ass?” Bear Vs Penguins sets the tone for its chaotic, uneven, and completely nonsensical approach to tower defence.

As the name suggests, this is another Plants vs Zombies clone, and a reasonably entertaining one at that. Transplanting the side-on wave-based gameplay to a war in the chilliest region of the world, some of the units you’ll be deploying include a tortoise reading a paper on the loo and a freely defecating seagull.

Toilet humour and poor translation aside, Bear Vs Penguins has enough character to pull you through its more questionable moments.

Download Bear Vs Penguins here Pick of the week

Minigore
By Mountain Sheep
Type Full

The twin-stick shooter that kicked off the craze for twin-stick shooters on iPhone, Minigore is still good fun today despite the gradual refinement of the genre over the past year or so.

Part of the reason for that is down to the fact that the game itself has improved dramatically since its release, with loads of new characters (unlocked either through extended play or in-app purchases) and levels added to the mix.

The other reason the game has kept its appeal is that the core blasting is particularly well done. Minigore’s chunky, stylised 3D visuals are as appealing as ever, too.

If you haven’t bought it already, you’d be mad to miss it while it’s free.

Download Minigore here Crap apps

Foto Bubbler
By Chiang Bros
Type Full

“Have you ever pictured someone naked?” asks Foto Bubble, rather creepily. “Foto Bubbler allows you to quickly and easily create "bubbling" hot memories out of your photos.”

Sleazy premise aside, you have to wonder what amazing technology the developer has developed to magically strip people of their clothes. The very thought is enough to make the shy among us even more camera-averse.

Fear not. All Foto Bubble does is blank out the picture with a block of colour. You then paint sections of the picture back into view with a crude one-size-fits-all circular template.

The idea, I presume, is that you apply it to a picture of someone showing at least a little bit of skin, but it’s really too clumsy and too stupid to achieve its salacious aims.