Five games that have defined the first five years of the App Store

What have you done in the past five years? Because Apple's App Store has basically changed video games forever. So, I hope you've done something meaningful with your life.

I mean, the store brought gaming to the masses in a way that we haven't seen since the early '80s, and right now it offers a more eclectic blend of genres than any standalone gaming device you care to name.

But rather than pick out the games we think are the best, or the most fun, or jab a finger at those that have let us down the most, we thought we'd present you with a list of five games that changed something.

Games that set the tone for parts of the past five years.

They might not be the finest games you can purchase on the App Store, but these five titles are inarguably influential, and together form a picture of the changing landscape of the App Store in the past half-a-decade.

It might not have been the smoothest FPS experience, but Eliminate is important in the history of the App Store all the same. After the introduction of micro-transactions, it was one of the first to adopt a free-to-play model, letting you pay to get weapons and other equipment faster.

It set a precedent, and put down a template. We're still seeing the repercussions of that, today.

Angry Birds was the App Store's first phenomena. Like it or loathe it you can't deny the cultural impact of Rovio's bird-flinger. There are Angry Birds T-Shirts, board games, mugs, cups, and plushie toys.

Much like Mario and Sonic were the standard bearers for a generation of gamers in the early '90s, so the Angry Birds are today.

Flight Control exemplifies the style of game that has made smartphone gaming so popular. It's simple to pick up - anyone who can draw a line with their finger can have a crack at playing it - but it's impossible to put down.

Flight Control was a massive success, cementing the iPhone as the portable gaming device of choice for many.

If there has been a watershed moment in the life of the App Store more spectacular than the first time Epic and Chair showed off Infinity Blade I certainly can't remember it.

This was an ode to the so-called 'hardcore', and proof that the App Store didn't just have to carry cute, cartoon-style puzzlers. The fact it made a ridiculous amount of money is the proof of the pudding.

One of the best looking games on the App Store, and one of the most controversial as well. Real Racing 3's payment model caused consternation amongst fans of the series, but it marks an important shift in the history of the App Store all the same.

The mix of cutting edge visuals and an intricately worked free-to-play model stand as a joining of the two great strands that run through the App Store's history - that search for hardcore acceptance, and the rampant progress of new, often uncomfortable monetisation techniques.

What games sum up the App Store's first five years, to you? Shout your thoughts into the face of a stranger. Or put them in the comments below. Either or.