Top 10 best iPhone and iPad games of 2012 (so far)

The first six months of 2012 are already over.

The Queen has sat through an underwhelming concert to celebrate her time on the throne, Spain has added another piece of silverware to its already bustling trophy cabinet, and all (well, most) of the Pocket Gamer team have finally recovered from last year's Christmas party in Amsterdam (physically, if not mentally).

Anyway, between all of the footy, the booze, and endless verses of God Save the Queen, we've managed to come up with our top ten best iPhone and iPad games of 2012 (so far).

That's what you're here for, right?

We got excited about Waking Mars as soon as we found out that it was created using one part Metroid, one part 1970s-era sci-fi film, and one part gardening.

Set in 2097, this side-scroller tasks you with planting seeds to master an alien ecosystem and, ultimately, survive.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
By Capcom - download for iPhone and iPad

Ported from Nintendo's DS handheld, Shu Takumi's adventure title thrusts you into the role of Sissel - a recent murder victim who's ghost is capable of travelling into the past to change other people's fate.

Sissel (his ghost, at least) can manipulate inanimate objects to create chain reactions and dispatch unscrupulous characters.

LostWinds2: Winter of the Melodias
By Frontier Developments - buy for iPhone and iPad

This second instalment in the award-winning LostWinds franchise gives you access to a bunch of new wind powers, as well as a new season-switching ability that lets you instantly flip between summer and winter.

You have to use your brand-new capabilities, along with the powers you learnt in the original LostWinds, to protect Toku - a young boy who's on a quest to save his mother.

Pocket Planes
By NimbleBit - download for iPhone and iPad

Believe me, I'm as shocked as you are that a in-app purchase-filled free-to-play title made into this round-up, but it's earned its place for one main reason: it's chuffing brilliant.

Pocket Planes is a NimbleBit title, y'see, which means premium currency isn't a necessity for progressing at a reasonable pace.

If want to risk life and limb as you thrash around dirt-clad corners, this arcade-style racer is for you.

New Star Soccer is your chance to step into the boots of Steven Gerrard and Lionel Messi, and experience the highs and lows of their everyday life.

Expensive sports cars and attractive women can be a royal pain in the backside. Probably.

Total War Battles: Shogun
By Sega - buy for iPhone and iPad

Sega's real-time strategy title, which was built from the ground up for touchscreen devices, is one of the App Store's best examples of the genre.

For instance, Total War Battles's deep tactical options are hidden within a streamlined mobile-loving interface, which means you don't have to put up with a watered down RTS experience just because you want to play on the bus using your stubby fingers.

Chaos Rings II
By Square Enix - buy for iPhone or buy for iPad

Sequels are rarely better than their predecessors in other mediums, but Square Enix's RPG follow-up proves that it does happen in the gaming world.

If you've ever played one of the developer's hugely popular Final Fantasy titles, you'll know exactly what's on offer here - namely, big monsters, big weapons, and big turn-based battles.

Epic Astro Story
By Kairosoft - buy for iPhone

Before you download Epic Astro Story, make sure your wife knows you won't be wallpapering the kitchen for a while. Like all of Kairosoft's titles, it's addictive.

This time around, your job is to turn a baron planet into a bustling hub of activity by constructing buildings and attracting tourists.

Incoboto
By Fluttermind - buy for iPad

The first thing you're bound to notice about this title is its looks, which are pretty gorgeous, to say the least. Its gameplay is pretty darn good, too, so don't hesitate to download it.

In case you're unfamiliar with this title, it's a puzzle-filled adventure game that's set in a world devoid of light.

Playing as a young lad named Inco and his strange friend Helios, you have to set off across the galaxy to find out why it's so dark.