Top 10 best shooters on iPhone and iPad (2013)
Do ya feel lucky, punk?
The App Store is packed to the rafters with all manner of unique shooters.
There are tons of first-person shooters, third-person shooters, top-down shooters, twin-stick shooters, and tactical shooters from which to choose.
You can shoot vampires, mow down waves of augmented humanoids, blast aliens into the farthest reaches of space, and engage in frantic firefights with battalions of enemy soldiers, if you so wish.
Some of these shooters are better than others, of course. Here, then, are ten of our favourite shooters for the iPhone and iPad.
Tell us what YOUR fave shooters are in the comments section below this article. Blast away.
Trigger FistBy Lake Effect - download for iPhone and iPad
There may be hundreds of different shooters on the App Store, but Trigger Fist is definitely unique in one regard.
Here, you see, you can mow down waves of terrorists while carrying an aggrieved goat on your back. Told you.
As you progress through Trigger Fist and shoot other players from around the world in their silly faces, you unlock new weapons, skins, and perks for your on-screen soldier of fortune.
Deus Ex: The FallBy Eidos-Montréal - buy for iPhone and iPad
Deus Ex: The Fall is a shooter. It also isn't a shooter. That's because you can play through Eidos-Montréal's first-person RPG in whichever way you see fit.
If you want to sneak around in the shadows; hack computers; and quietly take out enemies using tranquillisers and stun guns, you can do just that.
If you'd rather grab a shotgun and noisily carve a path through the many enemies that stand between you and a successful mission, you can do that instead.
Alien BreedBy Team17 - buy for iPhone and iPad
With Team17 taking inspiration from James Cameron's 1986 Aliens movie here, Alien Breed is a top-down blaster in which you're pitted against seemingly endless waves of otherworldly creatures.
This enhanced iOS remake of Team17's 1991 classic features new graphics, audio, and controls, but you can - if you wish - elect to play with Alien Breed's original assets, too.
Blitz BrigadeBy Gameloft - download for iPhone and iPad
Gameloft's colourful free-to-play multiplayer shooter is basically a bite-sized clone of Mac, PC, and console hit Team Fortress 2.
In it, you choose a character from one of five different classes (soldier, gunner, medic, sniper, stealth) and attempt to fill your many opponents full of lead across multiple game modes.
These include Domination, in which your aim is to control as many areas of the battlefield as you can; and Deathmatch, in which you have to kill everybody you see.
Metal Slug XBy SNK Playmore - buy for iPhone and iPad
You'll be hard-pressed to find a tougher shooter than Metal Slug 2 remake Metal Slug X on the App Store. In no other shooter will you die a handful of times per level in spite of wielding incredibly powerful weapons like lasers and firebombs.
Luckily for you, however, you can team up with one of your iPhone- or iPad-toting buddies via Bluetooth and tackle Metal Slug X's missions together.
Modern Combat 4: Zero HourBy Gameloft - buy for iPhone and iPad
Gameloft's award-winning Modern Combat franchise is probably the closest you're ever going to get to a Call of Duty experience on your iPhone and iPad.
In this latest Modern Combat instalment, you once again step into the boots of one of the world's most elite soldiers and travel the planet in search of global leaders who've been kidnapped by a terrorist group.
In Zero Hour, by the way, you can play as the games villain, Edward Page, too.
Storm the Train
By Games Faction - buy for iPhone and iPad
In Storm the Train, you're tasked with, well, taking control of a three-man team and storming a train that's filled to the brim with zombies, robots, ninjas, and massive bosses.
You may be outnumbered, but you're never outgunned.
You can wield pistols, shotguns, and machine guns. You can also utilise jetpacks, various armed vehicles, and deadly drones that pack explosive firepower.
Frontline Commando: D-Day
By Glu Games - download for iPhone and iPad
To be honest, I'm a little bored of World War II-themed first-person shooters. Frontline Commando: D-Day DID earn a shiny Silver Award at review, though, so it deserves a place on this list.
You're a soldier, and you're at the front of the largest invasion in Allied history.
Your job is to clear trenches, liberate towns, and take back France across 145 missions that are based on the real-world Juno, Sword, Utah, Gold, and Omaha Beach landings.
Respawnables
By Digital Legends - download for iPhone and iPad
Another Team Fortress 2-style shooter now. This one contains 100 single-player offline missions and two different online modes (Free-for-All and Team Deathmatch).
In Respawnables, you can use outfits and weapons from a variety of Hollywood blockbusters, such as the infamous jumpsuit from Ghostbusters and the Noisy Cricket from Men in Black.
Gun Commando
By Ripstone - buy for iPhone and iPad
Gun Commando isn't just a Wolfenstein 3D- or Duke Nukem 3D-style shooter. It's a Wolfenstein 3D- or Duke Nukem 3D-style shooter with a pretty unique upgrade mechanic.
You have a single weapon in Gun Commando, you see, the power of which changes according to your level of accuracy and skill.
If you're the next John McClane, your gun will 'gain' power and new abilities. If you suck, your gun will 'lose' power. Simple.