December 4th iPhone and iPad review round-up: Groove Planet, Hyspherical 2, Pyro Rescue Jump and more

Every week we like to have a look at some of the other games that have hit the App Store.

We don't have the person-power to write about everything, but we want to make sure we give you some fingers-on impressions of as many things as possible.

This week sees a pretty strong second string of games hitting the App Store. In fact, most of them are better than the bigger releases.

If you think that there's anything else people should be playing, then let us know in the comments. But be prepared for people to tell you you're wrong. People like to do that on the internet.

A smart puzzler that's all about dropping circles onto shapes and watching them spin around. The twist is that is the circles bash into each other, you lose a life.

It starts off pretty sedately, but after a while things get much more complicated. The shapes you're spinning around move, intersect multiple times, and try other tricks to throw you off whack.

You can choose when to drop a new circle in, and stop them by pressing on them. It's smart, it's fun, and it'll tax your brain in a pleasant way.

7/10

While it struts around like a rhythm action game, Groove Planet is actually a clicker with some musical twists.

You tap the screen to earn musical notes, which you spend adding new planets to your chugging planet. More buildings, more notes per-tap.

Tapping in time with the music builds up your combo and bags you even more notes.

You can tap along to music from your collection if you'd like. It's well put together and it looks pretty neat, but there's not that much once you peal back the meat and look at the bones.

6/10

A one-touch arcade runner of sorts. You control a bullet that's rushing down a corridor. That corridor is full of deadly traps that smash together at regular intervals.

The only control you have is slowing the bullet. Push on the screen to start crawling, release and you'll fire off again.

It's reasonably fun, but its compulsion loop isn't as tight as other games in the genre, and you'll find yourself drifting off after a few minutes.

5/10

A fast smashing arcade adventure that sees you ploughing through bricks and avoiding spikes. You've got a gun, but it doesn't have many bullets.

So you need to think tactically, smashing where there are no spikes, shooting where there are, and trying to make your way as far as you can.

There's a Crossy Road-ish vibe here, with extra characters to unlock. It's solid enough, and it's fun while it lasts, but it's unlikely to gain a regular slot in your mobile rotation.

7/10

An endless runner with enough of a twist to make it interesting. You're a blob of flame darting along spinning platforms. Tap at the right time to jump from one to the next.

It looks lovely, with thick cartoon sprites and some pretty fiery flourishes. The platforming is solid and fun as well, albeit probably a little shallow for some.

If you're looking for a neat little addition to your iTunes library there's a lot to like here, but anyone looking for more of a challenge would do better looking elsewhere.

8/10