Stories By Tim Rattray

For a recent update, two classic Sega All-Stars have joined the race-- Knuckles the Echidna and Shadow the Hedgehog. These characters are unlockable for 500,000 and 750,000 Sega Miles respectively. That means you'll have to play about 50 levels to unlock Knuckles, or pay $1 for an in-app purchase.

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Dungeon Hunter 3 has finally received its long-awaited multiplayer update. Now you can battle goblins, slavers, and chymeres with up to three other players online, or fight against them competitively. But even online multiplayer doesn't brighten up this dreary, repetitive grind-fest set in the Dungeon Hunter universe.

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EA Mobile has updated Mass Effect Infiltrator in a big, big way-- one that directly addresses our main concern with the original version of the game. Now, instead of being forced to target enemies from very specific distances and angles, you can go freestyle with more traditional third-person shooter controls. This change alone is enough to boost Mass Effect Infiltrator's score, but that's not the only improvement.

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Brandnew Boy could have been great on a traditional gaming platform with tactile controls. Trying to be innovative by having players control Rookie, the main character, through a series of taps and swipes seriously hampers this brawler’s playability. It’s unfortunate, as Brandnew Boy looks so beautiful.

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When we saw Lume’s cardboard cutout visual style, we were instantly drawn into its unique world, and we weren’t the only ones; the game was an IGF finalist for best art direction. Unfortunately, the experience doesn’t last long, as the game ends almost as soon as it begins.

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If you're a fan of the Mass Effect series, and own an iOS device, you'll want to pick up the free Mass Effect 3 Datapad app from EA that just launched. Read on to find out what's inside.

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Simogo may be fairly new on the development scene, but they've already made a name for themselves with games like Bumpy Road and Kosmo Spin. As odd as both of those games are, Beat Sneak Bandit takes the insanity to a whole new level. It has an offbeat concept, requiring you to tap in time with the music to move through puzzles. There’s really nothing else quite like it on the App Store.

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We raved over the original League of Evil when it came out last year, eventually placing it in our Best Games of 2011 list. It offered challenging bite-sized platforming that was absolutely irresistible. The sequel is more of the same, albeit with cartoony visuals, and it absolutely lives up to its predecessor.

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Mountain Sheep, the developers behind iOS classics Minigore and Bike Baron, are at it again with Ice Rage. This bite-sized hockey game sports their signature art style and simplicity but takes the simplicity part too far, making Ice Rage a game you’ll quickly lose interest in.

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Serious MMO players, especially those who play World of Warcraft, know the glory of taking down a huge boss in a raid. As the name suggests, Raid Leader takes this concept and applies it to top-down real-time gameplay. It’s an intriguing concept, but the execution is downright frustrating at times.

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For Backflip Studios, the evolution of the Ragdoll Blaster series is a clear marker of their progressive success. The first game featured simple pen-and-paper visuals, the second had a much more original steampunk look, and now the third has full-on 3D models. However, one thing has been consistent: quality level design. In the latest iteration of the series, this remains mostly true.

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Since we last updated our review, Scribblenauts Remix has had multiple content updates, offering a new sandbox skin for Valentine's Day and a DLC pack. Should you spend a dollar on this new content, and does it bump this DS classic into Must Have range?

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Shu Takumi is a brilliant man. You may know him as the mind behind Ace Attorney, the series of quirky lawyer games where you must prove a client innocent against improbable odds. His most recent work, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, was released for the Nintendo DS in 2010. This gem won Handheld Game of the Year awards from many major websites, and now Ghost Trick has found its way onto the App Store, where it’s better than ever.

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We love a good genre mash-up, so the prospect of Dungeon Crawlers-- replace a dungeon crawling RPG's fast-paced action with tactical strategy-- was extremely enticing to us. The biggest hurdle for such a mash-up is retaining the elements of dungeon crawling that make it so satisfying, like loot drops and randomization. Dungeon Crawlers doesn’t quite do this, but the gameplay is strong enough that it remains a good game.

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Challenge platformers have seen a major resurgence ever since Super Meat Boy rose to popularity. iOS has seen many excellent incarnations of the subgenre, such as League of Evil and Mos Speedrun. On the other side of the spectrum are the attempts that fall far from the mark, Bit-1 being a prime example. The game lacks the speed, clever level design and tight controls that make challenge platformers so rewarding.

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Games have tried to be “art” ever since the medium was created, but few take the task as seriously as Windosill. This logic puzzler is akin to scrolling through an interactive abstract mosaic, and it’s an absolute thrill ride.

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Ever heard of a Ti-ster? What about a Wart-dor-tle? What, not even a Rhi-mel? In Gua-Le-Ni (or: The Horrendous Parade) you’re tasked with cataloging these and other rare crossbred animals before they move out of sight.

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Back in October, Angry Mob Games released Muffin Knight. While we found it to be worth checking out, there was no denying that the developer had ripped the concept for that game right out of Vlambeer’s PC cult hit Super Crate Box. Thus, Vlambeer decided to release an iOS version of the original. Unfortunately, control problems and a lack of content compared to its imitator make it the less desirable choice.

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One of the great aspects of iOS gaming is that developers are constantly finding innovative ways to twist conventional genres to use the unique properties of touch-based controls. Oftentimes we wonder just how many more ideas developers can up with. According to 10tons, developers of Swingworm, the well isn’t dry yet.

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Paper Toss 2.0 is actually the third entry into the popular series about throwing crumpled up pieces of paper into a trashcan. It’s the official sport of bored office peons worldwide, and who can blame them? You can get sucked into this activity for hours before you notice it’s time to get back to work. Playing on your phone just means less mess and less of a chance that your boss will get angry.

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