As usual on the App Store, both top games lists are populated with the usual unstoppable titles like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, and Tap Zoo, along with a few games that have only recently been released or become popular. Will any of the more recent additions to the list– Cars 2, Tiny Tower, Tower Defense: Lost Earth– have staying power? Read on for buy links, our reviews, and more.
Top-Selling Apps
#1: Angry Birds
Our Score: 4/4
Our Bottom Line: Destructive physics help make this a very charming puzzler, and the great level variety seals the deal.
#2: Fruit Ninja
Our Score: 4/4
Our Bottom Line: As far as simple pick-up-and-play games go, Fruit Ninja is among the best.
#3: Tiny Wings
Our Score: 4/4
Our Bottom Line: Tiny Wings is brilliant in its simplicity, originality, and ability to keep you coming back again and again.
#4: Angry Birds Seasons
Our Score: 4/4
Our Bottom Line: All the fun of Angry Birds, but more challenging, and with pumpkins and presents.
#5: Cut the Rope
Our Score: 4/4
Our Bottom Line: Cut the Rope is a charming, challenging, and– most importantly– fun puzzle game that nearly anyone will enjoy.
#6: Angry Birds Rio
Our Score: 4/4
Our Bottom Line: Angry Birds Rio doesn’t change the formula, but it doesn’t need to. Angry Birds Rio is a blast.
#7: Cars 2
Our Score: 3/4
Our Bottom Line: Cars 2 is fun, but there’s not a lot to it.
#8: Tower Defense: Lost Earth
Our Score: 3/4
Our Bottom Line: An excellent addition to the seemingly endless line of tower defense game, with some interesting gameplay variations and plenty of challenge.
#9: Flick Golf
Our Score: 2/4
Our Bottom Line: Flick Golf is a fun minigame that gets old quickly due to lack of variety. .
#10: Words With Friends
Our Score: 3/4
Our Bottom Line: Words With Friends is a great experience that word game fans will enjoy.
Top-Grossing Apps
#1: Angry Birds
Our Score: 4/4
Our Bottom Line: Destructive physics help make this a very charming puzzler, and the great level variety seals the deal.
#2: Tap Zoo
Our Score: 3/4
Our Bottom Line: Lions, tigers, and bears! Also, teeny-tiny animals in a teeny-tiny land!
#3: Tap Pet Hotel
Most helpful iTunes review: Fun and different from all those other games out there! I love my panda!
#4: Zynga Poker
Most helpful iTunes review: “Fun way to pass time.”
#5: Top Girl
Most helpful iTunes review: “I luv this game but is WAY to slow to refill energy! Plz change that!”
#6: Tiny Tower
Our Score: 4/4
Our Bottom Line: Tiny Tower represents the next great chapter in freemium games. Call it Farmville 2.0.
#7: Texas Poker
Most helpful iTunes review: “Looks great and fun to play.”
#8: Smurfs’ Village
Our Score: 2/4
Our Bottom Line: The Smurfs’ Village doesn’t offer much gameplay beyond building a Smurf enclave and some middling minigames. But for a casual distraction, you could do worse.
#9: Bejeweled 2 + Blitz
Our Score: 3/4
Our Bottom Line: Bejeweled 2 is a classic Match-3 game that has proved just as addictive as its original version, though it does not have enough creativity for our top recommendation.
#10: Tiny Zoo
Most useful iTunes review: “Why do the people move and not the animals. This is the most unrealistic game I’ve ever seen.”