iPhone Roundup Review

By Christian Donlan Published 21 October, 2009

The 59p special.

Version tested: iPhone

59p might be the most important price point in gaming at the moment. It's the cost of a gamble - the exact amount of money that App Store shoppers are willing to spend on a title that might turn out to be rubbish, but has a tempting icon - and something developers may well view as curse as well as a blessing. 59p can send a game racing up the charts on a platform where the charts mean everything, but it can also cripple a designer's ambitions, holding teams back from working too hard or too long on a product they know is unlikely to bring them huge returns, no matter how well it sells.

But what will 59p actually buy you? The answer, of course, is anything from a buggy ill-conceived mess to a polished mini-marvel. In the App Store, the cost of a Mars Bar can equate to a surprising amount of entertainment if you shop wisely. Below, you can find a few of our low-cost favourites.

Parking Mania

  • Developer: Clickgamer.com
  • Price: 59p
'iPhone Roundup' Screenshot 1

Few game titles can tell you how much the App Store has helped to change the face of the industry quite as concisely as Parking Mania. That's right: Parking Mania. It's an unlikely-sounding malady, perhaps, but it translates into a likeable game, with reasonable tilt-controlled steering and a decent range of different vehicles for you to manoeuvre into tricky spots.

With a sprinkling of hidden tokens to collect en route, Clickgamer's homage to the fender bender feels a little bit like one of Burnout's Crash Junctions played at half speed and with no pyrotechnics. So, although it's fairly short and the art is hideous, taken as a whole, Parking Mania can be quietly satisfying. Rather worrying, really.

6/10

Minigore

  • Developer: Mountain Sheep
  • Price: 59p

At the moment, Minigore is an extremely basic - but still pretty stylish - twin-stick shooter, in which a box-headed beardy fends off endless waves of weird bitey things until the 187 to Camberwell arrives, your iPhone runs out of battery, or the existential horror of it all sweeps over you like a frosty tidal wave and you hurl yourself in the whirling cogs of some nearby machinery.

'iPhone Roundup' Screenshot 2

There's a single power-up at the moment, and one or two different weapons to use as the game grinds on, but the reason this is so playable is that, for me at least, it's the first offering on the App Store to really nail the controls for this kind of game. The virtual thumbsticks manage to be precise yet forgiving and your fingers never cover the most vital parts of the screen, while the promise of regular content updates (following the Pocket God model), taken alongside the quirky vinyl toy art, could see Minigore gradually transformed into something really special.

A solid basis for Mountain Sheep to build on, them, and an ideal framework for other developers to start ripping off.

7/10

geoDefense Swarm

  • Developer: Critical Thought
  • Price: 59p

The original geoDefense was the best fixed-path Tower Defence game on the iPhone: a series of devious maps and a smart drag and drop control system that blended brilliantly with fizzing neon graphics stolen wholesale from Geometry Wars. geoDefense Swarm is Critical Thought's attempt at sewing up the free-path Tower Defence market too, and the results are equally addictive.

Some may prefer the military chic of Subatomic's Fieldrunners, but Swarm has more content, better maps, slightly more satisfying units, and special effects which will make you feel like you're having just the right kind of grand mal seizure at an eighties disco. Prepare yourself for some wonky difficulty spikes early on, and be warned that the game literally insults you whenever you lose, but such casual brutality only serves to make your eventual victories all the sweeter.

9/10

Poppi

  • Developer: Pompom Games
  • Price: 59p
'iPhone Roundup' Screenshot 4

There's no nice way of putting this: Pompom specialises in making games that look like they might be taking place inside some gigantic deep-space uterus. Shooters such as Mutant Storm and Space Tripper are wriggly, bacterial, and distinctly gynaecological, peopled by deadly clusters of sperm and nasty little many-toothed viruses (according to the internet, this is the correct plural for virus, incidentally, even though it looks weird to me).

Poppi, then, the tiny team's first iPhone game, is something of an aesthetic departure: the backgrounds might exude a slick shimmer as they shift uneasily, and the soundtrack still features the rumbling white noise that suggests that, somewhere near the game's playing area, stomachs are churning and blood vessels are flinging their gooey cargo about, but the puzzle pieces themselves are clean, brightly coloured, and distinctly non-disgusting.

Despite that, Poppi still displays Pompom's sharp focus on mechanics. Building a little on the Bliss Island format (the developer's only real disappointment so far), players prod a variety of falling disks around the screen, with the aim of connecting them with identical pieces before they hit the bottom.

While it initially seems simplistic, a handful of smart variations heat things up, and the resulting game, while not as wetly charismatic as much of the studio's output, will still draw you in for far longer than you might expect.

7/10

Backbreaker Football

  • Developer: NaturalMotion/Ideaworks Games Studio
  • Price: 59p

According to Backbreaker, American Football is a game about hugging - or, more accurately, a game about avoiding being hugged. Reducing the complex stop-start rules of the sport to a simple race up the field towards the goal area, dodging the vicious lunges of a handful of opponents, Ideaworks' game benefits from controls that boast the same stripped-down immediacy as the premise.

'iPhone Roundup' Screenshot 5

A series of tilts steer your footballer, while on-screen buttons allow you to juke left and right, spin your way out of trouble, and even show-boat across the finish-line, and, with your score rocketing upwards with every encounter, it all works fantastically well - every touchdown transformed into a barnstorming victory, while excellent visuals and sound turn each wipe-out into a hilarious tragedy.

A prelude to NaturalMotion's forthcoming console game, Backbreaker has a leaderboard-chasing appeal that transcends its subject matter. Simple, certainly, but brilliant with it.

9/10

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Picture of Christian.

About Christian Donlan

Chris Donlan writes about games for Eurogamer and some magazines. His heroes include Eugene Jarvis, Errol Morris, and Linus Van Pelt.

Read more articles from Christian by visiting the Christian Donlan archive page.

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Comments (51) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • UncleLou #1 2 years ago

    GeoDefense: Swarm is awesome.

    And I was dangerously addicted to Minigore for weeks, till it was clear I wouldn't win the office-internal high-score competition.

    Not heard of Backbreaker before, will definitely try it.

  • onezeonx #2 2 years ago

    backbreaker is cool!!

    but i finished it WAYYYYY to quickly
    needs an update.....but a class game and i dont even like NFL!

  • cianchristopher #3 2 years ago

    Backbreaker looks real cool!

    But these games should be padded out to having 40 hour quests, with lengthy text-filled conversations with NPCs and 100s of hours of grind to get your character to level-up!

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #4 2 years ago

    "and one or two different weapons to use as the game grinds on"

    One OR two? You can't tell, or did you lose count?

  • Korpers #5 2 years ago

    Why no screen shot for the other 9/10 game geoDefense Swarm?

  • Korpers #6 2 years ago

    Now I've got to:

    • Open a new tab.
    • Copy the title from the round-up review.
    • Paste it into the new tab.
    • Click - 'images'.
    • Write this comment.

  • udat #7 2 years ago

    @Korpers

    Oh the humanity!

  • therev #8 2 years ago

    "Hang on. They've released Backbreaker? It doesn't feature the NaturalMotion animation system on the iPhone does it?"

    Yes, it does.

  • JammyPez #9 2 years ago

    I'm surprised you didn't check out "Sky Smash" an ace little shooter - yet a parking game gets in there?

  • Prodigy_BE #10 2 years ago

    Two titles that beat all of these:
    Mystery Mania
    Squareball

    Check 'em both out NOW. (no seriously, check 'm, you won't regret it)

  • Korpers #11 2 years ago

    Well i did all this:

    • Open a new tab.
    • Copy the title from the round-up review.
    • Paste it into the new tab.
    • Click - 'images'.

    And now can add this:

    • Gouge out eyes.

  • septimus #12 2 years ago

    Shame Alive4Ever has gone up to 1.79. Still, amazing game and far better value still than minigore.

    edit- also agree on Sky Smash. EG needs to read more of TouchArcade and a little less Kotaku sometimes.
    Edited by 1 at 21/10/09 @ 12:20

  • Goodfella #13 2 years ago

    I still think Flight Control is one of the best, addictive apps you can buy.

  • Skurmedel #14 2 years ago

    Okay... I'll definitely buy GeoDefense then. I have Edge Lite, but it's not a favourite.

  • Zomoniac #15 2 years ago

    CANABALT!

  • Dark_Stranger #16 2 years ago

    the sequel to "BackBreaker Football" will be "BrokeBack Football" and will contain lots of hugging!

  • Korpers #17 2 years ago

    @ MrED209

    Yes I was suggesting that very thing. Though your passionate retort suggests I am not looking deeper than the mix of coloured balls and wierdy sharp glowy things.

    Shame on me.

  • andromeda #18 2 years ago

    check out Piyo Blocks as well

    Awesome little time killer that has way more charm than others in it's genre.

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #19 2 years ago

    If you like Flight Control (or even if you don't) then get Harbour Master. It's a far better game along the same lines.

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #20 2 years ago

    Is there a chance for a full Beneath A Steel Sky: Remastered review? The interviews with the creators were great and it'd be nice to have a review to go with it.

  • Korpers #21 2 years ago

    Shame on me indeed. I just checked it out on youtube - looks mental.

    Though it looks like i could possibly have a breakdown after level 5.

  • actionfitz #22 2 years ago

    minigore is the muts nuts.
    Edited by 1 at 21/10/09 @ 12:58

  • secombe #23 2 years ago

    Another mention for Sky Smash, awesome game, my first page of iPhone games currently consists of...

    - Fling
    - iBlast Moki
    - FlightControl
    - DrawRace
    - geoDefense
    - geoDefense Swarm
    - iShoot
    - Sky Smash
    - Run
    - Mr AahH!

    I think all of those were 59p when purchased, love them all. Jump between several of them on the average journey, high-score and puzzle gaming is shockingly addictive.

  • Goodfella #24 2 years ago

    Flight Control is absolute shite. The reason I can say this with such authority is that so many non-gamers are addicted to it, which basically puts it on a par with Wii games.

    Seriously it's crap.

    /has managed an all time high of 40-something.

    Then you're crap, not the game. Oh and thanks for the collosally retarded sweeping generalisation.

  • UncleLou #25 2 years ago

    Yes I was suggesting that very thing. Though your passionate retort suggests I am not looking deeper than the mix of coloured balls and wierdy sharp glowy things.

    Shame on me.

    That's alright. Not everyone can appreciate abstraction and style. For those who can, GeoDefense is probably the prettiest game on the Appstore. It's also the best TD game, or probably the best game in the whole Appstore.
    Edited by 2 at 21/10/09 @ 13:13

  • thesombrerokid #26 2 years ago

    ahem http://it unes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSto... ahem

  • Korpers #27 2 years ago

    @ MrED209

    guffaw guffaw - you clearly havent tried Yorkshire Tea - FAR superior to PG Tips...

    ...oh wait.

  • Skurmedel #28 2 years ago

    MrED: Okay... no sweat, thanks for the heads up though, I bought Swarm... seems awesome. Nice graphics at least :)

    (and Yorkshire, bah, can't beat Ahmad or Glengettie)
    Edited by 2 at 21/10/09 @ 13:31

  • onyxbox #29 2 years ago

    I'm so over iPhone games now.

    DS / PSP and GBA are all superior IMO.

  • Eraysor #30 2 years ago

    You missed Flight Control, which is my 59p favourite.

  • Skurmedel #31 2 years ago

    onyx mostly yes, but I've not seen anyone like GeoDefense on the DS... is there a similar game?

  • Scoops #32 2 years ago

    If it makes you feel better MrED (sorry if that abbreviation makes you sound like a talking horse) I understood your post. For the record I disagree, Flight Control is a very good game but oh boy, I am truly crap at it. Indeed, my high [sic] score is 44.

    geoDefense is an awesome game, both of them but there are so many great games out there. Draw Race is great when you are gaming on the go but need to keep your attention on the real world too as it doesn't demand your constant attention. Just picked up Meteor Blitz which is a great space based Berzerk* style shooter.

    *Actually it is more like another game of old where there was a big scary face and sampled speech but the name escapes me at the moment...

  • Johnsters #33 2 years ago

    I like Flight control, it's simple and addictive.

    GD swarm is rock hard. I'm stuck on Easy level 3 (dual channel) - I know lame, but I will figure it out - Just can't put it down!

  • Tio #34 2 years ago

    Geodefense:Swarm is now £1.19, I just tried to buy it.

  • JonesW #35 2 years ago

    DoodleJump has eaten more of my time than should be healthy.

  • riz23 #36 2 years ago

    Poppi is lovely game and Pom Pom are the business. The audio in Poppi is dreamy. Ok, so it's no Astro/Space Tripper but that's a different kind of game entirely.

  • butler` #37 2 years ago

    jamie oliver has got the chart on lockdown!

  • Prodigy_BE #38 2 years ago

    CAN I HAVE SOME HANDS IN THE AIR FOR SQUAREBALL AND MYSTERY MANIA?!

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #39 2 years ago

    Yes and no in that order.

  • jonsaan #40 2 years ago

    Drop7 is the best iphone game I've played so far. Utterly awesome and a serious rival to Tetris.

  • Hobo #41 2 years ago

    Seems strange that EG would take a random handful of uber-budget titles and then rate them rather average. Would've made more sense to just do an article of the top tier 59p like Geo Swarm. There's enough of them on the Store.

  • Windypops #42 2 years ago

    I find it tremendously heartening that everyone is shit at Flight Control. I thought I might have educationally subnormal fingers because 62 is my high score, but your tales of superior shititude have buffed my conkers a treat.

    I've probably spent more time playing geoDefence than any Xbox 360 game this year. All in ten-minute bites. The hard levels have proven to be my Waterloo. But when you're beating it - when your turrets are all maxed out and every creep that wanders into your web of ultimate death is atomized and your missiles are making that special whooshy sound - not many games have made me feel like that.

  • Hurleybird #43 2 years ago

    GeoDefense Swarm is the best game I've played on iPhone, some levels are a genuine challenge, but it allows you to skip past and keep coming back to try another tactic.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #44 2 years ago

    Just picked up Meteor Blitz which is a great space based Berzerk* style shooter.

    *Actually it is more like another game of old where there was a big scary face and sampled speech but the name escapes me at the moment...

    You're thinking of Sinistar, but Meteor Blitz is of course actually a rather excellent and totally unashamed clone of Super Stardust on PS3/PSP.

  • RicTheNinja #45 2 years ago

    geoDefense Swarm is £1.19 not 59p :(

  • Goodfella #46 2 years ago

    I read a few people saying they are shit at Flight Control, to be honest I threw down my iPhone in disgust when it felt like I was a retard with a best score of 40, or something after a good few plays, then I stopped playing. I went back to it and I gradually got better and now my best score is 166 (on the original level)

    God knows how those freaks out there have got into figures of 1000+?!!

  • Scoops #47 2 years ago

    @Rev. Stu.

    Ah yes, thanks for that, it was on the tip of my tongue but all I could get out was Xevious which is entirely different! Haven't played Super Stardust - still living with a PS2 and my PSP is gathering dust. To be honest, it is hard to bother with another machine other than the iPhone - it is just so convenient and there are so many decent games to play.....

    Oh and Drop7 is indeed a work of genius...
    Edited by 1 at 21/10/09 @ 22:23

  • secombe #48 2 years ago

    Swarm can be evil at times, the Hatch level is just destroying my life, so so close to doing it, but never quite there. Aside from that one i've finished all the easy and medium levels and most hard ones. Love it, the infinite levels are fantastic, would love an update of the original with similar never-ending levels.

    Prices fluctuate, it was certainly 59p for quite a while after its release.

  • MattyD #49 2 years ago

    AC-130! Best 59p I ever spent. Sure the production is decidedly dopey but it's very to-the-point and diverting.

  • jamhead #50 2 years ago

    May be a little late for the thread, but can I just say - it's bloody lovely to read a comments thread peppered with "have you tried.." or "you should try..." rather than the usual nonsense.

    Truly the Ipod/Iphone cheap and cheerful catalogue of games (filled with shite as it may be) reminds me of why I got into gaming in the first place.

    It's "jumpers for goalposts" for gamers :D

  • IP #51 2 years ago

    Wow. There was me thinking a "59p special" would at least review, say, 20 or so games. Five is a bit rubbish.

    EDIT: I'd also love to know how long the writer played these for. Poppi is sort of great until you hit its WALL OF DEATH.
    Edited by 1 at 29/10/09 @ 15:25