Top 10 Games Every iPhone Owner Must Own

So you‚Äôve got a new iPhone and you want to play some games. But with the App Store now swollen to over 100,000 apps, knowing where to start is a bit of a problem. So, to give you a helping hand, we‚Äôve compiled a top ten list of games no iPhone owner can do without. These may not be the best games on the iPhone, but their certainly the most essential. So what are they…

Flight Control
If the iPhone had to be assigned a flagship title, Flight Control would be it. It’s not much to look at, but the gameplay mechanic, now affectionately known as line-drawing, spawned an entirely new genre. Several updates have seen this gem of an idea blossom into a comprehensively full package, including several different maps and a fleet of different score sharing options. It’s as addictive, polished and instantly fun now as it was when it first came out and should be the first game any new iPhone owner should download.

Zen Bound
It’s hard to describe what’s so wonderful about Zen Bound, but its simple rope wrapping game mechanic is as hypnotic as it is oddly peaceful. The presentation is on par with anything you would find on a home console and the extensive catalogue of wooden objects should keep you tangled up in knots of joy for weeks on end.

Rolando 2
The first Rolando proved the iPhone could take tired old genres in brave new directions and Rolando 2 built even further on that foundation. Rolando 2 is a funky feast of style and fiendishly designed platforming. The quirk in Rolando is that, you are often controlling several characters in one level, sometimes simultaneously. Add to that a near limitlessly inventive set of levels and it’s impossible not to marvel at Rolando 2. Compelling proof that the iPhone can host gaming experiences that other platforms can’t match.

Fieldrunners
Subatomic’s tower defense game is an early iPhone success story. It’s iconic look and tight gameplay earned it positive reviews and a country sized legion of hardcore fans. There have been quite a few new kinds of tower added since its release and there are even some new backgrounds to play on now too. It’s the intuitive use of the touchscreen that makes it unmissable however, so contact your inner general and get out into the field.

Canabalt
Canabalt’s stylistic simplicity is matched only by its stark gameplay. A small character runs from left to right through a randomly generated city. All you have to do is time his jumps so as to avoid the game’s many obstacles. The further you manage to run without plummeting to your death, the higher your score Рsimple. Only it’s so much more than that. The graphics will make older gamers yearn for simpler times and the addictive one thumb gameplay has mainline access to the fun receptors in your brain.

Real Racing
Real Racing is remarkable, not just because it’s one of the best racers ever to grace a handheld console, but because it was designed and built by Firemint, a company that has nothing like the budget or experience that the likes of EA or THQ have. That didn’t stop it releasing a technically amazing and outright brilliant to play racer however, and it bodes very well for the company’s future. Here’s hoping Firemint gets around to releasing that 3GS tech demo it was showing off a few months ago.

Word Fu

Proving that it’s fun to be a vocabulary ninja, Word Fu’s simple concept coupled with martial art tinged sound effects and presentation is simply wonderful. The object is to make as many words as you can with just a handful of letters. Stringing together combos of words nets you bonuses and the chance to add time, change letters and double your scores. Like Scrabble crossed with Enter the Dragon, Word Fu is a grand master that will knock you for six.

Edge/Edgy
Forget the lawsuits, the legal battles and the public mud slinging with copyright troll Tim Langdell, Edge is an entrancing puzzle platformer with style to spare. The blocky levels and blip hop soundtrack bring a hearty slice of cold dead cool to this effort, but not at the expense of challenge. It’s currently absent from the App Store due to it’s ongoing legal woes, so if this pops up again, be sure to snap it up quick before it’s pulled again.

F.A.S.T.
The irksomely titled F.A.S.T. or Fleet Air Superiority Training (talk about your shoehorned acronyms), is a showcase for what the iPhone is truly c
apable of. The draw distance stretches off to the vanishing point, the lens flare glints off your aircraft’s exquisitely rendered shell and the landscape beneath you never looks less than lush. The finely tuned accelerometer based controls and tightly orchestrated dog fights more than make up for the repetitive mission structure. Definitely one for showing off with.

The Secret of Monkey Island

Much loved by an ardent group of hardcore fans, this sensitive remake brings the point and click genre home to roost on the iPhone and it works magnificently. Besides the original title, there’s also an updated version, complete with voice acting, HD visuals and a new interface. It’s still the same old loveable Guybrush Threepwood and co though that both fans of the original and newcomers should find something to love about.

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So there you have it, the most essential games for every new iPhone or iPod touch owner. Of course, those are just ours and with so many to choose from, there are doubtlessly others out there worthy of inclusion. If you have any suggestions, we’d love to hear about them in the comments below.