We have our winners. Take a look at what we feel are the best games of the year!
It’s been a huge year for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad gaming this year, with both both small and large names in gaming surprising us with their offerings of multiple gameplay styles, amazing graphics and even depth that is usually reserved for the bigger console boys. Whether it’s the on-the-go beat’em up of Street Fighter 4, with its surprisingly accurate controls; the bullet hell of Dodonpachi Resurrection; mind bending puzzles with Cogs or Goo; strategising with Highborn; FPS online death matches of Archetype; wheel to wheel racing of Asphalt 6; or toe tapping with RockBand… whatever your style, there is something out there for you.
Below you will see what we – the editors here at TouchGEN.com – feel are our favourites of the year. There were so many games released that deserved to make the list, but we have rounded our selections down to four nominees per category and picked an overall winner for each.
You’ll no doubt disagree with our choices below, and you are entitled to your opinion. Let us know what your favourite games of 2010 were, in the comments section below.
Runner Up: Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars
Winner: Infinity Blade
While creating a unique spin on the RPG, Infinity Blade is still – at its heart – an action game. With great one-to-one controls, an addictive learning curve which requires real skill over XP and jaw dropping graphics, ensures that if you need a quick fix of action then this is the game to own. Epic!
Runner Up: Dodonpachi Resurrection
Winner: Street Fighter IV
When we heard that Street Fighter IV was coming to iOS, we have to admit that we really weren’t holding out much hope for a faithful representation of the game, in both the graphics and control departments. Boy, were we wrong. Not only does the 2D port of the console graphics look great, but the virtual joypad and button worked a treat. Connect via bluetooth with a friend and you’ll find it hard to put down. Intense!
Runner Up: Hector: Badge of Carnage
Winner: Galaxy on Fire 2
Part RPG and part action, and with a great story it’s a whole lotta’ adventure. Be it in handheld form or on iPad, the game offers a deep and immersive experience through a seemingly endless galaxy. Huge!
Runner Up: StarDunk
Winner: Cut the Rope
This years answer to Angry Birds. Cut the Rope shows that a simple idea combined with great physics and intuitive controls is all you need to have a sure fire hit on your hands for all types of gamer out there. That all important ‘one more go’ lure, ensures its success as this years must have game! Addictive!
Runner Up: Neuroshima Hex
Winner: Scrabble
One of the best table board games gets a digital makeover which actually improves the formula. On iPad it’s a joy to play, be it on your own, against friends over Facebook or pass n’ play. For an awesome futuristic experience combine the iPad with the tile app on four iPhones. Classic!
Runner Up: Modern Combat 2
Winner: N.O.V.A 2
A close battle with Modern Combat 2 shows that Gameloft can’t be beaten when it comes to the FPS. N.O.V.A. 2 has the edge with both a better campaign and a tighter online multiplayer element which replicates the intense deathmatches of classic FPS’s such as Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament. Killer!
Runner Up: Radio Flare REDUX
Winner: Bit.Trip Beat
While you could argue that both Radio Flare and Bit.Trip Beat are not full music games, the music is so integral to both experiences that we couldn’t help but vote for both. Bit.Trip Beat wins by providing a love letter to retro as both a visual and aural work of art. Beautiful!
Runner Up: Sonic 4
Winner: Perfect Cell
It’s the new versus the old. And while Sonic 4 offered great classic platforming with tight virtual controls, the originality of Perfect Cell won through, and it does so with polish and audio/visual finesse. Stealthy!
Runner Up: Modern Combat 2
Winner: N.O.V.A 2
Again, a close battle with all nominations, each giving a strong performance. Archetype started the year well, but with Modern Combat things started to get closer to the online offerings of console FPS’s. N.O.V.A. 2 is the icing on the cake, taking where MC2 left it and adding intense, on-the-edge-of-your-seat multiplayer action with great connectivity over Gameloft Live and Gamecenter. Pwned!
Runner Up: Reckless Racing
Winner: Real Racing 2
It wasn’t going to be easy bettering the awesome Real Racing, and it’s no surprise then that the game to steal its crown is its younger sibling Real Racing 2. Bigger, better and with up to 16 player online racing… it can’t get much better than this. Well, not until Real Racing 3! Speedy
Runner Up: Helsing’s Fire
Winner: Cut the Rope
It came out of nowhere, but it’s endearing lead character and presentation was hard to resist. Add to that a great underlying physics system and intuitive touch controls that seemed tactile and the game was hard to put down. Instant classic!
Runner Up: FIFA 11
Winner: Real Racing 2
With the world cup on everyone’s minds this summer it’s easy to expect a football (soccer) game to take the crown, and with so many quality soccer games out there it was a close battle. But, nothing is more sporting or competitive than 16 player online racing, and with the gameplay firmly rooted to the sport of motor racing and not distracted by in your face arcade stylings, for us at TouchGEN HQ its the clear sports winner. Pole Position!
Runner Up: iBomber Defense
Winner: Plants Vs Zombies
This one was a no-brainer. An instant classic when it hit PC’s last year, it has earned critical acclaim across the board. It seemed like forever before PopCap released it on iOS but when it did it oozed quality, playing perhaps better on the touch devices than on PC. Blooming great!
Runner Up: Space Minor: Space Ore Bust
Winner: Chaos Rings
With some lacklustre ports of their Final Fantasy classics, Square Enix finally came good with Chaos Rings. Reinvents the action RPG with marvellous visuals, great controls, and a deep magic system. Magical!
Runner Up: RAGE
Winner: Infinity Blade
When they surprised us with the EPIC citadel tech-demo at Apple’s media event earlier in the year, we almost fell off our chairs. The Unreal engine looked beautiful on the iPhone 4, and ChAIR took those foundations and upped it even more to create a fantasy realm, home to giant warrior beasts and gods. Nothing comes close, even in a year where console-like graphics on iOS has come of age. Fantastical!
Runner Up: Gameloft
Winner: Chillingo
Props to Gameloft for churning out a ton of console-a-like games (good and bad), but the crown has to go to Chillingo for growing from humble beginnings and a hodgepodge of good and bad game offerings, to bringing us gaming greats such as Knights Rush, Helsing’s Fire, Assault Squadron and of course Cut the Rope. The icing on the cake was EA’s acquisition, which I hope will only strengthen their iOS offerings in 2011.
Runner Up: Venan
Winner: X2 Games
While X2 football 2010 didn’t quite make the shortlist for best sports this year, instead falling short of FIFA 11, it was a great achievement for X2 to create a football game capable of going toe-to-toe with the might of EA and Gameloft’s offerings, while improving on last years X2 football 2009. X2 snowboarding was also a great example of their talents, bringing the best snowboarding game to the AppStore thus far.
Runner up: Tilt to Live
Winner: Street Fighter 4
Gaming on iOS seems to have surprised us at every turn this year, but nothing knocked us for six quite like Street Fighter IV. We expected the game to be near unplayable, with not only the controls being a hurdle, but also expecting graphical lag, particularly in multi-player bouts. What a slap in the face then to be proven wrong! Kick-ass!
Runner Up: Cut the rope
Winner: Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars
Generally the iPad played second fiddle to the iPhone and iPod Touch, with many games getting the HD treatment sometimes weeks after the handheld releases (an age in iOS gaming!). But, occasionally the experience was worth the wait. And GTA: China Town Wars was no exception. Not only is it the best looking version of the game on any platform (yes, even better than PSP), but it controlled the best too. Gangster!
Winner: Infinity Blade
Not a big surprise, what with all the attention this game has had since its announcement earlier in the year. But really, nothing comes close in what this game has achieved. The graphics are jaw-droppingly beautiful, the controls intuitive, and the gameplay is both deep and perfect for pick-up-and-play. It has also made the hardcore of the gaming media and community stand up and take notice that the iOS platform is a viable gaming system, worthy to go head-to-head with Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony. Masterful!
