The iPad Review… sort of

By Dave LeClair, USA
for www.touchgen.com

Published: April 19, 2010

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The iPad has been on the market for a couple of weeks now, and we have all had some time to play a few games and really see where the device is going. I myself played around 10 really solid games in the first week alone, and have already given a game a 5 star review, so I think it is safe to say that we are off to a good start.

Before I go into games specifically I feel it right to talk about some other aspects of the device first, while I am aware that we are a gaming website, I am also aware that no one is going to be using their iPad exclusively for games.

As an Internet browser the iPad is awesome, the large screen makes browsing amazing sites like touchgen.com feel much like you are looking at your computer. There still isn’t flash support, which kind of sucks, but I knew that going in, so I have to accept it. I would love to be able to watch more online videos on my iPad, but it’s not the end of the world, especially since there is the Netflix app. If you have a Netflix account, then having instant streaming of everything in the Netflix instant stream library is absolutely amazing. Overall, as a non gaming device the iPad gets my seal of approval in a huge way.

Another non gaming feature that I love is the keyboard. With the Word Press app, I am able to get much of the work on my articles for touchgen done right on my iPad. There’s really something to be said for playing a game on the iPad, and being able to jump right in and write the review. Some of the heavier stuff is not in the app, but the core is there, and you really just need a computer for the polish. If you are not a blogger, but still write for work, apple has also made 3 iWork programs, that will allow you to get a lot of work done while on the road.

Now let’s get on to the good stuff, the iPad as a gaming platform. As I said in my pre-release article, I was cautiously optimistic about the iPad before it came out. I was worried about the device being too large to be portable, and the device being too large to really hold comfortably. I still think both of the things could be true for certain people. For me, I found that it wasn’t really a problem. I have a backpack with my regular laptop that I always have in my car anyway, and the iPad is so thin that it fits right in same backpack without really adding any weight or thickness. As far as the size of the device and how that relates to holding it, this is still true if you do not have a case that can prop the device up. I purchased the official apple case, and this really negates having to support the devices weight . If you don’t have a case on the iPad, and you just want to hold it, then many games where you have to use an on screen joystick may be uncomfortable to play for extended periods of time. I found first person shooters to be the main genre that suffers from this (not naming any names). There really is no way to use another control method in a shooter besides on on screen joystick. Many other games can adept a control method where you set the device on the table and play the game, but shooters really have no other choice.

Some games that have really impressed me on the iPad is any type of strategy game. For example, I gave Warp Gate a perfect score, and I stand by it one hundred percent. The game works perfect on the iPad, and you can really tell that it is a game that was designed to played on the device.

A big surprise on the iPad was platformers, and more specifically, Mirrors Edge. You would think a platformer would require some type of an on screen D-Pad, but Mirrors Edge figured out a way to make intelligent use of the iPad, and use a control method that allows you to play the game comfortably and without any on screen buttons.

Another major factor in making the iPad great is the incredible graphics. There is something to be said for holding a high resolution, ten inch screen right in front of you while playing a beautiful 3d game. Some games have made me forget that I am even playing on a portable system; they really look that good. Sometime I boot up a game and I just want to look at it myself or bring it around and show people how pretty the games are.

I am genuinely impressed by a bunch of initial launch games on iPad, but disappointingly, things seems to have slowed down the last couple weeks, and my inbox hasn’t been filling up nearly as quickly with iPad games. The top selling games on the app store seem to the be the same every week as well. I know it’s early in the life cycle, so I shouldn’t expect to see as many releases as the iPhone, but I would really like to see some more quality stuff coming out.

If you are running out and getting an iPad, I would like to run down three games that I think you should go out and get day one. Take a look at this list, and when you come home and think, “hmm, what would I like to play” these are the must buy:

3. Geometry Wars - The game’s not perfect, but it’s pretty awesome, and it’s the only game I have seen that makes on screen joysticks work well.

2. Mirror’s Edge - Awesome game with awesome graphics and an awesome control method. Did I say awesome?

1. Warp Gate HD - Best game on the iPad so far, no question; an absolute one hundred percent must buy.

Things are looking really great for the iPad as a gaming platform, and based on the games that have come out over the last 2 years on the iPhone, I have no doubt that developers will continue to evolve and improve their games. I’m very excited to see what the next year holds for gaming on my iPad.

The million dollar (or at least 500 dollar) question is: should you run out and get and get an iPad. The answer to this is yes, as long as it’s not going to break the bank. If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, and are strapped for cash, then the iPad probably doesn’t do anything so revolutionary or amazing that you must own it. However, if you don’t have an iPhone or iPod Touch, or you really want a bigger version, that makes the same things look much better, as well as bring a whole bunch of new features to the table, then the iPad is probably a good decision. I am very happy to own the device, and it really keeps me entertained for a good portion of my day!

Review disclosure: Any games reviewed on this page may have been provided to us by the developer for the purposes of this review. Note: the resulting review score is never impeded by this fact, all opinions are that of the TouchGen reviewer and not the developer. This is in keeping with our O.A.T.S oath. Read more about O.A.T.S here

3 Comments on "The iPad Review… sort of"

Justin Grubbs on Tue, 20th Apr 2010 5:02 am

you have no idea how much I want one of these right now… I was just soso about it last week, but I stopped into a local best buy and tried one out, and I loved it! too bad I’m saving my money for the new iPhone

legend.inc on Tue, 20th Apr 2010 9:31 am

I want it too… but i am going to wait for the next version..:)

lemon on Sat, 24th Apr 2010 8:43 am

well, I got my ipad last week, and Im enjoyable with it.
Overall it’s amazing. The only thing that annoys me is the predictive text function.
The couple of Apps that I have got are amazing…and I think the success of the ipad will be determind by the quality of Apps that come out - but so far I have found the whole thing simply amazing. Well, here share some of my treasure, some ipad resources and tips on iPads, such as “10 Best iPad Games We Can’t Wait to Play”, “Top 10 Best Free iPad Apps”, “The Beginner’s Guide to iPad Video Conversion on Mac”, “Apple iPad Jailbreaking Hacks”… Well, more: ifunia ipad column.

The iPad Review… sort of

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