Air Hockey | £0.59 / $0.99
This is air hockey, just like you'd find at your local Hollywood Bowl. One or two players can play, simply by placing a finger on the screen and moving it to control their paddle. This version is superior to the Fingertip Games version as all the sprites are smaller, allowing for more puck movement and therefore more skilful play. It's selling really well and it's not hard to see why. It's ironic to consider that the platform that costs so much and uses such incredibly advanced technology, yet one of its greatest applications is so cheap and cheerful.

Above: Place your finger on your screen and imagine how fun it would be to play it

Chess Classics | £5.99 / $9.99
OK, so it's just chess. But it's perfectly suited to short-burst play. You get a choice between a 2D and 3D display with a polygonal board and sprites for pieces. There's even a reflection effect in the polished surface. It can be a bit fiddly at times, as the 8x8 board is a bit large for the small screen, especially when you're selecting moves and pieces with your fingers. Fortunately there is an 'undo last move' option.

The computer is very clever, playing a surprisingly aggressive game. It's quick, too – no waiting half an hour for the AI to work out its next move. However, while you can switch the iPhone to standby between moves and return to it later, we can't find a save-game feature. Even a password function would have been preferable to losing the whole game every time you return to the main screen. Still, it's compelling and playable and worth a look if you play chess regularly.

Texas Hold’Em | £2.99 / $4.99
Apple has made a superb poker game here. The graphics are great, with old Apple posters on the wall and long-defunct Apple kit stacked on the shelves in your character's garage, while you can study your opponent’s face and their expressions. Turn the iPhone into landscape and the screen becomes an overhead plan of the poker table.

If you’re new to poker and unsure of the hand you’ve been dealt, the program helps. Simply tap on your cards and a rating meter appears to show you just how good your hand is.

You can also play against up to nine real players if you want but this multi-player function is only possible if all players are on the same Wi-fi network – long-distance poker is out of the question. The game is bit battery hungry on account of the sweet graphics but don’t let that put you off. Whether you’re a seasoned, whiskey-sodden pro or a newbie to the table, it's definitely worth a try.

BubbleBash | £2.99 / $4.99
Ever played Bust-a-Move? This is that game in all but name. It adds some new features to the table, such as being able to move your launch platform left and right by tilting the iPhone/iPod Touch, and there are plenty of variations on the main game to get to grips with.

However, its bright, 2D graphics look a like the sort of game you get for free from a Flash website, so don't expect graphical miracles. If you love Bust-a-Move, though, you can't really go wrong here. Especially when it features a bubble-slinging crab.

Enigmo | £2.99 / $4.99
Use bumpers, sliders, sponges and accelerators (but not your accelerometer, for once) to move water from a dripping vessel to another container. Earn points and bonuses as you go along.

It's mind taxing stuff, but if you love a challenge you’ll wring every last drop of fun out of every one of Enigmo's 50 levels. It's worth the asking price just to see the physics flowing through the simple 3D levels, although the interface can be a bit fiddly, especially for those with larger fingers.

So there we have it - ten great games. Maybe not quite worth the cost of an iPhone alone, but welcome nonetheless. And it won't stop here, either. The promising-looking Real Soccer 2009 is coming out in a few weeks with full 3D graphics, which should give us the best indication yet of the console's abilities. Did we just say console? Are we really ready to take iPhone's games that seriously? There's a lot of potential for the platform, just so long as its technology is used right. But then, we said that about Wii and look what happened there...

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