What's out for mobile this week?
With the holidays quickly approaching, there's nothing better than downloading a few games on your phone or tablet to sneak in between family gatherings or the occasional snowball fight. Some of these games are great for quick bursts of fun while others can last you well until the new year. Play some movie trivia, raid some classic tombs, or survive the zombie apocalypse. The choice is yours.
Safe Cracker (Free)
Safe Cracker is a puzzle game that takes place inside a safe. Using your miniature robot assistant, you need to rotate each level and get him to touch every switch inside to open the way towards the next tricky puzzle. Each level also holds three star switches that unlock additional levels the more you collect them. They're optional, of course, and since you only have a limited amount of time to get them all, they get more challenging as you play along. If you don't mind the occasional ad, all 64 levels are free to play, making this game quite the steal.
Cut the Rope 2 ($0.99)
Om Noms insatiable sweet tooth has taken him into the great outdoors where hes met a few friends that can help him eat all the candy he wants. You still need to cut some ropes to let all the candy pieces drop into Om Noms mouth, but the addition of new puzzle mechanics keep things fresh throughout its 100 levels. Each of its five worlds also features a new friend who helps Om Nom by carrying him around, creating platforms for him, or by tossing him up in the air. One dollar gets you one sweet experience and a whole lot of candy.
Republique ($4.99)
Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Republique's first of five chapters is now available and follows the story of Hope, who must escape from her totalitarian prison using your help. You don't have any control over her, however. Instead, this stealth-action game requires you to interact with your environment by tapping on computers, distracting guards, or hacking into security systems to create openings for Hope to slip past undetected. Each room you enter acts as a puzzle of sorts, and you need to pay close attention to patterns to ensure your solution works in your favor.
Ridge Racer Slipstream ($2.99)
Fans of Ridge Racer will feel right at home with this next entry into the series that brings all those smooth arcade races to the palms of your hands. Slipstream comes with robust single-player modes, letting you challenge the AI in classic arcade challenges or upgrade your cars as you progress through its challenging career mode. Each race you win gets you points with which you can purchase upgrades like new wheels, engines, or a fresh coat of paint. With plenty of control options and some great multiplayer modes, Slipstream does what Ridge Racer does best.
Fightback (Free)
Fightback follows the story of guy whose sister has been kidnapped by a gang of thugs, so he does what every loving brother would do and fights his way to get her back. Unlike games like Streets of Rage, however, this brawler requires you to use gesture commands to punch and kick enemies that come towards you. It feels a lot like an on-rails game mixed with an endless runner, with the object of each level being to get as many combos going to achieve top scores. If you don't mind freemium mechanics like waiting to play or paying to continue, Fightback wants to pick a fight with you.
Hopeless: The Dark Cave (Free)
Its hard not to feel bad for the little yellow gumdrop in the center of your screen. Armed with nothing but a gun, he must defend himself against hordes of monsters that lurk in the darkness and shoot them down before they get too close. Things get faster the longer you last, so you need to have quick reflexes to survive and rack up as many points as you can before doing it all over again. But dont get too trigger-happy as some of your buddies are also running towards you for help. Nothing's sadder than a dead gumdrop.
Tomb Raider ($0.99)
Following her favorable reboot earlier this year, Lara Croft is back for some old-school tomb raiding in this classic title from 1996. For only a dollar, you get the entire game plus a few extra stages that were added following its original release. Tomb Raider comes with updated graphics and touch controls. So if you want, you can always plug in an iOS controller and track down Atlantis like in the good old days, too.
MovieCat 2 ($1.99)
Can you figure out the answer to the above slide? If you guessed Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, you not only know your Keanu Reeves movies but you're also not easily distracted by cosplaying cats. This is just one of the many modes in MovieCat 2, a trivia game that blends flicks with felines and provides hundreds of questions that are sure to leave you stumped. You only have 9 lives (of course) to become the MovieCat champ. If you think you got what it takes to beat your friends' scores or perhaps want a Hollywood refresher, some cute cats are waiting to play with you.
Walking Dead: The Game - Season 2 ($4.99)
The first episode of Season 2 of the Walking Dead continues the story of a band of strangers trying to survive in a world overrun by zombies, but this time it places the spotlight on one of its youngest characters. Playing just like all the other episodes, this narrative-driven game has you exploring your world by tapping objects, solving simple puzzles, and interacting with characters. If you played the first season, all of your choices will carry over to this one too and provide a smooth continuation to this gripping interactive drama.
The Shadow Sun ($7.99)
The Shadow Sun is probably the closest thing you're going to get to playing an Elder Scrolls game on you iPhone. While your world isn't as big as Skyrim's, this RPG does provide an intriguing story and plenty of conversations that adapt to your choices. Diverse quests provide hours of leveling up for experience points which you can then use to fully customize your character and teach him or her nifty spells or abilities. With plenty of options, missions, and gorgeous environments to explore, Shadow Sun is well worth getting lost in.
