Fortnite Postparty integration is now here, allowing you to quickly capture 30 second clips of your battle royale skills and edit them before posting online. Whether its a particularly impressive elimination, a wild dirt bike stunt, or a clutch Victory Royale, once you've set up Postparty you just need to hold a button and your recent Fortnite gameplay will be transferred straight to your mobile, ready to share with the world. If you're keen to get social, then here's how to use Postparty in Fortnite to capture clips and upload them for all to see.

How to set up Fortnite Postparty

To set up Fortnite Postparty, you first need to download the mobile app to your phone, which is available from the App Store for iOS, the Google Play Store on Android, or via the Epic Games App on Samsung Galaxy. Once the app is installed, open it and sign in using the Epic Games account details you play Fortnite with, then confirm that the linked platform account(s) shown in the app match up correctly with your details. You can then head back to Fortnite, where Postparty integration will have been enabled automatically.

How to use Fortnite Postparty to create and share clips

Once you're in a match, you can hold the Fortnite Postparty capture button or key for your platform to save the previous 30 seconds of gameplay, which will show a "Clip Captured" notification. These are the default Postparty capture buttons, though this can be remapped in the control settings:

• PlayStation controllers: Options button
• Xbox controllers: Menu button
• Nintendo Switch controllers: + button
• Keyboard: Esc key

You'll be prompted to save a clip whenever you get an elimination, though you can hold the appropriate button to save a recording at any time. Clips will be automatically uploaded to the app, though it could take up to five minutes for them to appear after processing. You can then view the clip through the app, trim the start and end point, before posting it directly to various social media sites or saving it to your phone for your own sharing later.

How to turn off Postparty notifications in Fortnite

Having that Fortnite Postparty notification pop up and remind you that you can "Hold to clip now" can be useful at first, but seeing it every time you get an elimination may become annoying after a while. Thankfully it's easy to get rid of if you no longer want it, and all you need to do is open the Settings, select the Account and Privacy tab, then switch the Clipping Reminders option to Off. You can also turn off the Postparty recording itself from this same menu, if you're finding that it's causing performance issues with your hardware.

What are the Fortnite Postparty rewards

Once you've set up your Fortnite Postparty link and shared your first clip from the Postparty app, you'll also receive several in-game rewards for your locker:

• Post That! wrap
• Postparty Confetti spray

These should appear next time you return to the Lobby screen, but if you're not seeing them then simply reload Fortnite and they will pop up when you log in.

The Honkai Star Rail release date has seemingly been confirmed for April 26, according to a new listing for the game in the iOS app store.

You have to do a bit of a convoluted search to find Honkai Star Rail in the app store on iPhone or iPad, but if you search for Cognosphere - that's the name of the corporate subsidiary that runs developer Hoyoverse - you should be able to dig it up. The page lists that the game is "coming soon" and is "expected April 26, 2023."

That date only shows in the proper app store, so you won't see it if you look up the store page on the web. Of course, fans quickly took note of the apparent release date confirmation, and we've been able to confirm it on iPhones in the US. Your mileage may vary in other regions.

We've reached out to Hoyoverse for further information and will update this story if we learn more.

Honkai Star Rail is about to have a third (and final) closed beta, starting on February 10. Sign-ups are already over, though an official FAQ suggests that there may be additional ways to get access once the beta gets started.

While Honkai Star Rail is technically a new entry in Hoyoverse's Honkai series, it's being billed as a newcomer-friendly adventure with a whole new gameplay style. This time, you control a party of characters in turn-based RPG combat, setting Star Rail apart from Hoyoverse's Honkai Impact 3rd and Genshin Impact, not to mention Zenless Zone Zero.

The devs have now addressed reports of sexual harassment the English voice behind Tghnari in Genshin Impact.

Whether you want the latest superhero action, mind-expanding sci-fi, or soul-chilling horror, comics are one of the most diverse storytelling mediums on Earth. Yet while physical comics and graphic novels will always have a place in our longboxes and on our bookshelves, digital marketplaces and reader apps offer two distinct benefits – the portability of taking an entire collection anywhere you go, and the opportunity for creators to experiment with comics unbound by the limits of the printed page.

As digital comics and reader apps have evolved, the marketplace has gotten pretty crowded though, with numerous services battling for your attention – which is where we step in. From voluminous archives of classic comics to the latest releases, via original creations designed exclusively to be read on your devices, here's our pick of the best apps for comics, whatever you’re reading.

10. Astonishing Comic Viewer

Available on: Android

Price: Free

Astonishing by name, astonishing by nature. At a surface level, this is a reader that again supports CBR, CBZ, and PDF files, curates your collection, offers cloud storage integration, and supports western and manga reading directions. Look a little deeper though and you'll find it packs in a few other tricks too, such as continuous reading between issues, the ability to share favorite panels or pages, and even support for casting your comics to other screens – reading comics blown up on a 4K TV is a unique experience!

9. Chunky

Available on: iOS - iPad only

Price: Free

Chunky is a pure reader targeting the iPad exclusively. The lack of iPhone support may disappoint – as might its absence from Android tablets – but this is an app designed to make your digital comics look as good as possible, which means demanding the biggest screens possible. Supporting CBR, CBZ, and PDF formats, Chunky will automatically upscale low-resolution material, with pretty impressive results – as the developer says, it's "built by graphics-geeks, for comic-nerds." It will also automatically arrange your collection as you import files, and recognise metadata tags from cataloguing services. In fact, the more you dig into Chunky, the more features you'll uncover – such as auto-contrast features, parental controls, western and manga reading modes, and both portrait and landscape display support. Best of all, it integrates with just about every cloud storage option out there, allowing you to easily load your comics into the app.

8. comiXology

Available on: Android, iOS

Price: App free; Individual purchases; Amazon Prime subscriptions

Moving away from simple comics readers and into the realm of digital comic storefronts, comiXology was once the pinnacle of digital comics as an entire concept.  However, the platform was bought by Amazon in 2014 and, well, it’s all been a bit downhill ever since. Both Android and iOS apps have long lacked the ability to buy comics in-app – speculated to be a way to avoid cuts taken by the respective app stores – which forces readers into the frankly terrible user experience of having to search for and buy comics through Amazon’s website, then managing their library back in the comiXology app. Amazon’s push to merge comics into its own Kindle ecosystem, coupled with the absolute mess that searching for anything on Amazon is nowadays, has ruined what once felt like the future of comics. However, muddle through the purchase process and comiXology still has its perks. Not only is comiXology still the main avenue for buying digital comics day and date with physically released new issues, but as a reader app, its Guided View mechanic – which sweeps through zoomed-in panels for an almost cinematic reading experience – remains best in class. The library is also hard to beat, with offerings from every publisher you care to imagine and a few more besides, frequent sales and discounts, and a range of comiXology Originals that offers a slate of titles not available anywhere else – including genuinely excellent work from creators including Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder. Prime subscribers also get access to any titles included in Prime Reading, which can be browsed and downloaded in-app, unlike purchases. Overall, comiXology remains worthy of note as one of the best comic readers, but its shining star has definitely fallen.

7. Crunchyroll Manga

Available on: Android, iOS

Price: Crunchyroll subscription required

A manga-focused spinoff from Crunchyroll’s anime streaming service, Crunchyroll Manga, offers titles from a wide array of Japanese publishers. Big titles such as That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Fairy Tail, and Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card are joined by buried treasures including Okitenemuru and Father and Son, and many are published simultaneously with Japan. However, while many titles have at least the first chapter available to read for free, you will need a subscription to Crunchyroll's anime offerings to access most of the content here, and even then, some titles have gaps in available chapters. The reading experience is a mixed affair – page-to-page scrolling is smooth, and it has a form of guided view, but there's still no landscape view support. Turn your phone sideways for a double-page spread, and you'll just get each page, vertically, that must be scrolled top-to-bottom. Still, a solid selection of genres and titles, and the fact that it’s basically free if you do have a Crunchyroll subscription for anime, makes this a solid choice.

6. Azuki

Available on: Android, iOS

Price: $4.99/month

Despite being a newer player on the manga scene, Azuki has already picked up some must-read AAA titles, including Attack on Titan, Fire Force, and the cyberpunk classic Battle Angel Alita. It’s also learned some lessons other manga-focused apps still haven’t, with support for multiple reading modes – single page focus, double page spread, or a vertical scroll of pages that works particularly well on phones – and a clean library view. Discovery is a delight, with the ability to browse titles by genre or publisher, and it even offers a publication schedule so you know exactly when new chapters will drop. On the downside, Azuki is online only, with no way to download chapters at present. The lag also makes page transitions slower than is ideal. Hopefully, these issues will be addressed in time, since with its expanding library and global availability (bar Japan itself), Azuki has a lot to offer fans.

5. 2000AD

Available on: Android, iOS

Price: Free; Individual comic purchases

The legendary British sci-fi comic now delivers zarjaz thrills directly to your pocket with its own dedicated app. No idea what "zarjaz" means? No worries – you'll be able to pick up the publication's unique slang thanks to a selection of free titles, serving up a best-of platter of titles from publisher Rebellion. There's also the option to buy individual single issues of 2000AD dating back to 2002, pick up graphic novel collections of characters such as Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, or Sláine, or subscribe to either the weekly 2000AD or the monthly Judge Dredd Megazine. Best of all, as Rebellion has picked up rights to titles from other UK publishers over the years, the 2000AD app now offers a host of once-lost classics, including The Steel Claw and The Trigan Empire. Improving on earlier versions of the app, there's now a library view, and although there’s still no equivalent of guided view – the ability to tap-to-zoom is a poor alternative – the reading experience remains clean and clear, with smooth page transitions and sharp HD presentations of the material.

4. Webtoon

Available on: Android, iOS

Price: Free

Originally focused on Korean webcomics primarily designed to be read on smartphones, Webtoon is now a portal for creators around the world. While it’s the best place to read Korean titles that have enjoyed international breakthrough success – such as Sweet Home and Tower of God – western publishers have gotten in on the action, too. DC in particular offers up some fantastic Webtoon-original titles, including Vixen, Red Hood and the Outlaws, and the sublime Batman: Wayne Family Adventures, which drops the Caped Crusader and his host of sidekicks into a superhero slice-of-life comedy. With the reading experience tailored to a continuous scroll, Webtoon is one of the few comics apps better suited to reading on your phone than a tablet, while easy bulk downloads of chapters means you can binge read whether you have data or not – perfect for commutes or flights.

3. DC Universe Infinite

Available on: Android, iOS

Price: Various subscription tiers (£6.99/$7.99 per month to £87.99/$119.99 per annum)

DC’s answer to Marvel’s dedicated app has been on what can only be described as a journey. Originally launched as a hub for all things DC, it was initially more of a streaming service that happened to also throw some bones to comics fans. Following the upheaval at Warner Brothers Discovery, which saw video content migrated to HBO Max, the platform was relaunched as a comics-only product – and it’s never been better. Where the original was locked to the US, the new incarnation is available in multiple territories, and it offers a bigger library than ever, with thousands of series to read. Basic subscribers (£6.99/$7.99 month) will get access to new titles six months after print releases, while those who opt for the top tier Ultra sub (£87.99/$119.99 per year) can read new issues only 30 days behind physical publication. As a reader app, it provides the same Guided View option as Marvel and comiXology, and the HD presentation of titles looks gorgeous on a good size tablet screen. All combined, DC Universe Infinite is a vast improvement on its earlier incarnation, making it worthy of inclusion as one of the best comic apps.

2. Marvel Unlimited

Available on:  Android, iOS

Price: £8.99/$9.99 per month, $68.99/year

If keeping up with the latest adventures in the Marvel Universe isn't your top priority, then Marvel Unlimited might be for you. With an archive of 30,000+ comics from across the publisher's 80+ years, and new issues added on a roughly three month delay from print copies, it's a fantastic way to catch up on the histories of Spider-Man, Black Panther, the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Avengers, Hulk, Captain Marvel, and many, many more. The digital format also allows for Unlimited-exclusive “Infinity Comics”, read as a constant scroll, while more conventionally designed comics can be read in "Smart View", allowing fans to swipe through panels on their phones, or have a full-page view on tablet or desktop browser. Recent updates have improved the app further, removing the previous paltry limit of only allowing 12 issues to be downloaded to a device at once. It could be a little better on the navigation front though – all those downloaded issues just sit as an endless list, rather than grouping by title, unless you bookmark a series first, which then groups them in a separate tab; a messy and repetitive chore. The price also remains a little steep compared to some of its subscription-based peers, costing about the same as a Netflix plan, though you can slash 40 per cent from the total cost if you pay annually. US-based subscribers can also take advantage of the Marvel Insider program, unlocking access to merch and giveaways from engaging with the app.

1. Shonen Jump

Available on: Android, iOS

Price: Free; Subscription models available

First, the bad news: Shonen Jump recently spiked its monthly subscription cost by 50%. Now, the good news: that hike brought the fee to the still almost comically low $2.99 per month, meaning this dedicated manga app remains the best deal in comics. And if three dollars (or local equivalent – Shonen Jump is currently available in 10 countries) is still too much, users can read the three latest chapters of some of Japan's most popular series for free. New chapters are typically published day-and-date with Japan, and subscribers also get access to a frankly ridiculous amount of archive content from publisher Shueisha to wade through. Whether you fancy reading all of One Piece’s 1050+ chapters and counting, diving into hidden gems like Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama's brilliant earlier series Dr Slump, or discovering modern classics such as Chainsaw Man, there’s an abundance of comics to read through. There's also the option to buy collected volumes of each title, guarding against titles cycling out of the library in future. The reading experience is solid, and although it lacks panel transitions that would help reading on phones, its support for landscape views makes double page spreads really pop on tablets. An incredible treasure trove of manga new and old, plus phenomenal value makes Shonen Jump hard to beat.

Love comics but don't know where to start? Here's our guide to comic shops and what to expect.

The highly acclaimed FMV adventure, Immortality, is out now on Android and iOS mobile devices.

Available via Netflix - which means you have to be a Netflix subscriber to play it even if you download the game from your device's native store - the critically-acclaimed detective game lets you explore "hours of footage from three of the actress's unreleased movies, sort through film clips and scrub through early footage" to find clues and solve what happened in this "dark, hidden chapter in Tinseltown's history".

"A starlet, vanished. Her films, unreleased," Netflix teases. "Investigate the lost works of the silver-screen hopeful to unlock the secrets behind her disappearance.

"What happened to Marissa Marcel? Brimming with talent, magnetism and beauty, the young actress was poised for stardom — until, it seems, she evaporated into thin air."

If you've yet to encounter it, it may interest you to know that Edge magazine awarded Immortality a rare perfect score of 10/10. In issue 375's review, Edge describes the sense of freedom offered as "exhilarating", saying "at one point we're given to wondering whether Half Mermaid has created the medium's first 4D open world." 

We gave Immortality 4.5 stars out of 5 in our own GamesRadar+ review of Immortality, saying "Sam Barlow has somehow done it again, raising the bar for the FMV / interactive movie genre once more" and calling it "another masterpiece of storytelling".

"Not only will the very NSFW parts make you wary of where you're choosing to play Immortality, but it also makes you second guess yourself," Sam wrote in her excellent review. "It'll start with something you think you almost see in a scrub back and forth, and before long you'll realize there's much more to Marissa's story than you'll initially ever imagine. 

"Immortality is one beautiful headfuck. Once again Barlow has surpassed himself, with this game surpassing anything else that's come before it in the genre."

If you fancy seeing what all the fuss is about but would prefer to play on a bigger screen, Xbox Game Pass subscribers are in luck as Immortality is now available on Xbox's subscription service. 

See all the new games set to launch on Microsoft's latest console this year and beyond with our guide to upcoming Xbox Series X games.

Update - November 15: After recent leaks, the devs have officially unveiled the Civilization 6 Leader Pass, which brings 18 additional leaders to the game over the next few months - but the DLC is skipping consoles this time around.

The Leader Pass will run through March 2023, releasing six packs containing three leaders each in the months to come. The first pack, featuring Abraham Lincoln of the US, Queen Mbande Nzinga of the Kongo, and Sultan Saladin of Arabia, will launch on November 21. You can see the full list of additions on the official site.

If you already own the Civ 6 Anthology package on Steam or Epic (or all the individual bits of DLC that make it up), you'll get the Leader Pass for free. You can also purchase it separately, but there's not yet a word on that price. That separate purchase will be the only way to get the content on iOS or the Mac App Store.

You'll note that PS4, Xbox One, and Switch are not listed there. That's because this package isn't coming out on consoles at all - or Android, for that matter. Civ has historically been a PC-focused series, but the console versions of 6 launched to a pretty positive reception a few years ago, so it's surprising to see those versions get skipped over entirely here.

Original story: One of the most popular strategy games around is getting a DLC reveal soon, though leaks have already spoiled the surprise. If you’re a fan of Civilization 6, you might want to keep your head on a swivel while browsing social media. 

Fans first got a hint something was coming last week when one noticed an advertisement for the Civilization 6 Leader Pass on the mobile version of the official website. It didn’t appear for long, though it was up for long enough for people to screenshot it and repost it on Reddit and ResetEra. 

The leak gives credibility to another that appeared just days earlier. That one – also posted to Reddit and ResetEra, naturally – features a list of new leaders, with four appearing in the image mentioned on the Civilization 6 website. If the leak proves correct, we’re also getting new content and a game mode alongside the fresh cast of leaders. 

Firaxis hasn’t commented on the leaks directly, though the developer did take to social media to confirm that an announcement regarding new DLC will be made today (November 15). The post itself is slightly humorous, which the situation arguably calls for.

The new Civilization 6 DLC would represent the first slice of new content the strategy game has got since the New Frontier Pass landed over a year ago in April 2021, featuring new maps, units, and other gameplay-focused tweaks like balance updates. 

Check out our list of the best strategy games if you’re looking for more options to keep you busy ahead of the big DLC reveal. 

The best iPhone games represent some of the most incredible mobile titles just waiting to be played. Whether you are into puzzles, RPG, or action games, iPhone has every genre imaginable available to it. If there's a game you want to play, chances are its already there. We've listed some of the best iPhone games the platform has to offer below, so why not check them out when you've got some time to spare? 

Don't forget to check out our ranking of the best Apple Arcade games, as well, if you're a subscriber to Apple's gaming service. Might we also suggest some of the best relaxing mobile games for just unwinding with too?

50. Angry Birds Journey

Genre: Adventure / Puzzle
Price: Free with in-game purchases

We've got a new entry to the Angry Birds series, and it's great fun. We're travelling around the world with our favorite flock of birds searching for Egg Wonders (egg-shaped artefacts) in a race against time before the Piggies get their hands on them. There are tons of rewards to be unlocked at each level. This is the perfect casual game to play whenever you have a free moment or feel like testing your brain with some puzzles.  

49. Stumble Guys

Genre: Casual
Price: Free with in-game purchases

If you’ve always wanted to play Fall Guys but don’t have a console or PC to join in on the fun, I bring you Stumble Guys. Heavily inspired by the Fall Guys, Stumble Guys follows the same battle royal formula with fun obstacle courses. Weeding out those who don’t make the cut with one “guy” becoming the champion. This game is fun, silly, and always a laugh with some friends. 

48. Alien Isolation 

Genre: Survival horror
Price: £12.99/$14.99

The incredible console and PC game is finally available on iPhone, and it's excellent! Based on the Alien film franchise, Isolation looks incredible on iOS, keeping the same tense atmosphere as you roam around your ship. The slightest sound or movement has you sporadically shooting or running for your life from the Alien roaming the ship for anything to devour. This game plays and feels very similar to the console and PC versions, so this could be worth your time if you've never played it before. 

47. Marvel Future Revolution

Genre: Action-adventure
Price: Free with in-game purchases

This visually stunning action-adventure game is the closest we've come yet to getting a fully fledged Avengers game on mobile platforms. It's a testament to how far the platform has come over the past few years, quickly catching up to something like the Switch. While it lacks controller options right now, it's still a lot of fun to play through a third-person, story-driven Marvel mash-up with many of the heroes that have hit the big screen over the past 15 years.

46. League of Legends: Wild Rift

Genre: MOBA
Price: free with in-game purchases

Wild Rift is a remarkable achievement in that it takes one of the world's most popular games and gets it to work on mobile. This is a spinoff, technically, but so much of it looks and feels like the real thing, including a huge and ever-growing roster, that diehard fans and newcomers alike (I am a newcomer myself!) should have no trouble getting the hang of this MOBA thanks to great mobile controls and a very welcoming tutorial. 

45. Adorable Homes

Genre: Simulation
Price: Free with in-game purchases

Cosy games are perfect when the weather dips, and Adorable Homes is a cosy as it gets. This Home Simulator has you moving into a new suburban home with your partner and cat. You build points via your "Love Meter" by doing chores and helping out your loved ones. These points can be used to unlock new areas of the house and buy new furniture and decorations for the house. 

44. The Arcana: A Mystic Romance 

Genre: Dating sim
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)

Based on Otome dating sims, Arcana whisks you away to a mystical tarot world, where you use your gift for the magical arts to romance your favorite characters. There are 22 major Arcana cards, giving you 22 episodes to dive into. Make choices, fall in love and uncover a murder mystery. 

43. Crash Bandicoot: On the Run 

Genre: Adventure
Price: Free with in-game purchases

Crash Bandicoot is a game that never gets old, from playing it on the PS1 as a kid to enjoying the latest console installment last year. This game will always have me excited. On the Run explains the game perfectly. It's an endless runner with Crash, Coco and Aku Aku, running through different levels to save the multiverse from Dr Cortex. This game incorporates the controls from the console game, Crash's spinning attack, and the jump slides. Unlock cool skins, upgrade the bandicoot base, and even a multiplayer option; there's endless fun to be had.  

42. Delicious World – Cooking Game

Genre: Family
Price: Free with in-app purchases

Cooking and Romance, what's not to love? You play as Emily, an aspiring chef as she travels the world working in different restaurants and cafes. This cooking sim is a lot of fun; you get to virtually cook at create tons of different dishes, meet new customers, challenge rivals and even start some romantic endeavours. Each chapter has you working in a new environment, serving unique dishes to customers and levelling up your utensils and appliances. 

41. Last Fortress

Genre: Strategy
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)

Everyone thought about how they would survive a zombie apocalypse, right? Well, this game puts your theory to the test. You are the leader of a group of survivors. You take refuge in a shoddy house, and it's up to you to build your fortress to fight yourself off from the undead. The game takes strategy games to the next level, making you make tough choices from resources to necessities. Assemble a team, from doctors, chefs, and scientists, anyone you think would be an asset to this fight. 

Turn to page two for our top 40 best iPhone games...

40. New York Times Crossword

Genre: Puzzle
Price: Free with in-game purchases

Calling all coastal elites, your app is ready. Kidding! The New York Times Crossword is famously tough and rewarding and now you can access its puzzles whenever you want without needing to carry around one of those old-fashioned newspapers or whatever they were called. Download this and you'll be asking your friends and coworkers what a five-letter word for "serious" is in no time.

39. Okay?

Genre: Trivia
Price: Free with in-game purchases

Okay, so this game has been a personal obsession of mine for some time. This game is as simple as it gets, but gosh, it's addictive. You have one objective, clear the board with one line. You aim for a small ball to hit each of the white shapes on the screen. Sounds simple enough, but things start to get tricky quickly enough. This game is perfect if you've got some time to kill and want to keep your brain occupied. 

38. Apex Legends Mobile 

Genre: Battle royale
Price: Free with in-game purchases

Mobile shooters just got a new entry! The hugely successful FPS Apex Legends has just released its mobile version of the game, including an exclusive all-new legend, Fade, just for mobile players. The mobile version of this game plays very similarly to the console/PC with slight changes to the controls, so if you're a fan, definitely give this version a go. 

37. Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade

Genre: RPG
Price: Free with in-game purchases

If you love a bit of history, you might want to check this game out. Choose from 13 different civilisations to build your empire. You start with a small clan but slowly build it into an incredible force. You can pick from real-world generals from history to be part of your command, with each appointment making a real difference to your play style. There are real-time battles filled with NPCs and real players. Make alliances with other areas to build your empire, and these alliances help during battles and raids. 

36. Rocket League Sideswipe

Genre: Sports
Price: Free with in-game purchases

Everyone's favorite car football game - Rocket League - is great on iOS. There are slight differences between PC and console, but just as fun. Battle it out in three modes 1v1,2v2 and Hoops. The controls are slightly different to the PC and console versions, but they are simple and easy to use. You can customize your cars with skins, paints, tires, and cool car animations. Overall the pocket version of this game is great for on the go. 

35. Golf Odyssey

Genre: Puzzle
Price: Free 

My latest puzzle game obsession for this month. Water Sort is simple enough, with it pushing you to separate each water colour into the right test tube; however, like every puzzle game, these progressively get harder. If you're looking for a fun, challenging puzzle to pass the time, this is a great option. 

34. Dragonball Legends

Genre: RPG
Price: free with in-game purchases

A card game with a twist. Nova Island is a 1v1 card battle. You fight for territory using your deck and collect Nova's, a valuable resource. First-person to collect 20 wins. Play cards to gain strength, deal damage and disrupt your opponent's strategy. For those who love a ranking system, there's even a competitive PvP where you can climb the leaderboard. A great pick for those who enjoy an intense non-action strategy game. 

33. Disney Mirrorverse

Genre: RPG
Price: Free with in-game purchases

A reimagining of many of our favourite Disney and Pixar characters unite together to defeat the mirror verse in this incredible action RPG. The mirror verse has alternative dark versions of many of these beloved characters, who try to break through and allow darkness to consume our heroes' world. You can equip characters with armor and weapons and unlock new skills with an impressive skill tree. One of the coolest things is being able to equip Rapanzel’s iconic frying pan. This game has loads to do, from exploring dangerous dungeons, to limited-time events, and loot-filled chapters. 

32. Beatstar

Genre: Music
Price: Free with in-game purchases

If you never really got over the disappearance of Rock Band and Guitar Hero from pop culture, Beatstar keeps your music gaming dreams alive. With the same sort of road of notes to play as expertly as you can and a library of real songs to pull from, including even from your own Apple Music library, Beatstar is basically Pocket Rock Band, complete with difficulties of varying degrees to suit all player skill levels.

31. NieR Reincarnation

Genre: Adventure
Price: Free

NieR Reincarnation is a spin-off to the incredibly popular game made just for mobile. The graphics are incredible, and the game makes some minor changes to accommodate it for a mobile audience. The switch from real-time combat to turn-based combat bodes well, making combat clean and easy to play. If you're a fan of the original series, you might want to check this one out.  

Turn to page three for our top 30 best iPhone games...

30. Hyper Light Drifter

Genre: Action-RPG
Price: $4.99 | £4.99

Hyper Light Drifter is one of those games where you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't enjoy it. A killer soundtrack, gorgeous visuals, precise, engaging melee gameplay and fun RPG elements make it one of the most well-rounded games on all its many platforms, but sometimes that makes it even better on mobile, when it feels like nothing was compromised for mobile delivery.

29. Stardew Valley

Genre: Simulation
Price: $4.99 | £4.99

The indie scene has played host to numerous spiritual successors that outperformed their inspirators. The Harvest Moon-inspired Stardew Valley is one of the biggest success stories in that field. It's got everything farm life sim fans want, like relationship dynamics, fishing tournaments, a big corporate bad guy, and crop rotation. You know, the essentials.

28. Oddmar

Genre: Platformer
Price: $4.99 | £4.99

Oddmar has been one of my favorite surprise hits as of late, offering levels intricately crafted and visuals unlike anything else I've seen on iPhones. It's an action game with platforming elements, or maybe a platformer with action combat? It's hard to say, it straddles that line really well, and wow does it play great doing it.

27. SpellTower

Genre: Puzzle
Price: Free with in-game purchases

SpellTower is a Zach Gage game, which is an endorsement in itself for those in-the-know. If you're not familiar with Gage's apps, he reimagines classic games like Solitaire and Chess with new and interesting rule sets and game mechanics. In SpellTower, Gage reconstructs the word search with new ideas that make the game more complex, more enjoyable, and longer-lasting thanks to daily challenges that will keep you coming back on ever train or bus ride.

26.  Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds

Genre: RPG
Price: Free with in-game purchases

An endless adventure awaits you in this stunning game in the Ni no Kuni world we all know and love. Cross World is an MMORPG featuring beautiful animation from Studio Ghibli and music composed by Joe Hisashi. Already this game is both visually and audibly incredible. Go to another world through the virtual reality game "Soul Dependent", where you can customize your character and skills, collect familiars and rebuild your kingdom. 

25. Love Island: The Game

Genre: Sim
Price: Free

You may have watched Love Island, but have you ever played the game? Step into the villa as a bombshell, ready to shake things up with immersive character animation that brings your islander to life, an incredible wardrobe to woo the villa, and exciting new daily challenges. If you're looking to do some virtual grafting, this game is perfect. 

24. Pokemon Go

Genre: augmented reality
Price: free with in-game purchases

It probably needs no introduction, but let's pretend it does. Pokemon Go is the game that brought catching Pokemon halfway into the real world. Thanks to satellite map data and the entire Pokedex to chase, Pokemon Go became a worldwide phenomenon five years ago and is fending off all AR competitors today too. If you love Pokemon or just need an excuse to go on more walks, nothing will serve you better.

23. Hitman: Sniper

Genre: Action
Price: $0.99 / £0.49

Step into the shoes of Agent 47 again, but with only your sniper rifle. Become the ultimate sniper assassin in this sniper only mode game of the brilliant Hitman series. There are over 150 missions and 11 different contracts for you to play, with a zombie challenge mode in death valley. 

22. The Longest Road on Earth

Genre: Adventure
Price: $3.99 / £3.99

The Longest Road on Earth is perhaps too weird of a game to be widely enjoyed, but it's daring and soothing at once and deserves your attention. In it, players take on the roles of several people, anthropomorphic animals really, and live out their pixelated, black and white lives to the tune of a stellar indie pop soundtrack. Think of the game as akin to Sayonara Wild Hearts, but instead of heart-pumping dreampop, it's folksy, melancholic, and reflective.  

21. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

Genre: Sim
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)

Because no one wants to wait any longer for Animal Crossing on Switch. It doesn’t quite have the infinite joys of its handheld cousins but there’s adorable charm to be found here as you design your own campground and play host to your favourite Animal Crossing stars. Plus, there’s no real reason to invest with actual cash either as you fish, catch bugs, pick fruit, design your camper, and even water flowers to pass the time before a full game arrives.  

Turn to page four for our pick of the top 20 best iPhone games to play right now...

20. Typoman Remastered

Genre: Adventure
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)

Words have never been more deadly with this magnificent remaster of one of the best mobile games. In this distorted world, our unlikely hero is made of letters, journeying through this hostile world with only the power of words that change the deadly environment around them. Words give you clues as to what dangers lie ahead and tips on how to pass obstacles. This game is smart and creative, so if you love spelling, this one is for you. 

19. Very Little Nightmares

Genre: Puzzle-platformer
Price: $6.99 | £6.99

If you've already loved and finished Little Nightmares and Little Nightmares 2 on PC and consoles, this mobile spinoff captures the essence of the series while providing a different, third entry in the series that fans shouldn't miss. It lacks some of the qualities of the main games, but the atmosphere in this puzzling side-story is still rich here just like it famously always has been.

18. Monument Valley 2

Genre: Puzzle
Price: $4.99 | £4.99

Take the Escher-like art of the first game, make it prettier, more challenging, and grander overall. That's the blueprint for Monument Valley 2, it seems because it seems the team at Ustwo Games nailed it. While the sequel didn't light the mobile world on fire the same way the original did, it's actually the better game overall, though both are worth playing so maybe start with the first one if you haven't tried them yet.

17. PUBG Mobile

Genre: Battle royale
Price: Free with in-game purchases

PUBG lit the fuse for the gaming world's obsession with battle royale, and though today it's often been supplanted by other games in the genre, for the purists, there's still nothing better. PUBG Mobile is a bit of a strange entity when compared to the console and PC versions, as the in-game events get much wackier than the grounded main game ever does, but the tough-as-nails survival and gunplay is still there in all its admittedly janky beauty.

16. Madden NFL 21 Mobile

Genre: American football
Price: Free with in-game purchases

Not many sports sims translate to mobile so well, but Madden is the best of the good ones. With plenty of crossover content between Madden Mobile and the main game, diehards can keep pace with the competition no matter where they're playing, and there are some unique modes that allow you to experiment with new ways to play when you're away from your PC or console. If it's in the game, it's on your iPhone.

15. Ikemen Sengoku

Genre: Simulation
Price: Free with in-game purchases

If dating sims are your thing, I've got you covered. Ikemen takes you to Sengoku, Japan, where you have a selection of male characters based on real Japanese historical figures ready to romance you. The story is fun, flirty, and emotional, depending on which route you decide to take. You are given five chapters a day, giving you just enough to keep you wanting more. This is a story-based game which means lots of reading, perfect for playing on a commute or before bed. 

14. Dark Nemesis: Infinite Quest

Genre: RPG
Price: Free (with in-app purchases)

Journey through the multiverse in this massive 3D MMORPG. Dive deep into this dark fantasy world, with some incredible graphics and isnae character designs. Choose from a class of fighters in PVP and battle royals to see who comes out on top. You can even team up to build the strongest team and embark into dungeons collecting rare limited-time treasures.  

13. Genshin Impact

Genre: RPG
Price: Free with in-game purchases

We'll probably never get Breath of the Wild on mobile phones, but Genshin Impact is the next best thing. This open-world gacha game draws heavily from Zelda, especially in the world design, but the anime makeover and deeper item and leveling systems make it stand out as its own worthwhile game too. It's one of the finest examples of a true open-world game on mobile.

12. Night in the Woods

Genre: Adventure
Price: $5.99 / £4.99

Though its name suggests a horror story, Night In The Woods is really a coming-of-age tale about Mae Borowski, a college dropout who returns to her pitiful small town directionless and full of existential dread. As Mae, players will find their way through a town forgotten by highways and alternatingly hated or zealously defended by its residents. It's at different times sad, hilarious, and poignant. Oh yeah, and Mae's a cat.

11. Oxenfree

Genre: adventure
Price: $4.99

Oxenfree is one of the finest adventure games of the past decade, so wherever you play it, it'll be worth it. But the fact that you can play this supernatural teen thriller right on your iPhone or iPad is a great proposition because the 2D dialogue-driven system feels right at home for the touch screen. Oxenfree revolutionized the choose-your-own-adventure genre with a remarkably lifelike dialogue tree that flows like real conversations, which takes the spotlight off any would-be janky talking sections and lets you focus on the out-of-dimension ghosts crashing your party.

Turn to page five for our top 10 best iPhone games...

10. Call of Duty Mobile

Genre: Shooter
Price: Free with in-game purchases

Call of Duty has dominated the console sales charts annually for the better part of two decades straight, and now mobile game studios have to contend with it taking over their platform too. COD Mobile burst onto the scene and quickly became a hit thanks to excellent mechanics and unlockables as deep as the ocean. With constant content updates, it's the sort of live-service game console and PC players are used to, translated perfectly to their iPhones.

9. Among Us

Genre: Social deduction
Price: Free with in-game purchases

This Little Game That Could was built by just three people in 2018 (the team now numbers four) but during the pandemic, its fun blend of deception and deduction caught on with millions of players around the world. If you've ever played Werewolf, think of Among Us like that but in space with silly little spacepeople avatars. It's wicked when played right and can be as casual or strategic as your group makes it out to be.

8. GTA: Vice City

Genre: Open-world action-adventure
Price: $6.99 | £6.99

The classics never really fade away, and San Andreas, GTA's biggest of its PS2-era games, is still a classic well-deserving of playtime today. With a story that starts serious about a street gang torn apart before getting into wild missions like stealing secret jetpacks from Area 51 analogs, GTA San Andreas is the biggest and often considered best of the yesteryear GTA collection. Then again, if you're more of a Vice City fan, that's available on iPhone too.

7. Rent Please! Landlord Simulator

Genre: Simulation
Price: Free with in-game purchases

Simulation games are always great but have you ever played as a landlord? Well, now you can. In Rent Please! Landlord Simulator, you can build your community and be a good landlord, something we don't see too often. You can unlock different types of apartments and houses for all kinds of people and families and come across characters with diverse backgrounds and stories. It's a good way to spend some spare time. 

6. MHA: The Strongest Hero

Genre: RPG
Price: Free with in-app purchases

Anime games can be hit or miss, but MHA's Strongest Hero is a hit. If you've seen the anime, you'll know that our main protagonists are heroes in training, and this open-world RPG puts our beloved teens right into the fight as you battle against villains. Patrol the streets of Honei, team up with your favourite characters and create a squad in this multiplier action RPG. You can even play some real-time PVP battles to test your skills. 

5. Pokemon Unite

Genre: MOBA
Price: Free with in-game purchases

Everyone loves Pokemon. It's quite literally one of the biggest franchises in this world. And now, with a new free play game exclusively for mobile, who wouldn't want to play Pokemon Unite. Team up in a 5v5 MOBA for a strategic team battle. The aim is to score as much EOS energy as you can. You can collect this by fighting wild Pokemon or pushing your opponents back to their base. Choose from a selection of 29 Pokemon, with more being added gradually.

4. Mario Kart Tour

Genre: Racer
Price: Free with in-game purchases

Who doesn't love Mario Kart? Seriously. I don't know anyone who would sayso, do you? While this isn't a 1:1 translation of Mario Kart 8, it's a great mobile spinoff that still contains the charm and deceptive skill ceiling of Nintendo's best-seller. It's also one of the best-supported games on this list, with regular updates adding new courses and events to keep you drifting around the next turn forever. 

3. Minecraft

Genre: Simulation
Price: $6.99 | £6.99

The indomitable Minecraft of course deserves a spot high on our list, especially when it's not compromised by the platform at all. With crossplay and the full range of features on offer, this is the pure Minecraft experience players would want. Bring to life unique worlds full of contraptions, landmarks, and plenty of mobs to fight - or go into creative mode and just build, build, build. If you can think it, you can create it.

2. Geoguesser

Genre: Trivia
Price: Free

There is something so absorbing about GeoGuessr's odd gameplay loop. It's truly unlike anything else on this list. You're shown an image from Google Maps data somewhere in the world. Then you guess where it's from. The closer you are, the more points you score. It's simple, yet irresistible. Sure, it's probably just a program to train AI location services or something, but I don't mind giving our robot overlords a hand in exchange for the thrill of nailing a bullseye.

1. Florence

Genre: Adventure
Price: $2.99 | £2.99

Most games on this list are built to be played forever. Florence is built to be played once, and depending on how long your commute is, perhaps even in just one sitting. At about 40 minutes long, this relationship drama rethinks gameplay by giving players WarioWare-like tasks to simulate daily life, like brushing teeth, going to school, and sadly breaking up with your partner. It's a human story full of rich art and music and despite its brevity, may stay with you for a long time.

Microsoft has published a dedicated webpage for its Activision Blizzard buyout and it explains how it's supposed to benefit everyone from players to creators and the industry at large.

"Players and developers are at the center of Xbox," reads a portion of the webpage. "We want to enable people to play games anywhere, anytime and on any device. And developers deserve more options to build, distribute and monetize their groundbreaking games. When we do this, we all win. That’s why we’re sharing more on the industry and how our acquisition of Activision-Blizzard fits into our gaming strategy."

The webpage is relatively bare at the moment and includes a recent Bloomberg interview with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, a pair of statements from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and Microsoft Vice Chair Brad Smith, respectively, and a table breaking down the benefits of the acquisition.

According to Microsoft, the deal doesn't just benefit Xbox; which now owns and profits from all of Activision's IP; and Activision, which is bagging a cool $70 billion in the transaction - it's also good for us players and the people making games.

The benefits for players include: More games on more devices, "including Xbox, PlayStation, phones, and online," more choice in how and where players can buy and play games, and "alternatives to gaming offerings from the dominant mobile platforms."

For game creators, Microsoft says its Activision deal will allow a bigger platform "through support, investment, and better access to gamers." It'll also afford creators "better revenue and fair marketplace rules through our app store principles." Finally, Microsoft says developers will have access to "greater flexibility in payment systems and the experience they provide their fans."

As for the broader industry, Microsoft argues its historic deal will be good for competition in mobile, "where a couple of big players dominate," and in traditional gaming, "where Sony and Nintendo will remain the biggest." There will also be an "emphasis on positive workplace culture and increased local investment from Microsoft in studios and creative ecosystems around the world."

This isn't the first time Microsoft has defended its Activision purchase publicly. In August, the mega corporation brushed off anti-competition concerns by suggesting Activision Blizzard doesn't make any "must have" games. Despite scrutiny from lawmakers in the US and UK, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently said the company is confident the deal will go through.

Here's why Sony thinks the transaction could have "major negative implications for gamers."

Studio-based streamers are spoiled for choice when it comes to microphone options, we’ve already put together a list of their best options, but for those breaking away from their desk things get more limited. 

The Seiren BT is Razer’s first attempt at plugging that gap. Taking audio on the move with a tiny Bluetooth mic designed to give mobile streamers a quality, flexible option. On paper it’s ticking a lot of boxes, but does it stack up in the real world, or could it be used in a streaming for gamers set up?

Design & features

Officially the smallest microphone in Razer’s best microphones for streaming lineup (and possibly any streamer microphone lineup for that matter) the Seiren BT measures in at just over six centimetres. It’s an incredibly portable little unit weighing just 16 grams, and I even actually forgot that it was clipped to my collar after a couple of minutes. A largely metal casing is a surprising and welcome touch too, it keeps the Seiren BT from feeling like a toy and adds a premium finish.

It’s an impressive form factor that’s noticeably smaller and lighter than its main rival, RØDE’s excellent Wireless GO, and it makes all the difference when it comes to actually using it. Like RØDE’s offering, the Razer Seiren BT features an inbuilt clip on the back for attaching to your collar and, on the whole, it’s a good solution that makes it simple to get on the move. 

Unlike the extra bulk of the Wireless GO which meant it often pulled down my t-shirt collar and flipped over, there was no such drama with the Seiren BT which sat happily in place throughout. If I’m being picky, the clip on the Seiren BT is just a touch lower than I’d like though; it’s a minor thing but it would help keep the mic hidden away more on camera if it joined nearer the top.

Connecting to my phone was simple, even without Razer’s dedicated streaming app. My iPhone 13 Pro happily picked up the Seiren BT as a Bluetooth mic, but be aware: it will take over your audio output too so listening back to test recordings in the Voice Memo app is a chore. There is a 3.5mm aux jack which does get around the issue, but the input being on the top of the mic is somewhat awkward and prevents you from using either of the two included windsocks too.

Performance

Using the Seiren BT as intended and linking up with the Razer streaming app unlocks a handful of extra features including AI noise cancellation, live audio monitoring, and a low latency mode. You can track battery percentage here too, with Razer claiming up to six hours of battery life if you keep noise cancellation off or four if you leave it on. There are two levels of that noise cancellation, and while they do an impressive job of cutting out unwanted background sound this was a little aggressive at times and ate into the voice quality too.

That’s an issue because with the Razer Seiren BT you don’t have a lot of voice quality you can afford to lose. For everything this little device gets right across build quality, design and setup, it falls down at the most crucial junction, sound quality. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t sound good at all.

Given the tiny form factor and $99 / £99 price point of the Seiren BT this shouldn’t come as a major surprise and yet I am still left feeling let down by what it produced. It’s important to taper expectations when it comes to the performance of a microphone like this, it’s never going to be able to deliver perfect studio-quality vocals no matter how hard the AI tries. But what I was left with was a microphone that delivered somewhere in line with a headset microphone or Apple Airpods.

It just all sounds a bit rough. There is no depth to my voice and none of the ‘perfect vocal clarity’ that Razer promises. Running some test recordings and Discord calls with a friend, we both agreed my audio was considerably better using the iPhone's built-in microphone over the Razer Seiren BT. Comparing it to the RØDE Wireless GO the difference was night and day (though, admittedly, the Wireless GO is twice the price).

Overall - Should you buy it?

This all leaves the Razer Seiren BT in a slightly strange position. It’s an excellent device that’s just not good at what it’s meant to do. It’s a Formula 1 car with the engine from a Fiat Punto.

Purely as a microphone and based on audio quality alone it’s hard to recommend, but as a complete package it begins to form a more useful offering. It’s built well, it’s simple to set up and the wireless freedom it brings is valuable. For IRL creators where flexibility triumphs over sound it might just fit the bill, but for those looking to properly turn up the quality, there are likely stronger options elsewhere.

How we tested the Razer Seiren BT

I used the Razer Seiren BT connected to an iPhone 13 Pro via Bluetooth both with and without the official Razer Streaming App. I tested sound quality recording in a number of environments, inside and outside, and while using a mixture of different gain and AI Sound levels.

Audio was recorded using the native Apple Voice Memos app and tested via Discord calls.

Complete your streaming setup with one of the best capture cards, and the best webcams, or go all out with your setup and hoover up all the Razer streaming going right now.

The Steam Link app allows users to use Steam on a tablet or phone by streaming their library direct to their device. That means you can keep playing on the small screen by simply mirroring your PC and connecting a controller. 

To use Steam on a tablet you'll need to make sure you have a few things in place first. You'll first need a tablet to play on - and no, you don't need the best gaming tablet or the best gaming phone on the market. The Steam Link app works with Apple devices running iPadOS 11 / iOS 11 or later, and Android devices on Android 5.0 and up. 

You'll also need a gaming PC or gaming laptop with a Steam account connected, not to mention WiFi with a minimum of 10Mbps internet speed. We'd also recommend grabbing a controller as, while touch controls can and do perform well on certain titles, a traditional gamepad offers a far better experience.

How to use Steam on a tablet

We're showing you exactly how to use Steam on a tablet just below. If you're using a phone, these steps will be the same.

1. Download the Steam Link app

The Steam Link app is free and available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Navigate to the app's page and download the software to your device to get started. 

2. Pair your controller

The app will first ask you to pair a controller when you open it. While you can use touch control to play through your games (and it's not too bad), we'd heavily recommend pairing either an official Steam controller or a compatible gamepad. If you're opting for the latter, connect your controller through your device's Bluetooth settings. We'd recommend checking out the best Xbox Series X controllers if you don't already have a set of buttons at the ready.

If you're just nosing around at this stage, you can also skip this step and stick with touch controls. 

3. Search for your PC

You will then need to search for your PC. Make sure your laptop or PC is on and actively running Steam, otherwise the app won't be able to scan for your device. 

4. Connect to your PC

Once the Steam Link app has found your PC, tap the icon to start connecting it to your tablet. 

Once this happens, a pop-up text box will appear on your PC and a PIN code will be displayed on your tablet. Enter the PIN on your PC to match the Steam Link app with your library.

5. Test the network

Steam Link will then run a network test on your connection to make sure your WiFi is up to the task at hand and determine the best bandwidth to run your stream on. 

6. Start Playing

Once your network strength is assessed, you'll be able to jump straight into your Steam library on your tablet. Hit the 'Start Playing' box to launch the stream. 

Your PC will mirror the activity on your tablet, but will move into big-screen mode to make sure you can access everything quickly and easily with a controller. 

For the big-screen treatment, check out the best gaming monitors currently available. Or, to boost that streaming power, check out the best routers for gamers. 

Square Enix's upcoming mobile Final Fantasy game, The First Soldier, is dropping even sooner than first expected: November 17. 

ICYMI, pre-registration for Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier is already open for Android and iOS platforms (so head on over to the Google Play Store or Apple's App Store if you'd like to get in on the action as soon as possible). As we explained a couple of days back, thanks to the game description on the App Store, we thought we had our first indication of when Square Enix was planning on releasing the game – November 30 – so today's news should be doubly-exciting for fans eagerly awaiting The First Soldier's release.

"#FF7FS Official Release Date!" exclaimed Square Enix in yesterday's revealing tweet. "Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier will officially be released globally on November 17 (Wed.)!

Pre-register now if you haven't yet!"

The tweet also teased that we should "stay tuned for more info" and - to celebrate hitting 770,000 pre-registrations – confirmed that "when the game is released everyone will get a Shinra Bike skin". Oh, and we also got to see the opening movie in all its glory, too – check it out below:

ICYMI, Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier takes place 30 years before the events of the main game, which means this time around we won't get to spend any time with fan-favorite characters like Cloud and Aerith. Instead, the focus is on Shinra holding battle royale-style games to seek candidates for a trial-by-fire recruitment drive to join elite force, the Soldier program. 

You have until November 11 to pre-register on your preferred device and will need around 2GB of space on your device to install the game. Apple users will have to be using iOS 13.0 or later, and be rocking at least an iPhone 6s.

Completed the PS5 port of Square Enix's remake? Check out our Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade interview with Yuffie Kisaragi actor Suzie Yeung.

The PS5's DualSense controller now works with the PS Remote Play app on iOS devices.

As first reported by VGC, Sony has now updated the Remote Play app on all iOS devices to support the PS5's DualSense controller. As of right now, all users can download update 4.0 for the app on their iOS device and get using the new wireless controller straight away.

There is a slight catch, however. Although the remote play app itself isn't limited to newer versions of the iOS software, DualSense support is limited to iOS 14.5 on iPhones, iPadOS 14.5 as well, so you'll need to have your devices upgraded to a newer version of the system software to take advantage of the new compatibility feature with the DualSense controller.

Previously, iOS users have been able to stream their PS5 interface and games directly to their devices ever since Sony's next-gen console first launched last year in November 2020. Prior to this new update introducing support for the DualSense controller, users were restricted to playing PS5 games through either the PS4's DualShock controller or via touch controls.

In related news, Sony's CFO has apparently told analysts that the next-gen console will be hard to come by until at least next year in 2022. The PS5 was in relatively short supply already, practically since it launched last year, but Sony now expects that the shortages will continue for at least the next seven months, outpacing previous analysis that the console would be in short supply until at least the second half of this year. Despite all this, Sony's next-gen console has still been crowned the fastest-selling console in US history after six months in the market, a victory for Sony in spite of the supply constraints facing the company since last year.

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An Xbox Cloud Gaming beta for PC and iOS devices will kick off tomorrow, April 20.

The news was announced earlier today through an Xbox Wire post, outlining the limited-access beta launching imminently for Xbox Cloud Gaming. To qualify for an invite for the closed beta, which Microsoft will be sending out shortly, you'll need to be an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member.

When Xbox Cloud Gaming launches in beta tomorrow for PC and iOS devices, it'll be available through Edge, Google Chrome, and Safari. This is effectively Xbox's workaround for Apple blocking Xbox Cloud Gaming from launching through the App Store, as the former can instead launch it through the iPhone/iPad native Safari browser.

At launch tomorrow, there'll be over 100 games available to players on both PC and iPhone/iPad. Right now, Xbox hasn't confirmed which games will be available, but Grounded, Sea of Thieves, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps are used in the image accompanying the announcement of the forthcoming beta.

Right now, Xbox Cloud Gaming continues to roll on in full for Android devices, having launched back in September 2020 with over 150 titles available immediately. Earlier this month, Xbox announced that the first backwards compatible titles, including Oblivion, Gears of War 3, and Fable 2, would be added to the streaming service.

For our pick of the best games to play on the go through your Android device right now, head over to our best Xbox Cloud gaming titles guide for more.

An announcement about xCloud coming to iOS could be on the horizon according to recent rumours. 

Windows Central journalist Jez Corden has replied to a series of different tweets that seem to suggest news could be on the way regarding xCloud on iOS. In one tweet regarding Bethesda games on different platforms in the future, Corden dropped the suggestion of using an iOS device, which could be hinting at as yet unannounced news that Microsoft's Cloud streaming service may be coming to the App Store in the future. 

Another tweet suggests there's some big tech news on the way, as hinted by Corden and Verge journalist Tom Warren. While this is all conjecture, folks on Reddit are reading into the tweets and speculating about whether or not they hint at an upcoming announcement. 

There's been a lot of uncertainty about if xCloud will actually get iOS support at some stage in the future after Apple revised its guidelines. Microsoft was reportedly unhappy with the new update to the terms of service, which stated that every game included in the streaming service needs to have its own dedicated page on the App store. The guidelines also stipulated that the games would have to be purchased through the App store rather than the streaming service itself. 

xCloud officially launched on September 15, and can currently be used on Android phones and tablets if you have an Xbox Games Pass Ultimate subscription. In a recent interview with CNBC, Phil Spencer was asked about Apple's terms and said that Xbox is still committed to bringing Game Pass to all phones including Apple phones, and added that, "we'll continue the conversations and I'm sure we'll get to some resolution." 

Here's our pick of the best xCloud games to play. 

If the new Legendary Pokemon just got you back into Pokemon Go you probably need to know exactly what you'll be unlocking next as you eat up that precious XP from raid battles. As you know, Pokemon Go isn't just about the Pokemon you catch, it's also about you as a trainer, growing stronger and gaining access to more powerful items as you level up. So, to help you be the very best and plan ahead, we've posted the full list of rewards (as reported on Reddit on TheSilphRoad) all the way up to Level 40. That's a lot of XP to make your way through. Better hope you're catching more than Pidgeys. 

Check out the Pokemon Go level rewards below so you know exactly what's coming your way next and how far you've got until you hit your next milestone. 

Level 1:  0

Level 2:  10 Poké Balls

Level 3:  15 Poké Balls

Level 4:  15 Poké Balls

Level 5 (unlocks Gyms, Potions, Revives):  20 Poké Balls, 10 Potions, 1 Incense, 10 Revives

Level 6:  15 Poké Balls, 10 Potions, 5 Revives, 1 Egg Incubator

Level 7: 15 Poké Balls, 10 Potions, 5 Revives, 1 Incense

Level 8 (unlocks Razz Berry): 15 Poké Balls, 10 Potions, 5 Revives, 10 Razz Berry, 1 Lure Module

Level 9: 15 Poké Balls, 10 Potions, 5 Revives, 3 Razz Berry, 1 Lucky Egg

Level 10 (unlocks Super Potions): 20 Poké Balls, 20 Super Potions, 10 Revives, 10 Razz Berry, 1 Incense, 1 Lucky Egg, 1 Egg Incubator, 1 Lure Module

Level 11:  15 Poké Balls, 10 Super Potions, 3 Revives, 3 Razz Berry

Level 12 (unlocks Great Balls): 20 Great Balls, 10 Super Potions, 3 Revives, 3 Razz Berry

Level 13:  10 Great Balls, 10 Super Potions, 3 Revives, 3 Razz Berry

Level 14: 10 Great Balls, 10 Super Potions, 3 Revives, 3 Razz Berry

Level 15 (unlocks Hyper Potions):  15 Great Balls, 20 Hyper Potions, 10 Revives, 10 Razz Berry, 1 Incense, 1 Lucky Egg, 1 Egg Incubator, 1 Lure Module

Level 16:  10 Great Balls, 10 Hyper Potions, 5 Revives, 5 Razz Berry

Level 17: 10 Great Balls, 10 Hyper Potions, 5 Revives, 5 Razz Berry

Level 18: 10 Great Balls, 10 Hyper Potions, 5 Revives, 5 Razz Berry

Level 19:  15 Great Balls, 10 Hyper Potions, 5 Revives, 5 Razz Berry

Level 20 (unlocks Ultra Balls):  20 Ultra Balls, 20 Hyper Potions, 20 Revives, 20 Razz Berry, 2 Incense, 2 Lucky Eggs, 2 Egg Incubators, 2 Lure Modules

 Level 21: 10 Ultra Balls, 10 Hyper Potions, 10 Revives, 10 Razz Berry

Level 22: 10 Ultra Balls, 10 Hyper Potions, 10 Revives, 10 Razz Berry

Level 23: 10 Ultra Balls, 10 Hyper Potions, 10 Revives, 10 Razz Berry

Level 24: 15 Ultra Balls, 10 Hyper Potions, 10 Revives, 10 Razz Berry

Level 25: (unlocks Max Potions) 25 Ultra Balls, 20 Max Potions, 15 Revives, 15 Razz Berry , 1 Incense, 1 Lucky Egg, 1 Egg Incubator, 1 Lure Module

Level 26: 10 Ultra Balls, 15 Max Potions, 10 Revives, 15 Razz Berry 

Level 27: 10 Ultra Balls, 15 Max Potions, 10 Revives, 15 Razz Berry 

Level 28: 10 Ultra Balls, 15 Max Potions, 10 Revives, 15 Razz Berry

Level 29: 10 Ultra Balls, 15 Max Potions, 10 Revives, 15 Razz Berry

Level 30: (unlocks Max Revives) 30 Ultra Balls, 20 Max Potions, 20 Max Revives, 20 Razz Berry , 3 Incense, 3 Lucky Eggs, 3 Egg Incubators, 3 Lure Modules

Level 31: 30 Ultra Balls, 15 Max Potions, 10 Max Revives, 15 Razz Berry

Level 32:  30 Ultra Balls, 15 Max Potions, 10 Max Revives, 15 Razz Berry

Level 33:  30 Ultra Balls, 15 Max Potions, 10 Max Revives, 15 Razz Berry

Level 34:  30 Ultra Balls, 15 Max Potions, 10 Max Revives, 15 Razz Berry

Level 35: 30 Ultra Balls, 20 Max Potions, 20 Max Revives, 20 Razz Berry, 2 Incense, 1 Lucky Egg, 1 Lure Module

Level 36: 20 Ultra Balls, 20 Max Potions, 10 Max Revives, 20 Razz Berry

Level 37: 20 Ultra Balls, 20 Max Potions, 10 Max Revives, 20 Razz Berry

Level 38: 20 Ultra Balls, 20 Max Potions, 10 Max Revives, 20 Razz Berry

Level 39: 20 Ultra Balls, 20 Max Potions, 10 Max Revives, 20 Razz Berry

Level 40: 40 Ultra Balls, 40 Max Potions, 40 Razz Berry, 4 Incense, 4 Lucky Eggs, 4 Egg Incubators, 4 Lure Modules

>> Download: Pokémon GO - Niantic, Inc.

The shutdown of unofficial, third-party Pokemon Go sites like PokeVision (which allowed players to pinpoint Pokemon locations) was a real bummer to any who utilized their service. But according to developer Niantic, it was a necessary decision to make. Company CEO John Hanke wrote in a blog post this week that third-party sites and apps were hurting both the quality of the game and the team's ability to work on it.

"Since there has been some public discussion about this, we wanted to shed some more light on why we did this and why these seemingly innocuous sites and apps actually hurt our ability to deliver the game to new and existing players," Hanke wrote, explaining that the recent launch in Latin America was delayed partially due to third-party sites.

He also shared a graph showing what appears to be a large drop in server pings per second after PokeVision was rendered inert. It's a vague graph with no numbers, so it's impossible to say how significant the drop actually is. Could be a lot, could be a little. But it did happen, and that's something to take note of.

"In addition to hampering our ability to bring Pokémon GO to new markets, dealing with this issue also has opportunity cost," Hanke continued. "Developers have to spend time controlling this problem vs. building new features. It’s worth noting that some of the tools used to access servers to scrape data have also served as platforms for bots and cheating which negatively impact all Trainers".

"There is a range of motives here from blatant commercial ventures to enthusiastic fans but the negative impact on game resources is the same". Sounds like PokeVision isn't coming back anytime soon, folks.

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While plenty of Pokemon Go players were upset about update 0.31's removal of the tracking system, another sub-set of fans were voicing their displeasure at the removal of Battery Saver mode on iOS. While there's no word on when tracking will return, developer Niantic has said that Battery Saver will return soon.

"We have been hearing the feedback loud and clear about the removal of the Battery Saver mode on iOS devices," reads a new post on the official Pokemon Go Facebook page. "We had removed this feature as several users were experiencing it to be buggy, but we are fairly confident that a fix for this should roll out within the next several days".

That's twice in one week that Niantic has offered an update on the state of this uber-popular game. Hopefully it's just the start of the company becoming more talkative and making amends to a playerbase that has felt confused and frustrated the past few weeks.

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We've all had that moment where we realize we should've paid more attention to the fine details in the various contracts we sign. For most of us, it results in a slight feeling of embarrassment, and maybe a small fee. Friends, Kohei Uchimura is not most of us. Not just because he's a gymnast for the Japanese Olympic team, but because his awkward moment involved a 500,000 yen (about $5,000/£3,700) cell phone bill thanks to playing Pokemon Go.

Uchimura doesn't have an addiction PokeCoins (the in-game currency that can be bought for real money) or anything, he simply didn't realize that his cell phone plan charged so much for overseas usage. Killing time at the Olympic Games in Rio ended up costing the athlete quite the hefty sum.

Or it would have, if his carrier hadn't let him off the hook. According to Kyodo News, Uchimura's provider cut him a break after he explained the situation, and dropped his 500,000 yen bill to 3,000 yen (about $30/£22). I'm guessing that being an Olympian representing the country on the world stage helped, so don't go thinking you can just jet around the world hunting for Pokemon and think Verizon or AT&T will let bygones be bygones.

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Much hubbub has been raised about Pokemon Go's first sighting of the legendary bird, Articuno. So much so that Kaitlyn Covey, who claimed to receive the Pokemon as a gift from developer Niantic Labs, held a Twitch stream to prove it was legit. Which … kinda worked?

Covey's stream was off to a bit off a rough start, with her trainer journal (which logs all the Pokemon a player encounters, as well as the items received from PokeStops) failing to show Articuno. Then there was the email Covey supposedly received from Niantic, which spelled Articuno as "Articundo." Apparently even emails need minor text fixes every now and then.

Still, the Articuno sure looks like it's really in Covey's collection, with appropriate moves, animation, and even the right cry. Covey restarted the app as well and logged into an iPhone version, which should clear up any concerns about a temporary faking or Android-only hack.

That all being said, a representative for Niantic responded to Geek.com's inquiry about the Pokemon, claiming that it was not from the company. "It’s either a spoof or someone hacked the game," the rep said. The rep also said that the team is "looking into it."

It's possible that Covey and her friend (who hosted the Twitch stream) are lying, but what the heck, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. If they are telling the truth, my guess would be that some overzealous customer service rep not familiar with Pokemon actually did gift Covey with Articuno, not realizing the significance of what they'd done. You're free to disagree of course, and we'll be watching and hunting for the truth of the matter as the things develop.

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Pokemon Go players, rejoice. Developer Niantic Labs has finally broken its silence on the state of the game. The company made a post to the official Pokemon Go Facebook page earlier today, which explains the removal of game features and the shutdown of third-party websites like PokeVision.

"As many of you know, we recently made some changes to Pokémon GO," the post begins. "We have removed the ‘3-step’ display in order to improve upon the underlying design. The original feature, although enjoyed by many, was also confusing and did not meet our underlying product goals. We will keep you posted as we strive to improve this feature."

Niantic was a bit less clear when addressing unofficial sites like PokeVision, which let players see where Pokemon were at any given time. "We have limited access by third-party services which were interfering with our ability to maintain quality of service for our users and to bring Pokémon GO to users around the world. The large number of users has made the roll-out of Pokémon GO around the world an... interesting… challenge."

If I had to guess, I'd say that since PokeVision needed to ping Niantic's servers near constantly for accurate tracking, it could be that the site was simply too much of a strain for the game (or team) to function properly. Why the Facebook post would sum a relatively easy to understand concept like server strain as "interfering," I'm not sure.

It's vague wording and the comments make it clear that many still see the shutdown of PokeVision and its ilk as a vindictive move. But then, how many Facebook commenters actually read all of an article before posting, right? Niantic's post concludes by saying it plans to keep players updated more frequently going forward.

And here I was complaining just yesterday about how Niantic needed to up their level of communication with players. I'm not gonna take credit for getting Niantic to come out and say something, of course. I'm just sayin' it's interesting timing is all. *puts on sunglasses*

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Pokemon Go is one of the most popular smartphone games ever released. Within mere hours of its debut, it amassed a following that crushed its competitors (even outranking Twitter and Clash Royale for a brief time), spawned countless memes, and inspired legions of fans. For a moment, we were all real-life Pokemon trainers, just like we had dreamed of being when we were kids.

Fast forward to today, and goodwill toward developer Niantic is evaporating faster than water off a Magcargo's shell. Players are abandoning the game, leaving 1-star reviews on the App Store and Google Play, or just flat-out demanding refunds. It's sad to see a game go from darling to pariah so fast, but the truth is, Niantic deserves the criticism. 

More than broken features, overloaded servers, or frozen screens, players have expressed frustration with the one thing that Niantic has the most control over: how much it communicates with its players. Perhaps the best examples of this revolve around the tracker, where Pokemon that are near your location appear. Or at least, that's the idea.

When Pokemon Go launched, the tracker displayed all nearby Pokemon, with those furthest from players shown with three pawprints underneath them, and those closest shown with one or zero pawprints. The game neither explained this system, nor how to use it.

Some said you needed to slowly rotate and wait for a green pulse to find the Pokemon you were tracking. Some said you could force a Pokemon to appear if it was close enough and you tapped it on the tracker. Sometimes discovering a game's mechanics can be fun (the Dark Souls series does this a lot), but the point is, nobody knew for sure how things worked.

Several days later, players noticed that they were no longer seeing Pokemon at any distance other than three pawprints away. Hashtags and reports of the "three-step glitch" began to spread, with players frustrated that they could no longer effectively hunt for Pokemon. Around this time, Reddit user EpicBot reverse engineered the app and theorized that the feature was simply turned off in an effort to ease the strain on servers.

Since Niantic's own features weren't working, some took to crafting their own solutions. Enter PokeVision, one of the most popular Pokemon Go fan websites, which could show Pokemon anywhere in the world with near pinpoint accuracy, as well as timers to let players know how long they would be available.

And then came Pokemon Go’s update 0.31, which removed the pawprint tracking system entirely. PokeVision went dark around the same time, with this statement on the site's Twitter account as scant explanation: "Hey guys. We wish we had some news for you. At this moment, we are respecting Niantic and Nintendo's wishes. Will keep you guys posted."

Now, here's where I play school teacher and ask you, what's one thing that all of these situations have in common? The answer is zero communication from Niantic. When the tracker was working, Niantic didn't explain how to use it. When it was displaying only three pawprints, Niantic didn't say if it was a glitch or a purposeful decision on its end. Now, pawprints have been removed and PokeVision has been taken offline - apparently at Nintendo and Niantic's behest - but the studio has not said why.

Let me be frank: Niantic, this is unacceptable.

The world of console games and the world of mobile games are different, but it's hard to imagine an audience of any game stomaching this lack of communication, especially during a time when features are not working as intended. Imagine your map no longer working in the The Witcher 3. If CD Projekt RED failed to address or acknowledge it, things would go from frustrating to infuriating pretty quickly.

Similarly, you're free to criticize Bungie all you want for the numerous times it's had to delay or cancel Iron Banner, but at least the company says something to the effect of "we're looking into it." Head over to the Niantic Twitter account and you'll see the latest tweet is from over a week ago, talking about a San Diego Comic-Con panel.

Most of the tweets are celebrating Pokemon Go launching in various countries, retweets of memes inspired by the game, or messages to celebrities. None of the tweets address downtime, updates, or bugs. Lest you think this is limited to Niantic's Twitter, the developer's official blog has not been updated since July 6, when the game launched in Australia, New Zealand, and the US.

Now, Niantic is not a AAA developer. It’s entirely plausible the silence stems not from animosity, but because a relatively small team is working hard to keep servers up and roll the game out to remaining regions. I, and I believe most Pokemon Go players, am sympathetic to that. Nobody could or should reasonably expect these problems to be fixed within a day.

But right now, we don't even know if features like the tracker are being fixed, and if they are, when we could expect them. We need someone to talk to. A community manager, a head of public relations. Anyone. Even if such positions are in the process of being filled, silence in the interim is not the answer.

People were given a taste of their childhood dreams of really tracking Pokemon around the world, and were excited. Now the tools we used to follow that dream are being taken away, those who tried to help us are being told not to do so, and the people in charge won't say why any of this is happening. If nothing else, that's a serious image problem that makes Niantic appear either uncaring or incompetent. Neither is a good look.

We put up with server crashes and freezing screens, battery drainage and malfunctioning gym battles because the core fantasy was so fun. We complained and groaned, but had faith that things would get better soon. Nearly a month with borderline zero acknowledgment from Niantic later, and I don't know about you, but my patience has run out.

Before you fix your pawprints, Niantic, fix your lack of communication.

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Pop quiz, hotshot. You've got two Pokemon of roughly equal strength in your Pokemon Go collection, but only enough candy to evolve one of them. How do you pick which one to evolve and which to save (or send to the glue facto-- I mean, professor)? You use the Pokemon Go Evolution Calculator, that's how. 

As we've shown you in our various tips and videos, each Pokemon in Pokemon Go has what's called Combat Power - basically, how strong it is. While you may have discovered that on your own, what you might not have known is that each Pokemon also has its own CP multiplier attached to evolution. It's why a 105 CP Magikarp can transform into a whopping 1,000+ CP Gyarados, while a 105 CP Rattata might end up evolving into a much less impressive 250-ish CP Raticate.

What the Evolution Calculator does is take each Pokemon's multiplier and outputs its potential. Enter in your Pokemon and its current CP, and you'll see its evolved form listed below with a range of CP. The multipliers aren't standard so there's always a chance you'll be unlucky and wind up on the lower side of the scale, but the Evolution Calculator can at least save you some headache and Stardust down the line.

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Pokemon Go has been available for a few weeks now, and in that time we've seen players accomplish a lot. One man caught 'em all - or at least, all the ones he can catch - while another player reached the level cap of 40 - though he admitted to using a bot to get there. But in the face of all this success, one Pokemon continues to elude players: Ditto. 

Ditto may not look like much, being a pink blob and all, but it's actually a super useful Pokemon to have in your collection. Its famous for being able to take on the appearance and attacks of other Pokemon, but it's actually Ditto's ability to breed with any Pokemon that makes it a real treasure for dedicated trainers. Unfortunately, no one can seem to find the little bugger.

Developer Niantic is being characteristically quiet on the matter, which means we probably won't find out the secret to capturing Ditto for awhile. Oh well, at least we've got all kinds of tools to help us track Pokemon in the meantime.

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In case you hadn't heard, the next Professor Layton game won't be starring the titular professor. Today, we finally found out who the next game will feature: his daughter, Katrielle (or "Kat" for short). A "Professor Ladyton," if you will.

Unfortunately, developer Level-5 doesn't have the same fondness for puns that I do. The game will actually be titled Lady Layton: The Millionaire Ariadone's Conspiracy, and is slated for release sometime in 2017. It'll be coming to Nintendo 3DS, as well as iOS and Android devices.

The game's premiere trailer is in Japanese, but it looks like the trademark fondness for puzzles is intact. Plus, it looks like Lady Layton has a dog companion. Who talks! And whose… uh… butthole keeps facing the camera. Lady Layton; it's a video game!

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While some of us are still struggling to ascend beyond level 20 in Pokemon Go (cough, cough, me, cough), others have reached the current summit of trainer fitness. Which is to say that Pokemon Go player Luca, Reddit name _problemz, has hit the level cap of 40. What's his secret? Cheating.

Luca wrote on the Pokemon Go Reddit that he does not actually play the game or intend to play - this was an experiment and a learning opportunity. This means that he did not fight in Pokemon Gyms, and in fact finds the idea of playing outside the rules in PvP to be "disrespectful and disgusting." He has also started the process of deleting his account, and will not sell or otherwise share his bot program's information. Quite the honorable hacker you are, Luca.

We already knew every reward for levels 1 - 30 in Pokemon Go, but Luca's achievement shows what we can expect at the top and how much work it will take to get there. According to Luca's screenshot, you'll receive 40 Ultra Balls, 40 Max Potions, 40 Max Revives, 40 Razz Berries, 4 Incense, 4 Lucky Eggs, 4 Incubators and 4 Lure Modules. Luca also says it took a whopping five million XP to go from 39 to 40 - one-fourth of the total 20 million it takes to go from 0 to 40. Holy Magikrap!

His farming also revealed that leveling up alone will not guarantee a Legendary catch, nor a Ditto or Master Ball. If these things currently exist in the game (we know they're in the code), they're not accessed through simple leveling.

If you want to see what others thought of Luca's experiment or ask some questions of your own, check out the full Reddit thread. And if you're looking for some advice on how to get started on your own journey, we've got plenty of Pokemon Go tips for you. Now, someone go take Luca off his throne and really earn that world's first level 40.

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Whether it's your local church, an art installation, a public library, or just a big ol' water tower, Pokemon Go has chosen some… interesting locations for its Pokestops and gyms. They're not random, but they're also somewhat scattershot in their placement. One neighborhood could be bursting at the seams with Pokestops and gyms, while another could be a desolate wasteland. So what's the deal? It turns out, a lot of Pokemon Go's designs can be traced back to Google.

While Pokemon Go may be the first time many players have heard of developer Niantic Labs, it's a studio that traces its lineage back to Google (whose parent company is now known as "Alphabet"). Niantic was once part of Google, and its founder and CEO, John Hanke, worked on the technology that powers Google Maps. That tech was used in Niantic's previous game, Ingress. And Ingress, much like a Metapod becoming Butterfree, has evolved - in its own way - to become Pokemon Go.

Much like Pokemon Go, Ingress is a game of geolocation. Players must travel to specific locations to capture portals, which link with other captured sites to form zones controlled by whichever faction holds those points. Hanke and his team chose some of the first portals based on sites with historical or cultural significance, such as The Washington Monument, Big Ben, or longstanding museums.

Other locations were chosen based on geo-tagged photos from Google. For example, you might not have much interest in, or even know about, the world's largest ball of twine (located in Cawker City, Kansas by the way) but the fact that so many tourists take pictures of it and upload those pictures to Google would make it a prime candidate for an Ingress portal.

Many more portals were submitted as suggestions by Ingress players. Hanke recently told Mashable that there are approximately 15 million player-submitted portal locations, 5 million of which have been approved.

Ingress player data has revealed the most popular of these portal locations, and Niantic has turned those into gyms. The less popular (but still active and approved) locations have become Pokestops. "The Pokestops are submitted by users, so obviously they're based on places people go," Hanke said. "We had essentially two and a half years of people going to all the places where they thought they should be able to play Ingress, so it's some pretty remote places."

It can lead to some interesting situations where the landscape has changed over time. I can personally tell you of two stories, each revolving around water towers (look, I live in central Iowa, we don't have a lot of super cool landmarks, okay?).

One nearby Pokestop is assigned to an old water tower that existed during Ingress' launch window, but was torn down by the time Pokemon Go was released. So down the street is a Pokestop pointing me to something that no longer exists.

Meanwhile in Des Moines, a gym is assigned to a water tower stationed outside a nearby mall. That makes sense - the mall is a popular area, and the water tower is an easy-to-see landmark - however, the water tower is surrounded by a tall chain-link fence with barbed wire around the top, and a big "NO TRESPASSING" warning on the gate. Because of this, it's not possible to get close enough to actually interact with the gym.

That is, unless you fool the app by closing it and re-opening it, hoping the GPS signal will think you're on the other side of the fence - a trick I definitely did not do, and do not suggest any central Iowa players reading this try. Unless you are Team Mystic, in which case: we cool.

So if you're wondering why Pokemon Go seems to be telling you to go to church, or the local art installation, odds are that it's actually following in the footsteps of a tourist whose picture is circulating on Google or an Ingress player who suggested it. Maybe they were distracting themselves from a lengthy sermon, maybe it was a good place to meet up with fellow players, or maybe the world has changed since those days, closing off what once was.

I say, make up your own stories for these places. And good luck catching 'em all.

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>> Download: Pokémon GO - Niantic, Inc.

First of all: I don't know how you're reading this, since everyone and their dog is currently walking the streets, plumbing their toilets, or ignoring their wives giving birth in search of Pokemon. But if you're a Pokemon Go player wondering how you can catch the iconic Pikachu, there's a secret, easy method that's been discovered.

Even better? Pikachu can be your first Pokemon, making you just like immortal 10-year old, Ash Ketchum. All you have to do is break the hearts of the three Pokemon the game seemingly wants you to catch. Oh.

See, after you create your character, you're dropped onto the Pokemon Go map, with Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander all within prime catching distance. But if you ignore them by walking far enough way that they respawn - and do this four times - Pikachu will then appear alongside the usual starters.

You'll have to walk a fair distance, so set aside some time and put on comfortable shoes if you plan on hunting for the electric mouse. And for those of you who've already started your journey as a Pokemon trainer and don't want to create a new account, don't worry - Pikachu can also be found in the wild, as can Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur.

Just watch out for any couples with bright-colored hair and a talking cat.

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>> Download: Pokémon GO - Niantic, Inc.

Pokemon Go promised us we'd be able to find and catch our favorite pocket monsters in the real world. And judging by screenshots from early players, it's keeping true to that promise - even if the reality is … a little less glorious than you might've thought.

See, as Pokemon Go rolls out to the public across the world, users are indeed finding Pokemon scattered about in the real world. That part is true. It's just where, specifically, that things are getting a little weird. Sometimes it works out really well, like this moment when a user found both a Persian and a Venonat:

This perfectly-placed Exeggcute:

Or this Rattata, drawn by the smell of free food:

Other times, the Pokemon you find can be a bit mischievous. Nobody wants to find a bug in their food:

Or a Rattata that's already fainted:

And this Caterpie is just obscene:

But of all the places you could find Pokemon in Pokemon Go, the most reliable seems to be the bathroom. Here's three cute little rascals caught drinking from the toilet. Or maybe they emerged from it? I'm not really sure which is worse.

Oh, and in your hunt for wild Pokemon, maybe don't wander into police stations. You know, suddenly I don't envy Ash Ketchum quite like I did when I was 10.

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You have a message on your iOS or Android phone. A stranger is reaching out through the aether to reach you - you’re his only point of contact and he is in deep, deep trouble. So begins … well, frankly, all the Lifeline games start out this way, but in Whiteout, the person in peril is Adams, who finds himself in the middle of a snowy wasteland with no idea how he got there or who he is. He needs your help, and he needs it fast.

Of course, there’s not a whole lot you can do with nothing but a phone between the two of you, but Adams does ask your advice when it comes to deciding what approach he should take to survival. Whiteout plays out much like a Choose Your Own Adventure tale, with various branching narratives culminating in varying degrees (Ha! Degrees, get it? ‘Cause it’s cold… anyway...) of success or failure. Make the right choices and you’ll discover the secret behind of Adams’ amnesia, but make the wrong ones and he’ll end up dead at the bottom of an icy crevasse. There’s more than just snowy survival at stake, though, as Adams discovers murder victims, a doomsayer who's pulled out all his own teeth, and questionable scientific experiments. And why is just about everyone he runs into also named Adams?

The really fun thing about the entire Lifeline series is that it plays out in real time; Adams will message you that he’s going to hike the six miles to the relay station, and it’ll be hours before you hear from him again. When he beds down for the night, you won’t get another message until morning. Being out of touch adds a dimension of realness to your interactions with him as you tensely wait to discover the results of your advice.

The mystery of Whiteout is more than good enough to pique your interest to the point that you’ll want to chase down every last ending, but thankfully the game is wise enough to know that it should give you some shortcuts. Once you complete the story, you can rewind it all the way back to the beginning, or just to a particular decision, and you can turn off the delay to eliminate those long silences when Adams is busy. (Definitely don’t do that the first time you play it, though. It kills a lot of the immersion.)

Whiteout takes smart advantage of the fact that you check your phone constantly throughout the day anyway, and uses that to fuel its adventure. Pulling out your phone to check the time or your email and discovering that “Adams is waiting for you” to continue the story is really rather thrilling, especially if you’re at a particularly dangerous part of the story. (There are a lot of those.) The choices you’re asked to make are sensible, but the “right” choice, when there is one, is never blatantly obvious. Well, except for feeding the dog. Of course you feed the dog, what are you, a monster? Jeez.

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Your favorite gaming series is going mobile... uh oh. We've all seen perfectly good games chopped up to add cynical in-app purchases, overhauled with unnecessary new graphics, and--more often than not--saddled with unresponsive, unintuitive control schemes. If you're looking for quality mobile games, your best bet is often to seek out totally original, touch-centric experiences.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and several classic console franchises have made their way to the App Store in fine fashion--but they're rarely ports. Instead, the games featured here are mostly those that have taken the essence of a popular series and transformed it into something that makes more sense on a touch-screen device. So if you're in search of a solid, AAA-branded experience that isn't a mobile mess, these 10 picks won't steer you wrong.

Call of Duty: Strike Team

In most moments, Call of Duty: Strike Team looks a lot like its core series cousins, delivering spit-shined first-person shooting action with plenty of nameless guards to fill full of lead. And yes, flying drones zipping around. But if you tap on that drone button on the screen, it's suddenly clear how this mobile and tablet original is different: You can use an overhead view to move your two-man team around the maps.

You'll need to harness both game styles to do well in Strike Team, using the top-down view to plan attacks and navigate the terrain, and then switching to first-person to quickly clear areas of enemies. The lack of multiplayer is disappointing, and Strike Team has no where near the depth that its console sibling has--which is perhaps a given. But for iOS-centric players, it's a pretty strong take on the console design with solid, touch-friendly tweaks.

Hitman GO

Hitman GO is the new gold standard for taking an established AAA game premise, boiling it down to its most essential core elements, and then building something totally different that's tailored to a mobile, touch-centric device. In this case, Square Enix's long-running assassination favorite is reimagined as a grid-based, single-player board game of sorts.

You move Agent 47 one space at a time, evading or killing guards, and using disguises and distracting elements (like rocks) to snoop around unseen. Optional mission objectives--like finishing a stage in a certain number of turns--offer incentive to master your route through each level, and the stunning, faux-plastic model aesthetic perfectly conveys the board game inspiration. It's still smart and tactical despite the streamlined design, and deftly feels both original and a natural extension of the Hitman franchise.

Rayman Fiesta Run

While not as staggering a shift as Hitman GO, last year's Rayman Fiesta Run makes a brilliant leap to touch devices while using many of the same gorgeous hand-drawn assets seen in Rayman Legends. It's a super streamlined take on the side-scrolling platformer--more like a mobile "runner"--that challenges you to guide your auto-sprinting hero to the end of the stage by jumping, gliding, and punching foes at the right moments.

The earlier Rayman Jungle Run was a very solid mobile debut, but I found it made a fleeting impression: While gorgeous and fun, it was also easy and somewhat forgettable beyond the charming lead. By contrast, Fiesta Run is challenging and engaging, with an ever-expanding world map that goads you to perfect its core stages, unlock its hidden levels, and master its tap-centric design in small spurts.

Mirror's Edge

One of the earliest examples of a totally overhauled, touch take on a AAA game is still among the best, as Mirror's Edge makes the daring leap from first-person action to side-scrolling running--and pretty much sticks the landing (or rolls into it, rather). While lighter on atmosphere and jaw-dropping thrills, it does feature intuitive touch controls that do a fine job of capturing Faith's console move-set.

Mirror's Edge mobile is all about building and maintaining momentum to clear each stage. The goal is to overcome hazards found on rooftops and within the hallways of industrial buildings, and you'll do so by--you guessed it--swiping your finger across the screen.. Split-screen multiplayer on iPad is a neat twist (not essential, but worth trying out), and while the tablet version sadly hasn't been updated for Retina devices, the clean aesthetic still looks pretty slick--albeit a bit jaggy.

Layton Brothers Mystery Room

We all know Professor Layton from Nintendo's beloved puzzle/adventure series, but Level-5's self-published Layton Brothers Mystery Room for iOS deals with another member of the family: his son, Alfendi Layton, a brilliant Scotland Yard investigator. Alfendi's new assistant detective, the young Lucy Baker, even calls him "Prof" in a nice nod to the main series, but the experience is very different indeed.

Across nine cases (the first two are free), you carefully examine crime scenes, interview suspects, and make deductions to solve cartoonish murders, all while lively jazz loops in the background and the characters trade accusations. It's not terribly difficult--there's no real punishment for making mistakes--and I found that some of the dialogue to be obnoxious. Still, it's a light and enjoyable deviation for Layton fans, or really anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery.

Pitfall!

Activision's Pitfall!--which hails from the recently closed Blast Furnace, developer of Call of Duty: Strike Team--takes some inspiration from Temple Run. But it outdoes that seminal free-to-play runner in some respects. For one, it's a lot livelier, both in gameplay and presentation. The action alternates between side-scrolling and behind-the-back segments, and it also adds in motorcycle sequences and massive creatures to whip away.

It's more like the old Atari classic in style than execution, but it remains one of the better free games on the App Store. However, as with many games of this sort, its various in-app purchases become annoying after a while, especially when it comes to buying checkpoints to skip past the slower, earlier segments. My recommendation? Enjoy it for the very fun freebie it is and simply move on when it starts to become irritating.

Deus Ex: The Fall

A series as complex and nuanced as Deus Ex seems an odd subject for a scaled-down mobile adaptation, but that's exactly what last year's Deus Ex: The Fall is. Essentially a side story to Human Revolution (and using similar imagery all around), The Fall is a less rich take on that celebrated entry's approach. Luckily, most of the fundamentals are still intact.

The first-person blend of stealth and shooting works surprisingly well on a touch screen, with the ability to take cover by double-tapping, plus contextual buttons that appear for melee kills. Expectedly, the story and dialogue choices aren't quite as intriguing, but there's room to make judgment calls, not to mention the ability to select and upgrade your augments. It's not mind-blowing, but The Fall does an admirable job of making a big game like Deus Ex feel solid on a touch device.

Pac'n-Jump

Namco has unleashed several Pac-Man games on the App Store over the last few years, and some just glom Pac's image onto an existing game premise--side-scrolling runner, puzzle-RPG, etc.--without much enthusiasm. Pac'n-Jump may be little more than a Doodle Jump clone in premise, but it's the rare exception to this trend in that it's not only super entertaining, but also arguably better than the popular game it so clearly mimics.

As in Doodle Jump, Pac'n-Jump finds you bopping ever upwards on platforms, tilting your device to keep him landing on solid ground and gobbling power-ups. There are a number of challenging additions, such as sections in which the platforms are swapped for tiny pellets, and the retro love is in full effect here, with pixel graphics and unlockable stages based on Dig Dug, Galaga, Mappy, and more. I hate to reward a lack of ambition, but Pac'n-Jump is just too much fun to ignore.

Injustice: Gods Among Us

Launched at the same time as the DC Comics console fighter, NetherRealm's own mobile take on Injustice: Gods Among Us takes a different approach. Not only is it a free-to-play affair, but it's one in which you build a tag-team of combatants using cards unlocked via combat (or money, of course). Taps and swipes are used in combat, not unlike the Batman: Arkham City games on iOS, plus many of the cinematic special moves are still included on mobile.

It's freemium, so expect a slow-paced grind and odd difficulty spikes along the way, plus a fair bit of monotony. However, considering it's free, there's a lot of fun to be had within, especially since online multiplayer was just added via a major update. And with console play unlocking content in the mobile game, fans of the bigger version will have on-the-go bonus goodies awaiting them.

Skylanders: Cloud Patrol

Activision has tried several different approaches to Skylanders on mobile. Battlegrounds is bland and grindy, but at least it uses the same toys as the console version. Lost Islands is just a Farmville clone, and not a great one at that. But its first effort, Skylanders: Cloud Patrol, remains its best by a good margin, delivering a straightforward, entertaining arcade-style experience in which you zap waves of trolls with taps and swipes.

Your flying airship zips from platform to platform, giving you an initial second or two to tap individual enemies or swipe away several at once before they start firing projectiles. Deadly (and often moving) spiked balls threaten to end each high score run. It's simple, but Cloud Patrol remains a lot of fun. And for the Skylanders die-hards out there, you can import 30+ figurines and use those characters in the game.

Tap tap tap

Now that you've seen all this interesting iOS titles, maybe you'll stop worrying that every tablet or mobile game will just be another Flappy Bird clone. However, if you think we missed some other great apps when making this list, we'd love to see your suggestions in the comments. Just leave out Angry Birds: Star Wars; we've heard of that one already.

And if you're looking for more mobile excitement, check out GamesRadar's lists of the best iPhone games and the best Android games.

The great-grandaddy of first-person shooters, Wolfenstein 3D, today celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Released in 1992, the game gave rise to a fledgling studio of plucky young upstarts called id software, who later went on to make a little game called Doom. (Perhaps you've heard of it?) While that game is perhaps the better known of the two, Wolfenstein 3D is considered the birth of the genre that continues to be the cornerstone of gaming to this day.

To mark the occasion, Bethesda is giving away the entire iOS version of Wolfenstein 3D for the princely sum of naught. Ziltch. Free. Go ahead, download the entire game right now and shoot Nazis on the bus. Don't have an iDevice? No problem, just head here to play the game in your web browser. Everybody wins!

Also, be sure to check out Bethesda's special video podcast, which sees John Carmack revisiting the game and explaining the design process. It's an insightful watch.

Question is, does Wolfenstein 3D still hold up today? Or is merely a dusty digital relic? Let us know in the comments.

Penny Arcade's just announced the first details of Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3, third in a series many had given up on after the long silence that followed Episode 2. Which is to say that when the game's revealed to the public this weekend at PAX East, Penny Arcade Adventures will kind of succeed where both Half-Life Episodes and Shenmue have so far failed.

Bound for PC, Mac, Android, iOS and the Xbox Live Indie Games channel in the coming months, Precipice 3 continues the saga begun in 2008's initial installments. With previous developer Hothead Games having moved onto its own IPs, last year saw the series revived after a deal was hatched on the comic's own forums for Cthulhu Saves the World dev Zeboyd Gams to continue Penny Arcade's extra-canonical adventures.

PAX East attendees will be able to get a look at Zeboyd's 16-bit-inspired take on the series at the show this weekend, with a panel discussion between the game and comic's staff on Friday evening. Non-attendees can keep up with the game's progress at its newly-launched website.

EAT Studios has released a free Windows Phone 7 app aimed at helping Xbox Live Indie Games enthusiasts get the most out of the service. XBLIG Companion provides a live feed of new content added to the XBLIG database, and lets you browse the full catalog's worth of game info, screens and download options. There's also a series of “Picks” lists collated by notable developers, bloggers and the like.

The release of the app (not to mention the heavy lifting done by EAT Studios itself) continues a string of good news for Xbox-owning indie fans in 2012. Earlier this year, an Xbox 360 dashboard revision brought XBLIG back to prominence within the console frontend, improving the accessibility options once bemoaned by indie fans. EAT promises iOS and Android versions of the XBLIG Companion will be forthcoming shortly; in the meantime, Windows Phone 7 users can download it now for free.

[Update: Thanks to @davevoyles for clarifying that Microsoft didn't work with EAT on developing or promoting this app.]

Wargaming.net has launched a new app to help players stay connected with its popular RTS, World of Tanks. The WoT Assistant, free on iTunes with an Android version to follow shortly, allows on-the-go access to player stats, global rankings, Wargaming.net news and social functions, as well as tracking personal stats such as in-game progress and balance.

Above: A group of tanks gets ready to raid a 16-man instance

Honestly, not to bang the old “wow, technology” drum, but can you imagine how the real wars of the mid-20th Century would have played if this sort of thing had been around? Permanent access to player progress and tank condition, the instant ability to compare records and results with the enemy... the whole thing would've been done in an afternoon. Or possibly accelerated rapidly into Mutually Assured Destruction. Or maybe Churchill would have gotten distracted playing Angry Birds and the whole thing would've gone much as it did – look, we're not military strategists.

Anywho, you can get the WoT Assistant from the iTunes Store, which also offers a free preview of the game in the form of Wargaming.net's About WoT app.

A newly-launched iOS app claiming to offer an iPhone version of Pokemon Yellow for 99 cents (via Kotaku) isn't affiliated in any discernible way with Nintendo or Game Freak. From the comments on the App Store's bank of 1-star reviews, it's clear the app doesn't even work: “This is a scam. Crashes after main screen.” Not that that's stopped the fake app from rising up Apple's Paid Apps charts around the world.

Above: If you were going to fake an unlicensed Pokemon game, you'd think you could at least fake something a bit newer

One-star ratings and disgruntled reviews grace the app's pages on various international storefronts – but the game's support page offers little assistance, manned as it is by neither Nintendo nor Game Freak but someone called Qeab. But you don't have to go that far for signs of the app's dubiousness. The iTunes Store credits the app to an outfit named Home of Anime, which in the same week released similarly dodgy-looking apps based on Digimon and Yu-Gi-Oh (properties of Bandai and Konami respectively).

At time of writing, the Pokemon app's in the top 10 Paid App charts for Australia, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and New Zealand, all of whose stores display numerous 1-star ratings and comments demanding a refund for the non-working app. Qeab's page says the company's “working on a new build and we anticipate this will be completed soon, which should overcome the issue.” It doesn't mention the company's plans should Nintendo (who last year said it had no plans to support iOS) get wind of the app...

Well, this feels weird to type: Microsoft has released an official Xbox Live app for iPhones that closely resembles the one found on Windows Phone 7 devices. Microsoft. iPhone. App. Strange... The app has a fairly robust set of features, allowing Xbox Live members to view their Achievements, send messages to friends, delete and add friends, and even change their Avatar's outfit, all from the iPhone or iPad screen.

While it's far from innovative by any means, it's still a neat little addition. We can see ourselves using this to send messages and accept friend requests even when we're using the Xbox 360 - it's easier to tap out a message on the iPhone's screen than it is to find our Chat Pad or to send a message using the standard Xbox 360 text input.

It's free and available now, so there's really no reason not to pick it up right here. Unless, you know, you really don't care about Xbox Live all that much, in which case we can't blame you for ignoring it completely.

Grand Theft Auto III's 10 Year Anniversary Edition will be available on select iOS and Android devices on December 15, Rockstar has announced. The list of devices in question has grown since the game's announcement, giving you a better chance of enjoying petty crime while out and about – and at $4.99, you probably won't even have to mug anyone for a copy. (Please don't do this anyway.)

Above: Images from the Android port see Claude looking better (and more like Stephen Dorff?) than ever

GTA III: 10 Year Anniversary Edition will run on iPad 1 or 2, iPhone 4 or 4S, and iPod Touch 4th Generation. The game will also be compatible with HTC Rezound, LG Optimus 2x, Motorola Atrix 4G, Motorola Droid X2, Motorola Photon 4G, Samsung Galaxy R and T-Mobile G2x Android phones, and Acer Iconia, Asus Eee Pad Transformer, Dell Streak 7, LG Optimus Pad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1, Sony Tablet S or Toshiba Thrive tablets running the OS.

Above: A look at the iOS version shows the game's new controls

Optimized with touch-screen controls and graphics that certainly look a lot crisper than the 2001 original's, the 10th Anniversary Edition's $4.99 price-tag is good value for a game that you could once have paid ten times as much for. Here's Rockstar's 10th Anniversary tribute to its own game – which is the kind of self-congratulation you can get away with if you're R*.

Minecraft: Pocket Edition is available now on iOS devices. Like the recently-released Android version, the iOS port strips out the game's wildlife, time cycle and crafting facility but retains local wi-fi multiplayer, allowing players to get a diggin' and treasure-huntin' fix when the full-featured version's not immediately available. That version's due to update to Version 1.0 this weekend, with developer Notch set to officially bring the game out of beta at this weekend's MineCon.

Minecraft's Pocket Edition enters a veritable world of knock-offs, with titles like Eden: World Builder and World Explorer scurrying from the shadow of the genuine article. At least one clone, the unsubtly-titled Minecrafted, has already been pulled from sale. The real Minecraft's legendarily good-natured ruler has said that while ideas like Minecraft are “meant to spread,” he wishes fans would “try to make [their version] original rather than a straight clone.”

Above: Click Play and allow Shigihara to soundtrack your reading of further Minecraft news

Notch joins other Minecraft fans this weekend at Las Vegas' convention. However, plans to take up pixelly pick-axes and burrow underneath the casino capital were halted when gaming chanteuse Laura Shigihara released her new song, Cube Land. Shigihara's wistful ode to the game would be hard to hear over the incessant clanking of pickaxes, so everyone decided to stay above-ground with the new versions and content updates instead. If you're there, tell us how it goes.

I love iOS games. Maybe more than I thought was humanly possible, but I bloody adore the little blighters. I’ve gone as far as to alphabetise the library so they have their own dedicated area to live. Look…

Above: Look carefully and you'll see the alphabetised, near OCD, organisation

Places I play iOS games: on the bus, traveling somewhere on a train, drunk in the back of a cab home so as to take my mind off the imminent explosion of vomit, in bed, on the toilet, on the sofa in between loading screens in console games, standing in queues and sat at my desk while writing this garbled intro paragraph. Basically, if I’m not sleeping there’s a good chance I’m playing games on my iPhone/iPad.

Going from not playing a game to absolutely playing one of about 50 I have on my device can be done in a shorter time than it took to read this sentence. And this is why I’ll always plump for iOS gaming ahead of the now cumbersome method of placing a cartridge into my 3DS – the games are there already, I just need to jab a grubby digit on the one I want. Lovely stuff.

But while I can understand that this way of gaming isn’t everyone’s cup of I simply can’t get enough.

I’ve thought long and hard about what it is that’s so appealing about iOS gaming for the past three minutes, and decided it’s far more than simply speed of access that keeps me hooked – the whole experience makes me whimsical for the Good Old Days™. Let me explain…

If your only knowledge of iOS gaming starts and finishes at Angry Birds, then you’re missing out. Sure, the avian flinging is a phenomenon that has become synonymous with iPhones, but dig into the App Store and you’ll unearth countless gems.

Above: Chair's Infinity Blade is as triple A as iOS games get and it really is excellent

It reminds me of my Spectrum days as young boy. A time of innocence – when all games had an equal chance and bed wetting was the norm and not just cause for making an immediate doctor’s appointment. I digress. My uncle used to take me to computer, and sometimes charity shops, to look for games.

I’d spend ages flicking through the boxes of cassettes for nothing in particular, but would always come across something of interest. For example, one day I found bomb-raiding classic, Harrier Attack for 80p and spent hours playing it. I also spent £1 on the awful Yogi Bear, so my success rate was a bit of a mixed bag.

But it was listlessly combing shops for anything that would run on my Spectrum that added to the overall experience of gaming and that ultimately got me hooked.

Fast forward to the Sega Megadrive (I promise, there is a point to all this) and even though I’m reading games magazines my next purchases are based on word of mouth from my school chums rather than relying on the incessant in-your-face, LOOK AT ME, advertising of today’s big hitters.

Above: Forgot to say I can also play while riding a bike

Besides the App Store’s Game of the Week recommendations I still use the tried and tested methods of old – flicking through the game section until something tickles my fancy or listening to my co-workers/random folk on Twitter for advice.

The genuine thrill of finding something new to pour countless hours into has deserted me in recent years. Now we’re told what we’re supposed to like before we’ve even had a chance to play it for ourselves. There’s no doubting we’re in a purple patch of great games, but there are very few surprises these days.

Sure, we still get hidden classics sent in for preview/review but the iOS platform recaptures a time when I don’t fully know what I’m getting until I’ve paid the paltry fee and played it first hand. If it’s a load of old tripe Unpleasant Horse then it’s gone, deleted, whacked and I move onto the next. It’s a little bit like a tapas menu of various flavours.

Essentially, this is a love letter to iOS games. I unashamedly adore them to bits. OK, so maybe I don’t like the crap ones as much, but the whole experience of stumbling across something truly brilliant is worth the occasional rubbish one. I’ve even been playing Grand Prix Story while I’ve typed this out. You need never have spare time in your life with the numerous wonders that await.

Radical Entertainment has teamed up with Slice HD developer TwitchGames to offer ProtoSlice, a free app for iOS players looking forward to Prototype 2's release next year. Come to that, you can play it even if you're not sure what a Prototype 2 is: the only actual prerequisite is a fondness for reflex-gaming and a willingness to endure a fair amount of virtual finger-slicing.

Assuming you are into Prototype 2, you'll recognize the franchise's signature Arm Blades as the app's central obstacle. Maybe your mind's spinning with ideas for other apps based on the technology (James Heller: Fruit Ninja, Alex Mercer Has To Cut The Rope, etc). Radical's much wiser, though, to hold off letting you actually control the deadly blades until you fork out for the game in April 2012. You don't want just anyone running wild with those things.

WayForward has announced that the iOS version of its popular DSiWare title, Shantae: Risky's Revenge, will be available this week. In fact, it'll be ready for you to purchase and download and start playing in less than 24 short hours, if you so choose. Care for a trailer? Come on, it's right here already.

Having toiled in the licensee fields cranking out highly competent adaptations of others' IP, Shantae was WayForward's first original property. The Game Boy Color title garnered a cult following despite suffering from its host platform's increasing obsolescence (the game sat alongside Mario and Metal Gear on our list of top GBC titles). When the sequel, Shantae: Risky's Revenge, emerged for DSi, we only called it “the perfect platformer.” Now that WayForward has finished work on well-received licenses like Aliens: Infestation and Bloodrayne: Betrayal, it's finally had time to line up the iOS version of Risky's Revenge, which will be available tomorrow, Oct 27. Will you be giving it a go?

Oct 26, 2011

The Arkham City Official Map App contains layout guides to the game's areas and the locations of more than 350 collectibles, including help with Riddles and Riddler Trophies. That ought to come in handy for Apple fans eager to think of their iOS devices as the real world's closest thing to an actual utility belt – though let's see you hide a Batarang in your iPad.

The Map App is put together by Dorling Kindersley Ltd, whose other products include similar guides to LA Noire and Dead Island. It'll run you $3 on the iTunes store – which is cheaper than any player's guide book (though not as cheap as our free Riddler guide), and less stressful than holding all of that information inside your rapidly-overflowing brain. Also, at time of writing, neither printed paper nor the human mind contains the option to switch to Angry Birds when you get stuck.

Oct 24, 2011

Source: Develop Online

With Infinity Blade having proven that iOS games don't have to be all about social media integration or scaled-down knockoffs of real titles, Apple fans have been waiting for the next big platform-proving hit. Enter the new trailer for Phosphor Games Unreal Engine 3 powered adventure, The Dark Meadow. It’s packing a smidge of Silent Hill, a taste of FEAR, and just enough indie-flavored ambiguity to keep you on your toes. Check it out.

The Dark Meadow – which hits the App Store Oct 6 – uses the Unreal 3 Engine and what appears to be an Infinity Blade-influenced control system to propel players through a twisted take on folklore and fairytale. The game's developers are veterans of console development since the mid-90s – project head Chip Sineni's resume spans everything from Nickelodeon games for the SNES to John Woo's Stranglehold – but this is the studio's first stab at establishing its very own IP. Further glimpses are available at the game's website: are you looking forward to exploring deeper?

Sep 26, 2011