100 Best iOS Games: #80 – #71

Look at those little fuzzy blue blocks! They’re so adorable. Those red ones just have a bad attitude and we don’t like their look. We don’t feel bad about sending them into that dark oblivion at the bottom of the screen. Aiko Island is a cute little physics puzzler where those damn red blocks are messing it up for the peaceful blue ones. You need to exile those red ones while keeping as many of the blue ones around as you can. The premise is simple but the amount and diversity of the levels keep the game interesting. The physics engine is very accurate and keeping those cute little blue blocks away from the deadly spikes can be quite challenging. If you’re bored of physics games featuring irate birds, then you’d better book a vacation to Aiko Island.

Let’s face it, you’re tired of those wussy little tower defense games that look like Tron or involve little cartoon goblins and knights. You want a real tower defense game set against a modern military backdrop. What you want is iBomber Defense Pacific.This exceedingly well designed game gets your blood pumping with exciting sneak attacks, multiple entryways to guard, and strategic bombing raids. This game is as real as a military tower defense game is going to get on the iOS. Unlike other tower defense games, the maps in iBomber Defense Pacific look much more believable than the usual snake of asphalt, rock, or dirt that you find in most games of the genre. Also, your ability to initiate tactical missile attacks on your invaders can help you turn an assured defeat into a flawless victory.

Imagine Little Big Planet getting freaky with Bomberman with some puzzle game mutations thrown in for an extra bit of fun. That strange offspring would look a little bit like Blast-A-Way. This game is a bit slower paced than your standard frantic tapaganza, but it still provides you with some satisfying explosions and mind confounding puzzles. Quite honestly, Blast-A-Way is a puzzle game with enough pixels to make your eyes bleed from all the sharp and lovely visuals. The high-fi graphics only add to this clever game’s charm. The puzzles themselves become more and more difficult as you navigate the five worlds made of different materials. If you’re tired of those same old puzzle games with random shapes and a distinct lack of graphical snazz, Blast-A-Way is well worth your time. Plus, it is a puzzle game with explosions. EXPLOSIONS!!!

There aren’t too many horrific games that you can find in the App Store. Experiencing something in the palm of your hands doesn't lend itself well to shock and terror. But, Ndemic Creations has made a game where its implications are more horrifying than you could even comprehend. It is also a game that will make sure you remember to wash your hands. You're tasked with developing a super virus to wipe out the human species. You and your disease must overcome anything those crafty humans can throw at it. Plague Inc. is a game of high strategy where you need to anticipate your opponent's choices three moves ahead. It's kind of like chess but with deadly viruses and maps charting the pandemic. This is the game that can make your hair stand on end without showing you an ounce of blood or a gun's iron sights. It is a game where you fear what it implies. You might also want to keep some hand sanitizer close by while you're playing. Who knows where your iPhone has been!

Retro has come back into style since the introduction of the App Store. Dragon's Lair isn't the only retrofitted arcade game to find its way onto your device, but it may be the most memorable. Dragon’s Lair for the iOS is a direct shot of nostalgia into your femoral artery. The wonderfully hand drawn animations have been polished and all of your favorite sections have been adjusted to work in the palm of your hand. Dragon’s Lair has enough variety to keep you coming back again and again. With its two game modes you’ll spend hours adventuring around the castle as Dirk on your quest to save the princess. Plus you get to be called Dirk, and who wouldn’t want that?

What the hell is a Doodle? We don't know, but we do know that the little guy needs to make it as far as he can up an endless sheet of paper without hitting any UFO's or black holes. The simple graphics and tilt gameplay make Doodle Jump addictive. Part of its childish charm comes from the power-ups you can snag on your journey toward the paper pulp heavens. Springs, jetpacks, and other such paraphernalia aid you on your quest into the sky. Why is the Doodle going up there? We have no clue, but we do know that it's fun to help him on his journey.

If you don't want to bother with marauding temple monkeys or a robot unicorn, then Canabalt is the endless runner for you. You're tasked with making a daring escape through a very gray and pixelated city while avoiding any obstacles in your path. Canabalt is a deceptively intense game with the ever increasing speed upping the ante with each second you keep moving forward. Quite simply, it is a gorgeous looking game. Its design is minimal, but that somehow makes your escape that much more engaging. Your imagination fills in the blanks.

If any developer knows how to make an RPG, it is Square Enix. They've brought us some of the most memorable, and forgettable, Final Fantasy games. They've adapted The World Ends With You to the iOS where it has made some serious noise. This RPG is different from anything you're likely to find in the App Store. With a setting based off of a real life neighborhood in Tokyo and graphics that look like they come right out of Jet Set Radio Future, this game is sure to delight you. The story is fast, fun, engaging, and, quite frankly, so is the combat. Instead of your normal turn-based fare, the game takes full advantage of touchscreen capabilities. You'll enjoy every swipe and tap you use to direct Neku through the Reaper's nasty little game. The soundtrack also kicks ass.

Never one to leave a successful franchise or idea alone, Disney has adapted their smash hit Where's My Water? into a new, but very familiar game. This time though, a little more physics have made it into the mix. Water isn't the only physical state in town and you now have ice and gas to play with on your journey to get water to our little friend Perry. Where's My Perry? is a worthy successor to an already fantastic game and does what any good sequel should do; expand on the idea and make it even more fun. Fans of Where's My Water? or any liquid physics puzzler would do well to give this game a look.

Since Scrabble had to make such an abysmal iOS effort, Zynga was forced to step in and take all of you and your friend's money. This devious little Scrabble clone is one of the most perfect word games you can find. It wouldn't be enough playing against a computer. That would be too easy. Instead, you can play against those wily humans you call friends. You never know what they're going to do or say, and that is what makes Words with Friends so much fun. You may end up with a whole board full of two-letter words like QI or synonyms for book. You simply don't know. Plus you get to brag to your friends when you win and make bets on who has the most loquacious vocabulary.