The iPhone App Report #1

I'm going try and tear myself away from my new iPhone 3GS long enough to share my thoughts on the various games and other sundry apps that I have tried out during the first week of ownership. This first App Report probably won't contain any real surprises for those who have owned an iPhone for a while, as most of the games covered here a very high profile, but hopefully next time I will have unearthed a few gems to share with you all. I will embed YouTube clips of the apps wherever possible and appropriate so you can see them in action. Click on the name of the app for a link to the App Store.

Real Racing | £5.99 | Genre: Racing | Tilt and Touch Controls
This is without a doubt the "killer app" for the iPhone right now. The graphics and gameplay are a match for anything the PSP or DS have to offer and even give the home consoles a run for their money. It is at the pricier end of the scale for iPhone games but you definitely get your money's worth, with plenty of cups to win and three different classes to work your way through. Initially the game took a bit of getting used to, but after I turned the tilt sensitivity down a bit, turned off the break assist completely, set braking and acceleration to manual and switched to the in car view, the game felt incredibly natural and extremely immersive to boot. A must have for iPhone owning race fans. Verdict: 10 out of 10

Peggle | £2.99 | Genre: Puzzle/Casual | Touch control only
PopCap's classic pachinko/pinball hybrid game is available on the iPhone in all its glory, at a fraction of the price of other versions and sporting several features exclusive to the platform (including a tap to zoom feature and an on screen scroll wheel for making fine adjustments to your aim. If you've never tried Peggle before, then this is the perfect version to go for - it's cheap, and is ideal for handheld play because you can play a level or two on the bus and then pick up exactly where you left off the next time you fire it up. Verdict: 8 out of 10

The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition | £4.99 | Genre: Adventure | Touch control only
Monkey Island Special Edition was only released on the PC and Xbox Live Arcade fairly recently and yet here is exactly the same game (except with touch control of course) available for you to play in the palm of your hand. When I bought my iPhone last Friday this was the very first thing that I rushed to the App Store to buy. The graphics, sound and music have all been updated, but just by swiping two fingers across the screen you can switch to the classic version. Fantastic. Verdict: 9 out of 10.

Tap Tap Revenge 2 | Free | Genre: Rhythm Action | Touch and shake controls
If you're looking for a Guitar Hero style game for your iPhone then look no further than Tap Tap Revenge 2, as not only is it excellent fun, it is also completely free to download with over 100 songs available, spread over five difficulty levels (Kids, Easy, Medium, Hard and Extreme). There are themed Premium Packs for £2.99 each which focus on a particular artist such as Coldplay, or a genre such as Dance, and these replace the stock backgrounds with ones that reflect each particular song, but the free content will keep you playing for a fair old while before you get bored. Verdict: 8 out of 10.

That's it for now, join me again soon where I will be giving some DSiWare similar treatment.