Star Ride for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

Take the same basic game concept of DoodleJump, but somehow give it a calming, tranquil feel, and you've got Star Ride.

You start on the ground, jump to the first star, which propels you further into the night sky, as you jump from star to star, going higher and higher. Miss a star, and you can expect a tranquil fall, and a chance to start over again from ground level. Climb higher and higher, and watch for the moving stars as they are point multipliers.

It's one of those rare calming, yet fun to play games for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

(iTunes link)

Here's a look:

Pang Mobile for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

There are a lot of ball puns that could be made about this game, but I will try to keep it to a minimum. In Pang, you have to break large balls/balloons by launching what amount to grappling hooks and lines. Time it just right, and when the ball hits the line, it will split in two smaller balls. Break one of those balls, and again there are two even smaller balls bouncing around the screen. Unfortunately your character can't jump out of the way, and all of the balls bouncing around make it frustrating to try to advance beyond the first few rounds.

(iTunes link)

Here's a look:

Gel Doodle for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

Show of hands: Who didn't play with their Jello as a child? Well maybe the next generation will be able to have all the fun of gooey Jello without the mess thanks to Gel Doodle. Gel Doodle turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a mold for different shapes. Add fruit just like you would in real life, or add objects only available in the digital world like photos from your photo album. Your creations can then bounce around the screen, or be added to your photo library.

The fun for most adults will be short-lived, but for super-young kids, it could be quite a hoot. That said, you'll have to decide whether it's better to have your four year-old play with your iPhone rather than a few penny's worth of Jello.

(iTunes link)

Here's a look:

Jet Ball for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

What do you get when you take the gaming classic breakout, and throw in a healthy helping of the old Mac favorite Airburst? You get Jet Ball.

Jet Ball uses the same paddle/ball premise as Breakout and countless other games. However in addition to clever, cool, and challenging block layouts (which has been done elsewhere) Jet Ball adds special features like long paddle / short paddle, magnetic paddle, etc., all of which are similar to the different extras in the balloon-popping action of Airburst. Jet Ball has so many special functions/features, it can get tough at times to keep them all straight, and remember at a glance whether a feature is good or bad (if you're brave, go for the negative features like short paddle: they're worth three times as many points)

The action is fast, the levels are fun, and you're always left with that "just one more time" feeling at the end of the game. This version has a few quirks due to the location of the OpenFeint information, which covers the paddle/info at the bottom of the screen, but otherwise, it's hassle-free:

(iTunes link)

Buster Red for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

Take Space Invaders, add in fun graphics, super-fast gameplay, and you have Buster Red. Buster Red has you piloting one of three ships as you take on a seemingly never-ending army of enemy spaceships and obstacles. The cartoonish art design gives the game a fresh feel: