Subrats for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

Previously I mentioned how much I enjoy playing Flight Control: a game in which you play an air traffic controller, and have to guide planes to a safe landing. Today's game has a similar concept, but moves the action underground. In Subrats, you must guide wayward rats from one side of the screen to a trash can on the other side. Three subway tracks stand in the way. You draw the path you want the rat to follow, then have to pay attention, make sure your plans don't change when a train approaches. For added risk, rats can safely navigate under a train IF the train is completely stopped.

While there are some interesting extras (like the emergency stop to bring all trains to a halt) the game doesn't feel as polished as Flight Control, and the rounds are much shorter, taking longer to get to more challenging levels.

Here's a look:

Subrats in the App Store.

Stonewars for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

I like the idea of the Bowman-style games: combine a little bit of physics and gravity to wipe out your opponent one turn at a time. Stonewars takes that concept, and adds a dash of a side scrolling game like Mario Bros.

In addition to height and strength adjustments, Stonewars allows you to move throughout the game, meaning you can sneak up right behind your enemy, and blast them with your stone cannon. Be warned: Doing so will lower your strength level as well, and when that happens, you'll need to take a bit of your trusty turkey leg.

I like turkey legs as much as the next guy, but the computer players in this game are so tough, you'll spend a lot of time eating to gain strength. The best tip is to take full advantage of your mobility, and find the sweet spot where you can cause the most damage without harming yourself.

Here's a look:

Stonewars in the App Store.

Pochi in Space Video Review

I know, it's a question we've all asked ourselves many times: How would a big-headed astronaut avoid collisions with space debris? Fortunately, Pochi In Space is here to give us the answer. You guide Pochi, avoiding obstacles by tilting the iPhone/iPod Touch from side to side. Be careful: just one accidental bump into an object, and it's lights out for Pochi. 

This single-life element of the game makes it frustrating, especially when dealing with the shadowy transparent UFOs. Guide Pochi into a ship, and he'll at least survive his first collison, losing his ship instead of dying. It isn't for everyone, but you can try the free/lite version first.

Fun, but also frustrating, here's a look:

Pochi in Space in the App Store.

NovaRift: Arena Video Review

NovaRift: Arena takes the gameplay of astreroids, and mashes it up with a top-down shooter like Galaxian, throwing in a healthy dose of network play at the same time. While gameplay is fine, the tiny ship, and even tinier enemies make it more difficult than it needs to be.

Also, while the networked play with built-in chat brings more of a console feel of the game, I couldn't find anything worthwhile, (or even fit to print)in the chat within 20 minutes. You might want to try the lite version first.

Here's a look:

NovaRift: Arena in the App Store.

Crazy Pumpkin for the iPhone and iPod Touch Video Review

You might be getting ready to head to the pumpkin patch this weekend, but you can have fun with pumpkins right on your iPhone or iPod Touch too. Crazy Pumpkin allows you to mix and match several different mouthes, noses, and eyes, along with different colors to create thousands of combinations.

While the easy creation features (just swipe to change) and the buttons for emailing and saving your pumpkin are great. I can't quite get behind paying for this app, but check out the lite version.

Here's a look:

Crazy Pumpkin in the App Store.