The 50 best iPad games of 2010

Game: Solipskier
Price: $2.99 / £1.79
Size: 14.5MB
Buy it now from the iTunes store:US/UK

Here's another Flash-based favorite that made the leap to iPad this year with great results. Solipskier lets you command a little cross-country skier across paths that you create by holding down your finger. Gaining momentum is the key to this experience, as it'll notch you ever-higher scores and let you fly through gates and over hazards with ease. As the speed ratchets up to insane levels, the game becomes an absolute blur, with technicolor effects spawning in the skier's wake; plus, the whole experience is amplified by a ridiculous heavy metal anthem. You won't last for long in the world of Solipskier, but it's the kind of game you'll play a dozen times per sitting, at least.

Game: Space Invaders: Infinity Gene
Price: $4.99 / £2.99
Size: 41.5MB
Buy it now from the iTunes store:US/UK

Space Invaders: Infinity Gene has since spread to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, but it originated on the iPhone, and expanded to iPad with a universal update last summer. Like the other versions, it's a wonderfully enthralling modernization of the old-school classic, transforming the simple arcade shooting into something more akin to a vertical shoot-'em-up, with cascading masses of enemies and intense boss fights in brief missions. Infinity Gene continually changes up its approach with each new set of levels, and introduces new weapons and abilities at a near-constant clip. Add in the awesome vector visuals and techno tunes, plus the ability to spawn levels based on your own music library, and you have one of the best games on iPad.

Game: Space Miner HD
Price: $2.99 / £1.79
Size: 159MB
Buy it now from the iTunes store:US/UK

Space Miner builds its experience around the core concept of Atari classic, Asteroids, but it's what the game does around that premise that makes it a worthwhile and memorable choice. Blasting space rocks and enemy mining bots to collect precious ore and parts is solid fun, but Space Miner amplifies the experience by letting you customize your ship with all sorts of found and purchased parts, which changes the feel of the game and look of your ride. On top of that, the campaign mode includes perhaps the funniest dialogue we've seen in an iOS game, with amusing characters and rich zingers that'll keep you plowing through the sizeable adventure.

Game: Spider: Bryce Manor HD
Price: $4.99 / £2.99
Size: 78.2MB
Buy it now from the iTunes store:US/UK

Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor was arguably 2009's most acclaimed original iPhone game, delivering a touch-screen adventure that not only delivered unique and engaging gameplay, but also a slowly-developing mystery that kept players spinning webs until the conclusion. The HD version for iPad maintains the excellent hand-drawn look of the iPhone game, blowing it out with greater detail on the larger screen while enhancing the gameplay in the process. Crawling around each environment as the titular arachnid is a true pleasure, and the iPad version delivers a "director's cut" version of the campaign, along with an all-new two-player sidekicks co-op mode. Even if you loved and completed Spider on iPhone, it's worth a second go-round with this expanded iteration.

Game: Spider-Man: Total Mayhem HD
Price: $6.99 / £3.99
Size: 407MB
Buy it now from the iTunes store:US/UK

High-profile licensed games rarely draw up much enthusiasm on iOS platforms, but Gameloft's original beat-em-up take on the comic hero shines with varied action, solid visuals, and plenty of the webhead's light-hearted snark. The comic-stylized aesthetic suits the source material extremely well and pairs well with the action, which blends combo-heavy combat and platforming segments with quick-time events that have you perform an indicated finger swipe to avoid a hazard or trigger an action. With enemies like Venom, Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, and Sandman in tow, along with a photography mini-game and unlockable black suit, Total Mayhem HD offers up a pretty sharp Spider-Man experience that feels like a throwback to Neversoft's classic PSone title.

Game: Spirits for iPad
Price: $4.99 / £2.99
Size: 42.2MB
Buy it now from the iTunes store:US/UK

With a visual style that feels like a perfect blend of Limbo, The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, and the work of anime legend Hayao Miyazaki, Spirits for iPad immediately enraptured us with its impressive minimalist aesthetic. Luckily, the gameplay holds up its end of the deal, as well, as you'll utilize the abilities of the titular creatures to reach an exit in each stage. Wind plays a big part in the experience, and you'll use the creatures' abilities to burrow tunnels, build ladders, and generate focused sources of wind to tackle each puzzle. We're reminded of games like Lemmings and Downstream Panic, but Spirits for iPad maintains a unique sensation all its own.

Game: Sushi Boy
Price: $0.99 / £0.59
Size: 37.8MB
Buy it now from the iTunes store:US/UK

Here's a game we didn't expect to hold our attention for terribly long, yet we've been firing up this universal app regularly on both iPad and iPhone. Sushi Boy is a very simple game: all you do is tilt (or touch) the iPad to make the little anime-stylized hero run back and forth to catch the titular falling food in his basket, all the while avoiding hazardous items. Mid-mission coin collecting sequences see your character vaulting through the air like a Dragon Ball Z fever dream, and the continual speed increases in the standard sushi-nabbing segments make for an unexpectedly intense experience. Plus, extended play is rewarded with higher difficulty options and numerous customization options.

Game: Time Geeks: Find All! HD
Price: $1.99 / £1.19
Size: 28.2MB
Buy it now from the iTunes store:US/UK

Wait, another hidden image puzzle game? Do we really need two of these on the iPad? Actually, we do – Time Geeks: Find All! HD offers a distinct experience from the similarly great Little Things, and not just due to the sharp pixel artwork. Each of Time Geeks' stages is loaded with randomized objectives and amusing pop culture references, such as the abundance of LOST cues found in the initial island level. While the original iPhone version was totally worthwhile, the added screen real estate here really enhances the item-finding gameplay, plus all the amusing characters and touch-screen mini-games made the transition to iPad.

Game: World of Goo
Price: $9.99 / £5.99
Size: 75.5MB
Buy it now from the iTunes store:US/UK

2D Boy's WiiWare and PC indie gem finally made the transition to iPad right before Christmas, and we quickly found ourselves falling in love all over again. World of Goo is a colorful and immensely creative game about building wobbling structures to solve puzzles, but you won't be using lumber or girders. Instead, all you have to work with are different balls of goo that easily attach to each other, and some of which are flammable or can be removed and reattached. World of Goo's quirky tone and style, paired with a brilliantly moody original soundtrack, pull you in, but it's the fantastic and heady puzzles that'll keep you hooked until the finale. Easily one of the best iPad games around.

Game: Words with Friends HD
Price: $4.99 / £2.99
Size: 7MB
Buy it now from the iTunes store:US/UK

Yeah, we know – we’ve recommended this as well as the original Scrabble. What can we say? We're writers. We enjoy words. Plus, we're somewhat of a social bunch, so sharing them with friends really just sweetens the pot. Words with Friends is an unabashed Scrabble clone, but what we love about the iOS smash is that it lets us play the game on our own time. No more do you need to invite over pals and devote hours to a match – simply play your turn on the commute or in the john, and then your opponent will do the same. It's an elegant approach that fills the little gaps in our days, and we love the expanded board space of the HD version. It's not super essential for fans of the iPhone version to grab this one as well, but die-hards will appreciate having it on yet another device.

Game: Zen Bound 2 Universal
Price: $2.99 / £1.79
Size: 152MB
Buy it now from the iTunes store:US/UK

Given the means to wrap a bunch of rope around wooden objects in real life, we'd probably pass in a heartbeat; really, who wants splinters and rope burn? Yet Zen Bound 2 enraptured us around the iPad launch with an engaging gameplay mechanic, responsive touch controls, and even some pretty swell-looking visuals. Each stage centers on covering some physical object with a set amount of rope, earning flowers for masking certain percentages of the surface. It's a great game to play when you're zoning out on the couch, and in our experience, parents and extended family think it's just a hoot.

Jan 22, 2011