iPhone games round-up

SlotZ Racer
SlotZ Racer may not boast a big name license, but that doesn’t stop it borrowing from a few classics, namely Scalextric for the gameplay and Micro Machines for the look.

You start with the basic racing game, where speed and braking is controlled by a single touchscreen button. As the action is on rails you don’t have to worry too much about steering, although be prepared for high speed crashes if you don’t control more Schumacker-like tendencies.

Of course, the downside of this is that the computer–controlled cars are on rails too, and far less likely to make mistakes.

Alternatively, SlotZRacer supports up to 4 players at once, each with their own accelerator button in a corner of the screen. It’s a nice idea, although whether 4 adults crouching over a teeny iPhone or even teenier iPod touch, squinting at the slightly underwhelming graphics is your idea of fun is another matter.

When you’ve grown tired of the tracks they provide, it’s time to design your own by slotting straights, turns and bridges painstakingly together and choosing from a small selection of backgrounds.

A few more of these wouldn’t have gone amiss but for the price you can’t really complain. SlotZ Racer is simple, instinctive fun.

Verdict: High speed thrills and simple gameplay make this a joy to pick up and play (7/10)

Warfare Incorporated
RTS’s seem naturally suited to touchscreens, which explains why so many of them are starting to crop up on the iPhone.

Warfare Incorporated was well received on the Palm but that was over 5 years ago and in fairness time has not been kind to its looks, which remain crude and cramped throughout. Ignore that, however, and there’s plenty to enjoy in this 20-level struggle against the sinister Omni Corporation.

All units and structures are easily touch-accessible and when you run out of missions, there a good 200 user-designed ones to be downloaded. Warfare Incorporated proves that war may not be pretty, but it’s certainly absorbing.

Verdict: A veritable munter of an RTS, that still plays surprisingly well (6/10)

Wild West Shootout
Shooting-gallery games tend to rely on lightguns that few gamers can afford and even fewer developers support. So can the iPhone’s touchscreen inject new life into the genre? Probably not.

Wild West Shoot-Out does an OK job, but it’s a slim excuse for a game. Your job is to gun down each of Gucho Gambino’s gang, while collecting loot and avoiding helpless bystanders who wave white flags at you. In between levels there’s a bottle-shooting mini-game to earn extra lives.

It looks nice enough but prodding the screen with chubby little fingers never feels accurate or satisfying enough to persevere with.

Verdict: Average novelty barely saved by a silly price. (6/10)

Reviews by Mike Anderiesz. Originally published in Smartphone & PDA Essentials magazine.

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