Some Great Free Games
By Like many of you, I love a free lunch. The opportunity to obtain something at any desired level (whether mildly or voraciously) at no personal cost is dear to my heart. Fortunately, when one has an iPhone or iPod Touch and an iTunes account, one has access to a myriad of free stuff. Specifically, free games. It doesn’t matter if their purpose is purely marketing or it is simply the case of some programmer who believes in the philosophy of sharing code at no cost. Here are a few good examples of App Store freebies and my opinion of them. Feel free to download and install any or all at your leisure.
Like many of you, I love a free lunch. The opportunity to obtain something at any desired level (whether mildly or voraciously) at no personal cost is dear to my heart. Fortunately, when one has an iPhone or iPod Touch and an iTunes account, one has access to a myriad of free stuff. Specifically, free games. It doesn’t matter if their purpose is purely marketing or it is simply the case of some programmer who believes in the philosophy of sharing code at no cost. Here are a few good examples of App Store freebies and my opinion of them. Feel free to download and install any or all at your leisure.
Cube – Cube is a first-person shooter app with incredible graphics. I used to play Doom on the PC about 10 years ago and the graphics on the iTouch now are better than the PC then. It is tough to control the movement since every little tilt moves your point-of-view around the maze the character is trapped in. The motion could make you seasick if you’re not careful. Tapping each corner performs a different action. They are: move forward, jump, shoot, and go to the main menu. Single player and multi-player games are available. I’m still trying to figure it out (at this stage, I haven’t even found any monsters to shoot yet), but it seems fun.
Darts – This game is pretty much what it says it on the tin. If you’re too lazy to go to the pub for a dart board, then this is the next best thing. You move the aiming circle to the section of the dart board you want then flick your finger halfway up the screen to throw the dart. You can practice or play a game against the computer. There is even a help menu to understand the rules of Darts if you are, like myself, ignorant of them. iTunes has several similar first-person sports available in the App Store, including bowling and basketball. Speaking of which…
iBasketBall – From the makers of iBowl comes another first-person sports simulator. This time rather than throwing a bowling ball down an alley you’re making free throws into a basket. You simply line up the ball with your finger and flick your wrist to attempt to throw it into the basket. I find it amusing that the game provides a crowd that doesn’t move or make noise. They’re simply stuck in freeze-frame, some in mid-leap. As with iBowl, it is possible to do multi-player games and game sounds are available during play.
TapDefense – This is a strategy game in which you are supposed to keep the minions of Hell from invading Heaven by constructing towers. Um, yeah. Anyway, the game contains a myriad of rules for play. Going through the help menu thoroughly beforehand would be a good idea. This is really not my kind of game but strategy enthusiasts would probably like it and you can’t beat the price.
The ability to run programs is what separates the iPod Touch and iPhone from other iPod versions or media players. Since the iPhone/iTouch will perform the same function as a portable game console (with many of the programs, including the ones listed here, available at no cost), you could dump your existing console for it. Beat that, Game Boy and PSP!
