A major advantage that iOS has had on Android since the very beginning is gaming. While Android isn't quite the gaming platform yet, some big changes are coming and we're starting to see a lot more focus on that specific sector. I've noticed a lot more respectable titles making their way to Market as of late, and even some new developers outing some seriously fun games. I don't find myself playing games a whole lot on my phone, mainly because they suck up so much juice, but occasionally I will pull out my phone and crank up one of these games below:
You are a bunny with a rocket on a mission to feed the other starving bunnies across the universe. Slingshot from planet to planet to feed the bunnies and to avoid spiders, mines, and electric portals. This game takes home the cake for my favorite Android game. It's fairly simple, very entertaining, unique, and has great graphics. Not to mention, it has plenty of levels to keep me subdued for quite a while. Caveat: This game requires Android 2.2, so if you are stuck on a lower version of Android, you will have to wait for this game.
Almost identical to the application I reviewed a while back, Hyper Jump, Mega Jump is the original coin-based platform jumper with all sorts of power-ups and obstacles to make it interesting. Tilting the phone to control your character, try not to miss the coins or your will plummet to your death. With unlockables and some of the best graphics to come to Android yet, this is a neat little game that has kept me entertained for hours.
NinJump, a popular game on the iPhone and iPad, finally made its way to Android a while back. You are a ninja scaling a wall and trying to avoid killer squirrels, birds, other ninjas with throwing stars, bombs, and other obstacles. The game is quite simple with it's tap-style game play. It's easy to pick up and play, but not so easy to put down.
Alchemy isn't a new game by any means. It's the same game I've played time and time again, but this specific version has elements galore – 360 to be exact. What do you do? Starting with four basic elements (fire, water, air, and earth), you drag the elements over one another and "combine" them to make new elements. The point is to discover all 360 elements, which isn't exactly easy. It's a very relaxing, slow-paced, and addictive game. Can you discover all the elements?
Bubble Blast 2 is a chain reaction puzzle game. Tap on the bubbles to burst them and cause a chain reaction to clear the level. The graphics aren't exactly beautiful, but the game is fun, addictive, and has 1400 puzzle levels and an arcade mode. There are several different versions of Bubble Blast: holiday versions, the first iteration, etc. If you like this version, you will enjoy those, too!
Crazy Snowboard is exactly what you would think it is. It's a snowboarding game with two types of gameplay (free ride and missions). You control the boarder by tilting the phone then you have two on-screen controls for rotation and flips, and different grabs while in-air. I wanted to include this in my list of top five, dude to the addictive gameplay and awesome graphics. But I felt it didn't quite make it; with such complex controls, I found it a little hard to play and enjoy. Paired with a PlayStation phone, this game would be one of the best out there, thus the need for an honorable mention.
Since all of these games are free, most of them will be ad-supported. If you're enjoying the game and want to remove the ads and free up some display space, most of these games have a paid version. Show your appreciation and support the developer by paying for the full version. As always, enjoy! Also, feel free to share your favorite games below, paid or free. I'm always interested in trying out new games to kill some time with.
