Great Games for Your Phone

Bird Mania

Any roundup of must-have mobile games would be lacking without a mention of “Angry Birds” and its spinoffs, all available for iPhone and Android. These addictive games put you in control of a slingshot filled with various types of birds, as you try to knock down the increasingly complex structures built by the pigs who stole their eggs. For a more mellow experience, check out “Tiny Wings” (iPhone), where you use your finger to launch a bird whose wings are too small to fly up and down a dreamy backdrop of candy-colored hills.

Angry Birds

Download 'Angry Birds' here.

 

Hammock Games

When you need to unwind for a few minutes, these casual games are perfect for a quick break. “Doodle Jump” (all platforms), is a fun game that sends you higher and higher through a never-ending series of platforms, avoiding enemies and collecting power-ups along the way. If you like your games with a dose of 90s synthpop, try “Robot Unicorn Attack,” a frenetic side-scrolling endless runner for iPhone and Android that has you guiding a psychedelic unicorn through a series of obstacles with Erasure’s “Always” looping in the background.

Doodle Jump

Download 'Doodle Jump' here.

 

Puzzle Mania

Engage your brain with these mind-twisting puzzlers. “Bejeweled Blitz” (iPhone) is a mobile take on the popular browser game that retains the frantic pace of the original as you attempt to clear as many gems as possible in 60 seconds. For a less fast-paced (but still satisfyingly strategic) experience, “Cut the Rope: Experiments” for iPhone and Android offers 150 levels that have you trying to figure out what lines you need to cut -- and in what order -- to drop a piece of candy right into Om Nom’s hungry mouth.

Cut the Rope

Download 'Cut The Rope: Experiments' here.

The Best of Action

Looking for an adrenaline-pumping, pulse-pounding action game? “Rage HD” (iPhone) is a first-person shooter from id Software, the same studio that defined the genre in the 90s with “Doom” and “Quake.” The game places you behind the trigger in a post-apocalyptic game show with hungry mutants lurking around every corner. If you’re more in the mood for hand-to-hand combat, check out “Real Steel: HD,” which brings the no-holds-barred robot combat of the movie to your iPhone or Android smartphone.

Real Steel HD

Download 'Real Steel: HD' here.

The Classics

Take a stroll down memory lane with these vintage arcade classics, but don’t worry – you won’t need to bum quarters from your mom. Old favorites like “Tetris,” “Centipede” and “Pac-Man” have been reimagined with better graphics and new features for the iPhone and Android smartphones. You can scratch your 90s arcade itch with games like “Ultimate Mortal Kombat III” and “Golden Axe,” both for the iPhone.

Tetris

Download 'Tetris' here.

Eye-Popping Graphics

Modern smartphones, with their stunning, high-quality displays and high-powered graphics processors, nearly rival consoles in their ability to render mind-blowing graphics. If you want to put your iPhone’s Retina Display through its paces, check out the recently released role-playing game “Horn,” which casts you as a hero determined to rescue his people from a curse. Android users can show off their phone's graphical prowess with the high-definition fighting game “Samurai II: Vengeance THD.”

Horn

Download 'Horn' here.

Space Invaders

Defend your home from intergalactic evil with the "N.O.V.A. - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance" series for Android and iOS. Spanning three games so far, the series follows protagonist Kal Wardin as he fights to prevent a mysterious alien race from destroying humanity. The games offer console-worthy graphics, an epic storyline and a real-time multiplayer.

N.O.V.A 2

Download 'N.O.V.A. 2 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance' here.

Handheld Sports

Go for glory with games that put you behind the ball. If you’ve ever dreamed of winning the BCS Championship, you have a (virtual) shot at it with EA’s “NCAA Football” for the iPhone. Choose from more than 55 popular college football teams, draft your dream players and go head-to-head against friends over Bluetooth, with real commentary from Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit. If you’d rather take a run around the diamond, “Homerun Battle 3D” for iPhone and Android gives you the chance to hit homers against a real opponent.

Homerun Battle 3D

Get 'Homerun Battle 3D' here.