8 games that shine on iPads

It’s time for another list! With the unveiling of a new iteration of the iPad so close (read tomorrow), we have been thinking about what we would download if we ever got rich enough to buy the new tablets. Me, being the hardcore gaming nerd that I am, will download nothing but the best mobile games. So, here’s a list of the iPad games I would get with the new hardware.

Ridiculous Fishing (Rs 170)
The moment we got our hands on this one, we loved it. Even after only getting to play it for a couple of minutes on a friend’s iPhone, this has been a mainstay in my own phone ever since. The premise is simple: send your lure down into the deepest depths of the waters without touching anything, and the moment you touch something, you come back up grabbing all the fish you want on your way back. When you hit the surface, you put away your fishing rod and bring out the big guns (literally) and gun down all the fishes to get money. You get to buy upgrades as well, including fishing lines that let you go deeper, akimbo miniguns and hairdryers and toasters that act as an extra life underwater. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that owing to its tight gameplay and hilarious writing, this is probably one of the best iOS games we’ve ever played.

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I will hurt anyone who says Ridiculous Fishing isn’t a good game

Eclipse: New Dawn for the Galaxy (Rs 390)
Eclipse is essentially a digital version of the board game of the same name. By board game, we don’t mean the boring stuff like Monopoly and Scrabble (more like ‘bored-game’). No, we mean the ultra-strategic stuff like Settlers of Catan. In Eclipse, players take control of a vast interstellar civilisation, competing for success with its rivals. You explore new star systems, research technologies and build epic spaceships. This is basically the closest we have to getting a portable version of Galactic Civilizations, but with a different ruleset. Oh, it also has a multiplayer mode with support for up to 6 players.

iPad board gaming at its best

XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Rs 1,100)
It’s no secret that we love strategy games, especially XCOM. It has held a special place in our hearts from way back (Think early Windows era) and last year’s revival by Firaxis did nothing but bring wide smiles to our faces. Of course, the game was eventually ported to iOS devices, and ends up being one of the best games you can buy for your iPad, even though it has the rather hefty price tag of more than a grand. Don’t let the price put you off, though, since it is essentially the same game we saw on the PC, but with a more touch-centric control scheme. If you want to know more about the game’s original PC incarnation, check out our review from last year.

Tactics games were made to be played on tablets

Rayman Jungle Run (Rs 170)
Let no one say that we hate running games! Okay, we actually do hate running games, but Rayman Jungle Run is an exception. Mostly because it’s not one of those endless runners that you keep playing for no reason other than to push up an imaginary number; it instead has a level-based structure, reminiscent of the actual Rayman games from consoles. Oh, and the art and music are jaw-droppingly beautiful as well. It also introduces new mechanics slowly, and then mixes everything in for some insane level design. Also, one of the best things about this runner: no microtransactions.

The only objectively good running game

Bastion (Rs 270)
One of the indie darlings from 2011, Bastion was a huge step forward in not only gameplay, but also storytelling. The main pull of the game is the method in which the plot is revealed: a narrator comments on whatever the player does. The gameplay itself is relatively simple—you go around killing anything and everything that moves. It is a typical RPG with a level-up system that revolves around alcohol. It also has one of the best soundtracks we have ever heard in a video game.

Bastion is widely accepted as a credit to RPGs

Neuroshima Hex (Rs 270)
Coming back to strategy games, Neuroshima Hex is an odd example. It doesn’t really have any of the typical strategy game trappings, but it does involve a fair bit of tactics. Players fight for control of a hexagonal board in a post-apocalyptic world by placing minions and powerups that face in specific directions. The main aim of any match is to destroy the other player’s home base. It features a robust ruleset consisting of turns and cards, and features single player matches against the AI as well as asynchronous multiplayer.

A different take on a post-apocalyptic setting

Super Hexagon (Rs 170)
Super Hexagon comes from the mind of indie game developer Terry Cavanagh, who many might remember was also the creator of VVVVVV. It has a simple premise: survive for as long as you can by dodging incoming obstacles by turning either clockwise or counter-clockwise. It is one of those ‘easy-to-understand-but-a-kick-in-the-nuts-to-master’ systems where the challenge is ramped up gradually through an increase in the game’s tempo. It features vector-based graphics so that players don’t get distracted and can pay attention to incoming obstacles.

The protagonist of Super Hexagon is the tiny triangle

Walking Dead: The Game (Free - Rs 270 per episode, Rs 1,100 for all)
Do we really have to talk about this game again? If you haven’t played it yet, you really should. It’s available on every platform under the sun right now and features some of the best writing videogames have ever had. It is able to brilliantly showcase the power videogames have over other forms of art by adding a level of interactivity to a story. It features a cel-shaded look where any given scene can easily be part of a comic panel. While the episodic structure might seem a bit stupid now, it does let you check out the first chapter completely free and you don’t have to commit to playing the other chapters if you don’t want to. A definite must-play, it even managed to be our game of the year in 2012. Want to know why? Check out our review.

Of course this game was going to be on our list!

Of course, this list is not the be all and end all. We would love to know if you think we missed out on any games or if you have dug up some obscure titles from the thousands on the App Store. Add to this list in the comments.