Touch Arcade

If you have played Shadow Blade, I'd say your money is best spent elsewhere. The improvements are minor enough that you would likely enjoy a fresher experience unless you are dying to replay this.

I loved this game nearly 16 years ago as a joyous farewell to a series I felt was drifting away from me. Even though I ended up adjusting just fine to Final Fantasy's new direction from that point on, I still love Final Fantasy 9 today. Not as a farewell to the traditional, but as a wonderful celebration of it.

In many ways it’s a nice throwback to the early days of the App Store when everyone was clamoring to the be the next cute physics game with a three-star rating system and a one dollar price tag. Turns out that formula works pretty well in 2016, too.

Its various parts may not be terribly original, but the whole package together is a surprisingly great experience--especially for being free. I’d say that’s worth painting the town red over.

Kung Fu Panda: Battle of Destiny may be offensive to Blizzard, but it's a rather inoffensive alternative for card game fans. I ended up playing it far longer than I thought I would, and there's even a few bits that Blizzard can probably benefit from.

If you haven't played Ys Chronicles 1, I'd recommend doing so before tackling this game. You're meant to have played it first, both for the story and in terms of what it teaches you about the gameplay systems. But make sure you come back to this one once you've finished, because Ys 2 ups the ante in some very satisfying ways, making for one of the most action-packed games in the genre you can find on iOS. Now, let's cross our fingers for Ys: Oath In Felghana next.

There's some rough edges to Space Grunts, but a lot of that can just be attributed to a unique feel that Orangepixel has and that I wouldn't necessarily want to go away. And the overall product is a really cool blend of different styles. This still feels like a fun action game even if it is turn-based, and getting that balance right is a challenge in and of itself. For action fans who want something a bit different? Check this out.

With very little in the way of IAP and a "one more round" feel, Call of Commander is really easy to get lost with.

It's a great game, and I'm happy a new generation has a chance to experience it as it was originally designed.

Overall, though, All Is Lost is a very solid take on the genre. In fact, despite my complaints I’d say it’s one of the most fun runners I’ve played in some time. Coordinating your right and left thumbs with the different swipes and moves can be very satisfying when you pull it off successfully in the heat of the action, and the unique progression system keeps things interesting.