OMG IT'S SPACE ACE! We've come a long way from starry-eyed kids standing in a sticky-floored mall arcade drooling over the beautiful images on the screen. And you could "play" the game! With just a quarter! Now a pile of those quarters will buy you the game outright, a portable version you can have and hold and cuddle all the day and night long. Sticky, candy-covered floor optional.
Space Ace - The classic arcade game without the classic 225lb arcade cabinet! Help Ace rescue his girlfriend Kimberly from the evil Commander Borf in this "action" game from animation maestro Don Bluth. Every bit of the game has survived the transition from laserdisc to flash memory intact. The gameplay is exactly like it was in the arcade. Wait for cues on the screen, and then either hit a directional control or the action button. If you time it right, you move on. If not, well that's what the extra lives are for. Regardless of what you think of the gameplay, the quality of Bluth's classic animation is worth a fiver alone. A free Space Ace Lite is also available.
Nine Gaps - If you like sudoku puzzles and have ever wished for something with a bit more bite to it, then Nine Gaps might just tickle your fancy. Each puzzle presents a 3x3 grid into which you must place the digits 1 through 9. The twist is that mathematical operators stand in your way, dictating the logic by which the numbers must be placed. Make each equation evaluate correctly horizontally and vertically to solve the puzzle. It's a no frills app with 3 difficulty settings and just enough challenge to work your brain into shape, one puzzle at a time.
Blue Attack! - Head up the front lines in an intergalactic war between Red and Blue, on your way to destroying the Red home planet. You can take up to 8 wingmen in a variety of formations to help you take down the red aliens. On top of that your ship is fully customizable, everything from your shot spread to turning radius and acceleration. Even the controls are customizable allowing you to choose between touch and tilt controls to guide your ship to its prey. There is a lot of game here, and it will be sure to keep you happily occupied for hours.
Triazzle - This might be the prettiest puzzle game on the iPhone. It may also be the most deceptively difficult puzzle game, too. The objective is simple and familiar: fit the triangular pieces onto the board such that all like-colored bugs and insects align properly. When they do, the characters will animate bringing the puzzle game to life. The trick is, um, finding the right spot for each piece, a feat that is easier said than done. With three difficulty settings, each with a selectable number of pieces (9 or 16), and even a kids mode, too, this is one game that will keep you and your family entertained (and challenged) for hours.
NOTE: Games listed may not be available outside of North America. Prices are subject to change and are therefore unlisted. Please see the individual game pages for purchasing info.
OMG Triazzle. When I was in elementary school we played that all the time in the computer lab. I could never beat the hardest level.. but then again I was only in third grade.
Wow, two puzzle games this week that I used to play with great fervor. Excellent! And space ace... I played Dragon's Lair but never got to try this. I be excited!
Also I would have gladly paid full cash for "Nine Gaps" (it's called something else in GAMES magazine when they have it) if they had just had regular numbers and not this fancy cut out whatnot, but honestly I don't care. Still some of my favorite puzzles.
Triazzle looks like a lot of fun, but I'll buy it when it's .99 cents. The only game I've paid more for so far is Myst.
I was SO BAD at Dragon's Lair, I'm pretty sure I wasn't much better at Space Ace. But it is nice they are porting some old school games.
I wish they had Nine Gaps for a PC! It looks like something I would be interested in...
Update