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Afterpulse is yet another example of a mobile game that strips away all the fluffy extras and instead focuses on delivering a tight, fun experience that's perfect for on-the-go gaming. Unfortunately, it sometimes feels a bit too focused, as it really could do with one or two other gameplay types beyond simple deathmatches. It also feels incredibly generic, with it's most distinguishing feature being how "photorealistic" the visuals are. Not that that's a bad thing, really, but imagine how jaw-dropping the game would look if all that fancy tech was actually in support of something genuinely unique that had some character. At the end of the day, though, that's not why we play dumb shooters like this, is it? We just want to kill stuff, and in that respect, Afterpulse can be a pretty great time.

Well, I think you can all understand my issues with Asphalt 9: Legends. Check that score below this paragraph, and imagine how much I enjoy the actual racing in the game for it to still be that high with all of my complaints. For funsies, imagine how high that score could have been without them. Well, I’m sure Gameloft chose the path of greater financial reward here, and keeping the lights on is certainly more important than entertaining Shaun. It’s just a shame because there is absolutely room on the Switch for a premium arcade racer that does the things Asphalt does so well. Better luck next time?

Really, Astra stands out among other orbital platformers for its unique art and great feel. But it is a trying game, and one that caused me to quit constantly and go play something else, to the point that it was difficult to proceed. But that made the successes more rewarding, and it's long way to the top, that's for sure.

Checking off the boxes doesn’t really do it for me at this point, though. If you’re a hardcore Metroidvania fan who is hungry for something new and don’t mind a challenge, you’ll get what you need from Astronite. If you think it looks charming or something about its premise hits you right, you probably won’t regret the purchase. But I can’t really recommend Astronite with much vigor to the general player who is getting a little weary of this sort of affair.

There are a bunch of castle vs castle strategy games on the App Store, but few can come close to rivaling the look and feel of Battle of Puppets.

While Blitz Brigade offers an enjoyable experience in team-based FPS gameplay, the overall experience is still clouded by freemium add-ons that add unnecessary annoyances. Unfortunately, this description is the norm rather than the exception in this day and age. If you're looking for a multiplayer oriented FPS that will have a player base and receive support (at least for the short term), by all means check out what Blitz Brigade has to offer. Just be forewarned that this isn't your PC's F2P shooter.

If you enjoy arcade-style score attack action games, Galacticon is a must-have.

This isn't the only sci-fi gamebook available on the App Store, but among the selection, this is assuredly the one with the hardest edge to its narrative. It's also a very fair game, making it a pretty good choice for those who are new to the genre. At the same time, while the game isn't very challenging, having a number of viable routes makes for a much more replayable game than we often see in this genre. You will have to sacrifice certain things in the course of the adventure, and that will close doors to you later on, so if you want to really drink in everything Heavy Metal Thunder has to offer, you're looking at playing through at least a few times. This is a very solid gamebook, with plenty to see and a zippy pace, told through some bizarre, entertaining writing. Fans of gamebooks, especially those who may have been pining recently for a more typical entry into the genre, should certainly give this a look.

While each of the individual gameplay elements isn't particularly groundbreaking, Avatar's major achievement is the sense of immersion and scale that Gameloft has managed to create in an iPhone game.

For the price point it’s currently at, it feels just a little on the slight side. But if you’re looking for an enjoyable side-scrolling romp that to play with friends, Kemono Heroes may well fit the bill.

Kung Fu Panda 2 delivers two games which, although not as good as the originals, are well implemented casual games, which are fun to play. By the time four scrolls (games) are provided, assuming the next two are of a comparable quality and provided free, this title will be pretty good value for a dollar. If you for some reason don't already own Fruit Ninja and/or Doodle Jump and are totally stoked for the impending release of the Kung Fu Panda 2 movie, this is the game for you.

This probably isn’t going to rock anyone’s world, but if you enjoy the genre I think you’ll have a lot of fun going through this one.

For the price, this is one hell of an adventure, and the gameplay experience is just about as refined as can be. Players in our forums seem to be digging it as well, so pull on your winged sandals and get in there. You need to track down this Icarus guy before the Gods get any angrier, and heaven known we don't want to incur any more of their wrath!

Ultimately, Runaway: A Road Adventure is a beautiful looking, average sounding, and at times, many times, frustrating experience. It's a worthy addition to the collection if you're into the old 'point and click' and it certainly isn't bad… just keep in mind that it has a lot of flaws, some to do with the original design, some to do with the transition to mobile devices.

I have honestly been looking for something bad to say about this game but I can't find a single thing. Even the IAP is totally fair, used simply to unlock all the levels if you can't be bothered playing all the way through, but trust me, you'll want to play it all. Shiny The Firefly has it all – slick controls, puzzles, epic boss battles… but most of all, it has my heart. Awwww.

While Split/Second for iPhone can be a fun arcade racer, App Store racing staples like Real Racing [$4.99 / Free] and Need for Speed Shift [$6.99] are just flat out better technical racers. As such, Split/Second isn't a must have but may appeal to those looking for a different and far more arcade-y racing experience.

Still, these minor issues do little to sully what is otherwise an excellent puzzler. Supermagical looks great, sounds awesome and hits that sought-after balance of approachable gameplay and depth. A decent amount of content also means fans will have plenty to play. If you have even the smallest interest in puzzle titles, hurry up and give it a try.

In its current state, Temtem is moving in the right direction and is absolutely worth your time on Switch as long as you’re ok with the online-only aspect of it. I still have issues with the lack of any sort of offline support for a portable system like Nintendo Switch, but the core gameplay loop and amount of content available with the 1.0 launch is well worth the asking price. The Switch port is also very good considering the hardware and how it runs on other platforms as well. The ideal portable experience for this is Steam Deck, but thanks to having full cross platform support, I’ve been enjoying Temtem on Switch, Xbox Series X, and Steam Deck. I can’t wait to see how it evolves over time. -Mikhail Madnani

The Knight Witch is a very well-made game that takes two very different genres and binds them together with a fair bit of success. You really have to be into both Metroidvania-style games and bullet-hell shooters to get into this one, but if you can check off both of those boxes without much thought, then this is a slam-dunk pick-up. It’s not the lengthiest of games, but it’s certainly quite satisfying thanks to its solid gameplay and charming presentation.