Products of the Year: Christmas Gift Guide 2009 >

Games: iPod touch and iPhone

Tristan François
Updated: November 20, 2009

What version of the iPhone or iPod touch is best for gaming?

The latest!

Apple phone and player architecture has evolved. Now more powerful and faster, it is also compatible with 3D acceleration.

The impact on current games is minimal (reduced lag, slower load times), but in the future most games using 3D will only be compatible with the latest available architecture.

So go for an iPod 3G or an iPhone 3G S.

We have no desire to tell gamers what they should be buying. But if you really have no idea of what's going on, or quite simply what's popular on the iPod touch and iPhone and you absolutely HAVE TO give someone a game for Christmas, here’s a helping hand!

This demo gives you an idea of Asphalt 5 gameplay:

Adventure/Role play	Combat	Racing
Dungeon Hunter	Blades of Fury	Asphalt 5
Currently the example of hack'n'slash on iPhone. Full-on fantasy here as you, the prince, chase around saving the world. Why not!	If you like Soul Calibur, you’ll also go for Blades of Fury. For anyone who knows Gameloft, you get the same interface make-up here. Nice and practical.	The latest version of Gameloft’s NFS-like title. With a vital bonus: when you change levels, you change girlfriend at the same time!
Dungeon Hunter on iTunes	Blades of Fury on iTunes	*Asphalt 5 on iTunes*

Sport	Reflection	Loving it!
Real Football 2010	Tiki Towers	Doodle Jump
Football games are of course available on the Apple platform. Here, Gameloft have gone one better than Fifa 2010.	Gooey balls get linked up to take you through the level. A lemming-like concept that goes very far indeed! Not to be missed.	A uniquely designed jumping game. Highly addictive and costs less than a pound!
Real Football on iTunes	Tiki Towers on iTunes	Doodle Jump on iTunes