My top 5 iOS games

Earlier this week I wrote about my top 10 iOS productivity apps. Of course, when you're done being productive, nothing beats playing games. Below I've detailed my current top 5 time wasters.

Wipeout
If you have watched the popular Wipeout television show, you know that one of the best things about the show is when the contestants Wipeout. Well, the new Wipeout game from Activision keeps that feature intact while delivering one of the most exhilarating games I have played on my iOS device in a long time.

The Wipeout game starts you out with the option of either getting right into the game or playing in a trial mode. Once you start the game play you can quickly see a tour of the level or get right to it. As you might expect, the first time you play, it offers a tutorial so you can get familiar with the players, the moves and the obstacles. Then you get started. Gameplay includes jumping over things, ducking, bouncing, falling and requires you to watch the qualifying time while also being careful not to get swept away into the water.

One thing a game like Wipeout needs to get right is the physics. With obstacles to avoid and slow motion instant replay after every wipeout, the physics have to be spot on. In the case of Wipeout, the developers did such am amazing job that I even find myself moving my body in the real world, at times, when I am trying to avoid getting hit in the game.

So far my kids and I are completely addicted. I do play on the iPhone a lot, but the iPad creates a more immersive experience due to the large screen. And unlike many other games I have played, my average gaming session seems to be upwards of 60 minutes with Wipeout.

Pitfall
When a company decides to re-invent the classic, it's challenged with making sure to keep true to the original. Pitfall is one of those games that does it right.

The game starts off by showing you what appears to be the old style Pitfall, and quickly zooms out to show that the main character, Pitfall Harry, is actually playing the old Pitfall game on his handheld. From there you are transported into a game experience similar to Temple Run, that takes you through challenges that require you to jump, slide, whip, and a whole lot more. This isn't your typical runner-style game. Instead, you're treated to a variety of perspectives, from side scrolling action, to first person perspective, just to name a couple. The game play is fluid and there are many opportunities for power ups to enhance the game play.

Activision Anthology
Speaking of old games, my favorite games on the Atari 2600 were from Activision. Pitfall, Enduro, Skiing, River Raid, and Megamania, just to name a few. Over the years I've played a number of them in emulators on my PC and various smartphones, but now Activision has brought them all back to life on the iOS platform.

Activision Anthology faithfully recreates the experience, allowing you to not just select the game, but also use an interface that allows you to rotate through the cartridges, and then even interact with the old 2600 console when you want go change settings.

The games are literally exactly like the originals, but in this case you can choose to use the D-pad, Tilt, or Follow Touch to interact with the game.

There are currently a bunch of versions available, ranging from Free, which comes with KABOOM!, to the complete collection of 45 games for $6.99. It's a small price to pay for retro fun, in my opinion.

Angry Birds Star Wars
It's amazing to me that Angry Birds continues to live on, but thankfully, the team behind it continues to take the game play to new heights. In this latest installment, the birds take on characteristics of Star Wars characters, including having light sabers, summoning the Millennium Falcon, and more. The sounds have been redone, and also feature music from the movies.

The gameplay continues to be interactive, and I think this is the best one of the bunch.

Scramble With Friends
One of my favorite games is Scramble. The reason being that I can play against a ton of friends, but I don't have to play in real-time to keep the game going. If you're not familiar with Scramble, think Boggle on steroids. You're faced with a bunch of letters and you have to form words from the adjacent letters. There's a countdown timer, and you have different options that you can select, by using your coins, including Freeze Time, Inspire, and Scramble. The best part of this game is that you can play on your own time, and continue to play with as many people as the servers will handle.

Do you have your own favorites? If so, share them in the comments.