Developer Silicon Knights has been ordered to recall and destroy games like Too Human and X-Men: Destiny, as the firm's use of Epic's Unreal Engine has been deemed unlawful.

For the majority of the past half-decade, developers Silicon Knights and Epic Games have been locked in a vicious legal battle. The former claims that Epic failed to fully document the feature set found in its famous Unreal Engine, thus sabotaging not only Silicon Knights’ titles built on top of this technology, but also games developed by a number of other companies. Further, it claims that instead of improving support for the Unreal Engine, Epic was actually channeling all of the licensing money it earned via the tech to improve its own Gears Of War series (to the detriment of possible competitors using the same engine). In turn, Epic claims that Silicon Knights has repeatedly violated the terms of its Unreal Engine licensing contract, to the point that the former has infringed on the latter’s copyrights.

That’s all a lot of “he said, she said,” but the important point here is that Epic eventually won the battle. In May of this year a court in North Carolina ruled that Silicon Knights had failed to provide ample evidence of its claims against Epic. As a result, the court decided to award Epic Games a sizable $4.45 million ($2.65 million for Epic’s counterclaim against Silicon Knights, and $1.8 million for Epic’s claim that Silicon Knights had infringed on its copyrights to the Unreal Engine). 

While that victory is certainly a feather in the obsessively well-rendered cap of Epic Games, things would only get worse for Silicon Knights. On November 7 the court ordered Silicon Knights to recall and destroy any unsold copies of games it had created using the Unreal Engine technology. Silicon Knights has never been what you’d describe as a prolific developer, so while this directive affects only a small handful of games, it’s still a pretty striking decision. The list of titles Silicon Knights has to scrap includes games we barely know anything about (The Sandman, The Box/Ritualyst, and Siren in the Maelstrom) but also two titles that have been on retail shelves for quite some time. Specifically, 2011′s X-Men: Destiny and 2008′s Too Human.

According to the court order, Silicon Knights has until December 10 to gather and destroy all copies of these titles. That’s a little over a month, and while we don’t know exactly how many copies the company has to find and destroy, this seems like a massive undertaking, especially given recent rumors that only five employees remain at Silicon Knights. Whether the company can fulfill its obligations to the court remains to be seen, but to be honest with you we’re more interested in seeing how Silicon Knights fares after this event has been consigned to the annals of history. The company has been teetering on the brink of collapse ever since the Activision-published X-Men: Destiny proved an expensive failure, and this court order looks increasingly like a major nail in the developer’s coffin. Expect a report on the fallout just in time for the holiday season.

We rely a lot on our smartphones to do just about everything. It’s not just about phone calls. We listen to music, we play games, we watch videos, we update Facebook… and all of these drain our batteries like there’s no tomorrow. Literally, because most smartphone batteries barely make it through the day.

That’s why there are so many chargers and backup battery solutions these days and one of the best could be the ReVIVE Solar ReStore XL. It’s got a solar panel and a whopping 4000mAh of internal juice, giving you enough to recharge most smartphones two times over. Better yet, it’s on sale for 60% off the regular retail price.

At 6.7″ x 3.6″ x 0.8″ and 8 ounces, the ReVIVE Solar ReStore XL is roughly the same size as your cell phone, making it easily portable for wherever your day may take you. The solar panel has a 300mA charging rate in direct sunlight, getting enough energy “to charge most phones after only 4-6 hours.” You can also recharge it via USB, checking on its charge level via the 4-level LED indicator.

GameFly has expanded its ability to distribute games to its members by releasing a PC client that allows players to download titles directly. To celebrate, the company is giving out free copies of BioShock.

When GameFly started out, it was a pretty transparent effort to ape the success of Netflix in the world of video games. Both Netflix and GameFly made their names by delivering discs to subscribers via the mail, and both eschewed the traditional rental model by allowing users to hang on to their rented media for as long as they might like. As of this morning, GameFly has further increased its resemblance to Netflix by releasing a PC client that, like Netflix’s various streaming video clients, allows players to download games on demand from a huge list of Windows- and Mac-compatible titles.

Or, at least, that’s how it’s supposed to work in theory. Like Netflix’s streaming service, GameFly’s list of titles that can be streamed by subscribers without dropping extra cash to actually purchase the game is relatively paltry. Though GameFly as a whole boasts “over 1,500″ computer games that could feasibly be eligible for inclusion in the firm’s Unlimited PC Play program — that’s what GameFly is calling this service — the current list of titles you can download and play right this very minute features fewer than 400 games. Again, this mirrors Netflix’s streaming service, which didn’t really become a compelling addition to the Netflix subscription plan until the company began adding new content en masse. We shot an email off to GameFly to ask if the firm would be implementing a similar plan for its Unlimited PC Play titles, and it confirmed that yes, the list of games available will increase over time.

Derivative though it may be, we support GameFly’s decision to release this PC client, not only because Netflix has become an indispensable facet of modern home entertainment, but also because GameFly is clever enough to know that simply issuing a new PC client isn’t a substantial draw for the large numbers of new subscribers it hopes to attract. To assist in this effort, the company is offering a free, downloadable PC copy of BioShock to anyone who downloads the new, free PC client. While BioShock is a bit long in the tooth at this point, it’s still a phenomenal game. 

Plus, thanks to that zero dollar price point, BioShock is one of the most cost-effective primers on Ayn Rand’s Objectivist theory available. Just please don’t finish the game and immediately start railing on the rest of society for being a bunch of soft-hearted pinko commies. We got enough of that in the lead up the recent elections.

Anyway, if you’re interested in scoring your free game or exploring GameFly’s offerings in greater detail, you should click through to the firm’s official site and download the free PC or Mac client. That page also lists the necessary system requirements for the client, though assuming you have a computer built in the last half-decade you should be fine. Enjoy your new bounty of free entertainment.

Walt Disney Animation Studio return with Wreck-It Ralph, a film steeped in the world of video games. But at its core, the digital overlay is simply the setting for a traditional, and heartwarming story of a guy who makes a friend.

Although the days of the arcade are on the wane to the point of extinction, there will always be a certain subset of people who have grown up with the influence of those institutions ingrained upon them. During the 80s and 90s, the arcade was a place where you could go to experience something new. It was a place to hide away for a few hours, or a place to socialize in a new way. For many it was an escape, while for others it was a babysitter, reassuring parents in the knowledge that they could leave their kids there and those kids would be content to hover around the games like moths around a light without even entertaining the thought of wandering off. 

Over the years though, the evolution of technology has not been kind to these digital meccas. Prices went up, while the convenience and sophistication of the product moved to the home. A handful of arcades remain, but they are few and far between. They will always exist, however, in the hearts and minds of those that experienced arcades in their prime. It is to those people that Wreck-It Ralph has been promoted through trailers and promotional materials. But while the film is certainly heavily influenced by those unique days, the story is a deeper and more universal tale.

That arcade influence is at the heart of Wreck-It Ralph, but it is not the driving force. Beyond the flashy cameos of characters like Pac-Man and Street Fighter’s Zangief, there is a story of a lonely guy, badly treated and shunned through no fault of his own, who befriends another lonely and isolated character that just wants to be accepted. Like most of Disney’s animated films it is a morality tale, and one that is created to appeal to all ages. In that, it succeeds.

After 30 years as the unappreciated antagonist of a Donkey Kong-like arcade game called “Fix-It Felix Jr.”, Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) has begun to question his role. After being shunned by his fellow characters at the anniversary party for their game, Ralph decides that the only way he will ever belong is to prove that he can be a hero too. Things soon go wrong, and Ralph accidentally leaves a trail of mishaps in his wake, forcing his own game’s hero, Felix (voiced by Jack McBrayer), to come looking for him. 

Through a bizarre turn, Ralph finds himself in a game called “Sugar Rush,” a candy-themed kart racer (created for this film, but bearing more than a passing similarity to Mario Kart), where he meets the annoying, but endearing Vanellope (voiced by Sarah Silverman). But Ralph’s journey has caused bigger problems than he knows. With Felix on his trail thanks to the no-nonsense Sergeant Calhoun (voiced by Jane Lynch), Ralph’s actions could spell doom for the entire arcade.  

The hook of Wreck-It Ralph is, of course, the gaming-inspired world that Ralph and his cohorts inhabit, but that is actually a fairly small portion of the overall package, just as the toys were just the setup to tell a much deeper narrative in Toy Story. If anything, the promotion of this movie has been a little misleading. Although publicized as a gaming-centric film, the gaming icons are there for only a very small potion of the actual movie. Of the eight characters from real games in the poster above, their combined screen time may be five minutes, and three of those come in one scene at the beginning. That isn’t really a criticism  though, just a note that the promotion of this film has been focusing so heavily on its ties to the gaming world that you may not expect to find that it is actually a minor aspect of it in the same way that toys are a relatively small focus of Toy Story.  In both cases the world creates the rules, and in both cases the setup offers some original humor thanks to the subject matter, but the heart of the story runs deeper than that. 

Director Rich Moore (Multiple Simpsons and Futurama episodes) certainly understands the nostalgic appeal of the arcade, but that world quickly takes a backseat to the story. The arcade environment is simply the vehicle that offers the filmmakers a clever and entertaining backdrop to tell a deeper and more heartfelt story of friendship and acceptance. It comes across a touch heavy handed for the more cynically minded, but there are moments that are actually fairly touching even if they are a bit predictable. 

Wreck-It Ralph doesn’t quite hit that level of originality or emotional resonance of the brilliant Toy Story series, but it is possibly the best animated film of the year. Brave and ParaNorman both have a horse in that race as well, but the humor, originality of the universe, and story that hits all the right emotional notes, make Wreck-It Ralph the leader.  

The artwork is also beautiful and expressive, and the characters emote a great deal. The voice cast is involved in the story, not just reading dialogue. Even when the story does begin to stray into predictable territory – and it does so heavily, especially at the end with the twist you’ll see coming from a mile away – the art can help keep you engaged.  

Conclusion

Although the “hidden world of gaming” promised by the advertising is actually more of a background than a feature, Wreck-It Ralph has more than enough on its own merits to make a worthy entry into the Walt Disney vaults. There is a simple, but universal story at play that will appeal to all ages, and it succeeds because of the sharp writing, endearing animation, and great voice work. It is a touch formulaic, but ultimately satisfying and worth the time. Your inner child that still yearns for the days of the arcade will thank you for it.

Rockstar Games piles on the nostalgia while whetting appetites for the new. The studio announced a 10th anniversary release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for Android and IOS before teasing info about Grand Theft Auto 5.

For any millennials still feeling old after the tenth anniversary release of Grand Theft Auto III on iOS platforms last fall, get ready for another kick to the proverbial groin this fall thanks to Rockstar Games. On Friday the studio announced the 10^th Anniversary Edition of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for Android and iOS devices.

“To celebrate the 10^th anniversary, there will be a series of commemorative assets released, including never-before-seen artwork and a brand new anniversary trailer highlighting some of the most iconic scenes and music from the game. In addition, a limited run of promotional items will be made available for purchase through the Rockstar Warehouse, with select items also available via online giveaways.”

While a new trailer for a decade old game might not sound like the most thrilling release, Rockstar did promise that there will be “several enhancements” to the game in its new mobile edition. Mission checkpoints probably won’t make the cut.

No release date was given for the game.

Grand Theft Auto V, the next new entry in Rockstar’s signature series, is still an unknown quantity. After a number of weeks releasing screenshots from the game on its website, Rockstar has been silent about the new game. Two days prior to the announcement of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City’s anniversary edition, the studio released a new piece of concept art for GTAV labeled “Pest Control,” with the promise that “lots of info” about the game would be coming in November.

Grand Theft Auto V publisher 2K Games and its parent company Take-Two Interactive had to adjust financial expectations for the current fiscal year due to the game’s delayed release. Since GTAV was left out of its projections for this year, it’s been assumed that the game will be released in the second quarter of 2013, somewhere between April and June, much like recent Rockstar releases like L.A. Noire, Max Payne 3, Red Dead Redemption, and even Grand Theft Auto IV.

If Grand Theft Auto V releases in April 2013, that will be exactly five years after its predecessor, meaning that Grand Theft Auto IV was as close to the release of Vice City as V is to it.

Rockstar Games wants you to know: You’re old.

The Windows 8 Store's guidelines prevent UK video game publishers from selling many of their most popular games through Microsoft's new service. On the new operating system's launch day, Microsoft said it would ease ratings restrictions, but it may be some time before changes take effect.

Microsoft is banking on Windows 8 to do more than strengthen its hold on swiftly evolving PC business. The new operating system is also a key component in the expansion of the company’s Xbox brand as the center of its entertainment business. With Windows 8 on the market, Xbox means more than just a game console in the living room. It’s Xbox Music, Xbox Video, and Xbox Live mobile games, not to mention Xbox Live-ready games sold through the Windows 8 Store. While there was some confusion earlier this month, over what games Microsoft would be able to offer through the Windows 8 Store, the company confirmed on Friday that its service would offer all the games available on Xbox Live Arcade, regardless of rating.

The confusion began when Casey Muratori published an article highlighting Microsoft’s unusual approval guidelines for apps sold in the UK’s Windows Store. Apps cannot have depict anything that “glamorizes illegal activity,” “excessive or gratuitous profanity,” or “irresponsible use of alcohol or tobacco products.” This meant that any games that receive the UK’s PEGI 18 rating—the equivalent of the ESRB’s M in the US—couldn’t be sold in the store. No Grand Theft Auto IV, for example.

When Digital Trends contacted Microsoft, we were told the US Store wouldn’t be constrained in the same way. A representative said, “We have nothing more to share beyond what is public on the Windows Dev Center (section 6.2 of the app certification requirements discusses ratings) and information on Rating boards for Windows apps.” Section 6.2 only restricts games with an “over ESRB Mature” rating, meaning only “AO—Adults Only” games would be blocked.

Microsoft has since changed its tune though. Gizmodo reported on Thursday that Microsoft is amending its app guidelines for the Windows 8 Store so that it can sell the same products as competitors like EA’s Origin, Valve’s Steam, Apple’s Mac App Store, and even its own Windows Phone store.

Not immediately, though. Microsoft’s VP of web services Antoine Leblond said that Microsoft won’t be able to get blocked games onto the store until later this year, possibly as late as December. “This is to give a heads up that that’s where we’re going,” said Leblond, “So [developers] can have the peace of mind around developing the kinds of games that will have those ratings.”

PEGI 18 games will make it to the Windows 8 Store, but what about AO games? Not yet based on the Windows Phone store.

Just as the video game industry is evolving to digital distribution platforms rather physical games sold at stores, the regulatory board responsible for rating those games in the US is evolving too.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board, the independent organization responsible for assigning ratings for commercially sold video games in the United States, announced a significant change to its services on Wednesday. The Digital Rating Service will now be used to assign an age-appropriate rating for games sold or distributed through digital channels. That means any game sold through Steam, the Windows 8 Marketplance, the Xbox Live Arcade, Nintendo eShop, iTunes, the PlayStation Network, and any number of digital-only distribution channels will use the new system. Publishers and developers will fill out a questionnaire online, and that will be used in determining not just the game’s age appropriateness but also what digital information the game records and shares about the player.

These aren’t the biggest changes to the ESRB’s process, though. The biggest change is that the Digital Rating Service will be free. This will not only make it markedly easier for independent game developers with limited funds to get their games on multiple platforms, it will also streamline the process of bringing older games released before the ESRB was established to digital platforms.

“If a game is to be distributed by digital means only then it can utilize the Digital Rating Service,” the ESRB’s Eliot Mizrachi tells Digital Trends, “This includes games that are direct downloads to a console or PC, browser or mobile games, or even streamed games. Only if a game is to have a packaged component does it need to undergo the traditional process, which includes a fee since it involves raters reviewing content.”

The ESRB has charged for ratings for nearly twenty years now. Why change to this new free format after so long? Mizrachi explains that the board’s process was past overdue for a change considering how dramatically the video game industry has evolved in recent years.

“The ESRB must evolve along with the rapidly changing industry it serves and the Digital Rating Service is reflective of that reality. The goal is to foster consistent, reliable rating information across the various platforms on which consumers access games and apps. The system makes it easier for developers by streamlining the process to obtain a rating.”

While the new rating system will most benefit small game studios that couldn’t afford the thousands of dollars necessary for getting a game rated by the ESRB, it will also make it significantly easier to release legacy content. Part of the reason Nintendo’s Virtual Console has been so sparsely stocked on Wii and the Nintendo 3DS over the years is that publisher’s saw little merit in uploading an old NES game that would sell to only a small audience when it would cost so much to have it rated for distribution. Niche NES, Sega Master system, and many other games from before the ESRB’s founding in 1993 now have a better chance at making it to digital distribution platforms since rating them will be totally free.

 “Previously rated product does not need to obtain a new rating when it is ported to a new platform provided that its content remains the same,” says Mizrachi, “If it is unrated and will only be distributed digitally then it may obtain a rating using the Digital Rating Service.” 

Nintendo revealed comprehensive lists of the best-selling video games of 2012 to date, shedding significant light on player tastes around the world. What games will publishers be investing in based on current trends?

Regional sales tracking firms like the NPD Group, Media Creates and others are often the only regular source for getting a picture of what people are paying to play in the video game market. As the balance between digital distribution and traditional brick and mortar retail even out, it’s become more difficult to accurately portray just what people like to play besides Call of Duty. It’s surprising then that Nintendo, one of gaming’s most secretive companies, revealed the top twenty bestselling video games from around the world during its recent earnings report. Nintendo compiled data from those previously listed research firms as well as Gfk International.

With breakdowns for the US, Europe, and Japan, the lists show not just what’s performed well this year, but helps gauge what types of games console publishers will invest in over the next few years as the transition to next-gen consoles begins in earnest.

The tops of the charts aren’t surprising based on how the industry’s past half decade. The top two best-selling video games in the United States between January and September 2012 were Madden NFL 13 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Electronic Arts also dominated Europe (Gfk tracks fourteen countries in the region), taking the top three spots with FIFA 13 on PS3 and Xbox 360 in first and second respectively with FIFA 12 on PS3 taking third. Nintendo dominated Japan, with Pokémon Black 2/White 2 taking the top two slots.

It’s deeper in the list that more revealing statistics emerge. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, for example, was only the sixth best-selling game across 2012, beaten out by competitors like Mass Effect 3 and even Borderlands 2 (fifth and third respectively.) This means that while the sales tail on Call of Duty remains strong, it’s diminished from highs in 2010 with Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which dominated for months after their respective releases. The competitive shooting games was not as favored over the first nine months of the year as co-operative, campaign-centric shooters like Mass Effect and Borderlands. The rest of the list bears this out as well. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier came in at eleventh, where EA’s Battlefield 3 came in at fourteenth. Future Soldier was a May release, and it does sport competitive modes, but even that example supports the POV that multiplayer tastes in the US are shifting.

What of Europe? Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, Uncharted 3, and Mass Effect 3 were on the European list, but that was it for shooters. Nintendo published titles like Super Mario 3D Land, Wii Party and others were far more common in the region, boding well for the Wii U. Gran Turismo 5 also took eighth in Europe, reaffirming the strength of that brand for Sony abroad.

Japan was, again unsurprisingly, dominated by Nintendo and Square-Enix published games for handhelds, with three Capcom titles and two Namco Bandai titles sneaking in as well.

Flinders University has published findings that suggest playing video games before bed can cause significant sleep problems, but the study doesn't distinguish whether it's the games or the screen that's causing trouble.

For those Madden NFL and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 players sinking hours into their consoles this fall, the best time to play is in the evening. Whether it’s down time post school or at the end of the work day, it’s the scant hours before bed that are ideal for gaming with other people. Unfortunately, according to one medical study, that’s the absolute worst time for you to be playing video games.

A report at MedicalXpress (via MCV) detailed a study that found “prolonged video gaming immediately before bed caused significant sleep disruptions in a group of teenage boys, even when they fell asleep at their usual bedtime.”

Australia’s Flinders University Sleep Lab used a test group of 17 people who played a “newly released, fast-paced, violent video game” for between 1 and 2.5 hours over two nights. Those that only played for 1 hour didn’t see their sleep disrupted significantly, but those that played for up to 2.5 hours lost about 27 minutes of sleep, and a 39 minute delay in actually falling asleep. The worst impact is the loss of quality REM sleep, though.

“While they went to bed at their regular bedtime, the adolescents’ still experienced significant sleep disruptions caused by frequent awakenings throughout the night,” said Sleep Lab’s Dr. Michael Gradisar, “Sleep is made up of many different stages and the REM sleep, also known as the dreaming sleep, was reduced by 12 minutes among the teens who played for over two hours. This may not seem like a significant reduction but REM plays an important part in helping us remember content we learnt that day so for adolescents in their final years of school who are revising for exams, winding down at night with a video game might not be the best idea.”

Any parents reading this shouldn’t rush off to tell their kids that Xbox rules are about to change, though. It’s difficult to say whether it’s the games or the actual screen technology that’s causing the problems reported in the Flinders study. A National Sleep Foundation survey conducted in 2011 found that there is a significant correlation between sleep disruption and using any electronic device with a backlit screen—including gaming machines, smartphones, televisions, and computers—before bed. Those findings weren’t new either. A study conducted at Osaka University in 2007 found that “media use before sleep can trigger (self-perceived) insufficient sleep.”

Maybe the solution is to take the classic old codger advice before bed: Read a book. A paper one.

A list of the best iPad games available now in the iTunes App Store, regularly updated with great new titles and releases.

Apple fanboys may go on and on about how the iPad will change the world of computing forever, but we know why you really bought an iPad: games. Racing games, strategy games, MMORPGs, they’re all lining the virtual shelves of the iTunes App Store, waiting to be downloaded. How do you choose from a virtual marketplace brimming with so many choices — some good and some horrible? With a little help from your friends, of course. And by that, we mean us. Below are our constantly evolving picks for best iPad games.

Also check out our picks for The Best iPad Apps, The Best iPhone Games, and The Best iPhone Apps.

Bad Piggies HD ($1)

It’s about time the villains of Angry Birds got a game of their own (that isn’t a cheap clone of the original). This release from Rovio is every bit as polished as its smash hit mobile sensation and it features exactly the same cute, cartoon art style. The challenge is to construct contraptions, in the shape of vehicles or flying machines, which can convey your pigs to an end point in each level. If you’re clever, you’ll work out how to grab the bonus pick-ups along the way and hit that finish flag within the time limit. It’s creative, addictive, and offers lots of fun for the whole family.

Trigger Fist ($3)

This reminds us of the early Counter Strike days. It’s a multiplayer, third-person shooter with a nice streamlined approach that works well for mobile devices. There’s basically no y-axis, so aiming is a simple matter of side-to-side shooting and that makes it much more accessible. You’ve got four multiplayer modes across six maps and that’s the perfect recipe for some old-fashioned fragfest fun. You can unlock a bunch of weapons, skins, and perks as you go. The AI is actually fairly decent, but multiplayer with friends or strangers is where it’s really at.

The Room ($5)

Explore the mysterious and atmospheric world of The Room on your iPad. This puzzle game challenges you to unlock the secrets of a series of boxes by manipulating your view to find keyholes or sliding panels. It’s beautifully crafted, with an ambient soundtrack and totally absorbing gameplay. The creepy sense of exploration sucks you in and won’t let go, gnawing away, until you have solved the final puzzle. It is short and there’s nothing really innovative about it, but it is polished and feels like more than the sum of its parts.

The World Ends With You: Solo Remix for iPad ($20)

You won’t find many games this expensive on the iPad, but The World Ends with You is a deep, involved mystery that combines various genres of gameplay to create an immersive experience that will keep you amused for hours and hours. This was a cult classic on the Nintendo DS and legendary Japanese developer, Square Enix, is behind it. It is a seriously stylish anime adventure with an amazing 60-song soundtrack. It is set in Shibuya in Japan and you’re tasked with defeating the Reapers through a series of missions and planned, touch and swipe combat that can get seriously chaotic. It’s typically tough to explain, but if you’re a JRPG fan then you’ll love it.

Tiny Wings HD ($3)

Tiny Wings got its start on the small screen of the iPhone, but it is all grown up now. The premise of the game is simple: you are a bird who’s wings are too small to get you off the ground so you have to use the terrain to help you get off the ground. The game play is easy to learn but hard to master, and the whimsical art is hard to not love. With the iPad version, you get three different play styles, including a head to head mode where you and a friend compete in some rocking split screen action.

Asphalt 7: Heat ($1) 

As you can tell from the name, this isn’t the first game in this series, but Gameloft seems to have gotten it right. This racing game is one part arcade racer, one part racing sim, and 100% beautiful. The graphics on this game are impressive, even more so on a retina display, but it’s the game play that will keep you coming back for more. There are several different types of challenges for you to concur, and a seemingly endless list of dream cars for you to buy. If you don’t feel like using the iPad as one giant steering wheel there is an option to have onscreen controls, but where’s the fun in that?

Castle Master 3D (Free)

Don’t let the cartoonish graphics fool you this game is in depth. The goal of the game is to expand your empire, and take over nearby castles. To do this you have to build up your kingdom by taking care of your population, building infrastructure, recruit an army, all while worrying about your popularity. Leading your army into battle is always thrilling, and defeating the larger defending force never gets old. Being a free game there is of course places for you to purchase upgrades or ways to speed up your game, but they are tastefully done, and don’t get in the way of the gameplay.

Draw Something Free (Free)

Playing Draw Something on the iPad is almost identical to playing it on your phone. It’s just a bit… easier to get the details right. The resolution has been bumped up to work on the third iPad’s Retina display as well, though you’ll still find the menus ridiculously large. For those who haven’t played, this is a game best connected to Facebook. You draw a picture and your friend tries to guess what it is, and then vice versa. It sounds silly, but the simple ideas are sometimes the best.

Angry Birds Space HD ($3)

Like its predecessor, Angry Birds Space will probably make its way to every casual games list we have, but one of the best places to play it will always be the iPad. Space takes the Angry Birds formula and changes gravity, allowing you to whip birds around planets and knock pig satellites out of orbit. It’s a bit geekier than the original, but we like it. Be warned, the difficulty of Space seems a bit uneven and the game is shorter than its predecessors. Check out our full Angry Birds Space review.

Temple Run (Free)

Temple Run has finally come to Android, but it’s been on iOS since 2011. The gist of the game is pretty simple. You have clearly trespassed on ancient ruins where you don’t belong and are now fleeing from a bunch of evil monkey creatures. To survive, you must swipe up, down, left, or right, and tilt the iPad to dodge obstacles and collect coins. The key to this game is its simplicity and tight controls. When you swipe down to slide, you instinctively know just how far you’ll go. The precision controls have made it a hit and definitely worth checking out.

Gears (Free)

Gears is a pretty, 3D adaptation of a very old type of game. You must guide a ball through a maze of gears and obstacles, collect coins, and make it to the end of each level. Games like these typically don’t have a story, but Gears is surprisingly epic. The sphere you are guiding by moving your finger around is a high tech healing device that has to make its way through the engine of an ancient city to keep its residents alive. If you fail, all of mankind will perish. Pretty heavy stuff, right? Presentation is where Gears shines. 

Fruit Ninja HD ($4)

This game is one of the simplest, most addictive, and most popular games in the iPad game market. Users use finger swipes to slice and dice a variety of fruits as they fly across the screen in a veritable fruit salad. Slice multiple fruits with just one swipe and you’ll get extra bonus points. The game runs on a three-strikes-you’re-out rule, only allowing users to miss three different fruits before they’re out of the game. The more fruits you slice, the better your score, unless you accidentally slice a flying bomb, in which case your game ends then and there. Several different playing modes keep things interesting, and users can play alone of in a multiplayer version.

Plants vs. Zombies HD ($7)

The iPad proves to be yet another winning platform for this casual gaming legend from the maestros at Popcap. As the name would suggest, you’ll need to plant a yard full of anthropomorphic mushrooms, peas, sunflowers and other vegetation to battle it out with wave after wave of invading zombies. A classic tower defense game, sure, but Popcap’s wit, achievements and colorful animation elevate it to a title you won’t be able to put down.

Angry Birds HD ($5)

If you haven’t heard of Angry Birds by now, you’ve probably been living under a technological rock for some time. The simple action game is one of the most popular games across virtually all mobile platforms, but it first gained traction with the iPhone and iPad. The story goes that some angry green pigs stole eggs from their bird neighbors, making the birds, you guessed it, very angry. Users slingshot squawking birds towards the pigs’ fortresses in an attempt to destroy them and move on to the next level.

Harbor Master (Free)

A retake on the classic Flight Control substitutes boats for planes but loses none of the fun factor in the process – and this one’s free. Players must use their fingers to direct a never-ending barrage of boats to docks for unloading and then safely out of the harbor. Lines will help you visualize where your freighters are headed, but be prepared for frantic redirection, near misses and eventually a game-ending collision when the boats start to flood in.

Real Racing HD ($5)

Need to justify your $800 iPad purchase to a group of skeptical friends who claim it’s just an oversized iPod Touch? Download Real Racing HD. Awkward turn-to-steer controls aside, it’s one of the best-looking games available on the system, and discards the flashy arcade-style action of Need for Speed: Shift in favor of realistic, simulator-style driving.

Labyrinth 2 HD ($8)

No, it’s not a sequel to the 1986 David Bowie movie shot in HD. Instead, Labyrinth 2 HD emulates the ball-in-a-maze toys you probably had as a kid, with the same object: Get the ball from point A to point B. But those wooden toys never had the same barriers you’ll find here, which include not just holes but cannons, magnets, carousels and lasers. The game responds realistically to the iPad’s internal accelerometers, and even subtly shifts the viewpoint to create the illusion you’re really looking into a 3D box. Try the “Lite” version for a taste of the game before springing for the real thing.

Scrabble ($10)

The most classic of word games has made its way to the iPad with fun features for Apple lovers. First of all, the board game looks even better than before on the comfortably-large iPad screen, making gameplay more realistic. Users can play up to 25 different matches, connect with friends on Facebook, pay the Pass N’ Play mode, or find a game via Local Networks. Second, the most innovative feature comes into play for Apple fans who want to play together in person. Now users can use iPhones or iPod Touches as personal tile racks and virtually flick tiles from a device onto the iPad game board.

Mondo Solitaire ($6)

The same game that helped you survive mind-numbing shifts at your first cubicle job and hours stuck in school computer labs can now keep you sane on the train to work, plane to New York, or just occupied during commercials on the couch. Mondo Solitaire turns your iPad into a portable card table with the familiar Solitaire layout you know and love from Windows 3.0 and up, but with updated graphics and slick animated card flipping. The app offers “100 games and over 200 different combinations of gameplay” and is sure to contain the classics like FreeCell and Klondike along with many new games that you’ve likely never seen before.

GodFinger All-Stars (Free)

Take Black & White, cuten it up for the iPad, add simplified multitouch controls and you have GodFinger: a classic god game for people who have never heard of god games. You’ll play the role of a higher power overseeing your own planet and villagers. The barren chunk of rock and sole worshipper you start with can slow grow to a lush utopian village with the right measure of rain, sun, and other divine intervention on your behalf. Although its free to play, GodFinger offers the option of purchasing “Awe Points” for your planet to help jumpstart your civilization with farms, fountains, and other frivolities.

Osmos ($5)

This simple and fun kinetic action game starts out with balls made of cells, hence the science-y name. Using momentum, users must move around the screen to incorporate smaller cell balls to become the biggest and most powerful object in the game’s micro-universe. You can only incorporate objects smaller than yourself, and the more your object moves, the more mass it will lose. The game is surprisingly addicting for its simplicity, and there are plenty of levels to keep you going for hours.

Checkers HD ($2)

It’s checkers, plain and simple. We wouldn’t venture that this reincarnation of a 12th-century board game brings anything terribly original to the iPad, but it’s a clean, well animated, and free. The computer opponents can be challenging, and if you would prefer to match wits with a human, the two player mode lets you easily play at opposite ends of the screen.

Fieldrunners for iPad ($8)

Another tower defense game along the lines of Plants vs. Zombies challenges you to build a virtual gauntlet for wave after wave of enemies to run through. Let them reach the other side, and you’re done for. The first waves will prove to be a breeze, but by the time you’re trying to stop a monsoon of planes, trucks and speedy goons on motorcycles, even the sturdiest creations start to crack apart at the seams.

Command & Conquer Red Alert ($5)

You just can’t play a real-time-strategy game on a tiny display. Despite the developer’s best attempt to make Command & Conquer playable on the iPhone, we much prefer the high-resolution iPad version, which lets you build, command and conquer with ease on all 9.7 inches of screen. Just beware that widespread user reports of crashing may make this one to wait on until it gets just a little more polish from EA.