Impossible Road was another example: a stylish ball-rolling racer that encourages you to bend the rules. But it’s often the minimalist visuals that pack the greatest punch. Yes, modern smartphones and tablets can deliver graphical bells and whistles by the ton. It plays well with Bluetooth controllers too. It's nostalgia, yes, but the game still packs a mighty punch with its sandbox gameplay. Just in time for Christmas came this iOS version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, originally released in 2004 for consoles. iPhone / iPad Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Which may sound strange, but it plays marvellously.

You skim colourful fish across the ocean, get rated by crabs, and unlock gems to build power-ups. This game from Halfbrick Studios – the developer behind Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride – was an addictive treat this year. Leaping, sliding and dodging obstacles while earning or buying costumes and power-ups proved hugely popular among children and adults alike.

This was publisher Gameloft's official game for the Despicable Me movies, putting you in the shoes of a scampering minion for this Temple Rush-style endless runner. It was worth the wait though: it sees you taking ownership of a ninja and training him up with a series of activities: a virtual pet game, almost, but with startlingly-good character animation. iPhone / iPad Clumsy NinjaĬlumsy Ninja was first shown off at Apple's iPhone 5 launch in 2012, but took a while to reach the App Store.

Some elements were familiar – ie all the shooting – but new twists included the ability to swap between first-person action and a more tactical third-person view to plot your squad's tactics. iPhone / iPad Call of Duty Strike TeamĪctivision's latest Call of Duty game was made for mobile devices from the ground up. There was real imagination at work here, and iOS gamers responded. Justifiably recognised by Apple in its Best of 2013 awards, Badland is the perfect game to get stuck into over Christmas: a platform-adventure set in an eerie forest, with beautiful visuals, slick physics and plenty of exploration. This time round, you could play as both sides, and there's a range of Telepods toys that interact with the game too, Skylanders-style. This was the second Angry Birds game to be set in the Star Wars universe, with characters turned into birds and pigs, and 120 levels to fling them through. Photograph: PR ACTION Angry Birds Star Wars II

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