Missile Monkey by Munsey Clan Games LLC

(4.1/5) Missile Monkey for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad is a game that I enjoy mainly because of its graphics. You control a monkey flying a plane in the jungle, dropping bombs on "scary" orange balloons that an evil gorilla placed all over the place. The gameplay is fairly simple, the monkey flies across the screen, and you have to drop bombs to move boxes and pop the balloons. The bombs are controlled with two on-screen buttons, one for dropping bombs, and one for making them shoot forward in a line. The graphics really are what makes Missile Monkey stand out. The Unity 3D powered graphics look stunning on retina display devices, and definitely provide depth to the gameplay. The jungle-themed music and sounds are a nice touch. Overall, Missile Monkey has good graphics, but it pulled down by its slightly tedious and repetitive gameplay. Missile Monkey is available on the app store for $0.99. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/missile-monkey/id521659388?mt=8&ls=1

Polymer by Whitaker Trebella

(4.7/5) Polymer for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad is a puzzle game with elements similar to a Rubik's Cube. Being absolutely horrible with Rubik's Cubes, I had a bit of trouble with Polymer. You have to link together pieces of the titular "polymers" by sliding the rows of pieces up and down. The colors confused me at first due to not reading the tutorial carefully enough, so be sure not to skip through too quickly. The music, which is one reason the game is great, is composed by Whitaker Trebella himself, who has composed soundtracks for many other games. The graphics are simple but nice, and you can purchase extra color schemes for your pieces by unlocking them or or purchasing them via in-app-purchases. The same goes for the alternate game modes. There could be a lot less IAP for a game that costs $1.99, but supporting the developer is good too. Polymer is a great game for experts (and non-experts) of Rubik's Cubes and other sliding puzzles, has great music, and is available on the app store for $1.99. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/polymer/id499490016?mt=8&ls=1

The Sandbox by Bulkypix

(5/5) The Sandbox for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad is a game great for creating and sharing worlds and pixel art creations. The game has two modes (story and free), a level editor, and a place to download and play other players' creations. The game's pixel art graphics allow for the creation of your own pixel art. There are quite a few "elements" to use in your creations, some allowing you to make intricate circuits and the like. You can also even modify the temperature of the world, causing things like lava forming, wood burning, snow falling, etc. The game's currency, "mana", is used to purchase new elements that you have discovered in the story mode. Speaking of the different modes, story mode allows you to read some dialogue and get help with puzzles and discovering elements. Free mode is where you can really use your imagination, in order to create anything, with no restraints. Overall, The Sandbox is a great virtual sandbox game with social sharing options, awesome possibilities for creations, and good visuals. You can't beat the price of $0.00, so go and check out The Sandbox on the app store! http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-sandbox/id520777858?mt=8&ls=1

Saving Private Sheep 2 by Bulkypix

(4.7/5) Saving Private Sheep 2 for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad is the long-awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed Saving Private Sheep. Unlike the first game in the series, where you had to destroy blocks to help the sheep escape from hungry wolves, Saving Private Sheep 2 is a more Angry Birds-like game. You must launch spiked hedgehogs from sheep to sheep (using slingshots, of course) in order to hit the wolf, free the sheep from the wolfs' bowels, and complete the level. Each level will take multiple tries to get all of the coins and the star in each level, since some levels must be beaten in a certain amount of time. The game has a great level editor, where players can create and share levels that they make. Because of this, there is no shortage of levels, even when the official levels are completed. The hedgehogs are launched by pulling back on the slingshots, like Angry Birds. Saving Private Sheep 2's music is good, with "army-style" music, similar to the first game. Overall, Saving Private Sheep 2 is a great sequel to the already awesome Saving Private Sheep, and introduces new gameplay types to the series. Saving Private Sheep 2 is available in the app store for $0.99. http://itunes.apple.com/app/saving-private-sheep-2/id496586096?mt=8

Lightopus by Bulkypix

(4.9/5) Lightopus for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad is a game from Bulkypix with amazing visuals and audio. The game has you control the titular "lightopus" as you swim around each zone,collecting "bulbies" and defeating enemies. The graphics in Lightopus are absolutely stunning. The characters all have vivid and bright neon outlines, and the backgrounds have blurred shapes and lines. The game's controls aren't great, which is probably my only complaint. Both control methods (swiping and a virtual d-pad) are very small on the screen of an iPhone or iPod Touch, causing the Lightopus to be hard to control. The music in Lightopus is cheerful and has a fast beat, which is great. Overall, Lightopus is definitely a game I would reccomend. If only the controls were bigger and easier to use... Lightopus is available on the app store for $2.99. http://itunes.apple.com/app/lightopus/id501334567?mt=8

Pinch Peeps by Everplay Interactive

(4.5/5) Pinch Peeps for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad is the third game published by Everplay. Pinch Peeps, unlike Everplay's other games full of amazing pixel art, has colorful, crisp, and cute graphics. The characters are adorable, and the overall gameplay is very kid-friendly. The game has you pinch "peeps" together (hence the title) and make them disappear in a burst of stars. The game has a timed mode and an endless mode, both being pretty much the same. The controls of pinching can be annoying sometimes on iPhones or iPod Touches, and the pinched are occasionally not recognized. The music is very cutesy, and is fun to listen to. Overall, Pinch Peeps is a very addictive and cute kid-friendly game available for $0.99 on the App Store. http://itunes.apple.com/app/pinch-peeps/id513847077?mt=8

Bullistic Unleashed by Millipede Creative

(3.7/5) Bullistic Unleashed for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad is a game that is full of crude but hilarious humor. The game is very similar to Angry Birds, but instead of launching birds with a slingshot, you launch bulls by their *ahem* testicles. However, once you play Bullistic Unleashed, you'll never go back to flinging birds. The game is full of mall-crushing action, along with a cool soundtrack and great, colorful graphics. The game is enjoyable, but not suitable for children. Bullistic Unleashed is a game that could have a more original concept, but is saved by it's graphics, music, and adult humor. http://itunes.apple.com/app/bullistic-unleashed/id484297299?mt=8