As we all know, it can be hit or miss on the App Store and your hard-earned dollars can easily be dropped on some very
unworthy titles. In today’s special episode will be focusing
on the very best iOS releases of 2012. So if you receive an iTunes gift card over the holidays, or you’re just looking for some very
worthy titles for an upcoming roadtrip, you’ve come to the right place. Broken down
in to four categories here’s my top iOS games for 2012. Best graphics: Third place. Offroad Legends A physics based monster truck game might not sound like a contender
for the best graphics of 2012 but when you see Offroad Legends in
motion, the stunning backgrounds and nice 3D
models really give the game a sense of realism. That is of course until you flip, crash
and your wheels fall off. Best Graphics: Runner Up. Bladeslinger This is as close to console quality as
I’ve seen on a mobile device. This action game sees the player
navigating an old-school western landscape with a horrific twist. The level of detail on the backgrounds
and character models is astounding and the atmosphere really lends itself to the game’s immersion. If this was being displayed on a
television, you’d have a hard time telling it apart from its console brethren. Best Graphics of 2012: Lili Running on the on Unreal Engine, this mobile
title is nothing short of breathtaking. From the awe-inspiring view to the amazing lighting and particle effects, Lily easily claims top spot for graphics this year. The animation is incredibly smooth and because the interface is so intuitive, it is truly a joy to play. Best Music: Third place. Extreme Road Trip 2. Music in games should amplify everything good about the title. The energetic dance beats combined with electro rock brought to us by Big Giant Circles, easily puts Extreme Road Trip 2 in our top three for this reason. Not only does it get your heart pumping, but it fits so well with the exciting, addictive gameplay. Best Music: Runner Up. Gear Jack. Uncle Pipe is an electro rock band coming
to us from Manchester in the United Kingdom. Thrashy synth guitars, fast bass riffs and electronic squeals and pops blend together to form some of the most
compelling game music I’ve heard not only on a mobile device but for this
generation. Best Music 2012. Zombies. While the game itself is very simplistic
and the controls quite unwieldy Zombies. soundtrack is by far and away
its standout triumph. It simply melts your ears with its retro-funk chiptune fusion. This, combined with some hilarious voice-over, really add to the retro feel of the glorious pixel art. This is the first title ever to compel me to purchase the accompanying soundtrack. Simply amazing. Most addictive: Third place. Plague, Inc. Plauge, Inc. puts you in control of a
biological outbreak. A silent, invisible assassin. Your mission is
to eliminate the entire population of the planet. You do this by tactically evolving
your strain tweaking its defenses, transmission method and attack
mechanisms. Kill the infected before it’s able to
spread throughout the populace and it’s mission failed. Spread the disease successfully but
don’t mutate its symptoms before a cure is found… Same result. There’s many different ways to play Plague, Inc., and there’s many different types of diseases to unlock. All of which you can name, giving the
mass genocide of the world’s population that personal touch. Most addictive: Runner up. Hill Climb Racing. Despite this title having incredibly bad
graphics, music and sound, it’s easily one of the most addictive
games of the year. if you can look past it’s very dull veneer, you’ll see the solid, fun gameplay underneath. Get as far as you can using various
vehicles with various upgrades. It’s a simple concept, but the guys over at
FingerSolft have created a title that will consume your time. Yes, your friends will laugh at you and
yes, people will wonder what’s going on inside your head… but just trust me on this one. Most addictive game of 2012. Super Hexagon. Not only is Super Hexagon the most addictive, but easily the most difficult game of 2012. Games can often last just a few seconds before you have to
restart. It exemplifies the term “just one more game” and Terry Cavanagh got the formula just right. I challenge you to find a more addictive game. Super Hexagon also gets a special mention for its soundtrack. It wouldn’t be fair of me to list in two separate categories, but Northern
Ireland’s Chipzel gives this game a little something special. Well worthy of your time. Best Overall Game: Third Place. The Room. Puzzle games in general don’t necessarily give the user a sense of exploration or intrigue. The Room not only gives you that, but wraps it with lovely graphics and an intuitive interface. You’re in a locked room. Empty, except for
an ornate lock box on the floor. There’s no clear instructions on what you need to do. It’s your own curiosity the pushes you
forward and you examine the lockbox. Swiping, poking, turning, pushing and twisting every inch of it, trying to work out its mystery. That’s where this game shines. Outside of
the tutorial, it doesn’t hold your hand. It’s up to you to figure out what that
lens does what that key is for and how to rotate that dial. It’s a very visceral and tactile
experience due to the wonderful touch interface. The Room is a unique and thoroughly enjoyable game and every step forward is incredibly rewarding. Best overall game: Runner up. Minigore 2. It drew me in from the moment i loaded it up
to stunningly sharp graphics and smooth animation. Minigore 2 gets everything right. Other than the loads of weapons, enemy types, arenas and challenges available, the polish of the game is what truly stands out. Every detail of the sound, humor, upgrade and mission systems to the user interface has been finely crafted. The graphics engine is capable of displaying 150 enemies on-screen at any given time with no signs of slowdown. It’s clear that a lot of work went in to the production of Minigore 2 and I highly recommend picking it up. The best game of 2012. Punch Quest. My love of Punch Quest is no secret. Upon the game’s launch, I praised its fun,
colorful, fast action, familiar sound effects and addictive gameplay. Well, I’m still playing it. As a user who managed
to pick it up for free at game’s launch, upon hearing about the financial
miscalculation on the part of Madgarden and Rocketcat. I immediately purchased the Puncho Doubler. A $1.99 addon that doubles the amount of currency you earn from each playthrough. Given that I’d already sunk about ten hours
into this title by the time i found that out, I felt no buyer’s remorse whatsoever. The fact that Madgarden’s Paul Pridham is one of the nicest Canadian dudes alive, really doesn’t hurt things either. There was no real question as to what my game of the year would be. Punch Quest is stupidly addictive. It’s one of those simple to play, tough
to master pieces of art that you’ll never want to put down. Buy it. Play it. Love it. Well, there we have it folks. The very best
iOS games 2012 has to offer. There will be a link for each game in the
description of this video. If you’d like to add to this list, by all means post a
comment below and join the conversation. Thank you so much for joining me for
today’s very special episode. My name’s Alex and I’ll see you again next
time. Have a wonderful holiday folks, and stay safe.