Ticket to Ride ($6.99, update is free) was one of the earliest games we looked at for this weekly feature, and it’s still one of our favorites. As both a train and a board games nut, Ticket to Ride is right up my alley. An update released Thursday upgrades the graphics for the new iPad’s high-resolution display, as well as making the game a little easier for color blind users.

For newcomers to Ticket to Ride, here are the basics. The object of the game is to complete train routes and stop your opponents from completing theirs. At the start of the game, you choose destination cards. If you complete these routes (Vancouver to Montreal, as an example) you earn the extra points shown on the card. If you fail to complete it, those points are deducted from your score.  You’ll draw colored wagons and locomotives from a deck of cards. Match up the colored wagons to the route color (locomotive cards are wild) to complete the route. This is the sort of game where your victory can also screw your opponent out of their victory  – which, to me, is very sweet.

I’m color blind, and one nice concession the game’s developer, Days of Wonder, made originally is having small symbols on the routes and cards to help those that can’t see color. This  made it easier for us to match them up. The problem was, you could only see the the symbols on the zoomed-in view. Now, with the Retina display, you can see the colors on the main map. I’m not going to lie: other improvements aside, this is a big deal for me.

According to the email I received from the friendly PR person, the Retina display allows them “to display the same high-fidelity, finely-detailed paper textures and beautiful background illustrations that are featured in the real world Ticket to Ride board game.”

I never thought I’d say this, but I like the Retina maps better than the physical board game version (although I do think the font on the board game version looks nicer). While I appreciate the beauty of console quality graphics on my iPad via games like Infinity Blade II, I value the look and feel of an upgrade to games like Ticket to Ride more. This upgrade is one of those upgrades that really make me feel like I was suffering playing the game on my old iPad.

So far the only thing I’m disappointed in is online play, which is still disjointed. While you can join a game with a random stranger right from the play screen, I still had better results going to the More screen and choosing Online from there. I called them out on this the last time I looked at the game and it’s disappointing to still see this as an issue.

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Crazy Hedgy ($0.99, Universal) is a motion-based 3D platform game for iOS that plays more like a marble maze than that other hedgehog-themed console-based game. Only this gyro-controlled little Hedgy has some skills that no rolling marble can match.

There are more than 35 levels to play in the quite immersive 3D world that Hedgy lives in. The goal is similar to all platform games: you start at the beginning, and go to the end, collecting coins and gems along the way. You must guide Hedgy through a series of narrow cliffs, across broken planks and other obstacles high up in the air. Avoiding rolling off or being pushed off the edge is a constant concern. The best part about each of these large levels is that you can see in the distance where you are heading as well as where you have been. Project the game onto a large HDTV using AirPlay mirroring, and you can really get a good feel for the attention to detail that went into designing each and every level.

Along the way you will be challenged by various enemies that will try to either beat you up or push you off the edge. To combat their growing numbers and increasing strength, Hedgy has a series of power-ups that can be purchased for the various gems that are collected along the way.  But don’t overlook the coins — they are used to unlock each of the various abilities that you may want to purchase.  So, if you neglected to pick up all available coins on a given level, you may find yourself re-playing that level just to collect them all.  And for a refreshing change, the coins and gems must be earned, as there are no in-app purchases to taunt you.

The controls for this game tend to make you control Hedgy with a little more precision than other gyro-based games I have played on iOS.  You don’t often lose control of Hedgy as the amount of tilting and turning of the device required to move Hedgy around gives you a greater degree of control. There are plenty of narrow passageways that make zero-radius turns with Hedgy a must to avoid getting snared in a trap.

This did, however, lead me to prefer playing the game on my iPhone 4S rather than my iPad 2, which is a rarity for me, as I tend to prefer games on the iPad.  One of the game’s strengths is also a minor weakness, and that is how the game re-calibrates the tilt of the gyro at the start of each level. Fortunately, it is very quick and easy to re-adjust and re-calibrate the tilt settings along the way.

The game is challenging enough to keep things interesting, while the controls are easy enough to master that they do not get in the way of enjoying the game. It will be interesting to see exactly where Cybertime takes Hedgy next. There is certainly enough momentum to keep this little hedgehog rolling on to bigger and better things.

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Don’t Run With a Plasma Sword (Free, Universal) is one of those games that you just have to try out based on the title alone.  Inspired by classic low-budget B movies, this alien invasion side scroller is a real screamer.  With its straightforward gameplay and nearly endless level-ups, this game has more to offer than its modern update on that all-too-familiar nostalgic alien soundtrack “Woo-EE-Euh.“

Exactly how Cornelius found a plasma sword while working at his comic book stand will forever remain a mystery.  Thankfully, how he put that plasma sword to good use by fending off the alien invasion of Earth is simple enough to master.  As a side-scrolling action game, Don’t Run With a Plasma Sword offers a great deal of control over character movement.  Jump over or slide under obstacles, and attack invading aliens along the way.  You can do this by configuring the placement of on-screen buttons or by enabling the swipe control method.

The longer you run, and the more aliens you slash, the greater you are rewarded.  You gain experience points along the way that can be used to level up your skills, unlock levels and change the appearance of your character.  Before too long, you will find yourself double jumping, diving and dashing in the air.  Be careful not to jump too high as you will not be able to see if there is a safe place to land.  And if things are not progressing fast enough for you, there are, of course, in-app purchases to help Cornelius become the hero he has always wanted to be.  These power-ups range from $0.99 up to $11.99.

There are four environments and two game modes.  In story mode, you progress forward to various save points on your way to a boss fight.  The boss fights break up the repetitiveness of the endless mode and give you a sense of accomplishment.  In endless mode you are presented with challenges, but they all basically just keep going and you gain as many points as possible.  One of the subtle elements of the game that stands out from other game styles is that when a particular level proves to be more challenging than Cornelius can handle, he “dies” and is presented with an opportunity to level up.  This is a switch from being given a power or ability before you are presented with a challenge to use it.

If the soundtrack does not grab you, then the fact you have control of a plasma sword will.  The dynamic nature of the side-scrolling levels keeps things fresh, and there always seems to be yet another skill, level or article of clothing that Cornelius could use to help save planet Earth.

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If you wanted to play Minecraft and ran into this instead, you'd be very disappointed and out $1.

Browsing recent App Store releases, I came across “Minecraft – Pocket Edition,” with a version 1.0 update. Thinking it might be the update that finally brings combat and additional block types to Mojang’s free-form world creation game, I quickly clicked through — only to find a completely different app that’s obviously trying to lure customers who aren’t paying close attention.

The Minecraft – Pocket Edition released Jan. 26 is from developer Onliance, not Mojang, and despite having exactly the same name as the original, and using screenshots from the full release desktop version of the game, actually isn’t a game at all: it’s a guide or recipe list for use with the PC title (and doesn’t even really apply to the genuine Pocket Edition in its current form), but customers searching for the original would be hard-pressed to discover that at a glance.

Here’s the introductory paragraph for Onliance’s app description:

Minecraft is focused on creativity and building, allowing players to build constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D world. Gameplay in its commercial release has two principal modes: Survival, which requires players to acquire resources themselves and maintain their health and hunger; and Creative, where the player has an unlimited supply of resources, the ability to fly, and no concept of health or hunger. A third gameplay mode, named Hardcore, ratchets up the difficulty of surviving and forces the player to delete his or her world upon death. An outdated Classic version is also available for free, although it is no longer being developed. Creative Minecraft resembles Classic, but with many more features.

Before clicking through to “…More” in the iTunes page for the app, you actually see only about the first sentence of that, but the real purpose of the app is buried much deeper still. Much later on, the description does say the following, but it’s the kind of information that should be right up top, and it still doesn’t convey clearly that this title contains only supporting material, and not the game itself:

This app will help you get to know the basic building commands used within the game and help you fight off those nasty creepers!!

Not sure how this one snuck past Apple’s review process (we dropped them a line to let them know and will update with comments if we receive any), but this is a pretty bald attempt to mislead customers and profit from the success of Mojang’s innovative title. Here’s hoping the game quickly gets taken down, or at least changes its name, description and screenshots to something more representative of its actual function.

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Super Stickman Golf ($0.99 Universal) is a sports game that plays more like a platformer. As in other golf games, you use your club to hit a tiny little golf ball into a hole that is so far away you need a flag in order to see where it is located.  The big difference here is that each golf course is designed more like a level from a Mario game than something you’d see on the PGA tour.

The scoring system is familiar as well, since it works just like golf. Get the golf ball into the hole in less than par for the entire course, and you’re awarded by unlocking various power ups and additional courses. If you do either get a little impatient or come up against a frustrating level that you can’t get past, you can always go to the Pro Shop and purchase unlocks for all courses and power ups. What you can’t buy are all of the seemingly impossible Game Center achievements, like scoring less than zero on a given hole.

You only have one club, but you choose the angle and direction you want to hit the ball in, and then choose the power applied to the stroke. Power-ups earn you special golf balls. For example, with the super ball you can make those extra long shots, and with air brakes you can stop a flying shot mid-air and have it drop straight down onto the green.  Without learning when and how to use the power ups you earn, even attempting to achieve par on some courses would be impossible.

In multiplayer mode you can challenge your Game Center friends, or play against someone on the local network or over Bluetooth. You can either start a new foursome or choose to join one that already exists. As the host, you can accept or reject players that want to join your foursome. Another perk of hosting is that your choose which course to play.  Each player can play through at their own pace, and the game will keep score for you.

With over two hundred unique holes to play, Noodlecake Studios has committed to keeping the game fresh by investing in new content. That should help ensure the game stays fresh in the longer term.

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With the holiday season in full force, finding some “me” time on the weekend may not be possible. That’s why this week’s pick is a game you can share with friends you may be doing last-minute shopping with. And if bragging rights for a mindless, schoolyard sort of challenge is what you’re looking for, then Paper Toss 2.0 fits the bill.

Unlike previous versions of this game, this latest universal rendition is ad-supported, and is available for free in the App Store. Through a $0.99 in-app purchase, you can turn off the ads. The goal is to toss a crumpled piece of paper into a trash can to earn points. It sounds easy enough, until you realize there’s a fan between you and the trashcan interfering with your paper’s trajectory. With Paper Toss 2.0, they kept the game physics that worked so well in the original, and greatly improved the graphics. Backflip Studios is no stranger to making great-looking games. They’ve also developed Army of Darkness Defense and the equally addictive Ninja Jump series.

To score points, you swipe your finger toward the trash can taking the wind speed of the fan into consideration and hope your paper lands in the bucket.  The harder the fan is blowing, the further to the right or left you need to throw the paper ball. Successful baskets earn points that can be used to purchase power ups or different forms of ‘ammunition,’ including tomatoes, watermelon, bouncing balls and even grenades.

The further away you are, the more difficult it is to make it in, and consequently, the more points you earn if you do.  If you find you’re not earning points fast enough, you can always buy additional paper points via in-app purchase.  As an interesting twist, there is an Intern mode where the trash can sits on the lap of the office intern as he rolls his chair back and forth across the screen.

If you’re looking for a change of scenery, Backflip Studios has also released Paper Toss Would Tour. In this version, you’re no longer in an office, and the wind comes from nature itself as you travel to various destinations around the world.  As addictive as these game are, they’re also very easy to pick up and put down, and as a result can create instant rivalries amongst friends whenever they happen to be convenient.

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I’ve been playing GTA III on my iPad 2, and it’s been pretty much a completely positive, totally nostalgic experience so far. The sights and sounds of the Rockstar open-world crime game immediately take me back to my days playing it on the PS2 back at the beginning of college, but in fact it actually improves on that original experience, at least in terms of graphics; the iPad version is sharper than its console predecessor.

One area where you would think GTA III would falter on mobile devices is in terms of controls: On-screen buttons do the job of a controller on the iPhone and iPad. But surprisingly, Rockstar has done a good job of minimizing the absence of physical d-pads, joysticks and buttons. On-screen controls are clearly explained in the interactive walk through at the beginning of the game, and begin to feel natural quite quickly — especially when you realize you’re playing one of the most influential open-world titles in video gaming history on a tablet or smartphone.

In fact, it’s one of the most impressive games out there available on the iPad, whether or not you’ve played the original. And it’s yet another warning shot for the console and PC gaming industry, which was already losing ground to mobile devices before top-tier games from just one console generation ago were being ported, in their full, undiluted glory to phones. OnLive is another way that console-quality games are making their way to mobile devices, with an iPad app set to be released soon.

GTA III even plays amazingly well from the iPad on the big screen, either via Apple Digital AV Adapter and an HDMI cable, or using AirPlay Mirroring and an Apple TV. I tested both solutions, and found each to be thoroughly playable, although the wireless connection might’ve had just a tiny touch of lag and slightly inferior video fidelity.

With new, more powerful iterations emerging on an annual basis, mobile devices could potentially match and exceed the power of consoles relatively quickly, and video-out capabilities combined with greater compatibility with external accessories could narrow other gaps between the two types of gaming platform.

Playing GTA III on my iPad today feels like a surreal experience, in no small part because it wasn’t too long ago when I was marvelling at it as a cutting edge example of what the most powerful home console in the world could accomplish. But what’s even more surreal is that for gamers who were too young to play it the first time around, this probably just feels normal.

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A platforming game presents the player with a series of actual platforms the central character must jump to and from to complete a level. With Chillingo’s iOS title Storm in a Teacup, we get classic side scrolling platform mechanics, with graphics and charm that are anything but traditional.  For just $1.99 on the Mac App Store, and$2.99 on both the iPhone and iPad, this game offers a lot for very little.

What sets this game apart from other platform games is the meticulous detail on the graphical design of the levels.  The style could best be described as a well-crafted scrapbooking project come to life.  The main character, Storm, navigates a flying teacup through various obstacles, ultimately collecting hidden stickers that are revealed once all of the sugar cubes have been collected.  As you collect these stickers, you can customize the design of Storm’s world by unlocking new outfits, hairstyles and even changes to the teacup itself.

The game is simple, yet slightly challenging to master.  You move either forward or back and can give the teacup either a gentle or hard nudge into the air.  The physics behind the gliding aspect of the teacup are reliable and consistent.  You are however limited in how much ‘umph’ you have available at any give time to propel the teacup backwards or forwards.

You’ll find you’re about halfway through the forty levels by the time you’ve mastered flying in a teacup, at which point the difficulty gets a little more challenging where obstacles are concerned.  The real challenge isn’t simply completing every level, but completing every level perfectly and collecting all the hidden stickers. Unique achievements like completing a level without jumping, which are awarded through Crystal and Game Center integration, add replay value to this cute, fun game.

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The App Store list is the most interesting to me, as you can definitely see a trend in what the Apple team values in apps. The iPhone App of the Year (iTunes link) went to Instagram, which is an iPhone-exclusive (for now) photo-sharing network, and the iPad App of the Year (iTunes link) was Snapseed, which is basically a simple photo editor for iPad that lets you apply Instagram-like filter effects to your photos, but with more granular control.

In both the iPhone and iPad categories, runners-up for App of the Year included music-related titles. VidRhythm on the iPhone is an app for creating mashup music videos with friends; Band of the Day highlights one artist each day, as its name implies, and provides track selections, biographical information and more for each band it profiles; and djay on the iPad, which is a digital turntable, also got a nod.

Games on the iPhone and iPad singled out for praise include Dead Space on the iPad as Game of the Year, and Tiny Tower named the same for the iPhone. It was a “Tiny” sweep on the iPhone as Tiny Wings came in as a runner-up, with indie darling Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP grabbing that honor for the iPad, alongside another unique title, puzzler Contre Jour HD.

On the Mac App Store, Apple also picked favorites, including Pixelmator and Civilization V. Djay got another nod on the Mac as a runner-up, alongside game Anomaly Warzone. Check out the rest of the list in the MAS section (App Store link) created specifically for this year’s list.

Check out all the top picks for apps, and all other media, including artist, album and song of the year at Apple’s iTunes Rewind 2011 (iTunes link) dedicated page.

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Kid-friendly and kid-loved

The iPad and the iPhone have a knack with kids, as any parent and iOS user will tell you. The brightly lit, touch-screen technology that appeals at an emotional level to adults is no less effective on children, who are more liable to indiscriminately touch things to see how they react to begin with. Kids are also voicing their demand for iOS devices as soon as they’re able to; recent surveys found that iPhones, iPod touches and iPads topped the wish lists of children ranging from the very young to the nearly adult. In fact, 52 percent of children between the ages of zero and eight already have access to a mobile device of some kind, many of which are probably running iOS.

Cross-branding opportunities

Accessories and apps seem to be either fueling or cashing in on this trend, too, at a growing pace. Consider the partnership announced Tuesday between Disney and iHome, maker of audio accessories for iOS devices. Characters from Disney’s stable of brands will be adorning iHome iPhone docks, headphones, and speaker systems starting this holiday season, at major outlets like Toys ‘R’ Us and Bed Bath & Beyond. Think about it: A Kermit the frog docking alarm clock assumes a lot of kids either are already or will be sleeping next to iPhones next year.

Disney and iHome aren’t the only ones cashing in on the youthful appeal of Apple’s mobile gadgets. Perennial Apple accessory maker Griffin is partnering up with Crayola to create the iMarker, essentially a branded stylus kids can use in conjunction with a coloring book app. Both Disney and Crayola are playing it smart, taking parent-trusted brands and combining them with the expertise of industry-leading third-party gadget manufacturers who already know the ins and outs of making devices for Apple products.

A new vector for content-makers

It isn’t just accessories getting the kid-friendly treatment. Content producers have kids in mind with their iPhone and iPad offerings, too. PBS announced Tuesday (.DOC link) that its PBS KIDS video app for the iPad is now available on the iPhone and iPod touch, too. The iPad app, which launched in May, has delivered on average two million video streams per day to its more than 450,000 users, growing steadily since its introduction. Reaching out to iPhone and iPod touch users broadens the potential audience, so that kids can check out full episodes of programs like Sesame Street and Super Why on smaller-screened devices if they don’t happen to have a tablet handy.

This is just the beginning of a coming flood. Whereas once the kid appeal of iPhones and iPads was an unexpected bonus to a parent’s purchase, now parents are seeking out Apple devices with full knowledge that they also make good distractions and educational tools for their young ones. And since people are often even more willing to spend money on their children than on themselves, the market for kid-focused apps and accessories has likely only begun to heat up.

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