| Credit: iFixit |
The iPhone 4S's super-fast main processor and high-end graphics chip make it perfect for games and other media-intensive applications. It's already being spoken of as a potential portable console killer, because though it's more expensive than a Nintendo 3DS or Sony PSP Go, its games are a fraction of the price of console games. With the improvements to its Game Center, too, including achievements, customisable icon pictures, and friend recommendations, Apple is clearly aiming to make the iPhone and iPad gaming experience not just better than ever, but also more of a direct competitor to established gaming platforms.
With that in mind, we take a look at some of the best games around for the 4S, both brand-new hits that will take full advantage of its stats, and a few older, classic games too.
Galaxy on Fire 2 was released a year ago, but is still regarded as one of the greatest ever phone games. It's an Elite-style game that is based around the concept of owning a starship and doing whatever you like with it. You can either follow the provided storyline, or just explore, trade, and battle your way round the galaxy, or a bit of both. Where this really scores is with immersive depth, sandbox-style freedom, and enormous numbers of strategic options when it comes to customising your starships. It's £6.99 and again runs on anything with iOS 3.0 or higher. If you want a taster, the original Galaxy on Fire is available free on iTunes for the next few days.
There has been much talk about Infinity Blade II before, and though it's not due out until December, it will be the must-have iPhone 4S game. This could even be the game that renders non-portable consoles obsolete, given the possibility of playing it on your TV screen via AirPlay Mirroring.
Available exclusively on iOS, Chaos Rings is a streamlined smartphone RPG from the same makers as the Final Fantasy series. It is not as immersive as an RPG you would find on a console, but it does feature some of the best graphics you could expect to find on a smartphone game. A prequel has already been released and Chaos Rings 2 is due for release in the coming months. Although it is a fantastic game, it is one of the more expensive items on the App Store.
Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation is about the closest that you can get to Modern Warfare on a phone. Modern Combat 3 would still be a respectable title on a console and has some of the most impressive graphics on a smartphone game. As well as having a single player campaign mode you can play Modern Combat online too.
For those who like driving games the Real Racing series Real Racing 2 is the undisputed king. The most popular racing game in the App Store includes a career mode and multiplayer racing either with friends or strangers through the Game Center. This is another game that can be used with AirPlay mirroring, allowing head to head multiplayer action on an Apple TV.
Worms has been a favourite on the PC since the release of the first version in 1995, and is still hard to beat for fun, goofy, turn-based strategy, with plenty of explosions and comedic deaths. The iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad version works on any machine running iOS 3.1.3 or above, so it's not exactly a bleeding-edge game, but at 69 pence for the iTunes download, it's hard to resist.
The much-loved Touch Tanks 2: Europe has just been re-released as a free download, running on iOS 3.0 or higher but optimised for A5 chip devices. It comes with 750 credits, with more available to buy or earn if you love this online multiplayer tank battle.
Grand Theft Auto 3 is both a classic game (for PC) and an up-to-the-minute one (for iPhones). It's available for the 4S and the iPad 2 after first having been seen as a PC game a decade ago. It won't work on older Apple models, as it needs all the processing and graphical power of the A5 chip to ensure slick graphics and fast-moving gameplay.
