The Best iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Games of 2011

2011 has been a great year for more than just movies, with perhaps more games released in 2011 than in any year prior. Obviously, the vast majority of these great games were produced for the iOS AppStore (for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch), but a few of them are available for Android as well.

So, without further ado, here are our top picks for the best mobile games of 2011!

Infinity Blade II

The successor to the very popular and gorgeous Infinity Blade, released in 2010, Infinity Blade II takes the graphics and gameplay up a few notches, truly pushing the limits of what mobile devices can deliver in terms of graphics performance and innovation.

Infinity Blade II is a sword-fighting game, like its predecessor, that takes you through level after level of brutal and absolutely massive opponents, whom you duel with to the death by swiping and using gestures on the screen.

Infinity Blade II is available for all Apple mobile platforms, and is best enjoyed on the iPhone 4S or iPad 2 due to their superior graphics capabilities! Infinity Blade II costs $6.99 on the AppStore for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

Real Racing 2

Real Racing 2 is lauded as the most high-end racing game experience ever created for mobile. Like Infinity Blade, it pushes the graphics envelope farther than ever before, producing luscious realistic graphics that are unparalleled in the mobile gaming industry.

One of the coolest features of Real Racing 2 is its ability to use AirPlay to allow you to play with up to four people on an Apple TV hooked up to your HDTV! In this setup, the iPhones and iPads become your wireless controllers, and you play multiplayer on your big screen TV, which is pretty awesome.

Real Racing 2 is available for iPhone and iPod Touch, with Real Racing 2 HD available for iPad for $6.99 on the AppStore.

Tiny Wings

Tiny Wings is famous for being the first game to officially dethrone Angry Birds as the single most popular paid app in the iOS AppStore. It obviously uses a very similar cast – little birds.

In this game, you guide crazy little birds over a crazy course, using hills as ski-jumps to catapult your little bird into the air. You try to fly as far as you can before the sun goes down, tapping the screen to control your bird’s wings.

Tiny Wings is available for iPhone and iPod Touch for $.99.

Starfront – Collision

Produced by Gameloft as a mobile version of Starcraft II, Starfront – Collision is a Real Time Strategy (RTS) game for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It features retro-style graphics and gameplay that will be familiar to Starcraft fans and RTS fans in general.

Starfront – Collision has deeper gameplay than you might expect for a mobile game, and its online multiplayer mode is equally robust.

In the multiplayer, you can do two-on-two skirmish mode, or free-for-all battle royale mode, both are sure to provide hours of fun.

Starfront – Collision is available for $4.99 on the iPhone and iPod Touch, and $6.99 on the iPad.

Jetpack Joyride

Jetpack Joyride is another retro-inspired game that harks back to the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis games of yesteryear. Its vintage cartoon graphics and side-scrolling action make it a relaxing and fun game to play when you’ve got some downtime.

The main character, Barry Streakfires, was introduced previously in the shooting game Monster Dash. Fans of that game will enjoy taking their favorite character through a new set of adventures.

Jetpack Joyride is available for all Apple mobile platforms for 99 cents.

All of these games are sure to provide hours of enjoyment, and most of them cost less than a cup of Starbucks or a bottle of Soda!