While there are plenty of serious apps out there for the Android smartphone platform, you might be pleased to learn that there are a number of great games already available from the Android Market. Here are a few that will not cost a penny to download:
4NumGuess: This strange, instruction-free number guessing game cannot be played with the keypad, which is a shame, as the on screen buttons are a little too small to be pressed accurately with a finger.
Amazed – This maze game uses the accelerometer as a control device, and requires you to tilt the phone to guide a white ball along a 2-dimensional path towards the goal. It uses a grid-based maze with a lot of 90 degree turns, and is infuriatingly addictive.
Asquare: If shape matching games are what floats your boat, then you might want to download Asquare. Simply match three shapes by swapping one or two at a time. The better your matches per turn ratio, the higher your score.
Backgammon: A faithful adaptation of the boardgame classic, with reasonable graphics and a decent computer opponent. It is let down, however, by the ease with which you can drop a counter in the wrong place using the touch screen interface.
Bonsai Blast – In this colourful game, you have to shoot coloured balls at an oncoming line of balls before the line makes it to the end of the path. The graphics are excellent, although the touchscreen control method can take a bit of getting used to.
Brain Genius Deluxe – If you like the idea of brain training games, then you will love Brain Genius Deluxe, in which you have to complete various tasks and puzzles. As you complete these tasks, you unlock various games, such as SuDoku, Crosspix, Sliding Puzzle, and Jigsaw, which you can then play at your leisure. The games make use of all the control functions of the phone apart from the keypad, although the if your phone has a mini joystick then you will probably just want to use that, as both the accelerometer and the touch screen can be frustrating to use.
Bubble Bash demo – This is a very similar game to Bonsai Blast, although this time the balls are just floating free rather than coming at you in lines. As with the aforementioned game, the aiming mechanism is a little on the inaccurate side, but the graphics are pretty nifty looking.
By Neo Nashville
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