Xpandaballs is a fun, creative, and interesting new game that is a good time-passer, but not extremely addicting as the description claims.

The game runs very smoothly, packing good graphics and a simple presentation. The controls are extremely simple and can be learned in about 30 seconds.

The sounds when the balls bounce off the edges of the screen are cool, especially with the graphics of those spherical objects exploding. But alas, the built in music when the game is running is downright annoying. I could not stand to listen to it.

Due to the horrific built-in music  I attempted to play my iPod while playing the game. You cannot. Luckily, one can turn off the built-in music which induced much relief into my tortured ears.

Xpandaballs contains a local and global high scores system which is a neat feature.

Also, different difficulty levels can be chosen based on the gamer’s experience.

Xpandaballs will keep you entertained the next time you are in a long line or when it seems like an eternity before your food arrives at a restaurant.

This game is worth the 99 cents price tag. Xpandaballs can be purchased on the App Store.

There are dozens of solitaire games available in the App Store.

Few are as streamlined and well-implemented as iTap Solitaire. This game is an instance of the classic Klondike Solitaire game for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

If you have played the Solitaire game that comes with nearly every version of Windows, you’ll immediately be comfortable with iTap Solitaire.

Options include dealing 1 or 3 cards at a time (3 is much harder), simple sound effects and animations, best time/high score statistics, and portrait or landscape orientation.

You can lock the orientation into one mode in case you prefer that and don’t want the board to automatically flip if you’re lying down on your side playing.

Cards may be moved using a simple tap-tap sequence, or via a tap, drag, drop. This makes game play very fluid and intuitive.

If you are trying to select a solitaire game for your iPhone or iPod Touch, you can’t go wrong with iTap Solitaire. It is available in the App Store for $1.99.

Tetris, of course, is one of the all-time most popular video games. It really got its start on a handheld platform, sending the original Nintendo Game Boy to superstar status. In the 25+ years since it was released, Tetris has appeared on essentially every computer and gaming platform known to man.

This iPhone/iPod Touch Tetris from EA Mobile remains true to the original, while offering some interface niceties and outstanding graphics/sound unique to the iPhone OS platform.

Tetris offers 15 levels of difficulty and two different modes of play, called Marathon and Magic. There are four original soundtracks which are catchy but can get old after extended play.

If you’re a fan of Tetris, you should definitely grab this from the App Store. Especially now that it’s only $4.99, down from the original $9.99 price.