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.

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.

However, some games are crippled by the lack of any physical control buttons on the iPhone. Creative game developers have offered all kinds of virtual controls on the screen, and utilized the accelerometer. But in the heat of battle, these controls can be cumbersome and slow down game play or interfere with a player’s best performance.

Can the iPhone truly compete with a machine that has many physical buttons that give the player tactile feedback while playing?

What are your thoughts?

If you would like to comment on our articles, please do! If you have a game that you’d like us to review, please submit it to us for consideration.