Reviews

Top iOS Games Gone Mac

May 21, 2012

While I love iOS games, something about playing a game on my Mac brings back a nostalgic feeling that I cannot fully explain. While there’re a ton of games available on the Mac App Store, some of them are less than stellar. In this article, I will be going over my top three iOS games gone Mac. To me, these games have been transfered from the touchscreen to keyboard and mouse (or trackpad) perfectly.

Table of Contents

Reckless Racing

If racing beater cars around a rundown farm town is your idea of a good time, Reckless Racing has you covered. Reckless Racing features a slew of beat up trucks and cars to race around a ton of different tracks. Don’t feel like racing? You can also play different mission levels as well as a free drive mode. With so many different options, you’re sure to find your match and have hours of fun playing.

One of my favorite features of Reckless Racing is its “birds eye view” gameplay. This reminds me of playing Grand Theft Auto 2 for PS1 or even Super Sprint for NES. Because of this, I’m almost certain retro video game geeks (like myself) will fall in love with Reckless Racing. The only downside to this type of game play? It’s hard to adapt to if you’re used to playing first-person racers on your Mac, iOS device or game system.

Reckless Racing’s graphics are definitely awesome for the price. Shading is good and colors are close to perfect.

All in all, I think this game is perfect for anyone who wants a racing game that features classic gameplay, awesome graphics and a “hillbilly” feel. If you want to buy this game, you can find it in the Mac App Store for a mere $3.99. A download link is available below.

Chopper 2

Before I start my mini-review of Chopper 2, I want to give you all a bit of history on the Chopper series of games. The original Chopper was introduced in 2003 as a shareware title for OS X. Eventually, Chopper made its way to iOS when Chopper 2 was released.

Chopper 2 is a pretty awesome game for OS X. The game’s scenery changes over time, but the objectives remain somewhat similar. You have to shoot at terrorists from your helicopter while saving hostages and dropping them off at a checkpoint. Chopper includes a ton of unique levels, ensuring that you’ll be hooked on Chopper for hours on end.

Like Reckless Racing, Chopper 2 also features a retro style of playing. Only this time, you’re viewing your helicopter from the side. This is comparable to Super Mario Bros. and other side-scrolling games.

Chopper also features very unique controls. You can either control your helicopter with your mouse and keyboard or you can use your iPhone or iPad to control Chopper. To do this, just download the Chopper 2 app for iOS ($2.99) and connect your devices via Wi-Fi.

Overall, I think that Chopper 2 is a perfect choice for anyone who owns an iOS device and a Mac. When combined, they make a perfect “mini console” for a fun game with a ton of replay value. Chopper 2 currently costs $4.99 in the iTunes App Store. You can find a download link below.

Touchgrind

Touchgrind has been one of my favorite iOS games since it was released in 2008. Recently, however, the developers have decided to make an OS X port of Touchgrind for all of us OS X fans to enjoy. Before I start my mini-review of TouchGrind, I just want to clarify that you must be using a MacBook with a multitouch trackpad or a Mac with a Magic Trackpad.

Growing up, I used to love playing with “Tech Decks”. Tech Decks were little finger skateboards that allowed you to do simple tricks and jumps. Touchgrind aims to be a “digital Tech Deck” and features the same overall idea and controls. The only difference is is that you’re playing on a trackpad instead of a little skateboard.

Touchgrind’s controls are extremely intuitive. When you first launch the app, you’ll be prompted to calibrate the controls by placing your fingers on the trackpad. Once your fingers are calibrated, you can start a new game and control your skateboard by moving your fingers from left to right, etc. To perform tricks, experiment with different combinations of finger movements and trackpad clicks. You will also be given hints on how to perform different tricks throughout the game. When you do tricks, you will earn points that you can then use to unlock new skateboards.

To me, Touchgrind is one of my favorite games of all time for iOS and OS X. This is because of how interactive the game is and how much fun it is to play. The controls are absolutely stellar and just take a bit of getting used too. This game is a must have for any Mac user who either loves extreme sports or grew up playing with Tech Decks. Touchgrind is currently free in the Mac App Store. You can find a download link below.