Rathores blog

Multiplayer games are popular across the spectrum of console and handheld devices, and nowhere is it more apparent than on iPad and iPhone. With almost 10,000 active gaming apps live in the App Store right now, it's hard to find a iPad game that doesn't provide some sort of social connection. A multiplayer game takes it one step further, allowing direct connection to the millions of other iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad gamers on services like Open Feint, Crystal, and Apple's own Game Center. Some iPad games are in real time, some are asynchronous, and some are perfect for several players on the same device.

We'll focus here on these types of iPad games, ones that let us connect and play together (or against each other), whether on the move or on the couch. Here are our picks for the 10 best multiplayer iPad games.

Words With Friends ($2.99)

Chances are, any given iPhone has Words With Friends downloaded on it. Zynga's run­away hit found the sweet spot among word game enthusiasts when it came over to iOS in 2009, making the jump from the web browser and Facebook to the iPhone and iPad.The asynchronous, turn-taking mode with push notifications set the standard for these types of multiplayer games. Players match up with friends from Facebook or their contacts list in a word game similar to Scrabble. Each letter earns points, and several spaces add score multipliers. While having a large vocabulary helps, what really sets the top scor­ers apart from the rest is their ability to use the game spaces and multipliers to their benefit. Words With Friends proves once again that smart is fun!

Hero Academy (Free)

Here's a game that takes asynchronous, turn-based, multiplayer games seriously. A cross between chess and a collectible card game, Hero Academy plays like a real-time strategy game, only players send their moves one at a time like Words With Friends. Games are straightforward. There's a grid to place different units, and each unit has special moves, powers, range, and abilities. The point of the game is to either stay alive while wiping out an opponent's entire force or take out their crystal tow­ers, which are placed around the playing field. Units are limited in number and drawn from a random pool, like a deck of cards. They are placed onto the field to battle and can move or attack on each turn—players only have a certain number of action points per turn. It's a bit tricky and takes some time to figure out, especially since there is no tutorial or single-player mode to test things out. Add­ing a few gamers—with friends from Game Center, Facebook, or random opponents—creates an addictive blend of success and failure. My first game was a spectacular loss, and since then I have not been able to stop playing it.

Poker Pals ($1.99)

Coming in two flavors for either iPhone or iPad, Poker Pals is an interesting spin-off of poker, that popular card game that's been played around saloon halls and on ships since the 1800s. An­other asynchronous, turn-based game, Poker Pals has players drawing from a finite deck of cards and placing them down on a seven-by-seven grid to create poker hands. The game has unique characteristics; not all poker rules from the real card game apply. Still, this is another game that has kept my friends and I playing long after the typical iOS game fad has passed. It's perfect for a quick and casual game.

Disc Drivin' ($1.99)

Another asynchronous, online, multiplayer game, Disc Drivin' is part race, part mini-golf, and part shuffleboard. Players take turns slid­ing their eponymous disc around the tracks, trying to beat their opponents to the finish line. The fun hap­pens when the physics of the tracks and the discs themselves come into conflict, with bounces, explosions, and odd results that cause both lucky victories and horrifying defeats, often in quick succession. The game can be played with up to eight real friends on the same device with a pass-and-play option. The game also supports up to eight players over local Wi-Fi and up to four players online.

Real Racing 2 ($2.99)

This is the cream of the crop when it comes to racing games. No matter the device or console, racing games need to be fluid, run at high frames per second, and feel at least a little realistic in terms of handling and pushing high speeds on the track. Real Racing 2 has that in spades, with a full 1080p resolution on the iPad 2 version that you can wirelessly mirror to an HDTV via AppleTV and Airplay. That's not even mentioning the 48 realistic cars across 4 classes and 12 unique tracks in a variety of environments, nor the 76-event career mode, which allows racers to upgrade their dream machine. The online mul­tiplayer supports up to 4 players at a time over the Internet, and up to 6 racers over local Wi-Fi, allowing racing battles that rival those of the high-end console games. I've never been a huge fan of simulation racing games, but this one has earned a spot on my iPad since day one.

Star Legends (Free)

Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games are difficult to replicate on the iPad and iPhone, as evidenced by their almost complete absence. Rising to the top of such a challeng­ing genre is Star Legends, a sci-fi themed MMO. It keeps the interface and control complexity down, offering easy access to new and experienced players alike. There are strong ties to the community as well, with frequent updates and special events, as well as a heavily trafficked set of forums on their website.

The game has all the requisite MMO features, including quests, dungeons, and a ton of other players with whom to play, and it lets players drop in and out quickly and easily. It's definitely my favorite way to scratch any nagging MMO itches, whether I'm on the go or firmly planted on the couch.

Fruit Ninja HD ($2.99)

Ninjas hate fruit. Fruit must be destroyed. That's the entire premise of this charming, quirky, swipe-based game that works best on the large, luscious iPad screen. While Fruit Ninja made its name as a single-player smash hit, it's the re­cently included multiplayer modes that earned it a lasting spot on my tablet. With two players facing each other and the screen laid out between them, it's fruit-slicing nirvana, to say the least. All three modes (Classic, Attack, and Zen Duel) are available to play with another person.

Super Stickman Golf ($0.99)

Super Stickman Golf, the sequel to Stickman Golf ($0.99), is the most unique take on the physics puzzler I've seen, placing vir­tual golfers in the role of stick figures with a love for golfing. All 261 courses are bizarre affairs, requiring the laws of normal physics to change according to the environment. Special golf balls and specially-powered golf clubs help add up to a delight­ful gaming experience on the iPhone or iPad. Multiplayer supports up to four players on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Game Center matching, where players race through nine holes of brain-bending golf fun.

Street Fighter IV Volt ($6.99)

Capcom's venerable fighting game brings high-end, multiplayer technologies to the ta­ble. Not only is this the best fighting game on a mobile device, this multiplayer game it­self is comparable to a console game. It features ranked "Battle Network" tournaments and ladders to participate in, along with teams to battle with and against. Players can fight online across 3G and wireless networks and even local Wi-Fi. In addition, the game has drop-in/drop-out play, which I've never experienced on a mobile title before. Street Fighter IV Volt introduces new characters that were not part of the original mobile title, Street Fighter IV ($4.99). Hands down, this is the de­finitive fighting game on iOS.

Strategery ($1.99)

World domination is the name of the game here, with a feel similar to the classic board game Risk, but abstracted to a high level of elegance. Players choose a map—-there are tons of them—and play against Al opponents, friends from their address book, or random opponents online. There's also a local pass-and-play option for those who like to be in the same room. Each territory on the map contains a certain number of troops, represented by dots. On every turn, players get troop reinforcements according to the number of connected territo­ries they have control over. The differently colored Al opponents have different personalities, which factor into the strategy. There are four map sizes and four levels of difficulty, and multiplayer matches can include up to four other people. This is a game that takes "simple to learn, hard to master" to a whole new level.

Greed Corp HD ($1.99)

Greed Corp is a multiplayer game that made its name on the console gaming scene. It puts players in the role of one of four corporations fighting to control the largest number of ever-crumbling landmasses and limited resources. This is strategy gaming at its finest, and the iOS version manages to bring the same level of fun and polish to the table. While Greed Corp ($1.99) is available as a separate iPhone version, I prefer the iPad one for the extra screen real estate; it also al­lows for a more expansive pass-and-play experience. The three difficulty levels, steampunk setting, and 1920s-era jazz score keep things interesting. The ability to mix and match any com­bination of local, online, and Al opponents is also welcomed.