Henrik Larsson writes, Henrik is the owner of Chit Chat – a Facebook chat app. Chit Chat is a Facebook messenger that enables one to chat online with Facebook from your desktop.
Feeling the weight of the recession? Never fear: there are plenty of free games on the Android market, and while there is a fair amount of murk to wade your way through, there are some real gems if you look hard enough. Here are 10 of the best, so you can nuke your battery in style.
10. Speed Skater
A simple enough, yet nevertheless fun side-scroller. You skate along from left to right, jumping over obstacles that range from crowds of people to hazardous drops. It’s one of those games that you can just pick up and play, and will probably come back to if you’ve got time to kill.
9. Finger Jump
The premise is simple: touch the screen to jump. The faster you press it, the higher you jump. The higher you get, the more points you score. It’s not the most unique game in the world, but it’s smooth, slick, and entertaining.
8. PapiJump
PapiJump is about as simple as it gets. You don’t even need to press anything to play it – you just tilt your phone left and right, helping the little bouncing ball get higher and higher. Sometimes simplicity is a beautiful thing, though, and PapiJump proves a fun way to pass the time.
7. Replica Island
This 2D side-scrolling platformer is one of the best on the market, and features Android’s very own robot as the star of the show. Built for Android from the ground up, it’s remarkably polished and actually quite deep, as mobile phone games go, with 40 levels to work your way through. Perhaps the best aspect is it’s effective control scheme, utilizing the trackball to great effect as you float, fly and bounce along.
6. Spider Man
In Spider Man, you start the game at the top of a skyscraper and have to make your way down a series of smaller buildings without falling to your doom. Although not to be confused with Spidey himself, the game’s inspiration is obvious, and does let you test out your web-slinging skills in a bid to head towards the ground with as many points in your pocket as possible.
5. Gem Miner
An addictive little game that sees you take on the role of a grey-bearded miner digging deeper and deeper for treasure. Ever-changing maps and a clever upgrade system that lets you manage the materials you unearth and boost your abilities and tools will keep you coming back for more.
4. Hyper Jump
A frantic and fast-paced coin-collecting game, Hyper Jump gets you tilting your phone left and right in a bid to help a bright-eyed monster shoot higher and higher. The more coins you collect, the more you’re propelled upwards, but if you react too slowly you’ll quickly plummet to your death.
3. Super Boom Boom
Here you must launch a cannonball into the air, and use your reflexes to help guide it upwards, landing it in odd little winged pots to stop it from falling. Keep your wits about you, because there is a myriad of sly twists and tricky traps to keep you from reaching your goal.
2. Abduction! 2
Cartoon cows and parachuting penguins are the order of the day in the latest version of the quirky jumping game. This time around a host of new characters and levels are on offer, along with some cute new sound effects and six original music tracks composed by Chris Hodges.
1. Dynamo Kid
One of the most distinctive and creative games on the market, Dynamo Kid is a genius offering from OrangePixel that looks like it’s been sketched in the back of a note pad. The world is drawn into life before your eyes as you run along, and you interact with the game rather than reacting to it. It’s wonderful stuff.