If you've been following this site then you know I'm not much of a gamer. However, that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the occasional game here and there. I'm really impressed with the iPad games. Maybe it's just the big screen experience. So I thought I'd share with you my picks for my Top 10 iPad Games. So in no particular order…
Flight Control HD
The object of the game is that you're the Air Traffic Controller and using your finger you guide the planes and helicopters into their appropriate runways and chopper pads. Of course it starts out pretty easy and quickly gets hectic as the sky starts to fill up. To make it even more challenging once a plane is on the board there is no way to direct it off the board and as you would expect some planes fly faster than others. So routing a bigger plane in behind a smaller one is not going to go well. Land as many planes as you can without a mid air collision.
You can get Flight Control HD for $4.99 here from the 
Pinball HD
I used to play a lot of pinball as a pre-teen, but never really thought much about it after than. I gotta say that this game rocks! I'm amazed at how well it's done and the graphics and sounds are superb. Great animations and you use your thumbs on the sides of the display to work the paddles. Great, great game. There are three different tables to play built-in the app (wild west, jungle & deep sea) with additional ones available for purchase.
You can get Pinball HD for $2.99 here from the
Pac-Man
I hate to think about the amount of hours and quarters I spent playing this one as a kid. Well now you can get your nostalgia PacMan experience on in full iPad glory. The game is pretty much exactly like the arcade version. The only thing that I don't like about this game is that the default controller setting is not very responsive. Luckily there is an option to change it to a swipe motion that works much better. If you played Pac-Man and you like Pac-Man, this game is for you.
You can get Pac-Man for $4.99 here from the
Paper Toss HD
Paper Toss is the electronic version of classic wastepaper basket basketball game played in offices around the world. This version takes advantage of the iPad's larger display and gives you your choice between the office, airport terminal, basement or lavatory. Of course there is a fan blowing to make things a little more challenging. Great time waster without having to put a lot of thought into it.
You can get Paper Toss HD for $2.99 here from the
Angry Birds HD
I kept seeing this one at the top of the charts on the App Store and the name didn't really pull me in. Then when I asked people which game they were most addicted to on the Best App Site Facebook Fan Page, I was stunned by the number of people that said "Angry Birds", so I had to check it out. In this game you use a big slingshot to launch birds into the air and knock down structures protecting pigs. I can't believe I just wrote that, but that's exactly what you do. With each level the structure becomes more and more difficult to knock down so it takes a little bit of strategy and finesse to figure out the best place to hit it. I gotta admit that I was up to 1:30AM the other night playing this. Yeah it's addictive!
You can get Angry Birds HD for $4.99 here from the
Modern Conflict HD
In Modern Conflict HD you're the leader of a military base and it's your job to deploy your forces/tanks strategically to take out the enemy's bases. Tanks will automatically attack enemy tanks en route. Deploy your tanks effectively and you will win. If you don't you will…
This game is all about the strategy!
You can get Modern Conflict HD for $1.99 here from the
Chopper
Chopper was one of my favorite games on the iPhone. They've updated it to be a Universal game for all iOS devices. In Chopper you're a helicopter pilot performing rescue missions. This game makes use of the accelerometers to take off, fly and land. You can also shoot enemies on the ground if necessary. Once you pick up all your passengers you return to base to drop them off and advance to the next level.
You can get Chopper for $2.99 here from the
Predators
I just saw the movie and it was OK. I liked it better than Aliens vs. Predators, but it was still just OK. So when I saw the game, I wasn't expecting much. I'm not a fan of games that come out just because there was a movie. However, in this case I kinda like it. Maybe even more than the movie. 
You're the Predator! You're defending yourself against the humans while at the same time collecting trophies. Just like the Predators in the movie you gain abilities as you advance such as cloaking and thermal view. You also get better weapons as you move forward. I will say that at the beginning of the game it seemed like all it was about was blood and guts. However, after moving up a few levels it started getting much better. It takes more skill and thought to complete the levels past level 6. Predators is a Universal App for all iOS devices.
You can get Predators for $2.99 here from the
Need For Speed Shift
Racing games are fun, but there are so many on the App Store. My favorite is Need for Speed Shift. Great graphics and game play as well as the iPad itself is your steering wheel. Very responsive and just simply fun to play. It's also easy to control which is a must for this type of game.
You can get Need for Speed Shift for $12.99 here from the
Canabalt
Don't ask me why I like this game? I really can't answer that. The game is simple. Run and jump over obstacles while listen to a crazy rock beat. Don't forget to dodge the low flying jets
You can get Canabalt for $2.99 here from the
About Terry White
Terry is the co-author of The Best Selling "The iPhone Book" 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions. He has been active in the industry for over 25 years and is the founder and president of MacGroup-Detroit, Inc., Michigan's largest Macintosh Users Group, host of the Adobe Creative Suite Podcast and a technology writer - Terry White Tech Blog.
Is there a way to get the pinball game to show the entire table instead of the zoomed in scrolling around view?
Not that I know of.
If you play it in landscape it’ll show you the full table in perspective. It’s not a large view, but it might be closer to what you want. HTH, and cheers.
I liked this article so much that I blogged about it (and some others on the same subject) on my website. Thank you for writing it.
I’d be interested to hear your opinion of my own article on the subject!
Yours 8-),
bowlegged148
Hi Terry;
Remember me at the Photoshop anniversary in San Francisco, I had my picture taken with you – my favorite tech guru. Thanks to you I purchased Angry Birds HD and broke your record by staying up last night until 2:49 A.M. I really appreciate your fine work and recommendations.
Is that the most addictive game ever? LOL I’m not kidding when I say that I just put it down to get some real work done
Terry,
I’ve enjoyed reading all your iPad/iPhone articles (and your photo ones, too). I do like Angry Birds a lot, and can recommend another addicting game, Implode!XL. You can jump back to any level to try to improve your score. It is easy to play, but more difficult to master. Getting A+ is addicting and challenging!(I’ll try just one more game, one more, one more, etc. Sleep can wait…)
hi viewers, I’ve enjoyed my leaser time playing the mind affords demessify-HD 3d puzzle game. deMessify is an original iPad game, designed specifically for iPad screen and size. A simple 3D puzzle game with realistic physics and amazing graphics. It draws gameplay elements from several different genres and blends them together into a unique puzzle game.
Hello Friends, deMessify is an original iPad game, designed specifically for iPad screen and size. A simple 3D puzzle game with realistic physics and amazing graphics. It draws gameplay elements from several different genres and blends them together into a unique puzzle game. It consists of 60 levels of “totally messed up” mazes of interconnected spheres on 3D platform.
http://itunes.apple.com/in/app/de-mess-ify-hd/id417590077?mt=8#
Hi , I feel good to post a comment on the “demessify HD” iPad game, which is very interesting puzzle game ever i had played. Its a 3D game with better user interface and physics simulations. its similar to protangle on iphone but the 3D orientations are fantastic. Its touch sensibility is very good and having more realistic graphics. The levels are very challengeable…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFSKFcC-_ss (video)
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/de-mess-ify-hd/id417590077?mt=8 (Game Link)
Great site Terry, enjoy your recommendations!
I was at Adobe for 6 years from 99-05, Director of Consumer Apps, then Adobe Ventures, but don’t think we ever met up.
All the best!