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Sonic CD is an excellent iOS port of what's widely considered the best game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, an ill-fated but critically acclaimed 1993 release for the Sega CD console.

Anyone who has even passing familiarity with video game history will know the Sonic schtick--speeding around, spinning and jumping, and collecting rings--and the coolest thing that sets Sonic CD apart from other Sonic titles is a time-traveling feature that essentially lets you experience three different versions of each level (past, present, and future). The game looks and feels like the original, with settings and unlockable extras that … Read more

iStunt 2 is a snowboarding sequel that adds enough extras and unique gameplay to make it a great time-waster and might be one of our favorite pick-up-and-play games for 2011. Just like in the original, you'll be challenged to snowboard on several complex courses that involve loops, jumps, tricks, and even snowboarding upside down. The control system uses the iPhone accelerometer to control your snowboarder, a couple of onscreen buttons for grab-type tricks, and screen swipes for jumping over gaps.

iStunt 2 is better in almost every way than the original, with better-designed tracks, better graphics, and more control … Read more

Rat on a Snowboard is primarily a distance/survival game where you play as (you guessed it) a rat on a snowboard. In this game you're not trying to pull off big tricks; instead, you're simply trying to get as far as you can while avoiding obstacles.

You have a couple of control systems to choose from. The default layout lets you simply touch the screen to both jump and spin (to gain altitude and points while in the air). But we preferred switching to two buttons, one each for jumping and spinning, to feel like we were … Read more

Super Trick Snowboarder is a 2D snowboarding game that uses rag doll physics as you jump, flip, and spin down the slope, but it might be a bit too rag doll for its own good. The game features nice-looking cartoonlike graphics; your snowboarder makes his way past obstacles while pulling off big tricks. The control system involves a snowboard on the left with four buttons for grabbing the front, back, and sides of your board in the air. On the right you have buttons for jumping and rotating either clockwise or counterclockwise.

The problem with Super Trick Snowboarder is that … Read more

This week I've gathered up some 2D snowboarding games that are not as good as being in the actual snow, but might be the perfect time-waster while we wait for winter to settle in.

As we hunker down for the winter months in the northern hemisphere, many are dreaming of another great season of winter sports. While there's probably nothing I can offer on the iPhone that will give you the feeling of snowboarding on powder-covered slopes, maybe these apps will make the days slip by a little bit faster.… Read more

Mad Skills Motocross is a fun and addictive game that started on desktop computers, but seems much more suited to the iOS. Sort of in the vein of arcade classic Excitebike, Mad Skills Motocross is a side-scrolling racer in which you race against a single opponent on several challenging tracks. The default controls give you buttons for throttle and brakes on the lower left and buttons for tilt control on the right. You can switch tilt controls to the accelerometer in the settings, but both variations proved to work well after a bit of practice.

You will need practice, by … Read more

Bike Baron is a stunt bike game for both iPhone and iPad that might be the best we've seen yet for iOS. Made by an all-star developer team with folks from the groups that made Minigore, Death Rally, and Aqua Globs, this well-designed game really shines. Even the musical score is from the same person that made the music for Angry Birds. In other words, there's a lot of talent behind this game.

Unlike many of the games in this genre, you get just one set of controls for Bike Baron: arrows for tilting on the left and … Read more

Xtreme Wheels is a stunt bike racing game that offers nice-looking graphics (with one extremely notable exception), but it's still somewhat lacking. You get a few options for controls, but like most games of this type, gas and brake will always be on the right. On the left, you get the option to use a slider, arrow buttons, or you can use the accelerometer to tilt. The controls feel solid mostly, making you feel in control as you navigate past obstacles.

The graphics in Xtreme Wheels look great mostly, with one very noticeable problem (at least in our testing). … Read more

MotoTrialz is a side-scrolling stunt bike game that's a fairly good remake of the game Trials, but it's not the best in the genre. Like other games of this type, you're challenged with riding a motorcycle over several obstacles in the least amount of time possible. You have a couple of different options for controlling your bike in MotoTrialz: you have gas and braking buttons on the right and you can choose between a slider on the left or the accelerometer for tilting your bike. You'll need to pick one and get comfortable quickly; these stunt … Read more