Slideshow

The 10 best games to show off your iPad 2

10 Photos Campbell Simpson (PC World)

10 of the best iPad games that can show off the power of Apple's second-generation tablet

  • The [[artnid:381655|Apple iPad 2]] improves on the original [[artnid:342882|iPad]] with more processing and graphics power, and some nifty features like a built-in gyroscope and accelerometer. The best way to show off these new features is by playing a bunch of fun games — we've put together a list of the top 10 titles to show off your iPad 2. Make anyone with an original iPad jealous, and convince your tablet-less friends to pick one up! Read our [[artnid:378580|ultimate iPad 2 buying guide]]. Compare [[artnid:378714|the iPad and the iPad 2]].

    Real Racing 2 HD: Real Racing 2 is the iPad 2's killer app. It makes excellent use of the gyroscope and accelerometers to simulate a car's steering wheel, and you can set the game up to respond to your tilting as acceleration or braking. It also looks great — crisp and clear with detailed textures and a lovingly finished interior on the car we were driving — and has surprisingly realistic physics. We had a great time sliding our car around tight corners and overtaking opponents, and we think you will too. [[xref:http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/real-racing-2-hd/id414566922?mt=8|Find Real Racing 2 here]] on the iTunes App Store.

  • Angry Birds Rio HD: OK, to be honest with you, we don't think there's going to be all that much different between the iPad 1 and iPad 2 when you're playing Angry Birds. But if you've got the newest iPad, you need the newest games — and Angry Birds Rio HD only came out a few days ago. It's also a whole bunch of fun new levels to play if you've clocked the original. [[xref:http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/angry-birds-rio-hd/id420636551?mt=8|Find Angry Birds Rio HD here]] on the iTunes App Store.
  • Infinity Blade: Infinity Blade runs on the Unreal 3 Engine, which we first saw in Epic Citadel — one of our [[artnid:369302|best iPhone 4 games]]. Like Epic Citadel, it looks absolutely great and we're astounded it can run on a portable device like the iPad 2. Swing around a big sword and battle gigantic enemies — we're not sure that much more needs to be said. It's a game that excels thanks to the iPad 2's extra processing power and graphics grunt. [[xref:http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/infinity-blade/id387428400?mt=8|Find Infinity Blade here]] on the iTunes App Store.
  • Rage HD: It was a crying shame that the iPad didn't have the same accelerometer and gyroscope setup that the iPhone 4 and 3GS had — playing games like Rage HD wasn't nearly as fun, requiring a lot of tapping and dragging to aim. Now that the iPad 2's gyroscope can be used to turn and aim and move, Rage HD is great fun. It's slick and looks great, immersing you in a gritty fight-to-stay-alive world full of mutants and gore. [[xref:http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/rage-hd/id400707675?mt=8|Find Rage HD here]] on the iTunes App Store.
  • Asphalt 6: Adrenaline: Another gyroscope-heavy racing game, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline sees drivers tearing down the streets of major cities around the world like Los Angeles and Tokyo. It's less realistic than Real Racing 2 in its graphics, but you can still choose from a huge variety of cars like Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Ducatis and Aston Martins and then tweak them to maximum power. If you're looking for a fun distraction from your daily train ride, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline is it. [[xref:http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/asphalt-6-adrenaline/id400973408?mt=8|Find Asphalt 6: Adrenaline here]] on the iTunes App Store.
  • Jenga HD: The concept is simple, but it's surprisingly fun. Use the iPad 2's gyroscope to pull blocks from the Jenga tower and build it up. It's also got a fun Arcade mode that lets you compete for points. If you're looking to show off the iPad 2 to a group of your friends, Jenga HD is the game for it — it has a four-player pass-around mode that'll let your friends get their mitts on the iPad 2, but leave them wanting more as they pass it along. [[xref:http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/jenga-hd/id393106605?mt=8|Find Jenga HD here]] on the iTunes App Store.
  • Garageband: OK, so it's not really a game, but Garageband is still plenty of fun — you can wail out on a guitar (or keytar), drum kit, keyboard (or keytar!), or bass (or bass keytar!), and build layers of music up into a masterpiece. You can even record your crooning with the iPad 2's inbuilt microphone — there's almost no limit to what you can achieve, although the lack of [[xref:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8F3UE9qFsg|T-Pain autotune]] is a bit disappointing. [[xref:http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/id408709785?mt=8&ls=1|Find Garageband here]] on the iTunes App Store.
  • Monkey Island Tales 1 HD: Does anyone remember the original [[xref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_Island_%28series%29|Monkey Island]] point-and-click adventure games? This is a great long-form game for your iPad 2 if you're the kind of person that wants something a little more substantial than a 30-second round of Angry Birds. The first episode of Tales of Monkey Island is titled Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, so you know it's got to be good. We really, really recommend you give Monkey Island a go — it might not be revolutionary, but it's definitely a magical experience to play. [[xref:http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/monkey-island-tales-1-hd/id406248957?mt=8|Find Monkey Island Tales 1 HD here]] on the iTunes App Store.
  • Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit: Need For Speed has come a long way since the original. Race as a cop or a hoon, drop weapons to crash out your rivals, and pick up achievements along the way. You can jump into twenty different high performance real-world cars (with police equivalents for most of them) and even play against a friend over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. If you've got a mate with an iPad 2, dazzle your friends with Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit's multiplayer action. [[xref:http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/need-for-speed-hot-pursuit/id402604738?mt=8|Find Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit here]] on the iTunes App Store.
  • Dead Space: The Dead Space app has had a bump in its graphics with the launch of the iPad 2 — now you can sit back and dismember baddies in high definition and high quality graphics. You can swipe and tap your way around the game, and if you're feeling bored by the weapons and power-ups on offer you can pick up more in the in-game store. Dead Space and Dead Space 2 were scary experiences, so play your iPad 2 in a dark room and see if you can frighten yourself. [[xref:http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dead-space-for-ipad/id396019894?mt=8|Find Dead Space here]] on the iTunes App Store.
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