RayCarsilloWrites.com

Originally Published: July 21, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com

I don’t usually spend a lot of time reviewing iPhone games, but I’ve been spending a lot of time in airports and waiting for delayed flights the past couple of months, so my iPhone has become my savior on some of the worst trips. So, I figured it’d be nice if I reviewed a couple of iPhone games for those out there who may read my column and run into the same problems that I have recently.

The first game I want to talk about is called iBailout!!. Basically, imagine Ms. Pac-Man set to the theme of the recent economic crisis where a yellow ball and pink bow have been replaced by a large corporation building set out to gobble up all of the Federal Reserve’s funds instead of little yellow dots. Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Ms. Pac-Man style adventure if there weren’t things to avoid and iBailout!! provides that in the form of us, the American people. But do not fear! By collecting AK-47s and arming themselves to the teeth, your vacuum like corporation building will easily mow down the unsuspecting citizens as it continues to gobble up as much cash as possible.

Now, I’m not usually one to use my reviews to make any kind of grand statement, but I did find a bit of humor in the one that Marroni Electronic Entertainment made with the creation of this game. A simple, well-designed homage to a true classic, fans of Ms. Pac-Man and conservatives everywhere will probably want to take a look at iBailout!! when looking to kill a few minutes with their iPhones and is available for $1.99 at the iTunes Store.

The second game that I want to talk about will probably stir up a little less controversy. In honor of the recently completed FIFA World Cup, I present Flick Kick Football (Soccer). Part of a whole series of sports games brought to us by PikPok, Flick Kick Football (Soccer) gives you a chance to test your skills in a variety of common free kick and penalty kick situations from The Beautiful Game by simply dragging your finger across the ball. Depending on how fast and what angle you flick the ball at will determine its trajectory as you attempt to curve the ball around and through more and more defenders as the game progresses and you try to beat your high score. If you miss your shot though it could be game over, but you can earn extra lives by burying the really difficult shots to make up for when you maybe mis-flick an easier kick.

Including a time-trial mode, target practice mode, and an achievements list Flick Kick Football (Soccer) offers you a chance to not only kill some time as you try to perfect bouncing the ball in off the inside of a goal post, but to also compare your high scores (my high score is 66 goals) and scoring streaks with friends as you try to become the ultimate Flick Kick Footballer. Flick Kick Football (Soccer) is available now for $0.99 at the iTunes Store.

So there you have it folks. A couple of cheap and effective ways to kill time on your iPhones if you’re like me and end up getting stuck in an airport while waiting for a thunderstorm to pass or maybe if you just don’t feel like breaking out a controller for your console games. Both games are available for purchase now.

-Ray Carsillo