Top five most addictive football games for the iPad/iPhone
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69p / free
Whether you use it as a way of improving your dexterity, wasting time on a long journey or endlessly trying to beat your record score, Flick Football is one of those gaming apps that keeps attracting idle thumbs. Essentially the premise is so simple a chimp could pick it up - kick the ball in the goal - but there are several different modes, including a time trial, bullseye target practice, and arcade. But the key, as you’ll soon discover, is perfecting the kind of swerve that Roberto Carlos would admire. Unlike similar games, this one has a pleasing ‘Roy of the Rovers’ look, and the loading screens display some of football’s most banal commentator quotes.
69p / free
If donning a pair of gloves and throwing yourself through the air is more appealing, then Super Saves is another entertaining app. In the free version there are four game modes - ‘3 lives’, ‘sudden death’, ‘multiball’ and ‘bend it’ - and it soon becomes apparent that while keeping the ball out helps, catching it really racks up the points. Like most football games, the background music is fairly terrible and there is some extraordinarily cheesy commentary - ‘mega save’, ‘nice catch’, etc. But even if you’re not a budding Schmeichel or Buffon, Super Saves is still a mindlessly addictive way of passing the time.
£6.99
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Hide AdThis will be a welcome addition to iPad or iPhone oweners who were addicted to Championship Manager at its height 20 years ago.
There are some addictive qualities to Football Manager but it lacks the deep database of its desktop version to snare users.
The game, especially when played on the iPad, is polished and intuitive to play.
There are more than 20,000 players available and you can manage teams from more than 30 leagues across the world. As you would expect, you can choose your tactics and players and then watch the match commentary, complete with ‘highlights’
It has the capacity to make a long journey sail by.
0.69p
For a game with a simple concept behind it, it is astounding how addictive this game can become.
The aim is to recreate classic goals from international games past with instructions given as to who to pass to and where to hit your shot.
It is however more challenging than it sounds and strangely hypnotic.
It’s appeal is also aided by the iPad’s large screen which allows large swipes at the virtual ball.
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Hide AdA must-have for any football fan with an iPad and a snitch at the price.
0.69p to £9.99
New Star Soccer allows the user to assume the role of a young footballer who has just been signed up by a club. With a vast number of potential nations and leagues to ply your trade in, you must first undergo a rigorous trial. Upon completion, you are ‘signed up’ by a fairly lowly club - we were initially signed by Elgin City - and the aim is to then work your way up to the heady heights of the upper leagues (we earned a big money move to Raith Rovers in the January transfer window).
The game, however, isn’t just about the football side of things. It also focuses on the life of a young footballer, giving you the option to purchase various items such as expensive mobile phones, designer suits, sports cars and a place to live. In a tongue-in-cheek nod to reality, the more impressive your items, the more chance you have of impressing women.
New Star Games haven’t left anything out - your lifestyle affects your performance on the field and relationships with fellow players and your boss and the better you play in matches, the more your team mates, manager and fans are impressed. The more you impress, the higher your ‘star rating’, which enables you to progress in the game.
We’ve only scratched the surface here, but New Star Soccer is one of the best football games out there. The difficulty level changes as your player progresses, there are a multitude of options (including a ‘career’ mode and ‘arcade’ mode) and there’s no risk of getting bored ... unfortunately, there’s every risk that you might have to abandon everything you hold dear as you seek to win promotion from the Blue Square North with Gainsborough Trinity.