Forget about Super Mario Run, there are other platformer games for either iOS and Android that are not only cheaper but also way more fun!
Sorry, Super Mario Run, we know better
In case you've missed the news, Nintendo's long-anticipated Super Mario Run arrived on iOS yesterday, with the first three levels of the game being free to try and the rest of the game available for $9.99.
We guess that fans of all things Nintendo are reveling in the auto-runner platformer game set in the beloved Mario universe, but let's face it - while fun for a while, this one is nowhere as good as some other platformer games for iOS and Android that are much more fun.
The premise of this adorable platformer is quite similar to Super Mario Run - you control a band of lovely smurfs that will hop along on a wide array of picturesque cartoon levels and will most definitely evoke sweet childhood memories. The gameplay is simple and not what we'd call exciting, but calming and casual -- the smurf you control runs automatically and it's your responsibility to jump over the various obstacles across the level. You will be able to play as Smurfette, Papa Smurf,
This excellent auto-runner platformer will most definitely help you kill lots and lots of time as it's the perfect embodiment of everything that made all the classic arcade games so good and addictive. Available for free on both app stores, Rayman Adventures will have you jump, run, and glide across a large amount of exciting and diverse levels, each with its own distinct visual style that's truly a treat for the eye. Jumping and evading obstacles in this one is great fun, but don't forget you have a mission ahead of you - you have to rescue the so-called Incrediballs, which are cute creatures in need of Rayman's assistance. A great game for grown-up kids that want to feel 8 again.
While the 3D graphics might not be a rather strong suit of this game, we promise it's terrible fun. Wind-Up Knight 2 lets you fill in the metal greaves of a wind-up automaton knight who has to collect as many wind-up keys as possible in order to continue his run. You have to evade and jump over a large slew of obstacles. Seriously, whose malicious plan is it to fill all platformer games with so many hurdles and obstacles, give us a break! What Wind-Up Knight 2, as well as its predecessor, will truly grab you with the great and fun mechanics. You can try the game for free and see if the wind-up automaton knight will be just your thing.
RUA 2 is one of those games that you simply can't hate - after all, it's a game about a dashing unicorn that spews rainbows out of its hooves and engages you with surprisingly challenging gameplay mechanics and its multiplayer battles. Yes, you can play against other human players! Back to RUA2, it's been a favorite of ours for a long time. Its visuals might not be stunningly mesmerizing, but they are way better than your average mobile game; the ever-changing landscapes in the background are a bit trippy, but we often found ourselves gazing at these, completely ignoring the galloping unicorn in the foreground. Speaking of unicorns, what we greatly like about this one is that you can customize your own unicorn protagonist, choosing among a bunch of different bodies, manes, horns, and whatnot, which is easily every 5-year-old'd girl's fantasy. Admittedly, it's a secret desire of ours as well but tell no one.
Feel like punching some stuff? Don't. Play the addictive and excellent auto-runner Punch Quest instead. When we feel like having a blast, we Punch Quest. As you might imagine, it involves punching stuff, namely skeletons, plump bats, ogres, orcs, some rather masculine fairies, and a whole lot of other monsters that will feel the wrath of our protagonist's godly punch. If we couldn't sell the game to you, we will try one more time: you can ride a dinosaur that shoots lasers from its mouth and eyes and once it dies, you get launched at a supersonic speed against the upcoming foes. Yeah, it's that awesome!
If you're craving for some multiplayer fun, then Fun Run Multiplayer Race will let you try outrunning real human opponents on a bunch of challenging levels. You will have to jump and evade obstacles just at the right time in order to keep your pace and not fall behind, which sounds easy and boring on paper but rest assured that Fun Run is a quite challenging game that will definitely bring out the competitive player in you.
You will have to race 7 other players, but don't think that you will only jump and run - utilizing multiple powerups, you will have to knock out and slow down your opponents if you want to find yourself on the podium after each race. You can also race your friends if you feel like losing them forever.
Go! Go! Commander! is a fun and rather fast-paced arcade platformer that requires you to collect gold coins and act fast in order to avoid holes in the ground as well as the scorpion foes on each level. It's a pretty challenging game that is not very forgiving -- have in mind that it might drive you mad after a dozen failed attempts to precisely nail that jump over that hole. Not for those that go from 0 to 100 real quick. Oh, you can also race your Game Center friends, which is nice.
Okay, we know most of the games had to be free to download and play, but this one is so good that we simply can't ignore it. If you've been a serious mobile gamer, you've most definitely at least heard of Canabalt, a game that is as genius as it's simple. Long story short, it's an auto-runner that requires you to hop from building to building, evading the total destruction and wreckage that ensues behind you. At first, Canabalt is deceitfully simple, but you will quickly learn that this game won't forgive any missclicks - all of your jumps have to be perfectly timed or you will tumble to your presumably pretty gory death. We can't recommend it enough.
If you're into more pacifist games, Space Dog Run might be just the thing. There's something quite morbid about a dog trying to escape from a butcher, but it's not what is seems - the poor dog just snatched a big fat sausage from the back and the meat merchant is rightfully infuriated. You will fill in the paws of the fleeing dog and you will have to evade a multitude of obstacles which slow you down and shorten the gap between you and the pursuing butcher truck. It seems like the mutt has some mad driving skills as it's capable of driving a sports car, an airplane, and a submarine even.
It's technically not a platformer, but Alto's Adventure has been a favorite game of ours ever since it launched on the App Store. Apart from addictive gameplay that allows you to snowboard on challenging procedurally-generated landmarks, the game features gorgeous art. Seriously, the artwork of Alto's Adventure is stunning, there's no second opinion about this. Dynamic weather and lighting effects, like thunderstorms, blizzards, fog, rainbows, and even shooting stars further make the game an exhilarating piece of mobile software.
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Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.
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