Soccer and zombies, together at last in this week’s roundup of the best new iPad games

If Homer Simpson was impressed when they combined gum and nuts (“Togther at last!”) he’ll be doubly-blown away to know that iOS developer Chillingo has finally merged soccer and the zombie apocalypse. This week’s top new iPad game will have you kicking deadly soccer balls into the never-ending zombie horde for many moons to come.

Space shooter fans also get a frakking fun new excuse to exterminate an infestation of alien insects, while 80’s retro gamers should jump on board to grab Llamasoft’s new old-school fusion of Asteroids and Space War. Rounding out this week’s set is a must-have RPG crafting game that will make hardcore Japanese-style dungeon crawlers/“gather materials and create” fans squeal with glee.

APPS REVIEWED

Pro Zombie Soccer Apocalypse Edition
Help Jax take on the zombie horde in this fast-paced soccer shooter. (Yes, I said soccer shooter!)

Space Frak HD
Another week, another frakkin’ invasion. Blast your way through never-ending waves of swarming aliens to keep your planet safe from infestation.

Minotaur Rescue
Combine retro-80’s Atari graphics and endless replayability and you’ve got yourself an instant iOS classic.

Dwarf Complete HD
A must-download for all in-game crafting fans. Can you collect all 40 items? Start harvesting materials, your dungeon awaits.

Read all of my Apple iPad and Google Android application reviews at Appolicious and Yahoo! Tech.

IPAD APP REVIEWS

Pro Zombie Soccer Apocalypse Edition ($1.99)

Zombie fans who are used to employing everything in sight to wipe out the never-ending zombie horde (Dead Rising, anyone?) will feel right at home in this week’s top iPad newcomer. Jax, a down and out former soccer star, has been nibbled on by a zombie in a dark alleyway. With only hours before he, too, joins the undead horde, he grabs a soccer ball and prepares for the end. It’s your job to aim his powerful kicks to take out the baddies, holding down your finger to charge up corpse-smashing attacks. The game takes full advantage of your iPad’s massive screen, cramming more and more zombies into the alleyway as you progress. You’ll need to time your kicks just right to score headshots, unlocking special abilities, combos, and rewards. The graphics are top-notch, the music is spot-on, and the storyline is hilarious. “GOOAALL!”

Space Frak HD ($.99)

Yes, Battlestar Galactica fans, it’s Space “FRAK” HD. Not that this fresh app has anything to do with this frakking’ incredible sci-fi series laden with this in-show (made up) profanity. Instead, this new app is a dollar-menu space shooter, giving you control of a center-fixed ion cannon that sweeps the skies, sending hot balls of death to meet the incoming alien swarms. Hold your finger down to charge up a massive attack to take out the larger baddies or gather power ups that rain down between waves. The more enemies you take out with a big shot, the better the chance of getting more power ups. With five massive firepower upgrades to earn, and ever-increasing difficulty, it’s $1 frakking well-spent.



Minotaur Rescue ($.99)

I’m a child of the 1980’s, when simple sprites moved around the screen of my C64, VIC 20, and Atari VCS via an equally simple joystick. This week, developer Jeff Minter kicked off his Minotaur Project to recapture the retro look and feel of these early games with the release of Minotaur Rescue. One part Asteroids and another Space War, this iOS original puts you in control of an always-firing fighter, which can be moved around the trippy star field with a single finger. Your job is to avoid the gravitational pull of the center sun, while at the same time destroying asteroids floating through the area. Blasting these rocks may kick loose a minotaur or two. Can you or up to four of your friends on the same iPad rescue these floating point-boosters before they burn up?

Xbox 360 owners, be sure to pick up Llamasoft's equally-inspired Space Giraffe from the Game Marketplace. Trippy, retro, cool.

Load “Must-Have X2”, 8, 1. Commodore 64 owners, you know were I'm coming from.

Dwarf Complete HD (FREE)

Most Nintendo DS RPG games coming out of Japan these days contain some form of crafting mini-game. You know the drill: Collect materials that, when combined, create a specific weapon, armor piece, magical spell, upgrade, or other item. Dwarf Complete HD offers up all the RPG crafting goodness you could ever want, without pesky add-ons like storylines, quests, or even character creation. You’re plopped down into a dungeon filled with materials, tables containing recipes and combining tools, and a few panels of anime showing you how to get started. Your job is to collect 40 items scattered throughout the area, many hidden in rooms secured with puzzles. A gem for all hardcore crafting and RPG fans used to skipping tutorials and getting right into the action.