Mach Defense launches to the top of our iPad Games of the Week

As an old school Mech Assault player (long live XBOX), I’ve spent more hours than I care to admit playing Heavy Mach. 2 HD on my iPad. It’s a top-down mechanic-action RPG, putting you in control of an upgradable mech that you pilot across dozens of playfields to take out the enemy, gather parts, and more.

Recently IndieApps released a followup app: Mach Defense. This newcomer offers the same mech action as its predecessor, with the feel of a base defense game. Grab the best offensive weapons and heat sink you can find, and prepare for action!

Add a combination comic book/casual game to the mix in Imaginary Range HD (from Square Enix, need I say more?), plus a fresh take on solitaire and Frisbee tossing, and you’ve got yourself our must-have iPad games of the week from Appolicious.

IPAD APPS REVIEWED

Mach Defense
Grab the best armor, offensive weapons, and heat sink you can muster, and prepare for fresh heavy mech action with a decidedly fun tower defense flavor.

Imaginary Range HD
Square Enix’s newest tablet game will fill your next rainy day with a combination comic book and casual game that’s cheap, easy, and wholly original.

Heartwild Solitaire for iPad
An engaging story, rich graphics, calming music, and 80 full levels of classic solitaire with a twist will make any solitaire lovers heart go wild.

Frisbee Forever
Disc golf lovers and casual plastic disc throwers alike will love this electronic version of their favorite leisure time activity.

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

IPAD REVIEWS

Mach Defense ($.99)

Heavy Mach. 2 HD stands atop the heap of dozens of games I’ve played since the iPad’s launch. I’m a big fan of heavy mech titles, blasting away across dozens of playfields to take out enemy mechs, collect parts, upgrade my rigs, and generally cause as much destruction as I can along the way. Now the good folks at IndieGames have retrofitted this must-have game into Mach Defense (newly updated this week), which perfectly marries the run and gun fun of the original app with a pseudo tower defense theme.

In truth, it’s really you on one end of your iPad’s screen upgrading and maintaining your base by adding turrets, etc. while simultaneously rushing with mechs to the other side to take out the enemy base and his tanks. You’ll need to keep your eye on energy cell levels and credit allocation, sinking both into upgrades and new units to stay alive across all 70 crazy levels. Pro tip: As you unlock new mechs along the way, be sure to “uninstall” older units from the right-side menu so the better versions can be locked and loaded. Coming soon: A working formation mode that allows you to stack units and unleash them in groups. Bring it!

Imaginary Range HD (FREE)

Comic books and manga are hot with young iPad gamers these days. Leave it to Square Enix, the genius developers behind the Final Fantasy series, to release an iPad confection that’s one part choose your own adventure game, another manga comics, and another casual game.

You’ll read through pieces of comic back-story, then tackle an easy casual game (steer missles into baddies, anyone?), followed by more manga panels, more casual game breaks, and so on. After a while you’ll be engaged in the story, enjoying the easy game breaks, and working your way to the conslusion of this instantly classic. At the low, low prize of zero sawbucks there’s nothing but upside to this must-install app. Be sure not to miss the collectable items scattered through the comic book art sections, which unlocks more content and additional content. Think of this app more as a high-class manga comic delivered to your tablet with embedded interactive content, and less as a full-on gaming experience, and you’ll enjoy every minute of this disposable application.

Heartwild Solitaire for iPad (FREE)

Offering an engaging story, rich graphics, calming music, and 80 full levels of classic solitaire with a twist, Heartwild Solitatire for iPad will make any solitaire lovers heart go wild. (See what I did there?) The story involves a lonely woman’s journal, which traces her lost love and fresh attraction to a new neighbor. “Anne” loses herself in her solitaire games, where you’ll reflect on her past and help her build up the confidence she needs to find new freedom in the arms of her new love.

The solitaire game itself is easy to play, sports cards that are just the right size for both older and young eyes, along with easy controls to drag and drop cards. There’s 80 levels to explore, bonus hands to unlock, power-ups that can turn the tide at any time, and more. Card game lovers as well as anyone with a serious romance novel addiction will enjoy Heartwild on many levels. Keep in mind that the app is programmed to present special cards at random intervals, ensuring that the app can be played more than once and offering drastically different outcomes along the way.

Frisbee Forever (FREE)

Disc golf lovers and casual plastic disc throwers alike will love this electronic version of their favorite leisure time activity. Of course, there’s nothing like heading out to the local park, perhaps with your favorite dog in tow, to throw toss a disc around. But if you’re stuck inside and looking for a worthy electronic version of this fun pastime that plays perfectly in your tablet, then this free app is a must download.

You’re confronted with various themed levels (think wild west, amusement park, etc.) containing sets of spaces hoops aching to have discs thrown through them in sequence. You can choose to tilt or tap the discs into flight, being careful to collect stars along the way that give your disc more lift and speed. Keep in mind that these stars serve as the app’s currency, allowing you to buy new levels or discs from the in-app store. Take your time, and you’ll collect both stars and upgrades over the course of a few hours. If you have more money than patience, you can buy 1,000 stars for a mere $.99, super-charging your fun and helping a developer pay the rent. Your goal? Earn or buy 8,000 stars to purchase the tasty and highly-sought Donut Frisbee. Yum!