EA Mobile Games Round-up

EA is one of the biggest publishers to get behind mobile gaming in a serious way. From its Dead Space iOS game to its Hasbro board game properties, EA's cranking out new titles all the time. Combine this with its partnership with Chillingo, and you have one of the biggest mobile games groups in the world. We recently got to see EA's line-up at E3, but today I got a chance to see even more of what we can expect to play in 2011.

This has been out for awhile on PC, but this tower offense title is finally making its way to the App Store. Players are tasked with building units and then directing them down roads that are filled with towers. This turns traditional tower defense gameplay on its head, forcing you to pick the right units and strategic pathing to complete a wide array of objectives. It's fantastic looking on iPad and will be available later this summer for the iPhone as well. I only got to play a few minutes, but it dug the way it constantly gives you something to do. When you're not plotting out your units' routes, you can drop special powers on the battlefield as well as tap around the environment to pick up collectibles.



It's not much to look at, but Chillingo's Quiz Climber is a quiz game that will challenge your knowledge of history, sports, music, art and more. Answering questions moves your squirrel from branch to branch on a giant tree, and you can even connect online to see how well your friends have done. If you're willing to see advertisements, you can download it for free when it is released, otherwise you can pay to have them removed. If you screw up, you can also purchase lifelines that give you second chances -- otherwise it's back to the bottom of the totem pole for you. It's a fun distraction and not at all a hard sell considering it won't cost you a dime to try it.



EA's biggest sports franchise is getting a host of changes for its 2011 mobile version. Coming out day and date with the console versions, Madden NFL 12 for iOS will feature the biggest playbook ever on the system. You can quickly allow the computer to pick plays for you or get into the nitty gritty, picking positions and even using the touch-screen to draw out the paths you want your receivers to take. The roster is also being upgraded, including almost 2,500 players. And for those who love the sport but aren't all that into a more hardcore version of the game, Madden NFL 12 will include an Arcade mode. This will distill all player choices down to three big buttons like "Run, Shortpass, Longpass" for offense, which in theory will allow more casual players to still enjoy a Madden experience. Expect this on both iPhone and iPad on August 30th.