Movie games for iOS

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 tops all of the other movie game apps for the iPad. The reason for this is both the quality of the game itself and what feels like endless content. The game is really four games in one! Each year takes a considerable time to work your way through and on top of that, as you play you unlock re-playable levels. Most games, especially movie games, can be played through in a single sitting. The Harry Potter game can take weeks or even months to finish. The developers are also receptive to improvements. Originally the game shipped without a directional pad for control. After an outcry from its users, Warner Brothers added it to make controlling characters even easier. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is a steal at its current price of $4.99 (the game also runs on the iPhone). The Mac App Store version will run you $39.99. We cannot recommend this game enough and it is our essential movie game app for the iPad.

Back to the Future Episode 1 HD is the first of what is shaping up to be a great series of games. You play Marty in the original Back to the Future film. The game is the first of what will be five different installments. We felt that Episode 1 could have had more content, but that is what the other four episodes are for. The graphics are great. There were some problems with the cut scenes, but nothing that made the game unplayable or unenjoyable. We look forward to future episodes of the game. We would love a version of the app that includes all five episodes, just as the Harry Potter app contains the first four years in one app. Overall, this is a great purchase that any Back to the Future fan will enjoy.

TRON: Legacy lets you control light bikes and recognizers! We enjoyed the light bike rounds but felt that the recognizer levels were not quite as enjoyable. TRON: Legacy is a polished and beautiful game for iOS that includes Game Center support. The game is in-depth enough that you aren’t finished after a few hours, which we found problematic in other movie games. TRON fans shouldn’t hesitate to drop the $0.99 on this fantastic app.

Despicable Me: Minion Mania HD is a great buy at only $0.99. The reason this game works is content. The developers have packed in 20 levels and continue to add new levels. Gameplay is fun even for those that haven’t seen the movie. We simply love what the developers are doing with this app and look forward to even more levels and stability fixes in future updates.

James Cameron’s Avatar for iPad lets you enter into the battle to defend the Na’vi. The story line is actually not the same you will find in the film. The creators decided it would be fun to show you Pandora two decades before the film begins. The game needs some polishing and optimization work before it can compete with some of the other apps out there. The controls are nice and simple. The gameplay is solid. We had a blast entering the world of Pandora and look forward to future updates that make the game even better.

Jaws HD brings you into the world of the classic film. The developers managed to include John Williams' brilliant music. Authenticity is what makes this game work. Everything from the iconic music to the environment bring it to life. The basic idea is that you direct swimmers to safety with a series of flicks. You also command a gunboat. The one fatal flaw this game has is the runtime. We managed to finish the game in around 2 hours. Jaws HD is a great game that could be even better with a few extra levels.

Iron Man 2 for iPad sadly was a huge disappointment. We really wanted to love this one. The films are just amazing. The game simply fails to deliver upon the high expectations. The gameplay was not exciting, the controls felt lacking and the dialogue felt fake. We would have loved a more authentic game that lived up to the greatness of the Iron Man films. This one is for die hard Iron Man fans alone.