What camera should I buy? Use our step-by-step guide

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What camera should I buy? Use our step-by-step guide

You only have to go into a high-street retail store or look online to get an idea of the sheer number of digital cameras on the market. There are so many brands, types and technologies now available, with each one claiming to be the best (of course!), that it can be really difficult to make sense of it all.

But it's possible to break all these competing cameras down into a few basic types, and once you do that it becomes much easier to figure out the kind of camera that's right for you. 

That's what we've done with our expert guide, and you can follow the links at the bottom of the pages to find which is the best camera currently available in each category.

So we'll start with the basics and work up through the more advanced cameras to the types the professionals use. But you don't have to stay with us all the way. Treat this guide like sightseeing tour – when you've got to where you want to go, just step off the bus!

The 10 best digital cameras you can buy right now

Is a smartphone as a good as a regular point-and-shoot compact camera? Apart from not having a zoom, it almost certainly is.

There's nothing wrong with the cameras in smartphones. The best smartphones have really good cameras built onto, even if they don't have quite the same impressive amount megapixels as dedicated digital cameras. 

The thing to remember though is that it's not all about the amount of megapixels you have – a smartphone with a 8MP camera or above is all you need to produce sharp, detailed shots for Facebook and Twitter, while you can even produce moderately-sized, decent quality prints to hang on your wall if you get a shot you really love.

Take the iPhone 7, for example, with its 12MP camera and easy to use controls, it can produce shots every bit as good (better, often) as a regular point and shoot compact camera.

This is also the camera you'll probably have with you all the time, and the one you'll rely on for capturing your life as it happens, with these photos often ending up as the pictures you will value most in the years to come.

Your smartphone is the camera that you'll always have with you

Pros: It's the camera you always have to hand, the results can match those from a regular point-and-shoot compact camera, you can share instantly to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, you can get apps with amazing effects and additional tools and they can be easy to use.

Cons: In most cases you get a fixed focal length lens – you can't zoom in on distant subjects; the fixed lens is often a wide-angle - great for selfies and getting loads in the frame, but not for flattering portraits; smartphones aren't so easy to hold; limited control over shooting settings.

10 best mobile phones in the world today

If you want to capture your life's adventures, maybe you need an action cam, not a regular point-and-shoot camera.

You can overcome the limitations of your smartphone's camera easily enough with a 'proper' camera, but just before we look at these in detail, there's another option to consider – action cams. If capturing your life's adventures is your thing, why not do it with video, not stills? 

Action cams are tough and simple to use, and come with a whole range of different mounts so that you can attach them to handlebars, skateboards, helmets, the dashboard of your car… even your pet!

They've been popularised by the GoPro Hero range, but there are now dozens to choose from, including bullet-style cameras to fit to the side of a helmet, say.

Action cams shoot good-quality Full HD footage (some, like the Hero6 Black can even shoot 4K) through fixed focal length wide-angle lenses. Some are completely waterproof, while others come bundled with waterproof housings.

Action cams are the complete antithesis of traditional camcorders – they're so cheap that you don't mind giving them a battering, they're small enough and light enough not to get in the way, and they're so simple that all you need to know is how to press a button.

Pros: Cheap, tough and simple, surprisingly good Full HD movie quality (in some cases 4K), you can mount them on practically anything.

Cons: Fixed wide-angle lenses mean there's no zoom capability,  while there's little control over exposure. Stills are snapshot quality only.

Our pick... GoPro Hero6 Black

The Hero6 Black builds on the excellent Hero5 Black (which is still available at a more affordable price) is a great reminder of why the name is so revered and why it's our top pick. Simple to use with a rear 2-inch touchscreen, voice control and GPS make it one of the most feature-packed cams currently available. Video footage is now smoother than ever too, while the ability to shoot stills in raw, and the High Dynamic Range feature, make the Hero6 Black more versatile than ever.

Read our in-depth GoPro Hero6 Black review

The 10 best GoPro and Action cameras in 2017

Cheap point and shoot cameras might look like an easy upgrade from a smartphone, but they have limitations of their own.

So assuming your smartphone doesn't offer the versatility you need, and that you're into decent quality stills rather than immersive action video, then a regular digital camera is the way to go.

Point and shoot compact cameras are cheap, and they come with zoom lenses and more control over exposure, white balance, focus and other settings than you'll get with a smartphone.

The zoom lens is the killer feature. Smartphones offer 'digital' zooms, but that's not the same at all, because these simply crop in on a smaller area of the picture, so you're losing resolution. Typically, a cheap point-and-shoot compact will have a 5x zoom which goes wider than a smartphone lens – handy for cramped interiors and tall buildings – and much longer, so that you can fill the frame with people and subjects when they're further away.

But the picture quality isn't necessarily better. Cheap cameras have cheap lenses, which can produce mushy definition at the edges of the frame or at full zoom, and the sensors are not much larger. Sensor size is a key factor in picture quality, as we'll see later on. Point-and-shoot cameras typically have 1/2.3 inch sensors, which are about half the size of your little fingernail, and scarcely larger than those in a decent smartphone. Forget about megapixels – the sensor size is what limits the image quality.

Pros: Versatility of a zoom lens; much more control over exposure, color and focus; easier to hold.

Cons: Quality often no better than a smartphone, sometimes worse.

Our pick... Sony Cyber-shot WX220

If you're wanting a compact camera that can do a better job than your smartphone the Cyber-shot WX220 ticks a lot of boxes, especially when you consider the extra flexibility offered by the 10x optical zoom, running from 25-250mm. Images are bright and punchy, with decent detail – ideal for sharing online or printing at typical sizes – while it's nice to see Wi-Fi connectivity included as well. The 2.7-inch screen is a little on the small side, but that does help to keep the dimensions of the camera to a pocket-friendly size. The WX220 may not have lots of bells and whistles, but what it does do, it does well.

Read our in-depth Sony Cyber-shot WX220 review

The best cheap cameras in 2017

Travel compacts, or 'long zoom' compacts, give you point and shoot simplicity but a much longer zoom to capture a wider range of subjects.

A cheap point-and-shoot compact is a relatively small step up from the camera in a smartphone, but long-zoom 'travel' compacts take their main advantage – the zoom lens – a whole lot further. A 'travel compact' is essentially a point-and-shoot camera but with a much, much longer zoom range, typically 30x.

The idea is that you have a camera that still fits in your pocket, but has such a colossal zoom range that you can photograph practically anything, from beautiful landscapes to far-off landmarks.

After all, when you go on vacation you want a camera small enough to go in a pocket so that it doesn't get in the way when you're doing other things, but versatile enough that you won't miss any once-in-a-lifetime photos.

Travel compacts have the same size sensors as point-and-shoot compacts, but this is changing

Travel compacts have the same size sensors as point-and-shoot compacts, but this is changing, with models like the Panasonic Lumix ZS100 (known as the Lumix TZ100 outside the US) getting larger 1-inch sized sensors, while the lenses are generally better quality, quite apart from their increased zoom range. Some have more advanced exposure modes for controlling the shutter speed and lens aperture independently, and may even capture RAW files for higher-quality processing back on the computer. Some, like the Lumix TZ100 / ZS100 again, even have built-in electronic viewfinders.

If your budget can stretch to it, a long-zoom travel compact is almost certainly a better bet than a cheaper point-and-shoot model. You gain a lot and sacrifice nothing.

Pros: Massive zoom range that copes with almost any kind of subject; quality generally slightly higher than a point-and-shoot compact; may have more advanced controls.

Cons: More expensive; still uses a small sensor (with some exceptions) which limits the ultimate picture quality, especially in low-light conditions.

Our pick... Panasonic Lumix ZS100 / TZ100

It might not have the longest zoom range for a travel compact camera, but Panasonic's Lumix ZS100 / TZ100 is still our pick of the travel compacts. Panasonic has managed to squeeze a much larger sensor into the ZS100 (TZ100 outside the US) that enables the pixels to be about 2.4x bigger than they are in models like the Lumix ZS70 / TZ90 and this helps the ZS100 produce much higher quality images. The 10x zoom ranging from 25-250mm might look limited compared to some rivals, but the optics are decent and for general photography, you shouldn't need anything more. You also get an electronic viewfinder that makes it easier to compose images in bright sunny conditions and 4K video recording. It all adds up to be a powerful, if pricey option.

Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix ZS100 / TZ100 review

Best compact travel cameras

Bridge cameras have DSLR-style controls and massive zooms, but image quality isn't a strong point unless you want to pay a premium.

If the size of the camera isn't important but you like the idea of a do-it-all camera with a super-long zoom lens, then a 'bridge' camera is the next logical step.

The name 'bridge camera' comes from the way these cameras are designed to bridge the gap between a regular compact camera and a DSLR. In fact, bridge cameras often look like DSLRs, with a characteristic 'fat' body, a chunky grip on the right hand side, an exposure mode dial on the top and the program AE, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and manual (PASM) modes of DSLRs. Many models now shoot raws as well, but check the specification to make sure.

But while bridge cameras offer monumental zoom ranges, such as the amazing 83x zoom on the Nikon Coolpix P900, there are limitations. In order to achieve these zoom ranges at a manageable size and cost, the makers use the same-sized 1/2.3-inch sensors as you find in smaller compact cameras. You get the look and feel of a DSLR, but you don't get the image quality.

There are exceptions, though. In the past couple of years the likes of Sony and Panasonic have launched bridge cameras with much larger 1-inch sensors, notably the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV and Panasonic Lumix FZ2500 (known as the Lumix FZ2000 outside the US). This comes at the expense of zoom range (though still very impressive and more than adequate for most shooting situations) and, well, expense generally, but most keen photographers would swap a little zoom range for a big step up in quality.

Pros: Massive zoom range; DSLR-style controls and features; versatility and value for money.

Cons: Small sensor size limits the quality (with some key exceptions); detail often quite soft at full zoom; autofocus systems rarely match DSLRs for responsiveness.

Our pick... Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV

You'll pay a premium for the RX10 IV's performance, but when you look at what else is out there for the same price, the RX10 IV is virtually in a league of its own. Featuring a huge 24-600mm f/2.4-4 zoom lens, the RX10 IV builds on the RX10 III with an overhauled AF system that now does justice to the rest of the camera, while the 1-inch, 20.1MP sensor is capable of achieving excellent levels of detail. That's not forgetting the ability to capture video in 4K and shoot at up to 24fps. Impressive stuff.

Read our in-depth Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV review

Best bridge camera: the top DSLR-style, superzoom cameras reviewed

A high-end compact is perfect for quality-conscious enthusiasts who want a 'proper' camera small enough to fit in a coat pocket.

Where bridge cameras deliver the most bang for your buck, a high-end compact camera offers a different route towards better pictures. Here, you're not paying for a huge zoom range, but for a larger sensor, a better lens, DSLR-style controls and features and (sometimes) DSLR picture quality.

High-end compact cameras are designed for enthusiasts and experts who want a camera small enough to carry round when a regular DSLR would just be too intrusive or impractical.

The zoom range is nothing special – it's about the same as you'd get in a regular point-and-shoot model, with some opting for a fixed focal length - but combined with a bigger sensor, better lens and more advanced controls, you can expect image quality to be on a completely different level from your smartphone or point-and-shoot compact.

At one time, most high-end compacts had 1/1.7-inch sensors just a little larger than those in point-and-shoot cameras, but now there are models with larger 1-inch sensors (see the Canon G7 X II, Panasonic Lumix LX10 / LX15 and Sony RX100 V) and even Micro Four Thirds (Panasonic Lumix LX100) and APS-C sensors (Fujifilm's X100F) - the same size as those in some compact system cameras and DSLRs.

Pros: DSLR features and DSLR-approaching quality in a pocket-sized camera.

Cons: Even the cheapest aren't cheap, and the most expensive really are expensive; you can't change lenses.

Our pick... Fujifilm X100F

It may be one of the more expensive options and it's not a compact for everyone, but if you're after a high-quality camera, you're not going to be disappointed with the X100F. Everything about it oozes class. It has a fixed 35mm equivalent f/2.0 prime lens that's paired with a DSLR-sized 24.3MP APS-C sensor that delivers cracking results. There's also the tactile external controls and clever hybrid viewfinder - you have the option of electronic and optical views make it a joy to shoot with. You'll need some photo knowledge to get the best from it, but  the X100F is an exquisite camera.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm X100F review

The 10 best compact cameras in 2017

Digital SLRs offer big sensors and interchangeable lenses, and they mark the first step into 'serious' photography.

DSLRs are still considered the number one choice for 'serious' photographers, and they make great cameras for students too because they teach all the basic principles of photography without costing a fortune.

A DSLR is fundamentally different to the cameras covered so far because you can swap lenses. This is where digital cameras split into two main types.

So far we've been looking at so-called 'compact' cameras, though it would be more accurate to call them 'fixed lens' cameras, since they're often far from compact! This includes point-and-shoot cameras, action cameras, travel zooms, bridge cameras and high-end compacts.

But the second type is 'interchangeable lens' cameras, which is where you get into DSLR territory (and compact system cameras – more on these shortly).

Being able to change lenses really opens up a whole new world of photography. DSLRs often come with 'standard' zooms, or 'kit' lenses, which cover an everyday range of focal lengths, but you can also get telephotos, super-wide-angle lenses, macro lenses for extreme close-ups, fisheye lenses and fast (wide aperture) prime lenses for atmospheric defocused backgrounds.

DSLRs are perfect for anyone who wants to take their photography more seriously, not just because you can change lenses, but because they have large APS-C sensors that deliver much better quality than the smaller sensors in most compact cameras. You also get full manual controls, the ability to shoot raw files and an optical viewfinder that gives you a bright, clear view of the scene in front of the camera.

Pros: Interchangeable lenses; full manual controls; raw files; APS-C sensor for a big step up in quality.

Cons: Big and bulky compared to most compact cameras; focusing in 'live view' on the rear screen is comparatively sluggish on most models.

Our pick... Nikon D3400

Nikon's D3400 builds on the brilliant D3300, which was until recently our top pick. Sharing pretty much the same design and specification as its predecessor, the D3400 adds Nikon's SnapBridge bluetooth connectivity to transfer images directly to your smart device to make it that much easier to share images. The 24.2MP sensor resolves bags of detail, while the D3400 is also a very easy camera to live with. Its clever Guide Mode is a useful learning tool that gives real-time explanations of important features. There's no touchscreen, but otherwise this is our favorite entry-level DSLR right now. 

Read our in-depth Nikon D3400 review

The 10 best entry-level DSLRs you can buy right now

Mirrorless 'compact system cameras' also take interchangeable lenses and they're a new and fascinating alternative to DSLRs.

Until recently, the DSLR design was the only choice for photographers who wanted interchangeable lenses – but it has its drawbacks. The optical viewfinder on a DSLR is great, but if you want to use the LCD display to compose your shots, just like you would on a compact camera, they're much less effective. That's because to do this a DSLR has to flip up its mirror and swap to a slower, more laborious autofocus system.

So camera makers have introduced a new breed of 'mirrorless' cameras, also known as 'compact system cameras (CSCs). These are just like supersized compact cameras, but with bigger sensors and interchangeable lenses, just like DSLRs. The absence of a mirror means that the cameras can be made both smaller and lighter, and the latest models use new and more sophisticated autofocus systems that put them on a par with DSLRs.

All mirrorless cameras let you compose images on the rear screen with no loss of autofocus performance. Indeed, on many mirrorless cameras this is the only way to take pictures, because cheaper models don't have viewfinders.

It's worth paying the extra for a camera with a viewfinder, though, because these can be invaluable in bright light, where the glare can easily swamp the screen on the back. On a mirrorless camera, though, the viewfinder is electronic rather than optical. Electronic viewfinders can show you the image exactly as the sensor will capture it, but many still prefer the optical clarity of a DSLR viewfinder.

For the time being it looks as if DSLRs and mirrorless cameras will co-exist. Neither type is better than they other – they're really on a parallel path – so it really comes down to which type you prefer.

Some mirrorless come without a viewfinder - more compact, but can be an issue in bright light

Pros: Small and light; mechanically simpler than DSLRs; full time 'live view' with fast autofocus.

Cons: Some models don't have viewfinders; electronic viewfinders lack the clarity of a DSLR's optical system; so far, the range of lenses available is more limited, but is growing.

Our pick... Fujifilm X-T2

Fujifilm's top-of-the-range mirrorless camera is a great all-rounder. The AF system is much improved over older models, while the 8 frames per second burst shooting, a clever double-hinged rear display and bright EVF is complemented by Fuji's excellent 24.3MP X Trans III CMOS sensor and plenty of body mounted controls. All this is wrapped-up in a tactile body.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm X-T2 review

The 10 best mirrorless cameras in 2017

Moving up to a full-frame camera brings a modest increase in quality and a big increase in price, so make sure it's worth it.

Most 'amateur' DSLRs and compact system cameras use APS-C size sensors. These are many times larger than the sensors in the average compact camera and deliver the kind of quality needed by professional photographers – or very nearly.

Although many professionals are perfectly happy with the quality they get from an APS-C format camera, it's more likely they'll go for a 'full-frame' camera (the frame is the same size as old 35mm film). These have sensors twice as large again as APS-C and deliver a further improvement in image quality. The differences are not always obvious, but at this level any improvement is useful.

Canon and Nikon make full-frame DSLRs aimed at serious professional users and cheaper full-frame models for advanced amateurs – so the full-frame format is not exclusively for pros

You'll also need a full-frame camera if you want the very highest resolutions currently available – the latest holder of this record is the 50-megapixel Canon EOS 5DS.

Most full-frame cameras are DSLRs. Canon and Nikon make full-frame DSLRs aimed at serious professional users and cheaper full-frame models for advanced amateurs – so the full-frame format is not exclusively for pros.

Sony is following a different path with its full-frame A7-series compact system cameras, like the excellent Alpha A7R III. These look like regular DSLRs but they're more compact and have electronic rather than optical viewfinders. The mirrorless design and full-time live view makes them perfect for shooting video, too, and this is growing in importance as more and more pros find themselves asked to shoot video as well as stills.

If you want a mirrorless full-frame camera, take a look at Sony's Alpha A7 range of cameras

Pros: Maximum quality thanks to the full-frame sensor; often designed for tough, daily use; high resolution or high continuous shooting speeds a speciality

Cons: Expensive to buy and that goes for full frame lenses, too; pro models are bulky and heavy

Our pick... Nikon D850

It may be expensive, but if you're looking for the best camera money can buy right now, then Nikon's fabulous D850 DSLR pretty much ticks every box. Packing in a brilliant 45.4MP full-frame sensor, image quality is stunning. But that's just half the story. Thanks to a sophisticated 153-point AF system and 9fps burst shooting speed, the D850 is just a home shooting action and wildlife as it is landscapes and portraits. The Nikon D850 is perhaps the most well-rounded camera we've ever tested.

Read our in-depth Nikon D850 review

The 10 best full-frame cameras in 2017

Video-enabled DSLRs have replaced pro camcorders for many videographers, but it's mirrorless cameras which are now driving the technology forward.

Photography isn't just about still images any more. Traditionally, video has been seen as a completely separate subject with a different set of skills, but that's changing – and fast. It's as easy to shoot a video on your smartphone as it is to take a still, and almost all compact system cameras and DSLRs are capable of professional quality video that makes a dedicated camcorder unnecessary.

It all depends on what you want to shoot and what you want to do with it afterwards. If you want to share movies with your friends, a smartphone is ideal and can deliver surprising quality.

Phones aren't built to survive the rough and tumble of extreme sports, of course, but action cams are, and many TV companies use regular GoPro-style cameras to capture footage they could never have recorded with a conventional camera.

If you need to shoot commercial-quality video for your own projects or paying clients, both DSLRs and mirrorless cameras can do the job. DSLRs were the first to bring pro-quality movie modes and are still the favorites amongst pros, but mirrorless cameras are catching up and have key advantages; notably full-time live view with fast and smooth autofocus.

Some models offer a wealth of features to help you capture commercial quality video

And it's mirrorless cameras which are at the forefront of 4K video. Panasonic is pushing the idea of stills-from-movies with the likes of the GH4, and the ability to capture high-quality 8-megapixel stills at 30 frames per second as a by-product of the 4K video capability in its latest mirrorless cameras.

If you're choosing a camera for video, the normal rules about sensor size don't apply because even 4K video is at a lower resolution that still images. The key for video is processing power and camera design.

Right now, DSLRs are a good, conservative choice for movie makers shooting full HD, but mirrorless compact system cameras are the ones pushing back the boundaries of video, including 4K.

Our pick... Panasonic Lumix GH5

It’s hard to know where to start with the GH5. Rather than using a cropped area of the sensor when shooting 4K as was the case with the GH4, the GH5 uses the entire width of the chip and then downsamples the footage in-camera. This also means that framing won’t be cropped, and you’ll be able to use your lenses as if you’re shooting stills. Currently the Lumix GH5 allows you to shoot Cinema 4K (4096 x 2160) at 60p with a bit rate of 150Mbps, while Full HD video is obviously also possible, up to a very impressive 180p. That's not all, as the GH5 offers color subsampling at 4:2:2 and a color depth of 10-bit, delivering greater color information and richer graduations. The GH5 also offers live output to external recorders such as Apple ProRes via HDMI, as well as simultaneous internal recording. That's certainly a comprehensive video spec, but Panasonic is also planning to introduce a number of firmware updates over the coming months to bolster the GH5's recording capabilities even further. 

Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix GH5 review

The 10 best 4K cameras in 2017

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The best over-ear headphones for 2017

Update: We've had a chance to review the excellent Sony MDR-1000XM2 which have earned a place at number seven on our list of the best over-ear headphones. 

Best Over-Ear Headphones Buying Guide: Welcome to TechRadar's round-up of the best over-ear headphones you can buy in 2017. 

When it comes to raw sound quality, nothing beats the sense of scale a pair of decent over-ear headphones can provide. 

Over-ear headphones are some of the most diverse headphones out there, and this guide focusses on those with the best sound quality. Features like wireless operation and noise-cancellation are increasingly essential, but we like to address those form-factors specifically with our best wireless headphones and best noise-cancelling headphones guides specifically. 

This guide, meanwhile, will focus on sound quality above all else. There are a couple of wireless and noise-cancelling equipped choices in our list, but that's only because they sound great in addition to packing these features.  

Over-ear headphones can get expensive very quickly, so here's our guide to getting the most for your money, whatever your budget. 

Check out TechRadar's exhaustive guides to the best headphones to buy today including the best on-ear headphones and the best in-ear headphones.For some more specialist pairs, take a look at our guides to the best wireless headphones and the best noise-cancelling headphones.Looking for some headphones you can take in the pool? Check out our guide to the best swimming headphones.

The Oppo PM-3's are a truly stunning pair of headphones. Make no mistake, we've reviewed a lot of headphones in the last 10 years but none have we become more fond of than the PM-3.

Better still, since the headphones were first released they've seen continual reductions in price, which has kept them competitive over the years. 

Yes, they're wired, and noise-cancellation is completely absent, but if the best overall sound quality is your aim then the Oppo PM-3's offer the best performance around. 

We really can't recommend them highly enough, they're just amazing.

Read the full review: Oppo PM-3

The Philips Fidelio X2's are a superb pair of headphones offering premium comfort and build quality with a sound that rivals even the most vaunted audiophile cans. Perhaps on sheer sound quality they're a notch off the likes of the top Oppo or Sennheiser offerings – but the fact that you'd be saving vast amounts of cash by opting for the Philips is just a no brainer.

Read the full review: Philips Fidelio X2

The Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pros are a stunning pair of headphones. Are they expensive? To some no, to most yes; but for the sheer listening experience they deliver you'd be hard pressed to take them off after putting them on, even using them with portable HRA players and mobile phones.

That said, they really do push the boundaries of what you can do with a dynamic driver. All praise to Beyerdynamic for putting together such a wonderful product.

Read the full review: Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro

The fourth entry on our list easily could've been the first if it didn't cost well over $1,000/£1,000. The Sennheiser HD 800 are, hands down, one of the best-sounding pairs of over-ear headphones on the planet, affectionately praised by inner circles of audiophiles the world over. When paired with the proper hardware, they sound absolutely excellent – balanced in every way. 

Unfortunately, they're supremely expensive and require more audio equipment than the average consumer is ready to buy. Should you find yourself in need – or, let's be honest, in want – of amazing over-ear headphones, these are them.

Read the full review: Sennheiser HD 800

Overall, the Focal Listen offer a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. They offer stellar balance, build quality and understated design – and while they may not be as high resolution as the Pioneer SE-MHR5 and other headphones capable of High-Res Audio playback, their sound-to-dollar ratio is impressive.

At $250 (£150, AU$329), however, they're not cheap but you actually get a lot for your money (see: sound and build quality). Should Focal continue to pump out cans that provide balanced sound and top-notch build quality at an affordable price, audiophiles might look more and more in the French company's direction.

Read the full review: Focal Listen

The B&W P9 Signatures are simply some of the best-sounding headphones we’ve ever used. They have a tight, refined sound that offers an almost unmatched level of detail. 

That said, the fact remains that they’re a comparatively feature-light pair of cans. If you want to spend less then you can get a much more portable pair that’ll be better suited to the morning commute or a plane ride thanks to additional features like noise-cancellation and Bluetooth connectivity.

But, if you’re looking to invest in a seriously high-quality pair of headphones to listen to a high-quality music collection, then there are few that can match the P9s at this price point. 

Read the full review: B&W P9 Signature

An improvement on Sony's existing flagship, the Sony MDR-1000XM2 sound great, pack excellent noise-cancellation, and manage to do this all wirelessly. 

Other headphones offer better sound quality, longer-range wireless connectivity, or better battery life, but the Sony MDR-1000XM2 manage to offer the best balance of features and performance. 

It's also got a couple of interesting tricks up its sleeve like a selective noise-cancellation mode that lets in certain useful sounds, and a shortcut that allows you to quickly hear what's going on around you. 

Offering all of this without a serious price-premium over the competition means the Sony MDR-1000XM2 are a great choice for on-the-go music listeners. 

Read the full review: Sony MDR-1000XM2

Audiophiles typically shun wireless headphones because of poor sound quality. However, Bluetooth audio has improved tremendously over the years. There are now plenty of wireless headphones that can please the music enthusiast, with Hi-Res Audio support being more and more prevalent.

That said, the Audio-Technica ATH-SR5BT feature some of the best wired and wireless sound quality for a headphone under $200 (£150). They play well with all music genres and offer a near-flat response curve. They're extremely comfortable for long listening sessions and are well built. Battery life is equally impressive with nearly 40 hours of playback from a charge. And while they lack some features of more expensive wireless headphones like active noise cancelling and multi-device pairing, these are tradeoffs worth making for phenomenal sound.

Read the full review: Audio-Technica ATH-SR5BT

These no-holds-barred wireless headphones are oozing with positive qualities, but for many, they're almost prohibitively expensive. However, if you're an audio lover that can spare the expense, do not hesitate on this comfortable, hard-working set of headphones that will likely last for years.

Read the full review: Sennheiser Momentum Wireless

Bose has finally brought its fantastic noise-cancelling technology to a pair of wireless headphones and it's done so without any of the traditional drawbacks of wireless headphones. They sound great, and their battery life is long enough for all but the longest of flights.

At $349, the QC35s sit firmly at the premium end of the spectrum, but if you want the best noise-cancelling headphones available right now then you can't get any better.

Read the full review: Bose QuietComfort 35

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5 of the most popular Linux gaming distros

Note: Our most popular Linux gaming distros round-up has been fully updated. This feature was first published in May 2015.

A Linux gaming distro, as the name suggests, is tailored for avid gamers. As such it usually comes bundled with games to play, as well as drivers for graphics cards, games controllers and so forth. 

There aren't many Linux distros specifically made for gaming. This isn't because Linux users dislike games, but rather it’s due to the fact that most modern Linux distros support virtually every type of recent graphics card anyway. As such, any regular Linux distro can easily be turned into a ‘game station’.

These are the best Linux laptops of 2017

Despite this, some distros continue to churn out special gaming editions which provide hundreds of games right off the bat, and the means to install even more with additional software such as Play on Linux, Wine and Steam.

In this guide you will discover five of the very best Linux gaming distros.

5 of the most popular Raspberry Pi distros10 of the best Linux distros for privacy fiends and security buffs10 best Linux distros: which one is right for you?10 of the most popular lightweight Linux distros

The Fedora Project produces several "spins" which are alternate versions of the distro, offering tools and software components chosen for a specific purpose. 

The Games Spin of Fedora features a vast collection of games spread across different genres such as arcade, sports, strategy, adventure, action, etc. Although not every game is included, Fedora tries to incorporate the best from each genre (see a full list of available titles here). 

The 3.8GB ISO can run off a Live USB, or alternatively be installed to disk, like regular Fedora. You can also install additional games from the repos using the YumEx application. The distro doesn't ship with Steam, Wine or Play on Linux pre-installed, but these can be downloaded via the software repositories to access even more games.

Fedora Games Spin is ideal for those looking to quickly try popular titles such as SuperTuxKart, The Battle for Wesnoth, Freeciv, Warzone 2100 and many more.

Download Fedora Games Spin here

Lakka is a lightweight version of Linux which can turn your computer into a retro games console. It's built on top of media centre software LibreELEC, and the most recent stable version 2.0 makes use of RetroArch 1.5.0 to emulate a huge number of consoles.

Lakka is available as a bootable USB image for PCs. There are also versions for ARM-based machines such as the Raspberry Pi.

This distro supports most keyboards as well as wireless PS3 and PS4 controllers, along with Xbox 360 controllers if you have the proprietary dongle. RetroArch boasts a very handy autoconfig feature which should mean that most controllers will work out of the box without you having to manually map keys. The Lakka documentation also has some excellent walkthroughs for more unusual setups. 

For copyright reasons, the OS ships without any games preinstalled. You'll need to obtain legal copies of either ISO images of game CDs you own or precompiled ROM files of arcade games. Check out the Internet Archive which contains some public domain ROMS.

Download Lakka here

Sparky Linux is a Debian-based distro. The latest SparkyLinux 5.1 Nibiru: GameOver edition is built on the testing version of Debian (Buster). It includes exciting new features such as the awesome Lutris gaming platform and a custom tool for installing a web browser so you can play online games. The distro weighs in at an impressive 3.7GB.

Besides Lutris, GameOver Edition also includes a number of tools such as APTus Gamer which can download a variety of game emulators so you can relive old console favourites, although you may need to download these elsewhere. The OS also contains a number of free and open source games like Wesnoth and Robots. 

The gaming applications Wine, Play on Linux and Steam are also pre-installed. These are particularly useful for running old DOS and Windows games on Linux, such as Sim City 2000.

Download Sparky Linux GameOver here

Ubuntu GamePack comes from Ukrainian developers UALinux. In addition to proprietary codecs and drivers, the distro provides two different systems for you to enjoy gaming on Linux – Steam and the Lutris Gaming Platform. With these you can access and install hundreds of games on your Ubuntu machine.

UALinux claims that its distro provides access to thousands of games and applications for Windows and DOS. The emulators DOSBox and DosEmu are preinstalled, as is the more fully-fledged Windows emulator Crossover. 

Like Lakka, Ubuntu GamePack doesn't come with any games, but as it includes both Wine and Play on Linux, you won't have any trouble getting your existing games running. The distro also supports Adobe Flash and Java so you can play online games too. 

The current version of Ubuntu GamePack (2017.01) is based on Ubuntu 16.04. There's both a 32-bit and a 64-bit version; each are around 2GB in size.

Download Ubuntu GamePack here

This Debian-based distro (recently updated to the latest Debian 8 release) has been specifically designed to run Valve's Steam platform, and comes pre-installed on the firm’s Steam Machine games console. 

SteamOS is probably the closest Linux distro to an actual games console. Technically, you could install additional software using the Debian Jessie repositories, but this operating system’s main emphasis is on gaming.

The install-only distro is available for 64-bit machines and works best with at least 4GB of RAM. It also needs around 200GB of free space on your hard drive and an Nvidia, AMD (Radeon 8500 and later) or Intel GPU. If you're handy with computers, consider building your own Steam Machine. 

SteamOS can only be used to play Steam games. Users can't benefit from Play on Linux or Wine when running SteamOS. However, the unique in-home streaming feature lets you connect the machine running SteamOS to another computer on the network, allowing you to stream a game to that PC. Unlike most Linux distros, not all of SteamOS is open source software.

Download SteamOS here

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Businesses not aware of IoT issues

Companies are increasingly turning to IoT deployment despite the security concerns that leave many implementations vulnerable to attack.

Those are the findings of a new survey from Cradlepoint, which found that two out of five companies have serious concerns about security, even though 69% of those surveyed are already rolling out IoT. The findings are contained in the Cradlepoint Business Intelligence Report, which looks at how IoT technology is having an impact on various industries.

The most worrying trend that the survey found was that 71% of companies surveyed said they were using IoT to enhance security, that’s to say, using the technology for the same devices that would be vulnerable for an attack, like the Mirai botnet, that crippled so many systems in 2016.

Technology overhaul

The report explains that companies should be prepared to have a thorough overhaul of its infrastructure before deploying the technology. “An organization that hasn’t already prioritized modernizing its infrastructure and evaluating security solutions are even further behind on IoT than it may realize. Similarly, those IT teams currently undertaking infrastructure and security initiatives should plan with future IoT initiatives in mind; failure to do so could quickly render newly adopted infrastructure and security solutions obsolete.

The Cradlepoint report also points out that, to optimize IoT deployment, companies should involve all members of staff in decisions on the rollout.  “Because ROI and security are the two most important factors driving IoT adoption—and the two biggest associated risks—it is crucial for leaders driving IoT adoption to convene all stakeholders, including IT staff, for an expectation-setting discussion.”

10 surprising trends for IoT

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AMD vs Intel: the 16-core showdown

The past few years have seen something of a plateau when it came to consumer processor technology, but this year both AMD and Intel have come out swinging with mighty 16-core behemoths.

AMD was first out of the gate with its Ryzen Threadripper 1950X, which features 16 cores, 32 threads, a base clock of 3.4GHz and a boost clock of 4.0GHz.

Almost everything about the Threadripper is over the top, and AMD knows it, from the physical size of the chip, the way it’s installed on a motherboard, the impressive-looking packaging and even its name.

It’s clearly a processor aimed at enthusiasts, and we’re impressed with AMD’s overall marketing and presentation of the Threadripper. It’s clearly excited and proud of the CPU, and that feeling is infectious.

Not to be outdone in the high core count stake, Intel then announced its line of Core i9 Skylake X processors, which included the 18-core Intel Core i9-7980XE and the 16-core Core i9-7960X. However, while AMD offers the Threadripper with a lot of bombast, Intel’s marketing of the Core i9-7960X is more restrained, so no dramatic-sounding names or fancy-looking packaging here.

However, the proof is in the performance and price of these CPUs, so, with both AMD and Intel releasing 16-core CPUs with 32 threads, we thought we’d pit them against each other to see which comes out on top.

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

For this test we tried to keep the two systems as similar as possible, with the processor and the motherboard being the biggest differences. For the AMD Threadripper 1950X machine, the components were:

Intel Core i9-7960X

Our test bench for the i9 processor is pretty similar to the Threadripper setup, with:

Round 1: Basic specifications

On paper the basic specifications hint at a pretty even match, with both the AMD Threadripper 1950X and Intel Core i9-7960X offering 16 cores and 32 threads. However, the AMD Threadripper 1950X wins out with a higher base clock than the Intel Core i9-7960X and more CPU memory cache. Threadripper also supports up to 64 PCI-E lanes, while the Core i9-7960X can handle 44 – still plenty, but not as many as AMD’s chip.

However, the Core i9-7960X bests the Threadripper when it comes to boost speeds, achieving 4.20GHz to the Threadripper’s 4.0GHz, and it also requires less power, with a TDP of 165W compared to the Threadripper’s 180W, which means PCs running the Core i9-7960X will run cooler, quieter and cheaper.

Result: Tie

Round 2: 3D Mark Fire Strike benchmark

The first benchmark we ran was the 3D Mark Fire Strike, which tests how well machines can handle demanding 3D graphics. While there’s no doubt that at the moment 16-core processors are overkill for gaming, these benchmarks will give us an idea of the power differences between the two.

In this test the AMD Threadripper 1950X machine achieved a mighty score of 19,587, a big improvement over the 15,444 scored by the AMD Ryzen 7 1700 from our original AMD vs Intel showdown: what’s the best gaming CPU? head-to-head test.

However, the Intel Core i9-7960X performed even better, scoring a whopping 23,161, making it the clear winner in this test.

Winner: Intel Round 3: 3D Mark Fire Strike Ultra (4K) benchmark

In truth, both these processors (and the GTX 1080 Ti graphics card) are powerful enough to easily blow through the standard Fire Strike tests, but what about a more demanding benchmark? We also tried out the 3D Mark Fire Strike Ultra (4K) benchmark, which as the name suggests tests how well PCs can run ultra graphical settings in 4K resolutions.

As is to be expected, the scores for each CPU were lower than the standard test, with the AMD Threadripper 1950X machine scoring 7,007 and the Intel Core i9-7960X scoring 7,233.

Winner: Intel

Round 4: 3D Mark Sky Diver benchmark

The Sky Diver benchmark isn’t as intensive as the Fire Strike tests, but it’s still a worthwhile tool for seeing just how well a PC can handle DirectX 11 graphics, especially when it comes to physics.

More realistic physics can mean more immersive games, so the higher the score here, the better.

First up was the AMD Threadripper 1950X machine, which scored a hefty 36,023 in the test. However, the Intel Core i9-7960X machine opened up a formidable lead with 59,785 – the biggest gap yet between the two CPUs. Can the Threadripper stage a comeback?

Winner: Intel Round 5: Geekbench 4

Switching to CPU benchmarks, the Geekbench 4 suite of tests puts the processor through its paces, replicating real-world tasks and applications, sometimes very complex ones, and uses those to see how the processors react. A higher score means the CPU is more proficient at completing those tasks.

In the single-core benchmark the Threadripper 1950X scored 3,672, while the Intel Core i9-7960X beat it with 4,919, which means that despite the higher clock speeds of the Threadripper the 7960X’s cores proved more powerful, helped by the higher boost speeds.

With Intel winning the single-core tests, we weren't too surprised to see that it also won the multi-core tests, with a score of 29,373 compared to AMD’s 13,935.

Winner: Intel Round 6: Cinebench benchmarks

Next up were the Cinebench benchmarks, which test the CPU and GPU capabilities of the machines, and while the CPU benchmark is the most telling result for this battle between AMD and Intel, the GPU test can show us which CPU can help the graphics card achieve higher frame rates.

The CPU test uses the PC’s processor to render a photorealistic 3D scene while running a number of algorithms designed to stress all available processor cores, so it’s a great way of seeing how good these processors are.

First up was the Threadripper machine, which scored 1,147, but the Core i9 machine blew past it with 3,149. The GPU test results were similarly stark, with AMD scoring 79.20 FPS while Intel achieved 138.68.

It’s another clear win for the Intel Core i9-7960X.

Winner: Intel

Round 7: Total War: Warhammer 2

We also wanted to see how well these processors coped with modern games, even though many can’t yet take full advantage of 16-core CPUs. Total War: Warhammer 2 is a real-time strategy game which gives your processor a decent workout as it moves vast armies across the battlefield, and that makes it an excellent test for these chips.

At low settings, the AMD Threadripper 1950X beat the Intel Core i9-7960X, scoring 221.2 FPS to Intel’s 209.8 FPS. At Ultra settings, the Threadripper maintained its lead with a score of 94.3 FPS compared to Intel’s 91.7 FPS. When it comes to CPU-centric games, it looks like the Threadripper’s higher base clock helps it achieve slightly better results.

Winner: AMD

Round 8: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Next up we put the two machines through their paces with Middle Earth: Shadow of War. This recent open-world game is certainly a workout for your graphics card, but does the type of CPU you use have an effect as well? 

It appears so, with the Intel Core i9-7960X machine achieving 127 FPS on Ultra settings and 178 FPS on Low settings – a big lead over the AMD Threadripper 1950X, which scored (a still very good) 95 FPS on Ultra and 115 FPS on Low.

Winner: Intel Round 9: Price

Our final round is perhaps the most important one, as it puts the performance differences between the two chips into context. AMD has traditionally offered processors (and graphics cards) that are lower-priced than its competitors', and with the AMD Threadripper 1950X we’re pleased to see that this has continued. That’s not to say the Threadripper is cheap – at $999 / £999 / AU$1,440 it’s certainly a big investment.

However, the Intel Core i9-7960X is a fair bit more expensive at $1,699 / £1,700 (around AU$2,150). That's 70% more, but while our tests show the Intel CPU has a performance advantage over the AMD Threadripper, it’s around the 50% mark – and we should reiterate that the Intel doesn’t outperform the Threadripper consistently.

Winner: AMD Conclusion

So, is an at-best 50% performance increase worth a 70% price premium? We’d say not, actually, as the Threadripper is still an awesome-performing CPU, more than capable of handling modern tasks. If you’re a gamer, many games won’t even take advantage of the Threadripper1950X’s power, let alone the Intel Core i9-7960X’s, so at the moment you may be paying more for performance you won’t benefit from.

However, if you do a lot of content creation, or work with a lot of resource-hungry applications where multitasking is essential, the Intel Core i9-7960X's performance advantage in some areas will be well worth the money.

We’ve been incredibly impressed with both CPUs, and they show what a bit of healthy competition can do to the processor market. While the Intel Core i9-7960X takes the performance crown, the AMD Threadripper 1950X is no slouch either, and its lower price makes it an incredibly tempting purchase. For those reasons we’re calling this battle the two 16-core behemoths a tie.

Overall result: Tie

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Best free iPad games 2017

So you've got an iPad, but have come to the dawning realisation that you've got no cash left to buy any games for it.

Have no fear, because the App Store offers plenty of iPad gaming goodness for the (unintentional or otherwise) skinflint.

Haven't bought an iPad yet and not sure which is best? We've got them listed on our best iPad ranking - or you can check out the best tablets list to see the full range available now.

Our updated pick of the best free iPad games are listed right here.

New this week: Cmplt

In cmplt, every challenge is a blocky object with a bit of it missing. The entire game looks like it’s been crafted out of paper squares and dumped on your iPad’s screen.

You tap squares to ‘draw’ the object’s missing parts, which you’d think would be easy. And sometimes it is. One picture is a gamepad, and merely requires you to mirror the side you can already see.

But sometimes the shapes are abstract to the point of confusion. It’s embarrassing to think how long during testing it took us to crack a decidedly minimal take on the Statue of Liberty.

Still, ad-funded hints exist if you get stuck, and you’ll often chuckle on figuring out a level’s subject matter, before quickly tapping out its missing squares so that you can see what’s next.

Stranger Things: The Game is a rarity: a free tie-in videogame that’s not rubbish. In fact, it’s a really good old-school action-adventure that should delight old-timers and also click with people who follow the TV show.

The idea is to figure out what’s going on in Hawkins, Indiana, where things have gone deeply weird. You start off playing Officer Hopper, who scowls and punches his way about, but soon find kids to join your crew, including Lucas and his wrist rockets, and bat-swinging Nancy.

Occasionally, the game echoes old-school fare a little too well, with set-piece sections that are tough to crack (although you do get infinite attempts) – and the map is if anything too big; for the most part, though, Stranger Things: The Game is a clever, engaging, and compelling slice of mobile adventuring.

AuroraBound is a puzzle game that’s all about matching patterns. Each level provides you with a tiled board, onto which you place colorful pieces. The aim is to ensure that all the lines and colors join up.

This isn’t the kind of puzzler designed to smash your brains out – for the most part, it’s a rather relaxing experience. But as the boards increase in size, with patterns on each tile that are only very slightly different, you may eventually find your ego and complacency handed back to you.

Even so, AuroraBound never becomes frustrating. There are no time limits, and you can experiment by shifting pieces around at will. Neatly, the level select screen is a tiny puzzle to complete as you go, too.

Power Hover: Cruise is an endless arcade treat loosely based on the boss levels from the superb Power Hover. Your little robot gets to tackle four distinct environments on his hovering board, weaving between hazards. The aim is to last as long as possible before being smashed into scrap metal when you inevitably mess up and fly head-on into an obstacle at insane speed.

The game is visually stunning on the iPad’s large display, whether descending into Dive’s hazardous underwater tunnel, or zooming along Air’s tubular road that winds snake-like through the clouds.

But controls make or break this kind of game, and Power Hover: Cruise is blessed with a simple left/right system with plenty of inertia. Initially, it feels unresponsive, but before long you’ll be scything through levels like nobody’s business, in one of the most beguiling endless games on iPad.

Drag’n’Boom is a breezy, fast-paced arcade game that marries Angry Birds, Tiny Birds, Sonic the Hedgehog, twin-stick shooters, dragons and The Matrix. No, really.

Each level finds your baby dragon zooming about hilly landscapes packed with castles and tunnels, roasting guards and grabbing coins. Movement and unleashing fiery breath alike happen by way of ‘drag and fling’ directional arrows, and everything slows down while you aim, Matrix-style.

This all makes for an interesting combination, enabling deliriously fast zooming about and violence across the tiny worlds, but precision when you need it. Over its 40 levels, Drag’n’Boom could perhaps do with more variety – there are scant few enemy types to defeat. But it’s an exhilarating thrill-ride while it lasts.

Little Alchemy 2 is an exploratory logic game. You start off with a small number of items, which can be dragged to the central canvas. Items are then merged to create new ones.

At least that’s the theory. If you just set about randomly shoving items together, nothing happens. Instead, you must utilize rational thinking – or a little whimsy. For example, combine a couple of puddles and you’ll get a pond. Obvious, really. But also you can create a blender from a blade and ‘motion’, and a rocket from ‘metal’ and ‘atmosphere’.

In all, there are over 600 items to discover, and although Little Alchemy 2 can irk if you hit a brick wall, you can always pay for hints via IAP if you get stuck. Alternatively, tough it out and feel like a genius when you hit upon a suitably clever combination.

Battle Golf Online is a golfing game that’s thrown out the rulebook. You still use a stick to smack a tiny ball into a distant hole, but there’s no mucking about with fairways and club selection. Instead, you and an opponent stand at different edges of a lake, from which holes periodically appear. The first to five wins.

Play is fast and furious – more a race than precision sport. And fortunately, the controls are easy to grasp, merely requiring two taps to set your shot’s direction and strength.

But it’s the ‘online’ component that really helps this one shine – knowing you’re facing off against a human rather than your iPad adds an edge that’ll have you frantically blasting shots at everything from sea monsters to submarines, and wondering whether real-life golf could do with a similar blast of high-octane weirdness.

Silly Walks is a one-thumb arcade game, featuring wobbling foodstuffs braving the hell of nightmarish kitchens (and, later, gardens and gyms), in order to free fruity chums who’ve been cruelly caged.

The hero of the hour – initially a pineapple cocktail – rotates on one foot. Tapping the screen plants a foot, causing him to rotate on the other foot and changing the direction of rotation. Charitably, this could be called a step, and with practice, it’s possible to put together a reasonable dodder.

And you’ll need to. Although early levels only require you to not fall off of tables, pretty soon you’re dealing with meat pulverizers, hero-slicing knives, and psychotic kitchenware in hot pursuit.

It’s admittedly all a little one-level – Silly Walks reveals almost all in its initial levels – but smart design, superb visuals, and a unique control method make it well worth a download.

Topiary is a game of concentration, involving a single digit, and an on-screen plant you’re aiming to grow into a mighty oak – albeit a decidedly odd-looking, geometric, psychedelically colored oak.

You start off with a pulsating disc, and the aim is to prod the screen when it’s at its largest, thereby giving you the biggest base on which to build. Once that’s done, you get the next slice, which you try to tap when it exactly matches its predecessor.

Fail and your tree gradually narrows until you drop the final, super-skinny twig on top. Get five perfect matches in a row (which is no mean feat) and that tier will grow again. It’s all really simple stuff, but Topiary proves to be an entertaining and relaxing one-thumb arcade test of timing and nerve.

Flippy Knife finds you hurling dangerous knives, mostly at wooden objects. Which we admit doesn’t sound particularly thrilling – and you might also have had your fill of ‘Verby Noun’ games with colorful, chunky visuals, whatever the hook. But Flippy Knife does plenty to demand a space on your iPad.

The basic Combo mode has you drag upwards to hurl your pointy weapon into the air, Angry Birds style, aiming for it to flip and stick into a wooden platform on landing. It’s a good way to get a feel for your virtual knife.

Beyond that, there’s the thoughtful Arcade mode (lob a knife through an endless cabin), the frenetic Climb (a vertically scrolling pursuit of a thieving drone), and the archery-like Target. That is, if archery involved lobbing bloody great big knives at bullseyes strapped to trees – which we totally think it should.

Vertigo Racing is a sort-of rally game. We say sort-of, because although you’re pelting along a twisty-turny track, it happens to be at the top of a wall so high its base is lost in the clouds below.

Also, you’re barreling along in old-school muscle cars, to a classic guitar rock soundtrack, and you can’t steer.

Instead, the game does the steering for you, leaving you merely able to prod the accelerator or slam on the brakes, to stop your car plunging into the abyss. This transforms the game into a decidedly oddball take on slot racing, reimagined as a roller-coaster. Or possibly the other way around.

Either way, it’s fun, even if handling and camera issues make progress in later tracks tough. Still, the upgrade path is smart (with a generous dishing out of virtual coins to upgrade your cars and buy new tracks), making for hours of grin-inducing arcade action.

Virtua Tennis Challenge is an iPad reimagining of a classic Dreamcast tennis game. Although Sega claims it’s the most realistic game of its type on mobile, Virtual Tennis Challenge is in reality very much an arcade outing, with you darting about, attempting to defeat your opponent by way of lobs, top spins, and dramatic ‘super shots’.

The gestural controls leave a lot to be desired, resulting in tennis as if your player had downed a few too many drinks in the bar prior to their match.

But plump for the on-screen virtual D-pad and buttons (or use an external MFi gamepad) and you’ll find an entertaining take on repeatedly smacking a ball over a net, while the virtual crowd presumably gorges itself on virtual strawberries.

Splashy Dots is a puzzle game that wants to unleash your inner artist. It takes place on canvases with a number of dots sprinkled about. Your task is to figure out a path from the start to the end point that takes in every dot.

This is a familiar concept – there are loads of similar games on the App Store, but the execution of Splashy Dots ensures it stands out. Every swipe you make smears paint across the screen; and these brushstrokes and splats fashion a little slice of geometric art as you play.

Over time, the canvases become increasingly complex, as you slowly build a gallery of abstract virtual paintings. A relaxing jazzy soundtrack and unlimited undos add to the relaxing vibe – only interrupted with a jolt when ads appear. But if those irk, you can silence them with a single $0.99/99p/AU$1.49 IAP.

Rocklien Run is a hybrid endless runner/shooter, featuring a little UFO blazing along space lanes populated by hordes of deadly creatures who’d very much rather the UFO wasn’t there. You tap left and right to avoid being horribly killed, attempting to scoop up bonus coins and stars along the way.

The stars are the key to Rocklien Run. Pick up a green one and your little ship starts spewing bullets. Grab a yellow one and you zoom along, temporarily indestructible. Keep on shooting, dodging, and picking up stars, and Rocklien Run transforms from a frustrating staccato experience into an exhilarating high-octane arcade blast.

Just be aware that for every breezily crazy game where you’re belting along at insane speeds, you’ll probably have another where you’re killed in approximately three seconds.

Hoggy 2 is a platform puzzler, with a firm emphasis on the puzzling. It features some cartoon slime molds, who’ve got on the wrong side of the villainous Moon Men. These rogues have taken the heroes’ kids, and so parents Hoggy and Hogatha vow to get them back.

The Moon Men’s fortress is a huge maze peppered with jars. Within each jar is a room filled with platforms, enemies, hazards, and fruit. Eat all the fruit and you get a key. Get enough keys and you can venture further into the maze.

The snag is that getting at the fruit can be tricky. Hoggy 2’s levels are cunningly designed, often requiring you perform actions in a specific order and manner, making use of power-ups that transform the protagonists into trundling granite squares or screaming infernos.

Add in lush console-style visuals and a level editor, and you’ve got one of the biggest bargains on mobile.

You know a game’s not taking itself too seriously when it begins with the hero trudging through a blizzard, only to be faced by a giant heavily armed walrus guarding the fortress of a megalomaniacal genius.

But Evil Factory is just warming up, and subsequently revels in flinging all manner of mutated madness your way in its hard-nosed top-down arcade battles.

For each, you dart about using a virtual joystick, while two large on-screen buttons activate weapons. Unfortunately, your bosses are colossal idiots, and have armed you with the likes of dynamite and Molotov cocktails. Bouts often therefore involve dodging bullets to fling wares at a giant foe, before running away like a coward.

It’s silly, relentless arcade fun – or at least it would be relentless if the ‘fuel’ based freemium model didn’t butt up against one-hit-death and tough later levels. Still, if the stop-start nature of playing becomes irksome, fuel limitations can be removed with a $1.99/£1.99/AU$2.99 IAP.

With a name that sounds like something an angry railway employee would yell before slapping you, Conduct THIS! actually starts out as a fairly sedate railway management game. Little trains amble along, picking up passengers you have to direct to stations that match their color.

The controls are extremely simple: tap a train and it halts until you tap it again; and switches can be triggered to send a train the most optimum way at a junction.

However, the layouts you face very quickly become anything but simple, with multiple trains to control and vehicles to avoid – both of which sometimes unhelpfully disappear into tunnels.

This is a smart, colorful mix of arcade smarts and puzzling – even if it does have the capacity to drive you loco(motive).

If you’ve ever played the last level of PC classic Driver, with its psychotic police vehicles, you’ll have an inkling what you’re in for in Reckless Getaway 2. You pick a car and barrel about a little wraparound city, driving around like a maniac, until your inevitable arrest.

Well, we say ‘arrest’, but these police are crazed. SWAT vans will hurl themselves at your vehicle, oblivious to the carnage around them. Eventually, airstrikes will be called in, at which point you might question if the law’s applying a bit too much zeal towards grand theft auto these days.

Over time, the game’s repetitive nature palls a bit, and the physics is a bit floaty; but otherwise it’s a great fun freebie for virtual joyriders armed with an iPad.

This one’s all about counting really quickly. That admittedly doesn’t sound like much – but stick with it, because Estiman is actually a lot of fun.

It begins by displaying a bunch of neon shapes. The aim is to prod a shape that belongs to the most numerous group, and work your way to the smallest. Do this rapidly and you build a combo that can seriously ramp up your score. Now and again shapes also house credits, which can be used to buy new themes.

On iPad, the game looks great, and although some themes (such as gloopy bubbles) make the game easier, that at least gives you a choice if the minimal original theme proves too tricky.

And despite Estiman’s overt simplicity, its odd contrasting mix of relaxation (chill-out audio; zero-stress timer) and urgency (if you want those combos) proves compelling.

Its overhead viewpoint and tiny players might evoke arcade-oriented soccer games of old, like Sensible Soccer and Kick off, but Retro Soccer is very much a mobile oriented affair. In part, this is down to the main mode taking you through loads of challenges, rather than a league, but mostly it’s about the controls.

There are no virtual buttons and D-pads here – everything in Retro Soccer is about taps and gestures. You tap to move somewhere, dribble with the ball or pass. A swipe unleashes a shot if you’re within sight of the goal, or a scything sliding tackle that carves up a fair chunk of the field if you’re near an opposing player with the ball.

It takes a fair bit of getting used to and really needs the iPad’s large screen for you to have any hope of mastering the game. But stick around and you’ll find Retro Soccer an entertaining take on the beautiful game.

With its chunky graphics and silly demeanor, Westy West isn’t an entirely accurate recreation of the Wild West – but it is a lot of fun.

You hop about tiny towns, deserts, and mines, shooting bad guys and being rewarded for being the kind of sheriff who doesn’t also shoot innocents.

Although the controls mirror Crossy Road (albeit with a tap to shoot rather than leap forward), progression is more akin to Looty Dungeon, with you having to complete each miniature room (as in, shoot all the bad guys) before moving on.

The net result is a game that’s ultimately an entertaining arcade title, but that somehow also feels like you’re exploring a tiny universe – and one with character. It’s amusing when you’re facing a duel, and a pianist is rather conspicuously outside, furiously playing an ominous score.

We’re in broadly familiar territory with Bomb Hunters, which twins Crossy Road with bomb disposal. This means you get chunky graphics and a swipe-based take on Frogger, but must also quickly locate and deal with high-explosives that are soon to go off.

This twist transforms Bomb Hunters into a relentlessly frantic experience, and keeps you on your toes regarding the route you’re taking. Everything becomes markedly tougher when enemy snipers and grenadiers appear, and when some bombs only disarm when you complete a dexterity mini-game.

The swipe controls can be a touch iffy at times, but otherwise this is a smart take on an otherwise tired genre – and one that rewards repeat play through unlocks that boost your survival rate during subsequent games.

The clue’s in the title in this entertaining and arcade-oriented engineering test. In Build a Bridge!, you’re faced with a vehicle, a gap over which the vehicle would like to travel, and some materials to build your bridge. You lay down a structure on virtual graph paper, press play, and see what happens.

If your bridge falls to bits – as it invariably will on the first few attempts – you can go back, rebuild and try again. Should you want to properly test out your engineering skills, you must minimize the materials used to get a three-star award – tricky when you hit levels requiring outlandish solutions that incorporate jumps and hot-air balloons.

Some of the building can be a bit fiddly, but on an iPad Build a Bridge! proves a compelling test of your engineering skills.

Yes, we know: you’ve seen a dozen games just like this, essentially endless runners with a puzzle solving edge, complete with teleporters and multiple routes. But wait – all is not quite as it seems.

One thing DROP NOT! does have in common with several other games is you auto-tumbling about an isometric world, prodding the screen to abruptly change direction. Get it wrong and chances are you’ll fall off of a narrow elevated pathway into oblivion.

But unlike the competition, DROP NOT! isn’t algorithmically generated; instead, it has 20 handcrafted levels, transforming the game into an adventure you can master.

Beating it in one go from the start requires some serious memory and timing skills; if that all seems too much, points buy keys to unlock checkpoints you can start from, in order to discover all of the game’s secrets. Either way, this title’s far more than it first appears to be.

Here we have another endless runner mining gaming’s past for a hook to hang everything on. This time, Bomberman has been shoe-horned into the genre. Fortunately for Tiny Bombers, this works.

The basic premise, as ever, is your little character must keep running, lest they be eaten up by a game world falling into the abyss. To push ever onward, they can obliterate walls and other hazards by dropping bombs and then fleeing before they explode.

During each game, you can grab power-ups, collect coins to spend on new characters, and coo at the pretty graphics. From a longevity standpoint, Tiny Bombers is probably not another Crossy Road, but even so it makes for a fun and explosive change.

We shouldn’t encourage them, really. Transformers: Forged to Fight is packed full of horrible free-to-play trappings: timers; gates; a baffling currency/resource system. And yet it’s a horribly compelling title. Much of this is down to how much fun it apparently is to watch giant robots punching each other in the face.

If you’re unfamiliar with Transformers, it’s based around robots that disguise themselves as cars and planes as a kind of camouflage - and then they forget about all that, transform into bipedal robots, and attempt to smash each other to bits.

This game has various Transformers universes colliding, which for fans only increases the fun – after all, old hands can watch with glee as old-school Optimus Prime hacks Michael Bay’s version to pieces with a massive axe. But for newcomers hankering for one-on-one Street Fighterish brawls on an iOS device, it’s still a freebie worth grabbing.

With Darkside Lite, you rather generously get the entire arcade mode from superb blaster Darkside. What this means is a slew of fast-paced and eye-dazzling shooty action, where you blast everything around you to pieces, while trying very hard to stay in one piece yourself.

The twin-stick shenanigans echo the likes of Geometry Wars (or, if you’re really old, Robotron) in terms of controls, but the setup is more Asteroids, obliterating space rocks – and also the spaceships that periodically zoom in to do you damage.

The entire thing’s wrapped around planetoids floating in the void, making for a dizzying, thrilling ride as you attempt to locate the last bit of flying rock before some alien attacker swoops in and rips away the last of your shields.

This one’s from the Pac-Man 256 folks, but this time the classic titles being mined appear to be Dig-Dug and Mr. Driller. And, yes, that was a terrible pun, because Digby Forever is all about mining, your little hero drilling deep into the ground on a quest for bling, trying to avoid regular cave-ins and various underground ‘one touch equals death’ denizens.

Bar a baffling card power-up system, Digby Forever is a breezy arcade blast. Its little world feels very alive, with explosions blasting pixels across the screen, and various creatures going about their business. Intriguingly, it also deftly deals with that problem in endless games of starting from scratch – here, you always restart from where you were last defeated.

There’s a good chance Little Alchemy would make a scientist angrily hurl their iPad at a wall on their first experience with the game, on account of how fast and loose it plays with the laws of nature.

However, this portal of discovery, thinking outside the box, and, frankly, random guessing, is nonetheless a lot of fun.

You start with the classical elements (air; fire; water; earth), and combine them to create new objects. The aim is to figure out how to make over 500 things, from volcanoes to unicorns.

Some combinations are logical and amusing – a vacuum cleaner is a broom combined with electricity. But a helicopter? That requires you merge an airplane and a windmill. And now we really want to see someone combine those things in the real world.

For the most part, side-on endless runners tend to be ideal iPhone fare, but Archer Dash 2 has a twist that makes it a much better bet for your iPad. In this world of retro-style pixelated graphics, a little archer dashes along, aiming to scoop up blue gems, and jumping to avoid getting fried on electrified fences.

The twist here is the ‘archer’ bit – drag across the left-hand side of the screen and time temporarily slows, so you can aim and unleash an arrow to destroy obstacles or collect out-of-reach bling. Now and again, there’s a frantic boss battle to survive.

On iPhone, the game works fine, but only on iPad are you afforded the precision needed to have a lengthy dash rather than a short sprint.

With Dashy Crashy, the iPad shows bigger (as in, the screen) really can be better. The basics involve swiping to avoid traffic while hurtling along a road. New vehicles are periodically won, each of which has a special skill (such as the UFO abducting traffic, and the taxi picking up fares); and there are also random events to respond to, such as huge dinosaurs barreling along.

On iPad, the gorgeous visuals are more dazzling than on the smaller iPhone, and in landscape or portrait, it’s easier to see what’s in front of you, potentially leading to higher scores.

Also, the game’s multi-touch aware, so you can multi-finger-swipe to change several lanes at once – fiddly on an iPhone but a cinch on a tablet, making for an addictive, just-one-more-go experience.

We shouldn’t encourage them. Infinite Stairs is yet another endless game, almost entirely bereft of innovation – and yet it has two really clever bits that transform it into a surprisingly absorbing offering.

First, the visuals include plenty of large characters bursting with personality. But more importantly, the controls are clever. You get two buttons – ‘turn’ and ‘climb’ – for working your way up a zigzagging staircase to the heavens. ‘Turn’ not only flips you round, but also has you climb a step.

That might not sound like much, but as the timer rapidly depletes, you’ll mess up often in the more winding sections of staircase, curse your thumbs, have another go, and realize you’re once again glued to another endless runner.

Although Solid Soccer has the visual appearance of Amiga classic Sensible Soccer, this is a much more sedate affair, with decidedly strange controls that have more in common with Angry Birds than footie games.

As your little players scoot about the pitch, you use drag and release gestures to tackle and shoot, or drag back and slide left and right to dribble.

This all feels a bit floaty, but a few games in everything clicks, and you’ll have fun kicking off against online opposition. There is a sense of shallowness, however – there’s no offline mode and none of the extensive depth found in the likes of Active Soccer 2. Still, as a freebie iPad kickabout, Solid Soccer manages a scrappy win.

Snake meets land-grabbing in Paper.io. On entering the arena – populated by other players – you swipe to guide your little square about. Encircle a section of space and it fills with your color, boosting your territory score.

You must be careful to not collide with the walls surrounding the arena. Also, square trails are player’s weak spots. Run over an opponent’s and they’re removed from the game, leaving gems you can munch. But the same’s true for you – so watch out.

Paper.io’s a bit heavy on ads and bereft of audio, but the game itself is nonetheless compelling, not least because you can dive right back in for revenge should someone abruptly terminate your go.

Here’s yet another game with a ‘Verby Noun’ moniker, and blocky voxel graphics. But although Guessy Stars riffs off of Crossy Road in those areas, it’s in fact a nicely-designed trivia game, in which you have to guess 300 famous faces, grouped into 12 item rounds.

In each case, you get a basic clue and a figurine to spin. Tap in an answer (using a suitably blocky custom keyboard) and the figurine explodes all over the screen if you guess correctly. If you’re close – just a small misspelling away – the game amusingly moves into game show host mode, asking “Can we take that?”

Should you get stuck, ask for more clues – but note: replenishing your clue token stash requires IAP or watching ads.

On consoles, fighting games tend to need millions of buttons and players to have an eidetic memory to recall all the various combinations for special moves. Mercifully, Marvel Contest of Champions simplifies things for the touchscreen, and gives you the added bonus of having your favorite comic characters smack each other’s faces off.

The plot’s thin, but the side-on one-on-one scraps pack a punch, with you swiping to unleash attacks and holding the screen to block. Visually, it’s a treat, and the fighting element is entertaining and accessible.

And the freemium angle? Well, that can irk in the long term, but – like a Marvel movie – this one’s good for a quick blast every now and again, even if it’s a bit lacking in depth and longevity.

The world’s stretchiest canine’s found himself in a world full of sticky desserts and a surprising number of saw blades. His aim: get to the other end of this deadly yet yummy horizontally scrolling world. The snag: the aforementioned blades, a smattering of puzzles, and the way this particular pooch moves.

In Silly Sausage: Doggy Dessert, the canine hero doesn’t pootle along on tiny legs – instead, you swipe to make his body stretch like an angular snake until he reaches another surface, whereupon his hind quarters catch up.

The result is an impressive side-scroller that’s more sedate puzzler than frantic platformer – aside from in adrenaline-fueled time-based challenge rooms, which even Silly Sausage veterans will be hard-pressed to master. 

Do you like brick-bashing Breakout? Do you like ball-whacking pinball? If so, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy Super Hyper Ball 2, which mashes the two together. Here, you get flippers to smack the ball around but also a little bat you move back and forth at the foot of the screen. Oh, and there are power-ups, too, which can be triggered to blow up hard-to-reach targets and bricks.

If that all sounds a bit like patting your head while rubbing your stomach, that’s not far off. Super Hyper Ball 2 can be like playing two games simultaneously.

Curiously, given its heritage, it can also be oddly pedestrian at times, but it’s mostly giddy fun, whether facing off against a laser-spewing skull boss, or smashing your way through a whirling disc with colorful bricks glued to its surface.

We’ve lost count of the number of puzzle games where you swipe to force a couple of blocks simultaneously slide about, aiming to make them both reach a goal. And on first glance, that’s Waiit.

But this title cleverly differentiates itself from mundane contemporaries by welding itself to the guts of an endless runner.

In Waiit’s vertically scrolling world, a universe-devouring entity is in hot pursuit. You must rapidly figure out routes to the next exit and deftly perform the swipes required to get both of your squares through unscathed.

Tension is mixed with charm as the little squares holler to each other by way of comic-style balloons. And although you’ll initially fail quickly and often – perhaps even hankering for a hazard-free zen mode – it’s Waiit’s relative toughness that’ll keep you coming back to beat your high score.

The best way to think about Brick Shot is as a radically simplified Tetris where you happen to be hurtling along at insane speeds. There’s just one shape here – a rectangular brick – and it must be fired along one of four columns, with you aiming to complete rows and make them disappear.

For the first fifteen shots, it’s pretty much impossible to mess up. The screen scrolls slowly, ensuring your aim is always true. Then Brick Shot ups the pace considerably, and even only having four columns to decide between can sometimes feel like three too many.

On the iPad at least, your fingers have space to rest and your eyes can more easily track incoming walls. Ongoing success unlocks alternate modes, although the straightforward original’s probably the best.

Coming across like Civilization in miniature, The Battle of Polytopia is all about dominating a tiny isometric world. You explore, capture villages, duff up opponents and discover new technologies in order to build more powerful units.

But the empire building is stripped back, with smart limitations for mobile. The ‘tech tree’ is abbreviated (trust us, you’ll understand when you play), and only one unit can sit in any given square. Also, by default you have a 30-move limit – although hardcore players can opt for a mode where you continue until only one tribe is left standing.

Despite its relative simplicity compared to Civilization, Polytopia has plenty of depth, and can be tough as you delve into the higher difficulty levels. Rather generously, you get the entire thing for free – IAP exists purely to unlock new tribes and boost the number you can face beyond three.

If you know your arcade history, you’ll know that Galaga is one of the earliest single-screen shooters. The sequel to Galaxian – where aliens started fighting back by way of dive-bombing – Galaga added ‘Challenging Stages’, where strings of ships would flit about rather than marching back and forth in formation.

Galaga Wars combines both approaches, increases the pace, adds glossy modern cartoonish graphics, and gleefully ends your war should your ship take a single hit. You must therefore weave through projectiles, efficiently offing opponents, and grabbing power-ups whenever they appear.

Regular boss battles up the ante in what’s a vibrant and compelling shooter. The excitement does eventually wane – levels never change and it’s a grind to reach later ones – but for a time this is a solid free blaster for your iPad, and for many of us that’s just the way we like our tablet gaming.

The original Flappy Golf was a surprise hit, given that it was essentially a joke – a satire on Flappy Bird. While Flappy Golf 2 is a more polished and considered effort, it’s essentially more of the same, giving you courses from the most recent Super Stickman Golf, and adding wings to the balls.

Instead of smacking the ball with a stick, then, you flap it skywards, using left and right buttons to head in the right direction. If you’re a Super Stickman Golf 3 aficionado, Flappy Golf 2 forces you to try very different approaches to minimize flaps and get the scores needed to unlock further courses.

For newcomers, it’s an immediate, fun and silly take on golf, not least when you delve into the manic race mode. The permanent ad during play also makes this a far better bet on iPad than iPhone, where the ad can obscure the course. (Disappointingly, there’s no IAP to eradicate advertising.)

This fast-paced rhythm-action game has you swiping the screen like a lunatic, trying to help your tiny musicians to the end of a piece of classical music without them exploding. Yep, things are tough in the world of Epic Orchestra – one bum note and a violinist or pianist will evaporate in a puff of smoke.

The entire thing is swipe-based. Arrows descend from the top of a narrow column at the centre of the screen, and you must match them with a gesture. At lower difficulty levels, this is insanely easy.

Ramp up the speed, though, and your fingers will soon be in a twist, despite the apparent simplicity of the task. A $1.99/£1.99/AU$2.99 IAP unlocks more songs, but you get five for free.

One of the most ludicrous one-thumb games around, Brake or Break features a car hurtling along the road. You can hold the screen to brake, and if you don’t, the car speeds up. Sooner or later, it’ll be hurled into the air and start spinning, thereby awarding you with huge points – unless you land badly and smash your vehicle to pieces.

There’s a lot of risk-versus-reward and careful timing here, with gameplay that offers a smattering of Tiny Wings and a whole lot of weird.

Most of said oddness comes by way of the environment, which lobs all kinds of objects at your car, and regularly has it propelled into the air by a grinning tornado. Stick out the game long enough (or open your wallet) and you can unlock new worlds and cars to further shake things up.

Instead of blazing through larger-than-life takes on real-world cities, Asphalt Xtreme takes you off-road, zooming through dunes, drifting across muddy flats, and generally treating the great outdoors in a manner that will win you no favors with the local authorities.

As per other entries in the series, this is ballsy arcade racing, with bouncy physics, simple controls, an obsession with boosting, and tracks designed to make you regularly smash your car to bits.

It’s also, sadly, absolutely riddled with freemium cruft: timers; currencies; nags – the lot. But if you can look past that and dip in and out occasionally to allow the game to ‘recharge’, there’s a lot to like in this racer that’s decided roads and rules are so last season.
 

There’s a delightful and elegant simplicity at the heart of Mars: Mars. The game echoes iPad classic Desert Golfing, in providing a seemingly endless course to explore. But rather than smacking a ball, you’re blasting a little astronaut between landing pads.

The controls also hark back to another game – the ancient Lunar Lander. After blast-off, you tap the sides of the screen to emit little jets of air, attempting to nudge your astronaut in the right direction and break their fall before a collision breaks them.

Smartly, you can have endless tries without penalty, but the game also tots up streaks without death. Repeat play is further rewarded by unlocking characters (also available via IAP), many of which dramatically alter the environment you’re immersed in.

Like a simulation of having a massive migraine while on a stomach-churning roller-coaster, Groove Coaster 2 Original Style is a rhythm action game intent on blasting your optics out while simultaneously making your head spin.

It flings you through dizzying, blazing-fast tracks, asking you to tap or hold the screen to the beat of thumping techno and catchy J-Pop.

The game looks superb – all retro-futuristic vector graphics and explosions of color that are like being stuck inside a mirror ball while 1980s video games whirl around your head.

Mostly you'll stick around for the exhilarating tap-happy rhythm action, which marries immediacy with plenty of challenge, clever choreography tripping up the complacent on higher difficulty levels.

It never becomes a slog though – tracks are shortish and ideal for quick play; and for free, you can unlock plenty of them, but loads more are available via in-app purchase.
 

So crazy it has an exclamation mark in its name, Crazy Truck! is essentially a reverse Flappy Bird. Your blocky vehicle bounces around like a hyperactive hybrid of a 4x4 and a flea, abruptly returning to terra firma when you hold the screen.

This sounds simple enough, yet the controls are oddly disorienting, not least when your chunky vehicle's tasked with avoiding waves of deadly bombs and rockets that litter the screen.. which is at pretty much every moment.

Games are therefore very short; and, frankly, we shouldn't encourage this kind of iPad game, given that there are so many of them. But Crazy Truck! is colorful – if frequently frustrating – fun, and neatly has you tackle the same 'course' until you beat a virtual opponent. (Well, we say 'neatly'; whether you'll think that on your 27th attempt…)

Initially, Rings baffles. You're served some colored rings and told to place them on a three-by-three grid.

But you soon realize you're in color-matching territory, rings exploding when colors match on a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line.

The twist is that there are three sizes of ring, and sometimes pieces have multiple rings with different colors. You must therefore carefully manage where you place each piece, otherwise the board fills up in a manner that will have you desperately hoping for a tiny green ring before the game bats away your trifling wishes and mercilessly ends your game.

That won't happen for some time though – the games tend to go on for too long, unless you're paying no attention whatsoever.

However, if you can carve an hour out of your day, a session with Rings should prove a satisfying and relaxing diversion that gives your brain a bit of a workout. 

Rather than requiring you to build a tower, Six! is all about demolition, tapping to blast Tetris-like shapes from a colorful column. The tiny snag is a hexagon sits at the top, and the second it falls into the void, your game is over.

In theory, Six! is the kind of game that should be ridiculously easy. In reality, the hexagon is big and unwieldy and the tower narrow enough that you must take care removing blocks, lest the plummeting shape spin and fling itself to certain doom.

When that happens, the simple fun rather nicely concludes with a frantic 'last call', where you tap like a maniac to grab a bunch of extra points before the screen dims.
 

We have absolutely no idea what’s going on in Masky. What we do know is that this is a deeply weird but thoroughly compelling game.

According to the game’s blurb, Masky’s all about some kind of grand costume ball, with you dancing to mystic sounds and inviting other masked dancers to join you. What this means in practice is shuffling left and right, adding other dancers to your merry band, and ensuring the balance meter never goes beyond red. If it does, everyone falls over – masks everywhere.

Beyond the lovely graphics and audio, there’s a smart – if simple – game here. Some masks from newcomers added to your line shake things up, flipping the screen or temporarily removing the balance meter.

Inevitably, everything also speeds up as you play, making keeping balance increasingly tough. We don’t doubt the unique visuals count for a lot regarding Masky’s pull, but the strange premise and compelling gameplay keep you dancing for the long haul.

Perhaps our favorite thing about Level With Me is that it’s, really, very silly indeed. The premise is to balance things on a massive plank, precariously perched atop the pointy bit of a tower.

Said plank’s position is shifted by tapping water at the foot of the screen, launching massive bubbles. These counter whatever’s lurking on top, unless you mess up and everything slides into the sea and explodes.

Tasks come thick and fast, often lasting mere seconds. You must quickly figure out how to balance 10 people when they’re being chased by zombies, construct a hamburger when its component parts are being lobbed from the heavens, and pop balloons by using a trundling hedgehog.

The themes admittedly repeat quite often, but everything’s so charming (and your games are so short) that this doesn’t really matter.

It’s safe to say that subtlety wasn’t on the menu of whatever service Ding Dong Delivery represents. This is a brash endless runner of the tap head/rub belly variety. You control a delivery vehicle, smashing its way along a road, attempting to hurl takeaways at waiting hungry people who might think otherwise about ordering from you in future.

This is a two-button effort, one lobs food and the other switches lanes. Games mostly involve frantically mashing the throw food button, hoping for the best, while maniacally weaving between parked cars and avoiding idiots driving into the middle of the road without looking.

It’s part Paperboy, part Flappy Bird, and while the action eventually palls, it’s always good for a quick blast – especially when you start unlocking vehicles and get to deliver pizza using a massive tank.

The BAFTA-winning INKS rethought pinball for mobile, breaking it down into bite-sized simple tables that were more like puzzles. Precision shots – and few of them – were the key to victory. PinOut! thinks similarly, while simultaneously transforming the genre into an against-the-clock endless runner.

The idea is to always move forwards, shooting the ball up ramps that send it to the next miniature table. Along the way, you grab dots to replenish the relentlessly ticking down timer, find and use power-ups, and play the odd mini-game, in a game that recalls basic but compelling fare once found on the LED displays of real-life tables.

PinOut! is gorgeous – all neon-infused tables and silky smooth synth-pop soundtrack. And while the seemingly simplified physics might nag pinball aficionados, it makes for an accessible and playable game for everyone else.

There's not a lot of originality in King Rabbit, but it's one of those simple and endearing puzzle games that sucks you in and refuses to let go until you've worked your way through the entire thing.

The premise is hackneyed — bunnies have been kidnapped, and a sole hero must save them. And the gameplay is familiar too, where you leap about a grid-like landscape, manipulating objects, avoiding hazards, finding keys, unlocking doors, and reaching a goal.

But the execution is such that King Rabbit is immediately engaging, while new ideas keep coming as you work through the dozens of puzzles. Pleasingly, the game also increases the challenge so subtly that you barely notice — until you realise you've been figuring out a royal bunny's next moves into the wee small hours.

From the off, it's obvious Ollie Cats isn't taking itself seriously. The aim is to 'ollie' (jump) an endless number of cats heading in your rad skateboarder's direction. You can perform all manner of tricks (including grinding along fences when loads of cats suddenly appear), but the game in miserly fashion only bestows a single point per cat cleared, regardless of your amazing skills.

However, you can also be the cat. That's right - it's possible to play the game as a black moggie on a board, aiming to become the coolest feline around. There are fewer stunts in this mode, but it's so ridiculous that the cat version of the game fast became our favorite.

There's very much an old-school vibe about Sports Hero, and it's not just the pixelated graphics, with characters so jagged you might cut yourself on their kneecaps.

There's also the control method, which has you hammer virtual buttons to make the retro athletes sprint, swim or lift weights. You'll look faintly ridiculous bashing away at your iPad's display, but there's something satisfying about such a simple, exhausting control scheme.

Sports Hero trips over the odd hurdle in its quest for a medal with its grindy nature. It very clearly wants you to grab an all-disciplines IAP, and so slowly drips XP your way for unlocks. But even with only a few events available, this is an entertaining title for armchair Olympians who fancy working up a sweat. 

In a marked departure from the impressive Phoenix HD and its procedurally generated bullet hell,Phoenix II shoves you through set-piece vertically scrolling shoot 'em up grinders. Every 24 hours, a new challenge appears, tasking you with surviving a number of waves comprising massive metal space invaders belching hundreds of deadly bullets your way.

A single hit to your craft's core (a small spot at its center) brings destruction, forcing you to memorize attack and bullet patterns and make use of shields and deflectors if you've any hope of survival. You do sometimes slam into a brick wall, convinced a later wave is impossible to beat.

To lessen the frustration, there's always the knowledge you'll get another crack at smashing new invaders the following day. Regardless, this is a compelling, dazzling and engaging shooter for iPad.

Sharing DNA with Super Hexagon and ALONE…, Barrier X is the kind of game that merrily smacks you in the face for having the audacity to blink.

Hurling you at insane speeds along minimal 3D tracks that some idiot's peppered with walls, all you have to do is head left and right to avoid crashing. But this isn't so simple when blazing along at about a million miles per hour.

Comically, Barrier X speeds up every 15 seconds; and if you survive long enough further challenges are unlocked. Suddenly, you're told to travel through (rather than avoid) certain barriers, and to shoot rivals, all while attempting to not become so much space dust.

Minimal visuals and a thumping soundtrack further add to Barrier X's brutal charms - it's an exhilarating, exciting title among the very best of its kind.

If you've experienced Colin Lane's deranged take on wrestling (the decidedly oddball Wrassling), you probably know what you're in for with Dunkers. In theory, this is side-on one-on-one basketball, but Dunkers is knowingly mad.

You only get two buttons, one of which dodders your player back towards their own basket, while the other lurches them into the air and in the opposite direction. All the while, their arms whirl like a hysterical clock.

You battle as best you can, grabbing the ball from your berserk opponent, fighting your way to the basket, and slam dunking victoriously. The entire thing is ridiculous, almost the antithesis of photo-realistic fare like NBA 2K; but we'd also argue that it's a lot more fun.

An excellent example in how iteration can improve a game, The Little Fox was almost impossible upon release. But a reduction in speed and some restart points proved transformative, enabling you to immerse yourself in a sweet-natured, great-looking pathfinding arcade outing.

The titular fox is on a quest that takes the bounding carnivore through 13 varied lands. Pathways comprise hexagons littered with collectables and hazards, and at any moment you can only turn left or right or continue straight on.

At the original breakneck pace (still available as an in-game option), this all feels too much. But when slowed down, The Little Fox reveals itself to be a clever, imaginative, fun title, with surprises to be found on every planet the furry critter visits.

It's hard to imagine a less efficient way of building and maintaining a zoo than what you see in Rodeo Stampede. Armed with a lasso, you foolishly venture into a stampede and leap from animal to animal, attempting to win their hearts by virtue of not being flung to the ground.

You then whisk beaten animals away to a zoo in a massive sky-based craft - the kind of place where you imagine the Avengers might hang out if they gave up crime-fighting and decided to start jailing animals rather than villains.

Despite overly familiar chunky visuals (Crossy Road has a lot to answer for), this fast-paced, breezy game is a lot of fun, with you dragging left and right to avoid blundering into rocks, and lifting your finger to soar into the air, aiming to catch another rampaging beast.

Much like previous entries in the series, Super Stickman Golf 3 finds a tiny golfer dumped in fantastical surroundings. So rather than thwacking a ball about carefully tended fairways and greens, there are castles full of teleporters and a moon base bereft of gravity. The Ryder Cup, this is not.

New to the series is a spin mechanic, for flipping impossible shots off of ceilings and nudging fluffed efforts holewards on the greens. You also get turn-by-turn battles against Game Centre chums and a frenetic multiplayer race mode.

The spendthrift release is limited, though, restricting how many two-player battles you have on the go, locking away downloadable courses beyond the 20 initially built-in, and peppering the game with ads. Even so, you get a lot for nothing, should you be after new side-on golfing larks but not want to pay for the privilege.

Apparently the national sport of Slamdovia, a country where blocky people look like they just stepped out of a Commodore 64, Wrassling is like wrestling combined with a dollop of sheer stupid.

You're dropped into the ring and must fling your opponents into the inky gloom before they do the same to you. Ridiculous controls (spin your arms with all your might!) and absurdly bouncy physics add to the game's oddball nature, which will put a smile on your face before it's promptly smashed into the canvas and then rudely hurled into the air.

With more than a hint of Fruit Ninja about it, Bushido Bear finds a sword-wielding teddy defending the forest against endless waves of evil demons. You get a brief warning about where your assailants will appear, and must quickly drag paths to move your bear about; it'll then get suitably slashy and stabby, hopefully not blundering into an enemy in the meantime.

It's a fast-paced affair, and you'll need swift reactions to survive. Over time, you unlock additional frenzied furry animals, each with their own particular skills. And, amusingly, when a bear is killed, its colleague can be thrown into the fray, ready for some angry ninja bear vengeance!

If you like the idea of golf, but not traipsing around greens in the drizzle, WGT: World Tour Golf is the closest you'll get to the real thing on your iPad. Courses have been meticulously rebuilt in virtual form, based on thousands of photographs, and WGT's control scheme is accessible yet also quite punishing.

There's no mucking about spinning balls in mid-air to alter your shot here - mess up and you'll know about it, with a score card massively over par. But this is a game that rewards mastery and perseverance, and you feel like a boss once you crack how to land near-perfect shots.

WGT is, mind, a touch ad-heavy at times, but this is countered by there being loads to do, including head-to-head online multiplayer and a range of tournaments to try your hand at.

In Clash Royale, two players battle online, sending out troops to obliterate their opponent's three towers, while simultaneously protecting their own. It comes across a bit like animated chess, if chess pieces were armed to the teeth and ranged from a giant robot with a huge scythe to an army of skittering skeletons.

The troops you have available come by way of cards you collect, from which you select a deck of eight. In matches, elixir gradually tops up, which can be 'spent' deploying said troops, forcing you to manage resources and spot when your opponent might be dry.

Clash Royale is very much a freemium game. You can spend a ton of real-world cash on virtual coins to buy and upgrade cards. However, doing so isn't really necessary, and we've heard of people getting to the very highest levels in the game without spending a penny. But even if you find yourself scrapping in the lower leagues, Clash Royale is loads of fun.

Following in the footsteps of Tomb Raider and Hitman, Uncharted: Fortune Hunter has been squirted into your iPad in puzzle-game form. Hero of the hour Nathan Drake must nab loot by working out how to not-horribly die across dozens of grid-based puzzles. Fortune Hunter lacks the polish and atmosphere of Lara Croft GO and Hitman GO, but it's still worth grabbing.

The puzzles are smartly designed, and ideal for mobile play, taking only a few minutes each to solve. And if you own the latest PS4 Uncharted, some of the iPad achievements can benefit Drake on your console (even if said benefits might only be a natty new hat).

Tie-ins between indie game companies and major movie houses often end badly, but Disney Crossy Road bucks the trend. It starts off like the original Crossy Road — an endless take on Frogger. Only here, Mickey Mouse picks his way across motorways, train lines and rivers, trying to avoid death by drowning or being splattered across a windscreen.

But unlock new characters (you'll have several for free within a few games) and you open up further Disney worlds, each with unique visuals and challenges.

In Toy Story, Woody and Buzz dodge tumbling building blocks, whereas the inhabitants of Haunted Mansion are tasked with keeping the lights on and avoiding a decidedly violent suit of armour.

Elsewhere, Inside Out has you dart about collecting memories, which are sucked up for bonus points. And on the iPad, the gorgeous chunky visuals of these worlds really get a chance to shine.

This smashy endless arcade sports title has more than a hint of air hockey about it, but PKTBALL is also infused with the breakneck madness associated with Laser Dog's brutal iOS games.

It takes place on a tiny cartoon tennis court, with you swiping across the ball to send it back to your opponent. But this game is *really* fast, meaning that although you'll clock how to play PKTBALL almost immediately, mastering it takes time.

In solo mode, the computer AI offers plenty of challenge, but it's in multiplayer matches that PKTBALL serves an ace. Two to four people duke it out, swiping like lunatics (and hopefully not hurling the iPad away in a huff, like a modern-day McEnroe, when things go bad).

As ever, there are new characters to unlock, each of which boasts its own court and background music. Our current favourite: a little Game Boy, whose court has a certain famous blocky puzzle game playing in the background.

At first glance, Looty Dungeon comes across like a Crossy Road wannabe. But you soon realise it's actually a very smartly designed endless dungeon crawler that just happens to pilfer Crossy Road's control method, chunky visual style, and sense of urgency.

You begin as a tiny stabby knight, scooting through algorithmically generated isometric rooms. You must avoid spikes and chopping axes, outrun a collapsing floor, and dispatch monsters. The action is fast-paced, lots of fun, and challenges your dexterity and ability to think on the move.

As is seemingly law in today's mobile gaming landscape, Looty Dungeon also nags at the collector in you, offering characters to unlock. But these aren't just decorative in nature — they have unique weapons, which alter how you play. For example, an archer has better range than the knight, but no defensive shield when up against an angry witch or ravenous zombie.

It's not every day you get to become a robot superhero, protecting the public in the retro-futuristic Helsinki. But future Finns should be thrilled Byteman is about, because their capital city appears to be chock full of burning buildings, robbers, and villains escaping in helicopters.

Your task is to fly about, using your radar to swoop in and be all heroic, without slamming into a building while doing so. The controls are straightforward (move with your left thumb and 'speed boost' with your right), and there's a handy radar to figure out which cases to prioritise.

It all comes across a bit like a robot superhero Crazy Taxi, albeit one where the valiant android must occasionally head above the clouds to recharge its solar panels. (We bet Captain Marvel never had that problem.)

In the tiny isometric world of Traffic Rush 2, traffic lights are seemingly anathema to the general public. Instead, dangerous crossings are manned by the kind of people who need the steely nerve of an air-traffic controller. Cars rush in, and each can be temporarily stopped with a tap or given a boost with a swipe. Your job is to keep the traffic flowing and avoid a hideous pile-up.

Of course, a hideous pile-up is inevitable, not least when you're dealing with an increasing number of cars coming from all directions, driven by people who we're pretty sure have never taken a driving test in their lives.

Fortunately, wreckage is instantly cleared with the tap of a button, enabling you to have another go. Additionally, as is seemingly law these days, Traffic Rush 2 has you collect coins, receive 'rewards', and grab prizes from a machine. These enhance the game, adding new vehicles to the mix, and making the crashes a bit more colourful.

Endless 3D avoid 'em ups have been a mainstay on the App Store ever since Cube Runner arrived way back in 2008. Geometry Race, like the older title, is keen on you learning a fixed course over repeat attempts, rather than battling your way through semi-randomised landscapes. Unlike Cube Runner, though, Geometry Race is a visual treat.

For reasons unknown, your spaceship finds itself zooming through worlds packed full of geometric obstacles, such as huge toppling letters and marching cubes. Beyond not colliding with anything, you must grab fuel to recharge your ship and coins that can be used to unlock better spaceships and additional worlds.

The lack of variety may eventually dent the game's own long-term survival on your device, but for a while Geometry Race is bright and breezy fun.

Although Hectic Space 2 looks like it's been wrenched kicking and screaming from a 1980's 8-bit console, this is a thoroughly modern bullet-hell shooter. You slide your finger vertically on the left side of the screen to move your ship and the sole aim is survival, which involves avoiding projectiles while your ship's automatic weapon blasts anything in your path.

The gaudy graphics oddly prove beneficial, making it easy to spot enemy fire (red — so much red), and are occasionally dazzling when facing off against inventively designed bosses.

You know you're not sitting in front of an old Atari when a giant skull bounces around the screen, or a bunch of Space Invaders changes formation, becoming a massive gun that fires countless bullets your way.

The original iSlash came across a bit like a thinking man's Fruit Ninja combined with arcade classic Qix. Each challenge involved slicing off bits of a wooden box, carefully avoiding the shuriken bouncing about within.

iSlash Heroes is more of the same in freemium form, albeit with revamped graphics, a load of new levels, bosses that muck about with the board as you play, and some infrequent irritating social gubbins that occasionally blocks your way for a bit.

Despite some niggles, it remains a smart, engaging arcade effort, which works especially well on the iPad, given that the large screen enables you to be a bit more precise when slicing off those final slivers of wood required to meet your target.

This block-merging puzzle game is based on dominoes, where you place pieces on the board, and when three or more identical tiles sit next to each other they're sucked into a single piece with a larger number.

Should three or more sixes merge, they create an M. Merge three of those and they obliterate a three-by-three section of the board, giving you temporary breathing space.

The claustrophobic nature of Merged! means you must think carefully when placing every piece, and try to create cascades that will quickly increment tile values. It's a bit too random at times, and has some distasteful freemium trappings, but otherwise this is a fine puzzler for your iPad.

At some point, developers will run out of new ways to present endless runners, but that moment hasn't yet arrived. Surfingers tries something a bit different, marrying the genre with a kind of stripped-back breakneck match puzzler. You must line up the blocky wave you're currently on to match whatever's coming next, lest your surfer abruptly wipe-out.

At first, this is leisurely and simple, with you swiping up and down, avoiding maniacs in low-flying hot-air balloons, and collecting stars. But before long, you're two-finger swiping to get past massive rocks and buried spaceships, surfing across snowy mountains and sand dunes, and thinking a dip in the shallows might have been a smarter move. And it turns out even being an ice-cool crocodile riding a rubber duck won't save you if those shapes don't line up.

Touchscreens have opened up many new ways to play games, but scribbling with a finger is perhaps the most natural. And that's essentially all you do in Magic Touch, which sounds pretty reductive - right up until you start playing.

The premise is that you're a wizard, fending off invading nasties who all oddly use balloons to parachute towards their prize. Match the symbol on any balloon and it pops, potentially causing a hapless intruder to meet the ground rather more rapidly than intended. Initially, this is all very simple, but when dozens of balloons fill your field of vision, you'll be scrawling like crazy, desperately fending off the invasion to keep the wizard gainfully employed.

The first thing that strikes you about Into the Dim is that it transforms your iPad into a giant Game Boy - at least from a visual standpoint. Its chunky yellowed graphics hark back to handheld gaming's past; but to some extent, this is also true of Into the Dim's mechanics.

It's a turn-based RPG, featuring a boy and his dog exploring dungeons, outwitting enemies, and uncovering a mystery. But whereas most modern mobile fare offers procedurally generated levels, Into the Dim's dungeons have all been carefully individually designed. It rewards planning, strategic thinking, and patience; and although the game's finite nature means it can be beaten, doing so will make you feel like a boss, rather than a player being put through the 'random mill' time and time again.

Taking the most famous video game character of all and shoving him into an endless freemium title could have ended disastrously. Fortunately, Pac-Man 256 is by the people behind Crossy Road - and it's just as compelling.

In Pac-Man 256, our rotund hero finds himself beyond the infamous level 256 glitch, which has become an all-consuming swarm of broken code that must be outrun. Pac-Man must therefore speed through the endless maze, munching dots, avoiding ghosts, and making use of power-ups dotted about the place.

And there aren't just power pellets this time round - Pac-Man can fry ghosts with lasers, or implement stealth technology to move through his spectral foes as if they weren't even there.

Routing cabling in the real world is a source of fury, and so it might not be the smartest procedure to make into a game played on a device with a glass screen. But Aux B turns out to be a lot of fun, routing INs and OUTs, across increasingly large and complex patch boards, striving to make music blare forth.

There are 80 levels, although towards the end, you wonder whether someone should have a quiet word with the gig organiser and suggest a set-up that's a wee bit simpler. (And once you're done with the 80, the game continues randomising levels forever, placing you in a weirdly entertaining mixing desk 'purgatory'.)

Very occasionally, free games appear that are so generous you wonder what the catch is. Cally's Caves 3 is rather Metroid, except the hero of the hour is a little girl who has pigtails, stupid parents who keep getting kidnapped, and a surprisingly large arsenal of deadly weapons. She leaps about, blasting enemies, and conquering bosses. Weapons are levelled up simply by shooting things with them, and the eight zones take some serious beating — although not as much as the legions of grunts you're shooting at.

Time travel weirdness meets the morning rush hour in Does Not Commute. You get a short story about a character, and guide their car to the right road. Easy! Only the next character's car must be dealt with while avoiding the previous one. And the next. Before long, you're a dozen cars in and weaving about like a lunatic, desperately trying to avoid a pile-up. For free, you get the entire game, but with the snag that you must always start from scratch, rather than being able to use checkpoints that appear after each zone. (You can unlock these for a one-off payment of $2.99/£2.99/AU$4.49.)

With its numbered sliding squares and soaring scores, there's more than a hint of Threes! about Imago. In truth, Threes! remains the better game, on the basis that it's more focussed, but Imago has plenty going for it. The idea is to merge pieces of the same size and colour, which when they get too big explode into smaller pieces that can be reused.

The clever bit is each of these smaller pieces retains the score of the larger block. This means that with smart thinking, you can amass colossal scores that head into the billions. The game also includes daily challenges with different success criteria, to keep you on your toes.

Pool for massive show-offs, with the table's pockets removed, Magnetic Billiards is all about smacking balls about in a strategic manner. Those that are the same colour stick together; the aim is to connect them all, preferably into a bonus shape, whereupon they vanish. Balls of different colours must not collide, but can 'buzz' each other for bonus points; further points come from cushion bounces. For free, you get the 'classic' level set, with 20 tables. If you want more, a $1.99/£1.49/AU$2.99 'skeleton key' IAP unlocks everything else in the game.

With iPads lacking tactile controls, they should be rubbish for platform games. But savvy developers have stripped back the genre, creating hybrid one-thumb auto-runner/platformers. These are entirely reliant on careful timing, the key element of more traditional fare.

Mr. Crab further complicates matters by wrapping its levels around a pole. The titular crustacean ambles back and forth, scooping up baby crabs, and avoiding the many enemies lurking about the place. The end result is familiar and yet fresh. You get a selection of diverse levels for free, and additional packs are available via IAP.

Having played Planet Quest, we imagine whoever was on naming duties didn't speak to the programmer. If they had, the game would be called Awesome Madcap Beam-Up One-Thumb Rhythm Action Insanity — or possibly something a bit shorter. Anyway, you're in a spaceship, prodding the screen to repeat beats you've just heard. Doing so beams up dancers on the planet's surface; get your timing a bit wrong and you merely beam-up their outfits; miss by a lot and you lose a life. To say this one's offbeat would be a terrible pun, but entirely accurate; it'd also be true to say this is the most fun rhythm action game on iPad — and it doesn't cost a penny.

We imagine the creators of Smash Hit really hate glass. Look at it, sitting there with its stupid, smug transparency, letting people see what's on the other side of it. Bah! Smash it all! Preferably with ball-bearings while flying along corridors! And that's Smash Hit — fly along, flinging ball-bearings, don't hit any glass face-on, and survive for as long as possible.

There are 50 rooms in all, but cheapskates start from scratch each time; pay $1.99/£1.99/AU$2.99 for the premium unlock and you get checkpoints, stats, iCloud sync, and alternative game modes.

One of the most innovative multiplayer titles we've ever played, Spaceteam has you and a bunch of friends in a room, each staring at a rickety and oddball spaceship control panel on your device's display. Instructions appear, which need a fast response if your ship is to avoid being swallowed up by an exploding star. But what you see might not relate to your screen and controls. Spaceteam therefore rapidly descends into a cacophony of barked demands and frantic searches across control panels (which helpfully start falling to bits), in a last-ditch attempt to 'set the Copernicus Crane to 6' or 'activate the Twinmill' and avoid fiery death.

A somewhat chessish two-player effort, Outwitters finds teams of angry sea creatures battling to the death, first helpfully arming them with surprisingly dangerous weapons. (It turns out crabs eschew claws when they've a mortar cannon to hand.)

Despite the cartoonish visuals, this is a deep and immersive strategy experience. Games are further complicated by a 'fog of war', which means units cannot see any further than they can move. This makes Outwitters tough to master but more rewarding on doing so and chalking up your first victories.

The best puzzle game on mobile, Threes! has you slide cards about a grid, merging pairs to create ever higher numbers. The catch is all cards slide as one, unless they cannot move; additionally, each turn leads to a new card in a random empty slot on the edge you swiped away from. It's all about careful management of a tiny space.

On launch, Threes! was mercilessly cloned, with dozens of alternatives flooding iTunes, but 2048 and its ilk lack the charm and fine details that made Threes! so great in the first place. And now there's Threes! Free, where you watch ads to top up a 'free goes' bin, there's no excuse for going with inferior pretenders.

"Expect retro graphics and megatons of enemies," says the developer about this twin-stick shooter, adding: "Don't expect a story". With its vector graphics and Robotronish air, PewPew brings to mind Geometry Wars and Infinity Field, but without a price tag.

Despite being free, PewPew nonetheless boasts five modes of shooty goodness. These range from the aptly named 'Pandemonium', where enemies spin around the screen on dying, to the more thoughtful (but still manic) 'Chromatic Conflict', where you can only shoot foes whose colour matches your ship.

It turns out if you're a sheep that thinks the grass is greener, you should check out the other side of the fence first. In Flockwork, wooly heroes make a break for freedom, but end up immersed in a kind of ruminant hell. Your task: help the sheep escape.

The tiny snag is that all the sheep move as one, meaning you must use a combination of quick thinking, finger gymnastics and fast reactions to ensure they don't drown, get eaten by clockwork wolves, or end up getting stuck behind walls like wooly idiots.

At some point, a total buffoon decreed that racing games should be dull and grey, on grey tracks, with grey controls. Gameloft's Asphalt series dispenses with such foolish notions, along with quite a bit of reality.

Here, in Asphalt 8, you zoom along at ludicrous speeds, drifting for miles through exciting city courses, occasionally being hurled into the air to perform stunts that absolutely aren't acceptable according to the car manufacturer's warranty. It's admittedly a bit grindy, but if you tire of zooming about the tracks in this game, there's no hope for you.

The basic aim of Tilt to Live is simple: avoid the red dots, either by cunning dodging and weaving or by triggering explosive devices in the arena. At the time, this wasn't especially innovative, and Tilt to Live has itself since spawned two (paid) sequels.

Even so, the game manages to appeal, largely due to its polish and sense of humour — the latter of which is especially handy when you miss your high score by moments during a particularly gruelling game and fancy flinging your device out of the window. You get the basic mode for free, and others can be unlocked by in-app purchase.

It's not the most interesting-looking game in the world, but luckily the magic of Choice of the Dragon is in its witty prose. Playing as a multiple-choice text adventure, akin to an extremely stripped-back RPG, this game is an amusing romp. It also, through a combination of stats and branching pathways with more than two options, boasts more depth than many more recent stabs at text-based iOS adventuring.

It's hard not to love Frotz when you see its App Store description 'warn' that it involves "reading, thinking, and typing" and that if you "just want to blow stuff up", it's not the app for you. And that's very true, given that this is an interactive fiction player.

You load titles written for the Z-Machine format (such as the famous Zork trilogy), and explore virtual worlds by typing in commands such as 'go north' and 'put the long dangly bit into the Tea Substitute'. As you might expect, Frotz works particularly well on an iPad (rather than the smaller screen of an iPhone), and it adds a menu for common commands to speed you along a bit.

In Triple Town, you have to think many moves ahead to succeed. It's a match game where trios of things combine to make other things, thereby giving you more space on the board to evolve your town. For example, three bushes become a tree, and three trees become a hut.

All the while, roaming bears and ninjas complicate matters, blocking squares on the board. At times surreal, Triple Town is also brain-bending and thoroughly addictive. Free moves slowly replenish, but you can also unlock unlimited moves via IAP.

Pinball games tend to be divided into two camps. One aims for a kind of realism, aping real-world tables. The other takes a more arcade-oriented approach. Zen Pinball is somewhere in-between, marrying realistic physics with tables that come to life with animated 3D figures.

Loads of tables are available via IAP, including some excellent Star Wars and Marvel efforts. But for free you get access to the bright and breezy Sorcerer's Lair, which, aside from some dodgy voice acting, is a hugely compelling and fast-paced table with plenty of missions and challenges to discover.

Who knew you could have such fun with a five-by-five grid of letters? In Letterpress, you play friends via Game Center, making words to colour lettered squares. Surround any and they're out of reach from your friend's tally. Cue: word-tug-o'-war, last-minute reversals of fortune, and arguments about whether 'qat' is a real word or not. (It is.)

With almost limitless possibilities in videogames, it's amazing how many are drab grey and brown affairs. Frisbee Forever 2 (like its similarly impressive forerunner) is therefore a breath of fresh air with its almost eye-searing vibrance.

There's a kind of Nintendo vibe - a sense of fun that continues through to the gameplay, which is all about steering a frisbee left and right, collecting stars strewn along winding paths. And these are a world away from the parks you'd usually fling plastic discs about in - here, you're hurled along roller-coaster journeys through ancient ruins and gorgeous snowy hillsides.

Proving that great ideas never die, Shadow Era brings trading cards to life on the iPad. What you lose in not being able to smell the ink and manually shuffle the deck, you gain in not being able to lose the cards or have them eaten by the dog. It's all very swords-and-fantasy oriented, and just like in real life you can also buy extra cards if you feel the need.

Score! takes the basic premise of a million path-drawing games and wraps it around classic footie goals. The combination works really well, with you attempting to recreate the ball's path in the best goals the world's ever seen. Failure results in a baying crowd and, frequently, improbable goalkeeping heroics.

The game's since had a sequel, but we prefer the original, which is less aggressive in its freemium model.

Argh! That's pretty much what you'll be yelling on a regular basis on playing this endless racer. Cubed Rally Redline shouldn't be difficult. You can go left or right on five clearly defined lanes, and there's a 'time brake' for going all slow-motion, Matrix-style, to weave through tricky gaps; but you'll still be smashing into cows, dinosaurs and bridges before you know it.

You'll persevere if you're particularly bloody minded, or just to see what other visual treats the developer's created for hardcore players.

In Smash Cops, you got to be the good guy, bringing down perps, mostly by ramming them into oblivion. Now in Smash Bandits it's your chance to be a dangerous crim, hopping between vehicles and leaving a trail of destruction in your wake. Smartly, this can all be done with a single finger, which is all you need to steer, drive and smash.

The game also amusingly includes the A-Team van and a gadget known only as the Jibba Jabba. We love it when a plan comes together!

If you liked this, then make sure you check out our best free iPad apps roundup!

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Pokemon Sun and Moon Review

Update: One year after the release of Pokemon Sun and Moon, the sequel titles are coming to the Nintendo 3DS this week. Called Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, these games will extend the story of these original titles and introduce a host of new features. They're also Pokemon's last outing on the Nintendo 3DS platform before the franchise moves over to the new Switch console. 

With these new releases landing, you might find that the original Sun and Moon titles appear in the Black Friday sales this year. Pokemon games tend to hold their value very well, but these sales are your best chance of picking the games up at a slight discount. 

Full review continues below...

Thanks to an aggressive marketing campaign and a surge of interest fostered by the mobile phenomenon Pokémon Go, Pokémon Sun and Moon are now the most pre-ordered games in Nintendo’s history. Expectations are high, and there’s a lot of pressure on this now 20-year-old franchise to impress fans old and new alike.

Fortunately, developer Game Freak has more than lived up to this challenge, creating a game that retains the familiarity and comfort of the series we know and love while changing things up in a way that arguably hasn’t been seen since Gold and Silver.

Pokemon Sun and Moon tips and tricks A whole new world

The most immediately noticeable change in Pokémon Sun and Moon is the game world. Called Alola, this new region is inspired by the real-world location of Hawaii and it’s a joy to play in. The map is split into four islands, each of which is visually distinct and in possession of its own character but still undeniably connected by culture and values. Creating a game world that feels like it could be a real place worth exploring rather than a collection of towns connected by bland ‘routes’ is an undeniable achievement for GameFreak.

Though Alola is inspired by Hawaii, the environment and plot structure changes between Sun and Moon and previous Pokémon games are similar to how the anime series changed between Kanto and the Orange Islands. Like the Orange islands, the climes in Aloa are much more tropical and as a result the Pokemon that can be found there sometimes look different to their Kanto and Johto counterparts in terms of color and form. 

Trial without error

Also similar to the Orange Islands is the fact that gyms are completely scrapped. Instead, in Alola players must face Island Trials on each of the four islands. Each island has a Trial Captain who determines what that island’s trial will be, and the challenge isn’t always limited to a Pokémon battle. 

Players will find themselves doing a range of things like scavenger hunts or taking part in dance competitions, and the diversity of these trials and the environments they take place in serves to make the whole thing feel less grinding.

Each challenge ends with a battle against a Totem Pokémon. These Totem Pokémon are particularly strong wild Pokémon, unique to the Alolan region, which draw on smaller allies to help them against the trainer.  

Of course it wouldn’t really feel like a Pokémon game world without a final battle against a powerful trainer but rather than face a gym leader players will instead battle the islands leader called the Kahuna. Once a player defeats and gains the approval of an island’s Kahuna they will unlock access to the game’s next island. 

This structure might seem more convoluted than previous games which simply had players defeat eight gym leaders before moving onto the main Pokémon League but it’s refreshingly different and a big reason Alola is so distinct from other Pokémon regions. 

Not having the repetitive grinding of gyms or a structured Pokémon league suits the more relaxed atmosphere of Alola, where Pokémon are natural and respected forces in the community and establishing a strong connection to them is prioritized.

The hills are alive with the sound of Pokémon

The strong sense of character in the environment and the people who inhabit it make Pokémon Sun and Moon feel more connected to the anime than any other games in the series so far. 

This connection to the anime is enhanced by the game’s vastly improved animations, closer camera angles, and introduction of genuinely good cut-scenes, all of which work together to make Sun and Moon more cinematic than any other Pokémon generation. 

The camera saw a big change in Pokémon X and Y,  scrapping the purely top-down view to occasionally drop into the game world. It was amazing how a change as subtle as this could make the familiar world of Pokemon feel fresh and exciting and these more cinematic camera angles have been refined in Sun and Moon with added benefit of better graphics to the same effect. 

We immediately felt that our character looked more like an actual person and moved more naturally than we’ve seen in a Pokémon game; they actually feel like they have some weight behind them and subtle things like the fact that they lift their hands up as they move through the tall grass adds to their sense of presence in the world. 

To get the most out of Alola’s setting, don’t forget to turn up your sound. The game’s soundtrack is an upbeat and tropical update on the familiar Pokémon tunes and the addition of sound effect such as Pokémon rustling in the undergrowth only makes the island feel more alive. 

Same old story

Where Sun and Moon don't change much from previous generations is the main story, but the prevent-the-end-of-the-world and defeat-the-notorious-criminal-gang storyline that Pokémon brings to the table every time is almost charming in its repetitiveness at this point. 

This time it’s slightly less palatable as the first few hours of the story feel like an overly-long tutorial and the villains, Team Skull, are laughably bad. In previous games the antagonists have managed to at least be slightly entertaining but Team Skull, with their painful dialogue and questionable animation, made us physically cringe. 

Fortunately, once you break out of the restriction of the game’s first island, the pace picks up and the likable supporting cast make up for the terrible antagonists. 

Besides this, as anyone who’s played previous games will tell you, Pokémon games are so much more than their story; it’s about the quest to be the very best and exploring everything else the game world has to offer. If anything, sometimes it can feel like Pokémon Sun and Moon have almost too much going on, but as long as you don’t try to do everything all at once it’s manageable.

We can already tell we’re going to log hundreds of hours of gameplay outside of the main story before the year is out. 

If it ain't broke...

It's Pokémon, so of course there are battles and though the core mechanic in Sun and Moon hasn’t changed there are some notable alterations. 

The first thing you’ll probably notice is that battles no longer place Pokémon on isolated little islands. Instead, they integrate the game’s environment into the scene. This makes battles feel more natural and part of the game world, particularly as you actually see yourself and the opposing trainers issue commands to your battling Pokemon. 

Another visual change is that the UI for choosing which action you’re going to take in battle has been given a refresh. The places of the different options for action have been moved and it’s much easier to access more information about your Pokemon and the power and effects of their moves mid-battle. 

Efforts are made to highlight the depth of Pokémon battles by occasionally noting which of your Pokémon's moves will be effective, not effective, or super effective against their opponent beneath the move itself. Though helpful, this could prove irksome to those who have spent a good deal of time in the Pokémon world who don’t want to feel like their hands are being held. 

However, it makes it easier for those new to the series to identify this more tactical side of the games as something worth delving into. It’s important to note these hints don’t appear every time and though we’re more likely to fall into the category of those who find the feature irksome, we admittedly found it useful when we were faced with all new Alolan Pokémon whose types we couldn’t even begin to fathom.

Ready for battle

Other than this there are only minor differences to the one-on-one battle structure. Probably the most notable difference is that when taking on wild Pokémon they can now summon allies and turn the battle into a two on one attack. Although this forces you to change up your tactics mid-battle it doesn’t really add anything more to the experience of encountering wild Pokémon and can be irritating as you can’t catch them while an ally is present.

A key addition is an entirely new battle mode called Battle Royal, which occurs in a location called Festival Plaza. Festival Plaza is an in-game area where players can buy and trade items and enter battle tournaments against the computer, however, it will also act as the hub for online play where players will be able to battle and talk to their real-life friends.

Battle Royal pits four trainers against one another in a free-for-all match. In this mode, players pick three Pokémon for their team and send one out to battle the three opposing Pokemon. 

Points are gained by knocking out other Pokémon and the first player to have all of their Pokémon knocked out loses. Battle Royals require different tactics to one on one battles; speed is key and although knocking out other Pokémon is the goal, you have to be careful not to get a Pokémon down to low enough health that another player could knock it out and steal the point from you. 

Overall, during our time spent with it, we found it an enjoyable battle mode that really keeps you on your toes, although it's at its most fun when played with friends rather than in single-player versus the computer.

New moves to show off

Pokémon moves have been given a slight change up with the introduction of Z-moves. Z-moves are essentially the Alolan version of Mega Evolutions, able to drastically enhance the power of your Pokémon's attack . When used, they can completely turn a battle around, but they come with a number of limitations which are possibly intended to lend the move's impact but actually do the opposite.  

Firstly, to use a Z-move a Pokémon must be holding a Z-crystal and know a move that’s the same type as the crystal. So, if you want to power up your Pikachu it doesn’t make much sense to equip it with a water-type Z crystal. 

The second condition is that you can only use one Z-move per battle even if more than one of your Pokémon is holding a crystal, a shame because they’re initiated by some absolutely great dancing from your character.

A more significant change to moves that has an impact both inside and outside of battles is the decision to scrap HMs. This is a change for the better. 

In previous Pokémon games some battle moves such as Surf and Fly could also be used to travel across the map. The problem with these moves was that once a Pokémon learned them they couldn’t then unlearn them and as a result they ended up placing irritating restrictions on players when building their party. 

Pokémon Sun and Moon’s alternative to HMs is a feature called PokéRide which acts like the bike in previous games. Need to cross some water? Open the menu and call forth your Lapras. Want to take to the skies? Charizard can be conjured for that. This is a great way to keep using Pokémon to travel without limiting the player’s battle party and it also makes it much easier to traverse the game’s large map. 

It's the little things

It’s also worth noting the small improvements and refinements on previous games that just make Sun and Moon feel more enjoyable to play.

The main change that had us thinking ‘why is this only just being added now?’ is that when you catch a wild Pokémon and your party is full, you’re given the option to immediately add it to your party and swap out another Pokémon rather than trek to a computer to do so. 

Meanwhile if you do decide to access the computer, you’ll be pleased to know the box management system has improved.

Pokémon Refresh, which is essentially a more stripped back version of the Pokémon Amie feature introduced in X and Y, is another improvement. After a battle, players have the option to enter the Pokémon Refresh screen where they’re able to heal their Pokémon's status condition as well as clean it up and feed it PokéBeans. This won’t be possible if your Pokémon has fainted. 

Just like Pokémon Amie, Pokémon Refresh rewards your care by increasing your Pokemon’s affection for you, making it more effective in battle. By taking out the mini games, petting, and decorating of Pokémon Amie, Pokémon Refresh is more streamlined and feels less pointless, making us much more inclined to use it. 

Verdict: Play it now

Pokémon Sun and Moon are some of the best additions to the Pokémon series we've seen in a long time. Without dropping any of the things that have made the series great over the past 20 years, Sun and Moon still manages to feel fresh, engaging, and most importantly, improved. In fact, the visual improvements are so noticeable it seems almost incredible that we're still playing on the same platform X and Y launched on.

All of the changes in Sun and Moon, small and large, work together to make the Pokémon world feel more engaging and alive than ever, and for the first time in while there are more reasons to pick up and play than simple nostalgia.

Pokémon Moon was reviewed on 3DS.

TechRadar's review system scores games as 'Don't Play It', 'Play It' and 'Play It Now', the last of which is the highest score we can give. A 'Play It' score suggests a solid game with some flaws, but the written review will reveal the exact justifications.

Have you missed your 3DS? Here's our list of the the best 3DS games to play.

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The best iPhone X deals pre-Black Friday 2017

The iPhone X is Apple's ridiculously big, ridiculously powerful 10th anniversary phone and deals are finally available to order. If you're in the market to buy then you've come to exactly the right place - we've collected up all the best iPhone X deals right here, whether you're after a contract plan or want to buy the iPhone X SIM-free upfront.

We've trawled the UK's most popular retailers and networks, so you know that you won't end up ordering an iPhone X now, only to get deal envy when you see that your mate managed to get a cheaper price. Prices have already fallen a little since launch, and we've started bagging exclusive iPhone X deals from retailers.

Whether you're after a big data deal to keep you streaming and surfing, or just want the cheapest iPhone X out there, you can use the comparison tools below to find your way to the best iPhone X deals. Or see our handpicked recommendations for the best deals below that.

We've bagged a brilliant exclusive deal from Carphone Warehouse with Black Friday looming in the very near distance. If you buy any iPhone X, it will throw in a £40 gift card that can be used at any of Amazon, Currys/PC World, M&S and more. Click to see more details of how to claim this Carphone Warehouse Black Friday offer. 

Filter and compare all of the iPhone 8 deals available in the UK: The best iPhone X deals in the UK today:

Alternatively, you can head straight to the websites of the UK's biggest networks and mobile phone retailers to see their iPhone X deals first hand:

Direct Mobiles' iPhone X deals (NEXT DAY DELIVERY!)Three's iPhone X deals (est. delivery November 24)Carphone Warehouse's iPhone X deals (delivery by November 24)Mobiles.co.uk's iPhone X deals (stock expected November 24)e2save iPhone X deals (stock expected November 24)Mobile Phones Direct's iPhone X deals (est. delivery 1-2 weeks)Buymobiles' iPhone X deals (delivered in 5-10 days)Affordable Mobiles' iPhone X deals (delivered in 5-10 days)Virgin Mobile's iPhone X deals (est. delivery December 1)O2's iPhone X deals (delivery up to two weeks)EE's iPhone X deals (expect dispatch within 21 days)Sky Mobile's iPhone X deals (est. delivery 5-6 weeks)Vodafone's iPhone X deals (est. delivery date not stated) iPhone X price: how much does it cost?

We're going to level with you straightaway. The iPhone X IS EXPENSIVE. Are you ready for this...the 64GB version will cost an astonishing £999 at the outset.

But look on the bright side...at least you'll get £1 change from the thousand pound spend on your new phone!

Go for the 256GB model instead if you still like to save catalogues of photos, songs and films to your phone, and you'll have to find £1,149 instead. At that price, now might be the time to get in to streaming.

You can buy the iPhone X from the following retailers:

iPhone X from Carphone Warehouse (delivery by November 17)iPhone X from Mobiles.co.uk (stock expected November 17)iPhone X from Currys (available November 17)iPhone X from Very.co.uk (delivery on December 22)iPhone X from Argos (delivery date not stated)

We think that the iPhone X is the most important iPhone ever launched. After years of incremental upgrades, Apple has pulled out all the stops for its 10th anniversary smartphone. Face ID lets you unlock your phone just by looking at it, the stunning 5.8-inch Super Retina HD display does away with the bezel almost entirely, there's wireless charging, and that's before we even get to Animojis!

Read TechRadar's hands on iPhone X review

Now let's break down the best iPhone X deals by network...

Best iPhone X deals on EE Best iPhone X deals on O2 Best iPhone X deals on Vodafone Best iPhone X deals on Three

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Kodi add-on Covenant and others shut down amid threats of legal action

A number of high-profile, hugely popular Kodi add-ons have been forced to shutdown due to legal threats against a developer in the Kodi community.

Add-ons including Covenant, Bennu and DeathStreams have ceased to function properly, as the creator of their underlying Colossus repository (the software that allows them to source and make sense of videos hosted across the internet) ended operations on his part of the chain. This includes the development of the URLresolver and Metahandler software which many third-party apps rely on.

The developer, known as jsergio123 online, was said to have been hand-delivered a cease-and-desist letter in the UK from the MPA/MPAA's Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment. Among the content providers cited in the letter threatening legal action were Disney, Sky UK, the Premier League, Netflix and Amazon, as well as a number of movie studios.

Rough seas for pirates

Tweeting his response to the letter, Jsergio123 said:

The action has been called for by the rights holders as the likes of Covenant can be used to easily find pirated entertainment materials, like films and TV shows, through Kodi. And, while Kodi itself as an open-source piece of software can legitimately and legally be used as a home media center, the likes of Covenant are built with the almost sole express purpose of giving access to copyrighted materials.

It's unclear yet as to whether another developer will take up the mantle left by jsergio123, but it's not the most attractive project given the legal risks. Following a series of similar takedown notices and legal efforts, it seems the tide may be finally turning against the Kodi pirates.

Kodi: the good, the bad and the illegal

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You can now use Windows Mixed Reality headsets to play games on Steam

If you are the proud owner of a Windows Mixed Reality headset, do we have some good news for you. Valve has announced that you can now use the virtual reality headsets to play VR games in Steam. 

What’s even better news is that at the moment, the software that is needed is being provided totally free as an Early Access preview. 

The reason that it’s a preview rather than a full launch is that there are still bugs that need working out and Microsoft is wanting to involve the Steam Community in identifying the issues before a full launch:

“Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR is currently targeted at consumers who want to be first to try out their Steam titles on Windows Mixed Reality. There are some known performance and experience issues that we are actively addressing. Early feedback will help spot new issues with a breadth of content."

The best free-to-play Steam games 2017 Starts free, stays free

The post continues: “We're eager to gather your feedback during this early access release to make the full release of Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR a smashing success. If you run into any issues during Early Access please provide feedback through the Windows Feedback hub or through the Community Hub here on Steam.”

If you’d rather not be involved in the testing, or you haven’t yet got your Mixed Reality headset, don’t worry, Valve has stated that the software will remain free once it launches properly. 

Given the vast quantities of Windows Mixed Reality headsets hitting the market at the moment, it will be interesting to see the effect that this integration has on the amount of users taking up VR gaming. 

Want to make sure you're always getting the best Steam Deals? Check out: Steam sales and deals – get the best games in Black Friday and Winter Sales

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Super Mario Odyssey review: one of Mario's finest adventures

Update: Are you thinking about joining Mario on his latest adventure? Make sure you check out our tips and tricks guide. Also bear in mind that Black Friday is approaching and we're hoping there might be some appealing Switch bundles on offer this year!

Full review continues below...

Super Mario has become something of a defining character when it comes to Nintendo hardware; Super Mario Bros. effectively sold the NES to the global masses in the '80s, while Super Mario World was a dream launch title for the 16-bit SNES a few years later. 

Super Mario 64 would revolutionize the 3D platforming genre and prove the worth of the Nintendo 64's new-fangled analogue wand, while the Wii's Super Mario Galaxy gave Mario one of his best outings to date. 

Now it's the turn of the Switch, a system which has already seen Zelda: Breath of the Wild gleefully tear up the conventions of that franchise. Super Mario Odyssey isn't quite as ardent in its desire to break rules, but it does have some particularly noteworthy tricks up its sleeve.

Making the Switch super

Not that you'd know from the opening premise; Mario's arch-enemy Bowser is up to his usual tricks and has kidnapped Princess Peach with the intention of finally putting a ring on it and making her his wife. 

This kicks off a rather hair-brained scheme where Bowser travels from kingdom to kingdom, stealing an item from each which is integral to his upcoming nuptials. Taking the something borrowed tradition somewhat too seriously it seems. 

Mario quickly befriends Cappy – a sentient piece of headgear – and hops on board the flying ship Odyssey to give chase. 

Even when you touch down in the game's opening levels, it's hard to shake the impression that this is merely more of the same; there are coins to collect, characters to chat with and platforms to negotiate, all taking place within a confined stage, Mario 64-style. However, you soon notice something is very different – Super Mario Odyssey lacks traditional power-ups.

There's not a single Mushroom, Leaf or Fire Flower in sight; Mario doesn't change size or alter the color of his overalls, and there are certainly no Tanooki or Cat suits to be found. 

Instead, Cappy can be flung at nearby enemies to possess them, thereby gaining their unique talents and powers. A frog imbues the player with the ability to leap high into the sky, while a Goomba is capable of walking on ice without slipping and sliding. 

It's not just enemies that can be possessed in this way; other characters can be “cap”-tured and used to find secrets and hidden routes. At one point you have to possess a slab of meat in order to achieve your objective. While the absence of power-ups could be perceived as a negative, Cappy's talents mean that Super Mario Odyssey gives the player more gameplay options than ever before.

Possessions over power-ups

Cappy isn't just good for possessing enemies; he can be used in other ways, too. Holding down the throw button after you've released him causes a prolonged spin which is ideal for dishing out additional damage or smashing crates. 

You can also use him as a temporary platform in this state, which allows you travel across wide expanses of the landscape. Using the motion controls on the Joy-Con you can add wrinkles to these commands; a waggle of the controllers will cause Cappy to home in on the closest enemy, while other gestures trigger vertical and even circular throws. 

These commands accentuate Mario's already impressive repertoire, which he has tirelessly built up over the years. He can wall jump, triple jump, ground pound and – of course – leap on the heads of foes to vanquish them.

Following on from the linear, tightly-structured levels of Super Mario 3D World – which were designed for chaotic multiplayer fun – the kingdoms in Super Mario Odyssey have a sandbox feel to them, with some stretching off far into the distance. 

Each one is packed with Power Moons, Odyssey's most coveted collectible and the resource on which your ship depends in order to progress to other kingdoms. Some of these are hidden in plain sight, while others require you to embark on mini-quests such as finding lost sheep or collecting magical notes. 

On your first run it's possible to collect a certain amount of Power Moons per stage before moving on, but if you're deadly serious about completing the game totally then you can expect many weeks of endless searching.

Then there are the coins. The way in which Super Mario Odyssey uses this timeless collectible is nothing short of genius. 

There are no lives in the game; instead, death merely results in you returning to the last checkpoint and losing a handful of coinage – hardly a major frustration as coins are everywhere. 

However, coins do have more value here; they are used to purchase new costumes, Power Moons and other items from vendors in each kingdom, so you'll want to grab as many as possible. 

Each kingdom also has 50 purple coins which are unique to that region; these are also used to purchase items, albeit ones which are more desirable. Finding them all becomes just as compelling as finding the Power Moons – even more so when you consider that some of the costumes on offer can be used to gain access to bolted doors in each kingdom.

Collectible genius

This slightly revised setup would count for little if the kingdoms themselves weren't up to scratch, but Nintendo's designers have allowed their imaginations to run riot in Odyssey. 

From the uncanny realism of New Donk City – complete with “normal” looking humans, against which Mario appears quite odd – to the downright bonkers Luncheon Kingdom – where food comes alive and attacks our hero – Odyssey's levels are full of surprises.

It's easy to become hopelessly entrapped in these levels as you explore each nook and cranny in search of collectibles and other secrets – in fact, you may find yourself spending longer than you have to in certain kingdoms purely because the act of exploration is so enticing and addictive.

On the downside, the devilishly compelling multiplayer witnessed in Super Mario 3D World is gone. Although, a very basic co-op mode – which gives the second player limited control over Cappy's movements – is available. 

It would have been tricky for Nintendo to factor in a four-player system but its omission still hurts, especially when you consider how much fun the Wii U outing was because of it. 

Thankfully amiibo are supported this time around, and they actually have a use in-game; you can employ them to seek out Power Moons to make life a little easier. It's also worth mentioning the Assist Mode, which makes things easier for newcomers by giving Mario extra health and showing which direction to head in next.

Final verdict: play it now

Super Mario Odyssey doesn't discard the core mechanics of the series in quite the same way that Zelda: Breath of the Wild does, but it's fresh and different enough to what has gone before to comfortably rank as one of Mario's finest adventures in recent memory. 

The process of uncovering all of its secrets and finding all of its collectibles will take the average player weeks if not longer, and the game world is so chock full of intriguing surprises that it's almost impossible to put down. 

Super Mario Odyssey is one of those unique games which manages to be both instantly familiar and breathtakingly groundbreaking at the same time; it's also the perfect way to round off what has been a remarkable first year for the Switch.

Don't miss our tips and tricks guide for Super Mario Odyssey Looking for more great Nintendo Switch games? These are our favorites

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iPad Pro 3: what we want to see

Update: A new rumor suggests the iPad Pro 3 will use a powerful octa-core A11X Bionic chipset and launch in early 2018.

Apple recently updated its iPad Pro range with the iPad Pro 10.5 and the iPad Pro 12.9 (2017). They’re the iPad Pro 2 in all but name and each is a decent update, adding a new size into the mix and improving almost everything that was already present, such as the screen and performance.

But they’re also seriously expensive devices, and still don’t quite cut it as laptop replacements, no matter how much Apple tries to convince you otherwise. So for the iPad Pro 3 we want some big changes, and we’ve got a wish list of them below.

But first we’ve collected all the intel we can find on Apple’s next slate – there’s not much to go on yet, but we’ve taken some educated guesses at the price, release date and certain specs and features based on Apple’s past form.

Cut to the chase What is it? The next flagship iPadWhen is it out? Probably mid-2018What will it cost? Likely at least £619/$649/AU$979 iPad Pro 3 release date and price

Recently Apple hasn’t stuck to a yearly upgrade cycle with its iPads. The original iPad Pro launched in November 2015, quickly followed by the iPad Pro 9.7 in March 2016 and then the iPad Pro 10.5 and iPad Pro 12.9 (2017) in June 2017. And that’s ignoring the non-Pro new iPad, which launched in March 2017.

But there is still something of a pattern. The first iPad Pro generation began its rollout in March 2016, and the iPad Pro 2 models landed in June 2017, so that’s only just over a year apart.

It’s likely then that Apple will launch the iPad Pro 3 sometime in the middle of 2018, maybe even June 2018, though a couple of months either side of that is very possible too.

In fact, an early rumor points to a release at either the end of the Q1 2018 (presumably meaning sometime in March), or early Q2 (likely April). So you might not be waiting long.

Whenever it does launch, the slate is sure to have a high price. The iPad Pro 10.5 starts at £619/$649/AU$979, so with Apple seemingly being done with 9.7-inch Pro models that’s probably the minimum you’ll pay.

iPad Pro 3 news and rumors

iPad Pro 3 rumors are thin on the ground so far, but sources in the supply chain are claiming that it will use a new octa-core A11X Bionic chipset. That's an upgrade on the hexa-core A11 Bionic chipset in the iPhone X.

Apparently it will also be smaller, coming in at just 7nm, which could mean it's more efficient, and it will supposedly include a neural processing unit, which also points to the possible inclusion of Face ID, as that's largely powered by AI.

Beyond that, we can guess at a few things. For example, as Apple has just introduced a new size with the 10.5-inch model we probably won’t see any new sizes next year.

That means the iPad Pro 3 will likely come in 10.5 inches and probably also 12.9 inches, but since the 9.7-inch Pro hasn’t been refreshed it looks like that size could be relegated to cheaper, non-Pro models.

We wouldn’t expect much change to the camera either. Apple has stuck the same 12MP and 7MP rear and front snappers as the iPhone 8 has on its latest slates, which is serious overkill for a tablet, so should serve the Pro range well for at least another year.

Other existing features, such as the True Tone display with 120Hz refresh rate, quad-speakers and Smart Connector are also likely to return.

What we want to see

Great as the current iPad Pro models are they’re also very expensive, and still lack some key features or trail behind rivals in certain ways. With that in mind here’s a list of the things we most want to see from the iPad Pro 3.

1. Water resistance

Apple has added water resistance to its phones, but so far not its tablets, and while it’s less needed on a tablet since it’s too big to drop in a glass and unlikely to be used in the rain, it could still come in handy.

Drinks still spill and people use tablets when cooking or by the pool, so knowing that the iPad Pro 3 could survive a dunk would be reassuring, especially given how much these things cost.

2. Even better productivity skills

Apple is really pushing the productivity potential of the iPad Pro, yet in most cases it still can’t quite match up to a laptop.

iOS isn’t versatile enough even with iOS 11, and accessories such as the Smart Keyboard tend to be overpriced for what’s ultimately a mediocre experience.

Better, lower priced accessories would help, along with further changes to iOS, bringing it more in line with a desktop operating system. More full, desktop quality software, such as Photoshop, would help too. To some extent that’s out of Apple’s hands, but it could make deals with developers, or just make the platform more appealing to them.

3. A lower price

The iPad Pro is an expensive bit of kit, there’s no getting around that, whichever size or model you pick. Given the amount of tech packed in it’s not necessarily bad value, but it can be hard to justify the outlay, especially when there are cheaper tablets and it’s not a full laptop replacement.

So we’d like to see a price cut for the iPad Pro 2, or at the very least (and far more likely) the price remaining the same, while the tech and storage capacity improves.

4. A sharp OLED screen

The iPad Pro 2 in both its 10.5 and 12.9-inch sizes has a screen with a pixel density of 265 pixels per inch, which is fairly sharp, and the overall screen quality is high.

But there are sharper screens on tablets, laptops and phones, so we’d like to see Apple raise the resolution, especially as an iPad should be a prime candidate for 4K content.

And as well as a new resolution, we’d like to see a new display technology, namely OLED. Apple has now used this for the iPhone X, so it’s entirely possible that the iPad Pro 3 could benefit as well.

5. Face ID

Apple debuted Face ID on the iPhone X, letting you simply look at the phone to unlock it. That means no more home button, which in turn allows for a bigger screen in the same size shell. These are all good things, and things we’d like from the iPad Pro 3.

6. Better battery life

The iPad Pro 2 doesn’t have bad battery life, far from it if you’re using it mostly as a media device, but if you plan to use the thing as a full laptop replacement you’ll probably only get 6-7 hours out of it.

That’s still not bad, but an extra couple of hours would really help, so whether through a bigger battery or more efficient components and software, we’d like to see Apple eke extra life out of the iPad Pro 3.

7. A new look

The iPad Pro has a slim, light and stylish design, but it’s more or less the same one Apple’s been using for years, so we’d like a complete overhaul for the iPad Pro 3. Something new and exciting that could tempt those with older models to upgrade.

That could take the form of a glass back, a curvy screen, zero bezels, or something else altogether. But if there’s one thing Apple’s almost always great at it’s design, so we’re sure it’s up to the task.

Apple may soon announce its next iPhone

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Best wireless headphones of 2017

Best Wireless Headphones: Welcome to TechRadar's guide to the best wireless headphones (both in-ear and over-ear styles) you can buy in 2017.

While just a couple of years ago you were forced to make some serious compromises if you wanted to go wireless, these days it's a completely different story. 

Bluetooth technology has improved to allow audio to be transmitted without the same loss of quality that used to result, and batteries have improved to allow you to get several days of use out of a pair of headphones without needing to charge them. 

Love them or hate them, wireless headphones are here to stay, and the removal of the headphone jack from high-profile handsets like the iPhone X and Pixel 2 pes and sizes - from sleek, workout-ready in-ear headphones to cushion-y noise-cancelling over-ear headphones - and each offer more features and better connectivity options than your old wired headphones ever could. 

Headphones, no strings attached

So what makes wireless headphones so special anyways? And how do you determine the best wireless headphones from a whole bunch of wannabes? 

Easy. You try dozens of wireless headphones and stack them against one another, mono-a-mono. (Well, stereo-a-stereo in this case.)

We've done this countless times over the years and have since built up a bit of an ear for picking out certain tonal characteristics. With these particular set of skills and a keen eye for value we set about trying to pick out the best headphones money could buy.

So, looking to finally ditch the cord? Here are the top 10 wireless headphones, ordered by their price-to-performance ratio:

Additional resources: 

Check out TechRadar's exhaustive guides to the best headphones to buy today including the best on-ear headphones, the best in-ear headphones and the best over-ear headphones.For some more specialist pairs, take a look at our guides to the best noise-cancelling headphones.Looking for some headphones you can take in the pool or on a run? Check out our guide to the best swimming headphones and best running headphones.

NuForce knocked it out of the park with the BE Sport3 headphones. They're an incredible value for a pair of wireless headphones that sound good, last all day, have a bulletproof build and incredible noise isolation. While they're not the most dynamic or resolving headphones, NuForce shows us that the future of wireless headphones is a bright one.

Read the full review: Optoma NuForce BE Sport3

The Sony WH-1000XM2 are an excellent revision of an already great pair of wireless headphones: They sound great, deftly wield noise cancellation technology and cost just as much as a pair of Bose QC35s. They might have a slightly shorter battery life than some other headphones on our list, but Sony’s WH-1000XM2 outclass them all in terms of performance and feature-set.  

Not only do they provide awesome noise-cancellation, but they have three neat tricks that few other wireless headphones have: One is an ambient noise mode that only lets in mid-to-high frequency tones (announcements over a loudspeaker, for instance) and another being Quick Attention mode that allows you to let in all outside noise without taking off the headphones. (The latter is perfect when giving a drink order on a plane or speaking to a coworker for a brief moment before diving back into your work.) The last trick Sony has up its sleeve is the LDAC codec. Alongside the widely adopted aptX HD standard, LDAC enables Hi-Res Audio playback using the 1000XM2.

Great-sounding and feature-packed, the Sony WH-1000XM2 are great travel companions and all-around excellent wireless headphones.

Read the full review: Sony WH-1000XM2

If in-ear headphones aren't your style, your next best bet is the Jabra Move Wireless. These headphones may look like a budget buy, but don't let that fool you: this set of on ear Bluetooth headphones is nothing but an all-around stellar product. From the fun and edgy design to excellent performance, these cans come recommended for anyone interested in wireless on the cheap.

Read the full review: Jabra Move Wireless

Although they're a much better looking, and sounding, pair of headphones, the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless (not to be confused with the smaller, cheaper, Sennheiser Momentum On-Ear Wireless) are kept off the top spot of the list by their premium price point, which puts them out of reach of all but the most committed of music lovers. 

But for those that can afford them, these are a no-holds-barred wireless headphones are oozing with positive qualities. They're comfortable, hard-working set of headphones that will likely last for years.

Read the full review: Sennheiser Momentum Wireless

Sitting at the top our list is the Bose QC35. Bose has finally brought its fantastic noise-cancelling technology to a pair of wireless headphones and it's done so without any of the traditional drawbacks of wireless headphones. They sound great, and their battery life is long enough for all but the longest of flights.

At $349.95 (£289.95 / AU pricing tbc) the QC35s sit firmly at the premium end of the spectrum, but if you want the best noise-cancelling headphones available and the best wireless pair of cans, you can't get any better than this.

Read the full review: Bose QuietComfort 35

If you're a frequent traveler you're probably all too familiar with headphones that can't hold a charge and can't block out sound, let alone sound very good. Let us introduce you to the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2, one of the few headphones on the market that can do all of the above and cost less than half as much as one of the bigger names like Beats, Bose and Sony. 

If we had to boil it down to its core, the BackBeat Pro 2 offers an excellent travel headphone with incredible battery life, supreme comfort, the ability to pair two device as once and, most importantly, good sound quality for the cost.

Read the full review: Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

If you're a fan of Sennheiser's sound, but want noise-cancellation in addition to wireless operation then the PXC 550 headphones might be exactly what you're looking for. They might be pricey, but these headphones sound great. 

The reason we haven't put them further up the list comes down to their controls. Although controlling the headphones with a series of swipes on the outside of the earcup feels futuristic, it's not much help when you want to quickly skip through multiple tracks, or set the volume at a specific level.

Outside of these issues, these are a great pair of headphones that tick (almost) all the boxes. 

Read the full review: Sennheiser PXC 550

The AKG N60NC Wireless sound like a pair of headphones that should be much more expensive than they are. 

At their mid-range price point the headphones offer fantastic value for money, with great sound quality and a level of noise-cancellation performance that's on a level with the much more premium entries on this list. 

Our biggest issue with these headphones is the fact that they're on-ear rather than over-ear, meaning that we found that they got uncomfortable over longer periods. 

Regardless, the benefit of this is that this is a fantastically compact pair of headphones, and if you're willing to make the trade-off then these are great for the price. 

Read the full review: AKG N60NC Wireless

If you’re not too picky about audio, you’ll love the Beats Studio 3 Wireless. They look good, are comfortable and sound decent while releasing the pressure valve of city life with active noise cancellation.

Add great battery life and an Apple W1 chip and you have headphones that are very easy to get on with, particularly if you own an iPhone. 

Read the full review:  Beats Studio 3 Wireless

The Beats X is a bold new product for what has quickly become a traditional headphone maker. Instead of sticking to bass-heavy workout earbuds or wildly expensive over-ears, the company has crafted a new pair of musically inclined in-ears for anyone already sick of losing their brand-new Apple AirPods.

It has a few problems of its own – including poor noise isolation and a lack of fidelity – but if you’re looking for a no-fuss pair of earbuds that charge in 5 minutes and don’t mind dropping some cash on them, the Beats X are for you.

The W1 chip also makes pairing and connecting these headphones a breeze. 

Read the full review: Beats X

We're constantly reviewing new wireless headphones, but get in touch via email (Nick.Pino@Futurenet.com) or Twitter (@PowerstancePino) if there is a set that you'd like us to take a look at.

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Destiny 2 review: our definitive verdict after a week with Bungie's blockbuster

Update: Destiny 2 has been out for a while now but if you're new to the game and looking to pick up some gameplay tips, do make sure you give our guide to the game a skim.

Destiny 2 is constantly evolving, too, so swing by our hub to read about the latest news, updates and DLC. 

Full review continues below...

Not many games manage to pull off being a huge, triple-A success and a cult hit, but then again, not many games are MMO-esque shooters made by Bungie. The original Destiny proved the House That Halo Built could move beyond Master Chief with swagger and joie de vivre, but the end result was still a game built to reward its earliest adopters with occasional rewards and a near non-existent story.

With that in mind, Bungie has attempted to build something far less impenetrable with its much-hyped sequel, dropping the difficulty down across the board and keeping a steady stream of new gear and weapons where the first game drip fed you loot. That change in difficulty might sound like heresy to veteran players, but then you discover the hidden genius of Destiny 2’s design.

Traveller's tales

At first it’s new campaign, complete with a somewhat forgettable story, might seem like a way to tick a box that was missing first time around. Ultimately however, it’s been designed to inform you every feature the game offers and, more importantly, keep you pumped full of fun for its 10+ hours of missions. When you emerge the other side you’ve unlocked a solar system of planets to explore, challenges to complete, dungeons to explore and loot galore.

It’s a consistent sense of empowerment that enables you to head out and keep having that fun, teaming up with other players to tackle regularly generated Public Events (which work like bosses with added puzzle elements) or going it alone and explore the new Lost Sector dungeons (filled with bosses and powerful new gear). You’ll likely already reach the level cap of 20 by this stage, but the ability to keep increasing your Power Level (a rating that represents how tough you are based on the strength of your guns and armour) is the delicious carrot on a stick that keeps you slavering for more.

Even the side-mission Adventures feel like fully-fleshed out stories. It’s clear Bungie didn’t want these side quests to feel like a poor excuse to give you a reward, instead offering up narratives that could almost convince you were still playing the main campaign. Whether you tackle these solo or with others (like practically everything else in Destiny 2, players on the same server can assist you/abandon you if they’re in the area), these added missions feel like anything other than filler.

Eyes up Guardian

The difficulty is there, but it’s restrained to Dark Zones (points during the Campaign or other missions where you can’t respawn, forcing you to play smarter while under fire) and tougher Raids (timed, regularly updated special missions that demand teamwork against some seriously tough foes). 

The flipside of making things more favourable to casual players - and the sheer abundance of gear you can buy from NPCs before missions or found dropped by enemies (turning every foe into a walking loot chest) - is that seeking out those elusive super rare guns feels far less exciting. Destiny 2 has embraced (of all things) its inner Borderlands.

There’s a great sense of diversity to the environments you’re able to explore, too. Much like The Elder Scrolls Online and other MMO-style affairs, Destiny 2 breaks away from the boring, repetitive locales of the first game and attempts to burn your retinas clean off with colour, vibrancy and creative environmental design. Swooping around on your Sparrow (your trusty hoverbike), you’re instantly reminded of Bungie’s talent for designing memorable places and races, much like it did for years with Halo.

Nessus, a terraformed rock, now teems with robotic life, flourishing with red trees and grass like something straight out of a No Man’s Sky ad campaign. The Jovian moon of Io is lush yet rocky, filled with hills and canyons that make for perfect gunfight arenas. Even Earth’s ruined European outskirts invoke a sprinkling of The Last Of Us with its moss covered buildings and broken roads. The Saturnian moon of Titan is the only real misstep - its storm-racked sea platform just feels like an excuse to include something more recognisably urban, but it comes off as rote and forgettable.

Jump woes

So we know the guns are brilliant, and the ballistic mechanics are a dream to point and shoot, but the same can’t be said for the game’s approach to movement. Tapping the jump button will launch you into the air in a rising leap, but the speed of your descent is far too slow. Clearly built to enable players to have more time to shoot while in the air, it makes platforming and navigation a bore at best.

There’s a frustrating timing needed to make that double jump work in the first place, and it makes sections with enforced platforming (we’re looking at you, Titan) feel slow, painful and drawn out. We died more times in Destiny 2 after mistiming a jump and tumbling into the waves/depths below, than we ever did in a gunfight. Compared to the slick navigational mechanics of Titanfall 2 or Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Destiny 2 feels oddly clunky.

Verdict: Play it Now

Yet, even with that issue rearing its head now and then, it’s impossible not to love this second round of Guardian mayhem. Even the returning Crucible - Destiny 2’s answer to those that want a competitive multiplayer mode to counter all that RPG-ness - feels refreshed. There’s a shift away from the gung-ho firefights of old, and a move towards a more balanced, Overwatch-style team approach that’s all about working together rather than no scoping noobs for lols.

It might sound like Bungie has watered down its cult favourite formula to flings its doors wide open to the masses - and to an extent, it undeniably has - but the upshot is a game that’s far more respectful of its lore, far more generous with its best gear and far deeper in creativity than anything its predecessor offered. It’s the Destiny you know, and the Halo you used to love, all in one loot-filled package.

Check out our guides to the best PS4 games and best Xbox One games for our pick of the alternatives.

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Madden 18 trailers, release date, news and cover athlete

Update: Now that Madden 18 has been available for a few months we're hopeful that like many of EA's other sports titles it'll make an appearance in the Black Friday sales bundled along with the latest consoles or as a standalone offer. 

Cut to the chase What is it? The next annual release of the Madden NFL franchiseWhat can I play it on? PS4 and Xbox OneWhen does it come out? August 25, 2017

Madden 18 release date

So when can you get your gloves on the latest Madden? For most folks, August 25, 2017 is the time and place for kick-off for the new season. But, if you pre-order the G.O.A.T. Edition of the game, you’ll actually be able to play it a few days earlier on Tuesday, August 22, 2017.

Should you decide to drop a little extra on the G.O.A.T. Edition of the game –G.O.A.T. stands for Greatest of All-Time, by the way – you’ll receive  one of five Elite G.O.A.T. players, an elite player from your favorite NFL team, 12 Squad Packs, 2500 contracts and one uniform pack in Madden NFL 18 Ultimate Team.

Of course, if you don’t need all the extras of the G.O.A.T. Edition but still want to check out the game early, you can always subscribe to EA Access. 

EA Access subscribers can play up to 10 hours of the game starting on Thursday, August 17 with EA Access First Trial. (You’ll also get a pretty sweet 10% discount on the game for being a subscriber, too.) 

Madden 18 cover athlete

So who’s going to grace the cover of the game this year? Who else but the GOAT – New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady? 

What makes Brady’s nomination particularly exciting is that he follows his teammate, Rob Gronkowski, who was the face on the Madden 17 box.

Check out the box art for yourself: 

Madden 18 new features and mechanics

If you’re just coming out of virtual retirement, a lot has changed since the days of the PS2 and original Xbox era, so try to pay attention while we review some of the basics, and then progress to the new features coming later this year. 

Last year, Madden 17 introduced a simpler way to stop runs and passes called play counters. Instead of choosing specific plays, play counters allowed you to predict what kind of play your opponent would call (a passing play or an inside run, for example) and automatically line your defense up to counter it. 

In franchise mode last year, Madden 17 introduced new “big moments” that shaped your player and your team’s future. Deciding to keep a quarterback in after he’s had a minor injury could cost you season if he gets hit a second time. Substituting a rookie in might mean the difference between a loss against your rivals and another tally in the win column. 

But all that was last year. What’s new in 2018? 

New this year is the Frostbite physics and visual engine that will power the next-gen Madden experience. We’ve seen this in other EA titles before, but this will be the first time seeing it in the Madden franchise. Also new is the Play Now Live! mode that lets you recreate the best real-world NFL matches of the week. 

According to EA, there’s also going to be a new game mode. We haven’t heard too much about it yet, but it’s supposed to be a variation on the traditional franchise / player creation mode that takes an unknown player you’ve created to the top of the league.

Gameplay-wise, a new feature called Target Passing will give you better passing control, allowing you to throw the ball to who you want in the exact spot on the field. If traditional play calling is too tough, Madden 18 is introducing three new play styles: Arcade, Simulation and Competitive. Here’s a description of each:

Arcade: Action packed excitement filled with spectacular plays and scoring with limited penalties. Simulation: True to player and team ratings using authentic NFL rules and gameplay. Competitive: Your stick skills are key, earn big rewards for your skill or receive bigger penalties.

Also new is the Coverage Assignment feature that helps you track which receiver you’re supposed to be guarding when you’re on defense. 

You can also expect the return of Madden Ultimate Team and Franchise modes in 2018.

Madden 18 trailer

 A new year, a new football season. Madden 18 rushed onto the stage at EA's Play event at E3 2017, bringing its first-ever story mode along for the ride.

Titled Longshot, this is Madden NFL's first-ever cinematic and playable story mode, according to EA. You play Devin Wade, a prospect who's faded from the spotlight, as he fights through blood, sweat and tears to have his name called by the commissioner on Draft Day.

Watch the new Madden 18: Longshot trailer below:

These are our picks of the best PS4 games

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The 10 best full-frame DSLRs in 2017

Most entry-level and mid-price DSLRs sport an APS-C sized sensor, with the physical dimensions of the chip measuring 23.6 x 15.7mm (22.2 x 14.8mm on Canon DSLRs). 

A full-frame sensor on the other hand has larger dimensions of 36 x 24mm - the same size as a frame of 35mm film, hence the name 'full-frame', and offering a surface area 2.5x larger than an APS-C sized sensor. 

This allows for larger photosites (pixels to you and I) on the sensor, delivering better light gathering capabilities, which in turn means better image quality - especially at higher sensitivities.

Many serious amateurs and enthusiasts can now enjoy the benefits of full-frame photography

Full-frame DSLRs used to be the preserve of professional photographers, but as the costs have dropped and lower-cost models have started to appear, many serious amateurs and enthusiasts can now enjoy the benefits of full-frame photography. 

We should also mention full-frame mirrorless cameras. These aren't DSLRs strictly, but the Sony A7 series cameras like the brilliant Alpha A7R II and now the Leica SL are muscling in on the full-frame DSLR market, and are particularly interesting for those who also need to shoot video.

To find out more, read this: Mirrorless vs DSLR cameras: 10 key differences. Or to get an idea of what kind of DSLR you can get at different price points, try this: Best DSLR. 

With Black Friday just around the corner, there's bound to be some great deals to be had on a full-frame DSLR as well. If you're not sure where to start, here's our pick of the best full-frame DSLRs you can buy right now:

It may be pricey, but the Nikon D850 is the ultimate full-frame DSLR you can buy right now. The 45.4MP full-frame sensor delivers detail-rich images with brilliant dynamic range and excellent high ISO noise performance, while the advanced 153-point AF system is hard to beat. Add in 7fps burst shooting, a rock-solid build and refined handling and the D850 is pretty much at the top of its game for any subject you want to shoot. A brilliant piece of kit. 

Read our in-depth Nikon D850 review

The 5D Mark IV pretty much tweaks and improves on everything the Mark III offered. This includes a brilliant new 30.4MP sensor that delivers pin-sharp results, an advanced 61-point AF system that's incredibly sophisticated, a pro-spec performance, 4K video and some very polished handling. Put this all together, along with a host of other features and it all combines to make the EOS 5D Mark IV one of the best DSLRs we've seen. Now overshadowed by the mighty D850 as our full-frame DSLR of choice.

Read our in-depth Canon EOS 5D Mark IV review

The D850 might have replaced it, but the D810 is still a brilliant full-frame DSLR. Images from Nikon's 36.3MP monster are bursting with detail, while its 1200-shot battery life puts the 50.6MP EOS 5DS in the shade. The 51-point AF system copes well with tricky focussing situations, mainly because both the AF and metering systems are taken from the now ex-range-topping Nikon D4S. Excellent handling and relatively modest dimensions further ensure that the D810 doesn't disappoint. 

Read our in-depth Nikon D810 review

With 50.6 million effective pixels, the Canon EOS 5DS is by far the highest resolution full-frame DSLR on the market today. The same goes for the 5DS R, which is identical to the 5DS, but features an anti-aliasing cancelation filter over the sensor to help resolve a little more detail should you need it. Pixel-packed sensors can be compromised, but not here. Image quality is superb, with as you'd expect fantastic detail, well controlled noise and good dynamic range, making it the ideal choice for the landscape or studio photographer. The EOS 5DS is now the benchmark for full-frame image quality, but it's not quite perfect. There's no Wi-Fi or 4K video recording, and huge image file sizes necessitate decent memory cards and a fast computer.

Read our in-depth Canon EOS 5DS review

Can't quite stretch to one of our top three options? Then the Nikon D750 should be at the top of your list. The D750 still packs a cracking 24.3MP sensor and is as weatherproof as the D810, yet it's roughly 25% cheaper. Compared to its baby brother, the D610, the D750 has a superior 51-point AF system, as well as more advanced metering and video capabilities. That's not forgetting the wider sensitivity range, useful tilting screen and Wi-Fi connectivity. Its continuous shooting speed of 6.5fps isn't quite as fast as some may have hoped for, but on the whole the Nikon D750 is a well-rounded, well-priced choice for enthusiast photographers.

Read our in-depth Nikon D750 review

The D5 is Nikon's latest flagship DSLR, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. 20.8 megapixels might seem a bit stingy, but it means the D5 can shoot at 12fps continuous shooting, while the extended ISO range of ISO 3,280,000 has never been seen before in a camera. That's even before we get to the autofocus system - with a coverage of 173 AF points (99 of which are cross-type), the sophistication and speed of the AF is staggering. The ability to shoot 4K video is restricted to three minutes however, but that aside the D5 is a phenomenal camera that's used by professionals the world over.

Read our in-depth Nikon D5 review

Choosing between the EOS-1D X Mark II and Nikon D5 will most likely depend on which manufacturer you're already tied to with your lens system, but the two cameras are otherwise pretty closely matched. With the EOS-1D X Mark II, Canon has created a very powerful and versatile camera that's a great choice for professional sport and news photographers thanks to a blistering 14fps burst shooting. It doesn't have the outrageous sensitivity range of the Nikon D5, but it's very capable in low light, delivering excellent images within its standard sensitivity range.

Read our in-depth Canon EOS-1D X Mark II review

Sony has made some significant changes from the original A99 for this latest iteration, and the result is a camera that should satisfy a broad range of users. The high-resolution 42.2MP sensor at the camera’s heart is the A99 II’s greatest asset, while 4K video quality is also very good. At the same time the camera maintains much of what we loved about the A99, with excellent handing and the benefits of the SLT system presenting very real advantages over more traditional DSLRs. The arrival of the mirrorless Alpha A9 though takes the shine off a little. 

Read our in-depth Sony Alpha A99 II review

Canon has certainly made some significant improvements over the outgoing EOS 6D, packing in a host of new features including a fresh sensor, a faster processor, a much more credible AF system and a stronger burst rate. It's a much more well-rounded and better specified camera than the EOS 6D, but it's not without its issues. These niggles dull what is otherwise a very nice full-frame DSLR that's a pleasure to shoot with. It will certainly please Canon users looking to make the move into full-frame photography, but others might be better served elsewhere.

Read our in-depth Canon EOS 6D Mark II review 

The K-1 from Pentax offers a rugged build and a full-frame sensor at a relatively affordable price. It's not cheap, but it compares favourably with the likes of the Nikon D810, Canon 5D Mark III and Sony Alpha 7R II. Pentax's Pixel Shift Technology is clever, and it's great that the company has managed to produce a mode that can be used when the camera is hand-held, although the impact is subtle. Less of an all-rounder than the 5D Mark III, the K-1 makes an excellent camera for landscape, still life and portrait photography, or any genre that doesn't require fast autofocus and which benefits from a high pixel count for detail resolution.

Read our in-depth Pentax K-1

Also consider...

If you want to go full-frame, you're not just restricted to a DSLR. Sony's growing range of mirrorless full-frame cameras offer a great alternative and the new Alpha A7R III looks like it could be a tempting proposition for a lot of DSLR owners. The high resolution 42.2MP sensor promises huge dynamic range, combined with 10fps shooting and an advanced AF system, and you've got a camera that can mix it with the best that Canon and Nikon have to offer.

Read our in-depth Sony Alpha A7R III review

What camera should I buy?Mirrorless vs DSLR: 10 key differencesBest DSLRBest entry-level DSLRBest enthusiast DSLR

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Watch 3 puts Apple back on top of wearable pack as Fitbit falls

The Apple Watch 3 seems to have boosted wearable sales for the company, as it's pushed Apple back up to the top spot in the space between July and the end of September this year.

During Q3 2017, the company shipped 3.9 million versions of the Apple Watch including the Apple Watch 3, as well as older products.

That overtakes the other wearable manufacturers including Xiaomi and Fitbit, which shipped 3.6 million and 3.5 million units respectively.

Back in Q3 2016 Fitbit shipped 5.3 million units, which considering 2017's lower figures it'll be a big drop for the company in the space of a year. Xiaomi, however, shipped a similar amount to its 2017 figures with 3.8 million units shipped in Q3 2016.

Xiaomi offers cheap fitness trackers so manages to offer up high numbers, while Fitbit is still a big household name that's pushing ahead with new products including the Fitbit Ionic.

Back on top

All of this data comes from Canalys estimates, so it's only based on shipments and not sales. Apple never shares exact sales details for any of its products though, so this is likely the best sign we'll have of how well the Apple Watch 3 has done.

The estimates predict that Apple shipped 800,000 units of the Apple Watch 3 while the other 3.1 million shipments would be for either the Apple Watch or the Apple Watch 2 (which is no longer on sale but was for a portion of Q3).

Huawei and Samsung take fourth and fifth place in the list of biggest shipments, but that doesn't include the latest products, such as the Samsung Gear Sport, which has only just been put on sale.

Read our full Apple Watch 3 review

Via Phandroid

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Lenovo’s bending over backwards with its Yoga price-cutting on Black Friday

In another dollop of Black Friday leakage, Lenovo’s advert for its big deals on the day has been published online, highlighting many of the bargains you’ll be able to scoop from the heavyweight Chinese PC manufacturer.

The US advertisement shows a number of reductions across Lenovo’s Yoga models, including the company’s flagship 2-in-1. One Yoga 910 spec that normally retails at $1,270 (around £965) will be slashed by a hefty $470 (£355) on Black Friday, with a promotional price of $800 (£605).

Another Yoga 910 spec also gets knocked down from $1,350 (£1,025) to $1,000 (£760), which is still an impressive saving of $350 (£265).

As mentioned, these discounts are for the US, but hopefully we’ll see them – or at least very similar offers – in the UK too.

The Yoga 720 – which already gets one of our ‘great value’ awards – will become even better value in the case of one model which will be reduced from $980 (£740) to $730 (£550), a saving of $250 (£190).

Gaming goodness

It’s not all about convertibles, of course, and Lenovo will also have major discounts on a couple of different variants of its gaming laptop, the Legion Y520. One model will be knocked down from $1,600 (£1,210) to $1,100 (£835), and a lesser spec will be reduced from $1,100 (£835) to a tempting $750 (£570). (Unfortunately, the ad doesn’t show any spec details of any of these machines).

Finally, for those after a lower-priced laptop, Lenovo’s IdeaPad 320 will be chopped from $450 (£340) to $380 (£290). And there are more deals than these besides – check out the full ad at BFAdsnet here – and doubtless we can expect further discounts on other hardware.

Via: BGR

One of Lenovo’s Yoga devices makes our best laptops list

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SIM only deals: the best plans for Black Friday 2017

This year's best SIM only Black Friday deals so far:

So you've come to the end of your phone contract? You basically have two options - grab a brand new mobile phone deal on one of the latest and greatest smartphones on the market. Or keep your beloved phone of the last two years and sign up for one of the cheap SIM only deals on this page.

A SIM only deal is a mobile phone plan that offers calls, texts and data in return for a monthly fee, but does not come bundled with a phone. Leaving the phone out of the equation gives you more flexibility (especially if you go for a 30-day rolling contract) or is ideal if you're eyeing up a new SIM-free phone.

If you take a sift through our handy price comparison tool above you'll see that 12-month prices start from a mere £4 per month for a basic plan, while you can also still bag Three's Mobile Choice Award winning 30GB for £17 deal. Whatever your needs, going SIM only is just the ticket if you're thinking to team one up with a brilliant Black Friday handset purchase.

And if you're still unsure whether SIM-only is the route for you, our expert advice will help you decide - our all knowing FAQ includes tips on switching your number, the networks that offer free gifts and answers to a host of other questions.

The best SIM only deals of the week are:

We've run the figures and plucked out the very best sim only deals available this month.  Whether you’re after the cheapest plan possible, want to dig out the best value big data SIM plan or just want an all-round great deal but don’t know how much to spend, you’ll find a recommendation just for you.

1. The absolute cheapest SIM only deal out there 2. The best 1GB+ SIM only deal 3. The best 2GB-4GB SIM only deal 4. The best 5GB-8GB SIM only deal 5. The best 10GB-16GB SIM only deal 6. The best 20GB-30GB SIM only deal 7. The best SIM only deal for unlimited data Check out today's best unlimited data SIM only deals 8. Best EE SIM only deal 9. Best Three SIM only deal 10. Best data only SIM deal

Should I go SIM only?

If you a) want to save some money; b) don't want to be tied into a lengthy contract; or c) both of the above, then SIM only is well worth considering. In fact, you're probably one of two people if your thoughts are indeed turning to SIM only:

You're coming to the end of your contract and your network is calling you a million times a day to get you to upgrade. Well if your phone is dying a death or you just fancy a change, head to our best mobile phones deal page to see what bargains are lurking, but otherwise going SIM only on your current phone is a no-brainer. You'll wind up paying much less than you are under contract, and you can stick to a rolling 30 day contract so that if your circumstances change, you can get out of the arrangement tout suite.

It's time for a shiny new smartphone and you want to get the best value humanly possible. You'll have to find a few hundred quid up front for the handset (be sure to check our SIM free comparison chart) but box clever and you'll end up paying less over the next 24 months (see below). Plus, if you're a commitment-phobe, most SIM-only plans don't require you to sign up for two years like you would with a normal contract.

Is SIM only cheaper than contract?

It can be. Teaming a SIM only plan with a standalone SIM-free handset could save you a few quid. It's usually the case when a flagship phone hits the market and contracts are made deliberately expensive. Take the Samsung Galaxy S8 as a prime example, where you could have saved over £100 over two years by splashing the £800-odd for the handset and slipping in a cheap SIM card.

Not all the savings you can make are as extravagant, and on big data it's frequently more cost effective to dive into a contract instead. But if you can afford to splash a few hundred pounds up front then the savings over the next couple of years could well be worth it - especially if you can bag a bargain on Black Friday 2017.

Is my phone unlocked - can I use a new SIM in it?

The times have passed since most phones were locked to a network and you had to pay a dodgy backstreet 'engineer' to unlock it. Nowadays, it's standard practice for networks to let you use whatever SIM you want in the phone as soon as you've paid up the original contract (or earlier if you pay them a fee) - and Three ships all its handsets unlocked from the outset.

The exception, alas, is Apple iPhones. They're generally sold locked to the original network that you purchase them with for the life of the handset. Very frustrating if you're looking for a tasty SIM only deal once your 24 month sentence is up.

The good news is that your iPhone (or any other mobile before the end of your contract) can be unlocked - the bad news is that most networks make you pay for the privilege. Insert a friend or family member's SIM into your phone to see whether it's already unlocked and, if it isn't, look for your network below to see how to cut ties with them:

EE Once six months have gone by on your contract, you can call EE on 0800 956 6000 and pay them £8.99 to unlock your phone. It says it will take around 10 days to complete. PAYG phones can be unlocked for free.O2 As long as you don't own a Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus (they can't be unlocked until you've paid off your contract), you can unlock any O2 phone - including iPhones - for free if you're on a pay monthly contract. PAYG customers have to pay £15.Three Fear not, all phones on Three are unlocked as standard. Shove whatever SIM you like in there, it will work a treat.Vodafone The red network doesn't quite get the same marks as Three, as your phone will be locked to them on arrival. But they have made unlocking handsets absolutely free within 10 days of your request.

What SIM card size do I need?

There are three sizes of SIM card that you can get for your phone, and the one you need will depend on your handset. It's been a while since the traditional, so-called standard SIM (15x25mm) has genuinely been the staple in new phones. Instead, any phone you've bought within the last five or so years is much more likely to require a micro (12x15mm) or nano (8.8x12.3mm) SIM - the iPhone 5 was Apple's first mobile with a nano SIM, while Samsung began using the smallest size in its Galaxy S6.

Before you purchase your new SIM, double-check the manufacturer's website to see what size you require. And if you're simply not sure, most networks now simply send out a triple SIM, so you'll get one of each size.

How do I keep my old number?

Ever heard of PAC codes and wondered what a classic 80s arcade game had to do with telephone numbers? It actually stands for Porting Authorisation Code, and it's the set of digits that you need to grab from your old network to let you transfer over your existing mobile number. If you're on one of the major networks, you can see what phone number you can contact them on here:

EE 07953 966 250O2 0344 8090202Vodafone 03333 040 191Three 0333 300 3333ID 0333 003 7777GiffGaff 43431 from your handsetVirgin 0345 6000 789BT 0800 800 150Tesco 0345 301 4455Sky 03300 412 524Asda 0800 079 2732

If you want to grab a bargain SIM only plan above, but it's on your existing network then your network won't release a PAC code and you'll be forced to take a new phone number.

At least you would have, if it wasn't for this clever (if convoluted) work-around. You have to order a free pay-as-you-go SIM from another network. Once you have it, you can tell your old network that you're moving and they'll give you that precious PAC code. Then, once your number is registered to the substitute network, simply get another PAC code from them. Take that to your old network, and they'll move your number to your new contract. Simple - kind of!

What contract length should I get?

Unlike with a contract, there's a lot more flexibility available when it comes to how long your SIM only plan will last. Two year commitments are virtually unheard of, with the norm being either one year or rolling one month contracts for ultimate flexibility. You can often get better prices if you tie yourself in for 12 months, especially on larger data tariffs. But sticking to one month at a time means that you can effectively hand pick a new plan to suit you every 30 days or so.

How much data do I need?

Because you can change your plan up more regularly than a normal, lengthier contract, it's less crucial to get this nailed from the start. But if you're thinking of grabbing a 12-monther or just put a personal pride on getting things right first time, then we'll help you pick out the sweet spot of data for you.

Firstly, check your phone to see how much data you've been using to date, and whether you have the tendency to use more than your current allowance every month. Then, if you're still unsure, check out our guidance: 

0-1GB Tiny amounts of data on SIM only deals could be a blessing or a curse. If you're putting it in a rarely used phone that will scarcely be away from wi-fi then you're quids in. But if you end up with one because your head's turned by the incredible price, then you could end up paying more if you continually go over your allowance.2-3GB For anybody who needs data for little more than the occasional Google Maps route planning, 2GB and 3GB plans come cheap and give you much more freedom to check the football scores and scroll Facebook away from the wi-fi without danger.4-8GB If you can't leave the house without having a music streaming service like Spotify pouring into your ears, then it might be worth paying for some extra GBs of data.10-16GB This is a significant amount of data and some networks offer it for a very appetising price. Whether streaming music, downloading podcasts, watching social media videos, or all three is your thing - you should be covered.20-30GB Only smartphone junkies that need regular (and hefty) data fixes need bother with this avalanche of GBs. You'll be able to rinse Netflix, Spotify and online games without too much fear of topping out.Unlimited Maybe it's because you use remarkable amounts of data. Maybe it's because you simply don't want to keep checking how much data you've used every month. Whatever your reason to go unlimited, you have only two choices when it comes to network: Three or GiffGaff.

Do I need unlimited calls and texts?

Call it practicality, call it greediness, call it what you want - it's human nature to want 'unlimited' anything if offered. But you should think genuinely about whether you really need it in a world where the likes of WhatsApp and Skype let you call and text for free over wi-fi or 4G. If you decide that a few thousand monthly minutes and texts should do you, then you could shave off some cash from your bill.

What's the best mobile network for SIM only?

While EE, O2, Vodafone and Three are generally considered the major four networks for contract plans, when it comes to SIM only there are some other key players are well worth a look. See what we think of them below, and whether you'll get any free perks to help persuade you to sign up. Plus, we'll tell you about a couple of other SIM sellers that might be able to wrangle you an even better deal.

EE SIM only deals

If you want fast and furious 4G, then your choice has to be an EE SIM only deal. Its speeds are around 50% faster than the other major networks, which is really noticeable if you like watching films or football on the move. And EE gives you three free months of BT Sport, as well as six months of Apple Music.

View all: EE SIM only deals 

O2 SIM only deals

O2's best claim for your contract is with its Priority rewards - from cheap lunch deals and pre-order privileges on gig tickets, to ad-hoc discounts and competitions. Plus, they have 1000s of Wi-Fi hotspots in shops and cafes that you can connect to for free and save your precious data.

View all O2 SIM only deals 

Vodafone SIM only deals

Vodafone seems to have been around since mobile phones were cumbersome bricks, but they remain a major player. Look out for a Red Entertainment tariff, which gives you your choice of a NOW TV Entertainment Pass, Spotify Premium or Sky Sports Mobile subscription.

View all Vodafone SIM only deals 

Three SIM only deals

Three is still the only network to offer unlimited data and it often features unbeatable deals on other big data plans - that makes them a natural choice of many a data hungry smartphone addict. But it's a bit shy on the free promotions stuff, and 4G coverage isn't as strong as the other networks.

View all 3 mobile SIM only deals 

BT SIM only deals

That familiar old stalwart of telecommunications BT is so-so when it comes to SIM only tariff prices. That's unless you're already a BT broadband customer, in which case you get some really favourable prices - a fiver less than the rest of the hoi polloi. Plus you get to choose an Amazon or iTunes voucher, the value of which depends on how much data you're in for.

Check below to see the current prices plans and how what voucher you can claim when you sign up. It's also worth noting that the 10GB and 15GB SIM only deals with BT also include free access to BT Sport on mobile.

For existing BT Broadband customers
(click the customer option at the top if the prices are more expensive)

12 months | 500MB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £30 Amazon or iTunes gift card - £6 per month at BT

12 months | 3GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £50 Amazon or iTunes gift card - £9 per month at BT

12 months | 10GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £60 Amazon or iTunes gift card - £17 per month at BT

12 months | 15GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £90 Amazon or iTunes gift card - £22 per month at BT

For non-BT Broadband customers:

12 months | 500MB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £30 Amazon or iTunes gift card - £11 per month at BT

12 months | 3GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £50 Amazon or iTunes gift card - £14 per month at BT

12 months | 10GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £60 Amazon or iTunes gift card - £22 per month at BT

12 months | 15GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | £90 Amazon or iTunes gift card - £27 per month at BT

iD SIM only deals

iD is a good option if bargain basement prices are what you covet most. This is a network run and owned by Carphone Warehouse - it piggybacks on the Three network. It's an excellent option if you want great value on a rolling monthly contract.

View all iD SIM only deals

giffgaff SIM only deals

GiffGaff is very hard to beat on price – if you want to grab a cheap SIM card deal, this could be your best option. You can't argue with £5 a month. The cheap deals don't give you much of an allowance to play with, but if you just want to keep your phone going and available to use for calls and texts with the occasional bit of internet use outside of your home WiFi, GiffGaff is a strong offering. Look out for the T&Cs though as some of the big data deals throttle the speed after a few gig.

View all giffgaff SIM only deals

Virgin Mobile SIM only deals

Virgin Mobile has been going for a long time, and some of its SIM only deals are particularly attractive. They're all one-month rolling contracts, so you can stop paying at any time if you so wish, giving you flexibility if you want to change your plan or go for a phone-inclusive deal down the line. Prices start from as little as £9 a month.

View all Virgin Mobile SIM only deals

Tesco Mobile SIM only deals

The UK's biggest supermarket has been known to offer competetive - if not stellar - SIM only deals, with low data prices starting around the £6 a month mark. Where it get's really interesting is if you download the Xtras app to an Android phone: you'll save £3 on your monthly bill, but you will have to see adverts every time you unlock your handset.

View all Tesco Mobile SIM only deals

TalkTalk SIM only deals

TalkTalk is a telecoms company that also offers home phone, broadband and TV packages, so the best deals can be had if you sign up for more than one service. However, at the time of writing the cheapest deal is £3.95 per month for an admittedly measly 250MB of data. Better yet, for just £7.75 you can get 2.1GB.

View all TalkTalk SIM only deals

Plusnet SIM only deals

Plusnet might be more well known for its broadband deals, but it's also keen to push some very cheap 30-day SIM only deals. You don't have to be a Plusnet customer, although you could get double the data on some of these SIM only deals if you are. You don't have to worry about signal either as Plusnet uses EE's network that covers 99% of the UK. Plusnet's latest cheap SIM only deals start at just £4 a month, check them out via the link below.

View all Plusnet SIM only deals

Freedom Pop SIM only deals

Freedom Pop is trying something new - offering contracts for FREE. The catch being that you only pay if you do over the allowances of your bundle or opt for a larger deal. The prices for doing so vary, so be sure to take a look at the small print. It seems that they feature a different offer each week, but seeing as you can cancel at any time, they may be worth a look.

View all Freedom Pop SIM only deals

Mobiles.co.uk SIM only deals

It's always worth checking out Mobiles.co.uk before settling on your SIM - its aggressive price cuts are often unmatched by anyone else. While the online retailer is known more for its handset contracts, it also offers a wide range of SIM only deals from all your favourite networks.

View: SIM only deals at Mobiles.co.uk

Carphone Warehouse SIM only deals

Carphone Warehouse doesn't just sell handset contracts. It also has a wide range of SIM only deals for Vodafone, O2, EE and ID. The online store is also known to include additional incentives such as half price fees for six months, free Beats by Dre headphones or Currys vouchers.

View all Carphone Warehouse SIM only deals

Which networks have coverage in my area?

It's one of life's (many) little frustrations - you sign up with a network, get your SIM up and running and then discover that you get no coverage at all in your house. Well this little pain in the neck can be avoided by using the dedicated coverage checker that most networks provide. Enter your postcode and you'll see whether your address has 2G (calls, texts and email), 3G (the basics plus picture messaging and faster web browsing) and 4G (all the powers of 3G, plus faster downloads, online gaming and media streaming) coverage.

We've provided links below to all the available coverage checkers on multiple networks. We'd advise not only checking coverage in your home, but also work, school, uni, favourite pubs and so on. Anywhere where you spend time on a regular basis really.

EE coverage checkerO2 coverage checkerVodafone coverage checker3 mobile coverage checkerBT mobile coverage checkeriD coverage checkerGiffGaff coverage checkerVirgin mobile coverage checkerTesco mobile coverage checkerTalkTalk coverage checkerPlusnet coverage checkerFreedom Pop coverage checker

How does TechRadar make money from SIM only deals?

If you buy a phone after visiting this page, TechRadar will be paid a small commission by the network or reseller you buy from. This money is paid by the site you buy from and thus does not affect the amount you pay for your phone contract. If you go direct to the site you buy from, you would pay the same amount.

While some sites out there will be paid larger fees for pushing people to specific deals that aren't necessarily the cheapest, TechRadar will always find you the absolute best value. Trust and integrity is important to us, so if you ever think we're not displaying the very best deals let us know.  

The SIM only deals on this page are checked every day to make sure they're still available and up to date! If you're ready to go SIM only, then head back to the top of this page and use our tool to find the perfect plan...

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FIFA 18 review

Update: FIFA 18 has been available for a while now but if you're struggling to find your feet with the new game, make sure you check out our tips and tricks guide.

It's also worth noting that Black Friday is approaching and given the trends of the last few years, there's a good chance FIFA 18 could appear in some excellent bundles or individual deals so if you've been thinking about picking it up, make sure you keep an eye on these upcoming offers. 

It could be your last chance to buy a new annual FIFA if recent comments from the CEO of EA are anything to go by. 

Full review continues below...

FIFA has sat atop the football sim mountain for what seems like an age, but the gap between itself and the ever-improving PES has been rapidly shortening every year as Konami’s entry continues to double down on the pure, clinical fluidity of its on-field mechanics.

Modern FIFA still has plenty going for it. All those licences; the immersive, match day pomp of its presentation; the grand, moreish longevity of Ultimate Team. There have been notable improvements on the field too, but these elements have often felt disconnected from one another. Until now, that is.

Even after less than a week in its company, it’s just starting to hit me how cohesive the long-running series finally feels. Changes to animations on the field make the minutia of dribbling, tackling, passing and striking so much more responsive than FIFA 17 and every other entry that’s come before, offering a player agency that’s been lacking for years. 

Ultimate Team (FUT) – the bread and butter mode of the FIFA brand – has been tweaked in subtle yet effective ways, such as adding in rolling challenges and rewards to make the time and money it requires you to invest feel more beneficial. 

Even The Journey, the returning story mode that debuted last year, feels like a player finally finding their place in a top flight club. It’s not a perfect experience, but it’s one that’s by the most comprehensive football-adoring package EA Canada has ever produced.

Wild Hunt(er) 

So let’s talk Alex Hunter. Last year, The Journey was a risky attempt to bring a more human side to the world of pro football. Back then, it was hard to miss how hard the developer was trying to emulate the narrative success of the NBA 2K series, but it still ended up offering an enjoyable (albeit short lived) experience. 

For The Journey: Hunter Returns, we finally get to see something that manages to weave an engaging story with the ups and downs of life at the top of English football.

With a good 13+ hours of play, Hunter Returns expands in all the right places. You get to play in up to three different countries (including a rad opening in Rio de Janeiro that doffs its cap at FIFA Street of old), form bonds (and rivalries) with real-life pros and customize your version of Alex Hunter. Yes, the boy wonder has become an RPG-lite avatar, complete with hairstyles and tattoos aplenty. 

Many of the aesthetic alterations are unlocked by specific narrative choices too, offering a cute, if slightly bizarre, extra dimension as you carve a fiery or cool career in pro football. 

Having extra challenges to complete during each chapter also keeps things engaging, offering more ways to unlock new boots, clothes, ink and more. It certainly doesn’t match NBA 2K18 for the seamless integration with the rest of the game, but nevertheless it offers an experience you simply won’t find in Konami’s rival offering.

Moyes the pity 

Much like Hunter’s deeper journey into the realities of life in football’s highest echelon, FIFA 18’s other modes finally feel like they’re coming together into a unified whole as well. 

For years it felt like EA Canada would improve one facet of the simulation while every other suffered in the mire of archaic mechanics. Here and now, the in-house EA developer has brought together its repertoire of improvements to create something that’s as fun to play as it is spectacular to watch.

Animations, once overlong and painfully slow, have now been unlocked, enabling you to react on the fly, changing your tactics regardless of whether you have possession or not. 

Finally, FIFA is starting to feel more like a simulation of the beautiful game, rather than its own gamified rules that would often break that match day immersion. You feel in control of every developing moment of the game, creating a sense of player agency that permeates everything from FUT to Pro Clubs.

Players also feel like their real-life namesakes. Take pinup cover star Ronaldo, for instance. The preened wonder now feels like the gilded blade that he really is, slicing through defenses with a precision and athleticism he simply didn’t possess in digital form before. Whether you’re playing a simple friendly or fighting for glory in FUT, these individual stats and styles of play make using key players that bit more special.  

Coding in these unique skills, attributes and AI makes FIFA feel more like a simulation than ever. Sure, it certainly makes playing your favorite minor league team a David and Goliath match up when you line up against a Premier League leviathan, but it’s exactly how it should be. Now certain playmaker subs can actually transform the game because of their innate attributes, rather than simply because they're more fresh than others on the field.

Attack pattern 

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how good FIFA 18 looks? We all thought Ignite would help FIFA shine when it debuted on current-gen tech four years ago and looked dated at best.

Two years into the use of DICE’s ever-reliable Frostbite engine and digital footy land has never looked better. The fact FIFA 18 manages to capture that warm glow of a summer Saturday afternoon fixture, with shadows and gleam in all the right places, is simply staggering.

Likenesses have transcended uncanny, and when you marry that to the tangible match day magic that FIFA has managed to capture in recent years you get something that’ll easily stand the test over the next 12 months. And, as usual, being able to play as Arsenal instead of North London is the licensed gift that keeps on giving.

Of course, this being FIFA, there are problems. 

For all those improvements, EA Canada has chosen to focus on beefing up offensive play. In the new setup, strikers are effectively unbeatable gods that’ll carve through most defenders like butter. It certainly makes for entertaining set pieces and breakaways, but it feels oddly imbalanced. 

You have all this extra dexterity in how you control each player, but your keeper now acts half asleep and virtually nonexistent at times.

It’s turned FIFA 18 into a goal fest – expect plenty of multi-goal thrillers over the next 12 months – but it often makes playing defense a fool’s errand as you watch your opponent smash a screamer into the net before you do the same the other way a few moments after. It’s fun – and the kind of thing PES devotees will smirk smugly/blow a gasket over – but it ultimately works against the sim improvements the developer has tried to hard to employ with this entry.

Verdict: Play it Now

While its focus on aggressive and showy attack does dilute the welcome changes to AI and player behavior, FIFA 18 still offers the most complete football experience you can buy right now. 

Its on the field football might not be as pure in mechanics as PES 2018, but the sheer beauty of its presentation, the depth of its modes and the extra dimension The Journey 2 brings make this another glorious title defense.

FIFA 18 was reviewed on the PS4. 

TechRadar's review system scores games as 'Don't Play It', 'Play It' and 'Play It Now', the last of which is the highest score we can give. A 'Play It' score suggests a solid game with some flaws, but the written review will reveal the exact justifications.

Don't miss our FIFA 18 tips and tricks guide

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