We've covered the productivity apps you can use to slam work tasks on your iPad or Android tablet. Now it's time to kick back, relax...and slam some opponents. These 9 apps may cost between $0.99 and $6.99 but they're still less than the $9.99 price of downloaded PlayStation Vita games. And while you're losing physical buttons, these titles -- think: Infinity Blade and Dead Space -- move gameplay along just as snappily with their innovative touch interfaces. Get playing.
Careen through the city streets of the Bahamas, L.A. and Tokyo with the best car-racing app available on any tablet. You can choose from more than 40 true-to-life car makers, including Ducati, Ferrari or Lamborghini. Don’t forget to pick up those nitro boosters. “Asphalt 6” is as slick, intuitive and addicting as any virtual racing game. After you’ve mastered the controls, you can invite up to five other players to join in. Platform: Android, iPad, Kindle Fire
You’ve always dreamed of becoming Batman—now you are. Use your fists to punch, kick and combo your way to a more honest Gotham City. Of course, the comic’s major villains won’t make it easy for you, so be sure you’re prepared for the series of one-on-one confrontations with the Joker, Two-Face and Arkham City-only nemesis Deathstroke. Skins and power-ups add additional appeal to the gameplay, which should fully engross any user, whether you’re a hardcore comic nerd or just a guy with an iPad who loves games. Platform: Android, iPad, Kindle Fire
A clever physics puzzler developed by Chillingo, “Contre Jour” marries gorgeous art, a compelling soundtrack and challenging gameplay. It’s all about getting an odd-looking eyeball known as Petit from point A to point B. Along the way, he must collect orbs of light. The app’s name derives from French for “against daylight,” which is reflected in the game’s landscape of haunting silhouettes. As you manipulate this world with your fingers—using tentacles, blowers and slingshots—Petit warbles with delight and grumbles when things don’t go as planned. The likable hero and engaging storyline add up to a strange gem of an app that you must try. Platform: iPad
“Dead Space” is the tablet version of the popular PC and console game—and, yes, it’s fantastic on a big touchscreen. Aliens are taking over the space station, and it’s up to you to stop them. The visuals of the game are impressive, and the storyline is utterly absorbing. Play with your headphones for full immersion. Disconcerting noises resound from all corners, and horror music cues during gruesome scenes. Your enemies (the aliens) will close in on you quickly as you jab at your screen, trying to retaliate. If you’re interested in how a “real game” can look on a portable slate, download “Dead Space.” Platform: Android, iPad, Kindle Fire
To celebrate its 10-year anniversary, one of the most iconic games of all time, “Grand Theft Auto III,” has made its debut on tablets. The critically acclaimed blockbuster recalls the plot of the shady goings-on in Liberty City’s seedy underworld, and brings it to life on your mobile device with the same grit and action. The graphics look crisp and the controls respond well (if not as agile as some other apps). For fans of the franchise looking for a chance to relive the masterpiece that started the sandbox genre, “Grand Theft Auto III” for Android and iOS tablets will do the trick. Platform: Android, iPad
If you’re willing to have only one game take up a massive amount of memory on your iPad (the app requires an enormous 940 MB download), pick this one. The sequel to the hugely popular game is an epic-adventure tale about immortal swordsman Siris, who quests for the enigmatic Worker of Secrets to avenge his father’s death. The visuals are truly stunning—sweeping views, august landscapes and meticulous textures are just some of the striking flourishes in the app. We especially like the new heavy weapons and dual-sword options. Overall, “Infinity Blade 2” offers a magnificent gaming experience that’s become the gold standard for how developers should innovate for the iOS platform. Platform: iPad
It was just last December that Microsoft released “Kinectimals” for the iPad (and iPhone), a Kinect game migrated to the iOS platform. While the act doesn’t mark the company’s first venture into the iTunes App Store, it's the company’s first mobile iOS game. Geared toward children and families, “Kinectimals” lets you use your mobile device to visit the island of Lemuria and care for your very own cub. The app uses your front-facing camera as an input device, allowing you to interact and play with the cuddly creature through your screen. Platform: iPad
A point-and-click adventure game, “Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP” brings together appealing 8-bit graphics, puzzle-solving elements and a great soundtrack. The gameplay chronicles the exploits of Scythian, an explorer in a mythic realm driven to use her sword to battle with big bosses and apply sworcery to decipher musical mysteries. Simply double-tap where you'd like to go and your character moves. The Sworcery mode entails rotating your iPad to a landscape orientation and holding your character until she starts to sing “the song of sworcery,” which eventually enables puzzle-solving within the game. Sword mode makes you reorient the iPad to a horizontal position. Your character draws her sword, and buttons for assaulting and blocking enemies appear. The app transports you to an immersive and refreshingly unique fantasy. Platform: Android
This highly addictive word game brings all the goodness of a Scrabble-like experience to tablets. Now you can build words, plan triple score strategies and trash-talk opponents straight from the app. Truly hooked wordsmiths can play up to 20 games simultaneously and connect the app to their Facebook accounts to find even more friends they can cajole into joining their game. Push notifications ping you when your challenger is done putting down his tiles, so you never miss your turn. Platform: Android, iPad, Kindle Fire
