Top 5 iPhone and iPad Games of the Week (11/28/12)

Welcome back to another installment of our Top 5 iPhone and iPad Games of the Week series. Kicking off our list this week is Word Wonders: The Tower of Babel with a 93 AppScore - it's a word / RPG game where you use words to battle monsters as you ascend to the top of a tower. I'll be trying this game out as I'm currently into all types of word games. In second with an 89 AppScore is Angry Birds Star Wars HD and Angry Birds Star Wars, the new installment of the popular Angry Bird series for the iPad and iPhone - in this installment the Angry Birds do battle in the Star Wars Universe (if you couldn't figure it out by the title). In third place at an 81 AppScore is Storm the Train, a side scrolling shooter where your job is to "storm the train" and battle zombies, robots and ninjas. It's like have all your favorite action or thriller characters in one game. Next with an 80 AppScore is Chip Chain, a match three game using poker chips where the goal is to accrue points, get power ups and earn more valuable chips. Closing out our list are two games tied for fifth with a 78 AppScore: Mensa Academy is what I would call a game for your brain because it features thousands of questions around five disciplines - numeracy, language, logic, memory, and visual - and Skylanders Lost Islands™ is a builder game where your job is to build out your village in the Skylands. The best part about Skylanders though is collecting all the real/physical figurines so you can use them in the game. It's like playing out the childhood fantasy where your toys come to life and I love it! Check out more below (click the game titles if you want even more info) and let us know what you think of this week's games.

As always rankings are based on aggregating professional review scores from around the web for games released 2 - 3 weeks prior to allow for reviews to accumulate.

1.		Word Wonders: The Tower of Babel	93
		$2.99: iPhone, iPod touch & iPad (Universal)
		From the app description: "Prove yourself in challenging word duels against mythical creatures while exploring the arcane Tower of Babel! Nobody likes it when bullies throw words at you… especially when they are monsters! Have no fear though, cause now you can throw words back at them! In “Word Wonders: The Tower of Babel” you will be teaching the toughest of monsters what you’re made of in this fun word puzzle RPG!" Check out a quote from Slide To Play: "Word Wonders is aesthetically pleasing, quick to start up, and packs a lot of value and fun. Put down your games with friends and try climbing this tower instead" (November 26, 2012).

2.		Angry Birds Star Wars HD	89
		$2.99: iPad
		From the app description: "Join an epic adventure with the Angry Birds in the legendary Star Wars™ universe! Use the Force, wield your lightsaber, and blast away Pigtroopers on an intergalactic journey from the deserts of Tatooine to the depths of the Pig Star -- where you’ll face off against the terrifying Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Pigs! Can you become a Jedi Master and restore freedom to the galaxy? Time to grab your lightsaber and join the adventure! May the birds be with you!" Check out a quote from Crazy Mike's Apps: "Just when you think Rovio couldn’t possibly surpass their past “top greatness” — they just did because I’m thinking the mass appeal of this game will carry into huge offline sales for merchandise, namely stuffed animals, bedding, figurines, and just about anything else you can screen an image on. The game is super solid, a reinvented Angry Birds game with lasers, laser cannons, the Force, and much more" (November 9, 2012).

2.		Angry Birds Star Wars	89
		$0.99: iPhone
		iPhone version of Angry Birds Star Wars Check out a quote from touchArcade: "With Angry Birds Star Wars, Rovio continues its track record of iterative changes to the core formula while still keeping everything we love about the series. With the added heft of Star Wars fan service, it's not hard to see why Angry Birds Star Wars is an excellent game. It's my favorite game in the series, and is well worth the status of 'must-play' for any iOS gamer" (November 16, 2012).

3.		Storm the Train	81
		Free: iPhone, iPod touch & iPad (Universal)
		From the app description: "A one-way ticket to side-scrolling mayhem! Send three gun-toting agents aboard a locomotive packed with zombies, robots, ninjas and relentless boss battles. Get trigger-happy with an arsenal of upgradable guns, drones and gadgets to complete missions and cause as much carnage as possible to rack up a high score." Check out a quote from AppAdvice: "If you’re a fan of side-scrollers and just fun explosions and chaos, then I highly recommend checking out Storm the Train" (November 8, 2012).

4.		Chip Chain	80
		Free: iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch (Universal)
		From the app description: "Place and match 3 or more identical poker chips to earn a more valuable chip, then chain together matches for huge bonuses! Play power-up cards to make combos, extend chains, and maximize your score. The dealer tosses chips to get in your way, but if you play smart and think ahead, you can turn the tables and use them to your advantage. Earn gems to spend on better chips, more powerful cards, bigger hands, gem multipliers, and more!" Check out a quote from Pocket Gamer: "Chip Chain is a clever little puzzler that's easy to pick up, with enough new ideas that it keeps surprising you as you play, and that makes for a novel, entertaining experience" (November 15, 2012).

T5.		Mensa Academy	78
		$4.99: iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch (Universal)
		From the app description: "Enjoyed by millions with hours of game play – The official Mensa Academy brain training game finally arrives on iOS. Train your brain with 1000's of fun and challenging puzzles and Mensa approved questions, then take the test and challenge your friends and family." Check out a quote from PadGadget: "To buy or not to buy: If you are a fan of brainteaser games and mind exercises, you’ll enjoy this app. The questions are not repetitive and you will really feel like you are giving the old noggin a workout" (November 9, 2012).

T5.		Skylanders Lost Islands™	78
		Free: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch (Universal App)
		From the app description: "More than a simple “builder” game, Skylanders Lost Islands™ is all about collecting and evolving your collection of Skylanders. As you progress, build out your island to unlock Skylanders and send them on exciting quests and adventures to rank them up. What’s more, bring your physical Skylanders figures into the game! Unlock them and add them to your in-game collection for even more adventuring fun!" Check out a quote from Modojo: "Skylanders Lost Islands is very much a gentle combination of familiar empire-building with the deliciously addictive finger-tapping of The Simpsons: Tapped Out, but it brings both of these elements together so wonderfully, and in such a perfectly polished package, that we couldn't help but fall in love with it. Kids will adore this mobile game, but only if they can wrestle the phone away from your own obsessive hands" (November 9, 2012).

For more of the Top 5 series, check out past Top 5 Apps and Top 5 Games posts. Also, check out our other series Favorite iPhone and iPad Apps and Games, Best Free iPhone and iPad Apps and Games, Best iPhone and iPad Apps and Games for Kids, The AppScore 100, iOS Interviews and iPhone and iPad App Giveaways.

Notes: Top five is based on apps released two to three weeks prior, 11/04/12 - 11/10/12, to the current week to allow for reviews to come in. AppScores, prices, ranking, and availability are accurate as of 11/27/12. To make the list an AppScore of 75 or above is needed, the primary app category must be "Games" and the game must have at least three professional reviews. The top 5 apps ranked by AppScore that meet these criteria make the list.