Top 10 best iPhone and iPad games: September 2011

If you've owned an iPhone, an iPad, or an iPod touch for any length of time, you'll know just how many new apps and games hit the App Store every week.

Some are good, some are average, and some are downright awful, but you also get a smattering of true gems.

With so many new apps hitting Apple's digital store each month it's easy to miss some of the best new titles.

This feature aims to highlight ten of the best and highest-rated gems from the month of September.

DrawRace 2

How do you make sure your sequel is a bigger hit than its predecessor? Refine its gameplay, pack it full of extra tracks, challenges, games, and content, and add Game Center support, of course.

That's exactly what RedLynx has done with Pocket Gamer Gold Award-winning sequel DrawRace 2, which features more than 180 challenges, gymkhana skill games, and a packed garage full of cars.

Naturally, you'll still be drawing your car's racing line with your finger, dictating its speed with the same digit, and facing off against your buddies in multiplayer.

Download DrawRace 2
Download DrawRace 2 HD

Where's My Water?

Disney's Where's My Water? follows a small but extremely popular line of iPhone and iPad physics-based puzzlers, such as Angry Birds and Cut the Rope.

There are similarities to these previous hits, too: Where's My Water features 80 levels split into several themed chapters - with more expected in free updates - a colourful main character, and several collectibles.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to channel a clean stream of water to Swampy the Alligator, while avoiding algae, toxic ooze, and other hazards.

Download Where's My Water? (Universal)

Halfbrick's Jetpack Joyride sees foul-mouthed action hero Barry Steakfries return to the App Store for his second endless running title. This time, though, the Australian developer has turned the action up to 11.

As in most endless running titles, your aim is to travel as far as you possibly can. You do this using a selection of wild jetpacks and vehicles, while avoiding lasers, electricity fields, guided missiles, and other hazards.

There are also missions to complete, coins to collect, costumes to purchase, and Game Center support for leaderboards and achievements.

Download Jetpack Joyride (Universal)

Your goal in Muffin Knight is to collect a batch of magic muffins and return them to their rightful owner. As you can probably imagine, this isn't as easy as it sounds, with every tasty bun turning you into one of 15 fairytale characters - all with their own unique skills.

En route to each cake you'll come up against colourful dragons, turtles, werewolves, ghosts, and more, which you'll have to overcome if you plan on returning the muffins and lifting the curse that has been cast upon you.

If you prefer slugging it out with your friends there's even online head-to-head bouts, and a feature that allows you to jump seamlessly between single-player and multiplayer matches.

Download Muffin Knight (Universal)

Kairosoft's games are well-known for their addictive nature, and Grand Prix Story is no different.

Taking over the reins of a up-and-coming racing team, you're put in charge of hiring and firing drivers and mechanics, researching new vehicles and parts, training your staff, and securing profitable sponsorships.

Naturally, your main aim is to win races, achieve fame, and earn a fortune.

Download Grand Prix Story

If movies have taught us anything, it's that space is an extremely dangerous place. According to Hollywood, space - where nobody can hear you scream, apparently - is a vast darkness filled with asteroids, aliens, diseases, and pointy-eared men.

Hypership Out of Control follows a similar belief and tasks you with steering a constantly accelerating spaceship around the many hazards of outer space in order to achieve a high score.

Luckily for you, space is also dotted with helpful power-ups, which briefly decrease your speed, provide a shield for your craft, or bolster your weapons.

Download Hypership Out of Control (Universal)

As you can expect from a FIFA title, this latest iteration comes complete with over 500 teams from 22 officially licensed leagues, and 15,000 overpaid players.

There's also support for EA's new digital distribution and social gaming platform Origin, which allows you to earn achievements for completing daily challenges and other tasks.

If you think you stand a better chance on the sideline than you do in the penalty box, FIFA 12 even allows you to jump into Manager mode, trade players, scout for new talent, and choose your team's tactics.

Download FIFA 12
Download FIFA 12 HD

Monsters Ate My Condo is a fast-paced puzzler from Adult Swim Games and PikPok that tasks you with feeding a selection of ferocious monsters with residential high-rises.

Being a puzzle game, you'll first have to match each of the building's coloured floors before feeding the beasts and saving the world.

There are two different game modes for you to tackle – Endless, Time Attack – and support for both OpenFeint and Game Center. Well, if you save the world you'll definitely want to brag about it.

Download Monsters Ate My Condo (Universal)

Set in the fictional kingdom of Glorantha – the home of HeroQuest - King of Dragon Pass manages to blend both interactive stories and resource-management.

The game's story plays out over nearly 500 interactive screens, complete with award-winning hand-painted artwork.

At review, Pocket Gamer gave King of Dragon Pass an impressive Silver Award and called it “A wholly unique adventure that has no equal on the iPhone”.

Download King of Dragon Pass

Tiny Heroes is a tower defence title with a twist. Instead of playing as a chisel-jawed hero, you play as the bad guy attempting to protect your treasure from waves of do-gooders.

You do this over more than 50 levels by placing towers, setting traps, releasing minions, and casting spells.

There are also unlockable challenge levels to really test your skills, and Game Center support for leaderboards and achievements.

Download Tiny Heores