Pocket Gamer weekly wrap-up - Best Android games of July 2013, Mikey Hooks reviewed, SteamWorld Dig

Warehouse City. The Rainy City. Madchester. Mancunia. Manchester.

That's where the Pocket Gamer team was this week, plotting and scheming about the website over bacon sarnies and football.

But, we still found some time to write about iOS games.

Join us, then, as we hazily recall a week of words we barely remember writing.

BeaverTap Games's much-anticipated follow-up to brillo iOS platformer Mikey Shorts went live this week. In the sequel Mikey Hooks, you can latch onto pivot points with a grappling hook, and swing over spikes and robots like a pint-size shorts-wearing Tarzan.

In our review, we said: "A brilliant mix of precision and fun, Mikey Hooks is a worthy sequel to its illustrious forebear."

We also chatted to BeaverTap Games's Mike Meade to find out more about Mikey Hooks. You'll never guess which iOS game was the inspiration for Mikey Hooks. Well, actually, you probably will. You're quite smart, I've heard.

Worms! I've got worms! As in, the turn-swapping video game. Not the parasites that populate the gastro-intestinal tract. That wouldn't be something I'd shout about in a wrap-up of news stories, would it? It's hardly relevant.

But, yes, there's a new Worms game out on iOS. Worms 3 boasts playing cards, homing pigeons, and unit types. We said: "An entertaining single-player mode and some excellent multiplayer modes make Worms 3 a decent addition to the long-running series."

This week, we were also witness to the launch of the third game in silly surgery sim series Amateur Surgeon. It's got more wacky tools and absurd patients, but it's also free-to-play. Here's our review of Amateur Surgeon 3.

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You can, of course, read about loads of new iOS games in our weekly wrap-up. This week, we gave our first impressions of Amateur Surgeon 3, Mikey Hooks, Abyss Attack, Gleamer, Worms 3, and When Ian Fell In The Machine.

On the handheld side of things, we gave a highly coveted 10/10 review to eShop dig-'em-up SteamWorld Dig. This terrific 3DS platformer is all about digging through dirt, exploring lost cities, and upgrading your little robot pal.

Mike said that "SteamWorld Dig is an utterly phenomenal video game, with layer upon layer of remarkable gameplay to be found."

Oh, and while you're here - don't forget that snoozy 3DS role-player Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. went live in the US this week. Europeans were able to get their hands on it a few weeks ago.

Back then, we said that "Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. is a welcoming, massive, varied, and superbly executed RPG for all to enjoy."

Last week, we counted down the best iOS games of July. Now, it's Android's turn. Top 'droid games from last month include minimalist roguelike Ending, dapper single-screen dueller Gentlemen!, and splishy splashy racer Riptide GP 2.

We're still addicted to sleek spike dodger Pivvot, and decided to chat to creator Whitaker Trebella about the game. Not discussed: his brilliant name. He sounds like he belongs in a Jane Austen novel.

We went on a nostalgia trip and picked out a handful of games that we desperately want to see on the 3DS Virtual Console. We are old.

We played an early build of cover-based shooter sequel Epoch 2. It's got new enemy types! A Gears of War-style active reload system! Loads more content! Uhm... robots! Read our PAX preview of the game here.

Finally, we pitted the iPad 2 vs that fancy new Nexus 7. Well, we didn't literally make them fight to the death in a pit. We just discussed which one has the most RAM, like the big nerds we are.

Only one piece of news matters this week.

As a huge fan of the Uncharted games, the existence of a crap Coke-sponsored endless-runner tie-in for iOS and Android ought to crush my soul... if the game wasn't so hilarious. It might just be the worst thing I've ever played, seen, experienced, or tasted.

This pallid Temple Run rip-off contains such life-affirming quotes as "You can use the Coke Zero bottle to get out of a sticky situation" and, seriously, "Pick up Coke Zero Drops to fill the bottle and Taste the Possibilities!"

It's my new favourite game.