Top Android Games - August 5, 2011

Welcome to GameSpot's weekly list of our top picks on the Android Marketplace. As always, there's plenty out there to choose from, and not all of them are good. So which games have the global editors of GameSpot been enjoying?

Colosseum
Colosseum is a 2D side-scrolling beat-'em-up, with the objective in each level being to survive waves of enemies until one finally drops a key, allowing you to exit the pit you've been placed in. It's all quite basic stuff, but the game keeps your attention thanks to its role-playing-lite item system, with your character having several weapons, armour, and spells to upgrade. Each level lasts only a few minutes, and it's a hypnotic, almost rhythmic experience, ploughing through dozens of enemies, all the while hoping that you'll be able to hold out long enough for the key to appear. Just like its iOS cousin, Colosseum on Android features bright, bold graphics and is a great little distraction for those with a penchant for uncomplicated violence.
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Roboto
Roboto is proof that, at least when it comes to graphical finesse, mobile devices are starting to catch up with the quality we're used to with other game-dedicated handheld devices. As well as being pretty, it also happens that Roboto is a fun little platformer in its own right. Featuring a robot riding a hoverboard (cool points added just for that alone), Roboto is charming, and once you get past the early levels, it's challenging as well. Having a hoverboard means that Roboto gets more air time, giving you a bit of flexibility if you mistime a jump--but even with that helping hand, the levels are well designed enough that you'll need to be precise with just how much hovering you can rely on. Also, did we mention that this game has hoverboards?
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Fireball
More a test of reflexes than a puzzle game, Fireball has you quickly slashing at the screen, Fruit Ninja-style--but instead of fruit, you're cutting wooden boards. The trick is that each board has fireballs bouncing around within its confines, and you have to slash at the board and get it to the required size without hitting any of the fireballs. This gets increasingly tough, as the size you have to reduce your boards to gets smaller as you progress in levels. You'll have to be quick and decisive in Fireball, and even then you might still get your fingers burnt in this compelling and addictive game.
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Asteroid Defense
Tower defence in space, you ask? Well, no, not quite, but Asteroid Defense does take hallmarks of the successful genre (resource management, base defence, unit selection, and deployment) and puts its own orbital spin on them. The base you'll have to defend in this game is a space station, and you'll be able to add offensive and defensive structures to it until it becomes a sprawling mega-space-station of death. Your foes are asteroids, with the larger ones taking plenty of decent hits before they break up into smaller, more annoying pieces. There's a lot to do in this game--as well as building up your base, satellites that act as extra bonuses fly past often, making Asteroid Defense a pretty involved, tap-happy title. Best of all, it's free!
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GameSpot's weekly mobile games recommendation list aims to bring you a snapshot of what games the editorial team members around the globe are enjoying on their phones and tablets. For a more in-depth explanation of GameSpot's mobile games coverage policy, click here. And for even more mobile videos, check out our new show Appetite for Distraction.