This is always a really difficult choice for me. For me, there is no one "GOTY", but several games of the year. Each of these games really had some sort of impact on me or my perception of iOS gaming. Cut the Rope: I had never been a total fan of these casual puzzle game types, such as Unblock Me, Angry Birds, and the like, but I really thought Cut the Rope was one of the most charming and uniquely designed games I had seen, so I couldn't help but drop a couple of hours into this one. Game Dev Story: Like many people, I did not like the looks of this game from the screenshots. In fact, I played through it for twenty minutes and quit, because I sucked at it. After some time, I gave it another shot due to all the positive reception it received, and then got sucked in to it. Haven't slept since then. Spiderman: Total Mayhem: Wow. Fast and full of action, this surprised me as one of the best Gameloft games, and one of the best games I have played in a while. This is also one of the only Gameloft games I have finished. Modern Combat II: I immediately jumped into the multiplayer and was immediately awed. This really changed my perception of multiplayer games on the iOS. The ranking, leveling system was really well designed and kept me playing and playing. Infinity Blade: I know a lot of people didn't like how hyped this game was and the lack of several features they expected, such as free-roam, exploration, a deep story, etc. In fact, I agreed with these people's opinions. However, after trying out the game, I realized just how incredible this game was. I personally think that this game fully utilizes the iDevices control scheme for fun combat, adding a simple RPG leveling system, a varied amount of loot for grinders like myself, and the best graphics in the history of iPhone gaming, utilizing the unreal engine (run-on sentence).
I would have to say FIFA 11! EA did a great job improving FIFA series in the iPhone. Graphics,gameplay and how it felt so natural and realistic, makes FIFA 11 my all time fave game for the iPhone/iPod touch! I hope EA fulfilles it's promise to include multiplayer and more modes (manager mode,& be a pro)!
If I really had to choose, I would have to pick Spirit. It's such a beautiful little game. The picture doesn't do it justice at all. The simple circle-drawing gameplay is a lot of fun. And to wrap it all up, the nice techo-esque soundtrack fits the game well and gets you pumped up.
