At an Apple event earlier this month, Steve Jobs called the iPod Touch “a great gaming machine.” While great may be a stretch, there is no doubt that the iPod Touch and iPhone have changed the way we view portable games.

So what does the iPhone/iPod “gaming platform” hold for sports gamers? Well, that's somewhat hard to say, but here are three short reviews of some popular sports apps/games that are available now at the App Store.

Madden 10

Certainly the most highly touted and marketed game on this list, Madden 10 is rather impressive for a mobile game. It takes full advantage of the touch screen, and tweaks the gameplay enough to make it travel-friendly.

Featuring Play Now and Season modes, Madden actually runs in 3-D, and it looks fairly good while doing it. However, the stadiums tend to look better than the very polygonal players. That said, the game runs smoothly, which makes the graphical trade-off acceptable.

A few innovative features also make this game a pleasure to play in short bursts. First, the game automatically saves -- a convenient feature when you get a call or have to return to the main menu. Secondly, the touch screen is used heavily -- you can redraw hot routes and even pass the ball with the touch screen. It's also nice that receiver icons go from red to green as they get open; all you have to do is tap the icon to attempt a pass.

The game also has commentary, the capability to stream your own music and stat-tracking -- all impressive features for a mobile game.

Finally, to combat the fact that the controls are virtually represented on-screen and extremely limited, a button allows you to slow down time. While in this mode, you can pull off action moves like jukes, spins and dives. It sounds gimmicky, but it’s probably one of the better ways to make a game like this work.

Obviously, the game has its flaws. The controls take some time to get used to, and I’ve also had a few crashes. In addition, things like jerseys and roster updates may be paid content. Finally, it’s a big app (over 100 MB).

But for a mobile version of Madden, and especially considering the fact that it’s just $10, it’s hard not to like this title.

9 Innings

This baseball game reminds me a lot of the older 2-D baseball games that were so prevalent on the Nintendo and Gameboy platforms. And I say that with a lot of respect because I grew up on those games.

This is a pretty standard version of one of those games, with a definite graphical upgrade helping its case. The graphical style is colorful, clean and smooth, with an almost comic-like appearance.

In terms of baseball, it plays pretty well. I find that the computer can quickly run-up the score on a tired pitcher, and that the games usually feature too many hits. The fielding is automatic, but you do need to direct runners and throws (at least on the harder difficulty levels).

This game does not feature any real players or teams. However, you can edit the names of the players, and some models seem to approximate real players (Boston has a Manny, for instance). You can play a through a season or tournament, and the game saves your progress when you exit.

One of the unique aspects of this game is the in-game goals it gives you, such as throw three straight strikes. Completing these challenges gives you points, which you can use to unlock and upgrade managers, who will change aspects of your team.

This game seems to have been developed in Japan, as runs are sometimes called points, and the umps yell “Strike Out!” instead of “Strike Three!,” but it’s a fun, casual and an old-school attempt at a mobile baseball game.

iScore

iScore isn’t technically a game, but it’s one of the more useful reasons to take your iPhone to the ballpark. It’s a baseball scoring app, and it works pretty well.

While watching a game, you simply touch a button to indicate what has happened. The program is savvy enough to ask questions based on the play, such as “What did the runner on first do?” It even allows you to touch where the ball was hit to, so you can track batter tendencies.

You can download a constantly updating MLB roster, or, for your beer-league softball games, enter your own team. Setting up a game can be tedious, but once a player is entered once, you’re set. The best part is that it will track stats and generate scorecards similar to the ones you would normally have to do by hand.

I’ve used it a few times to score MLB games, and can’t wait until the spring to use it with the high-school team I coach. For coaches, it will let you keep score while managing other aspects of the game.


These are three apps that caught my eye, and I got them all for under $20. Do you see the iPhone/iPod Touch as a gaming platform, and if so, what sports games do you play?