App Alert: Check Out These Five New Mobile Games!

These new games for Android and iOS devices are pretty varied. They’re all really good, too!

Pokémon Duel

Bet you can’t stop dueling! This new game is full of strategy, fun and wildly spinning Pokémon. Basically, you have to reach your goal before your opponent does. But it’s tricky. Your opponent is online in real time. He may have more powerful Pokemon than you. He may block you. Or he may have seen a quicker route to his goal. You can also use a plate at the start of your turn, which just might give you a power up during your battle. You can trade or shop in the store, too. Just make sure you ask your parents before you pay.

Dog Sled Saga

Dog Sled Saga isn’t just about racing dogs in the snow. Because you also level up your canines, it’s something of a role playing game as well. You begin as a dog sled rookie and work your way up the ranks as you feed and race your dogs in lands of ice and flurries. Even though the graphics are made of pixels, you build a true kinship with your dogs as you dash through the snow amid the beauty of wintry environments.

Red’s Kingdom

Who took your golden nut? It was the evil Mad King Mac — who also kidnapped your father. As Red, you’re a plucky squirrel that can roll like Sonic, only more slowly. That rolling ability opens doors that keep you moving through the kingdom’s 17 areas. There are some pretty ingenious puzzles, including moving boxes and turning the right levels at the right time to proceed or avoid traps (kind of like Skylanders’ puzzles). Get that golden nut and save your Dad!

Sky Dancer

This runner with a twist has you speeding, running and falling, too. Yes, you have to make sure you time your jumps over crevasses on an unknown planet. But there are times when you have to fall from mountain-high heights. In those cases, you have to hit the road below properly. Or you’ll keep falling and lose big time.

Ninja Spinki Challenges

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctsGbm0GEao
Remember the super-simple, super-challenging Flappy Bird? The same developer made Ninja Spinki Challenges, which releases this week. Spinki wears a cool ninja outfit and acts the part, too. The Challenges? They’re a half dozen mini-games that aren’t quite as exasperating as Flappy Bird in their difficulty. But they’re tough. You do things like dodge cannonballs and toss circular knives (shuriken) at targets. The game become really competitive on Endless Mode, which gets harder as you play. Conquer it and rule the online leaderboards — if you’re good enough. How hard is it? Check out this gameplay video.