Best App Sequels

From Mario Brothers to World of Warcraft, I've tackled my fair share of games in my day. It tickles me that now I can play a game on my hand-held device from anywhere, whether I am early for an appointment or waiting to pick up the kids from school. A few of my favorites have recently released sequels, so I was eager to check them out.

Angry Birds Star Wars 2 ($.99): Angry Birds, published by Rovio, was one of the first games I downloaded on my phone, and our super-nerd family jumped at the chance to play the Star Wars version. One beef I had about the original was the challenge of duplicating a move: I could shoot a bird once and make a perfect shot, but try again and I could never get the trajectory right. Angry Birds Star Wars eliminated this with projected trajectories shown with a dotted line, eliminating most of the guessing and frustration and making for a nicer game play, in my opinion.

Where the first version of ABSW let you play all your favorite characters from Episodes IV, V and VI, ABSW2 revolves around Episodes I, II and III. Jar-Jar Binks is, ironically, one of the most enjoyable characters to play. You can also play as Qui Gon, Obi Won and Yoda; each has their own special moves. There's even an opportunity to "join the Pork Side of the Force" and fire pigs at the birds: definitely a fun twist on previous versions.

This time around the game is compatible with optional “Telepod” toys. Buy a small plastic Chewbacca “pod,” for example, put it up to your mobile device and Chewbacca will appear in game. A cool but potentially costly addition to gameplay. Otherwise, prompts for in-app purchases can be annoying and much of the content is a re-hash from what you've already seen throughout the Angry Birds sequels. Still, if you're a fan of Star Wars and Angry Birds, it's worthwhile.


Plants vs. Zombies 2 (Free): I played Plants vs. Zombies a few years ago on the X-Box 360 and was completely addicted, so I was eager to check out the sequel. Currently only available for iOS, the Android version is due out soon. It's challenging to see the whole field of play on an iPhone so if you have an iPad opt for the tablet version.

The object of the game is the same as the original: protect your space against swaths of attacking zombies by planting defensive and offensive plants in front of them. PopCap gets it right again with the sequel, with new plants and new challenges. You begin defending your home in the suburbs, but you're quickly whisked off to Ancient Egypt, Pirate Seas and the Wild West themes. The zombie onslaught is slow, but you can get overwhelmed quickly, and that's definitely part of the fun and intensity of the game. Can you kill them all before they eat their way through? Spend your earned coins on new powers to take down lots of zombies at once, or in-app purchase some crazy-fun plants and abilities. You don't need to spend cash if you play your earned-coins smartly. All-in-all, a great sequel to a great game.

Where's My Water? 2 (Free): If you missed “Where's My Water?” you really should check it out. Published by Disney Mobile (read: safe for the younger crowd), Water follows the mis-adventures of a loveable alligator named Swampy who just wants to take a shower. Your goal? Clear a path through the dirt from a big pool of water to the end of his pipe so he can achieve his shower-bliss. You're challenged with obstacles along the way like walls that block your path, sections of moss that suck away your water and giant chasms where water is simply lost. Get as much water to Swampy as you can to win, and try to collect all the rubber duckies along the way for extra points.

The sequel offers over 100 new challenges and the same puzzle-style gameplay of the original. I was excited to try it, but I found myself quickly exasperated with the game model. The "free to play" mode gets you through the first few levels, but then you're required to wait before you can play again, or pay a $0.99 fee to "refill your energy," and the wait times can be as long as an hour. My recommendation? Download the original if you haven't played it already, and if you can't get enough of Swampy play “Where's My Water? 2” with plenty of patience.