The best mobile games: May 2011

Because we publish many game and app reviews on Know Your Mobile, it can be hard to locate the best.

So, from now on we’re going to select our five favourite games we've reviewed within the last month for your viewing and gaming pleasure, giving you the essential lowdown on the last Friday of every month.

So without further ado, here’s our cream of the crop from May 2011, and our first feature from the series.

By the way, if you have a game you think we should consider, drop us an email with the details.

Hungry Cats

Move over Angry Birds, it’s time to let those furry felines shine. On mobile, that is. Yes, Hungry Cats has you slinging cats – oh, how the tables have turned.

Although there is nothing particularly new here, apart from 100 per cent more whiskers, Hungry Cats works on mobile - as in specifically, not just some lame attempt to shoehorn touch-based controls on a phone. The result is a thoroughly good game even the oldest handset can enjoy.

4/5

Outlaw Racing 2011

No, Java mobile gaming isn’t dead. Don’t be so silly. With games like Outlaw Racing 2011 on the scene there are plenty of reasons to shun the likes of iTunes and the Android Market.

This may look like you’ve taken a step back into the days of Micro Machines, but this racer should not be underestimated. In fact, it probably should have some sort of shrine made in its name.

Why? Because the game is free if you are good at it. Yep, no adverts insisting you start banking in Nigeria – just avoid being rubbish and slick racing is your reward. You can even customise your car like in Gran Turismo 5. Just don’t expect the same visuals.

4/5

Splinter Cell: Conviction

You can buy this latest Android stealth-‘em-up with plenty of conviction (geddit?) because this Sony Ericsson Xperia Play version is a sneaky slice of gaming greatness.

Yes, Sam Fisher is just a blatant rip-off of the legendary Snake of Metal Gear Solid fame but you can still sneak about, killing off guards one-by-one. On iPhone the controls meant Splinter Cell was better off in the dark but that PlayStation Phone tactile goodness makes this a good £3 well spent.

4/5

Storm in a Teacup

We may not have reviewed it in full, but we have been willingly floating around in a teacup this month like we are on some weird drug-fuelled trip.

If you can imagine a floating Mario with incredibly detailed backdrops and fantastic visuals, you aren’t far off the heart and soul of this game. Jumping your way to success via the odd puzzle here and there is the game’s bread and butter, which in itself isn’t exciting, but specific fine-tuning turns a genre that is otherwise frustrating into a gratifying experience.

No score - expect our review soon

N.O.V.A. 2 HD

A bit of a cop-out this one, but only because N.O.V.A. 2 isn’t new. Still, the Xperia Play version is a gaming masterpiece, combining a beautifully crafted first-person experience with physical controls. Yes, you don’t have to cover the on-screen action with frantic digit movements.

As far as genres go, the first-person one is easily the best way to showcase why physical controls, whether a control pad or keyboard and mouse, is still the way to go, and this Android outing of N.O.V.A. 2 makes a fantastic case.

5/5