Mobile Games Roundup

Fable Coin Golf

• Windows Phone 7 - £3.99

Can a puck ever truly be heroic? Lionhead certainly seems to think so, and who are we to argue when the promise of pretend riches lies in wait?

As the title helpfully points out, this game is essentially golf played with a coin/puck. The goal is to ping it around an obstacle-strewn course and reach a pillar of light in as few shots as possible.

The slingshot-style control system means it's simplicity itself to get into, but reaching the goal is easier said than done when you've got axe-wielding monsters lurking - plus water traps and forests to negotiate.

Plotting a path through the mire is, as you might guess, all about applying just the right amount of power and judging angles better than Ronnie O' Sullivan.

But even The Rocket needs powerups, and Lionhead duly obliges by scattering handy performance enhancements across the course. These allow you to cut a swathe through anything standing between you and coin golf immortality.

As with all absurdly addictive mobile games, there's the requisite mixture of blind luck and judgement to keep you coming back for more. But it's questionable whether you'll want to shell out four quid just so you can import some extra loot into Fable 3.

With a bit more content and a more tempting price point, Fable Coin Golf might be more interesting - but as it stands, it's just a feeble excuse at brand extension tacked on to a fairly engaging mini-game. Next.

6/10

Airport Mania: First Flight

• Android - £0.62 (free trial available)
• iPhone - £0.59
• iPad - £1.19

After the multitasking mayhem of Tapper World Tour, you might assume that I'd quite like to narrow my focus for a while. Incorrect!

The latest iOS gem to make a welcome transition to Android sees you take on the hand jazz of air traffic controller, dutifully landing planes while also picking up passengers, performing repairs and refuelling.

Despite looking like a cheap, charmless flash game, there's a certain carefree, primal satisfaction to be had from methodically landing planes, sending them to the correct colour-coded stand and juggling all the various tasks assigned. I blame the eyebrows attached to the planes. It's the little things.

The further you go, the more plates you're forced to spin at once, and the more your little monkey brain fires with the excitement of micro task successes.

And so it goes on, with a basic upgrade system allowing you to cope with more traffic, improve punctuality and increase customer satisfaction. You'll feel almost embarrassed at finding Lemon Games' efforts so entertaining, but as guilty pleasures go, there are worse ways of spending 62 pence.

8/10