iDodge: Space Ninja ($5.99, link) has some of the best accelerometer controls around and makes use of the iPhone’s tilt controls in a surprisingly precise way. Relying on the accelerometer as the primary method of control for any game can be dodgy if done incorrectly, but Space Ninja does it very well. The game has you navigating mine fields and enemies using only your dodging prowess, controlled by said accelerometer, through a frankly ludicrous number of levels.

Each level is of set vertical length, and you try and dodge a gauntlet of obstacles to cross the finish line. You don’t have any weapons at your disposal, so it’s up to using the accelerometer and some mad agility to avoid incoming attacks from multitudes of enemies. While you may not be armed, you do have some tricks up your sleeve. Pressing and holding on the left side of the screen activates a magnetic field to pull things in, and the right side lets you slow down time, making it easier to dodge. However, every level is apparently beatable without using them, and you get bonus medals if you do so — it’s just freakishly hard.

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Sway ($4.99, link) is a puzzle game for the iPhone that, underneath its simple concept, lies a surprisingly tricky game — one that belies the childish theme of the game.

Sway uses an innovative twist for multitouch controls, with each half of the screen corresponding to one of your characters hands. You play a small, stuffed animal-like monkey with hands that stick to the background. When hanging by just one hand, you swing the character, and lift your thumb to send them flying — but be careful to grab hold of something before you fall to your death.

The object is to make your way Tarzan style across the level, flinging and swinging from platform to platform, avoiding obstacles and barely catching moving sections. Completing each level gives you a rating based on how fast you completed it and the number of stars you collected along the way.

It’s a simple idea and control scheme but surprisingly tricky. It takes a while to learn how to accurately throw the character around, and I spent a huge amount of time plummeting to my death. It’s remarkably hard, and once you throw in hazards and moving platforms, it gets even trickier. If you’re trying to beat each level in the time required to get the medals, you have to master the art of flinging with wild abandon, to move with sufficient speed. Luckily, there’s no penalty for dying, you just start at the most recent checkpoint.

The levels are laid out on a branching path, and as you complete them, you gradually unlock more characters with different attributes. For instance, the first character you unlock has longer arms, but moves more slowly.

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Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 ($9.99, link) takes the incredibly successful skating game, and shrinks it down to pocket size, squeezing almost all the functionality of the classic game into its iPhone counterpart.

THPS2 is arguably the best of the series (either it or its immediate sequel), and came long before the poorly regarded recent entries, like Proving Ground or Ride. An immensely well-received game, it sold gangbusters on the PS1, N64, and was one of the few games that would run happily on my old 12-inch Titanium G4.

The Tony Hawk games put you in a series of themed levels, which you skate through, attempting to work through a number of goals for each one. There’s cash scattered around, which is used to buy tricks and increase your stats, hidden tapes, secret rooms, special grinds to be done, and usually some sort of level-specific collectible. On top of that, you want to try and hit various high score amounts. As you pass each level, more open up, including a number of competitions, where you have three runs to rack up as many points as possible. Or you can just play free skate, and bum around to your heart’s content.

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