As we mentioned in January, we're bringing back our monthly "Best of" roundups. Unfortunately, late February and Early March were absolutely loaded with both GDC and PAX East which left us with little time left to do anything other than handle both events. To make things up, today we've got this awesome "Best of" extra large double feature, with both February and March games.

Our ratings for games we reviewed in both February and March are now in place, and we now present to you the ones that are on the top of the heap. Each game reviewed receives a 1-5 star rating relative to the other games from that month. Generally, a 3 or higher is considered a "good" rating.

Our final scores are not the product of any traditionally objective measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others.

5 Stars

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, $4.99 - [Review] � [Forum Thread] � This is the closest thing to what we'd call a "system seller" of a video game since the iPad was originally released. Sword & Sworcery is an absolutely incredible experience, a thought that has not only been shared by the gaming press, but also the mainstream media as well. If you have an iPad and $5 to your name, there's no excuse not to spend it on this game.

Forget-Me-Not, $1.99 - [Review] � [Forum Thread] � In our review we called Forget-Me-Not the "retrolicious lovechild of PAC-MAN and Rogue," and I'm really struggling with a better way to describe the game. An amazing scoring system combines with fantastic retro graphics that only bolster how much fun Forget-Me-Not is to play. If the thought of PAC-MAN combined with dungeon crawling at all piques your interest, stop what you're doing and download Forget-Me-Not immediately.

Angry Birds Rio, $0.99 - [Review] � [Forum Thread] � As easy as it is to groan at Angry Birds Rio getting a 5 star rating, it's a fantastic game. It obviously takes the original Angry Birds formula and builds on top of it with the Rio tie in, boss battles, and some spruced up interface elements. There's also a few extra layers of parallax scrolling that really make this version of Angry Birds look much better than the others as well.

Tiny Wings, $0.99 - [Review] � [Forum Thread] � It's not every day that Angry Birds gets knocked to the #2 position on the top sales charts, but Tiny Wings did it. It comes packed with delightfully simple single button gameplay that even kids could enjoy along with increasingly difficult goals that even hardcore gamers will find challenging. Get this game, now.

Battleheart, $2.99 - [Review] � [Forum Thread] � This single player game perfectly combines everything that's good about complex party-based realtime battles found in MMO-style games with wonderfully simple and intuitive touch controls. Multiple character classes are included, as well as equipment upgrades. It's incredible just how much flexibility there is for tweaking your party and how you play the game. Battleheart is fantastic on the iPhone, but you can't miss it if you own an iPad.

4.5 Stars

Fight Night Champion by EA Sports™, $4.99 - [Review] � [Forum Thread] � A surprisingly competent boxing game that feels like an equal to its console counterpart instead of a typical watered-down mobile version. Great touch screen controls combine with different game modes to create a boxing experience that is among the best that the App Store has to offer.

Hot Springs Story, $4.99 - [Review] � [Forum Thread] � If you liked Game Dev Story, this is a game you need to download without hesitation. (If you haven't heard of Game Dev Story, play that first.) It features the same endless simulation style, only this time, focused around running a spa instead of your own video game company. Sure, the subject matter might not be as appealing, but everything that made GDS amazing is there (and then some).

Speedball 2 Evolution, $0.99 - [Review] � [Forum Thread] � This is a wonderful remake of the retro classic, complete with some great touch controls. If you haven't heard of the Speedball series of games, they're about the closest thing you can get to the old Mutant League Sports games on the Sega Genesis. If you have nostalgic ties to any of these franchises, or just enjoy crazy sports games, snag Speedball 2.

NBA JAM by EA SPORTS™, $4.99 - [Review] � [Forum Thread] � iOS gamers really couldn't ask for much more when it comes to EA's port of NBA Jam… Except for multiplayer, which is sorely missing. Regardless, all of the massive dunks and secret modes are intact, making this a surprisingly faithful port. EA even recently updated the game's roster, bringing it in line with this NBA season.

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The rest of the game ratings can be seen in their respective rating categories (also found in the sidebar navigation): 5 Stars, 4.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 3 Stars, and 2 Stars.

As always, we expect there will be some debate about relative scores, but keep in mind that everyone's personal ratings may vary based on individual tastes.

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We've often received criticism from readers that they're tired of paying too little for games on the App Store. When you own a piece of premium electronics like the iPhone, the iPod touch, or even the iPad, scrubbing around for price drop alerts and freebie Fridays just seems so… passé. If you consider yourself among the App Store elite, consider playing these games which bring new meaning to the phrase "premium pricing" whilst sunning yourself on your yacht this weekend:

Buddy Repperton Gold, $399.99 - Why simply play a sports game when you can bet real world money on them instead? Well, with the help of Buddy Reperton you're going to be getting the hottest, most elite, premium sports picks in the land.

Crossword Pro Service Update, $99.99 - The developers warn that this hundred dollar version of Crossword Pro [$6.99] is just an update to an existing app, but we all know that isn't true. Why restrict yourself to the crossword game of the proles when you can opt to spend substantially more money on a better, premium game experience?

Happyville, $99.99 - When you're among the financial elite, playing free farming games like Farmville, We Rule and others is just beneath you. Flop out a benjamin for the ultimate in iOS farming. Does Farmville have elephants, dragons, and other mythical beasts? ...I don't know, probably, actually.

Hot Farm, $69.99 - Shockingly similar to Happyville, Hot Farm provides a somewhat similar farming experience, but at the discounted price of $69.99 instead of the standard $99.99 of Happyville. Still premium, but for the conservative high roller we recommend giving this one a shot.

Smurfs' Village, Free - While at first glance this might just seem like a free app that you'd typically avoid, looking for something with a little more status to it, you would be making a grave mistake. You see, there is no limit to how much money you can spend on Smurfs' Village and Capcom even made it conducive to the discerning high roller by offering a $99.99 bundle of IAP Smurfberries. Better yet, there's no limit to how many of these bundles you can buy.

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A lot of great games explore the idea of loss and the tragedy that can come as a result of losing something. The world's greatest shooter, Crysis, for example, is directionless title with a limp narrative. Its design forces users to experience regret and grief as they travel around a lifeless open-world devoid of contextual clues or activities. Playing the game is experiencing loss first hand, since when compared to other shooters, Crysis lacks brick-and-mortar, taken-for-granted elements like goals, end points, or basic level design.

But how many games deal with finding � finding that thing that is lost? I can't think of a single one except Find the Rabbit [$1.99] for the iPad, iPod Touch, and Mac App Store. Alas, it's not a good game.

Find the Rabbit opens innocently, enough. You stare at a captivating mound of grass with bits and pieces of delicious wood scattered about. And in this mound, right below a patch of beautiful golden flowers, are a rabbit's ears. This is the rabbit, the goal, the end point, the object that guides the ebb and flow of the experience.

But as brilliant as this first area is, it highlights the obnoxious problems with the title � the rabbit is poorly hidden, for starters, but he's also a cartoon that is poorly implemented into a portrait that looks like it was taken from a royalty-free photo site. And when you click him? Oh, there's another problem with that.

You see, if this experience was all, really, about finding our dear rabbit, wouldn't the rabbit be relieved or frightened to see us? Why is he flashing a stupid grin? Who are we to the rabbit, you'll be left asking as you play, and what does this game have to say about our endeavor to find this hidden animal?

The answers can't be found in the game, nor are they alluded to otherwise, which is an unfortunate problem that makes Find the Rabbit impossible to recommend. So much more could have been done here, but the rabbit betrays no expression that conjures a meaning to us, nor does he seem intent on actually hiding. Also, the game doesn't fill us in on the issues surrounding his disappearance or the chase to find him.

The rest of the game features nothing more than several other real-life portraits, some of which feature snow, corn stalks, other flowers, and other odd outside worlds. But the rabbit sticks out like a sore thumb in each, providing little challenge.

Also, it's harder than I'd like to scroll between environments. You'd figure with a total of three inputs the developer could nail the touch implementation, but no dice here.

Overall, I just want more out of Find the Rabbit. Why do I need to look for him? Why is he lost to me? Why doesn't he hide better? Where is the Game Center and co-op support? Also, why is the rabbit continuing to run away and into other exotic places? There are no answers or hints in Find the Rabbit, which is perhaps the worst thing about it.

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I ran across what looked to be a little gem of a game in the App Store recently called Netflix [Free]. After a quick perusal of the screenshots, I quickly downloaded this free universal app. I was shocked at how many different titles it contained across many genres, easily trumping even the best all-in-one game box games on the App Store. Unfortunately, my experience with Netflix has been abysmal, and is akin to a bait-and-switch scam which should have never been allowed in the App Store.

To be fair, Netflix does contain an impressive list of titles. As I searched through the library of available games I came across such gems as BloodRayne, House of the Dead, Postal, Doom, and many, many more. My mouth was literally salivating as I though about being able to play these games anywhere and anytime on my iOS device.

The first problem I encountered is that immediately upon firing it up, Netflix requires you to visit an outside website to create an account before accessing the games. This wouldn't be such a problem, but then you learn that Netflix is actually a freemium game where they actually want to charge you a monthly fee of at least $8 (with even more expensive plans available). This just reeks of shadiness, and I was appalled that they expect us to pay near the top of premium App Store pricing per month just to play a collection of games. If anything, it should be a one time fee of 99�.

Since they do offer a 30 day free trial for their service, I decided to TOFTT (take one for the team) and subscribe to Netflix just to flex my journalistic muscle and dig a little deeper into their scam.

As if it couldn't get any worse, it gets totally worse. Once I had jumped through every hoop Netflix had forced me to just to get access to their library, none of the games I tried out had any gameplay whatsoever. Instead, they consist of extended cinematics/cutscenes, some of which run more than an hour or two.

At this point, I was so completely soured on my experience with Netflix that not even a classic Super Mario Bros game could save my opinion of it. In an ironic twist of cruel fate, Netflix actually does have a listing for Super Mario Bros. but again it's nothing more than an extended cutscene with terrible acting. I watched it anyway, mind you, all 104 minutes of it. But I immediately needed a shower afterwards. Check out the trailer below for a quick glimpse at the horror I subjected myself to:

Netflix appears to be a gamer's dream come true with its staggering list of available titles, but if you're looking for a competent compilation app you'll need to look elsewhere. If you don't mind just staring blankly at the screen watching extended cutscene after cutscene, then Netflix is incredibly competent in this area, just be prepared to fork over a steady stream of cash in order to conform to their freemium pricing structure. But if you're like me, an extremely hardcore gamer that craves nonstop gameplay, then you'd be best served staying far, far away from the abomination that is Netflix.

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Surely by now everyone who reads TouchArcade should be familiar with lite versions of apps. Love 'em or hate 'em, until the advent of in-app purchase an entirely separate version of a game was the only way developers had to allow users to try their (often limited or restricted in some way) apps for free. With the release of iOS 3.0 developers now have the ability to use IAP as a means of offering a single app which is then paid for via an "unlock" of sorts. However, lite versions still remain remarkably prevalent.

We don't normally review lite versions of games, but this one is so confusing that I felt that it needed to be highlighted. Split Rail, developers of the game Face Mirror [Free] recently released Flash Lite 4 [99�], apparently the lite version of Flash 4 which we're thinking is a yet to be released game based on the Fantastic 4, or possibly even the comic book character The Flash. Releasing a lite version before the full paid version of a game isn't unheard of, as Team Phobic did it with great success with Bounce On 2 [$3.99 / Lite].

Not much positive can be said about Flash Lite 4 other than the fact that it sports some ridiculously crisp Retina Display graphics. Once you load up the game, you're greeted with the Flash Lite 4 title screen that only seems to include a single slider switch which can be toggled on and off using a familiar swiping gesture.

Other than that, Flash Lite 4 is completely devoid of all gameplay. There isn't any story to speak of, no power-ups, unlocks, or achievements. In fact, I'd go as far as to say this is the absolute worst lite version of a game I've ever played in that it neither includes any taste of what the full version of the game is all about, but the developers also have the audacity to charge 99� for it.

Needless to say, I recommend steering clear of Flash Lite 4. Oddly enough, playing the game does have a somewhat unexpected side effect in that when you toggle the switch the LED on the iPhone 4 turns on and off, which has been surprisingly handy for finding my way around in the dark. Regardless, gameplay totally falls flat. Don't waste your time with this one.

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I've loved Taito since I was a child. And regular readers who have some idea how long I've been gaming likely know why. They created Space Invaders, perhaps the first video game I ever played and one of the most iconic games in history. I played it in the arcade not long after its 1978 release and it was first on my list of must-haves when I got my Atari VCS so long ago. I even got the tattoo!

Over the years we've seen a few official sequels emerge on various platforms. There were the enhanced SNES and Playstation ports. Also Space Invaders Extreme for the DS and PSP. Not to mention Space Invaders Get Even for the Wii and Space Invaders Infinity Gene [App Store] for iOS.

And they were all awesome.

But it is with sadness that I must acknowledge my change of opinion of the game studio known as Taito with their release of Space Invaders Clock [App Store].

Space Invader Clocks presents the oh-so familiar field of Space Invader alien squid, with your laser turret below � no surprise there. And then, of all things, the current local time is displayed at the top of the screen. (Curious, that.) At any rate, I settled in for some aline blasting action � only to find that there is none!

No matter what I do, I cannot take control of said turret to start eviscerating the alien horde. There is no touch control, there is no tilt control. There is no multiplayer via Bluetooth or WiFi, and there are certainly no online leaderboards to speak of. Space Invaders Clock simply sits there, and once every sixty seconds an alien is automatically blasted off the gamescreen.

Space Invaders Clock is about as engaging as watching bread mold. I expected so much more from this renowned, veteran studio that my experience with this recent release has retroactively sullied my opinion of Taito. Yes, it's is a free download, but I must urge readers to avoid it even still, as the time spent in grabbing it from the App Store is time that cannot be recouped.

I only hope that the studio redeems themselves with the subject of my next review,�Space Invaders Battery Meter [App Store]. Stay tuned for that, shortly.

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Originally released in Japan in summer of 1997, fellow North Americans would have to wait another half a year to get their hands on Final Fantasy Tactics, which is still regarded by many to be one of the best turn-based strategy games available. The game opens with a curious almost How I Met Your Mother story telling session where a historian tells you a tale of the past regarding the world of Ivalice, warriors, swords, swords, and stones. It's a little cliche by today's standards, it was just as amazing as all of Square's other RPG's when it was originally released.

Next, you're guided through a somewhat unconventional character creation process where you create your hero and choose a birthdate. It isn't immediately apparent, but the zodiac symbol that corresponds with that birthday actually plays a massive role in the game. (Arguably too massive.) Practically every action you take in battle can be either strengthened or weakened by what amounts to a game of zodiac game of rock paper scissors running in the background as some enemies are weak or strong to attacks that align with a certain sign.

With that out of the way, you're thrown into a tutorial battle where the game teaches you the basic mechanics that will be used throughout the rest of the game. In a nutshell, you learn about units having different movement ranges, how the active turn system works, and how you usually want to avoid attacking units from the front as you almost always do more damage attacking from the side or rear.

Final Fantasy Tactics is really a game of menu mastering. Menus and sub menus are everywhere that allow you to execute all kinds of strategies as units can be equipped differently and can hold different jobs which unlock new/varied abilities. The depth of all of these sub-systems is impressive, and while you can coast through the early parts of the game mostly ignoring them, actually completing Final Fantasy Tactics requires delving deep in to the job system.

I'm not entirely sure how much more of the gameplay is actually worth mentioning in this preview. Final Fantasy Tactics served as a fantastic foundation that has been imitated by countless other games. It combines all of the mechanics you'd expect in a Final Fantasy games such as magic, loot, and experience with a turn-based system that focuses the entire game on combat. There's "world map" but it really only serves as a cleverly disguised menu to get you to your next battle. Needless to say, if fighting is your least favorite part about Final Fantasy games, feel free to skip this one.

The controls of Final Fantasy Tactics work well, although it feels a little backwards that the X button cancels while the circle button confirms choices. Other than that, hitting triangle brings up the menu, and square allows you to move the camera around. Alternatively, hitting the L1/L2 and R1/R2 shoulder buttons allow you to tilt, rotate, an zoom the camera.

The save system in the game feels a little antiquated, in the modern age of cloud-based storage and all. Regardless, playing the game will require one block on your PlayStation memory card. It also will require a PlayStation itself, as who knows when this game will finally hit the App Store.

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With the nearly half a million apps on the App Store and a signal to noise ratio on par with a set of walky talkies purchased from a dollar store, instead of spending our time looking for games you'd actually want to spend your time playing, here are ten you should avoid at all costs:

10. Name That Fart, 99� � While the thought of fart-centric trivia may be appealing, not even the crisp Retina Display graphics makes this game worth considering. Gameplay consists of a ten question multiple choice quiz where you've got to identify signature farts such as the "lingerer" the "blupper" or even the "flutter blast." Upon completion of the quiz your score is displayed which sadly isn't uploaded to any kind of online leaderboard. We're hopeful for Game Center integration in future updates, but for now Name That Fart is safe to skip.

9. My Virtual Cat, 99� � It's clear to see where Hurrikane Technologies was trying to go with this virtual pet simulator. Utilizing Myst-like pre-rendered graphics, players must complete various tasks to take care of their virtual cat ranging from feeding it, playing with it, and even cleaning its litter box. A recent update added the playground locale, but we still recommend skipping this game as it ultimately fails at providing the personality that we feel a virtual pet game requires.

8. stickyStick, $94.99 � A puzzle matching game where players must tap the stick figures in the order that they appear. The game shows significant promise, but we recommend waiting for a price drop, as the current $94.99 price forces us to suggest that readers give stickyStick a pass for now.

7. ???, Free � This appears to be some kind of text-based RPG that we've been unsuccessful in reviewing because no one at TouchArcade speaks Chinese. We assume ??? has some kind of Barcode Battler but without knowing for sure, unfortunately we're going to need to skip ???.

6. Annoing Neighbors, Free � The premise of Annoing Neighbors involves, well, annoing [sic] your neighbors. With gameplay similar to Angry Birds, you fling balls at boxes. We're hoping to see some additional character development implemented in future versions of Annoing Neighbors, but for now this game is safe to skip.

5. Button Trial Challenges by Zincous, 99� � What appears to be a typical "hello world" game is actually a not-so-cleverly disguised way to farm up Game Center achievement points. Clearly designed by someone who has gone absolutely mad with collecting video game achievements, Button Trial Challenges by Zincous will put your ability to hold and press virtual buttons to the test. Unfortunately, until online multiplayer or a single player campaign is added, I'm going to have to say… skip this one.

4. Doodle Bird, 99�, � The iTunes description makes this game sounds like it helps you find your wife and children, of which it does neither. Instead, all we get is a poor Doodle Jump clone. Two words: False advertising. Additional word: SKIP!

3. Cat Translator, 99� � I've spent the past few years of my life wondering why my cat does the ridiculous things it does. Cat Translator seemed to provide some promise that I might finally unravel that mystery, but alas, it doesn't seem to work. (That, or my cat is just ignoring me as usual.) Either way, until we can confirm whether or not this actually does anything we recommend skipping this one.

2. Angry Turds, 99� � As much as I'd love this to be a witty play on the Angry Birds formula, it falls flat in just about every way imaginable. You play as a monkey, and angrily throw turds at pith helmet wearing adventurers. Totally skippable, unless the name Angry Turds makes you giggle.

1. Uggles, 99� � This game is about as captivating as tilting your phone to juggle furry little creatures called "uggles" could possibly be, that is to say, not at all. There are tons of different uggles to unlock, but doing so requires hours of mind-numbingly boring tilting back and forth as you juggle your uggles back and forth. If you like repetitive games, give Uggles a shot, otherwise… Skip it!

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