I know what you're thinking. Hey, isn't this a gaming website? Why are we talking about iPods all of a sudden? Because, against all odds, Apple's little touchscreen has become the primary competition for the Nintendo DS.

At first glance, the PSP seems like the contender here. It sells consistently, looks and sounds great, and if the rumored revision does well, it really could be a competitive system again. However, as it is currently the system either sits unused or is spending most of its time playing pirated games.

The iPhone, meanwhile, is the fastest selling smart phone (okay, Blackberry's Curve knocked it down a notch this month) featuring an app store that's served over a billion applications to date; the iPhone's little brother, the iPod Touch, is of course selling gangbusters as well. At just under $200, the iPod Touch has just barely more than the DSi. Once you get into the games, though, it's quickly apparent where the money is -- or isn't -- as the case may be.

With many of those most fun and popular touch games hovering between $0.99 and $4.99, you can grab a whole bevy of games for the price of a single DS game. At just a few dollars, a game doesn't have to offer as much content as say, GTA: Chinatown Wars to make a game feel like a good investment. The low price makes the concept of taking a chance that much more appealing as well. I'd much rather try out five or ten little games and end up with a few good ones, than end up with a stinker like Puzzle Quest Galactrix.

Now, I'm not an Apple guy. I've never owned an iPod. I've managed to avoid iTunes thus far. If companies like ngmoco:) continue to make truly engaging games for the platform, though, the benefits are going to far outweigh the disadvantages.

Here are a few Touch games I've had the chance to play or check out that are starting to tip the balance for me.


Flight Control – Airplanes and Helicopters drift into view from the edges of the screen. Your job is to get them all onto the runway in tact by drawing lines to direct and delay them. $2.99


Topple and Topple 2 – Stack up the goofy-faced blocks to meet the goal. The art is awesome, and full of style. $2.99


WordFu – Takes games like Boggle and TexTwist and adds a few layers of style and some fun mechanics. $1.99


geoDefense – The official site calls it "the thinking man's tower defense." Free to try, $3.99 for the full version.

And those are just a few of the games. The temptation might be overwhelming before the year is out. If you've already got an iPhone or iPod Touch, why aren't you playing these?