**UPDATE: iPad Version on sale for $2.99!**

If you have an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, you should have Geared. Period. It is one of the most novel, beautiful, and well made games on the App Store.

Geared (iPhone: $2.99 | iPad: $4.99 | FREE)

It is a gem of the store that has been revived by the release of the iPad version. Both games are nearly identical, and both are insanely fun, but what makes these two games so great?

Presentation

Having held the #1 spot for several days, most people have played or seen this game at some point, and for good reason. The iPlatform is practically made for puzzlers, and this game shows that attribute. On the original iPhone version, you have 150 mesmerizing levels, each with individual quirks and issues to overcome – from dead zones to immobile gears.

The iPad version also includes 150 identical levels for you to play. This game is a very simple game, with an addictive implementation, much like what Doodle Jump and Blocked have done.

Controls

On both the iPhone and iPad, the controls are identical. You have a series of taps and drags to position your gears precisely. You drag your gears out of the dock into the playing area, and drag them to where you want to. Release to drop the gear. This is very simple to do, and is explained in gross detail over the first several levels.

Gameplay

The gameplay is entirely level based, not score based. You are playing for your own enjoyment and benefit. No clock to play against, no score to strive for. This is a very calm, yet frustrating game, with an interesting relief. The game actually comes bundled with a portal through which you can receive tips, tricks, and even GUIDES for the levels. If you get stuck on a level, or are just lazy, you can access every answer for every level within a series of taps. The iPhone version includes 150 such levels, and each is completely unique. The iPad version provides these same 150 levels, but gives a different experience than the iPhone, being far larger it enables more precision.

The iPad version is naught but a well upscaled version of the iPhone version, and does nothing wrong with this. The game is one that benefits immensely from being just larger. This is in the same way that Plants vs. Zombies is a great game on the iPhone, but is made an order of magnitude better by being larger. However, some iPad specific content would be great, adding numerous more gears and complication to it, taking advantage of the additional room. The iPad really is to the iPhone, I can do everything you can do, just better.

Suggestions

• Fix the crashes. The iPhone version is as solid as a rock, but the iPad version is flaky. Some bug fixes would be excellent, and help everyone.
• Online gaming social networks. Plus+ would be excellent, just for the sake of OTA syncing between versions. If I beat it once, I don’t want to play all the same levels again on another platform.

Conclusion

Geared is an ideal puzzle game. It is fairly difficult, provides that level of zen (for the sedate among us ;P), and really exemplifies the platform. Why we didn’t review this game before is beyond me, but that doesn’t change anything. This game is amazing, and everyone with an iPhone or iPad needs to get one or both of these games.

While a universal binary would be great, for $8, you get hours of fun and frustration. If I had to pick the better of the two, it would be the iPad version. Bigger really is better. Regardless, if you have an iDevice, this game is a REQUISITE for your device and I. mean. it.