November 12, 2009 4:00 AM PST
Blue Skies ($2.99) | Blue Skies Lite (free)
Blue Skies 3GS ($2.99)
Blue Skies was one of the first apps out of the gate to feature support for Open GL ES 2.0. This becomes most noticeable when over water, which goes from a very repetitive looking grid of blue, to a gorgeous, glistening patch of ocean that reflects light. Improvements can also be seen over land with large expanses of land and steep elevations.
As with many other games on this list, the visual bump is welcomed, but there's so much else happening on screen that you won't have much time to admire it. It's also worth noting the game comes in two versions, one for owners of the older iPhone/iPod hardware, and those with the newer. While those who have the speedier devices can play both versions, those who may have mistakenly purchased the 3GS version will get a "told ya so!" message before the app quits.
Photo by CNET
Caption by Josh Lowensohn
