Two fun games go on sale: iPhone apps of the week

(Credit: CNET)

Everybody loves a bargain. With the iTunes App Store, it's getting to the point that apps go on sale almost every week. Of course, app sale prices can be either good or bad, depending on your perspective. If you bought that fancy game for $9.99 a few weeks ago only to find out it went on sale later for $1.99, you can't help but feel a bit cheated. But it also gives you the opportunity to swoop in and grab apps you wouldn't ordinarily buy.

This week's apps are both games and are both on sale for a limited time. One has been around for awhile, while the other is brand new, with an introductory sale price.

You'll need several hits to take down some of the larger foes

(Credit: CNET)

Hero of Sparta (99 cents for a limited time) is a hack-and-slash adventure with great-looking 3D graphics and HD-quality sound. You play as King Argos, battling your way through hordes of monsters as you adventure through the underworld. The game uses onscreen controls with a gamepad for movement and some other buttons for attacks and blocks. For special moves, buttons will appear on screen that you'll need to touch in sequence before they disappear to get the full effect.

In between all the hacking and slashing, Hero of Sparta does a great job of revealing the story during beautiful cut scenes. Though you might find yourself hitting the attack button repeatedly with little consequence, the game draws you in with extra items that add to your stats and give you enough power to battle some of the tougher foes. Frankly, I kept playing just to see what would happen next--it just looks and plays that good. Hero of Sparta usually goes for $5.99, so if you like games like Diablo or Dungeon Siege, definitely jump on this bargain while it lasts.

Between battles, you'll experience some of the games beautiful imagery.

(Credit: CNET)

Galactic Gunner (99 cents for a limited time) is a fun and challenging space shooter on rails, in which your job is to blow away enemies by touching onscreen targets. As your ship is flown expertly from battle to battle by a veteran captain, you get to listen to humorous tongue-in-cheek radio chatter between your captain and wingmen. Complete missions to earn medals and continue along the story path.

When I downloaded Galactic Gunner, I wasn't expecting much--any game on rails is usually not my cup of tea. But the challenging aspect of the game is that you need to be precise in your shots in order to kill as many enemies as possible while they're still on the screen. As the captain maneuvers the ship, you'll need to pick your opportunities wisely. Galactic Gunner had quite a PR blitz in the weeks leading up to its release. With cinematic space scenes, a solid and often funny storyline, and challenging gameplay, this game lives up to the hype and is definitely one to grab at the low price point of 99 cents.

What's your favorite iPhone app? Have you been waiting for Hero of Sparta to go on sale (like I have)? Were you pleasantly surprised by Galactic Gunner? Let me know in the comments!