Tech Search

(CNN) -- If you've picked up Apple's iPhone 4, you're probably aware of the new features that can benefit gamers on the go: a higher-resolution display, an integrated gyroscope to complement the accelerometer (for six-axis motion control), longer battery life and faster Wi-Fi.

Out of the box, the iPhone 4 also supports the 250,000-plus downloads available at the App Store (part of iTunes), many of which are great games that cover a multitude of genres.

Here are three recommended digital diversions that take advantage of the iPhone 4's impressive specs. These games also work on past iPhones, the iPod Touch and the iPad.

"Madden NFL 11"
Company: EA Mobile
Suggested age: Everyone
Price: $7.99
Rating: 3.5... stars out of 4

Using the iPhone 4's "retina" display -- given its name because Apple claims that its pixel density is so high, the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels -- EA Mobile's "Madden NFL 11" is one of the best-looking HD games on the platform.

Play as or against all 32 NFL teams, take advantage of the new Total Defensive Control feature that lets you pause the action to position your defense however you like, and use your fingertip to draw routes on the field. You can even save your best moves and call them as audibles.

As with this year's console versions of the game, the GameFlow feature does away with the playbook (on its default setting), so you can spend less time picking plays and more time playing.

"Madden NFL 11" offers four game modes in all, including a meaty Season Mode to play through an entire 16-game schedule (and make player trades). The game also features head-to-head Bluetooth support for wireless matches with a friend in the same room.

Although it's a bit on the pricey side -- especially compared with Gameloft's "NFL 2011" game for just 99 cents -- EA Mobile's pocket football game is a great buy.

"N.O.V.A."
Company: Gameloft
Suggested age: Teen
Price: $4.99
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 4

In "Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance" ("N.O.V.A."), you play as a retired Marine hero, Kal, who is reluctantly re-enlisted to fight for humankind's survival against aggressive aliens.

Played from an immersive first-person perspective, the 3-D shooter takes place in multiple environments, ranging from spaceships to dense jungles to a bustling alien city.

Consider it the closest thing to "Halo" for your pocket.

With more than a half-dozen high-tech weapons at your disposal, plus superhuman powers, you can tackle the solo campaign or create a free account to log online and indulge in multiplayer modes with up to three others.

Along with enhanced graphics, the game makers recently added gyroscopic support to better control the action by tilting the iPhone 4 in various directions.

"Zen Bound 2 Universal"
Company: Secret Exit
Suggested age: Everyone
Price: $2.99
Rating: 3 stars out of 4

If you prefer a more cognitive experience, "Zen Bound 2 Universal" is a relaxing yet challenging puzzle game.

While listening to the original 45-minute musical score (or your own tunes, if you prefer), use the iPhone 4's gyroscope and accelerometer to rotate the phone and "wrap" the rope around various objects to reach the assigned length -- while "coloring" the objects on all sides.

More than 100 increasingly difficult levels are packed into this download, including all levels from the original "Zen Bound" along with new game play modes.