Every week, Pocket Gamer sister site iPad Quality Index (iPad Qi) highlights the newest games to make a critical splash in the cool, seductive waters of the iPad pool.

Grabbing scores and opinions from all corners of the web, including from 148Apps, AppGamer, and AppSpy, Qi answers all your iPad-related questions before you've even asked them.

Today, we're going to focus on two new contenders vying to be crowned king of your iPad. Both are worthy, but do they have what it takes to win your head, your heart, and your wallet?

Back on the grid

Blasting its way out of the past and straight into this week's iPad Qi chart is retro space shooter Gridrunner.

Revamped for iOS by the very fellow who coded it back in 1982, this Commodore classic retains the same crude pixel-art styling it possessed all those years ago.

Of course, the controls have been adapted to suit your fancy new-fangled touchscreen device, a task that has been handled with the kind of loving care you would expect from a proud father.

Though the game's projectile-dodging antics can seem tricky at first, Pocket Gamer's reviewer decided that once you get into the swing of it, Gridrunner is "one of the best blasters to grace iOS in ages".

We did the Monster match

Meanwhile, boxing itself in at the #8 spot is colour-matching cube juggler Monster Flip.

Putting a (literal) spin on the match-three formula, you must rotate rows of differently coloured cuboid monsters, the aim being to clear the screen by creating chromatic harmony.

Continuing the PikPok trend of vivid palettes and kooky character art, the game is striking to look at. Furthermore, the time constraints placed upon you by some of the more impatient monsters help to liven up proceedings.

The folks at AppSpy were won over by the game's right-angled charms, declaring Monster Flip "a polished, cute, and at times hilarious arcade puzzler".

You can get the up-to-date information about which games are reviewing best over at the iPad Quality Index.