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

Grabbing scores and opinions from all corners of the web, including from 148Apps, AppGamer, and IGN, Qi answers all your iPhone-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 iPhone. Both are worthy, but do they have what it takes to win your head, your heart, and your wallet?

You take my breath away

Soaring straight to the summit of the Qi chart this week is undead endless-flyer Zombie Ace.

Rather than having you fight off shamblers with shotguns and chainsaws (as usual), Hothead Games puts you in charge of your very own Plane of the Dead.

As chief zombie wrangler, you must pilot a number of zombie-filled aircraft over several major US cities, and infect the unsuspecting population below.

If this is all sounding a little bleak, don't worry: there are plenty of laughs to be had along the way. I mean, you haven't lived until you've seen a deadite gnawing gleefully through the wings of a fighter jet.

As Gamezebo's reviewer discovered, Zombie Ace's multi-layered take on the endless-runner genre "really help[s] the game stand out as something unique".

Cutting no corners

Swinging into the lower regions of the Qi Top 10, meanwhile, is the axis-obsessed driving title Slingshot Racing.

Crescent Moon's inventive reworking of a top-down racing title eschews gyroscopic steering and floating D-pads in favour of a clever one-touch control system.

Instead of guiding your vehicle through the chosen apex with the flick of the steering wheel, you fire a grappling hook from your car to maintain the optimal line. This hook latches onto conveniently placed poles and lets you pivot around tight bends with ease.

Once you get into the *ahem* swing of things, there are 64 increasingly challenging - and beautifully lit - levels to motor around, including the option to compete with up to four other players on one iOS device simultaneously.
Pocket Gamer's reviewer thought Slingshot Racing was a cut above the competition, deeming it " an inventive, accessible, and hugely satisfying arcade racing experience".

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