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?

You take my breath away

Soaring straight to the summit of the iPad 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".

The fall of an empire

Laying siege to the middle of the iPad Qi Top 10, meanwhile, is exquisitely presented RTS title Autumn Dynasty.

If you've always been wary of mobile real-time strategy titles, then Touch Dimensions's gorgeous interpretation of the genre may be just the game you've been waiting for.

Though its hand-painted aesthetic is truly a sight to behold, this game is more than just a pretty face. Combat is nuanced and deep, enhanced by an intuitive circle-to-select control system.

Plus, once you've beaten the expansive single-player campaign, you can hone your warrior's instinct with skirmishes, before testing your strategic cunning against other generals via the online multiplayer mode.
Pocket Gamer's reviewer felt this oriental beauty had a lot to offer, saying: "you could easily be playing Autumn Dynasty until the leaves turn brown".

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