These are SUPER FUN apps, but will waste all of your time if you let them.  In other words, the following have great entertainment value, but they probably won’t help you accomplish anything more than that.  Oh, and one more thing.  I HATE applications that have a crappy lite version.  So, if there’s a lite app in this list, it’s TOTALLY fun even without purchasing the “full” version.  So, without any further ado, here are, as promised:

Apps That Aren’t Useful But Get Used a Lot Anyway

P.S. They’re in no particular order.  Not even a normally distributed randomized ordering!

Anyone remember the good old days of Microsoft Entertainment Pack?  In my opinion, computer games were OODLES better when they were designed by graphically-limited, puzzle-loving computer nerds instead of by creepy psychologists who want to keep you playing whether a game is fun or not.  All that to say that Boxed In has a whole lot of levels, and kinda reminds me of Chip’s Challenge — which, in my opinion is enough to make it one of the best games ever.

And, speaking of classic game analogies, Catcha Mouse is basically a combination of the good old BSD Robots with Rodent’s Revenge. Only, instead of turning evil bots into deadly junk heaps or trying to turn a cat into cheese, you try to keep the mouse from escaping down several holes.  Pretty nifty.  You should try it out, folks!

Optime Checkers is most assuredly the best iPhone checkers game I have played — and believe you me, I have played just over TWO versions.  It’s got a great, clean interface and even an easy one-player mode for people who have friends who annoyingly ALWAYS beat them at checkers.  Anyone else have that problem?

Another uber-fun board-game port from Optime is Crack the Code.  I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent with my sister(s!) playing Mastermind.  All you strategy snobs out there, I KNOW it’s kind of pointless to play once you have the algorithm down, but it makes me feel so darn smart to be called a “Mastermind” that I can’t help playing it again and again.

Cube Runner is unique in that it is the ONLY 3D game on this list (aside from those other two 3D apps in this list).  You’re a little arrow flying around in a world of cubes.  The strategy is to not run into any of the cubes.  Believe it or not, you’ll find that it is anything but simple to survive this “simplistic” world.

After soundly beating me at the time-honored pen-and paper game, one of my friends from school kindly suggested that I download Doodle Dots to hone my then-nonexistent dot-boxing skills.  I haven’t gotten much better, but when I do, there’s gonna be a re-match!

Google Earth is really only on here because I still can’t get over how amazing it is to be able to stream 3D graphics over the internet TO A MOBILE DEVICE.  I don’t really use the app that much.  The technology’s just too cool to get ignored.

Now, here’s an app that some of you will be offended by.  At the very least, you’ll think that I’m morbid.  But, to me, iDie is actually one of the most useful apps on this list.  It reminds me that, considering average life expectancies, I’ve lived over a fourth of my life already — and only have got around 41 million MINUTES left to live.  So, I had better make each one count.

iDoodle2 lite is a full-featured drawing app that’s got transparency, multiple pencil sizes, and a playback feature.  A must-have for all you artists out there.

When I first saw Trace in the app store, I thought it was another of those annoying stick-figure games where the designer didn’t have the time, energy or talent to create attractive art work.  But, then I downloaded the game and started playing.  The concept is amazingly simple and yet it takes a surprising amount of strategy to finish the game’s fun & challenging levels:  You get to draw the path on which your character walks.  But, watch out!  There are baddies that will get you if you aren’t careful.

Logitech Touch Mouse is definitely a useful application — if you don’t already have an awesome bamboo digital writing tablet.  Aside from the obvious use of easy screen navigation and drawing, this app is great for annoying other users of your computer.  Just install, walk up behind them, and start moving their files to the trash or “editing” the e-mail they are working on.

As one of the top free apps for a while now, Tap Defense probably needs no introduction.  Battling demons with arrows, bombs, and bolts of lightning.  What’s not to love?

Sol Free Solitaire was the very first game I downloaded to my iPod.  Contrary to popular belief, solitaire is fun for people other than bosses and managers.  It also sports variants similar to FreeCell, and Spider solitaire.

Sheep Launcher FREEEE! is a game where you tap the sheep to make it go higher and higher.  It’s harder and more enjoyable than it sounds.  SO, instead of wasting your nights COUNTING sheep, you can now spend your evenings sending sheep into far reaches OUTER SPACE.

When Gandreas software came out with their amazing port of THE ORIGINAL dungeon-crawler Rogue, I immediately rushed to their website to see if they had a port of NetHack in the works.  They did, and I checked the app store almost daily until it was released.  For those of you who don’t know, I used to spend weeks at a time playing NetHack on our ancient Linux computer.  Now, I don’t HAVE weeks at a time to spend doing anything — but, it’s nice to know that if I ever did, I’ve got NetHack waiting for me on my iPod.

This is my last classic, folks.  I promise.  Light Bike FREE is a clone of the amazing Tron LightCycles arcade game — only in 3D (actually, the game is most similar to ArmageTron — only without the obstacles)!  The physics are completely unrealistic (you can make abrupt 90 degree turns while going light speed), but that’s part of what makes these kind of games fun.  Hey, if I wanted hyper-real graphics and true-to-life physics, I could get that OUTSIDE of a video game!

Labyrinth was the second game that I downloaded onto my iPod.  I can’t tell you how amazed I was when I could control the little silver ball by TILTING MY DEVICE.  As much fun as this game is, I’d have to say that I like the feel of the physical version better.  Too bad they don’t make iPhones with knobs on the side.

Knots is twister for the iPhone.  However, please make sure your screen is free from mud, pizza, ghostbuster slime, or any other unpleasantries before you ask someone else to play with you.  I can’t wait for the iPad version of this to come out — which will probably allow users to use their hands and feet instead of just their fingers!

Instead of linking to the app store page for Jungle Crash, I’m linking to a list of all the iPhone games from Donut Games.  They’re all so creative, challenging, and instantly playable that it’s hard to pick out just one.  Check ‘em out, peoples.

Last and certainly not least is Jelly Car.  I guess the only way to describe this game is that you drive a car made out of jelly — in a world made out of jelly.  It’s really a fascinating idea — since players have to come up with strategies they have never used in other games.  For instance, you can squeeze your car through a small space to make it slurp out at a faster speed than it was going before.  I wish I had thought of it.

Alrighty!  I hope you’ve all enjoyed this little list.  If not, maybe you can come again soon and have a look at the upcoming part III (Apps That I Cannot Live Without).