IPod Games

iPod Games, also referred to as iPod Click Wheel Games in iTunes, is a feature added with an iPod firmware 1.2 enhancement for the 5th-generation iPod on September 12, 2006. It was announced at Apple Computer's "It's Showtime" event by CEO Steve Jobs. Games were made available for 4.99 from the iTunes Store and designed specifically to be used with the iPod's controls. The games are stored as .ipg files. These were replaced in functionality by iOS apps from the Apple App Store.

Certain games, such as PAC-MAN and Tetris have been criticized for awkward controls through the Click Wheel as an input device.

List of Click Wheel games
iPods that supported Click Wheel games from the iTunes Store came pre-installed with iQuiz, Klondike, and Vortex.

Launch titles
The launch lineup of games on the iTunes Store included:
 * Bejeweled - A puzzle game where you have to match gems.
 * Cubis 2 - A puzzle game which is played by sliding blocks.
 * Mahjong - A game based on the popular Chinese board game.
 * Mini Golf - A mini golf game played from a top down view.
 * PAC-MAN - A remake of the arcade classic which involves the PAC-MAN character eating pellets while avoiding ghosts.
 * Tetris - A remake of the classic game where the objective is to get lines of blocks.
 * Texas Hold'em - A shared-card poker game.
 * Zuma - A game where the objective is to create lines of coloured balls by elimating others.

Additional titles

 * Asphalt 4: Elite Racing
 * Backgammon
 * Block Breaker Deluxe
 * Bomberman
 * Brain Challenge
 * Bubble Bash
 * Cake Mania 3
 * Chalkboard Sports Baseball
 * Chess
 * Chinese Checkers
 * Crystal Defenders
 * CSI: Miami
 * Lode Runner
 * Lost: The Game
 * Monopoly
 * Ms. PAC-MAN
 * Musika
 * Mystery Mansion Pinball
 * Naval Battle
 * Peggle
 * Phase
 * Pirates: Aegir’s Fire
 * Pole Position: Remix
 * Real Soccer 2009
 * Reversi
 * Royal Solitaire
 * Scrabble
 * The Sims Bowling
 * The Sims DJ
 * The Sims Pool
 * Slyder Adventures
 * Song Summoner
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * SPORE Origins
 * Star Trigon
 * Sudoku
 * Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World
 * Tiger Woods PGA Tour
 * Trivial Pursuit
 * UNO
 * Wonder Blocks
 * Yahtzee

Discontinuation
The rise in popularity of the iOS-based iPod touch and iPhone caused older iPod models to decline in sales. By the end of September 2011, sales of all Click Wheel-based iPod games were discontinued by Apple.

Articles

 * iPod Game Review Central by Levi Buchanan at IGN (2006-09-15, archived 2013-03-24)
 * Looking Back At The History of iPod Click Wheel Games by Khee Hoon Chan at TheGamer (2022-05-11)