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Arcade football games for iOS

We're now in the second week of the NFL football season, and if you're a fan of the game you probably already know when and where you're going to watch your favorite team play this weekend. But when it's not game watching time in the middle of the week, or even at halftime, these are some great games that make you a part of the action without getting too involved.

There are full American football game options at the App Store like Madden NFL 12 and Gameloft's NFL series, but neither are nearly as good as what you would find on a console and the touch-screen interfaces leave a lot to be desired. That's why instead of talking about those games here, I went with easier to pick up and play arcade-like football games that won't keep you glued to your iPhone for a long time.

This week's collection of iOS apps let you focus on playing as specific players on a football team. The first focuses on running, letting you dodge tackles, and even showboat as you run into the end zone. The second lets you play as a kicker, sending the football through the goal posts or trying to get the perfect punt right by the goal line. The third puts you in the shoes of a quarterback as you swipe to make perfect passes to moving receivers.… Read more

Right through the uprights!

Super Football Kick 3D is a simple, one-player game in which you attempt to kick football field goals from varying distances.

The touch interface is easy to master: you just swipe up the screen quickly, with your vertical motion determining how far the ball will go and horizontal motion determining its direction. The game looks great, with sharp graphics and 3D camera views that randomly alternate between different points of view (including occasional "ball's-eye view" shots in midair). The sound is also fun, with rousing drumline intros to each round (six rounds in all, each 10 yards … Read more

Kicker EB51 earbuds are...cheap

The first thing you're likely to do upon obtaining a new MP3 player is load it up with all your favorite music. Once that's done, the next best step is to replace the shoddy earbuds that came packaged with it. Of course, not everyone wants to drop a wad of cash on a new pair of headphones, which is where sets like the Kicker EB51 Stereo Earbuds come in.

The colorful earphones have an MSRP of just $19.95, but they can be found for a bit more than $10. These standard plastic 'buds aren't as comfortable … Read more

Kicker ZK500 Zune speaker review

Not thrilled with the Zune's Wi-Fi music-sharing feature? Kicker's ZK500 Zune speaker dock gets your music social the old fashioned way: by pummeling it at people's heads. The ZK500's two 5-inch drivers, silk-dome tweeters, and a monstrous 6-inch bass reflex port are powered by a total of 40 desk-shaking watts of power, packed into an enclosure that looks like it fell off the Death Star.

You can find our full review of the ZK500 over at CNET Reviews, but you won't find this video of me pushing the system to its limits in a quiet … Read more

ButtKicker Gamer: Rock your seat

The name might be crude, but the product is pretty clever. Guitammer's ButtKicker Gamer is a vibrating bass module that puts some thump into your gameplay. The surprisingly heavy ButtKicker device clamps onto your chair, and the included amplifier runs between the ButtKicker and your audio input. When you start playing, the ButtKicker starts jumping, making your seat rock and rumble with every shot and explosion.

Rumble seats are hardly new for gaming; bass-rocking gaming chairs from companies such as Pyramat and D-Box can be had by anyone willing to shell out the cash. They're usually bulky chairs … Read more