While some might argue, most would agree that the Command & Conquer series gave birth to the modern real-time strategy title. One of the spin-offs from the core series, Red Alert, has become so popular over the years that it is as, if not more popular than the franchise it came from, with a tongue in cheek approach to the Cold War and alternate history. Known for silly cinematics and frantic, polished gameplay, the series has grown over time, seeing spin-offs land on many different consoles. Sadly, almost all have been mediocre, failing to perform on the same level as the PC iterations. With the recent release of Command & Conquer Red Alert, EA has moved the series onto the popular iPhone format, taking advantage of the touch-screen input and powerful processor to hopefully render these complaints moot.

In many ways, the release is a huge success. In terms of controls, which is always the biggest issue with both iPhone games and RTS ports, it's a blissful experience. Controlling units is relatively simple, and allows for precise enough control to give the player access to the entire army. As per usual in the C&C series, this means commanding a handful of tanks, ground units, and even airborne troops, all of which made the transfer from PC to phone well. Presentation, on the whole, is extremely high-quality, meaning the second largest folly of the iPhone platform was also avoided. EA was sure to pull out all the stops with this game, and the quality is extremely apparent.

Sadly, for as well put together as it might be, there's really not all that much to do. The singleplayer campaign is very short, and there are only two skirmish maps to choose from. In the C&C store, which is available from the main screen, six more are available, as well as an expansion that adds more units and another faction. Since the game is already fairly pricey at $6.99, asking for another few dollars to nearly double the content is a bit silly, especially when most games on the platform go for a dollar or two, at most. Other issues are with unit path-finding, since the AI doesn't seem equipped to traverse the terrain as well as it should, especially considering the limited number of areas they'll be exploring.

That said, even for the higher-than-normal price, Command & Conquer: Red Alert for the iPhone is a good buy. It might be more expensive than a few $1 games, but it's better than nearly all of them, and there's something to be said about quality. On top of that, the issue with replayability isn't as detrimental thanks to the recent addition of multiplayer, giving owners more to do. EA's commitment to supporting the title should mean that future updates may hopefully fix a few of the gameplay issues that hinder the experience. For C&C fans, RTS fans, or anyone looking for something a little different on the App Store, it's a great buy, with legs to grow even more value over time.