Apple has released a 2.2.1 update for the iPhone and iPod Touch today. Available from iTunes, the update appears to be a rather minor one with the following improvements:
iPhone 2.2.1 Software Update
This update contains bug fixes and improvements, including the following:
- Improved general stability of Safari
- Fixed issue where some images saved from Mail do not display correctly in the Camera Roll
Products compatible with this software update:
- iPhone
- iPhone 3G
And the Lite versions keep coming. The most prominent iPhone game during the App Store's launch Super Monkey Ball has arrived as a Lite/Free version. [App Store]. SEGA saw 300,000 downloads (over $3 million in revenue) in the first 20 days of its release
Guide a cute little monkey encased in a transparent ball to victory by tilting and rolling him through a variety of slopes and turns. You must navigate a large variety of obstacle courses to reach goal lines within set time limits. Collect as many bananas as you can along the way and you'll be able to increase your remaining lives.
The game has been criticized by some for highly sensitive controls, though this has been tweaked in a more recent update.
The Lite version contains a tutorial and 3 stages. The full version contains 110 stages and costs $7.99.
NoMonkeys has released a Lite version of their original iPhone game called Alphabetic Lite [App Store].
The game is a beautifully animated game in which you must find all 26 letters of the alphabet before time runs out.
The object of the game is to find all the 26 letters of the alphabet before the timer runs out. The game has dozens of nifty animations it uses to display the letters so they get harder and harder to spot.
A previous discussion thread revealed many fans of the game. The developer has since provided this lite version as well as a video (see right) of gameplay. This game's definitely worth a try.
The full version is available for $1.99 [App Store] and offers a number of different "challenge" modes.
As we reported a few weeks back, Grand Theft Auto-like Payback for the iPhone launched through the App Store...and then was pulled due to a notable bug.
Unfortunately, a significant bug has come to light in the iPhone/iPod Touch version of Payback. Due to the way the iPhone SDK works we cannot test the final build of the game we send to Apple and the issue in question only occurs in an App Store build. After careful consideration, we have decided to temporarily withdraw the game from sale until an update is ready - hopefully this won’t take long, depending mainly on how long it takes Apple to approve it. No one is more upset about this than we are, and we humbly apologise to those who were waiting on the game and hope you will stick with us as we work to resolve this issue.
Happily, Apex Designs has just informed us that Payback will see a worldwide (re)release on January 28th. As Apex describes it,
It's a pretty big game by iPhone standards - full voice and music soundtrack, 11 huge cities to explore, stunning HDR lighting, insane attention to detail and a general level of slickness you don't find on many iPhone titles.
See a video of the GP2X mobile version for a better look.
Stay tuned for a full review of Payback when it makes its (final) App Store debut.
The Independent Games Festival Mobile, which awards innovation in mobile games for a variety of mobile devices, has released its list of finalists for the second annual competition. This year's competition featured more than double the number of entries--over 100--than last year's.
Winners of the 2009 IGF Mobile competition, who will be announced during the Game Developers Conference Mobile on March 24, will get a share of $30,000 in prize money and will be honored during the main Independent Games Festival Awards on March 25.
The IGF Mobile 2009 competition is supported by Platinum and Founding Sponsor NVidia as well as Gold Sponsor and Best iPhone Game prize sponsor ngmoco.
Despite all the great iPhone games that are out there, the have been a few common deficiencies that we've seen even amongst the premium titles. One has been that level-based puzzle games have tended to be too short or too easy. While I very much enjoyed titles such as Loopy Laboratory and Mouse House, the process of completing them had a bit of a "paint by numbers" feel to it. While there have been challenging moments, in many cases, there might just be one obvious solution. And, in the end, that can leave you a bit unsatisfied.
FDG Entertainment's Bobby Carrot Forever [App Store, $7.99], however, delivers a refreshingly challenging game that should keep you occupied for some time. While the official gameplay estimate is said to be over 15 hours, I believe that this is likely a conservative estimate for most.
Bobby Carrot Forever is a level-based puzzle game similar to Chip's Challenge in which a number of objects must be collected in order to open the exit. In this case, the objects are (unsurprisingly) carrots. In your way, however, are a variety of obstacles that you must manipulate in order to reach your goal. Several objects require triggers to activate. In order to turn on the tractor, you must get the fuel canister first. To climb over certain obstacles, you will need to seed the ground with beans in order a bean stalk to grow. In the meanwhile, Bobby Carrot must navigate breakaway floors, one-directional pathways, switches, kites, fans and much more. The game also offers a "shop" where you can purchase upgrades (faster tractor, different background music, etc...) for use in the game. Levels also contains some hidden bonuses and unlockables to keep things interesting.
Bobby Carrot comes with 60 levels split across 6 worlds of 10 levels each. Each world has a difficulty rating of low, medium or high. Don't be fooled, though. Soon after you start the game, you'll find yourself restarting many of the low-difficulty levels trying to figure them out. In the end, however, this is what makes this game great, and one the best values in the App Store despite its relatively higher cost ($7.99).
While the game itself is excellent, there are a few interface issues that you may notice in the gameplay video that we feel should be tweaked in future updates. The current method to restart a level is somewhat awkward which requires you to turn the iPhone from landscape to portrait to pull up the menu. This becomes more noticeable in more difficult levels that you might be restarting often. The controls for the game involve tapping on the four edges of the screen: top/bottom/left/right to move the character appropriately. While this solution is effective, some (including myself) tend to prefer a swipe control system. Finally, there is no way to replay a single level in the current version. Instead, an entire world must be replayed. The developer appears aware of these issues and is planning on addressing some of these shortcomings in a future update.
Still, these are relatively minor interface issues that don't significantly detract from an otherwise solid game. This game is easily a "must have" for fans of these types of puzzle games and is highly recommended for others.
Our gameplay video shows two of the levels (complete with a few failed attempts).
Bobby Carrot Forever is a level-based puzzle game that requires you to navigate obstacles in order to collect all the carrots and reach the exit. 60 levels provide a refreshingly challenging puzzle game that offers well over 15 hours of gameplay. This game is easily a "must have" for fans of the genre and is also highly recommended for others.
Ian Marsh's Textropolis [App Store, $1.99] has generated quite a following amongst our forum members. An over 500 post thread has produced mostly glowing reviews for the latest word game to hit the App Store.
Not surprisingly, word games have been a popular gaming genre in the App Store. The iPhone's touch screen interface seems to lend itself well to these word puzzlers.
The basic premise of almost all word games is the forming of as many words as possible out of a given set of letters. And a large number of these games tend to fall into either TextTwist (Chicktionary, Lexitron) or Boggle (wurdl, Quordy) type games.
Textropolis, however, manages to offer a somewhat relaxed take by eliminating the time-limits found in other games of the genre. Instead of racing the clock, you are simply challenging yourself to find as many words as possible. Surprisingly enough, this formula has succeeded in producing a both fun and addicting game. One particularly glowing review from the developer of iPhone adventure game 1112 captures this sentiment:
I bought it this afternoon, I can't stop playing.... This is the best text game I played so far, I always was a bit frustrated with timed game, in this one you can pause the puzzle whatever you want and start the next one (if you manage to at least unlock it). it's very addictive
The game starts with a single unlocked city "Kingstown". Textropolis tells us there are 95 combinations of 4-letter-or-longer words based on that city name. To play, you simply start typing in words. No time limits, no penalties for guesses. Just you and the letters. Each word successfully submitted rewards you with the definition of the word flying across your screen. As you find more words, your city's population (aka game score) increases and you earn achievement stars. Once you find 10% of the words in a given city, the next city is unlocked. This relatively low hurdle to unlock each new city will keep novice players interested, while advanced players can dedicate themselves to reaching higher star achievements. The game also offers a "hint" feature in which you can sacrifice 1000 people from your city's population in exchange for a hint that will fly by the screen.
With 30 starting words and thousands of possible words, this $1.99 game offers plenty of gameplay. Without time limits, it can be a rather relaxing experience that you can pick up and continue at any time throughout your day. While no global or online scores are offered, the game does offer 5 distinct save slots so you can compete with your friends and family members.
The developer's video offers a good look at gameplay (music not included):
Textropolis is a word game in which you find as many words as possible from the letters of cities around the world. Well balanced progression and no time limit offers an ongoing challenge for both novices and experts alike. Trying to find "just one more" word will keep you coming back.
We took notice of Skyworks' first iPhone game Arcade Hoops Basketball [App Store, $1.99] when it was released back in November. It reproduces an arcade basketball game on your iPhone with both a "classic" and "progressive" mode.
The game is a relatively short lived experience, but comes in an overall polished package with very good use of the touch controls to "throw" the balls to the basket. Both speed and direction of your swipe will affect the light of the basketball. Fans of the original arcade machines will likely enjoy this iPhone simulation.
This developer video shows off the game (though does not directly demonstrate the swipe control).
Meanwhile, Skyworks has recently released another nicely packaged game using the same swipe-control method called Arcade Bowling [App Store, $1.99]. Their latest game offers a simulation of Skee-ball. Again offering "classic" and "progressive" modes, the game offers the best iPhone reproduction of Skee-ball to date. Ball physics seem a bit "loose" but the swipe control works well and the progressive mode offers enough challenge to keep you playing.
Another developer video (again, does not demonstrate the swipe controls):
While it's hard to call either of these games "must haves", they provide a very well polished and fun experience for fans of the original games.
Makayama Media's iPhone flyer Flight Stunts [link] has made its App Store debut. The comment thread on our preview of the game showed real interest in this title from our readers.
Flight Stunts challenges players to complete 20 demanding missions such as maneuvering an Airbus A319 under the Golden Gate Bridge, dropping a paratrooper in the Beijing Olympic Stadium, and dogfighting over the Pacific and Moscow. The developer indicates that, while the popular X-Plane 9 is about instrument panels and weather conditions, Flight Stunts is all about fun and action.
We've not spent much time with this title but can say that the game uses dramtically simplified renditions of the various geographic regions featured within. This may not be a particular negative as Flight Stunts is not an attempt at a fully accurate flight simulation.
Unfortunately, reaction from early adopters have been rather negative:
YUCK!!! Needs work! Needs tilt reset, and maybe a way to pause or quit? - doctorded
I agree with you. Also there is collision problems with the graphics and at some points has choppy animation. hopefully an update will correct all the problems in processing and reset the tilt. - radchad1
In going through our backlog of new iPhone games, I've run across two relatively new Audio-based memory games that take the traditional "Match" or "Memory" games and replace the usual visual tiles with audio clips.
The first one I ran across was Mozart 1791 [App Store], a $1.99 game in which clips of Mozart's Requiem are played when you tap on any of the tiles. You goal is to match the two tiles with the same clip to eliminate them from the board. While an interesting idea, the game itself was rather limited with only 4 levels. The payoff in the end is simply unlocking the ability to listen to the whole Requiem and also reading some of Mozart's letters. In the end, not a game we'd recommend unless you happen to be a huge fan of Mozart's Requiem. But that brings us to the next find, which is more a full game.
Melody Match [App Store, $3.99] takes this concept and implements a full game behind it. Instead of just Mozart, the game uses musical instruments, sound effects, as well as clips from popular music today (including Hip-hop, pop, alternative rock, folk, and country). GameVision Mobile will have to forgive my doubts, but I'd be surprised if all the audio clips were officially licensed from the artists/studios. Regardless, features include:
Four modes including Arcade, Freeplay, Record, and Speakout.
50 levels and over 300 diverse sounds.
8 different style cards and 19 categories including the best of Hip-hop, pop, alternative rock, folk, country, and even sound effects such as animal calls and sounds in nature.
A replay option along with your favorite themes in Freeplay mode.
A record option, where your own sounds and beats allow you to personalize your game.
An encode option that allows you to encode a sentence in SpeakOut mode, while allowing you to test your friend's Melody Match skills to unscramble your code.
I suppose the game is "polished" though they seem to have taken this to an unnecessary level complete with Koi Pond-like water effects throughout the game and menu system. The developers also provide this somewhat boring gameplay video, though the actual game is more entertaining:
Skip to 1 minute 10 seconds to see actual gameplay, or just download the lite version which is also available for free. The Lite version contains 9 levels.
The remarkable success of Ethan Nicholas' iShoot Lite [App Store] seems to have inspired many developers to deliver free/lite versions of their own games. Here are some notable free/lite versions of games we've covered in the past and feel are definitely worth a try. App titles link directly to the app store.
Alien Mangle
Alien Mangle Lite - While the full game is a little rough around the edges, it provides a somewhat satisfying experience. And with the dearth of first person shooters on the iPhone, it's certainly worth a shot. See our review and gameplay video.
The Creeps!
The Creeps Lite - The full game ranks amongst our favorite Tower Defense games and offers some unique gameplay features. The colorful graphics and new sound effects add to the overall package. See our review and gameplay video
Space Ninja
Space Ninja Lite - Defying traditional categorization, this "dodging" game offers great controls in a fun game. Even if you find no interest in this type of game, we still highly recommend downloading the lite version to experience the "bullet time" slow motion and well executed gameplay. See our previous review and gameplay video.
Ivory Tiles
Ivory Tiles Lite - Another great iPhone experience. This is a puzzle game with excellent graphics and controls. Move the tiles to the proper location if you can. Another "must have" lite version just to experience the overall package. See our previous review and gameplay video. For those who have already completed Ivory Tiles, the developer has released a followup game called Shift [$2.99] which offers the same basic gameplay with 70 new levels.
inXile Entertainment (the developer of Line Rider) has released an iPhone version of their popular Flash gameFantastic Contraption [App Store].
The game plays similarly to other physics based games such as Crayon Physics but involves more resources to build a machine to propel the target to the goal:
In Fantastic Contraption you build a machine from simple parts to move objects to a goal. There’s physics involved but don’t worry, just press “Start” and watch what happens! The simple controls and step-by-step tutorial will have you building fantastic contraptions in no time!
The iPhone version includes a build-in editor that allows you to both upload your levels and download new levels from around the world.
The developers have provided us with this trailer video:
You can try the web version for free at FantasticContraption.com. Some initial impressions from TouchArcade forum user Kamazar have been very positive:
The game focuses on getting this pink wheel into the goal area. You do this by building contraptions. There are wheels, both power and unpowered, and water and wood rods.
...
The ability to download levels in awesome. Haven't tried it yet, but the potential...
... if you're the puzzle/physics type of guy, go for it. It's near perfect. All that I'd like in the next update are improved graphics and the undo button.
In November, we profiled a $0.99 game called Blue Defense! [App Store] which we praised as a "simple but effective shooter." Developer John Kooistra managed to blend together a simple concept into a really solid shooter and won us over along with many of our readers.
His followup title is appropriately enough called Blue Attack! [App Store, $1.99] in which you take the offense and track down the Red invaders from the original game. Kooistra has added a significant degree of complexity to the game by offering upgradable ships with improved weapons and capabilities. Yet he still manages to offer a surprisingly fun and deep game.
At its core, this game is a shooter, pure and simple. You pilot a ship which is based on a carrier which you must defend. Your ship can be accompanied by a number of wingmen which offer additional firepower to destroy the enemy ships. Each enemy formation contains a "core" which must be destroyed and your job is simply to battle each wave and destroy all the enemies before they destroy you.
Both touch and accelerometer controls are offered and are effectively implemented. Unlike traditional scrolling shooters, however, you have full directional control and must master your ship's navigation in order to deliver a focused stream of firepower against your enemies. There are two modes of play: campaign and unlimited which both offer plenty of gameplay and time to hone your skills.
The single best part of the game is the ship upgrade system. After each wave of attackers, you earn "resources" which can be spent on upgrading your ship. More wingmen, for example, can be purchased to increase your firepower. Other upgrades range from bombs, extra lives, faster speed, and improved handling. Upgrades appear to be well balanced and you'll enjoy testing out your new abilities.
Combined with the different play modes, these features offer a fun game with plenty of replayability. As a result, for only $1.99 Blue Attack! comes highly recommended.
In August 2007, the first native iPhone game was released by Lucas Newman and Adam Betts.
It was called Lights Off and was a clone of an old electronic game Lights Out. At the time, the App Store had not yet been announced and so the only way to install the game was to jailbreak your iPhone. Still, it was a sign of things to come and showed the first example of the iPhone as a gaming device.
Lucas Newman has since been hired by Apple, but this official App Store release [link, $1.99] has been inherited by developer Steve Troughton-Smith and the original artist Adam Betts. The game was rebuilt from scratch with a brand new engine but keeps the polished look and feel of the original.
The game is a simple (yet potentially frustrating) puzzler in which a tap on the screen will toggle the surrounding lights. The goal for each level is to turn off all the lights. There are 212 levels and this new version adds sound effects to the game. Future versions are expected to add internet features, bonus levels and themes.
This video shows the basic gameplay. The actual game does have sound effects which were not recorded in this video:
iPhone developer Nonverbal today released Monospace [App Store], a 2D/3D block-elimination puzzle game for the iPhone and iPod touch.
Monospace is a puzzle game where the player needs to think in both 2 and 3 dimensions. The goal is to collect a certain amount of white cubes in each level. To do that, the 3-dimensional level can be reduced to a flat image and then turned back into a spatial object again. Different possibilities will result from different perspectives.
Monospace is an intriguing challenge that requires the player to visualize the game's playfield in both two and three dimension. It starts off rather simply, but quickly increases in difficulty as the levels advance. The game fatures 64 levels divided into four difficulty stages.
I've spent some time with the title and find it to be a rather clever offering that puzzle fans will likely enjoy.
See the developer's gameplay video to get a better idea of what the game is all about.
The 
Makayama Media's iPhone flyer Flight Stunts [
iPhone developer Nonverbal today released Monospace [
