Konami has premiered a new preview website for their upcoming title Metal Gear Solid Touch.

Wage battle using intuitive touch-based shooting controls. Solid Snake's final battle recreated on the battlefield of your 3.5-inch widescreen display!

The site details the game's control system which is another "tap to shoot" with some added elements including zooming and sniping.

Konami also reveals that they will be delivering the game in two editions. The special "advance release edition" will come first and you will be able to save your progress for the "final release" due later. The final release will be a free update to advance release owners.

A teaser trailer has also been posted:

Earlier this month we took a look at Wooden Labyrinth 3D, a particularly well done take on the marble / labyrinth formula that differentiates itself from the herd by the inclusion of raised obstacles that must be jumped over with a shake of the iPhone or iPod touch.  The game also provides a 3D perspective that shifts with the tilt of your iPhone.  It plays well and “feels” right.

The developer has just released a "lite" version of the game [App Store] that features only a single level pack, as compared to the original's full 100 levels.  We would encourage any fans of the genre who haven't already grabbed the paid original to download the lite version and give it a whirl.

See a gameplay video of the paid version for a feel of the action.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

(The original Wooden Labyrinth 3D [App Store] is priced at $2.99 but will increase to $3.99 when a planned level editor is released to the public.)

App Store Link: Wooden Labyrinth 3D Lite, Free

Taito has released an official iPhone version of Tomohiro Nishikado's 1978 arcade classic Space Invaders [link] through the iTunes App Store.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the game, we recommend that you close your browser window and go find a different website to read.  Actually, that was a joke.  Sort of...

Rated the top video game of all time by Guinness World Records, Space Invaders is the father of all 2D shooters.  It was released in Japan by Taito in 1978 to such success that it caused a temporary national shortage of 100-yen coins.  It was later licensed by Bally Midway and released in the United States.  By 2007 the game had earned Taito $500 million in revenue.  Space Invaders is the classic of classics.

As Wikipedia describes the game,

Space Invaders is a two-dimensional, fixed shooter game in which the player controls a laser cannon by moving it horizontally across the bottom of the screen and firing at aliens. The aim is to defeat five rows of eleven aliens—some versions feature different numbers—that move horizontally back and forth across the screen as they descend towards the bottom of the screen. The player defeats an alien, and earns points, by shooting it with the laser cannon. As more aliens are defeated, the aliens' movement and the game's heartbeat sound both speed up. Defeating the aliens brings another wave that is more difficult; a cycle which can continue indefinitely.

The aliens attempt to destroy the cannon by firing at it while they are approaching the bottom of the screen. If they reach the bottom, the alien invasion is successful and the game ends. A special "mystery ship" will sometimes move across the top of the screen and will award bonus points if destroyed. The laser cannon is partially protected by several stationary defense bunkers—the number varies by version—that are gradually destroyed by alien fire.

The iPhone version exactly duplicates the gameplay of the arcade original.  Originally a monochrome game, Space Invaders received a number of mild graphical upgrades through its life--all are represented in this version: true monochrome, "color" by way of a simulation of the cellophane overlay that first brought color to the game in the arcades, actual color, and a planetscape background (that in the arcade was achieved via mirrored display and cardboard backsheet).  The game board is a pixel perfect representation of the arcade display and, being of a lower resolution than the iPhone's screen, is surrounded by a dark frame with a control board at the bottom of the screen.  Graphics can be magnified to 120% and 140% for easier viewing.

The game features an on-screen fire button with three options for controlling the laser cannon: left / right buttons that can be tapped, a control stick that can be "dragged," and tilt control utilizing the iPhone's accelerometers.

Several additional touches have been rolled into the iPhone version.  A Help section discusses the controls, how to play, and various tips and techniques used by the pros.  A Secret Files section contains photos of early promotional fliers, original character pencil sketches, even sections of the game's assembly language source listing.

It's great to see an official version of this classic come to the iPhone--but readers should be aware: this is Space Invaders.  From 1978.  It is in every way a retro title for the retro afficionado or for the gamer interested in experiencing an exact replica of a game that played so major a role in turning video games from a curiosity into a global industry.  Gamers not meeting this description will likely find Space Invaders to be overly simplistic and outdone by most of its clones in the App Store such as Space Out [link], Monsties [link], Alien Swarm [link], etc.

Just when you thought you were done with Tower Defense games comes an exciting new one from Critical Thought Games. geoDefense [App Store, $0.99] is a retro-inspired version of the game that offers some wonderful touches to the genre.

Like The Creeps, geoDefense offers set paths on which the enemies ("creeps") traverse to get to your base. Your job is to set up tower defenses to destroy the oncoming waves of enemies. There are 5 tower types with 7 upgrade levels each.

The graphics and animation included in the title offer a wonderful arcade-y feel and are a surprising touch. We recommend checking out the video embedded below.

The developer's goal in designing the game was to make it more of an arcade action game than other traditional tower defense games. He describes his thoughts behind the design:

Once you get past the introductory stuff, and into the meat of the game, it can be very fast and require you to think a lot about what you are doing. Every level is beatable... but sometimes a very distinct strategy is required.

I was going for a very kinetic... high-energy experience. With some not-so-obvious game play elements. For example, the vortex towers have several different ways they can be used... and using them right is often key. Plus... the bonus system is key to highscores once you get past the "how do you even beat this thing" stage. But how you get better multipliers is something you have to figure out... I'm not telling you.
....
Tower Defense games are all about the "tipping point" where get to the point that your income is going up faster than the creep power and you've essentially won. But I worked really hard to eliminate that from the way geoDefense plays. It is possible to cross the tipping point in some cases, but because of the controls I have over each waves progression I made it so that seldom happens. This is why you often have to fight to the bitter end... and winning without losing any lives is pretty rare.... nothing is more exciting than fighting down to that one last guy and pulling off a victory!

Indeed, one thing this game has not been accused of is being too easy. Early reports from our forums have high praise about the game, though many have been unable to get past many of the "easy" levels -- we suspect that this may come from applying more traditional Tower Defense strategies into this new game. If you're looking for a new tower defense challenge, this is an easy recommendation at only $0.99.

The main negative with the current version appears to be the use of touch controls to place towers. This can be a bit awkward as your finger obscures your view. This and a few other interface issues are said to be addressed in a future update.

This video of Easy Level 3 was provided by Habakuk:

App Store Link: geoDefense, $0.99

Over night Ngmoco dropped the price of their critically acclaimed title Rolando [App Store] to $4.99 from its previous price of $5.99.  It's just a dollar cheaper, but as it's such a high-profile title, we felt it worth a post.

We reviewed the title in December shortly after its launch and found it to be amongst the best iPhone games.

The most striking part of the game, however, is the level of polish and production of the entire title. The style, music, and humor that is delivered adds as much to the experience as does the gameplay. The Rolandos will frequently address you at the beginning of each level to progress the plot, and you will genuinely feel bad when one gets killed.

Early this month Ngmoco released a free "lite" version of the game for those who want to try before they buy.

Update: Ngmoco has also revealed that they will be released a free Rolando update soon with additional levels and that Handcircus (the developer) is working on a sequel.

App Store Link: Rolando, $4.99

[ Thanks Matt ]

Resolution Interactive's Aqua Moto Racing has finally made it into the App Store with both Lite and full versions. We previewed the game back in January after a gameplay video had been posted by the company.

Meanwhile the company has just posted this new Trailer video:

The full version of the game offers the following features:

• 7 Championships ranging from easy to extremely hard
• 18 different tracks also playable in reversed mode
• Time Trial mode with Gold, Silver and Bronze Target Times
• 3 true-to life environments: Emerald Bay, Everglades and Long Beach Port
• Ghost Play: Download and race against the World's Best
• Tuning of Top Speed, Acceleration, Steering and Boost
• Online World Ranking

Meanwhile the Lite version gives you a taste with 1 Championship at Novice difficulty and 3 tracks and provides a very good feel for the game. Early reactions to the Lite version are very positive. The full version just came out tonight. Give it a try.

App Store Links: Aqua Moto Racing Lite, Free, Aqua Moto Racing, $2.99

Now here's a game that has slipped under the radar for the past few months that I think is worth a look.

Puzzle Prism [App Store, $3.99] a Tetris variant in which you are dropping blocks onto a rotating 2x2 tower. Fill a level completely to clear it. Let the tower grow too tall and you lose. A simple formula, but one that is implemented very well. The soundtrack is solid, the controls work well, the game has a satisfying feel, and I find myself going back to it regularly.

There are two modes of play:

• Standard - keep clearing blocks to avoid the tower growing too tall.
• Extra (for advanced players) - the tower descends slowly and you must build a solid block without spaces before it drops below the line. (surprisingly challenging)

This gameplay video (not filmed by us) shows a rushed look at the game:

In this age of premium $0.99 titles, I fear that some will balk at the $3.99 price. But, you know, they can't all be gory action-adventure epics. Sometimes you just need this sort of classic "go to" game on your iPhone. One that's fun, plotless, and has long term replayability. Well, here it is.

App Store Link: Puzzle Prism, $3.99

Although it had been mentioned in our forums back in November, it's now on id's website: An iPhone version of id's mobile title Wolfenstein RPG will be coming to the iPhone "in a couple of months."

Save the world in Wolfenstein RPG! Walk in the combat boots of Sergeant B.J. Blazkowicz, prisoner of the ruthless Axis military. Battle through 9 challenging levels to complete your mission and take down the Axis' diabolical Paranormal Division. Use strategy and a wide array of conventional and mysterious weapons to defeat super soldiers, zombies and the Harbinger. Discover books and syringes full of special powers. Enter the mysterious 3D world of Wolfenstein RPG... if you dare.

Pocket Gamer recently took a look at the mobile handset version of the game and explains that Wolfenstein RPG is not a straight first-person shooter, as its classic namesake was.

As with Doom RPG, the game adopts a distinctly different pace by performing all the combat using a turn-based system.

Fans of the FPS theme might find this a distasteful idea, but in practice it works surprisingly well, especially considering the difficulties a mobile handset inherently suffers from when it comes to providing working controls for a 3D shooter.

You can kick, punch, dodge, run and, of course, unload streams of hot lead exactly as you'd expect – you simply have to add a small amount of strategy to the mix to ensure you've got the mettle to win out against a room full of Axis agents.

We'll take a closer look when the game lands in the App Store.  Included screenshots are from the mobile version of the game.

See EA's game trailer for a closer look at the mobile version.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

[ Thanks Peter ]

Radio Flare [App Store, $4.99] is a musical side-scrolling shooter that we reviewed back in December.

We found the game to be a solid shooter title but were perhaps a bit disappointed in the musical aspect of it. With only 5 stages at the time, however, the game was felt to be a bit on the short side. The developers have taken customer feedback to heart, and have recently released a new 1.1 update that offers a number of improvements, including two new stages.

"We are a young studio committed to producing great quality games. We listened to the audience and critics to learn what to make better in Radio Flare" explains Fares Kayali, one of the two founders of studio radiolaris. Martin Pichlmair adds: "We knew that we had got the game mechanics right but that the level design needed one more iteration. The game started out too easy and went too hard later on. We balanced it better in this release, made the difficulty curve smoother"

These changes are detailed:

• 2 completely new stages
• Several new and challenging enemy types
• Power-ups for greater gameplay variety and fun
• Huge graphics update
• A cleaner yet fancier menu interface
• Numerous bug fixes

A new gameplay video highlights some of the new enemies:

If you're a shoot 'em up fan, we definitely recommend giving the Lite version a try (headphones recommended). We quite enjoyed the original game as a shooter and felt the controls were well suited to the iPhone.

App Store Link: Radio Flare Lite, Free, Radio Flare, $4.99

Here's a title that may appeal to a specific audience. Namco has released Tamagotchi: 'Round the World in both full $5.99 [App Store] and free Lite [App Store] versions.

Interact with cute clouds, playful plants and gleeful geysers to raise the ultimate pet: An entire planet! Keep your Tamagotchi well-fed with fresh fruit and tickle them until they fall down laughing! Play with the environmental creatures called Gaiatchi and earn Stars to buy Tamagotchi stamps for your virtual stampbook! Eat, dance, play and even poop your way to a happier and healthier planet!

The game is an updated version of the virtual pet phenomenon that was/is Tamagotchi.

• Four Tamagotchi to choose from! Mametchi, Memetchi, Kuchipatchi and Violetchi.
• Five mini-games to play with the Gaiatchi - Rock Paper Scissors, Bubble Game, Move It, Beach Ball and Dancing
• Three activities to play with your Tamagotchi - Tickling, Memory Match, and Math Puzzle
• Lively, interactive environmental creatures such as geysers, plants, clouds, and seedlings!
• Earn Stars to buy special Tamagotchi stamps for your virtual stampbook!

The game revolves around raising and interacting with your Tamagotchi. It may appeal to those interested in virtual pet experiences and the Lite version gives you an opportunity to try it out.

App Store Links: Tamagotchi Lite, Free, Tamagotchi, $5.99

iPhone gamers who enjoy a solid dungeon crawler will be pleased to hear that ChronoSoft has just released its ground-up iPhone remake of Rogue--Rogue Touch [link]--throught the iTunes App Store.

Rogue Touch is a remake of the original Rogue written from scratch to support the iPhone's touch and graphic abilities, it should keep anyone who likes dungeon crawlers going for many hours! Can you make it through 26 floors of randomly generated dungeon to retrieve the Amulet of Yendor and then climb back to the surface?

Rogue Touch is a remake of Rogue featuring a graphical tileset that appears to be an enhanced version of the visuals from the lovely Atari ST version (the best version out there in my opinion).  Various animations have been added that were not present in the original, as well: weapons effects, a teleportation effect, stair descent, etc.

The original Rogue had only one goal... to retrieve the Amulet of Yendor. That is your current mission in Rogue Touch as well, but there could be additional missions in the future (we're not ready to discuss that yet). The dungeons themselves are randomly generated and magic is randomized upon each new game's start (meaning that red potion that healed you in the previous game may actually be poison in the next one you start).

You might have been able to see from the video, there are several types of equipment: Weapons, Armor, Potions, Scrolls, Wands/Staves, Rings, Food, and your ultimate goal, the Amulet. There are many types of item in each category, and we've added in some new equipment not seen in the original Rogue games. We plan to introduce even more new magical items in each category with each future update.

Rogue Touch places your sparcely equipped avatar on level 1 of the Dungeons of Doom.  As you crawl the dungeons, battling a vast horde of ghoulish creatures, you will find and collect weapons, armour, potions, and scrolls to help you in your daunting mission.  Deeper and deeper you progress until you reach level 26 where the Amulet awaits.  But, then...most never see level 26...

Rogue Touch features touchscreen controls with an eight-direction rose overlaying the screen.  The player is centered on the iPhone's display and an outward tap in any direction moves the character in the indicated direction.  A sustained touch "runs" the character in the chosen direction.  A tap to the avatar in the center of the screen brings up an equip menu that allows management of items picked up along the way.  The controls are simple and work fairly well.

To aid in navigation through the corridors of each level, a small, semi-translucent on-screen dungeon map overlays the game screen.  What's more, the main display features pinch zoom in / out functionality to help keep the dungeon in view.  An ambient "dungeon sounds" audio track helps set the mood--drafts of wind, dripping water, skittering creatures, etc.  The developer indicates that a variety of combat noises are planned for a future release.  (The original Rogue has no sound.)

In my pre-iPhone days, my Apple mobile device was the Newton, and my favorite Newton game was NewtHack.  Rogue Touch is leaps and bounds beyond NewtHack.  In fact, it's the best rendition of Rogue in the App Store.

Now, those who've been paying attention are perhaps aware that there's only one other version of Rogue available in the App Store: Rogue [App Store] from Gandreas Software, which is free.  (We reviewed the game back in November.)  Is Rogue Touch sufficiently superior to Gandreas' Rogue that it's worth the $2.99 asking price vs. the free alternative?  To fans of the genre: yes.  Rogue Touch delivers "that Rogue feeling" more faithfully than Gandreas' offering.  Add to this the fact that several bugs have been noted in the latter title and not addressed since its November release, and Rogue Touch stands out as the recommended iPhone Rogue incarnation.

Gamers wondering whether or not Rogue is their cup of tea may want to check out one of the many free PC / Mac roguelikes to get a feel for the  game before making the Rogue Touch leap.  But for true dungeon crawler fans out there, I call Rogue Touch a no-brainer.

The game is being actively discussed in our forums where it has been well received by our readers.

See the developer's gameplay video:

iPhone gamers are going to have a hard time keeping up. A number of anticipated gaming releases are being released in the coming days/weeks. Tonight The Quest [App Store] was released.

We covered the game just a couple of days ago.

THE QUEST is a graphically stunning, engaging and sinister world full of magic, music and provocative challenges.

Choose from five customizable races and an array of skills, attributes, weapons, armor and enchantments, then explore a huge non-linear realm of four different cities and a wilderness of mountains, caves, lakes and forests.

Play an absorbing card game, solve brain-teasing quests and clash with dangerous opponents in this turn- and skill-based role playing game.

You will have many choices, including some that may place you against the law, along your way to the dramatic end of your own choosing. You will need all your gaming know-how to survive and discover your destiny!

Old-school adventure gamers in particular may find this title appealing. The game has previously been available for Palm and Windows platforms. Reviews of those versions are available online:

Palm Addicts: "All in all The Quest is a wonderful gaming experience in the core meaning of the word wonderful - it is full of awes and wonders and is endowed with that rare ability to keep you ever curious and delighted, serving you gifts of delight and pleasurable surprises time and again throughout your playing experience"

The PDF manual for the PocketPC version is still available here (PDF). However, it appears to also be an accurate representation of the iPhone version if you are interested in the details of character creation and gameplay mechanics.

We'll try to provide a closer look at it in the near future but in the meanwhile our discussion thread should capture reader impressions.

App Store Link: The Quest, $5.99

Paramount's Shooter game has been released to the App Store for only $0.99 [link].

Shooter is one of the first true 1st person shooters to be released on the iPhone and iPod Touch. As Gunnery Sergeant Bob Lee Swagger, you must clear your name after being accused of an assassination attempt on the President. Stealthy pursuit, a steady hand and nerves of steel will allow you to eliminate those responsible.

Features listed include:

• High Stakes Sniping Missions: Earn medals and rewards through the successful completion of missions and objectives while progressing through training sessions and six missions that feature multiple stages and challenging bosses.
• Large Arsenal of Guns, Weapons, Equipment and Camouflage - Choose from different sniper rifles, silencers, and scopes to take out your targets from long range or use pistols, grenades, and pipe bombs to take out your targets in close quarters combat. Dress to match your surroundings and to elude return fire.
• First Person Sniper Perspective - Use the accelerometer to zero in on your targets with your binoculars and scope. Distance and wind must also be factored into your shot.
• Nighttime Missions - Use night optics to target your enemy in a variety of challenging shooting conditions.
• Detailed Mission Environments - Execute missions in the deserts, cityscapes, forests, mountains and snow, each of which requires specialized skills.
• Mini-Games and Puzzles – Successfully complete these tasks to continue through the storyline.

Gameplay primarily involves the use of your iPhone as a sniper rifle. You point and aim through various missions in Story mode in which you must take out enemy targets. Controls involve, of course, tilt of the iPhone to target your scope, and the use of a "hold your breath" button on the left allows more precise aiming. First impressions of the game from our readers will be rolling into this discussion thread.

Some excellent first impressions already posted by forum member Carlos-Sz:

As soon as I started the game:

- Very polished interface (really) including a nice background music
- Profiles
- Options: Sound Vol / Vibration / Calibration / Invert Aim
- Interactive tutorial (includes spoken narrative)
- Two Modes: Story and Arcade (which is locked)
- In the main menu there's also a Medals item

Starting Story mode:

- Great mission presentation including spoken dialogs (that's a really nice touch)
- First you use binoculars to see where enemies are (take a good look): you have to align two red circles in order to find the right spot; once found you click fire (bottom right) to go to the sniper mode
- You tilt to aim (not so easy and it should not be in fact); wind is a factor to consider; hold your breath (bottom left button) to stabilize for some seconds; then shoot! You have also to reload which I found very nice
- Some enemies are easy to shoot but the last one was hidden... Well I don't want to spoil anything here; the fact is that targets are not always just standing there waiting for a shoot
- When they start to shoot back then you have to hurry up and find all of them (game gets interesting)

Conclusion so far:

I didn't even finish the first mission but I'm quite impressed with this game for only $0.99. Great production, graphics, sounds, background sounds, spoken dialogs, awesome user interface. It's really nice.

The only thing that annoys me a bit is the fact that the game has a "loading" time when you switch from the binoculars to the sniper.

A trailer of the game is provided here:

App Store Link: Shooter: The Official Movie Game, $0.99

Imangi's first entry into the world of non-word games comes in the form of Little Red Sled [App Store], a rather charming 3D sled racer. We were able to spend a few days with the title before its release.

The game puts you in control of either Max or Maya who is hurtling down the mountain collecting gifts, jumping ramps and avoiding psychotic bunnies. Game controls involve using the iPhone accelerometer to steer your sled, pressing on screen to brake, and shaking your iPhone during a jump allows you to do a flip. Gifts and flips add to your score for a given track. There are 13 levels in all in the 1.0 version of Little Red Sled and the early levels introduce you to the different parts of the game. Each level has specific goals (minimum score, maximum time, or number of gifts) that must be reached in order to progress to later levels.

The game comes nicely polished with a distinct and charming style that is punctuated by the original piano track. The overall experience (visuals, music, and controls) "feels" very nice and you get a nice sense of momentum during the game. For these reasons it seems that many of the early adopters are having fun with it.

The levels, however, ramp rather slowly in difficulty as several of the earlier levels are simply tutorial levels. Meanwhile, the later levels (black diamond) can be very challenging requiring multiple attempts to pass. Unfortunately, with only 13 total levels, that leaves a relatively small number of intermediate levels to enjoy. And while you can try to surpass your previous goal records, I wish there was more incentive to replay prior levels.

The video shows a couple of levels. The main theme song (our favorite) is not featured in these levels but can be downloaded from Imangi's site.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

So while we're not sure about long term playability, it's hard to knock it too much given its charm and measly $1.99 asking price.

App Store Link:: Little Red Sled, $1.99

Apex Designs has reduced the price of their Grand Theft Auto-style action / role-playing title Payback to $4.99 in the App Store [link], down from $6.99.

Payback features dozens of vehicles and 11 cities to explore.  The player starts off each city on-foot and must get to a payphone to receive mission details.  At first, the player’s only weapons are his fists, but crates scattered about the cities contain shotguns, grenades and other weapons that aid significantly in wreaking various flavors of havoc upon the cities’ inhabitants.

The developer indicates that v1.1 of the game will arrive soon, bringing the following enhancements:

• Much improved minimap
• Easy way to restart missions
• Built-in instructions
• Optional new camera angle
• Support for different device orientations for more comfortable use on the iPod touch
• Bug fixes
• Lots of other tweaks

See the gameplay video that accompanied our Payback review.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

App Store Link: Payback, $4.99