Infinite Dreams has ported their 2006 mobile game Sky Force Reloaded to the iPhone [App Store].

This vertical shoot 'em up apparently received rave reviews during its original release, and the iPhone version seems to live up to the reputation.

The game is a traditional vertical arcade shooter in which you must battle across eight different levels culminating in a boss-battle at the end of each. The game offers a variety of pickups and powerups along the way.

Sky Force Reloaded feels like a real arcade shooter. In contrast, many of the existing iPhone shooters have felt more like glorified tech demos without enough attention placed on gameplay balance. Sky Force Reloaded also offers 3 different difficulty levels (easy, medium and hard) and 3 different ships to choose from. Ships range from slower/more shields to faster/less shields.

The developers opted (thankfully) to use touch-controls for ship movement. While it's still no replacement for a joystick, their implementation is quite reasonable. Sliding your finger around the screen results in ship movements slightly offset above your finger. The ship's movements, however, have a certain lag/heaviness to it which feels appropriate and allows you to dodge enemy fire in a somewhat natural way by sliding your finger around the screen.

This video shows the gameplay across the first three levels. In the video it appears that the finger is covering up the ship, but in practice it's not as big a problem.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

The game is currently selling for a $0.99 "limited time" price. At that price, we certainly recommend this game which offers the best vertical shooter experience on the iPhone.

App Store Link: Sky Force Reloaded, $0.99 (limited time)

Konami's DanceDanceRevolution S [App Store] has finally arrived in the U.S. App Store. Konami the Lite version back in January but the Paid version had been nowhere to be found.

The worldwide sensation that started the dance game craze – hits the iPhone/iPod touch!

Hear the rhythm and tap your touch screen on stage! The controls are simple – the challenge is rocking to the beat with the upcoming arrows coming from the bottom of the screen!

The game offers a remarkably authentic DDR experience and fans of the original will likely be pleased. The full version of the game is said to have 25 total songs which have been fully listed in the forum post. The default unlocked songs are listed here:

• AFTER THE GAME OF LOVE 1/2/6/8 - 105bpm
• Beautiful Inside (Cube::Hard Mix) 2/4/7/9 - 110bpm
• Brilliant 2U 3/6/6/10 - 150bpm
• escape 3/5/7/11 - 140bpm
• A Geisha's Dream (Ruffage Remix) 3/6/9/10 - 140bpm
• HANA RANMAN -Flowers- 3/5/7/11 - 160bpm
• INTO YOUR HEART (Ruffage Remix) 2/4/8/11 - 135bpm
• Mess With My Emotions 3/5/6/11 - 130bpm
• SABER WING 4/8/10/13 - 74-222bpm
• TRUE LOVE 4/4/8/10 - 188bpm

This gameplay video is from the Lite version which remains available in the App Store:

App Store Link: DanceDanceRevolution S Lite, Free, DanceDanceRevolution S, $6.99

Fans of "sim" games should take note of Virtual Villagers 2: The Lost Children [App Store which was recently released to the App Store. The game appears to be a port of their Windows and Mac game of the same name. Free demo versions of this exact game can be downloaded for Windows and Mac from the developer's website.

Readers may be confused as the style of the game seems quite different from the first installment of Virtual Villagers for the iPhone which was published by Vivendi back in October. Vivendi Mobile Games has since ceased operations and so it seems that this new version was produced by different developers.

This sequel seems to be more of a direct port than the previous version, and that means it is somewhat less suited for the iPhone's screen. Characters can be a bit small to target with your finger, for example. The gameplay, however, is quite familiar and involves building up your village. You can manipulate the villager's activities by moving them around with your finger to perform specific tasks and aid in their advancement. Villagers can be tasked to do a number of chores, including gathering food, building shelter, performing research and more. Research allows your villagers to build tools and make discoveries that are necessary to further develop their civilization. Forum user sushibox posts an extensive overview and review of the gameplay:

The play, conceptually, is very close to the first incarnation of VV. You have a rather bare village with a number of villagers, some old enough to perform helpful tasks some too young to do such things as build but can easily explore the map and find/discover items for your personal treasury collection. To get a villager to accomplish any given task, much like the last game, you simply press down on the villager and drag them to do your bidding. Should you want them to build a fire, build a hut, fish or farm, or simply have more children, it's as simple as dragging your respective villager onto that target and they should quickly pick up the action. Just as the last game, the villagers seem to become proficient in that specific task, so you'll notice their primary skill will be whatever they've been up to last. One young man in my village, Gin, is titled "Trainee Builder" because I've had him building a new hut, and so forth down the line.

Like the earlier version, your villagers will continue on their tasks even while you are away, so you need to be sure to check in on your villagers regularly.

This video will give you an idea of the gameplay, but trying the free Mac or PC demo will give you a more interactive experience:

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

App Store Link: Virtual Villagers 2: The Lost Children, $1.99 (limited time)

Taito has recently released a version of its casual cooking action game, Cooking Mama [App Store], for the iPhone and iPod touch.  Cooking Mama has been popular on the Nintendo DS and Palm OS platforms, having sold around 3 million copies worldwide for those devices since its 2006 debut.  Sequels have appeared on the Wii.

IGN took a look at the DS version of the game and found it to be enjoyable for the casual gamer.

The game is nothing more than a set of casually laid-out challenges where each "level" is a certain meal. It can be as simple as making instant ramen to something more involved like pork curry and rice. Each step in the recipe has been paired down into a touch-screen mini-game. Most are retardedly simple: slicing an onion on the lines, or quickly chopping chives, or shredding some garlic. The complex tasks are the ones you have to watch out for: cutting tough meats, weighing specific ingredients, sauteing diced vegetables, or performing specific tasks in "rhythm." Even though most of the game is a simple matter of paying attention and following the instructions, the tougher techniques can turn a gold metal meal into a bronze medal yuckfest.

The big question: is any of this fun? Though the entirety of this game is simply doing what you're told as quickly as possible, it's actually an amusing game if you're not expecting much out of it. More importantly, though, it's been well-designed as a portable game, as the developers have given it a good "pick up and play" presentation: turn on the system, make a dish, get your rank, turn it off.

Forum member 'sushibox' posted a detailed review of the iPhone version.  He found the game very much to his liking.  Have a look.

See this (Japanese) trailer for the DS version to get an overall feel for the game.

Casual gamers looking for a unique title with pick-up appeal may want to have a look.

App Store Link: Cooking Mama, $6.99

HermitWorks Entertainment Corporation let us know that they are getting ready to release Space Trader: Moon Madness for the iPhone in the first quarter of 2009. We first reported on this game back in April of 2008.

The developers were one of the many who had ported Quake 3 to the iPhone platform and is using the Quake 3 engine as the basis for their Space Trader game.

Space Trader: Moon Madness is a 3D trading game set in a science-fiction universe. The game offers you the chance to seek out power and riches as you become increasingly proficient as an interstellar trader of highly sought after merchandise. Assume the role of a Space Trader trying to make a profit buying and selling commodities, everything from medical supplies to food and precious metals. The goal is to make as much money possible within the time limit. Visit various locations in search of the best deal and be sure to look for side quests to help you achieve the highest score.

The game uses dual analog pads for controls. The left pad controls movement through the level, while the right pad controls the direction that the player faces.

The game is said to offer a "fully 3D world". This early developer video doesn't really show much of the gameplay but does offer a peek at the controls:

As Kotaku reports, indie developer Luc Bernard has recently provided details concerning his upcoming iPhone tactical strategy game Mecho Wars, a direct prequel to his PC game Eternity's Child.

Mecho Wars tells the story of the war between the mechanical Landians and the Winged, which left protagonist Angel as one of the last of his kind in Eternity's Child. Inspired by Advance Wars and Fire Emblem, among other things, it looks to be exactly the sort of tactical strategy game that could be perfect for the iPhone format. The game contains nine different units on both sides of the conflict, with three gameplay modes - Campaign, Tutorial, and Challenge.

Pocket Gamer recently interviewed Bernard and got his take on the iPhone game phenomenon.

When I first picked up the iPhone and played around with it I was struck by just how beautiful a piece of hardware it was. I really love it and I like the fact that you can also carry the games over to the iPod touch, so it's effectively two formats. I don't see it as a rival for the DS so much but I think the PSP's days may be numbered.

Mecho Wars is set to hit the App Store later this month at a price of $4.99.

Warner Bros. Digital Distribution has announced Watchmen: Justice is Coming, an online multiplayer adventure fighting game for the iPhone and iPod touch, based on the upcoming Warner Bros. film Watchmen.

In Watchmen: Justice is Coming, players bring their own unique form of justice to New York City in the 1970s before the film’s central story unfolds. Masked adventuring has been outlawed. During this critical time period, crime is rampant and average citizens must take matters into their own hands to survive. Players create their personal avatar and enter the rain-soaked city of Manhattan. The dark metropolitan world is a vast network of interlocking and overlapping spaces that include: the seedy and saturated neon Red Light District; a run down Financial District and its dark waterfront; the downtown back-alleys of Lower Manhattan; a wide open City Park; and more.

Developed by Last Legion Games, Watchmen: Justice is Coming utilizes the company's "cloudMMO" cloud-based multiplayer technology built on Amazon.com's Web Services.  Within the game world, which consists of an ever-changing environment capable of supporting up to 1000 players at a time, gamers can interact with one another, explore the world, and fight against each other.  An in-game chat system is featured, as well.

Inspired by the upcoming theatrical release of Watchmen (due out in theaters March 6th), the iPhone title Watchmen: Justice is Coming is based on the graphic novel of the same name from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.  Additional screenshots can be seen here.

A free iPhone entertainment title known as Watchmen [App Store] was released in December as a promotion for the upcoming film.

Watchmen: Justice is Coming will appear in the App Store early this month.

Origin8's new tower defense game Sentinel [App Store] is one we've been keeping an eye on since its release last week.

Despite the flood of Tower Defense games into the App Store, it seems developers can continue to bring something different to the App Store with each incarnation. Sentinel is a well polished Tower Defense with nice graphics and animations that help complement the gameplay. The video shows off the game's style:

The game changes up gameplay a bit by requiring you to defend the walls/barriers from destruction rather than preventing a set number of creeps from crossing the map. Like many of the other Tower Defense games in the App Store, you are provided with set paths along which the creeps traverse. The game comes with 3 maps and 4 difficulty levels. Other features listed include:

• Tactical and unique gameplay which takes tower defense to the next level.
• Use the landscape and destroyable defenses to maximize the effectiveness of your weapons.
• Beautifully rendered environments, towers and enemies.
• Endurance mode to challenge the most hardened of players.
• Compete with players worldwide with the online high score system. View and compare scores seamlessly with the in-game score browser.

The game has been well received by our forum members and the developer has been an active participant. Origin8 reveals that a Lite version is currently pending and they are also working on an update to the full version.

App Store Link: Sentinel, $4.99

A few notable Lite versions of games have recently appeared in the App Store and may be worth a try:

Star Wars: Force Unleased Lite - This once premium title originally sold for $9.99. We enjoyed the game but found the content a bit light. If you're a Star Wars fan, it's certainly worth a free look.

Snail Mail Lite - Described as an iPhone Gem in our original review, this kart-style racer was declared one of the best games for the iPhone.

PapiJump Land Lite - Mr. Papi's latest sequel gets a Lite version. The full version is only $0.99.

IUGO has just dropped the price of their Toy Bot Diaries game series to just $0.99 per episode [App Store]

Toy Bot Diaries is a three-part series of games originally priced at $3.99 each. The game follows the adventures of a tiny Toy Bot who is trying to regain its memories:

Tiny Toy Bot has awakened within a strange machine and now he needs your help! Use Toy Bot’s handy grappling hook and magnet boots to navigate him through environments teeming with physics-based challenges as he plunges into an unfamiliar world. Search for Toy Bot’s lost datapads to recover his memory and guide him on his top secret mission.

The price drop promotion also corresponds to their $10,000 Excellent Adventure Giveaway which gives game owners an opportunity to win $10,000 after collecting 25 datapads in each episode.

We reviewed episode 1 back in August and described as one of the first true iPhone games. This gameplay video captures the early portion of the game which is best described as a physics platform puzzler.

At only $0.99, we consider these titles to be a "must buy" and you should certainly try at least one episode. For those who are still a little gun-shy, a Lite version of the game remains available [App Store]

App Store Links: Toy Bot Diaries, $0.99, Toy Bot Diaries 2, $0.99, Toy Bot Diaries 3, $0.99, Toy Bot Diaries Free, Free

TouchArcade is only 9 days shy of our first anniversary with our first blog post back in March 12, 2008 -- four months before the App Store opened. While there wasn't nearly as much to talk about then, we've worked hard over the past year to bring you the best content about gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The site has quickly grown into the largest iPhone gaming news and review site with traffic of well over 3.7 million page views and 230,000 unique people per month.

I've personally been involved in "blogging" for over 9 years and take the task quite seriously. While I'm certain that our regular readers trust that our editorial process is objective, I can also reassure any new readers that we've always kept our editorial recommendations and coverage independent of our advertisers. In the end, I think our site record speak for itself.

Like almost all blogs on the internet, however, we are advertising funded and we appreciate the support of our sponsors. We certainly do ask our readers to support our sponsors since they provide the site with the funds to further expand and improve coverage. That said, we always clearly delineate advertising and editorial content.

And with that, we'd like to thank our advertisers from February 2009:

• Freeverse: makers of Days of Thunder!, SlotZ Racer, Flick Fishing and much more.
• Zen Bound by Secret Exit: A calm and meditative puzzle game about wrapping wooden sculptures with rope
• Zombie Invasion by Conniption Entertainment: A horde of zombies is approaching your town and threatening to infect you and everyone in it.
• Vector Tanks published by Chillingo: You are in command of a futuristic tank amid a surreal 3 dimensional battlefield

• XCubeLabs: Transform your idea into a winning app on the iPhone.
• Meteor by Mobile Stream - In this brick-busting game your goal is to destroy moving blocks and static destructible bricks.
• Bang! by Portable Hole - It's raining cartoon bombs, and it's your job to blow them and everything else, out of the sky.
• Killer Pool by Sauce Digital: The most realistic pool experience on the iPhone and iPod Touch
• Smiles / Sykhronics Entertinament: Match 3 in two different game modes, a "best mobile game" nominee
• Pop Frenzy by Try This Networks: Pop Balloons of a specific color as they blaze by and dodge your fingers.

TouchArcade will be at the Game Developer's Conference later this month. Contact, advertising, exclusive release opportunities are detailed on our contact page.

Official screenshots for an upcoming iPhone game based on the Showtime series Dexter have been released. The high-quality shots show scenes from the game.

The game is expected to be released in the Summer of 2009 and will involve puzzle solving, stealth tactics, mini-games, and "slashing" with the iPhone itself (using the accelerometer tech).

Dexter's interactions with other people require thought and strategy, as to not raise suspicions for Dexter's "Dark Passenger". This means maintaining your "Mask" - if this meter goes all the way down, it is game over.

There will be two control methods for Dexter:

• you can tilt the iPhone left and right, then use the forward and backward buttons on-screen
• use a virtual joystick in the lower corner of the screen

The game has been scripted by one of the show's writers and will be voiced by the Dexter actor Michael C. Hall.

We were suspicious of how the screenshots were of such high resolution (click on images for larger view) for an iPhone game, but the company reassured us that these are representative of the actual iPhone game:

Dexter is being developed on a proprietary engine designed by Icarus Studios. It allows for screenshots to be exported at a higher resolution than possible directly from the iPhone. However, these screens do reflect the graphics in the iPhone game, and to the same scale.

Tapulous has released Tap Tap Revenge 2 [App Store, Free] tonight.

Tap Tap Revenge 2 features a completely new gaming engine with awesome new graphics and effects, making for a more immersive 3D experience. As you progress through each song, the colors and effects get more intense. On the higher levels, we've introduced "tap and hold" and "multi-tap" features that make the game even more fun.

The new download catalog features over 150 free songs from a variety of genres including rock, dance, electronica, pop, hip hop, even country music. Also included are "hit songs" from artists including Death Cab for Cutie, Prodigy, The Crystal Method, Daft Punk, The Offspring and Nine Inch Nails.

This developer video shows some of the new features:

With the new engine, this is a definite "must try" even if you weren't a huge fan of the original title.

App Store Link: Tap Tap Revenge 2, Free

Fans of stunt skateboard titles are in for a treat.  Fuel Games, who brought us the simplistic Spinner, will soon be releasing Vans SK8 Pool Service for the iPhone and iPod touch.

Vans SK8 Pool Service is a skateboard game entirely set in a drained pool in an abandoned California back yard that features Vans sponsored riders Bucky Lasek and Omar Hassan.

The setting for the game is an abandoned California backyard with an empty pool that's yours for the taking. The sun is setting, the weather is perfect, no cops in sight! We went over countless rounds of revisions on this element of the game to make sure the mood is just right.

Fuel discusses the thought process that went into implementing the best control system at length in their developer blog.

Last time I wrote about the various ways we let the player move around the pool environment. While that is the most fundamental aspect of playing the game, it's something that should just work without the players having to think about it. In contrast performing tricks should not only work but should "feel" right as you do them, and should be fun to do. Again we tried several different things and ideas, and the screenshot above shows part of what we finalized on.

One of the exciting, and challenging aspects of an iPhone is that there's no buttons available for the player to press. While we could put artificial buttons on the screen that feels artificial. It doesn't make sense for the platform and we feel should be avoided wherever possible.

Without buttons we still have fingers and accelerometer input which we can key off of, thus our first test was the simplest. When the player was in the air you would tap to perform a trick. This actually worked incredibly well, with just one problem: you lose a lot of player control. We could either give the players just one trick to perform (boring) or we could automatically choose a trick based on where they are in the pool or something (also boring). We needed a way to let the player have more control over what move they could do.

...

Ultimately we settled on a system where the user swipes their finger while in the air to perform a trick. This means our swipes are much simpler than the previous method (simply swipe up, down, left or right to perform a trick) but the system is a lot of fun to play and provides the right balance of immediate gratification for user input. We also still have harder moves that involve swiping two fingers at a time, for instance swiping one finger up while swiping another finger right.

Fans of the genre will be happy to hear that the game support grinds as well.

After we got the air tricks sorted out we tried out grinds, and based on our initial tests with air tricks we found the grinds to be very straightforward. When you want to grind you simply press and hold two fingers on the screen when going up the side of the pool. When you reach the lip you'll start to grind and you'll need to tilt the iPhone left and right to maintain balance and bailing.

See an early developer video to get a feel for the overall gamplay.  According to Fuel, the game has evolved notably since this video was taken.

The game is being discussed in a lengthy thread in our forums and most readers who commented are eagerly awaiting the title.  Stay tuned for a closer look when the game makes its App Store debut.

Mobile developer IUGO has just unveiled some details about their next iPhone project. IUGO has become one of our favorite iPhone developers with their original titles Toy Bot Diaries, Zombie Attack! and Shaky Summit [iTunes Links]. While you may not love every single one of their titles, they always seem to deliver a fresh take on their games. As a result, we've come to look forward to their new releases.

Their latest entry into the iPhone market will be a Pinball game, but certainly not an ordinary one. The description and table artwork (above) sound intriguing:

Endless hours of pinball entertainment spread across four unique, beautifully rendered playfields, including the Jungle and Cityscape themes. Over a half a dozen playfields in total, including boss battles!

You can play in three distinct gameplay modes: Score Attack is the classic pinball experience to get the highest score possible with your limited supply of orbs; Time Attack forces the player to get to a target score as quick as possible; and Adventure Challenge has the player collecting artifacts from three different themes with the help of game-changing powerups.

IUGO plans to submit the game for review "soon" but still hasn't decided on a name. In fact they've started a poll here on TouchArcade to solicit reader opinions on what they should name their new creation. So, vote for your favorite!