During the Game Developer's Conference late last month, Touch Arcade had the opportunity to sit down with Glu and spend some time with a number of their upcoming titles.

One of the more impressive games we saw was Glyder [App Store], a casual flyer in which the player takes on the role of Eryn, an unfortunate girl thrown through a dimensional rift, who's just trying to find her way home.  We've since received a copy of the final release version of the game which is now available in the App Store and have spent most of the day soaring about the game world trying our best to get Eryn home.

In Glyder, Eryn is equipped with a da Vinci-esque flying apparatus and must complete a series of missions across six different island worlds, collecting floating crystals of various colors in order to open a portal that will lead her home.  Along the way, she can get speed boosts by picking up power-ups and gain altitude by flying into thermal pockets (corridors of updraft air) spread about the game world.  Additionally, various mini-missions crop up from time to time, such as flying from one side of an island to another by way of purple platforms, etc.  And, at any time, the player can move to the next world by flying beyond the boundaries of the current world towards a distant, visible, neighboring island.

The overall feel of Glyder is highly reminiscent of Pilotwings 64's "birdman" secret flight mode, where the player dons a pair of wings and flies freely about the game world.  While there's no actual flapping involved, the thermals and general flight model are quite similar to the Nintendo 64 classic.  (And this would be a compliment to Glyder.)

The game features accelerometer-based flight control that feels responsive and works well, but lacks a calibration option which limits play orientation (home position is at an approximate 45-degree angle).  Achievements – 50 in all – are unlocked by performing various feats such as visiting every area of a given world, achieving maximum possible velocity in a power-dive, completing mini-trips, and the like.  The combination of gem collection, mini-missions, and achievements does instill some sense of progress to an otherwise laid back gaming experience.

Graphically Glyder is impressive.  The 2D title and menu artwork is clean and the 3D in-game graphics are well rendered and feature notable draw distance.  However, the game does sometimes suffer from occasional framerate issues, especially on lesser devices than the 2G iPod touch, which is the fastest iPhone platform device of the lot.  It's nothing that really gets in the way of playability, but it is noticeable from time to time.

See our gameplay video for a look at three of the game's six island worlds (recorded on 2nd Generation iPod Touch):

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Glyder's pleasant sense of soaring, combined with the title's soothing soundtrack, makes for a relaxing game experience.  That's not to say that there's a lack of challenge to the title; some of the narrow corridors that must be negotiated in order to secure that last crystal are quite harrowing.  The game is well implemented and offers a very different type of gaming experience on the iPhone -- one that people generally either really like or really don't.

We believe those who find Glyder's concept and video appealing will indeed find it to be a very enjoyable experience that is well worth the game's $1.99 introductory price. Exploring all the 6 worlds, completing each achievement and collecting all gems also offers plenty of gameplay time.

Stop me if you've heard this before: this game requires you to use the accelerometer to navigate your ball to the end goal.

At this point, I could be describing one of many (bad) iPhone games, but Psycho Turnip Games' GravBall [App Store] manages to incorporate some interesting level design that makes the game surprisingly compelling.

Levels start off simply enough but the game quickly introduces a number of additional elements such as death blocks, lasers, switches, moving blocks, and guided rockets.

The game offers 50 progressively difficult levels and is presently a free download.

Even as a free game there are things to criticize: there are no sound effects, the graphics are very simple, and there are even framerate problems. That said, it's the type of game that keeps you trying "just one more time".

The game was originally introduced at $0.99 but quickly dropped to free, so get it while you can.

App Store Link: GravBall, Free

Gameprom has released their take on iPhone pinball with Wild West Pinball [App Store]. This $2.99 game tries to offer a more authentic pinball experience and is very nicely animated with a 3D panning and scrolling table.

Features listed by the developer include:

- 40 frames per second
- Camera effects
- Realistic physics
- Natural sounds
- Top 15 global high score

The game is earning high praise from pinball fans who have been looking for a more authentic experience. Several users have commented on the accurate physics model and "real feel" of Wild West Pinball.

While there still remains a lot of praise for IUGO's Freeballin', that game presents a more stylized version of pinball that may not sit right with long-time fans of the genre.

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App Store Link: Wild West Pinball, $2.99

Some of my best gaming memories, and certainly my earliest, are of hours spent blasting enemy tanks in Atari's Combat, the pack-in game that came with the Atari 2600 game console.  The graphics were horrible, the sound was worse--it was the late '70s, after all--but there was something deeply satisfying about blowing away that enemy tank before it got you.

As time rolled by, hardware became much more powerful and that same, simple tank-to-tank proposition got a prettier face in a number of releases over the years.  One that modern gamers may be familiar with is Tanks!, part of Nintendo's Wii Play collection, that adds a great deal of gloss to the core Combat game mechanic.  Tanks! is a do-or-die battle between toy tanks in an arena of wooden building blocks with a number of nice, new ways to cause destruction that Combat only dreamed about.  It's hugely fun.

iPhone and iPod touch gamers now have a chance to get in on this particular sort of fun with iCombat [App Store] from Web Scouts.  iCombat, while surely inpired by Atari's classic Combat, would be much more accurately described as an iPhone take on Tanks!.

iCombat places the player in a tiny tank battle set among barriers of wooden blocks and cloth textured backgrounds. War is waged using the tank's cannon as well as various items that can be picked up along the way, such as grenades, homing missles, land mines, and shields.  The tank's shells ricochet off walls and barriers, which adds an element of strategy (bounce a shot around a corner) as well as danger (don't blow yourself up!).

iCombat's controls work well.  The game features accelerometer-based steering with a tap or drag to fire.  (Dragging brings up an onscreen reticle and line-of-fire marker for more precise targetting.)  The game's options screen allows for adjustment of the home tilt angle.

Features listed by the developer include:

• 20 levels with up to 10 tank enemies per level
• 3 difficulty modes (Hard is almost unbeatable!)
• 3 types of tank enemy
• Navigate obstacles including anti-tank barriers while detonating walls to pass levels
• 2 player battle mode across 5 randomly selected levels
• Original soundtrack and sound effects

As a fan of Wii Play's Tanks!, I find iCombat to deliver an enjoyable (and cute) pick-up game experience reminiscent of both the Nintendo shooter and the Atari classic that inspired it.  Our forum members are finding it rather to their liking as well and, according to the developer, there are more maps and refinements in store.  Anyone who likes what they see here should grab the game at it's limited introductory price of $0.99.  It's a good time.

See our gameplay video for a closer look.

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Those who like the sound of this game may also want to have a look at Alwar Entertainment's Tank-O-Box [App Store].

App Store Link: iCombat, $0.99

One game release that slipped through the cracks during GDC week was Fish Labs' Galaxy on Fire [App Store].

The game is an impressive space commerce shooter that takes place in a massive galaxy with hundreds of planets and space stations. The game has generated a lengthy discussion thread since its release with a mixed reaction from fans. Many gamers (including our reviewer) had issues with the high level of difficulty in the story mode of the game which must be completed before moving onto the "open galaxy" portion.

Some other 1.0 issues appear to have crept in as well, including some display and control bugs. The developers have been quite responsive and have various fixes in the works for a 1.0.1 release which is pending.

As a result, we are holding off on a full review until we have time to test that version. The overall game is very impressive for an iPhone game and we've quite enjoyed what we've seen so far, but it's hard to recommend the 1.0 release due to these issues.

A 1.0.1 release is due to be submitted and should address many issues brought up by our forum members.

App Store Link: Galaxy on Fire, $5.99

Fans of everyone's favorite game show will be pleased to hear that Sony Pictures Television has just released Jeopardy! [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch.

This...is...JEOPARDY! Put your knowledge to the test in this exciting new game created for the iPhone and iPod touch! Pick a category and dollar amount and answer clues written by Jeopardy writers. Buzz in quickly and answer correctly to watch your earnings rise, then hum along with the classic Final Jeopardy theme music while you respond to the final clue. Play America's favorite quiz show today!

Features listed by Sony:

• Use the touchscreen to write your name on the podium, just like a real contestant on Jeopardy!
• Play in Landscape mode so that you see the contestants and the categories on the same screen
• Includes real sounds from the game, including the classic Final Jeopardy Music!
• Listen the famous voiceover "This...is...Jeopardy!" from the famous Johnny Gilbert when the game starts
• Create your own custom contestant
• Packed with over 1500 clues, enjoy hours of entertainment!

Each round of the game is played across three different categories (as opposed to the TV show's six) with answers at five different dollar amounts for each.  In normal play (where there are three levels of difficulty), when you pick an answer a timer begins ticking down and you have the option to respond or pass--but choose quickly, as at any moment another contestant may buzz in.  For each answer you choose to respond to, three question choices are presented.  The multiple choice approach makes for a rather simpler game than the TV show, but is not a surprising move for a computer edition of the game.

Jeopardy! also features a single-player mode which is the same game, but lacking other contestants.

The graphics are nothing to write home about, but then that's not the focus of the game, and the authentic audio does add nicely to the experience.  (And who hasn't wanted to write their name on that glowing blue screen?)  In all, fans of the 25 year old quiz show will likely find Jeopardy! for the iPhone to deliver an enjoyable mobile take on the game.

App Store Link: Jeopardy!, $4.99

2XL Games has posted an exciting video of their upcoming off-road motorcycle racer 2XL SuperCross.

2XL Supercross was built from the ground up to push the graphics and physics potential of the iPhone and iPod Touch to the max. The game was created by the designers of Motocross Madness, ATV Offroad Fury and MX Unleashed.

Motorcycle racers haven't been well represented in the App Store, and this upcoming release looks particularly impressive. The 1.0 version of the game has reportedly been submitted to the App Store and so should appear in the next week or so.

According to a forum post by one of the developers, the game will include 15 different bikes to chose from with 15 different skins and 15 different rider skins. There are 12 different tracks, including a freestyle level. The game will be priced at $7.99.

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We'll take a closer look when the game becomes available in the App Store.

MTV Multiplayer has posted the first screenshots from Gameloft's upcoming Terminator Salvation game for the iPhone.

The game is due for release alongside the new Terminator movie which is due on May 22nd.

No further details are provided, but based on the screenshots, it appears to be of similar gameplay to Gameloft's Brothers in Arms, a 3rd person shooter.

One of the first graphical video games ever made was Pong.  Two lines and a dot.  It was about as simple as you could get, but fun.  In today's world of powerful processors and advanced graphics hardware, the Pong equation can be taken a little farther.  Evidence of this is 3D SpinBall [App Store] from MegaNudge Entertainment.

3D SpinBall, which started life as Flash game Curveball, is Pong in 3D with a little English thrown into the mix.  The player stares down a rectangular corridor with the opponent's paddle at the far end and his/her own translucent paddle in the foreground.  Using accelerometer or touch controls, the task at hand is to deflect a ball towards the computer opponent and, with the help of a bit of spin, trip it up and score some points.

Bonus points are awarded for successfully adding spin to the ball (with an extra bonus for adding the maximum spin possible) and for accuracy (landing the ball in the middle of the paddle).  After four misses on the part of the opponent, the game moves to the next level.  Pace and the amount of the opponent's spin increase from level to level.

The games features full Pong-ish game sounds and a techno soundtrack from SCI Recordings as well as full 30 frames-per-second onscreen animation and an online leaderboard.

Back in July of last year we took a look at Vector Pong--now known as 3-D Vector Ball [App Store]--a very similar 3D Pong game from Gyrocade.  While we reviewed an early version of the game, 3-D Vector Ball has come a long way, adding in a touch control option as well as WiFi head-2-head gameplay.  It features a panning view of its overall larger court but, due in part to this, I find it to be a rather more difficult game.  I prefer the gameplay of 3D SpinBall, despite its lack of a head-2-head mode.

I've spent a good bit of time with 3D SpinBall (granted, I was driven to rank #1 and make the attached leaderboard screenshot a bit more impressive, but it was not to be...) and find it highly playable and a solid value at just $0.99.

See our brief gameplay video to get a taste for the game's first few levels.

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App Store Link: 3D SpinBall, $0.99

I-play and Firemint have released a new Fast & Furious [App Store] iPhone game to the App Store this morning. This racing game is a tie-in to the Fast & Furious movie that is also opening today.

The game is more of an arcade racer than a traditional sim racer. It ties in with scenes inspired by the actual movie and offers a story mode that takes you through the different races. The game offers 36 different vehicles, 18 levels with 4 unique environments.

Most interesting, however, is the fact that Firemint seems to have developed the game with some of the technologies that are also coming in Real Racing. For example: Fast & Furious integrates the CloudCell technology, allowing players to compete against others in online and upload replays of your races to YouTube.

A sample replay video is embedded here. No other cars are shown since you are simply trying for the best time to rank on the leaderboard against others.

The game also offers local Wi-Fi multiplayer races alongside the online leaderboard competitions. As an arcade racer, the controls are somewhat simplified as compared to more traditional racers. Controls are accelerometer based with automatic acceleration. Braking can be performed by tapping on the screen. The game also adds a "nitro" boost to provide that extra bit of acceleration.

The game revolves around specific racing missions that mix up gameplay. These include chasing down other cars and taking them out, checkpoint ("GPS") racing, drag racing, drift racing, and more. Beyond story mode, each mission can also be played in a "Quick Race" that lets you practice whatever race you'd like.

The game ran smoothly on my iPhone 3G, and is visually appealing. Compared to many of the other racers out there, this one offers much more of a "fun" arcade feel.

This gameplay video shows the first mission (with full cut scenes which can be skipped) and a drag race in a tunnel. Beyond these, there are more traditional street races against multiple cars where pink-slips are on the line.

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Update: This official trailer (YouTube) shows a glimpse at all the different gameplay modes.

App Store Link: Fast & Furious The Game, $5.99

IUGO's Freeballin' [App Store] game appeared in the App Store tonight at an introductory price of $1.99.

We received a preview of the game at GDC and find both graphics and audio to be top notch. The game itself delivers a zanier take on pinball with four distinct tables: Tiki Trouble, Monsteropolis, Dreams and Nightmares, and Neometric. Each table can be played in the following modes:

• Score Attack - Aim high in points to become the Freeballin' King
• Time Attack - Speed towards one million points tin a race against time.
• Adventure Challenge - Collect artifacts in a fulfilling journey of pinball exploration

All tables comes with a number of specific "missions" that can be activated. These missions offer you an opportunity to increase your score and also keeps the game interesting by giving you specific goals. These goals basically force you to control your ball and direct it towards specific objects. Missions including hitting specific bumpers, going into specific chutes, and affecting other objects.

The game is being discussed already in our forums and initial reactions have been very positive.

This video was shot at GDC last week:

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Global high scores for all modes and tables should offer competitive gamers plenty of reason to improve their scores.

App Store Link: Freeballin', $1.99

Eric Haines of Starscene Software recently announced his upcoming iPhone maze game Realmaze 3D in our discussion forums.

Not just another 2D maze game dressed up in 3D graphics, this is an actual 3D maze (or, rather, a nearly unlimited number of them) where you have to climb up and down ladders too. Wow your friends with the unprecedented on the iPhone (as far as I know) dynamically created 3D lighting effects.

Realmaze 3D features either accelerometer control, touch control, or a combination of both.  The game comes with five different map sizes ranging from "Tiny" to "Insane" to match challenge with player skill.  An optional on-screen compass can be used to help get your bearings, and there's even a "trail of breadcrumbs" mode if you really get lost.

The main objective of the game is to finish each maze size in the shortest amount of time in order to rank highest in the time list.

See the developer's video for a closer look.

Realmaze 3D has been submitted to the App Store and should appear sometime in the next week or two at a price of $0.99.  Eric indicates that he has a few ideas for future updates, such as some form of online competition, so there's more to come following the initial release.

As mentioned earlier, the game is being discussed in our forums and readers seem rather excited about this one.

A few weeks ago, iPhone developer Eurocenter brought the classic sidescrolling shooter Abuse to the iPhone under the title of Alien Abuse [App Store].

The game may be familiar to many as it's been around in various forms since its original release in 1996. Bungie Studios even brought Abuse to the Mac (where I was first exposed to it). The game has since been released into the public domain and is now available for the iPhone.

Abuse is a side scrolling platformer in which you fight off hoards of monsters while trying to escape a prison complex. You can run, jump and climb while directing gunfire in any direction. While we tried the game right after its release to the App Store, we felt the iPhone game really suffered from the initial control system offered. In a game like Abuse, independent control of firing and movement is critical to gameplay. This, for example, allows you to run in one direction while firing at your chasing enemies.

Fortunately, the developer has been quick to provide a control update and now offers a dual-analog sticks as an option. Left wheel controls movement, while right controls firing:

This small change upgrades the game from tech demo to a fun experience. The game, of course, still feels like a port, because -- well, it is. Still, for only $0.99, we think fans of the original version will enjoy this iPhone version.

This developer video shows the original control system (which remains default):

App Store Link: Alien Abuse, $0.99

FDG Entertainment, the developers of Bobby Classic Forever, have released the first in a series of "classic" Bobby Carrot puzzle games to the iPhone.

Bobby Carrot 1 CLSX [App Store] delivers the original Bobby Carrot mobile title to the iPhone which started off in 2004 as a J2ME puzzle game. This first installment delivers 55 levels across two different gameplay modes: Carrot mode and Easter egg mode.

Accompany the riddling rabbit through 55 cleverly constructed levels. Collect all the of carrots on a level, or lay all the Easter eggs in the special nests in order to open up the exit to the next level. This task isn’t made too easy for you, since there are numerous obstacles and traps to block your way.

While the graphics are the same as the original version, the soundtrack has been updated for the iPhone port. FDG has also incorporated Swipe controls, allowing you to forgo the on-screen joystick and simply swipe anywhere on the screen.

The levels aren't perhaps as complicated as Bobby Carrot Forever but at only $0.99 could offer new players a good introduction to the series.

App Store Link: Bobby Carrot 1 CLSX, $0.99

One of the most notable of all the gaming genres is the 2D shooter.  And while the number of such titles in the App Store is growing, there is a sore lack of true quality offerings available for the iPhone.  We recently learned that an upcoming release from Namco's classics catalog will soon give shooter fans something to smile about.  Namco's arcade classic Galaga, widely considered to be one of the best arcade shooters of all time, is about to blast into the App Store in the form of Galaga Remix.

This evening I spoke with several members of Namco's mobile group who shared details of this impending iPhone release.

Galaga Remix is two games in one.  While the 1981 classic that shooter fans have grown to know and love is here in all it's pixellated glory, a greatly enhanced take on the franchise is also represented.  Basically an iPhone version of Namco's Galaga Arrangement, a 1995 arcade title that has since appeared on various consoles including the PSP, the Remix side of Galaga Remix is a widescreen affair with frantic onscreen action, level bosses, and infinite continues.

In classic Galaga, the only powerup available was riding up the alien insect's beam to achieve a side-by-side ship arrangement, at the expense of a spare life.  Remix features nine different actual powerups (three levels of three distinct weapons improvements) including spray shots and supercharged laser cannons.  The game features 36 levels with changing galactic scenery and a massive boss insect (and its smaller minions) at the end of each series of six levels.  And while the classic game of Galaga is played in portrait orientation, Galaga Remix is played in widescreen, landscape.

The game features three methods of controls, present in both the classic and Remix games: left / right onscreen buttons, a slider touch control at the bottom of the screen (below the player's ship), and accelerometer-based controls.  Each mode uses a tap to screen for laser fire

See Namco's preview video to see Galaga Remix in action.

The arrival of Galaga on the iPhone represents an extremely significant addition to the iPhone game library.  We can't wait to get our hands on Galaga Remix and will post a detailed hands-on when the game goes live.

Galaga Remix will arrive in the App Store any day now and will be priced at $5.99.