The world leader has fallen sick, and has ordered you and many others to be shrunk to a microscopic size and injected in his bloodstream.

Your mission is to destroy as many parasites, viruses and alien invaders as you can.

So begins PDJ Apps recent iPhone release NanoFighter [App Store].

NanoFighter is an unforgiving, futuristic dual-controller shooter in the vein of Robotron and Geometry Wars.  Your mission is to wage microbiological warfare against a variety of formidable enemies.

The game presents dual onscreen touch control of a craft besieged with aggressive micro organisms.  The left touch wheel controls movement and the right controls the direction of fire, while a button at the bottom center detonates a smart bomb -- it's an arrangement that works rather well.  Along the way, shield and weapons power-ups as well as extra bombs can be picked up to aid in the fight.

The graphics are clean yet simplistic and the levels are fairly sparce.  There's no career or story mode, just level-to-level survival, but NanoFighter offers frantic shooter action in droves. Local and global online high scores offer the primary incentive to play again.

See the developer's gameplay video.

NanoFighter, with its somewhat retro aesthetic, is simple, frantic, and fun.

App Store Link: NanoFighter, $2.99

Luc Bernard provided us with some additional screenshots, details, and gameplay video for his upcoming game Mecho Wars. We last reported on the game back in March. The game is said to be a prequel to his PC game Eternity's Child. The game was originally scheduled for a March release, but has clearly been delayed.

Bernard previously wrote to us in April that the app had been delayed due to the inclusion of an online mode as well as being in talks with a publisher. He describes the game as "like Advance Wars for the most part" which places it square in the turn-based strategy genre. He describes that "every hour the clock advances so there is 24 hours in a day, at certain moments of the day things can happen." As an example, at night the water might freeze if the temperature goes low enough and then you can move your units on the frozen water.

Bernard describes it as the "best game I've ever worked on" in the enclosed video. The 10 minute video also includes an inebriated apology to his ex-girlfriend. While we certainly feel for his plight, for our reader's benefit we started the video right before the gameplay portion.

If his ex-girlfriend is reading this, he's sorry, and you should rewind to the beginning of the video.

Bernard warns all the graphics are still a work-in-progress so could change before the final release.

Back in February, HD Publishing released a free iPhone version of their highly rated mobile title Magnetic Joe [App Store], indicating that they wanted to introduce the title to the iPhone gaming community and then follow it up with the second and third installments as paid apps.  As promised, Magnetic Joe 2 [link] has just appeared in the App Store.

Magnetic Joe 2 offers similar gameplay to the original but rises above it by offering 100 levels (twice that of the original), four new games modes, Internet ranking, opponent best-time downloads, and the following unlockable items:

• Cloak: Joe becomes invisible, making the levels even more challenging
• Bad: Makes Joe stronger, letting him destroy walls more easily
• Rerverse: Reverses the controls. Now you have to demagnetize Joe
• Josephine: She is light and floats better
• Bot: Makes Joe immune to robots
• Fire: Makes Joe immune to fires
• Hood: Makes Joe immune to spike balls and green monsters

Magnetic Joe 2, like the original, is essentially an inertia game in which you must control the path of Joe while avoiding various obstacles. But, instead of rocket thrusters, you influence the movement by strategically activating Joe's magnetic abilities. Simply tap on the screen to turn it on, and the magnets will do the rest. You have to be strategic, however, to avoid hitting unwanted obstacles (such as spikes).

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The graphics are nothing to write home about, but the unique play mechanic makes for a fun game.  The original was well received by our forum members, and anyone who likes what they see there should find Magnetic Joe 2 to be at least as entertaining.  The free, initial release [link] should serve as a nice demo of the concept for those considering this sequel.

App Store Link: Magnetic Joe 2, $1.99

We go a long way back with Igloo Games. Their Dizzy Bee [$2.99] game was one of the first iPhones games we ever profiled here on TouchArcade.

Dizzy Bee arrived on the scene on the first day of the App Store's launch, and the game was a pleasant surprise with more polish and character than practically every other game at the time. It really gave us hope for the future of iPhone gaming.

While Igloo Games did eventually follow it up with Dizzy Bee 2 [$2.99], they hadn't released any brand new games until just last night with the launch of Bed Bugs [$1.99]:

When night falls, our sleepwalker gets up and takes a stroll still deep in sleep through dreamscapes filled with all kinds of creepy crawly bed bugs. To protect him, use multi-touch to squash Bed Bugs and keep the sleepwalker safe and sound asleep. Hold one bug while you tap another, and flick a third, but be careful not to get your fingers tied up in knots!

Like Dizzy Bee, the game exudes charm and polish. In contrast to Dizzy Bee's use of the acceleromter, Igloo Games has centered this game around the iPhone's multi-touch controls.

At its core, the game is essentially a whack-a-mole type game, though that brief description sells the game short. The goal of each level is to protect your sleepwalker from waking up with a nightmare. This is accomplished through the use of the touch screen to tap, swipe or otherwise dispatch the creatures. There are 28 creatures in all across the same number of levels. The game starts easily enough with a simple tap/squish mechanic. Each level introduces a new creature that must be handled in a unique way. Instructions are sparse, so you have to experiment a bit. Mishandle enough bed-bugs and the sleepwalker will awaken and the game is over.

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Despite the rather simple premise, I very much enjoyed this game (as did others). Early levels are pretty easy but the difficulty does ramp as you progress. The above video shows levels 9 and 10 where things can get challenging. While I understand that some might not care for this type of casual reaction game, if you do, this is probably the one to get.

App Store Link: Bed Bugs, $1.99

Here's a collection of recently released games that are well worth a try: a platformer, a rhythm game and a puzzle game.

Each developer has kindly provided a free Lite version for their games so you can give them a try yourself. That said, the games only cost $0.99-$1.99 and all seem to provide plenty of content. The prices listed besides the game titles link directly to the App Store.

• iDroids ($1.99, Free) - A nice looking side scrolling platformer that we've had our eye on for a while. You control a droid who is trying to rescue his wife while fighting and swinging your way through iDroidOpia.

  The game itself uses on screen buttons to control movement, jumping and weapons. While everything seems to work right, the game isn't really as immersive or engaging as I had hoped it would be. Fortunately, there is a lite version that takes you through a tutorial level and a regular level which provides plenty of gameplay to make a decision. The full game is only $1.99 which represents a special launch price. A YouTube trailer is available and discussion of the game in our forums.

• World of Tunes ($1.99, Free) - The latest offering from Korean developer Com2uS, World of Tunes is a charmingly designed rhythm action game.

  The game offers 4 modes of play which revolve around tapping on the little "Tuney" creatures at the right moments in time with the music. The music seems to be all original songs and the Story mode is set to a loose story complete with Boss attacks. The gameplay video shows how the game is played as well as boss battles.

  Overall the game is being very well received in our forums and a recent price drop from $4.99 to $1.99 should make it much more tempting. The free lite version contains two of the four modes of play.

• SuperNova Blast ($0.99, Free) - This game seems a bit simple with so-so graphics and an ugly icon... but is still worth your time. This is a chain-reaction game -- and there are a number in the App Store -- but something about this one is a bit more compelling.

  The $0.99 version of the game contains 250 levels. Each level contains a grid of stars in different energy. Tapping on a star makes it go from Blue -> Green -> Red -> Yellow -> until it finally explodes and shoots blasts in each of four directions. These blasts cause nearby stars to increase their size/energy. The goal is to make all the stars explode within a limited number of taps.

  The free version of the game offers 15 levels of play which is plenty to find out if you like the game. Some of our forum members are also enjoying it.

As it turns out, yesterday's video leak of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 was legitimate based on an email response from iPhone developer LTI Gray Matter to TouchArcade.com.

The president of the company Daniel R. Chavez confirmed that the game is completely real though it's not clear if the game will ever see the light of day.

We developed an engine & tools to push the bleeding edge of the iPhone's limits. That's why the graphics, sound & frame rate are so good in the demo. We used THPS2 strictly as a "test subject" and not at the request of Activision or anyone else. By the time we were thru, THPS2 was fully on the iPhone and performing even better than originally anticipated.

Chavez said that they let Activision know that the game was ready for quality assurance testing if they wanted it but suspects that unless there is a large outcry for the game, it won't likely make it to the App Store.

He reports that there may be some confusion as there will be a new Tony Hawk game that is to be detailed tomorrow. Chavez says, "There may be a feeling that this may cause confusion with the new title but I believe the Tony Hawk fans & gamers (both iPhone & console) would love to own both."

He explains more about the details in the video itself (which is no longer available):

Some of the glitchyness on the demo were strictly because of compressing/loading into the editing software. The cuts showing player X were only to better illustrate the accelerometer use and while he was actually playing, this was shot separate from the over-the-shoulder angle. That's why on those scenes the headphone wire was not plugged in and the close-ups of the screen did have the wire connected. It was plugged directly into the camera so the sound heard was exactly what you would hear with headphones. The need for player X to keep his head cocked sideways and minimize movement in order to get the best video display is the reason for the less-than-stellar runs and not because the game mechanics are too difficult. Also, the buttons on screen are there for the 1st time player (left on for the demo) and there is the ability to toggle them off and just touch the corresponding quadrants of the screen thereby giving a cleaner view.

In the ongoing flood of games, one that we've neglected to report on is the port of the very popular Bloons flash game. The iPhone version was released in April and has managed to shoot to the top 10 list of paid apps during that time.

Bloons is a seemingly simple trajectory game in which you must pop as many balloons as possible using a limited number of darts and other power ups. To successfully solve level, you need to pop a pre-determined quota of balloons.

The iPhone version of Bloons contains 50 levels as well as bonus "hidden" content that can be unlocked. A major update to the game is also coming with 50 more exclusive levels, unlimited darts mode and a level editor. While there are a number of similar games available in the App Store, this is the one you probably played on the web. The online version is still available to try.

The game debuted at a $2.99 price but has since dropped to $0.99 while the update is pending.

App Store Link: Bloons, $0.99

Handmark has released a short demo video of their upcoming futuristic racer. The game now has a name: Phaze and has drawn comparisons with Wipeout and F-Zero.

Few other details of the game have been provided, but we're really looking forward to this release. We'll provide more details as soon as they are available. We previously posted screenshots from the game.

Madgarden's Saucelifter [App Store] is one of my favorite games for the iPhone platform.  A stylized remake of Broderbund's classic rescue action shooter Choplifter, Saucelifter involves flying your saucer to the Earth prison barracks, blasting open the doors, picking up your captive crewmates, and dropping them off at the transporter where they're beamed safely back to your alien world.

A peaceful interstellar mission-gone-wrong has left your crewmates stranded, and in the hands of an aggressive Earth military! Now, your mastery of superior flying-saucer technology is their only hope for survival.

Will you rescue the helpless captives and beam them home to safety.. or will Earth's mechanized military madness result in your total destruction?

Madgarden has just released a free, lite version of the game [App Store] which offers the tutorial and first four waves on Easy mode, with no day/night progression or highscores.  Marking the release of the lite version, Madgarden is running a sale on the original [App Store] ($0.99, down from $1.99) until the v1.2 update is released.  (The v1.1 update brought numerous enhancements.)

See our gameplay video of the v1.0 original release.

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App Store Link: Saucelifter, $0.99 (limited time), Saucelifter Lite, Free

Mobile developer SmallBall has released SmallBall Pinball, Grand Canyon [App Store], a free pinball game for the iPhone and iPod touch.

The first episode in a series of coming pinball releases, SmallBall Pinball is an easy-paced pinball game with a Grand Canyon graphical theme and, interestingly, a backstory.

In the first of many, SB Pinball: Grand Canyon is themed after American National parks and the petroglyphs of ancient man which tell a story: Over 2000 years ago the land was visited by 5 beings from another land. They came from the same place of the sun and moon and stood as tall as the biggest trees. Fear among the people kept them away from the 5, but they watched closely. The people learned that the 5 beings came to their land to take some animals with them. They seemed sad and in need of the animals. They didn't kill them for food, just took them. But because they took so many animals they did not have enough room for all 5 in their sky boat so one stayed behind. It said the one left behind hides deep inside the rock of the canyon waiting to guide the accent of the animals once again.

The game features low-gravity table (or canyon wall) physics and a fairly sparse collection of targets, spinners, and the like.  As such, the play experience is not what one would call the typical, frantic game of pinball.  A tap to the left or right side of the screen controls the corresponding flipper, and a tap to the middle of the screen triggers both flippers at once.

The game presents a rather unique table arrangement in which each table has an exit gate towards the top of the screen that provides access to the next table.  Most such gates must be unlocked by carrying out particular on-table sequences.  In all but the "bottom" table, if a ball passes down between the flippers, it returns to the table below it.  Any ball dropping out of the bottom table simply bounces back into play -- you don't ever loose your ball.  "Save your quarters for the laundry," as SmallBall puts it.

SmallBall Pinball is certainly not the most white-knuckle game of pinball in the App Store.  It has only basic sound effects and no music.  There's not even a plunger.  But it does feature lovely backdrop scenery, an online leaderboard, and the unique table-to-table arrangement.  I enjoyed the relatively short time I've spent with the title and, for the price of admission -- free -- anyone who enjoys a nice game of pinball may as well give it a try.

See our gameplay video which shows the first three tables.

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App Store Link: SmallBall Pinball, Grand Canyon, Free

As a huge fan of ABC's Lost, I was looking around on the App Store today anxiously awaiting this week's season finale. Unfortunately, while ABC has no official Lost games or apps, I did stumble across a remarkably faithful fan-made game based on the computer system found inside of the hatch!

In order to survive, Doomsday Terminal [App Store] will have you entering in a series of six numbers (sadly, not the real Lost numbers) every 108 minutes. The game even features an online scoreboard and the current leader managed to "push the button" for 1 week, 8 hours, and 42 minutes. Needless to say, the dedication required to last a day is impressive, let alone over a week.

When you type in the terminal outside of entering the numbers, your message is randomly sent to other players manning their own Doomsday Terminal. Most of the messages I've got have been nonsense and don't appear to be moderated at all, so don't be surprised if you get something silly or nonsensical.

A few friends of mine who are also hardcore Lost fans have picked up Doomsday Terminal and none of us can make it through the night. Entering in the numbers every 108 minutes really makes you appreciate Desmond's mental state when the survivors of Oceanic flight 815 discovered him inside the hatch.

For a 99¢ game, Doomsday Terminal doesn't do very much and will have virtually no appeal to those who aren't fans of the show. On the other hand, all of the fellow Lost addicts I've shown it to generally smile ear to ear when I load it up on my phone.

App Store Link: Doomsday Terminal, 99¢

Mobile developer Flying Tiger Entertainment has recently released their simple cannon turret shooter Toy Raid [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch.

Reminiscent of On-Line Systems' 1981 title Sabotage, Toy Raid puts you in control of an accelerometer or touch controlled turret with a single objective: kill everything in the skies.  Helicopters and airplanes (dropping bombs) as well as paratroopers are attempting to overrun your fortified position.  The only path to safety is the complete elimination of everything headed your way.

Toy Raid presents a simple, yet fun gameplay mechanic.  I was a huge fan of Sabotage on the Apple II back in the '80s and enjoyed the remake that Apple bundled with the classic iPod units.  If the Sabotage formula appeals to you, then likely Toy Raid will deliver pick-up shooter fun.

See Flying Tiger's gameplay video for a closer look.

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There was a brief pricing snafu in the App Store, but Toy Raid is again available for download at a price of $1.99.

Flying Tiger's lead man, Jonh Brandstetter, has a long history in the game industry, having developed console titles for the NEC TurboGrafx-16 and having headed up the development of the Sega 32X launch title Star Wars Arcade.

App Store Link: Toy Raid, $1.99

Early last month Vir2L Studios released Vir2L Base Jumper [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch.

Vir2L Base Jumper, as the title might suggest, is a base jumping game that challenges the player to stay on course. Vir2L Base Jumper recently dropped in price to $0.99 (down from $1.99) and a free, lite version [App Store] was just released that features but one suit, one helmet, and one parachute with gameplay in the City high-rise setting, only.

Vir2L has also published a Frogger-like game Scram Sam [App Store] and most recently rhythm game Vir2L Drums [App Store].

It's worth noting that Vir2L Studios are owned by ZeniMax Media Inc., a Rockville, Maryland-based developer, marketer, and publisher that also owns Bethesda Softworks, developer of The Elder Scrolls series of RPGs and, more recently, the highly popular console hit Fallout 3.  Vir2L Studios already publishes a number of Elder Scrolls games for mobile phones.

And while Vir2L Base Jumper is a rather basic iPhone title, we are most interested to see what future plans the studio has for Apple's mobile platform. A Bethesda producer had previously announced that one of their next projects is an iPhone game.

Digital Chocolate has released an iPhone version of its well reviewed mobile title Stunt Car Racing 99 Tracks [link] through the App Store.

Stunt Car Racing 99 Tracks is a physics-based jump-tilt-and-land racer with a gameplay mechanic similar to that of the "2.5D" iPhone titles GI Joyride and Monster Truck Nitro, but with much simpler 2D graphics that reveal its mobile handset origins.  Gameplay involves driving off-road vehicles through the various levels, riddled with jumps, pits, hazards, and the like.  Along the way, earn nitro boost by performing tricks (spins, wheelies, etc.) and picking up health to keep the damage meter at bay.

The game features on-screen button controls.  Up and down arrows allow for wheelies, mid-air 360 spins, and perfect, level landings.  A nitro button triggers a jolt of acceleration, and a brake button slows the vehicle for safe travel over hazardous surfaces.

See our gameplay video showing brief play in two different terrain settings.

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Though the mobile original was well received, the iPhone version definitely feels like a port of a mobile title.

It's a decent bit of fun to play, but at $4.99, it's not the most compelling take on the formula in the App Store.  The game's App Store listing indicates a free version is on the way -- readers not in love with the gameplay video may want to wait and try before they buy the full release.

App Store Link: Stunt Car Racing 99 Tracks, $4.99

Chillingo and First Star Software has released the first gameplay video from their upcoming Boulder Dash port for the iPhone. We took a first look at the game a while back, but this video should bring back memories.

First Star Software is offering both updated graphics as well as the original "retro" graphics. The game is due for release on May 15th.