At E3 Expo, Gameloft also gave TouchArcade a hands on with their upcoming Real Tennis 2009 sports title that will be showing up in the App Store as early as next week.

Real Tennis will offer sports gaming fans another solid title from Gameloft as it seems to offer the same level of depth that we've come to expect from Gameloft's sports titles such as Let's Golf and Real Soccer 2009. The app combines accelerometer, joypad, and even gesture controls to the game of tennis.

The basic controls worked intuitively, with movement controlled by the on-screen joypad and swinging with a virtual button. When serving, the accelerometer is used to target your serve. Specific gestures with the button are said to invoke different types of strokes, but I didn't get a chance able to master it in my brief time with the game. You can play as one of 8 different fictional players with different attributes. Different locations offer different surfaces which affect how the ball plays.

The official list of features includes:

• 8 players entirely modeled in highly detailed 3D graphics.
• From Paris to New York or Stockholm, play in 7 stadiums on 3 different surfaces – clay, grass and synthetic – each providing a different experience.
• Local Wi-Fi Multiplayer to challenge your friends in real time!
• Controls making the most of the iPhone/iPod touch features
• Serve by tilting your iPhone!
• A wide array of strokes for a deeper experience: Lob, drop shot,
  smash and more.
• A Career mode that lets you join a tennis tour just like a real professional player.

Gameloft's video shows how the game looks, while we have a hands-on video that we will post shortly.

The game is expected as early as next week and will be priced at $5.99.

Gameloft previewed a number of titles for us at E3 today. The one that seemed the most exciting for us was Castle of Magic, a 2.5D sidescrolling platformer that simply looks great.

Castle of Magic is an existing mobile game that received solid reviews that Gameloft is bringing to the iPhone at the end of June. You are a little boy that must save his girlfriend from an evil wizard. You run andjump your way through levels while mastering level-specific special powers that help you along the way. The game really has that console feel to it with polished animations and intricate level designs. There seem to be a wide variety of level design elements to keep things interesting, as well as a number of secret areas that can be found.

Game features listed include:

• 5 beautiful 3D environments, each in a different material influencing the gameplay: slip on ice, swim in the sea, levitate in space, get glued in pastry, and more!
• Accelerometer use: shake your device to release a superpower.
• 5 different bosses: the giant snake, the octopus, the space-ship, the snow-man and the bee. + A huge variety of enemies: from pirates to monsters, etc.
• Transform yourself in 6 different cute characters with each a different power: Robin Hood casting arrows, the invincible fat guy, the reckless swordfish, and more.
• Lots of secondary collecting quests: find witches hats to win extra lives and search for secret worlds to maximize your diamond collection.

Gameloft's gameplay video shows the quality of the game itself, and we have an actual hands on video that will be coming. The game is said to include about 3.5 hours of play straight through but each level has a 3-star achievement system based on how many diamonds you collect, and secret areas to help boost your score. Controls use the typical Gameloft control pad on the left with buttons for fire and jump (and double jump).

The game should become available at the end of June and is one we are particularly looking forward to. It will be priced at $5.99.

EA has a large booth here at the E3 expo. Tucked in with the mobile games were a couple of iPhone titles that we hadn't heard much of yet.

EA had an early build of their real-time strategy game Command & Conquer for the iPhone. The game is expected by the end of the year and has been adapted to the iPhone's full touch screen. The demo unit they had only had a single large "sandbox" mode for show purposes but the full version will have full campaign mode.

Our video walks through some of the controls and gameplay of the release.

Video removed per EA's request

Chillingo and developer h.grenade have provided TouchArcade with the final build of the much anticipated space shooter Circuit Strike One.

We recorded this first hands-on gameplay video that shows the game in action. Those with just casual familiarity with the game might think that the game looks like many of the multi-directional survival shooters that have recently invaded the app store. Developer Shay Casey explains, however, that the game is actually a zero-g physics game much like Asteroids.

The real key can't be said enough - it is a zero-g physics game just like Asteroids so do not try and keep your thumb on the thrust.

Casey says that once you get used to the controls there is a great payoff "allowing maneuvers like strafing, 180 degree j-turn style attacks and more. .... Once you get the hang of it and the controls "click" for you it opens up a world of possibilities."

The game also features an Airbrake, Reverse Thrust and an invincible "Bullet Time" mode. Our skills aren't up to speed quite yet (as you can tell in the video), but the game looks great and you can get a feel for it through this hands on video (played on an iPhone 3G):

Circuit Strike One has been submitted to the App Store and is due any day now. We've been following this one for some time, and glad to see the release is almost upon us.

Mobile developer Mountain Sheep has provided us details and screenshots of its upcoming 3D action shooter Minigore, to be published by Chillingo.

Minigore puts you in control of a little square fellow known as John Gore, using two virtual sticks in an iDracula-like control arrangement.  Your mission is to defend John from "the Furries," hairy, round creatures with particularly sharp teeth.  The Furries come in three shapes and sizes: the small Minifurry, the Furry, and the lamentable Giant Furry.  But be warned -- blast a Giant Furry and the problem only gets worse; it will split into several Furries which, if destroyed, themselves split into Minifurries.  It's Russian Nesting Dolls with a vengence.

The developer speaks a bit about the game's inspiration.

On the gameplay front Super Stardust HD is certainly a really big source of inspiration, but it was iDracula that showed us you can really make dual stick gameplay work on the iPhone.... Other stuff that has been really inspiring is the old PC-game Alien Phobia II and the mother of all classics, Pac-Man.

In Pac-man, you had the powerup that allowed you to turn the tables and eat everything in your way, right? Enemies included. In Minigore, we're taking a similar approach. We allow you to get out of a tight spot by turning the game of avoidance into a game of catch. Except we do it with style! You collect four-leaf clovers that grow from the blood of your enemies. Once you get a certain number of them, your inner beast is triggered. In the beast mode you're literally on fire and you can then run around and eat all the Furries nearby. It lasts for while, then the beast is tamed and you transform back to normal....

The beast mode opens up many interesting gameplay mechanics with bosses like the Wormwolf, which will headline one of the updates after launch. Normally, it tries to spiral towards you and you have to move out of the way. Shooting the worm makes it drop clovers but doesn't harm it. When you've picked up enough clovers you transform into the beast form and you can just stand still and the Wormwolf will spiral straight into your mouth! The thing is, it takes a while to eat such a large creature and the beast mode won't last forever, which means you need to step out of the way in time.

As mentioned by Mountain Sheep, updates bringing extra characters and features will follow the initial release.  The developer indicates that they are determined to bring a very high quality title to the App Store with this release and, as such, are taking their time in implementing the final details.  Minigore is expected to debut in June for a price of $.99.

See the developer's teaser video for a closer look.

We are expecting a video from Mountain Sheep showing more of the in-game action very shortly. Stay tuned.

Handmark's Wipeout-like futuristic racer Phaze [link], which we've been tracking since early April, is now available for purchase in the App Store.  Phaze was developed by Pazzazz, who brought us Hellfire [link] and GTS World Racing [link].

Staying pretty close to the Wipeout formula, Phaze puts you in the cockpit of a futuristic maximum velocity racer and pits you against an array of opponents in a bid to cross the finish line first.  Power-ups of various sorts (rockets, shields, energy, etc.) are placed about the track to aid in the win.  Steering (left, right tilt) and acceleration (forward, back tilt) are accelerometer controlled and power-ups are activated with a tap to an on-screen button.

Phaze features a Championship mode where players work their way through the game's 16 races, unlocking tracks and equipment along the way.  Alternatively, Single Race mode is a pick-up race through any of the tracks unlocked in Championship mode.

Features of the game:

• 4 difficulty levels - Easy through to Extreme
• 3 race craft to choose from (with 7 more unlockable)
• 16 futuristic locations
• 6 types of weapon and defense powerup
• Enjoy the in-game music, or play your own soundtrack

As the title just hit the App Store, we've not spent a great deal of time with it, as yet.  But my initial impressions are that Phaze feels like a mix of Wipeout and F-Zero X that, while a fun play, doesn't quite live up to either in comparing track complexity, control feel (though Phaze does have adjustable sensitivity), and overall presentation -- though besting SCE Studio's award winning racing series is a tall order, indeed.  It's probably the most compelling game of the sort in the App Store and fans of the genre should find it a welcome addition to the platform's library.

See our reader's impressions in the Phaze forum thread.

App Store Link: Phaze, $4.99

Affogato Software has released the full version of their Isotope space shooter. The full version weighs in at $2.99 [App Store] and offers a full campaign mode as well as the availability of many more ship upgrades.

We described the free lite version [App Store] as a "must get" due to its extensive upgrade system, full-featured survival mode and numerous control options.

If you haven't tried it yet, you should, as some have described it to be the best Geometry Wars-like game in the App Store.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

App Store Link: Isotope: A Space Shooter, $2.99, Isotope Lite, Free

EA's Sims is a series that needs no introduction. Between The Sims and its seven expansion packs to it's sequel and the associated eight expansion packs (and The Sims 2 ten "Stuff" packs with additional furniture and accessories), The Sims 3 [App Store] has a lot to live up to.

Naturally, the game begins with the creation of your Sim. Veterans of The Sims games may be slightly disappointed by the limited options while customizing your character as you're limited to sex, hair, eyes, shirt, pants, and shoes along with color selection for each. Personality choices are also fairly restricted.  And while the trait selection gets the job done, it left me wanting more. Unfortunately (and somewhat expected with the iPhone version), this theme of not having as many options as you may be used to from previous versions continues throughout The Sims 3.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

Immediately after finalizing your choices for your character, a brief tutorial walks you through the basics of the game and how to keep your Sim satisfied. Sims have the same basic needs you're used to, between needing to eat, sleep, bathe and go to the bathroom as well as a goals and wishes. The goals pop up randomly, and act like mini objectives for what to do in the game. While I haven't yet had the chance to get particularly deep into the game, the goals I've come across so far seem easy to satisfy and include things like catching a fish or going shopping.

The controls take some getting used to, mostly due to the inherent inaccuracies in trading a mouse pointer for a fat finger. Like in previous games, most items in your house have actions associated with them. Tapping a person gives you the option to talk to them in various ways, but often when you mean to select something without zooming-in first, you select something else. This becomes particularly annoying while visiting someone's house who has a lot of furniture and you keep selecting the lamp instead of the person you're trying to talk to.

Because of this, camera control is vital to selecting anything. The camera can be moved by dragging a single finger, and moving the camera up or down, as well as rotation and zoom, are all done through two finger gestures. It works, but because of so many things attached to a two finger gesture, it takes a while to get the hang of it.

The performance on my iPhone 3G is average. The Sims 3 doesn't run at a particularly high framerate, nor is it jerky to the point of being unplayable.

The biggest letdown -- and again, somewhat expected for a $9.99 iPhone game -- is the lack of a real build mode. If what you enjoyed about The Sims series is building your house, you'll be disappointed to find that your options are limited to buying and selling furniture, along with moving and rotating it. Once you save enough money, you can upgrade to a bigger house, but the floor plans cannot be changed.

At the end of the day, The Sims 3 is a decent downsized port that likely has enough content to keep fans of the series satisfied. It comes loaded with the same quirky AI seen in the previous games, and most of the social options when talking to NPC's seem to have remained intact. Whether or not I'd recommend The Sims 3 largely depends on what you liked out of The Sims games.

The Sims 3 is an extremely ambitious game for the iPhone, even with the limitations it has, but if you're like me, and really enjoyed building elaborate houses, you'll probably want to take a pass. If what you spent the most time doing was cultivating virtual relationships between your Sim and the other Sims in your neighborhood, you'll find yourself right at home once you get the hang of the controls.

App Store Link: The Sims 3, $9.99

Donut Games has released an iPhone Arkanoid-alike known as Bricks of Camelot [link] through the App Store.  And while there's no lack of such titles on the platform, Bricks of Camelot is a a particularly well-done take on the formula.

Experience the EPIC ADVENTURES of CAMELOT in this action packed brick buster with a heavy artillery of power-ups. Collect treasures, armour and gold as you smash your way through the King's Castles, the dark dungeons and lots of exciting places.

Features listed by the developer:

• Mystical medieval environments
• 48 Levels (additional levels to come in the next update)
• Smash bricks in non-traditional ways, including axes and thunder lightnings
• Magic potions
• Eagles that hunt treasures for you
• 3 Difficulty settings

Indeed, the game features an unconventional array of power-ups that are well suited to the game's medieval theming (explosions of fire that burn wooden bricks, axe attacks that take out surrounding bricks, etc.).  The fit and finish of the title brings to mind some of the well-done games in this genre published for the Amiga in the early '90s.

At $.99 (limited time), it's a solid value, but a free, lite version [App Store] is available for those wanting to try before they buy.

See a gameplay video of the PC original that's nearly identical to the iPhone release.

App Store Link: Bricks of Camelot, $.99 (limited time)

Back in April we previewed Chillingo's upcoming castle defense game Knights Onrush, developed by MoreGames, the folks behind iDracula and Origins: Legend of Wizards.

Knights Onrush is a castle defense game in the vein of the popular StickWars [App Store] and Defend Your Castle [App Store], but with much improved graphics and an apparently wider variety of defense methods.

Chillingo has just posted a new gameplay video of the upcoming title.  (See the earlier video here.)

Knights Onrush has already been submitted to the App Store and is expected to be available any day now.  It's currently being discussed in a lengthy thread in our forums.

Astraware has posted details and a new demo video of their futuristic racer Phaze.

Grab your G-suit and helmet, select your ship and get set for some maximum velocity race action with Phaze.

The developers list the following features in the upcoming game:

• 16 futuristic tracks to race around
• 3 race craft to choose from, and 7 more unlockable
• 6 types of weapon and defense powerup
• Enjoy the in-game music, or play your own soundtrack from your iPod
• 4 levels of difficulty from Easy to Extreme

The newest video posted today shows various tracks, weapons and ships:

The release of Phaze is said to be "imminent".

Chillingo / Tetraedge recently released an iPhone port of the well reviewed island adventure Jules Verne's Return to Mysterious Island [App Store], based on the 1874 novel by the noted French science fiction author.

While not a first-person adventure in the strictest sense of the term, the game features point to point "motion" with a look-anywhere view mechanic reminiscent of Zork Nemesis and Myst III: Exile.  In fact, the swipe-to-view control offers smoother view motion than either of the aforementioned PC classics.  When examining the surroundings in a given position, key items are marked with either an arrow for the option of moving to the designated location or a gear-wheel which indicates that action of some sort can be carried out on the object in question. Well integrated into the surrounding view are animated sequences (birds flying above a cliff, crabs crawling about the sand, etc.) that add to the game's overall sense of setting.

Certain marked items can be picked up and added to the inventory straight away, while others require a key item to be equipped (held in hand) to successfully negotiate (example: a vine can be cut and obtained only if a knife is held in hand).  Adding greatly to the compexitiy of the game is the need to combine certain items in order to get a task done.  I don't want to give away any specifics to spoil the challenge but, for example, one might need to combine a rubber cord with a forked twig to form a slingshot in order to defend against an aggressive island animal.  And such combinations are, often, not particularly obvious.

The iPhone version, weighing in at just under 300 MB, is a somewhat cut-down version of the 1 GB PC original.  As such, some of the story elements have been omitted, along with certain other details such as ambient island sounds (wave lapping on the shore, birds chirping, etc.).  But the core gameplay elements are certainly represented.

I greatly enjoyed adventures of this sort on the PC through the years and am very pleased to see the genre so well represented on the iPhone platform.  Return to Mysterious Island is a well-evolved take on the formula.  The island game world is rich with detail and draws the player into the game world with ease.  It's a welcome alternative to so many pick-up action / adventure titles in the App Store.

If there's an adventurer buried somewhere inside you, Return to Mysterious Island is a game not to be missed.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

App Store Link: Return to Mysterious Island, $4.99

FDG recently released their latest game Parachute Panic [$0.99] into the App Store.

This relatively simple game requires you to land parachutists onto passing boats while avoiding passing helicopters, UFOs and storm clouds. The game is presented with a certain style and humor that gives it a lot of charm. That innocent impression, however, can be a bit deceptive as the game is certainly no calk walk.

After you are thrown a few easy landings, it starts getting pretty frantic pretty quickly. Storm clouds and moving boats were my particular weaknesses in trying to elevate my score.

The game was getting compared to Flight Control from the moment it was previewed. While those are hard shoes to fill, it's easy to see why the comparisons are made. Both are similarly exercises in chaos management, but yet they feel entirely different. Flight Control involved long stretches of careful route-planning interrupted by moments of sheer panic, while Parachute Panic involves a lot more action from the get go.

Tapping multiple times on helicopters and UFOs will destroy them, while swiping left/right/up/down generate gusts of wind to direct your parachutists. You can only lose 5 of them before it's game over. The video shows how the game works and looks identical to the final game:

Parachute Panic has its own pace and style that do make it an enjoyable game, but I can't yet tell if it will have as long a lasting appeal as the previous iPhone kings of casual gaming. But in the meanwhile, at only $0.99, it offers some cheap fun on your iPhone.

App Store Link: Parachute Panic, $0.99