2XL Games' much anticipated ATV game was released into the App Store tonight for $7.99.

The game represents 2XL's followup title to the technically impressive 2XL Supercross and seems to share the same graphics engine. Beyond moving to ATV's, however, 2XL has added a lot of content to this new title, including freestyle levels, career mode, local multiplayer, online leaderboards and more.

The game offers tilt controls with a large number of customizable settings, though the default controls seemed to work reasonably well on our first few spins around the track.

The game shares the same impressive graphics seen in the original 2XL Supercross and are well demonstrated in this hands-on video provided by the developers.

Superficially, the biggest addition to the game is a full career mode that was conspicuously absent from their freshman iPhone release. 2XL ATV Offroad offers 16 ATV Supercross and Outdoor Nationals tracks and 2 Freestyle levels, and 3 levels of difficulty.

We'll be able to spend some more time with the title now that it's been released. Early adopters can share their impressions in our forums.

App Store Link: 2XL ATV Offroad, $7.99

Gameloft's Derek Jeter Real Baseball [App Store] joined the rest of their impressive sports lineup on the platform this evening. Featuring full 3D graphics, several different game modes ranging from home run derbies to full season modes, and full in-game commentary, Derek Jeter Real Baseball seems to display the same high quality production as other Gameloft games.

We'll post a more detailed look at this game soon as I'm anxious to get deeper into the game to see how it compares to Gamevil's Baseball Superstars 2010 [App Store], another full-featured baseball game we recently gave 4.5 stars to.

Update: A hands-on gameplay video has been embedded above. The game offers two control methods for batting. There is no targeting of the ball for each method. The first is touch in which you simply tap on the screen to swing the bat as the ball approaches. The second method is slide in which you slide down to pull your bat back, and quickly swing upward in time with the pitch. Neither mode requires you to aim at the ball.

Pitching involves a combination of picking your pitch, timing a tap to determine power and accuracy, and use of the accelerometer to direct where the pitch will go. The video shows all these modes.

App Store Link: Derek Jeter Real Baseball, $4.99

While we announced the release of the classic point and click adventure Beneath a Steel Sky for the iPhone, we never took a closer look at the release.

Originally released for the Amiga and DOS in 1994, Beneath a Steel Sky is a graphical adventure set in Australia in a dystopian future. The original game received very high praise at the time of its release and is widely considered to be one of the best adventure games ever created.

The iPhone port of the game has since received rave reviews in our forums. Unlike, LucasArts' Secret of Monkey Island, Beneath a Steel Sky has not been completely re-rendered for the iPhone version, but that's not to say it doesn't have its share of notable improvements.

The iPhone game offers new animated cut scenes, re-sampled voice work and higher quality music. As well, an extensive hint system that will prevent you from getting stuck. Most importantly is that the traditional point-and-click interface has been revamped to the iPhone's touch screen. Rather than controlling a virtual pointer, you can touch and drag your finger across the screen. Items of interest light up with a small blue circle. Tapping on that circle then brings up contextual icons that let you act on that item. An eye, for example. lets you look at the item, while gears allow you to manipulate an item. Meanwhile, inventory items can simply be dragged over to items of interest to activate them. In this regard, the game is a notable improvement over Secret of Monkey Island, and plays much more like a natural iPhone game.

We've recorded some of the animated intro scene as well as basic gameplay elements in this video:

The game's story and dialog remains enjoyable and immersive and the iPhone port does justice to the classic title. While the PC version game has been available for free over the years, the iPhone version is a worthy conversion for fans and newcomers to the series.

App Store Link: Beneath a Steel Sky, $4.99

World of Goo is a physics based puzzle game where you must use the various goos to build a structure to reach the end point of the level, represented by a pipe that sucks the unused goos off of your tower and in to a reservoir to calculate your score. The several types of goos in game all have unique properties, and the completion of each level hinges on exploiting each goo's abilities.

World of Goo exists on the Mac and PC (there's even a Linux version) and you can buy the game on WiiWare. To celebrate the anniversary of the game's launch, developers 2D Boy announced on their blog that World of Goo is coming to the iPhone:

We have it running well on the iPhone 3GS, and with a little luck we hope to get it running smoothly on the 3G as well. Hopefully more news on this soon.

Here is the trailer for the Wii version of the game:

It's unclear right now whether this is a straight port of the original, an entirely new game, or a little of both. Either way, World of Goo is one of the best computer games I've played recently, and I highly recommend giving the demo a try. The developer's web site features a free downloadable demo, but news of the iPhone port seems to have brought their web server to its knees. If you can't access it, the demo is also available on Steam.

Update: If you want to skip the demo entirely, you can buy the full version of the computer game until the 19th for whatever you want to pay for it. If you can get the 2Dboy site to load, you can buy World of Goo for its normal price of $20, or $0.01. Whatever you feel the game is worth.

Namco has posted a series of screenshots from their upcoming Ace Combat XI game for the iPhone. The Ace Combat francise has been around since 1995 with versions of the game appearing on the Playstation, Playstation 2, Xbox 360, and PSP. Early impressions of the game describe the gameplay experience to be "smooth and easy to play".

Ace Combat XI is said to be "coming soon".

Here are a few Lites that are worth a try.

Modern Combat: Sandstorm Free - Easily the best first person shooter available on the App Store. We described it as "an excellent game that raises the bar of what is to be expected of future first person shooters on the iPhone, as well as being added to the short list of games with fantastic on-screen controls. "

Real Soccer 2010 Free - Still debating which soccer game to get? The Free version of Real Soccer 2010 gives you a chance to test out the controls and feel of this game.

Vending Machine Champ Lite - Here's one to download just to enjoy getting berated for cheaping out by getting the Lite version. The in-game announcer commentary may be worth the download as he taunts you for being a cheapskate.

And as a bonus tip, if you passed on Daniel Johnson's Hi, How Are You when we reviewed it due to its $2.99 price, it's since dropped back down to $0.99. [App Store]

Pang (or Buster Bros.) was a popular 1989 arcade game that was subsequently ported to a number of home computer platforms. The basic gameplay has already spawned a number of App Store clones including Chippy [$1.99], Buster Boy [$0.99], LaserBug [$1.99], Bubble Pang Free [Free].

Player X, however, has brought an official Pang port to the iPhone with Pang Mobile [$2.99]. The gameplay is rather simple by today's standards, and also pretty unforgiving. The game involves popping balloons bouncing on the screen with one of several possible weapons. The standard weapon is a harpoon that fires upward. If a balloon contacts the harpoon, it splits into smaller pieces. This repeats until your eliminate all the bouncing balloons. Smaller balloons, however, bounce at lower heights, making them harder to hit. Power-ups allow for a double shot, machine gun, and shield, while in-level obstacles can help or hurt your chances.

For long time fans, the mobile version seems to deliver on the Pang experience. Pang Mobile offers two modes: World Tour and Infinite Challenge. The game is controlled using a "touch area" that allows you to slide back and forth to move left/right. This avoids the imprecision of virtual buttons. Options include adjustments for difficulty and control sensitivity.

Video shows the game in World Tour and Infinite modes:

The game offers a local high score board only and only single player mode.

Not being a Pang player back in the day, it's hard to speak as to how accurate a port this is, but early adopters seem to be enjoying it. Any fans of classic arcade action may also want to consider it.

App Store Link: Pang Mobile, $2.99

The battle of the iPhone Kart racers continues with the release of Shrek Kart [App Store] to the App Store.

Shrek Kart contains 10 different karts, 11 different powerups, 15 tracks, single player and arena modes. There is local 6-way multiplayer but no online play. While it might have been an instant purchase in the past, the recent release of Konami Krazy Karts and surprise release of online multiplayer Cocoto Kart might make your decision harder.

Here's a hands on video:

We'll provide a closer look after we've had some time with the game, but early impressions are being collected in our forums.

App Store Link: Shrek Kart, $4.99

Last month, we previewed an upcoming iPhone game from True Axis called Jet Car Stunts.

Jet Car Stunts was described as "a fun, over the top, 3D driving game, with massive jumps, mid-air hoops, floating platforms, spiral roadways, outlandish maneuvers and impossible environments." Controls are accelerometer based along with mid-air flight controls to nudge the angle of flight or adjust speed with air braking.

We loved the look of the game video, but had some questions about the game's playability from that video alone. We've since had a chance to interview Luke Ryan and Andy Coates of True Axis about their upcoming racer. They also provided this exclusive hands-on video showing their game and controls in action:

TouchArcade: We understand Jet Car Stunts is based on the True Axis Physics SDK. Can you give us a little bit of history on this game engine and the company?

Luke Ryan: The True Axis Physics SDK was a bit of an accidental development. It started back in 2002 as part of a game demo I was developing. The physics engines back then were not good enough, and I already had a few years experience involving lots of physics programming, so I made a much better one. I started getting a few requests to make it commercial. In-between doing contract work for mobile and handheld games, I did all the extra work necessary to commercialise it, which was the reason for the formation of the company, True Axis.

Since then, the physics engine scene has changed unrecognisably. I'd always kept in touch with the mobile gaming scene here in Melbourne and I started to fall back into that. I met my co-owner at True Axis, Andy Coates, while I was helping out at Firemint. In 2008, I decided to take True Axis into independent game development which has always been my dream.

(more...)

A few weeks ago, TouchFoo teased us with a gravity defying trailer promising a fun, innovative, and action-packed platformer game for the iPhone. They have since fully delivered on that promise with the release of Soosiz [App Store].

The basic gameplay found in Soosiz is that of a traditional platformer, where you run and jump your way past obstacles and enemies while collecting coins and rescuing your buddies along the way. Some enemies can be dispatched by simply jumping on their heads, while others need to be avoided completely. As is typical in platformers, timing and dodging become important skills in later levels. Rescuing buddies can give you additional powers (jumping higher, running faster) and once you have 100 coins, you can trigger a brief indestructible power-up allowing you to easily plow through enemies. Soosiz is very easily controlled with simple left/right virtual buttons and a jump button. Holding the jump button longer makes you jump higher.

The big twist to the game is its gravity-changing mechanic. When jumping to a platform above you, the entire world spins around and up becomes down. While this all seems like it might just be a novel gimmick, Touch Foo manages to utilize it fully across Soosiz's 7 worlds and 65 levels. The gravity experience is truly an integral part of the game, and not simply a tacked on afterthought. Triggering this gravity manipulation simply requires you to jump onto another platform, and becomes second nature very quickly.

The game was in development for 6 months, and it really shows in Soosiz's excellent level designs. Soosiz manages to constantly introduce new elements and obstacles to keep the game fresh and interesting across its 7 worlds. Each world carries its own themes (space, underwater, snow, etc...) as well as unique elements. Boss battles at the end of each world are also varied throughout.

You are given 3 lives at the beginning of each level, and can replay any level you've already unlocked. For me, the game managed to be stay progressively challenging, interesting, and fun without being frustrating, even though many of the levels took multiple attempts. Fortunately, your running coin count is not lost when you die, allowing you to continue to build up coins for the indestructible power-up if you find yourself struggling with a particular level. Meanwhile, gold, silver and bronze achievements per level, as well as the many secret areas should offer plenty of challenge for overachievers.

Graphically, the game carries a rather simple cartoon style but still retains its own charm. The game's music, however, feels strangely out of place throughout (additional music in this video). There's also an inexplicable use of the Up on the Housetop Christmas carol for the level win screens. While the music certainly isn't a deal breaker, it does reduce some of the game's immersion.

Regardless, the game is incredibly well executed with excellent controls, has a ton of content and is a lot of fun. We highly recommend it.

App Store Link: Soosiz, $1.99 (Intro sale, Ends Monday)

There's a lot going right now over at React Games, and it's not just to do with the iPhone.

The studio that brought a revamp of Free Fall Associates' classic '80s strategy / arcade game Archon [App Store] to the iPhone is about to release a separate single-player spin-off title that should give fans of the game much to enjoy.

Upcoming Archon Conquest features four maps to play, 60 different quests or puzzles to complete, and a storyline that ties it all together.  Fans of the series may note that some of the maps are reminiscent of the layout of Archon II: Adept, but the similarity ends at the visual level.  Still, it's a nice expansion of an already great game.

We've captured some early gameplay from the pre-release, preview build of the game that React was kind enough to send us.  Have a look at the action.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

Archon Conquest will appear in the App Store shortly at a price of $0.99.

React is also putting the finishing touches on the v1.9 update to classic Archon for the iPhone, which should hit the App Store about the same time as Conquest.  This update will bring a complete re-work of the touch control system as well as various AI enhancements.  And the further-out v2.0 update of Archon will add multiplayer to the mix.  Stay tuned.

Both Archon v1.9 and Archon Conquest now feature Plus+ leaderboards and award systems.

Another piece of news for fans of the game is that React is bringing a four-player adaptation of classic Archon to the PC, featuring multiplayer support as well as a choice of classic 8-bit or redesigned artwork. After 25 years, the game returns to the desktop.  Pre-orders for the PC version start on October 15th at React's website.

Back in August we reported that FishLabs would be bringing the highly rated mobile title Rally Master Pro, which Pocket Gamer determined to be the best mobile game of 2008, to the iPhone and iPod touch.

The original mobile title has some of the best 3D graphics ever seen on a typical handset.  The iPhone version, as FishLabs indicates, takes things to a whole new level with 4x the poly count of the original and enhanced particle effects and dynamic lighting.

Depending on the track surface and weather, a variety of dust, spray, and even dirt particles will be generated for each individual tire. The various kinds of particles act quite differently. On dry, dusty tracks the car leaves a massive cloud of dust while racing through a forest on a rainy day you can literrally see the mud flying.
….
Thanks to the high-powered 3D chips (OpenGL graphics acceleration) in the iPhone, we can light the vehicle in a variety of ways, depending on the weather: with lots of light and shadows when it’s sunny, diffuse when the sky is overcast, and correspondingly dim in rain and storm.

The iPhone release will include 27 courses and weather effects for sun, rain, and snow as well as options for tilt or touch (analog or digital) controls.

See our brief gameplay video that shows early play across several different tracks.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

The developers emphasis that what you see above is indeed a pre-release with unfinalized controls, physics, and sound.  As such, I'll refrain from critiquing the gameplay, but I can say that I've had a rather enjoyable time putting the game through its paces.  Some parts of the various courses really take me back to days of spending hours in front of Sega Rally on the Saturn (which, in case you've not personally had the pleasure, is a very good thing).

What I've seen so far puts a rather optimistic light on the likelihood that the iPhone version will indeed go well beyond the mobile title.

FishLabs indicates that Rally Master Pro will hit the App Store sometime this autumn.

In our first Best iPhone Games column for September, we placed Meteor Blitz at the top of the heap with 5/5 stars. And, if for some reason you haven't already gotten the game, here's your chance to do so.

Alley Labs has introduced a 3 level Lite version of the game last night which gives you a sizable taste of this wonderfully executed space shooter. In contrast, the full version of the game includes 30 levels across 6 different worlds as well as an endless survival mode.

There was a lot we liked about the game including near-instant load times, auto-save, real-time high score ranking and great controls.

As a further incentive, Alley Labs is dropping the price of the game from $1.99 to $0.99 for this weekend.

App Store Link: Meteor Blitz, $0.99 (Weekend sale), Meteor Blitz Lite, Free

A few notable applications have dropped to free this weekend, while we find one developer increasing his price in response to the constant downward drop in game pricing.

Free

• Car Jack Streets ($2.99 -> Free) - A top down Grand Theft Auto-alike that was well received back in April. The game has since seen increasing competition with Gameloft's 3D Gangstar as well as the upcoming official Grand Theft Auto from Rockstar. Still, this top-down sandbox game had its fans and is certainly worth a download.
• Peter und Vlad ($1.99 -> Free) - Yet another line-drawing game, but this time your job is to herd your sheep to safety to avoid an out-of-control weather machine. The game is well done, though we didn't find the herding gameplay as compelling as the other line-drawing games.
• Roadkill Cafe ($0.99 -> Free) - Can you successfully dodge traffic while picking up roadkill? A humorous game that has its fans. Pick it up for free this weekend.

$39.99

Meanwhile, Schiau Studios has taken this weekend to raise the price of their game Alchemize from $2.99 to $39.99 in protest of ongoing complaints about game pricing. The $39.99 price makes it the most expensive iPhone game in the App Store.

• Alchemize ($2.99 -> $39.99) - A different kind of matching puzzler that we looked at in September. While the game resembles a Match-3 puzzler, the gameplay actually revolves around a progressive discovery of new elements.

The move has generated a lively discussion in our forums.

We've been lucky enough to be able to get out hands on a preview copy of EA's Command & Conquer Red Alert. While I admit it's been at least ten years since I played the PC version of the game, the look and feel seems to be remarkably intact, but most importantly the controls in the game work surprisingly well.

Red Alert is a prequel to the original Command & Conquer and takes place sometime during the 1950's in a parallel universe following Albert Einstein's creation and activation of a time machine. Einstein erases Hitler's existence, but without Nazi Germany providing resistance and weakening the Soviet Union, Stalin's armies grow increasingly powerful and he is intent on taking over all of Europe and Asia. As a fan of alternate history fiction, the Red Alert universe has always really appealed to me.

The iPhone version of the game is trimmed down from the original, but with so few solid real-time strategy games on the platform, Red Alert still clearly stands out from the competition. The version of the game I've been playing comes with an objective-based campaign for both factions as well as a skirmish mode. But even though the game has been compacted to the small screen, all of the features such as base building and unit micromanagement still are in game.

The screen is framed with all kinds of interface elements, and while seeming slightly cluttered, everything works well enough and I never felt like the controls were getting in the way of what I wanted to do in the game. The battlefield can be zoomed using standard pinching gestures, and to change your field of view you can either swipe your finger around the screen or touch the mini map in the top right corner.

Lining the right side of the screen are all the buttons and menus for building your base as well as training units. Just like the PC version, units can be queued up to train multiples at once. Placing a new building in your base is as simple as tapping it from the "build" menu, at which point a grid appears on top of the terrain and your building can be placed with familiar green and red highlighting indicating valid placement.

Once you've got your army built, you can organize units in to three squads assigned to the three buttons on the left hand side of the screen. To select units, you can either tap them to select individual units, or by tapping a button on the bottom left corner of the screen you can drag a selection box around units on the battlefield. From there, another button on the bottom of the screen allows you to assign your current selection of units to one of the three buttons on the left side of the screen.

While this may all sound slightly convoluted and confusing, the initial campaign missions walk you through all of the controls and once you get used to them you will be commanding your forces almost as effectively as you would be using a keyboard and mouse.

Here is a brief video of me (losing) one of the Soviet missions, and if you're as nostalgic as I am about this game series, the title music alone will bring back memories--

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

Overall, Command & Conquer Red Alert in one of the more impressive iPhone games I've played lately. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any kind of multiplayer included with this release which really would have pushed Red Alert over the line in to the "totally awesome" category. According to EA, the game will be available on by the end of the month.