Earlier this week, various iPhone developers all made their way to the 360iDev conference held in Denver, CO to mingle with other developers, as well as participate in educational sessions that covered things like development tips, the business of the iPhone, graphics/sound design, and many other topics. As these developers returned home, many of them posted their thoughts on the conference on their blogs.

I've read a lot of great posts, but David of Critical Thought Games (The makers of geoDefense [$1.99] and geoDefense Swarm [99¢]) summed things up nicely on his blog, not only about 360iDev, but also about the wonderful indie-friendly gaming economy Apple has created:

What made 360IDev so great was the people. And I'm not just talking about the friends I made there... though that was especially precious. But I'm talking about everyone as a whole. Because what I saw at 360IDev is something I haven't seen in about 15 or 20 years. It's a bit hard to describe... but what I liken it too is the early days of the Game Developers Conference. Back when it was small, and the people were all there with a singleness of purpose and the people who put it on were as gracious and helpful as they could be.

To be blunt, the conference was not dominated by stuffed suits, not dominated by nonsense, not dominated by people hawking stuff... there wasn't even a single prima donna in sight! People were there to learn from each other, help each other, and band together to achieve their ambitions. The sense of community, which I feel the whole game industry lost so long ago, was a constant at this conference. It was, I realized by the second day, home.

One of the most interesting things that took place at 360iDev was the iPhone Game Jam, an all-night coding bonanza that went from 6 PM on 9/29 to the start of the first session the following morning. Anyone interested in making a game is welcome, regardless of experience level, as long as you can produce something playable.

Now, keep in mind, ten hours is hardly enough time to get a functional prototype working, so many of these games are very rough around the edges. Regardless, it's very cool to see what everyone come up with and was able to get together under such heavy time restraints. We were sent a sneak peek of a few of these projects from the Game Jam.

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I got a first look at Semi Secret Software's Canabalt [App Store] back at GDC Austin, received a preview build a few days later, and since then the game has soaked up an extraordinary amount of my free time.

Canabalt has the same appeal to it as other extremely simple games for the iPhone like Doodle Jump [99¢] or the various NimbleBit games such as Scoops [$1.99]. The premise is simple-- You play as a guy who is running across roof tops attempting to escape from some kind of alien invasion that is constantly taking place in the background scenery.

Along the way you will need to hop over boxes, break through windows, jump from crumbling buildings, and avoid other obstacles. The only control you have in the game is over your character's jumping. Tapping anywhere on screen jumps, and the longer you press the screen the higher you jump. What sounds like a very simple game quickly turns in to a fast paced reaction game that will have you trying over and over again to make it just a little farther.

Canabalt for the iPhone is a port of the extremely popular flash game of the same name. Absolutely everything has been preserved in the transition, and Canabalt is a perfect for a mobile gaming device. It loads quickly, and the games (unless you're really good) rarely last any more than a couple minutes. Canabalt badly needs an online leaderboard system, which according to the developer is coming in the first update.

There is no lite available, but Canabalt (in its complete form) is playable online for free at Canabalt.com, and we've also embedded the full game here.

Click below to play the full flash game. Click your mouse button to jump.

I highly encourage you to give it a try, I've probably sunk more combined hours in to Doodle Jump than any other game on my iPhone, and Canabalt has the exact same appeal. The pixel art graphics are great, the soundtrack is phenomenal, and short of the lack of an online leaderboard it's hard to find anything not to like about the game.

App Store Link: Canabalt, $2.99

EA's much anticipated FIFA 10 has been slowly being released internationally throughout the day. The U.S. release should happen in the next few hours, but the game is already available in Europe and Australia. Forum user Feltzam posted a detailed impressions post breaking down various aspects of the game:

Overall I'm quite happy with this game so far. The controls take a while to get comfortable with, but the game isn't too easy or too hard, and ... there's multiple difficulty settings so you can find the perfect setting for you. I'm impressed with the level of content that EA put into the game. A lot of what's in the console versions is in this version.

A full list of the Leagues/Teams available in FIFA 10 for the iPhone is compiled in this list. More impressions were also provided by Nizy.

Our gameplay video shows the basics of gameplay:

We'll provide a more in-depth look at the game after we have had more time with it. In the meanwhile, further discussion is being collected in this thread. We will also update this post with the link to the U.S. version when it's released tonight.

App Store Links: FIFA 10 (U.S.), $9.99, FIFA 10 (International Only)

Update: US Version released (iTunes link)

We first played Eliminate back at WWDC, and while there wasn't much to the game at that time, it was clear there was potential for something remarkable. This week we played what was one of the final builds of the game before its submission to Apple, and after my limited time with the game it's extremely difficult to find anything negative at all to say about the entire experience.

First off, in case you've managed to miss out on previous Eliminate (also previously known as LiveFire and KillTest) coverage, here's the basic premise of the game-- You are an employee of Arsenal Megacorp, a weapons manufacturer whose secret to success is that all their weaponry is tested on live humans.

As an employee in the company you compete in four player deathmatches with other employees either via 3G or WiFi. The premise of the game is extremely clever, and I really recommend reading the memos and watching the videos on the Eliminate web site.

The controls work very similar to other first person shooters on the platform, with two virtual joysticks (though you can "touch anywhere") that handle your movement and aiming. Firing your weapon can either be done by tapping your left thumb on the screen, or enabling auto-fire in the game's options. With that turned on, any time there is an enemy in your crosshairs you will automatically fire. Flicking the left side of the screen causes your view to quickly spin around, allowing you to quickly and easily target things all around you.

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This week we got our hands on ngmoco's TouchPets Dogs, a title I admittedly didn't have much interest in throughout most of its development. I fully admit that I felt that I was completely outside of the demographic that virtual pet games appeal to and I think a good part of our readership likely feels the same way. However, the latest build of the game, combined with the full realization of the cool things that are going to come out of the remarkably full featured social network they have built in to the game has transformed TouchPets Dogs in to a completely different animal.

The core gameplay has remained largely unchanged since our first looks at the game earlier. The way your dog interacts with objects along with the various animations associated with each interaction seem very refined, and at times border the edge of the canine uncanny valley, if such a thing exists. The touch gestures to interact with your virtual dogs feel very natural and the way they romp around playing with the various toys and objects can be somewhat eerie at times with how much the in-game dogs act like puppies would in real life.

Since we last saw the game, one of the big additions is the resource management aspect. Your dog obviously needs to eat, and buying food requires spending puppy bucks. Puppy bucks are earned by keeping your dog happy by petting it, teaching it tricks, and fulfilling its other needs. Puppy bucks also can be used to buy new clothes for your dog along with accessories required for the various dog career paths previously discussed in the other previews.

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Glu Mobile's latest release Super K.O. Boxing 2 is a terrific new game that is as intense as it is fun. With its vibrantly colored cartoon animations, Super K.O. Boxing 2 delivers the heavy hitting gameplay that many have been waiting for.

The objective is to win the title belt, but don’t let the cartoon visuals fool you. This is both an exercise in entertainment and futility as you take on 12 unique and eccentric boxers on your climb up the heavyweight ladder. As the K.O. Kid, you’ll need to conquer and win your way through each of the 3 circuits. Win every bout in a circuit to earn a belt and unlock the next circuit to take on a new cast of characters.

Super K.O. Boxing 2 has 3 modes play: Circuit is the story mode where you face the most fearsome and crazy boxers on your way to the world title. Versus mode consists of fights with previously defeated boxers. Finally, Challenge mode unlocks after winning your first circuit and presents specific objectives for winning a bout. Circuit mode is where you will spend most of your time, and you’ll need to show progress here before the other modes are unlocked. Each fight lasts 3 rounds each 3 minutes in length. Aside from the funny physical appearance of the boxers, each has unique attributes and powers that make them formidable opponents.

For example, 15 Cent is a bling-wearing, high strung boxer who can disorient you with his smile, while Chief will counterpunch you relentlessly every time you take a swing. I can’t overstate the humor in Super K.O. Boxing 2. From the strange poses and dances of opponents to the funny text dialogue exchanged between opponents in between rounds, Glu Mobile has done a solid job.

Super K.O. Boxing 2 also seems to get the controls right with two basic control options — Touch Pad and Touch Regions. Unfortunately, in-game documentation is practically non-existant so it may require some trial, error and frustration to get comfortable. Using the touch pad, throwing punches consists of tapping dual buttons to throw left/right punches. Meanwhile, touch regions allows you to tap specific parts on your opponent to throw the corresponding punch. One small hitch with touch regions is that your finger will block part of the screen which can hinder the ability to block and dodge punches in some cases.

The different types of punches that can be thrown are nicely incorporated so it becomes second nature for the player. Body shots, upper cuts and combinations are all possible in this game and require timing and practice. Most notably, hooks can be thrown through a combination of dodging and swinging at an opponent’s head.

In addition, you have other weapons at your fingertips. Part of your task will be avoiding and dodging punches. The more you’re able to dodge punches and land your own will charge up your Super Punch Energy. This is tracked in the bottom right corner, and once fully charged, you can throw a Mega Punch that will floor your opponent if landed properly. Of course, you don’t need to wait until it’s full charged to use it… it just won’t be as strong. Both you and your opponent have the ability to taunt each other, and this will also build up Super Punch Energy. Of course, you’re more vulnerable in the middle of a taunt.

The gameplay is fast paced and intense, and the AI is well balanced. Both K.O. Kid and the opponent have health gauges that recharge slightly after a knockdown. The initial fights with Big Gip and 15 Cent are relatively easy, but they ratchet up significantly as opposing boxers become adept at dodging, blocking and more importantly, going on the offensive. Challenge mode is even more difficult since you’ll be limited in what you can do within a short period of time. For example, one challenge involves knocking out an opponent in one round without using Dizzying Combos and avoids being hit even once to win. The game can also be frustrating because often after you’ve knocked down an opponent, they get up with a fully charged health gauge. This is where you will either persevere or get pummeled.

All in all, Super K.O. Boxing 2 combines great cartoon visuals with some intense gameplay. I would say that the attitude and personality the devs infused into the game shine though. This is one of those games that delivers the thrill of victory with the agony of defeat all in one well-designed package.

App Store Link: Super KO Boxing 2, $4.99