Neowiz Entertainment's Nimp - Nymph In My Pocket [App Store] seems to lie somewhere in between the Tamagotchi craze in the mid-90's, Cube World toys, and maybe even a little hint of Little Big Planet in the game's art style. While Nimp is more of a virtual pet simulator than a game, the level of detail the developers have put in to it is very impressive for the first release, especially when you look back to how basic games like Pocket God were when they first hit the App Store.

In Nimp you start with one nymph, with a second that you can get via a free in-game purchase with more presumably available in the future either as free or paid DLC with the first being a ninja nymph coming soon. Your nymphs can interact with each other, dance to your iPod music, and do other silly little activities to raise their stats.

If you're not a virtual pet person, Nimp doesn't seem to bring anything to the table that is likely to suck you in, but seems great for what it is. If nothing else, watching the two nymphs dancing to your terrible music maybe worth the price of admission alone.

App Store Link: Nimp - Nymph In My Pocket, $2.99

Meridian's Alive 4-Ever [App Store] is a dual stick shooter that was released late last year which easily stood out from the swarm of similar games with fun gameplay, great graphics, and light RPG elements that allowed you to upgrade your characters and weaponry. We really liked the game in our review and eventually ended up giving it 4.5 stars for the month.

Currently in the beta testing phase, Alive 4-Ever RETURNS seems to take the foundations from the original game, and adds a new graphics engine capable of weather and camera effects, and even more of the RPG elements we liked in Alive 4-Ever. Also included are new weapons, zombies, and game modes as well as local WiFi co-op mode.

There are additional gameplay videos as well as information on how to apply to be a beta tester in the thread on our forums. As mentioned before, we really liked the first Alive 4-Ever at the time and are hoping for great things from the sequel. Meridian has made no mention of level design/architecture in the new version, as that was one aspect of the original we thought there could be improvement in the original.

Way back in December 2008 we took a look at iPhone platformer Bounce On [link], which, upon landing in the App Store, helped fill a rather sparsely populated genre. At the time of its release, iPhone platformers were few and Bounce On was solid and enjoyable (and has been consistently updated all the while). After nearly a year and a half, Team Phobic has just released Bounce On 2: Drallo's Demise [App Store], a sequel that brings a notable overhaul to the original formula and is as solid in today's store as the original was at its debut.

Those familiar with the original game will quickly note certain enhancements in this sequel. Most apparent is the much improved graphical engine which allows for 3D sprites, special lighting effects, and even gravity changes. The backdrop graphics that make up the various levels are more complex and more detailed than those of the original, but do have the feel of an indie (vs. big studio) production -- take that for what it's worth. And the framerate of the onscreen animation stays solid throughout. Owners of more recent devices will enjoy certain 3D models having a higher polygon count and improved lighting effects, as compared to the game played on earlier hardware. And to go along with all the pixels are 21 unique musical tracks that add a bit of bounce to each play session.

This time around, Team Phobic has taken a new approach to level-to-level navigation within the game. Bounce On 2 features three worlds in all: the Floating Ruins, the Orbital Platform, and finally Drallo's Fortress. Access to the various levels across these worlds is gained by way of a "key" system that allows a set number of doors / and levels to deliver multiple missions in each, similar to the approach used in Super Mario 64 / Galaxy. Each mission takes you along a unique path through a given level, so knocking out the mission doesn't feel repetitive as you work your way through the game's more than 100 keys of varying difficulty.

The game is played via tilt (default) or touch controls, both being easy to get used to. Play mechanics involve rolling your bouncy red ball in the desired direction (arrows help guide you to your goal), collecting gems, avoiding (or smashing) enemies with a jump, and collecting power-ups, such as Ninja (double-jump) and Parachute, to help you along the way. The shapes that make up each level -- flat platforms, curved corners, angled slopes, etc. -- force you to stay nimble, lest you plummet into oblivion.

See the developer's gameplay trailer for a look at the action.

Bounce On 2: Drallo's Demise succeeds in delivering highly enjoyable platform gameplay to the iPhone. The original was fun, but the sequel goes well beyond, feeling notably more "fleshed out," with a good deal more eye-candy. While there's certainly room for more quality platformers in the App Store, Bounce On 2 is among the current best.

Those reluctant to make the leap on our word alone can check out the free, lite version that was released a week back [App Store]. Gamers can expect a higher resolution iPad version from Team Phobic down the road.

App Store Link: Bounce On 2, $3.99, Bounce On 2 Lite, Free

Gamevil's Zenonia 2 [App Store] was just released on the American App Store mere moments ago, and already since its initial release in New Zealand the thread on our forums has been going insane.

Zenonia 2 is the sequel to Gamevil's smash hit Zenonia, which still makes appearances in discussions on our forums where people are asking what RPG they should pick up. Zenonia 2 seems to have greatly improved on most aspects of the original game, and even comes with this amazing trailer narrated by a girl dressed as a butterfly:

We're in the process of powering through the game for an in-depth review, but so far, it's safe to say if you liked the original, Zenonia 2 won't disappoint.

App Store Link: Zenonia 2, $4.99

Gamevil is presently an advertiser on this site, but that does not influence our coverage or reviews. See our ad policies for details.

PAX East officially came to a close this evening, following three solid days of gaming insanity. The Penny Arcade Expo originally started as a small gaming convention on the west coast in 2004 has grown in to an unstoppable juggernaut that is by far the convention to go to if you're a gamer. The entire event actually has a fairly interesting history behind it, especially considering its meager beginnings with only a few thousand attendees. But, like most things Penny Arcade touches, (such as the Child's Play charity) it's not entirely surprising what a runaway success the event has become.

PAX East is a spinoff of the main west coast PAX (affectionally referred to as "PAX Prime") and as such, was a much more intimate event. This didn't stop anyone from having a great time, whether you're in to pen and paper RPG's, card games, board games, handhelds, or console and PC gaming, PAX East had something to offer. If you're an iPhone developer, there are much better events to go to such as GDC or WWDC, but if you're a gamer of any kind, you really owe it to yourself to at least give some serious consideration to attending the nearest PAX.

Attending the event with a media badge is a little awkward, since as someone who loves every subcategory of gaming, there's nothing I would have liked more than to spend the whole weekend playing Magic: The Gathering, D&D, and every pick up game of Settlers of Catan I can get my hands on... But, in the age old TouchArcade tradition of taking one for the team, I did everything I could to meet up with everyone who contacted me including fan favorites like Venan Entertainment as well as fans of the site who just wanted to talk iPhone and forum drama.

We're going to have more followup posts in the upcoming week as everyone gets back home and starts sending us assets for things from PAX, but in the time being, here are some things to look forward to:

Space Miner is getting a substantial update. We absolutely loved the game in our review, forum members are crazy about it, and it's one of the few iPhone video games I've played in a very long time that I enjoyed so much I immediately restarted on the next higher difficulty upon completing the game.

If you're like me, and have almost extracted everything possible out of Space Miner, you'll be happy to know that they're expanding the end-game to include more licenses, weapons to buy, new alien tech to find, and new Plus+ awards to earn. They're calling this a "HD update", as in addition to the gameplay tweaks, they've also implemented new shaders and other graphical effects to make the game look even better.

But wait, there's more. If the included difficulty modes weren't enough for you, they're also implementing a HardcORE perma-death mode. While there's no doubt that perma-death gameplay modes aren't for everyone, I really like the thrill that comes from the potential of losing everything from dying, and judging by the popularity of iPhone rogulikes, I doubt I'm alone on that.

But wait, there's even more. (I realize I'm starting to sound at Billy Mays at this point.) Space Miner Blast is in the works, a spinoff game that they hope to be done in a month or so. Venan is taking the basic framework of Space Miner, and turning it in to an arcade style action game where you fight an onslaught of robots and asteroids and get upgrades on the fly. Details are scarce right now, but I can't help but give a massive thumbs up to turning Space Miner in to a pick up and play action game.

Best of all, Space Miner 2 also apparently is currently on the whiteboard at Venan. Right now we know even less about the sequel than Space Miner Blast, but I've been assured it will be even more awesome in every way imaginable. Finally, Venan is looking forward to the iPad, but really want to get physical devices to test on before committing to anything.

Overall, PAX East was amazing, and as I mentioned earlier, you've really got to figure out a way to go to one regardless of what kind of gamer you are. If you have the choice, I'd attend the main PAX Prime, but if traveling across the country is an issue, PAX East is just as good. Stay tuned to TouchArcade, as we will have more details on the games I've mentioned in the PAX posts as soon as we get them.

iPhone developer Paul Carter has recently released a game into the App Store that will surely grab the attention of iPhone-toting fans of cave-flyers and gravity games. GravSpace [link] is basically an iPhone take on the classic cave-flyer, Thrust, that keeps fairly close to the original while adding a few modern treatments.

GravSpace puts you in the pilot's seat of a GravShip in a last bid for victory in the war against the evil Zyritons. Your craft has been designed specifically to capture the Zyriton energy pods that have been hidden deep within various planets across the galaxy. These pods, heavily protected by automated defense systems, must be captured and skillfully returned to space, towed through the planets' treacherous system of underground caves and tunnels. As if that wasn't rough enough, your ship has a finite fuel supply and stopping to beam up fuel from scattered fuel storage tanks is an unfortunate necessity.

The game utilizes a combination of accelerometer- and touch-based controls to guide your GravShip through the subterranean mazes. Steering is carried out by a tilt to the left or right while thrust, shields, lasers, and your proximity blast are handled via onscreen buttons. Sensitivity and orientation of the tilt controls can be adjusted.

As mentioned earlier, GravSpace strives to reproduce the Thrust experience, but with certain modern flourishes such as galactic bitmap backdrops, scrolling starfields, and particle effects across 14 missions. (The game also features 14 additional graphically sparse, bonus "retro" missions.) But, still, it's on the basic side as compared to more elaborate takes on the formula, such as Big Head Games' Retro [App Store]. And that's not said as a bad thing; perhaps my favorite Thrust experience is the indie remake for the Vectrex -- and that's pretty basic.

The initial release version in the App Store right now, v1.1, exhibits the occasional graphics glitch here and there on my iPhone 3GS test device. They're not show-stoppers, but they do need to be addressed by the developer, and we've no reason to believe they won't.

See the developers video:

I've spent significant time with this title over the past week and, as a particular fan of the genre, find it rather hard to put down. I think it's a no-brainer purchase for anyone with tastes similar to my own, and it's a nice opportunity for those unfamiliar with Thrust and friends, but who are interested in seeing what the cave-flyer excitement all about.

App Store Link: GravSpace, $0.99

PAX East started this afternoon, and after crowd surfing my way inside the convention center, I met a bunch of cool people and saw a few neat iPhone games. The craziest thing about PAX, compared to the conventions we usually go to, is that this is a convention for gamers by gamers. GDC, WWDC, and the other events we go to are all a great time, but unless you're a developer, there's not much reason to go. Anyone who likes games of any kind will feel at home at PAX.

So because this isn't specifically a "show off your iPhone game" event, my meetings today were mostly brief, and resulted in making some great contacts and waiting for everyone to get back to their hotels (or back home in some cases) to send over some preview versions, screenshots, or gameplay video.

Two games to look forward to finding more about are DrNanoX and Galactic Keep: Dice Battles. Mission Critical Studios' DrNanoX is a third person shooter with some puzzle elements set inside of the human body. The setting of the game reminded me a lot of the 1987 sci-fi comedy "Innerspace", as the game focuses on being shrunk down and solving medical problems from the inside of the body. Levels range from wandering around arteries to saving a patient's brain.

The developers are putting the final touches on a new gameplay trailer, which I'll post as part of a PAX East followup. The game is still in development, but it sounds like they're on the home stretch and it should be available on the App Store soon.

If you're a regular reader of the TouchArcade forums, you will likely already be aware of Galactic Keep: Dice Battles. We've mention the game numerous times on the front page, and there's a massive thread in our forums with the developers keeping everyone updated on the game's status. I saw Galactic Keep in motion today, and while the screenshots of the game look cool themselves, it's even better in motion.

We should have more details on Galactic Keep: Dice Battles early next week, and maybe even a gameplay trailer or actual hands-on footage. From what I saw today, the game is turning out to be even more than I was hoping for, and likely will be a required purchase for anyone interested in old school dice-powered RPG's.

Finally, I met with Namazu Studios and they showed me their recently launched iDuel Online [Free]. The game seemed similar to games like Epic Pet Wars, My Brute and other online battle games that have become so popular, but iDuel Online seems to have much more interactivity to it as you battle against players in real time. The game even was able to work via the absolutely abysmal 3G connection I had at the convention center.

There's all kinds of character customization, online leaderboards, items to equip your dude with, and everything else you'd expect out of a game like this. iDuel Online is free to play, and is supported by in-game advertisements and entirely optional micropayments to buy in-game items for a slight edge over your opponents-- Although the developers assured me players who don't buy these premium items will still remain competitive with those who do.

It was nice meeting everyone today, and I'm really looking forward to the next two days of PAX. I still have room in my meeting schedule, so if you're in the Boston area (either for PAX or not) and want to show off your iPhone game, don't hesitate to contact us. Send an email to tips@toucharcade.com or shoot me an IM on AIM if you want to meet up.

One of our favorite games from 2009, Jet Car Stunts, has finally gotten a Lite verison. So if you haven't tried it yet, you should. We gave Jet Car Stunts a 5 star rating when we reviewed it back in November and included it in our Best of 2009 gaming list. Here's what we wrote in our year end roundup:

A remarkably fun jet car racer/platformer that had us coming back again and again due to its great controls, fresh visual style and mind boggling levels. The only real complaint we've seen voiced has been the relative difficulty of the game, but, honestly, that's what made it so addicting.

The Lite version of the game comes with entirely new content as well as online leaderboards. So veterans of the game will want to give it a spin as well.

• 5 brand new platforming levels.
• 3 brand new time trial levels.
• Global leaderboards, replays and challenges using OpenFeint.

Here's a video of the Lite in action:

The developers have also been running a Jet Car Stunts contest which ends this weekend. So, get practicing.

App Store Link: Jet Car Stunts Lite, Free, Jet Car Stunts, $1.99

Earlier today, multiple reports have revealed the early iPad App Store offerings currently sitting on Apple's servers. The iPad App Store appears live and ready for use for anyone with a device. Of course, this makes sense given the fact that Apple has likely delivered early units to reviewers ahead of the April 3rd launch.

From our perspective, we are most interested in the new iPad games that the leaks reveal. Several have already been pre-announced or previously spotted, but some of the recognizable games include:

• Flight Control HD - $4.99
• Labyrinth 2 HD - $7.99
• Real Racing HD - $9.99
• Bugdom 2 - $9.99
• Cro-Mag Rally - $9.99
• Otto Matic for iPad - $9.99
• Enigmo Deluxe - $9.99
• Igloo Games Arcade - $6.99
• Sparkle HD - $2.99

Pricing for these recognizable games are, of course, higher than their iPhone counterparts, but are likely to represent improved graphics and even added gameplay elements in many cases. $9.99 still appears to be the ceiling price for gaming even on Apple's new device.

Firemint was able to officially confirm Real Racing HD:

I still can't say much about this, but you may have seen some posts about this so I thought I'd drop in and give the official word: yes, we are working on Real Racing HD for iPad, and yes, it will be awesome

[via AppAnnie, MacRumors]

Megan Fox, if you are reading this, you should give this one a try. And it's not because I think Megan Fox is a hottie (perse), it's just that she was a huge fan of the previous iPhone game that came from this designer -- Sally's Spa. Dan Kratt and Craig Rushforth previously worked at GamesCafe where they designed and produced Sally's Salon and Sally's Spa before breaking out on their own with BlueUnit Studios.

Hottie Hookups is the first product from that studio and is worth a look if you like time management or chaos management games. While the game is very well executed and delivers a lot of character, I was never sure I was personally sold on the gameplay. However, a free version was recently released so you can give it a spin.

App Store Links: Hottie Hookups, $0.99, Hottie Hookups Lite, Free

After a brief technical delay, Freeverse has released the free ad-supported version of their new Flick Bowling 2 [App Store].

From our preview:

Flick Bowling 2 is controlled using simple touch gestures, and once you get the hang of it, flicking your finger across the screen to bowl works really well. Unlike the original where you applied spin to the ball by swiping across the screen, your entire shot is done in one flicking gesture. To throw the ball straight you flick straight up, to curve it in a particular direction, you simply curve your finger flick. It works surprisingly well.

Freeverse is offering a paid ($2.99) version as well as a full featured ad-supported free version so you can try it out without spending anything.

App Store Link: Flick Bowling 2, Free, Flick Bowling 2, $2.99

Update: The free version has been pulled.

As much as we make fun of the large number of Match 3 games there are on the iPhone, there's still a certain mesmerizing appeal to the whole genre.

Charmed is a high quality Match 3 variant that first appeared in the App Store last September, but probably hasn't gotten the attention it deserved. The developers have made the game Free for today only, so here's your chance to try it out.

Like all Match 3s, you swap tiles to match up 3 items in a row or column. Charmed adds a few special tiles as well as a tilt-affecting gravity to mix up gameplay. Give it a try.

App Store Link: Charmed, Free

Given that we're a week away from iPad launch, you're going to have to bear with us with the onslaught of iPad-related gaming news. Movile Inc just announced their BoardBox for iPad which is described as a realistic looking board game set for the iPad. If you've ever lost a board game piece, this one's for you.

click for full size images

BoardBox supports over a dozen different board game variants including 5 types of Chess, 2 types of Go, Checkers, Reversi, Tic Tac Toe, Go, International Draughts, Xiangqi, and Westerized Xiangqi, Now, at this stage BoardBox does not contain any single player AI, so you'll actually have to have someone to play with -- but it's a start, and fulfills one oft-mentioned promise of iPad gaming.

BoardBox will sell for $3.99 on iPad launch day.

The Creeps has always had some of the most character of all the Tower Defense games on the iPhone. Today, The Creeps has gone free to download -- so now's your chance if you missed this one the first time around.

The Creeps! is a fun and charming Tower Defense game that has been a reader favorite. The game incorporates a few twists to the Tower Defense genre, including the presence of physical objects (trees, gravestones) that must be destroyed before you can build towers on those spots.

Check out the gameplay video:

App Store Link: The Creeps, Free

It appears that several iPad specific version of games have already been approved by Apple and are inadvertently appearing in Apple's iTunes Web Interface. PadGadget dug around found several "HD" apps that are likely iPad versions of popular games:

Ammoin HD
Azkend HD
Flight Control HD
Grind HD
Labyrinth 2 HD
NBA Hotshot HD
Numba HD
Plants vs. Zombies HD
Sparkle HD
Worms HD

Several of these games have already been pre-announced, but notably, iPad versions of Plants vs. Zombies and Worms had not been known to be launch titles.

The iPad launches on April 3rd, 2010.