There's been a host of high profile vertical shooters released on the App Store, from the hardcore Espgaluda II [$8.99 / Free] to the whimsical Doodle Flight [99¢, but one game that's quietly flown under the radar is Gamelab's Roswell Fighter [99¢ / Free / $1.99 (HD)]. Released last October, it offered solid shooting action, exceptional graphics, and a charming theme thick with 1950's UFO paranoia that managed to win over a modest group of fans despite not getting much exposure. With a recent update adding two brand new levels and a native iPad version released last week, now is a great time to give Roswell Fighter a look.

The action in Roswell Fighter is above average, although nothing groundbreaking. Using either touch or tilt controls, you'll pilot your plane across 11 different levels, doing your best to blast down an onslaught of aliens who are invading Earth. Your main cannon can be upgraded multiple times, and a few special weapons can be collected throughout the game to further enhance your offense. One such weapon uses collected orange stars dropped by defeated enemies to fill a gauge that unleashes a devastating laser. Another brings two wingmen to your aid for a short time, increasing your firepower to nearly the whole width of the screen. And of course, there's a screen clearing bomb you can collect and use. It's pretty standard stuff, but enjoyable nonetheless.

The developer does throw in some elements to break up the more traditional gameplay, with mixed results. At times, a short “quick time event” will pop up and task you with appropriately pressing a series of buttons in order to continue on. It's a nice idea, but ultimately feels too simplistic to really add much to the gameplay besides a brief break in the shooting. Other times you'll be avoiding environmental hazards, such as giant saws and gears, or a maze-like path of mines. These sequences actually test your ability to fly precisely, and feel a bit more successful than the QTE portions. At the very least it's nice to see a developer trying some new ideas while treading such familiar territory.

While the gameplay itself is certainly engaging enough, it's the look and style that really sets Roswell Fighter apart from other shooters. The backgrounds are beautifully detailed, and look especially crisp on the iPad. The enemies are all rendered in 3D, and despite some slightly jagged edges, have a nice colorful look and good variation in design and attacks. There's a few boss fights throughout the game that feature huge enemies with multiple hit points that must be destroyed. The bosses tend to be rather easy, but are pretty impressive to look at.

The first 6 levels take place on a war torn Earth, but midway through level 7 your craft comes upon a mysterious hangar in Area 51. After flying through the hangar, and a short QTE, your plane emerges as an alien infused fighter jet. The Earth is then promptly blasted into two by the aliens, and you take your fight into orbit. The rest of the game has you battling through space, adding new enemies and attack patterns, with the final level taking place on the alien's home planet.

It's these changes in scenery and gameplay that make Roswell Fighter fun to play. The space portions have a high level of action, and the final level in particular is both challenging and graphically breathtaking. The first portion of the game on Earth is fun as well, but maybe lasts a bit longer than it should. If anything, these last levels serve as a reward for those who play through the whole game, and I would love to see some more levels based on the alien's home planet in future updates or a sequel.

When played on the iPad, Roswell Fighter really shines. The game is fun on the iPhone, but like any game that is controlled with your finger, a sizable portion of the screen can be obstructed at times. This issue is completely eliminated on the large screen of the iPad, as even with your finger all over the screen, it never seems like you're covering much of the action. The HD version only has a $1 premium over the iPhone version, and is recommended if you own an iPad.

Overall, Roswell Fighter does everything extremely well and is one of the better shooters available. It really is a beautiful game, and we were surprised at how fun the game was to play on the iPad. If you stick through the slightly sluggish first half of the game you'll be treated to a highly satisfying second half. My strongest point of contention is with the game's music, which sounds era-appropriate but doesn't fit in well with the onscreen action at all. Luckily, this can be disabled in the options. Besides that there's really not much to dislike about Roswell Fighter, and at 99¢ and $1.99 for the iPhone and iPad versions respectively (as well as a lite version), it's a real bargain for such quality content.

TouchArcade Rating:

Marking a significant improvement over the recent Justin Bieber Revenge [$4.99] comes tonight's release from Tapulous, Nirvana Revenge [$4.99]. Following the same formula as the rest of the Revenge games, Nirvana Revenge comes with thirteen Nirvana song from several different albums (and live performances) to tap along with for less than you could buy the same songs from iTunes for.

The track list should make any 90's alternative fan happy:

• "All Apologies" (In Utero, 1993)
• "Breed" (Nevermind, 1991)
• "Breed" (Live at Reading, 2009)
• "Come As You Are" (Nevermind, 1991)
• "Heart Shaped Box" (In Utero, 1993)
• "In Bloom" (Nevermind, 1991)
• "Lithium" (Nevermind, 1991)
• "Lithium" (Live at Reading, 2009)
• "Rape Me" (In Utero, 1993)
• "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Nevermind, 1991)
• "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Live at Reading, 2009)
• "Stay Away" (Nevermind, 1991)
• "You Know You're Right" (Nirvana, 2002)

If this is the first you've heard of Tapulous's rhythm games, they're the finger tapping equivalent of Dance Dance Revolution. There are free versions you can try to see how the game works before diving in to any of the paid licensed games. For the iPhone you can either download Tap Tap Revenge 3 Boost [Free] or if you have an iPad, grab Tap Tap Radiation [Free]

That's right, Konami has announced that they will be bringing Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 to the iPhone and iPod Touch.

They also go on to say that the game will not be a port from any other existing version, "we wanted the iPhone/iPod touch game to be its own special one". Their goal is to target the quality of the PSP version:

Firstly because we thought graphics on the PSP looked fabulous, secondly because of the iPhone's processing speed and display capacities being potentially comparable to those of a "small" PSP.

It seems as though soccer games are becoming more and more plentiful on the App Store with EA, Gameloft, X2 Games, and now Konami all competing for the best one. Resulting in the quality of these games to really raise the bar on iPhone gaming, and only benefiting the end users for the best possible soccer experience available for their iPhones and iPod Touches.

The iPad version of Flight Control introduced a mechanic that allows users to safely fast-forward the game, essentially snuffing the "every plane has a destination" slow-going doldrums. A new update to the iPhone / iPod Touch version appears as if it'll do the same.

According to a recent post on developer Firemint's blog, the creator has pushed out a new update to the handheld version of Flight Control that adds the fast-forward mechanic introduced in the iPad version of the game, as well as a new map, more "vibrant" visuals, and enhanced sound options.

Firemint describes the new airfield as a "winter wonderland," but it could easily be dubbed a nightmare. Runways will close and open due to manic bursts of wind, ensuring a frantic play experience.

Users can also give themselves a hard time on even the base map by over-utilizing the two-speed fast-forward mechanic, which can be activated by the press of a button. The first tier gently speeds up the game but will automatically slow down if planes get too close to each other. The latter option ignores warnings and stays fast regardless.

While it's true that the colors are more saturated, the visual update isn't an overhaul. Its utilitarian purpose is to make flight paths more pronounced, which it certainly does.

Firemint's post also makes mention of a performance update alongside all these goodies. Without a side-by-side comparison, we'll just have to take the developer's word on that one. Or better yet,  your word. The update is just as free as you are to comment on this post.

App Store Link: Flight Control, .99

Our upcoming games forum is a hive of activity lately with tons of cool looking iPhone games all in different stages of development. If you like the looks of any of these games, don't hesitate to stop by the developer's thread and post some words of support or any suggestions you may have.

Monorace - Craneballs Studios

Following Blimp [$1.99 / Free], 33rd Division [99¢], and more recently, Superfall [$1.99 / Free], Craneballs Studios is working on a side-scrolling racing game called Monorace. Packed with OpenFeint leaderboards, players will be able to race with one of 3 included characters across 50 different levels then submit their times online and challenge friends to races against their ghost. Of course, with any OpenFeint game, Monorace comes loaded with a whole set of achievements, if farming OpenFeint gamer points is your cup of tea.

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Plunderland - Johnny Two Shoes

Judging from the thread, Plunderland still seems early in development but this trailer has definitely piqued my interest. In the game you play as a ghost captain of a pirate ship which can be tweaked out with all kinds of upgrades, at which point you sale across a side-scrolling sea battling other ships, blimps, and something that looks like some kind of dragon-like sea monster in the trailer.

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Phoenix Spirit - Spearhead Entertainment

In Phoenix Spirit, players explore a forest in attempt to discover the source of the Mother Tree's illness. Along the way you will unlock new powers which will allow you to reach new sections of old areas you've already been to. The developers have made comparisons to both Metroid and Castlevania when describing the game... Which really is all I needed to hear.

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Air Hockey Arcade - Arroyo Games

There are a ton of air hockey games on the App Store, but none as full featured as Air Hockey Arcade seems to be shaping up to be. Aside from taking place in full 3D, the game will have multiple game modes and other gameplay elements such as needing to avoid bottles being thrown from the audience or even quick time event fights with other hockey players. On top of that, there are power ups, customizable players, and even OpenFeint integration. Air Hockey Arcade looks really cool.

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Pinch - Coatsink Software

In Pinch, players solve puzzles involving these differently colored orbs called "norbs." Pinching them can either group the norbs together in to larger blobs, or separate them in to smaller ones. There's also a color mixing mechanic where norbs of different colors can be combined to pass certain obstacles.

Nearly one full year ago, the original PewPew was released onto the App Store during the height of dual-stick space shooter popularity. Despite the massive influx of similar games around this time, PewPew managed to gain some notoriety for its retro-inspired vector graphics, responsive controls, frantic game modes, and the reasonable price tag of free. Many players even commented on feeling slightly guilty for having scored such a quality game for nothing at all. Luckily for them, and for the rest of us, the chance to show monetary gratitude is at hand as PewPew 2 is now available for $1.99. It expands upon everything that made the original so successful and adds a challenging single player campaign, enhanced graphical effects, and a couple of other neat surprises.

The biggest new addition is the Campaign Mode, made up of ten separate levels. Each of these levels are incredibly unique from one another, and some pose a devastating difficulty. (Note, the difficulty has been a point of discussion in our forums). Every gameplay element that was present in the first game is utilized in some way throughout the campaign, as well as many clever new ideas. As just one example, the level Spring Theory tethers your ship to a point in the middle of a room and tasks you with trying to avoid ever-increasing enemies within the limited mobility, and once you've survived the onslaught for 50 seconds, shooting every last one of them. More so than any other game, PewPew 2 tests your ability to dodge enemies just as heavily as it does your ability to blast them, and the campaign is a satisfying and varied experience that exemplifies that.

If you get stuck at a particularly hard spot in the campaign, you can always take a break and jump over to Infinity Mode which houses all the modes that were present in the original game (MegaGore, Dodge This, Assault, and Chromatic Conflict) in addition to two brand new ones. The first is called Highway and has you racing around a circular track dodging and shooting enemies while trying to collect orbs as quickly as possible. The other new mode is Amalgam, and is somewhat like Assault but with the added element of many enemies. Both new modes are a lot of fun and fit in well with the rest of the game. Amalgam and Chromatic Conflict are locked initially, and can be accessed by completing the Campaign Mode at 50% and 100% intervals respectively. Gold, Silver and Bronze medals can be earned in every mode and used to unlock five additional ship styles. Also, every mode has a local and online leaderboard, with the full replay of each player's entry being easily viewable.

There's already a lot of great content in PewPew 2, and there's even more on the way. The developer is working on another campaign that will be at least as long as the first and two additional game types for Infinity Mode. This, along with universal iPad support, will be coming soon via free updates. There's also a desktop version in production for Windows/OS X that will give players the ability to create their own levels, which could conceivably be added into the iPhone version at the developers discretion. It will be interesting to see how this exciting project and the future of the iPhone version turn out.

The current version of PewPew 2 is one of the best dual-stick shooters available, and is well deserving of its modest price tag.  The original PewPew is free, and will eventually be updated as a proper lite version for the sequel, so if you want to get a taste of the gameplay give the first game a try.

TouchArcade Rating:

After being in review for over two weeks, Dizzypad HD [Free] is now available for your iPad. We gave the iPhone version of Dizzypad [$1.99] 4 stars back when it was released, and are enjoying the all new experiences the 'HD' version brings already. Even if you already own the iPhone version, you are going to want to still pick up the iPad version, especially since it is free.

In Dizzypad HD, the goal is to get your frog as far as you can by jumping on spinning lily pads. You tap the screen once your frog is facing the correct direction to reach the next lily pad, if you miss, you lose a life. There are also bonuses to gain extra lives by skipping a lily pad and jumping for the next furthest one, or jumping into a dragonfly and eating it. And that is just classic mode.

In addition to the free classic mode, there are 3 brand new modes to purchase via DLC at $1.99 each that are all new experiences in their own:

Sliders: A fun twist on the classic mode. Test your timing with pads that slide back and forth instead of rotating in place!
Memory: Be a froggy matchmaker and test your memory by picking frog pairs. Guaranteed to sharpen your wits!
Battle: Duke it out on the pond with a friend in this 2 player mode! Try your best to gobble each other up until your frog grows the largest.

I've had the most fun playing the two player mode 'Battle'. Where you play against a friend, jumping around the map on lily pads trying to eat your opponent, and first player to get to 3 wins. There can be some intense competition with this mode that you should try out if your looking for an iPad game with local multiplayer on the same screen.

The Plus+ Online service is also included so you can unlock awards, and compete on the online leaderboards in Classic, Sliders, and Memory modes against everyone. With each award you unlock by completing different tasks in the game, you also are given a new frog skin to choose from to play with. You have a total of 30 skins in all to use in the game after you finish the specific achievements.

Dizzypad HD offers a great new experience over the iPhone version that you should definitely check out and see for yourself. Here is a video of the iPad version:

App Store Link: Dizzypad HD, Free

Gamevil, creators of the Zenonia and Baseball Superstars series are bringing another RPG of sorts to the App Store. Much like the Baseball Superstars games, it sounds like Soccer Superstars is going to offer a very similar sports RPG experience wrapped in a soccer game, according to what Gamevil has revealed so far.

Soccer Superstars is said to come with multiple game modes, ranging from single exhibition games to full seasons. However, the meat of the Superstars games, at least in my opinion, comes from the "My League" mode. If you're the kind of person who can get hopelessly sucked in to games where you're improving stats and watching bars fill, you will lose entire afternoons to playing series of games to improve your customized teams and players.

As you make your way through entire seasons of games with your team, you'll be able to train your stats, buy items, and (at least in Baseball Superstars) do ridiculous things like send your players out to sign autographs or even go on dates as part of building the best team of players imaginable.

We will have a full preview of Soccer Superstars in the not too distant future, and Gamevil expects to see the game on the App Store sometime this month. In the meantime, this is as good of a time as any to check out Baseball Superstars 2010 [$4.99 / Free], we loved the game in our review, and with Gamevil dangling another Superstars carrot in front of my face, I've found myself once again sucked in to grinding up my super batters.

Visceral Games (formerly EA Redwood Shores) never ruled out the possibility that its upcoming third-person horror title Dead Space 2 would come to the PC. Strange as the non-committal attitude has been -- the original Dead Space hit the PC, after all -- there's little doubt now that the game will be, at some point, mouse and keyboard friendly. It also appears as if it could be swipe, flick, and shake-friendly in the near future, too.

Dead Space publisher EA released an updated version of its blockbuster title release schedule (via Shacknews), seemingly confirming that Dead Space 2 is headed to the PC. Interestingly, it also includes a mention of the iterative title hitting "handheld / mobile."

Rumors swirling around Visceral's last Dead Space title, a Wii-exclusive on-rails FPS sub-titled Extraction, have long suggested that the critically praised, yet financial underperformer, could be making its way to the Xbox 360's and PS3's respective download services. More recent rumors have also pegged Extraction as an iPad title, which we thought was absurd until seeing EA's recent release schedule.

Of course there's a chance by "handheld / mobile" EA only means a PSP release, but given the fact that the recently iPhone-released FIFA 2010 World Cup is also labeled "handheld/mobile", it seems very possible.

This is the first we've heard of Dead Space 2 hitting a mobile platform, so naturally there's no details. We'll ask a few questions and try to get some answers. In the meantime, keep thinking those happy thoughts. You know, the ones that star big multi-armed monsters? Those. Think those thoughts.

Less of a game and more of a demonstration of each and every working part in 5 different handguns, Gun Disassembly is a technical app with an extraordinary amount of detail in both the included weapon models and their many animated parts.

To begin, there are two handguns to choose from, the Colt 1911 and Glock 17. Selecting one of these enables you to view a complete demonstration of the gun being completely disassembled and then re-assembled. The demonstration and the game component itself is set around a 3D model of the weapon, with the camera able to zoom and pan around various components. The demo runs through the correct steps (complete with full animation of even the smallest screws being removed) and the game mode then has you replicating these steps to achieve the best time score possible.

The controls are straightforward-- you merely need to select the correct component on the gun, and then press an on-screen button to remove it automatically. It sounds easy, but when there are excess of 50 steps to take in the correct order, it gets quite challenging; particularly if, like us, you have very little knowledge of how these things work in the first place. The camera is controlled by the traditional swipe to pan and pinch to zoom gestures.

High scores are recorded on the OpenFeint platform, and an additional 3 handguns (the Desert Eagle .44, Sig P228 and Baretta 92 FS) can be purchased for $0.99 each to further your high scores. There are also 5 OpenFeint achievements awarded for completing any of the games without using the in-game hint system.

Though it is promoted as a game, Gun Disassembly 3D is nonetheless a technical app with very limited appeal. That didn't stop it from piquing at our curiosity however, as it can be quite a singular experience to see a firearm like this being taken apart before your very eyes, let alone being able to go about it yourself.

App Store Link: Gun Disassembly 3D, $0.99 (With In-App Purchases of $0.99 each).

TouchArcade Rating:

Late last year Electronic Arts brought the classic '80s laserdisc title, Dragon's Lair, featuring the animation of Don Bluth, to the App Store [link]. We were impressed with the iPhone conversion and found it to be a must-buy at its launch price of $4.99 (that's 10 plays of the $0.50 original arcade game) for anyone who remembers the game with fondness.

Today, EA dropped the price of the game to $0.99. At just 20% its original price, now would be an excellent time for anyone who's been contemplating the purchase to grab the game.

The iPhone version of the game offers the use of an on screen sword button as well as a virtual direction pad that can be sized in small, medium or large views. The player has an option of choosing three, five, or Infinite lives. Infinite is actually chosen by default which is presumably a concession by the iPhone developers for the unforgiving nature of the game. For a more realistic "arcade" experience, you'll want to ratchet down the number of lives. As well, the iPhone version features a "Home" play mode, in addition to the classic "Arcade" mode, which makes the game a bit more linear than the original.

App Store Link: Dragon's Lair, $0.99

TouchArcade Rating:

Gurlz VS Robots [App Store] from Sticks+Stones Games is an action maze game for the iPad that caught my attention for two reasons. First, its display is retroexquisitely rendered in such a way as to make the blocky, Robotron-like graphics appear to be actually glowing from the convex surface of an oldschool CRT display. To retro fans like me, it's a thing of beauty, impressively done. The second and more important reason the game caught my eye is that it takes advantage of the iPad's large screen to bring a new sort of tabletop, multiplayer game experience to the App Store. It's a two-to-four player affair that can handle a whopping total of 11 touch inputs at the same time, the limit of the iPad's multitouch interface. (It's the first game that's hit this limit, as far as we are aware.)

The game presents several streams of robots filing onto the play area (there are a number of screen configurations to choose from). Each player has their own set of directional tiles that, when dragged into the play area, alter the direction of the marching robots. But, mixed in among the robots, are a number of vengeful "gurlz." The goal of the game is to strategically (and rapidly) place your directional tiles in order to direct as many robots as possible to your own, color-coded escape pod before your time runs out, all the while directing the evil gurlz away from both your robots and escape pod to avoid their attacks. Getting all of this done -- and fast -- with up to four sets of hands groping your iPad at the same time makes for some pretty chaotic (in the best way) action.

A gameplay video posted by the developer demonstrates the action of four players enjoying the game at a party (though, readers sensitive to a bit of "colorful language" might want to pass).

( 1.8x zoom to show pixel effects )

Gurlz VS Robots would be a great game to break out at a gathering, with frantic, group gameplay that would seem to best the popular Wii party game experience, given the hands-on nature of the iPad's screen. My only gripe with the title is its lack of a one-player mode set against a computer AI opponent. I hope that will come but, really, my wish item stands outside of the author's real goal of this title, which was to deliver a fun, new social gaming experience. And, with Gurlz VS Robots, that goal has been well achieved.

App Store Link: Gurlz VS Robots, $0.99

We were fortunate to be given hands-on time with Jet Set Games' upcoming game, Highborn; a medieval turn-based strategy game with a blend of the traditional 2D map gameplay and a great looking 3D combat engine. To give some context, Jet Set Games is led by the original creators of the immensely popular Command & Conquer RTS.

Much of Highborn clearly draws inspiration from popular PC titles such as Heroes of Might and Magic. From the very first map Highborn's richly painted levels catch the eye. In fact, all the artwork we saw was exceptionally well drawn, from character designs to unit icons on the combat map-- all had a grand cartoon-like style that we've really taken to.

This is true of the combat engine too. When you engage in combat, the screen transitions into a focused battlefield, akin to other popular TBS games such as Rogue Planet. Where Highborn differs is that attack moves are played out in full-3D. These 3D encounters are just as detailed and are terrifically animated; units are brought to life to look just as great as their 2D counterparts. The many different battlefield environments we saw were crafted to the same high standard, too.

The rich world created by Jet Set Games doesn't stop at the visuals though, as each character we encountered in our brief time with the game were larger-than-life and very self-aware. We appreciated the (often very funny) well-written banter between characters and the many instances where dialogue segues right through the fourth wall. It's been a long time since a game made us laugh, but Highborn promises to do just that.

Highborn also promises asynchronous multiplayer via Facebook, where you can send challenges to your friends and play against each other on selected multiplayer maps. We had a chance to test this, and we're pleased to say it works really well. You can even have multiple games going at once, meaning time spent waiting for your friends to move can be kept at a minimum. Thoughtfully, the game icon also displays the number of multiplayer games currently awaiting your attention.

Highborn is shaping up to be an excellent turn-based strategy with a storyline worth caring about. It's a breathe of fresh air to see time and effort devoted to good dialogue writing, and it seems to pay off in what we've seen so far. We're eagerly awaiting Highborn's release (which is still slated as 'Coming Soon' by the developers) to see what more fun Jet Set Games have in store for us.

In the interim, whet your appetites by checking out our video above of the opening mission. Be sure to watch it in HD, as you'll get a better feel for the game by reading the mission dialogue.

Gameloft's take on the Resident Evil series hit the App Store moments ago. We first got a look at Zombie Infection [$6.99] back at GDC where we got a brief hands-on session with the game. Zombie Infection will have players rampaging through South America slaying zombies of all kinds (even zombie zoo animals) across 12 levels which come packed with everything you'd expect out of a Resident Evil-inspired game including a pair of characters to play as, giant bosses, and plenty of gore.

The recently released trailer sets the scene and shows several brief clips of gameplay footage:

See our discussion thread.

Originally released on the Nintendo DS in late 2008, Skate It by EA Games is something of a portable semi-sequel to the original Skate game for Xbox 360 and PS3. It utilized the DS's touch screen to mimic the unique gesture based Flick-it controls of it's console brethren, and delivered a relatively robust experience for such a small package. Now, coinciding with the console release of Skate 3 this week, the iPhone version of Skate It is now available. It's an experience that's virtually identical to its DS counterpart in content, but vastly superior in graphics, ease of use, and overall presentation. A relatively difficult learning curve will likely turn off many players initially, but those who persist will be rewarded with one of the finest portable skateboarding games available.

The bulk of the game takes place in a Career mode that spans 20 separate levels, 13 taken straight from San Vanelona (the fictional city featured in Skate) and 7 levels based on real life locations that are exclusive to the Skate It series. It's not one big open world like the console games, but each level is fairly large and filled with plenty of challenges and skateable terrain. New goals are constantly unlocking as you progress, and the Career challenges are all interesting and varied. You'll perform specific tricks for photos, play S.K.A.T.E. against AI skaters, enter high score contests, and more. There's even challenges that have you participating in checkpoint races against other skaters across the map, which proved to be especially fun. The graphics of the iPhone version utilize much higher resolution textures and a smoother framerate than that of the DS. It's much more visually appealing now, but oddly the actual skater animations when performing tricks seem a lot more fluid on the DS.

While there's certainly a great deal of content in Skate It, whether you'll be able to enjoy it or not ultimately depends on if you can get behind the control scheme. Tilting the device left or right steers your skater in either direction, tilting the screen away from you crouches the skater, and tilting towards you slows down. There's no option for touch controls to perform any of these actions. I'm not generally one that likes tilt controls in games like this, and it took me a good hour of practice before I started to really feel comfortable with it. Some may pick it up much quicker, others may never quite take to it. Once you get it down though, it's a far more immersive experience than a virtual analog stick and actually quite enjoyable.

As for the onscreen Flick-it controls, they have been implemented fairly well here and are far easier to utilize than they are on the DS. Holding that system with one hand while awkwardly trying to wield a stylus to perform touch screen gestures was an exercise in frustration. On the iPhone however, it feels very natural to draw the various trick motions using your thumb or index finger while comfortably holding the device. The amount of different maneuvers you're able to perform with this system is incredible, and although touch recognition is a little spotty sometimes, pulling off tricks in Skate It is a blast. One welcome addition in the iPhone version is Trick Mode, the ability to slow down time while doing a trick. Placing your finger on the screen slows everything down (how slow can be configured in the options), affording you more time to draw the correct gesture. It works really well and helps ease new players into the Flick-it system if you're not familiar with the Skate series.

A huge advantage Skate It has over it's competitors, namely Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, is a large focus on customization. Your avatar for Career mode can be personalized with different faces, clothing, and skateboards. An editor allows you to draw your own logos or board graphics simply by drawing on the screen, and then apply them to your character. There's the option to listen to your own iPod music while playing, although the included soundtrack of licensed songs is very good. Also, there's a fairly robust park editor that let's you set up many different obstacles to your liking in a large warehouse. You can save up to three different created parks, but due to a lack of any online component, you're unfortunately not able to share these parks with other people as in the DS version. Still, creating parks adds an infinite amount of replayability and potential for experimentation. Different park objects and items for your character are unlocked as you progress through the Career, giving you incentive to complete the game's challenges.

In the end, Skate It for iPhone greatly improves upon the already impressive game that was found on the DS a year and a half ago. A lot of care has gone into suiting the entire experience to this platform, and the simple fact of not needing a stylus goes a long way in making it more accessible. Whether or not it takes the current skateboarding crown from THPS2 will largely be a matter of personal preference. Skate It wins in content, graphics, and customization but has a steep learning curve with the controls that may never feel comfortable to some. THPS2 is slightly smaller in scope, but has familiar controls and ten years worth of nostalgia on its side. Honestly, they're both fantastic games that are worth your time. If you're looking for a more realistic portrayal of skateboarding and are up to the challenge of learning the controls, Skate It delivers a wealth of content with style, and is easily recommended for skateboarding fans.

TouchArcade Rating: