After a brief appearance in the App Store two weeks ago, Gameloft's Prince of Persia was quickly pulled due to a "menu problem". Well, it's back.

Gameloft has been promising a "console-quality" game that pushes the limits of the iPhone throughout a dozen chapters filled with enemies, traps, and everything else you'd expect from a Prince of Persia game.

Overall, the response has been very positive. Forum reader Hitch left detailed impressions after the initial release.

I've been a big fan of the Prince of Persia franchise for quite a while, so this is a little tough for me to figure out. I just finished The Forgotten Sands on my PS3, and this doesn't really compare to it. But as an iPhone game, this is freaking great.

Similarly positive opinions are scattered throughout the discussion thread.

Venan Entertainment, creators of Space Miner: Space Ore Bust [$1.99 / Free] and Ninjatown: Trees of Doom! [99¢], were at E3 this year crammed in the corner of the mobile section. The two new titles they had to show off were Ninjatown for the iPad, and a brand new freemium arcade game based on Space Miner called Space Miner Blast.

Space Miner Blast will be supported by unobtrusive in-game advertising, with optional DLC which will add features to the game and disable advertisements entirely. Most of the original Space Miner has been stripped out in favor of a quick survival game with a very basic upgrade system. All you do is see how big of a multiplier you can keep going by blasting as much ore as you possibly can (while defending against enemies of course). Here is a few minutes of gameplay:

Ninjatown: Trees of Doom! for the iPad retains the same feel of the iPhone game, with upscaled graphics and a new timed mode which will soon also be released in an update for the iPhone. You have 25 seconds to start, and with every 100 meters you climb adds 15 seconds to the clock. The original Ninjatown for the iPhone works great upscaled on the iPad, but if you've held off on buying it and own an iPad it would make sense to wait for the iPad HD release.

Here is a clip of the new timed mode in action:

Venan has had a track record of releasing fantastic games lately, and if you haven't already, take a look at both the Ninjatown: Trees of Doom! review and the Space Miner: Space Ore Bust review. You really can't go wrong downloading either.

I'll be honest. I had forgotten GodFinger hadn't been released in the U.S. yet, at least for iPhone. So, if you've been waiting for it, here's your chance. Ngmoco's GodFinger has finally come to iPhone users in the U.S.

In GodFinger, you are an all powerful deity who control the people and environment of a small planet. The planet environment is a side view cross section that you can navigate by swiping on the screen and pinch zooming in and out. When the game begins, you are given a very small planet with one inhabitant. As you demonstrate your powers to the inhabitants, they become followers and earn you gold and mana for their efforts.

After a tumultuous release, where Apple seemingly played yo-yo with its iTunes availability, Pro Zombie Soccer [App Store] is finally here to stay, and aren't we glad for it! Comfortably one of the more anticipated titles here at Touch Arcade, Pro Zombie Soccer is developed by the 6-man operation at Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team, whose founders have notched titles such as Plants vs Zombies and Worms into their belts.

That pedigree shows from the start-- particularly where the artwork is concerned-- an outstanding PvZ-stylized canvass of highly detailed, inked environments and characters make up the world of Pro Zombie Soccer. A world filled with the Zombification of everything from burly meat-cleaver weilding butchers to schoolgirls to riot-shield weilding zombie swat teams. And a lone, street-kid with a love of the world game.

The soccer-inspired gameplay of Pro Zombie Soccer begins on a stage very familiar to anyone who has played PvZ (and let's face it, who hasn't?). Zombies attack from the right of the screen, lumbering towards your lone hero armed only with a round ball at his feet. That's where the soccer gameplay starts and ends though, with the game playing out more as a sidescrolling shooter from thereon in.

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TouchArcade Rating:

Announced at GDC in 2009, OnLive takes the concept of cloud computing to the next level in providing high-end video games running at HD resolution streamed in realtime over the internet playable on any device capable of running the OnLive client connected to an internet connection with a downstream of at least 5 megabit. Following its announcement, speculation ran wild regarding whether or not this sort of remote technology could even possibly exist and provide the same lag-free experience as a home console.

OnLive had an impressive presence at E3 this year, with playable clients running on the OnLive set-top box, Macs, PC's, and we even got a peek at the games running on the iPad. On a computer or the actual OnLive device, the experience was flawless. According to the people I spoke with at the event, everything we were seeing was being rendered and streamed live from their datacenter hundreds of miles away to the E3 show floor. I'm still skeptical, as the technology as it was presented to me today just seems too good to be true. If a simple set-top box or a client running on a low-end computer can in fact easily stream high-end HD video games for a low monthly fee it really does have the potential to change the face of gaming forever.

If this is the first you've heard of OnLive, stop by the Wikipedia article and read about it. They cover all the origins of the service, the skepticism, as well as the sheer clout of the executive team behind the company. You can also see the featured OnLive games on the OnLive web site.

Today I got a peek at the iPad client for OnLive, something they stressed over and over was not representative of any final product, but rather just exists to serve as an example of how ubiquitous the OnLive service truly is. When a new platform comes along, all they have to do is write a client for it and you will be able to play all of your games live and in the cloud just like you presumably already have been on your TV or computer easily and seamlessly over the internet.

Because of its raw tech demo state, the controls are less than ideal. The client uses a weird virtual joystick button layout that I don't really think would be very useful for anything outside of just demonstrating what is possible. The following video walks through the OnLive iPad client, and shows Borderlands running, an XBOX and PC game. Also, after that, we load up Dragon Age: Origins, which didn't work because it didn't have gamepad controls, and finally we spectated on some games in session by other OnLive members.

If you watch to the end, you can see a side by side of someone playing a game on the OnLive unit hooked up to an HDTV, that same game is then instantly streamed to both that TV as well as the iPad. The video stream is identical. It really is amazing to see. As explained in the video, they're not sure when or if the iPad client will even ever be available, but needless to say, we've got our fingers crossed.

Back in the prepubescent days of console gaming, the leap from the 8-bit to the 16-bit generation was monumental. More colors, scrolling backgrounds, gimmicks such as Mode 7 and Blast Processing... and twice as many bits. What were bits? I didn't know, I was just a kid, but it didn't matter. I now had twice as many of them, and they made my video games look better and do things that I could have never imagined. Since those days, I've been just as devout a gamer as I was back then, but have yet to ever really feel that same magic of entering into the 16-bit generation. Little did I know that nearly two decades later I would capture that feeling again with Super QuickHook. The followup to developer Rocketcat's inaugural game Hook Champ, Super QuickHook takes everything great about the first game and expands upon it in every way. If you were a fan of Hook Champ already, then you most likely instantly purchased this game. But if you were like some people who never quite got into it, Super QuickHook makes some smart changes that may just win you over this time around.

Hook Champ was said to be inspired by 8-bit graphics, and Super QuickHook takes it a step further and adopts a beautiful 16-bit style. But it truly is merely “inspired by”, as the game produces graphics that would have never been possible on the 16-bit machines of the 90's. It looks simply stunning in motion. There's so much life in the little details of this game that even if you aren't a fan of 8 or 16-bit graphics you'll find it hard not to be impressed with Super QuickHook. It's bright and colorful, and the levels are nicely varied. Small touches like a flock of birds scattering from a tree as you pass by, or objects on the ground getting kicked up as you trot over them contribute to make the game come to life. The characters are all interesting and well designed, with no shortage of hats to adorn upon them. There's even a couple of extra playable characters you can unlock, with more coming down the line via updates. The music is also superb, fitting with the retro style of the game, and thankfully there's much more variety in music and sound effects than there was in Hook Champ.

Gameplay-wise, the same general concept from Hook Champ is carried over to Super QuickHook. You'll swing your character from left to right using a grappling hook, collecting coins along the way to spend in the game's shop on upgraded equipment and fabulous hats. While it seems mostly the same on the surface, two very important changes have been made to cater the game to a more casual audience. First and foremost, there is nothing chasing you through the levels (at least in the story mode) that forces you to either keep moving or suffer instant death. You're free to explore the levels at will and take as much time as you need to complete them. The other big change is the addition of checkpoints throughout the levels, so if you have a fatal mishap you don't have to start all the way over from the beginning as long as you've crossed one of these checkpoints.

These were the two biggest complaints from people that didn't end up liking Hook Champ, and it's great to see them rectified here. But it thankfully doesn't dilute the experience for the hardcore players either, since your final score for each level is based on time and coins collected. There's still plenty of incentive to find the perfect line through the level in order to net every coin, or figure out a new trick that can shave off a fraction of a second from your time. Another complaint you'd hear about Hook Champ was the brutal difficulty of some of the later levels, requiring pinpoint accuracy with the grappling hook to complete. Well, those type of levels are still here but are infinitely more tolerable thanks to the changes made. There's also reason to go back and replay each level, as you'll earn medals based on collecting all the coins, beating a developer's score, and finding the secrets stashed in each one.

And then there's Avalanche Mode. In addition to the 18 freestanding levels that are included, Avalanche Mode is an endless high score level that's randomly generated from over 60 different smaller set pieces each time you play. Unlike the normal levels, you have the constant threat of the avalanche chasing you as you go, much like the ghost from Hook Champ. You can also collect coins in this mode, making it a nice way to earn some extra cash for the shop. Avalanche Mode could easily sell as a completely separate game by itself, and has just as much depth and replayability as similar high score games like Canabalt or Robot Unicorn Attack. Rocketcat has also hinted that a second, harder Avalanche mode will be added to the game in the coming weeks. This mode will likely get the most play time from gamers, as it offers near-infinite replay value.

I haven't been this impressed with the evolution of a game of this nature since the original Metroid spawned the phenomenally brilliant Super Metroid. It won't alienate previous fans with the changes it's made, as it still retains the great feel of Hook Champ, but also intelligently caters to casual and hardcore gamers, offering the best of both worlds. The graphics are gorgeous, and despite the retro inspiration Super QuickHook is visually impressive even by today's standards. It offers so much content and such high production values, it's as near-perfect as any iPhone game I've played thus far, and is bound to be an even greater cult-classic than even Hook Champ was. It's a shining example of how a sequel should be done, and will live a long happy life on my device forever.

TouchArcade Rating:

At E3 this year Disney was showing two new iPhone titles, Tron and Toy Story 3. I had very high hopes for Tron, as the original movie is very near and dear to my heart but I'm really not too sure what to think of the official licensed game after playing so many great games inspired by the light cycle battles from the movie already.

Disney's Tron is being released as something they're calling a "franchise portal", which is going to be a host to numerous individual Tron games and toys, originally launching with a tank game shown in the following video:

As explained in the video, Disney is planning to update Tron consistently leading up to the release of the movie later this year. The game portion of the Tron will start off as a Tanks game but later get free updates with different game types. It's a promise that always causes us a little pause as it's becoming increasingly common on the App Store. I suppose all we can do is wait and see, and see how the pricing works out. But I would have loved to have seen Disney launch with a little bit more than a dual stick shooter.

Oddly enough, this confusing usage of such excellent licenses persisted through their iPhone version of Toy Story 3. Currently, the game has several components: A button trading game where players earn buttons like you would earn in-game achievements then trade them with other people who also have the game, an accelerometer controlled racing game, a hidden object game, a sound board, and others. You can even use the Toy Story 3 iPhone game as a virtual controller for the Toy Story 3 PC game via WiFi.

The accelerometer-powered racing game can be seen in the following gameplay video:

We'll see how both of the games turn out once they're finally released and each see their full suite of associated Tron or Toy Story 3 content unveiled. Meanwhile, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for an absolutely fantastic official light cycle update to the Tron game.

Chillingo is in full force at E3, showing a array of titles, some coming soon and some already released. Predators is based on the movie with the same name coming out on July 9th, and as a fully licensed game, features an amazing amount of fan service. You will be able to rampage around as a predator, using staples like net guns, stealth cloaking, and thermal vision. Predators includes both short and long range weapons, as well as the ability to save the heads of your prey just like any self-respecting Predator would.

Developed by Angry Mob, the iPhone studio responsible for Guerilla Bob, Predators has a really similar feel to it both in how the game plays and how little things like the way the in-game camera follows your Predator. Enemies include stereotypical bad guys such as both Yakuza gang members and Russian soldiers among the others you will come across in the game's 24 levels.

Predators is scheduled for release on July 1st for $2.99. But, like most games that shoot for a specific date, they're at the mercy of the Apple approval overlords. Predators is a surprisingly cool game that fans of both the Predator universe and top-down shooters should enjoy.

Sometimes a game ends up being immediately appealing based on premise alone. Take Enviro-Bear 2010 for example. A bear driving a car through the woods coupled with MS Paint quality graphics creates an experience just absurd and hilarious enough to draw the attention of many players. Or more recently, Robot Unicorn Attack – the name alone says it all. Released last week, Puppet War FPS (first 'puppet' shooter) is built on a fairly awesome premise of it's own. You're a lone janitor, trapped on the set of the most popular kids program The Friendly Puppet Show. The puppets have decided to turn on humanity, and it's up to you to stop ever increasing waves of these fuzzy little guys before they take over the world. The concept alone is enough to garner a few curious downloads, but thankfully Puppet War also delivers satisfying arena-style first-person shooter gameplay, with excellent presentation and an assortment of clever weaponry to literally beat the stuffing out of your enemies with.

Right away you'll notice that this is a very attractive game. The bright, colorful studio set and sugary sweet music really make you feel like you're inside a kids TV show. The puppets all have the same general look (think Grover from Sesame Street) but come in a variety of sizes and arsenals. Smaller puppets bounce at you wildly making for a difficult target to hit, and larger puppets keep their distance and attack you from afar. There's even a kamikaze puppet with dynamite strapped to his chest that explodes when you get near. The puppets are all shaded nicely and look extremely authentic, and the big silly grins on their faces are just begging to get blasted as they happily trot in your direction. The janitor's onscreen arms and weaponry are also well done and look very realistic. The game just has a crisp, colorful look to it that's really appealing.

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TouchArcade Rating:

iOS developer Phil Hassey is running an 75%-off sale on Galcon Fusion [App Store], the iPad take on his popular fast-paced space strategy game, Galcon [App Store], winner of the IGF Mobile 2009 Innovation in Mobile Game Design award. Normally $7.99, the game is available for just $1.99 for the next seven days. The sale coincides with a gameplay contest the developer is currently running to see who is first to achieve the Grand Admiral rank in the game's multiplayer mode. (The winner takes home a Galcon t-shirt and a piece of original artwork hand-drawn by Hassey himself.)

Galcon begins with a galactic playfield filled with planets of varying size.  The green planets belong to the player, neutral planets are grey, and planets of any other color belong to the enemy.  The goal is to take over all the planets.

The size of the planet indicates the production rate of the planet.  A number appears on each planet indicating how many ships exist on that planet–for neutral and enemy planets, this is the number of ships that must be defeated in order to take control of a particular planet.  The player clicks on one or more green planets and then drags to a target planet in order to set ships in motion to invade said planet.

Galcon Fusion takes full advantage of the iPad's large display to deliver really a deeper play experience than is possible on the iPhone. And, like the original Galcon, Galcon Fusion provides a truly excellent, real-time strategy game experience. Since it's initial release, Galcon Fusion received a 1.1 update that enabled multiplayer action, doubled the framerate, and improved the overall graphics and lighting effects.

Here are a couple of games that we have previewed in the past. They've since come out though neither gets our full recommendation, but for closure we've included them in this roundup:

Rocket Racing League is a game we previewed last month, and takes racing to the skies as you pilot an advanced high speed aircraft through courses set in the open space of beautiful landscapes around the globe. Screenshots don't really do it justice, as the game looks really great in motion. There's a staggering amount of features and customization options available, from the color and style of your craft to the in-depth options for adjusting controls and game settings.

On paper, it seems to be a pretty impressive package, but unfortunately in practice the fun factor is somewhat lacking. Races feel tedious as you make your way through each checkpoint, and although the sense of speed is pretty nice I wasn't dying to make my way to each new race. It felt like I was merely going through the motions. Still, the overall presentation of the game is really well done, and some may find the racing more satisfying than we did.

Deadly Dungeon is a 3D hack 'n slash game we previewed a couple weeks ago, and has since made its way onto the App Store. The visuals are definitely impressive, with detailed character models and smooth animations. The dark dungeons and foreboding music set the perfect atmosphere for this type of game. The controls also work quite well, and there's a nice assortment of magical attacks to dispatch enemies with.

The only problem with Deadly Dungeon is there just isn't that much to it. Enemies are sparse, and the dungeon scenery never changes. There's also quite a few glitches in the game. Sometimes enemies suddenly appear out of nowhere only to take your life before you even have a chance to realize what happened. Even worse, some levels don't have walls to contain your character, leaving you free to wander off into the blackness past the dungeon boundaries, resulting in a frustrating restart. Even at 99¢, we just hope to see the game fleshed out a lot more down the road.

As we had suspected, Activision has finally released an iPhone/iPod Touch version of Geometry Wars: Touch [App Store]. A surprising bonus? It's a universal update to the iPad game. So existing Geometry Wars customers get the iPhone version for free.

As an added bonus, the game has dropped in price from $9.99 to $4.99.

E3 opened today in sunny Los Angeles, California and if you've never been to the event the sheer scale is absolutely dumbfounding. There are people in costume everywhere, someone passing you a free energy drink on every corner, and the booths that the big players of the video game world have set up are beyond amazing.

The first appointment we had today was with Sega who gave us a hands on of their upcoming game Sonic 4 for the iPhone. The release is still TBA beyond "late 2010", as Sega seems very concerned with getting the game right instead of just throwing it out there like other recent Sonic games which have all been fairly mediocre going all the way back to Dreamcast Sonic games. Sonic 4 actually was a lot of fun to play, and as you can see from the video, shares quite a bit of the look and feel of classic Sonic games:

With both tilt and touch controls as well as the same amount of content found in the game on other consoles, Sonic 4 is really working up to be something special. I was cautiously optimistic when Sega announced the delay of the game, and it really seems like they're taking their time to make a game that anyone who looks back to the days of classic 16 bit fast-paced platformers will enjoy.

Details are sketchy on this one, but besides Final Fantasy Tactics, it appears Square Enix is also delivering Secret of Mana to the iPhone. The above/right photo by @rpgfancom.

Secret of Mana is an action role-playing game that was originally released in 1993. The game was re-released for Wii in 2008 and ported to Japanese mobile phones in 2009.

More details as we get them.

Square Enix has releveaed that they will be bringing Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of Lions to the iPhone and iPod Touch. The official release date is scheduled for September 15, 2010.

In 2007, FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: The War of the Lions delivered a 1997 PlayStation® fan-favorite to a new generation of players on the PSP® (PlayStation Portable) system. Featuring an array of enhancements to the original FINAL FANTASY TACTICS, including breathtakingly beautiful CG movies, additional characters and jobs, and an all-new English translation, the critically acclaimed FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: The War of the Lions now makes its way to iPhone® and iPod touch®.

Peer through the eyes of young heroes Ramza and Delita, and uncover the secrets that lie hidden within history’s darkened folds.

An E3 trailer has been released for the game:

News continues to trickle out from E3. We'll have more details as we get them.