When the original Aqua Moto Racing [$1.99 / Free] came out in March of last year, we thought Resolution Interactive was really on to something in our review. The original is a really great racing game with graphics that we described as "unbelievable" at the time. Going back and looking at the original review, even as incredibly positive as it was, I can confidently say that Aqua Moto Racing 2 [$4.99 / Free] is even better than its predecessor.

As mentioned in our recent hands-on preview, the most immediate change you will notice is the implementation of a fantastic dynamic water system. Aqua Moto provided for some great arcade style wave-runner action, but all of the water you were racing on was woefully calm. In the sequel, there are waves to deal with everywhere, swells of water that will either make or break a huge jump, and inconvenient bumps that come from out of nowhere as you're trying to make it around a tight corner. This new wave system adds so much to the game that going back and forth from Aqua Moto and Aqua Moto 2 feels like more than a difference of just a simple sequel, and instead seems like a leap between generations of game consoles.

The cornerstone of the single player game is definitely championship mode, where you will find yourself racing through all of the different courses included in the game through difficulties ranging from beginner to pro. Along the way you'll earn money which is used to buy new wave-runners, each providing a significant performance boost over the last. The individual race tracks take place in three different aquatic environments, but the tracks themselves are made out buoys that racers need to either pass on the right of left and a healthy assortment of ramps to get tons of air off of. Each of the tracks feel unique enough that you never feel like you're really racing the same races over and over, and it's surprising how much variation the developers have managed to put in to a game that really only has three settings that everything takes place in.

As you unlock tracks in championship mode, you're able to race them in quick race mode, as well as compete in OpenFeint powered online leaderboards and challenges with other places. In the OpenFeint department there's also a load of achievements that range from racing precisely or aggressively, pulling awesome stunts, winning races, and other categories. Tracks are also eventually able to be raced in mirror mode, providing even more replay value.

Several control options are included. By default, you steer with a virtual steering wheel in the bottom left corner and accelerate using a button on the right. Alternatively, you can let the game handle acceleration by itself which replaces the accelerator with a brake pedal and if you prefer, you can control the game by tilting as well. Oddly enough, there's no option for both manual acceleration and braking.

Aqua Moto 2 has a stunt system which can be activated in air by flicking your device, or automatically if you're boosting over a jump. With stunt mode engaged the game slows down and you can perform stunts by pressing buttons which frame the screen. The camera then pans out, and you watch your dude do his trick (and hopefully land it). Both the automatic stunt mode and stunt camera can be disabled in the options, and it didn't take me long before unchecking both boxes because stunting can cause considerable problems, especially in close races and tight tracks.

In every mention of both Aqua Moto Racing and Aqua Moto Racing 2 we've made comparisons to Wave Race 64, and this sequel is getting even closer to Wave Race perfection. I highly recommend at least downloading the lite version of the game to check out the cool new dynamic water system, and from there, I doubt it will be much of a leap for most people to download the full version.

As mentioned in our review of Ecco the Dolphin and Space Harrier II, we're glad that Sega is bringing these classic games to the App Store, but action packed platformers and arcade games of days of yore combined with mediocre emulator performance on older devices and touch controls is not a good mix. Today Sega gave us a sneak peek of their upcoming classic RPG Shining Force running in this same emulator, and it is amazing how much the entire experience is improved when you're not playing a game that is based on quick reactions, high frame rates, or precise controls.

Shining Force is a tactical RPG with turn-based battles that take place on square grids. Originally released in the USA in 1993, Shining Force is about as classic as you get when it comes to a Sega RPG. Not only has it been included in various classic game collections that Sega has released on numerous platforms over the years, but it also saw a remake in 2004 for the Gameboy Advance. This is the original Genesis version of the game, set in the land of Rune where you play a silent protagonist who recruits allies to the Shining Force to ultimately prevent the evil Darksol from resurrecting a Dark Dragon, destroying the world, and doing all those other things which have since become entirely cliche for RPG villains to do.

While Shining Force may seem a little basic if you haven't played it before and your first exposure to turn based strategy games was Final Fantasy Tactics or later games, Shining Force has everything it needs for a great old school RPG. Each character has their own class (and personality which is often revealed throughout the story) along with special abilities. As you battle your units level up, and my favorite feature of Shining Force always was that there never really is a game over. If your party falls in battle you retain all your experience earned and just try again. Of course there are all kinds of items to buy, treasure to find, gear to equip, and everything else you'd expect as well.

According to Sega, Shining Force is set to be released this Thursday. If you've been looking for a game to supplement the two Final Fantasy games that were released not too long ago, look no further.

The App Store is home to a huge number of ports, from an array of retro games to customized versions of open source titles like Battle for Wesnoth [$4.99 - iPhone / iPad] and Frogatto [$4.99]. Recently three more ports made their way to the iOS family of devices, and while I didn't think any of them were that great, they have enough notoriety behind them that surely someone will be interested.

Gorillaz - Escape to Plastic Beach, $1.99 [iPhone / iPad] - To go with their recent album release, the Gorillaz have created a three episode online game. The first two episodes are Flash based and free to play, while the third chapter has been developed in Unity and is pay to play for both the iPhone and the Unity browser plugin. It's hard to say which is the port, but the iPhone version sports tilt controls. Curiously enough, there's also an iPad version of the game for the same price, which has left me scratching my head as to why they didn't just make the whole game universal.

Gameplay is similar to that of Glu's Glyder [99¢ / Free] and Glyder 2 for the iPad [Free] in that you're just flying around through hoops and updrafts completing various objectives. If you're a Gorillaz fan the game might be worth checking out because they do a decent job of recreating the cool Gorillaz universe from the music videos, but if the Gorillaz don't do much for you, neither will escaping to Plastic Beach.

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Somersault, $5.99 - Using the same Unity browser plugin from the Gorillaz game you can try out the first level of Somersault online for free. The computer game has won some awards and developers are calling Somersault the "indie game of the year". I'm not sure I'd go that far, but at least the control mechanic of using your finger to draw lines for your little guy to bounce off of works much better on the iPhone than it does on the computer with a mouse.

Somersault has some nice level design, and it's pretty cool how they managed to turn the "draw lines to bounce things" control mechanic in to an entire adventure game. The developers are also very active in our forums, which is always a good sign. If the above trailer looks at all interesting to you, at least give the free versions a try.

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Furcadia, $4.99 - First going online in late 1996, Furcadia was among the first games available when MUD's were beginning to get graphical interfaces and turn in to MMO's. The game features highly customizable anthropomorphic animals for avatars, and much like Second Life focuses on user-generated content. These player driven parts of the virtual world are called "Dreams," and even though Furcadia seemed pretty lame when it was first released compared to other games of its day like Meridian 59 or Ultima Online, the art editor, map creator, and scripting language called "DragonSpeak" was totally ahead of the time and was basically duplicated 7 years later in Second Life.

While the iPhone client costs $4.99, Furcadia is completely free to play and you can download the Mac and PC client for free if you want to give the game a try. I'm not entirely sure how much (if any) interest most people will have in Furcadia on the iPhone, but if you remember hearing about the game 15 years ago, it was fairly cutting edge. If you would have told me in the 90's that the game would one day be playable on mobile phones, I would have never believed you-- What's even more amazing is there are still thousands of people online in game.

One game that I've been having a ton of fun with since this past weekend is DungeonCore from developer GAEWOOL. It takes the concept of the “fall down” type games (like Cliffed [$1.99] / Free] or, well, many other games), and adds an RPG element to the mix. The result is a game that I haven't been able to put down, and when I do I usually find myself coming right back to it before long. It's a fairly difficult game, and does have it's share of minor issues, but the RPG progression and utter simplicity is totally engaging.

DungeonCore starts with your hero dropping in from the top of the screen literally only equipped with his underwear. You control his left/right movement with tilt as the level continuously scrolls upwards. If you end up too far off the top or bottom of the screen, it's game over. What makes this game much more difficult than similar titles is that the hero is constantly walking forward, and tilting merely changes which direction he walks. So you can't just stand in one place for a bit while you get your bearings, as he's always on the move. You may love this aspect of the game or hate it, but there's no doubt that it brings constant action to the game while you're playing.

Also different from games like this is the fact that there's actually an end point to the chasm that you are traversing down. If you reach the bottom there is a giant boss to defeat, although getting that far would be a truly amazing feat for any gamer. I've personally only made it about one tenth of the way down, according to the game over screen that gives you a little diagram of how far you made it. This doesn't deter me from continuing to try though, as it's a great feeling to even just get a bit farther than the last time, and the RPG elements add a lot of strategy to the game.

Killing enemies is as easy as touching them, and they'll drop a coin for your efforts. At set points in the dungeon play will stop and your hero will automatically enter a door to the shop where you can use your collected coins to purchase new weapons and equipment. Many of these items are locked initially and are unlocked by performing certain feats in the game. Once unlocked however, they remain that way for subsequent playthroughs. There are items that will increase your defense, give you more coins per enemy, make you move slower (and more manageably), and many others. It's a ton of fun deciding what items to buy and weighing the pros and cons of each, and certain items must be purchased in order to progress in the game.

It all comes together in a really great way, and DungeonCore has much more going on than your typical endless high score endeavor. It could use some work in some areas, and my biggest request would be difficulty options to make it easier to see more of the game. There's a starter strategy guide at the GAEWOOL website here, but even with those tips this is one of the harder games that I've played on my iPhone. It's still a really compelling offering though, and I really love the cute pixel art style. Gamers in our forums are enjoying the game as well, and if you like the simplistic play mechanics in games like these but are looking for one with more depth, definitely check out DungeonCore.

TouchArcade Rating:

David Frampton and his Majic Jungle Software first crossed our radar when his aerial shoot and rescue title Chopper [App Store] debuted two years ago as one of the more notable App Store launch titles. Chopper was very well received from the start and quickly became one of the true App Store success stories, seeing 500 downloads a day (at $7.99), early on. Since then, the game has been downloaded more than 350,000 times.

A little over half a year after Chopper's debut, inspired by the game's success, Frampton began work on the sequel, Chopper 2. And quite a bit of work it turned out to be. Originally expected to be completed in just six months for an August '09 release, Chopper 2 has taken a hefty 16 months to complete. But, at long last, it has landed in the App Store [link].

So just what's taken so long to bring this title to the App Store? For one, Chopper 2 has emerged a universal application that runs on the iPhone / iPod touch, iPhone 4, and iPad, fully utilizing the screen resolution of each device. And that's not the last word on the display options offered by the game. In this area, as well as in the area of game controls, Frampton has gone rather above and beyond. But, more on this in a bit. Let's first look at the gameplay.

Chopper 2 is a highly enhanced take on the same basic shoot and rescue formula of the original. It features that same side scrolling action, but with a completely re-written 3D engine that delivers dramatically improved, highly fluid "2.5D" visuals with a much greater depth-of-field. The experience of weaving about the enemy airspace, laying down fire while dodging missiles, trees, and flocks of birds (they do damage, too!) is a white-knuckle affair, and the deep, parallax scene rendering of your chopper gliding along a canyon wall can really bring the vertigo at times.

And it's not just canyon walls you'll be negotiating. There are 12 distinct locations in the Chopper 2 world, and each contains three different missions for 36 total missions to the game. Terrains include desert, snowfields, cityscapes, countrysides, and more. There are a range of mission types thrown into the mix, as well -- rescue ops, deployment, caravan defense, search and destroy, etc. Initially, only a training mission is available for play, and progressive missions unlock based on goals achieved.

Enemies you'll encounter include ground troops, anti-aircraft turrets, tanks, and enemy choppers. To take on these baddies, your chopper is equipped with directional cannons (aim controlled with a finger swipe), bombs, and missiles, depending on the mission at hand. Along the way, many levels feature armament refuel pads that can outfit your chopper mid-battle.

OpenFeint integration tracks your achievements and high scores online.

And now for those particularly interesting details I hinted at, earlier. The game uses tilt controls by default, but they're not your parents' Chopper controls. Chopper 2 utilizes a nonlinear, stepped control system that mimics an actual helicopter control response model, based on actual pilot feedback. What's more, on the iPhone 4, the device's gyroscopes are fully utilized to deliver more precise motion control. For those not keen on accelerometer-based controls, the developer has added the option of an onscreen analog control stick. But, interestingly, all of the aforementioned is not the most noteworthy thing about Chopper 2's control options. Users with both an iPad and an iPhone or 2G iPod touch (or better) can tether the devices together via Bluetooth to allow gameplay on the iPad with remote iPhone control, for the best control arrangement of all. In addition, with Apple's VGA or component video out adapter (the former providing much better results), players with an iPad + iPhone Bluetooth control configuration can enjoy the game on a large, external display, as demonstrated in the embedded video above, which shows the game on a 42" screen, and our own, brief video showing the game on a 50" plasma screen. These are truly impressive extras that really take the game to the next level. (And hats off to the excellent floating intro text that starts off each mission -- truly cinematic.)

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

The original Chopper was probably one of the best action games available when the App Store went live back in June 2008. A huge amount of work went into the sequel, which is laden with all kinds of bells and whistles one might not expect to find in an iPhone platform game, and it clearly shows. Chopper 2 is a quality production that I can recommend to any gamer with an iPhone platform device. It's miles beyond the original and stands as a perfect example of all that iPhone gaming can be.

Chopper 2 is available for a limited time at a launch sale price of $2.99, after which it will be available for the standard price of $4.99.

We just got word from Resolution Interactive that the lite version of their upcoming Aqua Moto Racing 2 was approved earlier than expected. Aqua Moto Racing 2 Lite [Free] only comes with three tracks and three wave-runners's to race on them, but it does include their complete dynamic wave system which is what makes this sequel so awesome. I briefly described the new dynamic waves in our preview:

Aqua Moto [$1.99 / Free] was (and still is) a great game, which did an excellent job providing nearly everything you'd want out of a wave-runner arcade game, except movement in the water. Every track in Aqua Moto was remarkably calm, but not anymore. Aqua Moto 2 introduces an entirely new dynamic water system, which not only looks great in motion, but also makes the game both more fun and challenging as a sudden wave as you're trying to come around a corner can either result in getting wicked air, or going off course entirely.

You can see these new water effects in action in the new trailer:

The full version of Aqua Moto Racing 2 is still in review, and could land on the App Store any time now. If you have any fond memories at all of playing Wave Race 64 on the Nintendo 64, you really should give Aqua Moto Racing 2 Lite a try, if for no other reason than it's the closest thing I've seen so far to it on the iPhone. The lite version has just enough content to get you excited for the full game, which hopefully will show up for download soon.

A few noteworthy games have just received a price reduction that are worth checking out. One is a puzzle game that features some incredible photorealistic graphics, one relies on simple stick figures and silhouettes, and the other provides hours of dungeon crawling action. They all have separate iPhone and iPad versions available for a low price, so no matter which device you own this particular sale should interest you.

Ancient Frog - A puzzle game where you must lead a frog to it's meal, which is naturally a fly, by moving one leg at a time. There are droplets of water laid out before you that are the only spots to place his feet. Keeping in mind that the frog's legs can only stretch so far, you must position him close enough to the fly to be able to eat it, using the least amount of moves as possible. The graphics were simply stunning at the time of release, which was well over a year ago, and still impress today. The graphics are incredibly lifelike, and the gameplay is both challenging and “zen-like” due to the game's great atmosphere.

We liked the iPhone version when it was released, and developer Ancient Workshop completely reworked the game for the iPad specific release, taking advantage of the higher resolution and extra screen space. Both versions originally sell for $4.99 a piece, but they have since both been dropped to 99¢. There's also a lite version to try, which I would recommend doing since the type of gameplay on offer may not appeal to everyone. But if you end up enjoying what's in the lite, I highly suggest grabbing Ancient Frog during this sale.

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Stick Golf - A simplistic game of 2D golf with a clean style and a brutal difficulty. There's eight different nine hole courses, all with a unique theme and some crazy level designs. You're given a side view of each hole and a small trajectory line emanates from the golf ball. To hit a shot you simply adjust the line using a pair of directional arrows, tap a shot button once to start a shot strength meter, and tap again to set the power of the shot. Using one finger you are able to pan around the level to plan out your next shot, and playing Stick Golf couldn't be easier.

The real challenge of Stick Golf is the difficult design of the courses and the physics system. Plenty of times I've made an epic shot only to have my ball very slowly continue rolling right off of some sort of cliff and down into a deep chasm, which I'd then lose plenty of strokes trying to get out of. Still, it's a fun game and easy to get sucked into playing for short or long bursts. I'm not sure why I had never noticed Stick Golf before, but with the price dropping down to free it was a no brainer to check it out, which I'm glad that I did. There's also an iPad specific version available for 99¢, and either are worth taking a look at during this sale.

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Underworlds Ultimate Edition - The iPad version of Underworlds [99¢ / Free], a hack and slash dungeon crawler we really enjoyed in our review. Since we first looked at the game, two additional chapters worth of content have been added and the iPad version makes great use of the extra screen real estate with things like your inventory popping up in small windows instead of being full screen on the iPhone which you can see in the following video:

If you own an iPad and have any interest in dungeon crawlers, you need to grab Underworlds Ultimate Edition, especially while it's free. If you've got an iPhone or iPod touch, give the lite version of Underworlds a spin and consider upgrading to the full version which provides a surprising amount of content for its current price of 99¢.

Italian iPhone development house KF Lab is soon to release their stylized run-and-jump title A Skeleton Story, that we first spotted back in October, for the iPhone. The developer long ago posted a lavish cinematic trailer , and has just posted a bit of gameplay footage to give readers a taste of what's to come from this title that's based on a "Burtonesque noir fairy tale" comic of the same name. We've also had a chance to spend a little time with a pre-release build they were kind enough to provide.

A great wind blows from the land of memory, bringing omens and old sensations. The Kingdom of the Dead, where everything seems bound to eternal rest, is troubled by some obscure presence, an intruder…something alive! A loving kitten’s going to make this world up-side-down!

Will Musil, the skeleton detective, is at his desk in his office…he’s deep in a restless sleep, hovering between his dream and the memories of his past life, still unaware of what lies ahead…

A Skeleton Story is a platformer of sorts, highly reminiscent of Canabalt -- but at closer range and with a bit more graphical character. A number of additional gameplay elements are present, as well.

Your overall goal in the game is to send skeleton detective Will Musil leaping from rooftop to rooftop in an effort to retrieve a fleeing, black kitten. Along the way there are coins, boxes to collect, as well as oncoming villains that can be shot or leapt over (if you're quick). Letters that spell out "W-I-L-L" can be collected, as well, granting temporary invisibility when the word is complete.

There are an infinite number of levels in the game, and each time you manage to retrieve the cat, you will be taken to Henry's Pub where various character attribute enhancements can be purchased with accumulated money: increased ammo capacity, more lethal attacks, higher jumps, run faster, and more. But, if you tarry and don't manage to catch the kitten before it flees offscreen, it's one life gone, for you.

Making it from rooftop to rooftop isn't necessarily a simple matter. As the game progresses, more and more roofs are of different heights, and some houses can't take Will's weight and begin to collapse upon contact, Canabalt-style.

The game features a lively spy-capers sort of soundtrack and utilizes an onscreen stick and buttons for negotiating the endless series of rooftops that lay in wait. OpenFeint integration tracks online scores and achievements along the way.

The final version of the game should be arriving in the next few weeks.

As someone who's been a gamer for 30 years now, I must say things have come a long way from those distant, humble beginnings.

A few crude black and white blocks turned into somewhat less crude color blocks, which became much nicer looking high-palette pixel art and -- flash forward 20 years -- we've got expansive 3D worlds rendered sharper than a high-definition feature film. Technology marches ever on and, along the way, has brought gamers a vast array of computers and consoles, each a step forward from the one that came before. And the largest single step forward along these lines that ever took place was unquestionably the arrival of the Amiga from Commodore.

At half the price of the Macintosh and a quarter the price of IBM's meatiest desktop, the Amiga, which PC World called the seventh greatest computer of all time, delivered vastly more capable hardware than either, along with a fully preemptive multitasking UNIX-like operating system. Nothing of the likes of its graphics and audio capabilities had ever been seen before. It excelled in gaming and this new sort of thing called "multimedia" that, at the time, people really didn't know what to make of. It really was 10 years before its time.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Amiga and a number of tech sites are taking the opportunity to pay tribute to this infulential platform with retrospectives and historical pieces. And, we're happy to report that Amiga and iPhone developer Rabah Shihab is honoring the occasion by dropping the price of Babylonian Twins for the iPhone [App Store] by 75% this weekend.

We took a close look at this reimagining of his 17-year old Amiga title back in April and found it to be one of the very best iPhone games out there (we gave it 4.5 stars). An iPad version is also available [App Store].

Babylonian Twins is s a puzzle-platformer with two-character tag-team type play. You control brothers Nasir and Blasir in order to solve each levels. Each character has some special abilities, but only one can be active at once. Switching between the two is as simple as tapping on a button — leaving the unplayed character as a statue. You'll find you need to tag team to make your way past puzzles and obstacles, and even use the other character as a springboard to jump higher. Blasir can jump higher, and dash into walls, while Nasir spin to break through weakened floors. The game is a collaborative effort between the two characters.

The game has been entirely revamped since the original Amiga version and includes all new graphics and audio.

And, while Babylonian Twins is a truly excellent title, it's not the only quality Amiga conversion in the App store. Not by a long shot. And, thanks to Manomio, among others, we're in for a lot more Amiga game goodness in the App Store later this year.

Related Amiga links:

• Amiga: 25 Years Later
• Shadow of the 16-bit Beast: an Amiga gaming retrospective
• Ars Technica's A History of the Amiga (parts 1 - 6)
• Amiga.org community

The original Across Age [$5.99 / Free] was released in February, and in our review we detailed all the things we liked about the game, ranging from its fantastic sprite-based graphics to its delightfully cliche yet somehow still engaging plot that involved saving the world from an evil magician.

Across Age is an RPG loaded with puzzles that take advantage of the game's two main gameplay mechanics: Being able to control two separate characters at once, and heaps of time travel. The game also features massive bosses, which everyone loves, and of course each boss has its own gimmick (usually utilizing an ability you just unlocked) which must be exploited to defeat it. Overall, I had a fun time playing through Across Age as it tickled both my nostalgia for similar games of the Super Nintendo era, while being just fresh enough to not feel blatantly "inspired" by those same games.

FDG Entertainment has been hard at work on an iPad version of the game, and have redrawn all of the graphics in the process. The HD version also has combat and character movement tweaks with customizable on-screen controls. There's even going to be a bonus dungeon and boss fight, which hopefully will be cool enough to give players a reason go play through the game again if they've already beat it on the iPhone or iPod touch.

FDG is planning on releasing Across Age HD sometime next month for $7.99. The screenshots they've sent us so far look awesome, and I can't wait to run through the game again on my iPad.

An official version of Risk [$4.99] just hit the App Store, and as I mentioned in the roundup from the recent EA event, this really seems like too little too late from the massive game developer. When third party software first graced the iPhone, it wasn't hard to see the potential that the touch interface had for board games, and this potential only grew as Apple implemented push notifications which allowed developers to create some extremely robust asynchronous multiplayer experiences. An absolutely fantastic example of this in the classic board game arena is Carcassonne [$4.99] which we detailed in our review not too long ago. In Carcassonne, developers The Coding Monkeys masterfully duplicated the board game while providing more single player and multiplayer features than I think anyone was expecting when we first heard of the game.

In Risk: The Official Game, EA brings a fully licensed version of Risk to the App Store with futuristic looking graphics, a decent soundtrack, and all the same army fortifying dice rolling gameplay that has been evolving for the last 50 years through various iterations of the board game. You can either play single player against AI opponents, or play local multiplayer with up to 6 players on a single device, or up to 4 players with their own devices via WiFi or Bluetooth. There's a decent amount of stat tracking and achievements in game, but that's where the bells and whistles stop.

The problem with Risk is that the brand name is so powerful that I think that most people who are downloading it are just thinking, "Oh, finally, Risk for the iPhone!" without being aware of the many other better alternatives which aren't exactly the same as Risk, but scratch the same strategic dice rolling itch-- Often with much more content, options, and game modes. If this applies to you, here are just a few of the better Risk knock-offs available on the App Store:

Lux DLX 2, $4.99 - This world conquest game which recently was updated to version 2.0 sports universal compatibility between the iPhone and iPad, single device multiplayer, challenging AI, and tons of new maps to play that can be downloaded within the game for free. If you want to try Lux before buying, there are two different free versions, Lux Touch, and Lux USA which are also universal apps.

Generals - Online Global Conquest!, $2.99 - Where Generals lacks in multiple maps it more than makes up for in the online multiplayer department. Like most Risk-like games, you can play locally on one device with human or AI opponents and Generals also allows you to organize online games over WiFi or 3G. Currently, games are played in real time online, but the developers are working on an update to add push notifications to allow for up to 20 games to be played simultaneously as well as more online game modes. The free version has ads and no multiplayer, but will give you a good idea of what you're getting in to.

Strategery, $1.99 - Also a universal app, Strategery boasts single player, single device multiplayer, and online multiplayer with push notifications. My favorite thing about Strategery is that it randomly generates maps of four different sizes, which always keeps things fresh since you need to develop new strategies on the fly instead of just going by your old standby of building up armies in Australia. Strategery Lite is also available, which doesn't have any ads but lacks a few gameplay options and online multiplayer.

Dominion, $1.99 - Like the other games already mentioned, Dominion has local and online multiplayer with either classic world domination mode or objective based games. It has multiple maps and a full featured online component with asynchronous push alert powered play, player statistics, and a bunch of other goodies. Unfortunately, Dominion isn't universal so if you don't want to run the game pixel doubled on your iPad you will have to spring for Dominion HD.

Unless you really really need to play the official Risk game for some reason, I'd really give any of the four previously mentioned games a spin if you're looking for some awesome online world conquest action. At least for me, board games are exponentially more fun when you're playing with real people, and if the success of Words With Friends [$2.99 / Free] is any indication, most tend to agree.

If you've ever had the desire to live the life of a dastardly pirate (and really, who hasn't?), then the new game Plunderland [$2.99 from developer JohnnyTwoShoes gives you the opportunity to do just that. The game features sharp, colorful graphics that take advantage of the iPhone 4's Retina Display and a mixture of touch and tilt controls that make it easy to wreak havoc on the open seas. Don't let the cute graphics fool you however, as these pirates are vile to the core. With a simple pickup and play style, many interactive ways to dispatch enemies, an upgradeable ship, and some of the most charming visuals I've seen, Plunderland should satisfy your craving to loot and pillage.

Plunderland consists of left to right scrolling levels where you must collect as much loot as possible while dispatching anybody or anything that gets in your way. Your ship operates on a 2D plane and tilting the device moves the ship left and right. Touching the ship brings up the firing line of your cannon and moving your finger changes the trajectory of that line, with a shot being fired by letting go of the screen. An underlying physics system affects everything in Plunderland, and as such firing the cannon accurately in the heat of battle can be a bit imprecise due to the force of each blast throwing your ship off kilter. It's a fairly minor nuisance though, and overall commanding your ship is a lot of fun.

The neatest thing about Plunderland is how much interaction there is with the game world. Characters can be picked up, flung, drowned underwater, slammed into the ground, set on fire, and more. It's very reminiscent of Pocket God [99¢, and is incredibly enjoyable in a sadistic way. Aside from messing with the British Army enemies and indigenous island inhabitants, you can also manipulate inanimate objects in Plunderland. My favorite method of dispatching enemy vessels is to wait for them to fire their cannon and then quickly snatch the cannonball out of the air with my finger and sling it back into their own ship. This usually causes more damage than using your own firepower, often ripping the enemy ship right in half. Needless to say, it's hugely satisfying.

The underlying goal of Plunderland, besides just making it to the end of each level with your ship and crew intact, is collecting loot. This loot is obtained by destroying ships or structures, picking up the island natives and vigorously shaking it out of them, demolishing totem poles or tiki towers on the islands, or finding a treasure chest buried where you see an “X” marked in the ground. The loot that you collect can be used to upgrade your ship's weapons and equipment, like adding a crow's nest to be alerted of enemies sooner or a new ornament for the bow. The amount of money it takes to buy some of these items is quite large, and you'll have to replay many of the levels in order to amass enough to buy everything. Luckily, the game is fun enough that replaying them isn't a problem at all.

In the end, Plunderland is a great fit for the iPhone. The graphics are really appealing, especially on the iPhone 4's screen, and the game just oozes personality. It will keep you plenty busy with 20 levels spread across three main campaigns and one survival campaign, as well as the many different upgrades to collect. There's a distinct satisfaction to killing and pillaging innocent people, and then spending the ill-gotten money on your own selfish endeavors. Plus each level has bronze, silver, and gold levels of completion along with a hidden fish head to discover in each one. If you've been looking for something to appeal to your sadistic pirate side, look no further than Plunderland.

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Fishlabs' latest addition to the App Store is a modern take on the arcade classic, Missile Command. While we've seen a few games adopt this formula, none have looked as darn pretty as Earth Defender [99¢]. Earth Defender's interpretation of Missile Command on the iOS devices dispenses with the missiles launching from Earth, and opts for a more responsive explosion-on-touch mechanic. The swarms of multi-colored aliens descending on our fair planet won't know what hits them when a well placed bomb explodes in their faces. Of course, where would Missile Command be without chaining; Earth Defender ensuring that explosions from one alien will in-turn kill others nearby, allowing for well placed screen clearing multipliers.

Earth Defender is host to a variety of weapons and a horde of aliens to use them on. Weapons include a few very different effects that will need to be used differently to adapt to the circumstances. The black hole bomb for instance, will suck up the smaller critters, but are usually limited in number. The electrical bomb will zap any enemies near the blast radius and is used almost as a mine to pre-empt attacks. Weapons are gradually updated in size and power too, level-to-level, to accommodate for the greater difficulty.

Enemies generally take the form of two types-- those that can be killed by bombs, and those that can't. For the latter, you need to hold your finger over the enemy to charge an electrical bolt from Earth, slowly whittling them down. There are 14 different enemy types in the game; with some of the more interesting ones cloaking at random, or combining to launch a suicide attack against your shields.

To defend against the onslaught, the Earth has 3 shields barriers divided into multiple segments. Enemies target these segments, either with their own bombs, or by very damaging kamikaze runs. If they happen to pierce through any part of the 3-layered shield, an invasion warning begins, indicating the descent of the alien mothership. It's up to you to kill enough enemies to then generate a shield power-up in time, or risk losing the Earth entirely. Power-up drops are fortunately frequent and forgiving, so this really only becomes an issue when you are seriously in trouble.

For all that the Earth Defender description touts its boss fights, we found this to be the weakest area of the game. Essentially, one snake-like boss attacks multiple times (until the final boss), narrowly escaping you each time until you finally dispense with him. We would have liked to see different bosses with different attack patterns that require a more measured use of the various bombs at your disposal. This is a criticism that may be leveled at the game as a whole too, though-- as bombs are not selectable and power-ups simply replace the bomb in your possession-- allowing for no real strategic use of weapons.

Earth Defender looks and sounds fantastic, and plays just as frantically as Missile Command of old. You will quickly become overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies launching at your shields, and the difficulty of the last few levels is considerable. Unfortunately, Earth Defender doesn't escape the feeling that after the first few levels you've seen it all; with the basic gameplay simply increasing in pace. Instead, we would have loved to see levels or bosses that require you to fully explore your arsenal. Still, Earth Defender is a true-to-its-roots Missile Command inspired game; and with 5-finger multi-touch and OpenFeint, should really appeal to fans of the genre.

Donut Games has just set three of their premium titles to free during their “Crazy Summer” promotion. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we love Donut Games. The wonderful pixel art graphics and simple game concepts are a perfect fit for iPhone gaming. Their games are hardly ever priced at more than a dollar, so it's not hard saying that purchasing any of their games is money well spent. However, if you've ever been on the fence over grabbing any of these three titles, you have no reason not to now as they've gone temporarily free.

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Castle Smasher – One of the earliest offerings from Donut Games, Castle Smasher has you launching stones from a catapult towards a castle in an effort to demolish it to the ground. A recent 2.0 update added a tremendous amount of new content to the game, which we detailed in an article last month. If you enjoy something like Angry Birds, then you should surely enjoy Castle Smasher.

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Traffic Rush – Traffic Rush is a fairly simple traffic direction game. Cars enter from all sides of the screen moving towards a four way intersection. You must decide when to stop cars and when to speed them through in order to avoid having any collisions. If an accident occurs, it's game over. The action picks up fairly quickly as more and faster cars start to come, and the game can get incredibly hectic and fun. If you like line drawing games like Harbor Master or Flight Control, but could do without the actual drawing of lines, Traffic Rush should be a great fit.

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Cat Physics – A cute physics puzzler that tasks you with directing a ball from one kitty to another. Arrows can be placed about on each level that redirect where your ball will go, allowing you to make your way past the obstacles in it's path. I've seen a pretty overwhelming response to Cat Physics from gamers of all ages, and we loved the game in our review from May. Finding just the perfect placement of the arrows ensures you can maximize your score, and if you like puzzle games Cat Physics is a winner.

The latest game from development studio Appstar, founded by industry legends David Crane and Garry Kitchen, is called Fling Pong – The Planets [$1.99], and is an arcade game with an odd premise. In Fling Pong, you're tasked with bouncing ping pong balls off the ground and landing them into a set of targets against a wall. The targets here are actually planets, and the concept is similar in a way to playing a game of skee-ball with the rolling of the ball replaced with bouncing. The presentation is really well done, with great looking graphics and excellent music, and altogether Fling Pong ends up being a simple but fun casual game.

The play field in Fling Pong is a small three dimensional room. On the back wall of the room are various planets from our solar system. Touching the screen displays a ping pong ball and a short downward swipe bounces the ball off the floor of the room and against the back wall. The object is to bounce the ball into the planets, with points awarded based on the size of the planet. This gets more complicated while the levels progress as the planets scroll across the screen at varying speeds or even move in a circular fashion, being larger the closer they are to you and smaller as they move farther away . Occasionally a planet will be lit up signifying that it's worth double points if you happen to hit it during that time.

The gameplay is surprisingly fun as it's a great feeling to bounce a ball just right and nail a tiny planet on the wall. There's a set score you must achieve in a certain amount of time for each level, and a rocket bonus that can be earned which accurately shoots five consecutive balls into whichever planets you choose. The bouncing of the ball can feel ultra-sensitive, but this actually realistically conveys the near-weightlessness of a ping pong ball. My biggest issue with the game is it seems that some balls will go in when it appears you've hit the outside of a target, and conversely others seem to bounce right off even if you hit dead center. These minor issues don't ruin the game though, and it's still oddly satisfying to fling the ping pong balls towards the planets.

If you're unfamiliar with Appstar, we detailed the formation of the company back in February and reviewed their inaugural iPhone game Iron Horse when it was released in May. We liked Iron Horse for it's simple gameplay and authentic depiction of classic locomotives throughout history. Fling Pong is similar in that it uses a simple idea and high quality production values, with planet graphics that are actual photographs taken with the Hubble Telescope from space. Certainly a far cry from the many “doodle” games in the App Store, and I appreciate the realistic approach to the visuals (which look especially remarkable in the iPad version). Beyond that, Fling Pong – The Planets is also pretty darn fun, and with 32 levels, OpenFeint integration, and a phenomenal musical score, it should keep you entertained for some time.

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