Fruit Ninja Lite, Free - One of the standout developers of 2010 was Halfbrick Studios, and with the year coming to a close they have some newsworthy items to end on a high note with. Back in April, they released Fruit Ninja [99¢] to the App Store and it quickly shot up to the top of the charts and has remained at a relatively high position ever since. There is something strangely appealing about slicing up fruit on a touch screen, and the game was a completely unique idea and a novel use of the device's strengths. A few months later an iPad version was launched, Fruit Ninja HD [99¢], which added a fun same-device multiplayer mode and a larger play area.

Many of us already own Fruit Ninja, but if you're one of the few who never understood what the fuss was about, and weren't about to spend the money to find out, Halfbrick now has you covered with two brand new lite versions, Fruit Ninja Lite [Free] and Fruit Ninja HD Lite [Free]. If you try the game out and end up liking it, the iPhone version can be picked up for 99¢ and for a limited time the iPad version can also be had for 99¢, down from $4.99. Both versions of Fruit Ninja also come with the brand new Arcade mode and online multiplayer using Game Center.

Age of Zombies™, $0.99 - If you're looking for a side of Steakfries to go with your free fruit, Halfbrick has you covered here as well. Age of Zombies [99¢/Lite] just received its latest update with a number of new enhancements. First is the ability to select and replay any completed level from Story Mode, rather than having to start at the beginning each time, and 3 brand new maps for Survival Mode. Also, the scores from Game Center or OpenFeint can now be pulled down directly into the game while you're playing, so you always know onscreen what the next online score is that you need to beat. If you do overtake someone on the leaderboards, a little dialogue will drop down with some smack talk from Barry towards the other player.

Finally, in the spirit of Christmas, Barry has donned a Santa hat and candy cane gun to dispatch the new elf zombies that permeate the game. In addition Age of Zombies is currently experiencing its first ever sale, and just like with Fruit Ninja HD it can be purchased for just 99¢ for a limited time. Make sure to take either of the Fruit Ninja games for a test drive with the new lite versions, and if you own Age of Zombies mash away at your update button and give the new content a spin. Also don't forget to jump on these 99¢ sales while they last, and after a year of great games from Halfbrick I can't wait to see what they in store for us in 2011.

'Tis the season of giving, and in recognition of this six independent iOS developers have banded together to not only give you a great deal on their games, but also give some cheer to less fortunate gamers around the world. From December 21st to December 31st, 6 games will be available individually on the App Store for just 99¢ each, one of which has notoriously never been on sale before: Canabalt. It's all for a good cause, though, as one-third of all total sales earned during this promotion period will be donated to Child's Play Charity, an organization that collects video games, toys, books, money, and more for children who are spending time ill in hospitals throughout North America and the world.

Here is a list of App Store links to the 6 games that are 99¢ as part of the Indie sale along with links to each developer's website and our review for each game:

• Canabalt, by Semi Secret Software - Review

• Solipskier, by Mikengreg - Review

• Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, by Tiger Style Games - Review

• Osmos, by Hemisphere Games - Review

• Eliss, by Steph Thirion - Review

• Drop7, by Area/Code Inc. - Review

I could easily talk about each of these games at great length, but the bottom line is that they are all superb games in their own right and are all worth owning if you don't already. Even if you do own some of them, it wouldn't be a bad idea to gift them to some of your iOS owning family and friends while they're on sale, and you can feel good knowing you've contributed to helping kids in need during the Holiday season. You can visit the Indiesale.com website for some more information about the promotion, as well as a link to some bonus wallpapers and ringtones from these developers.

At the beginning of this month, I had the chance to check out all of EA Mobile's holiday lineup at a special hands-on event in San Francisco. There were a number of interesting titles on display, most of which have since been released to the App Store. But there was one title that was easily the show-stopper of them all: Dead Space. This mobilized version of the 2008 console hit looked stunning for an iOS title, and surprisingly encompassed just about all of the gameplay aspects that you would find in the original console release.

Story-wise, the iOS version of Dead Space will act as a link between the original game and the upcoming Dead Space 2 on consoles. There has been a lot of talk in our forums about the possibility that Dead Space would be on rails, and with the recently released games Rage HD [$1.99] and Infinity Blade [$5.99] that focused on limited mobility (though both are still quite excellent), I can see where they're coming from.  After actually playing the game though, I can put those worries at ease as Dead Space is a full-mobility third-person shooter just like its bigger console brother. The onscreen HUD is minimalist, and the controls use a touch anywhere movement scheme and some intuitive gestures for performing actions in the game.

The first level of the preview version I played took place on a moving tram-like platform, and I had to take out enemies that popped up as the platform made its way down a creepy tunnel. Here, mobility was limited to the tiny platform, but once it arrived at its destination, a control station, the game allowed for movement and exploration. There wasn't much time to explore, though, as immediately enemies descended upon me once again. After alleviating enemies of their various limbs, and dispatching the ones that kept on crawling after me, I was able to visit a computer console where I could upgrade my weapons. After that it was time to move onto the next portion of the station, and that's where the much-too-brief demo ended.

What I took away from Dead Space on iOS is that it's one of the most visually striking games I've seen thus far. The lighting and atmosphere of the levels is almost up to par with the console games, and from what I can tell it will come close to matching all the same gameplay functionality as well. Despite the minimal UI, there's a complex control system underlying the gameplay in Dead Space, and it's not something that was easily grasped in a 10 minute hands-on demo but it piqued my interest enough that I can't wait to dive into the final release. Hopefully that won't be too far off, as EA has told us that Dead Space should launch sometime in January, so drop by the discussion thread in our forums to pass the time until launch next month.

Soon, Secret of Mana for the iOS will be released in North America and I'd like to go ahead and put some skeptics' fears at ease: it appears to be a faithful, technically sound port of its SNES source material. Exhaling feels good, doesn't it?

This means, though, that all the issues of the original are present. In that weird, overly sentimental way, I want Secret of Mana to retain its baggage. It wouldn't feel… so right otherwise. Perhaps you share this thought. If you don't, beware.

The controls are the lone new feature I've noticed. Square has implemented a virtual controller into the game, allowing for basic movement and action. Flicks and swipes control the radial menus, while character selection can be done via taps. Strangely, you can't interact with the environment by tapping into it. You'll need to use a context-sensitive action button to do so.

Overall, the controls are serviceable. Despite its appearance as a hack-and-slash type of RPG, the action in Secret of Mana is pretty spaced out, meaning the occasional slip-up and response delay associated with using a virtual button spread doesn't interfere with the experience too much. That said, whenever the game does require precision or fast actions, you'll probably be left wanting a controller. But do note, again, that the controls are serviceable. You don't need a controller, but hey, wouldn't it be nice? Also, wouldn't it be awesome to own a Ferrari?

And, really, this is a Ferrari of classic RPGs. Go out and give it a spin if you're a fan or a newcomer. It's a great game and this is a pretty good port.

App Store Link: Secret of Mana, $8.99 (Will be available in US App Store at 11:00 PM EST.)

It's a good time to be a fan of Telltale Games. If you haven't noticed already, the prices of most of Telltale's games are now a mere 99 cents on the App Store.

What's the occasion, you ask? The cuts are in celebration of the release of Monkey Island Tales 1 HD [$6.99] for the iPad, Telltale tells us. And while the sale doesn't actually include the new release, it's nice to save some cash on the companies' other solid titles.

Here's the full list of the games on sale:

• Puzzle Agent -- .99
• Puzzle Agent HD -- .99
• Sam & Max Episode 1: The Penal Zone -- .99
• Wallace & Gromit The Last Resort -- .99

I think I think that Puzzle Agent is the most remarkable game on this list. It has its share of logic flaws, technical baggage, and interface woes, but it rises above all of it with sheer strength of character, oddness, and unique gameplay. I also think that most Sam & Max fans would agree on this same point in regards to The Penal Zone, too. That game, for sure, has tons of technical issues, but Telltale successfully turns the adventure game formula on its head with Max's newfound time-travel power. You'll see solutions before you see the puzzles and then have to work backwards to solve them. Wild stuff!

Of course, Monkey Island Tales 1 HD is the best of the bunch and it comes highly recommended, though it's not on sale. Sad face. Oh! And this sale ends on January 3, 2011. Buy if you want while you can.

One of the best things about the App Store is when a developer releases something completely out of the blue that's totally ridiculous, and likely never would have seen the light of day on any other platform. Rappin' Granny [99¢] is one such project, created by Nathan Hunley who also happens to be half of Igloo Games, the guys behind Dizzy Bee [99¢].

The premise of the game is simple. A rappin' granny struts down a hallway dishing out presents which you have to give to the correct recipient. In order to figure out who to give which present to, you have to listen to the rap which is filled with clues. These clues initially start out very simple, but get tricky later in the rap as you're forced to determine who someone's wife is, for instance.

The entire game is wrapped around a scoring system that awards more if you're able to deliver the presents to the beat. Also, you can score bonus points by flicking presents to their recipient instead of dragging them to their hands. The granny's rap is funny, the gameplay is silly, and the music of the game has a real PaRappa The Rapper feel to it.

Unfortunately, the down side of the game is that the rap stays the same. Once you memorize the game, all that's really left to do is play through it again and again to beat your high score. I would have loved to see some kind of variation either from randomization of the different verses, or something that prevents you from just memorizing everything. Regardless, this is an extremely cute game that will be easily enjoyed by anyone who likes the quirky side of the App Store.

Few releases on the App Store have made me squeal in greater delight than Hudson's TurboGrafx-16 GameBox [Free], for several reasons. First off, while most were busy arguing whether or not Sega does what Nintendon't, I was busy having the time of my life playing classics such as Blazing Lazers, Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, and Bonk's Adventure. Secondly, this might be one of the best implementations of a console emulator we've seen so far on the App Store.

Downloading the actual emulator itself is completely free, which gets you access to World Sports Competition as well as a daily rotating free demo game which you can play for three minutes. (Today's is Salamander.) From there, you can view the catalog of currently available games, which it sounds like Husdon has plans to constantly expand. These games are $2.99 each, and once you unlock them via in-app purchase you can play them to your heart's content.

Much like the original TurboGrafx-16 system, the emulator has a D-pad and two buttons, along with a turbo mode for each button that can be toggled on and off. The games I've tried control about as well as you would expect a console game designed for a controller to play with virtual controls. They're entirely workable, but don't expect the same precision as a physical controller.

The controls situation is alleviated somewhat by a great save state system that allows you to save and resume games at any time. If a jump is coming up that's particularly tricky, just save your game state, attempt it, and instantly load where you were again if you fail. Sure, it's a little cheesy, but it has substantially lessened the frustration I usually experience when I die in these types of classic ports due to the lack of precision from virtual controls.

Right now the game selection in the emulator isn't the best, and aside from the previously mentioned World Sports Competiton and Salamander, it also comes packed with Gradius, R-Type, Bonk's Adventure, Bomberman '94, New Adventure Island, Vigilante, Ninja Spirit, Military Madness, Victor Run, Soldier Blade, Jaseiken Necromander, Dungeon Explorer, World Class Baseball, and China Warrior.

TurboGrafx-16 GameBox is a marvelous emulator packed with nostalgia for anyone around during the TurboGrafx-16 glory days. It's substantially cheaper than picking up a TurboExpress and the real game cards... which is easier said than done due to the systems being afflicted by the capacitor plague, making functional units very hard to come by. There are a ton of games I'd like to see included with future updates, but this is a great start. Now only if Sega would release something like this instead of packaging all their games individually...

While we weren't too crazy about Dungeon Defenders: First Wave [$2.99] in our review, the latest news from Trendy Entertainment is really cool. In an upcoming update, the game is going to have completely cross-platform multiplayer. How cross-platform? Well, the following video shows the game being played with an iPad, two different Android devices, and on a PC:

Characters are also going to be completely portable between platforms as well. Prior to this announcement, we've seen some cross-platform multiplayer on the App Store such as Homerun Battle 3D, but I haven't seen anything like this before. The thought of being able to bring my iPad over to a friends' house and play in a multiplayer game with them that they're playing on their PC feels like the future.

We've been having a great time with Aralon: Sword and Shadow HD [$6.99] as evident by our review from last week, but there is no denying the fact that the game's initial release was a little rough around the edges. It didn't stop us from enjoying it, but we're extremely happy to see Crescent Moon Games hard at work releasing updates to tweak the game. Animations have been approved for both fishing and pick pocketing, in addition, NPCs also have gotten some new animations and greetings.

Graphical and performance enhancements have been made which makes the game run and look better, and spell effects have also been improved. In the additional content department, there are new quests, crafting recipes, items, and more. Also, in your travels you will come across both mage and troll henchmen that will aid you. Two new shops have opened as well, one in the city and one in Taryn Ridge.

Various improvements have made to the game's dungeons including souping up boss battles, and Crescent Moon addressed some of the crashes players were experiencing along with implementing a bucket full of other bug fixes and balance tweaks. If you were waiting to pick up Aralon to see what happens with future updates, now is your chance. We've also heard from Crescent Moon that they're hard at work on another update, and plan to implement as much as they can from the Aralon suggestions thread on our forums.

The first Infinity Blade [$5.99] update Chair Entertainment spoke about last week is coming tomorrow, according to a recent press release. As mentioned, this "booster pack" raises the game's cap to 40 to 45 courtesy of the five new swords, shields, helmets and the additional set of armor it adds. The update also adds the Marrow Fiend to the game, the first of several new enemies promised to come in later updates.

There are a couple of surprises bundled into this booster as well. One of those aforementioned helmets will be a "Santa-themed" helm. Also, Chair has added the ability to listen to your own music while playing through the game on top of several bug fixes and "optimizations."

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that this update will allow you to purchase gold in the game with real world cash. Chair PR says it's added this due to "popular demand," but something tells us the smell and taste of green was a great motivator, too. And good on them, really. Chair created a fantastic game, released it at a low price, and deserves the extra money.

However, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the game's precious balance is maintained in future updates and DLC -- either paid or free -- moving forward. I'd hate not to get rewarded with as much gold as I'm accustomed to because people like to buy fake currency with real currency. Benefit of the doubt, though. Again, Chair did a bang-up job on Infinity Blade. It's one of the coolest iOS titles this year, for sure.

Dungeon Defenders [$2.99] is an ambitious title full of carrots that propel a basic hack-and-slash experience. It also has systems and content out the wazoo, providing a level of good depth rarely seen in App Store titles. But as effective as its smoke and mirrors are, and as much as it has to offer, its controls and interface are a pain to use and navigate, making it hard to recommend.

A lazy bit of shorthand to describe Dungeon Defenders is "Diablo meets Tower Defense." Dungeon Defenders has the hack-and-slash appeal and the character classes from the former, and the tower building and flow of the latter. Overall, the two mesh into a good whole, providing a ceaseless stream of stimuli to play with.

You'll spend more time hammering away at fantasy foes with the "action" button than anything else, but this basic offense is always in the service of defense of large, neon-blue crystals that sit in the middle of the game's instance-based levels. These crystals have their own health meters, and if foes manage to pummel it to zero, it's game over.

What makes defense manageable is the scripting and flow. A preset number of monsters amble out of spawn doors on scripted routes during each "Wave" of play. You can choose to confront these foes with weapon in hand or set up defensive towers via a character-specific radial menu. But maps are huge and enemies spawn in every possible corner, so towers quickly become the star of the show.

The placement of towers versus your decision to be in a certain place during a certain "Wave" is satisfying and rewarding. And there's no shortage of towers. Each of the four character classes -- the mage, the archer, the knight, and the warrior monk -- have different spins on the same five or so towers, presenting some unique gameplay opportunities when coupled with the Rock, Paper, Scissors nature of the strategy you'll need to consider.

Player-side, the combat boils down to basic hack-and-slash. Each of the classes do bring their own style of combat, which helps to mix it up, and the loot and grind lust that the game encourages with its constant drops keeps things interesting, too.

Dungeon Defenders has a neat online multiplayer compliment to the play and the characters are balanced in such a way to provide a rich experience. The catch is that the single-player balance is off, so you'll need to get with some pals to push through the later levels.

For the most part, the network code appears to be stable. You'll encounter a fair amount of latency and matchmaking oddness as you get into and attempt to find matches. And the lack of voice chat is annoying on a fundamental strategy level.

If the game controlled well, this would easily be a highly recommended game. Alas, the controls and interface are terrible. It's painfully obvious that this is a game designed foremost and balanced for a dual-analog controller. Instead of integrating good touch-based controls, Trendy Entertainment has chose to just put all of a controller's functionality up on the screen. It's littered with buttons, bubbles, and dials to the extent that they obscure play.

But Dungeon Defenders is also fundamentally an awkward game to move around in, in part, due to the terrible 3D camera which needs to be babysat with an on-screen pad. As you can see below in the image of the game's overlay, the camera control is not in a convenient or intuitive location, meaning you have to take your eyes and hands off the action in order to swivel the camera to a sensible spot. Also, a virtual d-pad for movement?

(Edit:  There's a virtual joystick-less control option that you can turn on from the game's menu, but it's no good.)

Dungeon Defenders iOS is a deep, sometimes entertaining game… but the controls are a core, critical, nasty flaw that I don't think can be "fixed" or addressed in any meaningful way. The game, quite simply, requires all the stuff the UI is lit up with. There's a chance that if you're the kind of guy who can play, say, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light without issues, you might be able to get into this one. If you're not, I'd stay away from Dungeon Defenders until it hits Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, and PC at some point.

Just a note: Dungeon Defenders is a Universal App. Playing on an iPad does reduce the UI clutter by virtue of being a bigger screen, but it's still a mess and doesn't alleviate any of overwhelming button overload going on here.

It was just a few days ago that we received some new information regarding the iOS release of classic RPG Secret of Mana from the Square Enix Facebook page. While hearing any news about the game's progress is always encouraging, it was little more than a tease as they still hadn't announced a concrete release date or pricing for the highly anticipated title. Well it looks like they didn't want to keep us in suspense for too long, as Secret of Mana has finally released in the New Zealand App Store.

As with all set release dates, Secret of Mana has appeared in the NZ App Store first where the calendar has already turned to December 21st, the game's official release date. This means the game will slowly become available throughout other countries' App Stores as the world spins on its axis and other time zones can catch up. Secret of Mana should finally hit the US App Store tonight at 11pm EST, at an expected price of $8.99. Early discussion of the title is already filtering into our forums, and we'll take a closer look at Secret of Mana once we get our grubby American paws on it later tonight.

After the deluge of new releases over the last couple of weeks, there has been an almost equal amount of updates to current games recently. While it's exciting to dive into brand new game experiences, it can be just as fun to receive an update for an already released game that adds functionality and breathes new life into the gameplay. Here is a quick summary of some of the more significant updates that have hit in the past several days or so.

Max Adventure, $0.99 It was just last week that we reviewed Max Adventure, the newest game from Imangi Studios, and already the game has received its first content update. Max Adventure is a dual-stick shooter that follows the story of a small boy who must defend the planet from an alien invasion. Despite the exorbitant amount of dual-stick shooters on the App Store, Max Adventure manages to stand out with its cute presentation and varied gameplay across a lengthy campaign and survival mode.

With this latest update there is now a brand new survival map to play on, as well as some gameplay tweaks and bug fixes. In addition, you can now take advantage of the video out feature of your iPad or 4th generation iPhone/iPod touch and play Max Adventure on the big screen using your device as a controller. We already liked Max Adventure quite a bit when it came out last Tuesday, and it's nice to see the game get an update so quickly. We'll be looking forward to what other treats are in store for Max Adventure in the future, and you can pick up the game while it's still on sale for 99¢.

Beast Boxing 3D, $1.99 Last month we reviewed Beast Boxing 3D, an arcade-style boxing game with gorgeous 3D graphics and the soul of Punch-Out! at the core of its gameplay. One area where Beast Boxing 3D was lacking though was in the replay value department, as once you made your way through the roster of fighters in the campaign there wasn't a whole lot of reason to go back and keep playing. Developer Goodhustle Studios has addressed this with a new 1.2 update that adds an endless survival mode.

You could always go back and rematch opponents you had defeated in the campaign before, but the endless mode actually gives you a purpose to do so which makes it much more fun. In addition, the responsiveness of the controls and the ability to pull off combos has been tightened up, as well as a number of other performance optimizations. Finally, two new characters have been added to rematch mode – a Santa character and a (somewhat late) Pilgrim character. If you finished Beast Boxing 3D previously and need a reason to go back, check out the endless mode in the latest update. Also there is a lite version to try and the full version is currently on sale for $1.99.

CAPCOM ARCADE, Free Capcom Arcade is a games portal that lets you play a selection of classic arcade games from developer Capcom. The game was released early last month, and we generally enjoyed it in our review, although it did have a few problems. The most glaring for me personally was that while Capcom Arcade was a free to download ad-supported game, there was no way to get rid of the ads if you ended up purchasing content in the game. The other issues stemmed from a general lack of polish in regards to the performance and controls of the arcade titles.

The latest update for Capcom Arcade addresses all of these problems, and at the same time adds a new arcade machine, Street Fighter II Champion Edition, to the collection. First off, buying any of the arcade cabinets, buying any 3 special items (read: in-game cheats), or having at least one token in your possession will disable the ads in the game. Next, the scrolling shooter 1942, which had the most significant performance problems, has been improved greatly, and I'm happy to say it now runs without a hitch. The controls have also been tweaked in a number of the games, making them easier to play. Finally, a Bluetooth multiplayer mode has been added to both of the Street Fighter II games, which is a welcome addition. As an added bonus the price to buy an arcade game has dropped to $1.99 each for a limited time, so if you had some issues with Capcom Arcade before it's worth checking out this new update and picking up some games while they're on sale.

ChuChu Rocket!, $2.99 Late last October, Sega released their iOS port of ChuChu Rocket! which we thoroughly enjoyed in our review. Less than a month later, a significant update was issued for the game that added 100 new levels to play through as well as a number of gameplay improvements and fixes. Now ChuChu Rocket! has received possibly its most exciting update yet in the form of online multiplayer for 2-4 players over Game Center in both the iPhone and iPad versions of the game.

Seeing as how the original Dreamcast release of ChuChu Rocket! was fondly remembered for being one of the first online multiplayer games on home gaming consoles, it was definitely a disappointment that the iOS version didn't initially ship with this functionality. It's in there now though thanks to this latest update, and better late than never. The online mode lets you join or host a match with random players or invite friends from your Game Center friends list. Also part of this update is a Retina Display update for capable devices and general optimizations and fixes. If you are lacking in nearby buddies to engage in the insanely fun multiplayer mode in ChuChu Rocket!, now you can get your fix by jumping online for some battles.

Last month, CAVE released Mushihimesama Bug Panic [$4.99/Lite] to the App Store. Like their previous offerings Espgaluda II [$8.99/Lite] and Dodonpachi Resurrection [$8.99/Lite], Bug Panic offered frantic bullet-hell style gameplay, intense explosions, and attractive pixel graphics. But instead of their trademark vertically scrolling shooter, Bug Panic was a dual-stick affair. We really enjoyed the game in our review, noting that it was a satisfying and unique take on the typical dual-stick shooter formula. However, Bug Panic contained a high level of difficulty, and many players felt frustrated as they got stuck at the harder levels later in the game.

CAVE has addressed this pretty effectively with the latest 1.0.1 update for Bug Panic that hit a few days ago. They have tweaked the difficulty across the board to make things more balanced, and added an auto-bomb mechanic to help prevent cheap deaths. If you have at least one explosion seed saved up (the red seeds above the charging meter that build up as you collect sap bottles), upon getting hit by an enemy or stray bullet the explosion seed will automatically detonate, creating a large blast around your character that destroys any enemies or bullets within its radius. The tradeoff is that this will wipe away any explosion seeds or collected sap bottles, but it does prevent you from losing a life and is a welcome change. The auto-bomb only works in Adventure mode, and isn't a part of the survival-like Score Trials modes.

This video explains the new auto-bomb feature, as well as gives some hints for finding the hidden Kabutans in the game:

Also worth mentioning is that since our original review a free version of Bug Panic has been made available for those who want to give the game a spin before plunking down the cash for the full version. Mushihimesama Bug Panic Lite [Free] only features the first two stages from the first world, and no Score Trial modes, but should give players an adequate taste of what to expect from the full version. In related but significantly stranger news, CAVE has also released Mushihimesama Bug Timer [Free], a kitchen timer app featuring Reco from Bug Panic. It seems like an odd thing to come from CAVE, but it's free to download and useful if you need a timer for whatever reason.

If you thought Bug Panic was a bit too hard before, check out this newest update and give the game another try. It's still a difficult game, but it feels a lot more fair with the changes that have been made. Also, make sure to give the lite version a try as Mushihimesama Bug Panic is still one of my favorite takes on the dual-stick shooter.

Zach Gage, who earlier brought us Unify and Bit Pilot, has recently released an iPad-specific musical action puzzler called Halcyon [App Store], a game with a lovely aesthetic and a powerful dose of addictiveness.

In Halcyon, the playfield consists of a number of parallel strings. Along these strings numerous, triangular "currents" of varying color travel towards each other, entering from both sides of the screen. Uninterrupted, these currents will shortly collide with one another. A collision of two like-colored currents will cause them to eliminate each other, while a collision between currents of differing colors means Game Over. The task at hand is to draw a line from one string to another, in such a way as to bridge a current to another of like color, causing an elimination. The play mechanic is somewhat reminiscent of Voxel Agents' Train Conductor.

Accompanying the gameplay is an ethereal, generative soundtrack that you are a part of, thanks to the "strums" you perform while bridging one current to another. It's a scenario that brings to mind Rez and the various musical action titles that have come since.

The game starts off easy enough, but in short order the difficulty really ramps up. But then so, too, does your understanding of the gameplay. The brief tutorial shows you the very basics, but after a bit of time with the game, you'll come to realize that there's more flexibility to the how's and where's of what you can do than you likely assumed initially, allowing for more complex strategies to be employed. I enjoyed the process of discovery, there.

The core playmode features 36 levels of play through four different environments (basically, differing color schemes, audio tracks, and string arrangements). There are two additional, endless playmodes -- Aggression and Harmony -- that add some variation to the formula. Game Center and OpenFeint integration drive your competition.

Halcyon is one of those games that's something of a Zen experience to play, but is also downright maddening, both due to the difficulty in the latter levels as well as the "Ok, just one more time!" spell it casts upon you. I've spent a fair amount of time with Halcyon so far, and I haven't yet made it all the way through. But I can promise you I won't stop playing until I do.