This one comes as a shock. In an age where gargantuan mega-corporations are gobbling up smaller development studios for prices reaching into the tens and hundreds of millions, everyone seems to want to play the guessing game of who the next acquisition will be. But I don't think this one crossed anybody's mind. Australian developer Firemint, who have been making games for over a decade but struck it big with their iOS titles Flight Control [99¢/Lite/HD] and Real Racing [$4.99/Lite/HD] in 2009, and more recently with Real Racing 2 [$9.99] in 2010, have struck a deal to buy fellow Aussie developer Infinite Interactive, who have existed for twice as long as Firemint and are most widely known for their Puzzle Quest series.

The juicy details regarding pricing weren't disclosed, but it sounds like a happy venture for all parties involved. Infinite Interactive will consolidate its team into Firemint's in their newly expanded Melbourne offices.  Steve Fawkner, founder of Infinite Interactive, will take on a management role at Firemint and continue working with his current team on a project that is already in progress. All games developed by the newly combined studios will be released under the Firemint name. It sounds like Steve Fawkner and Firemint founder Rob Murray had been flirting with the idea of collaborating on projects at various points over the last decade, and now with the combined power of their respective studios they will be able to do just that.

We'll be eager to find out exactly what kind of projects will come from the new-look Firemint, and until we get any further information regarding new titles you can drop by this discussion thread in our forums and leave your opinion about this latest merger.

Sometimes some wackiness arises due to having different iTunes and App Stores in different countries around the world. Sometimes games aren't available in certain markets, and likewise sometimes price drops don't affect every market. In this case, EA Mobile has dropped the price of Mirror's Edge for both iPhone and iPad to free for a day, but the catch is it's only in certain markets. So far, it seems most of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand are able to download either version of the game for free. The US, Canada, and most Asian countries seem to be out of luck.

While TouchArcade is a US-based website, we figure we have a big enough international audience that this sale is worth mentioning in the hopes that some of you will be able to nab the game for free. We couldn't possibly check every single App Store to see who has it for free and who doesn't, so your best bet is to just check your very own store for the game. If you're unfamiliar with Mirror's Edge for some reason, check out our review of the iPad version or our review of the iPhone version to score some knowledge on what the game is all about.

International App Store Links:

• Mirror's Edge, Free
• Mirror's Edge for iPad, Free

Regular readers have seen us mention the classic Amiga platform in various capacities over the years. An extremely influential gaming platform, the Amiga outperformed all of the consoles of its day and delivered to users the best home gaming experience that could be had (not to mention robust general purpose computing, to boot).

The Amiga's game library includes thousands of titles, many of which are just superb. We've been fortunate to see a number of Amiga classic ported to the iOS platform, opening these titles up to a new generation of gamers. A few such titles that come to mind are Flashback, Krypton Egg, Qwak, Beneath a Steel Sky, Giana Sisters, Pinball Fantasies, Pipe Mania, Babylonian Twins, and the upcoming Speedball 2, not to mention the iAmiga emulation system.

I'm happy to report that another Amiga classic is about to make its App Store debut as a native iOS title: Cope-Com's vertical shooter Battle Squadron, one of the very best Amiga shooters ever developed and a particular favorite of those of us here at TouchArcade that have spent time in front of an Amiga.

We've been in talks with Martin Pedersen and Torben Larsen of Cope-Com for weeks regarding their soon to be released iOS title. We've been tracking the game's progress and have just gotten the heads-up that it's now complete -- start to finish -- with only menu and transition elements left to be put in place. And, in celebration of the new year, the developers have given us exclusive access to a brief demonstration video showing a bit of in-game action from the iPad version.

I've been gaming for 30 years now, and can honestly say that Battle Squadron is probably my favorite 2D shooter of them all. It's a sequel to Cape-Com's Amiga shooter Hybris, which will also make its way to the App Store sometime later this year. I can't wait to get my hands on both of these titles and share reactions with our readers. Stay tuned.

Brick and mortar game peddlers will never die thanks to the creative minds of Kairosoft, the creators of Game Dev Story [$3.99 / Lite]. Hours before we donned our tinfoil hats and celebrated the New Future Year of 2011, the studio released a new game called "Waiwai! The Game Dealer" across the Japanese App Store. (Waiwai, we're told, roughly translates to "yay, yay!")

As its name and the studio's pedigree implies, Waiwai! The Game Dealer is a simulation game that puts you in the role of a game store manager, much like how GDS put you in the role of a game studio manager.  Hilariously, it appears as if you'll also dabble in the video game studio stock trade and -- get this -- offer food to your store customers.

Yeah... we're not so sure what the latter is all about, but whatever -- GDS had a monkey that could program. Screens below!

We've e-mailed the fine folks at Kairosoft to see if Waiai! The Game Dealer will be localized and we'll let you know when we find out. I think, though, that it might be safe to assume it will, provided Japanese sales are strong enough. As we've noted in the past, Kairosoft dug the reception of GDS and have confirmed that its sequel will see an English-language release. I'd imagine GDS2 won't be the end of the line for its localization efforts.

[Additional translation help given to me by owner of Rockmelon Soda, Topher! Thanks, dude!]

Here's a question we don't consider enough: what happens when a studio pulls the plug on its micro-transaction fueled games? The answer is obvious and a bit unsettling. You don't get to play anymore, and all those ad impressions you handed out, all of those extra games you downloaded in exchange for precious in-game coin, and all the real money you spent just disappears into the ether.

Unfortunately, we bring up this subject as a result of a recent ngmoco decision. The studio has announced plans to "shut down" Epic Pet Wars [Free], Epic Chef Wars [Free], Epic Crime Wars [Free], and Titan Wars [Free] on Jan. 16, 2011. After this date, these games will "no longer be playable."

Epic Pet Wars was one of ngmoco's first major acquisitions as part of a larger acquisition of developer Miraphonic in 2009. At the time, ngmoco's Plus+ platform was a fledgling one and the studio presumably wanted to flesh out its offerings utilizing Miraphonic's comparatively massive player base. Now it has dozens of Plus+ games, most of which support in-game purchases, and many which enjoyed boosts on the top download charts thanks to in-game offers from Wars games.

Games with expiration dates are a new-ish concept, though we should realistically expect all our cloud-based, online-focused romps to come to an end at some point. Business is cold and hard and if the numbers don't line up? Well, this is what happens, though I can't imagine anyone, especially the fans of these latest casualties, can be happy about it.

UPDATE: ngmoco has issued the following response:

"Withdrawing support for our games is not something we do lightly. The Epic games made a lot of people happy and will always have a special place in our hearts. We work hard maintaining and growing communities on our other games and will continue to do so. But, when the flow of players becomes low for a prolonged period we have to take these decisions so we can dedicate time to making new experiences. The harsh reality on our Epic series of games is that towards the end they did not have the level of engagement required to continue competing for users' time in an App Store that's giving players new choices daily.

We are thrilled to confirm that the creative team at Miraphonic is currently working on a new, top secret project that they have been busy creating from the ground up and we look forward to releasing news on this exciting project very soon."

After getting together to pick our official 2010 iPad and iPhone game of the year, we also had our writers compile lists of their personal favorites from the last year, and their reasons why.

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This past year was without a doubt absolutely insane for iOS gaming. Assembling our "best of" lists was an incredible task due to the sheer volume of games released, especially as things ramped up near the end of the year culminating in quite possibly the craziest Wednesday in TouchArcade history. The mad rush to play through and review as many of these Wednesday releases as possible between the time they're originally released on the New Zealand App Store and when they appear on the American App Store has made my personal gaming habits a little out of the ordinary, to say the least. My favorite games that I've spent quite a bit of 2010 playing generally are games that offer gameplay that is both conducive to quick plays and drawn out marathon sessions.

I've mentioned it a ton in my various reviews over the years, but more than anything else, I like games that make good iPhone games rather than good games that simply run on the iPhone. For instance, I love that we have highly competent ports like LEGO Harry Potter [$4.99] on the App Store, but I quickly found myself frustrated with its console-style checkpoint based save system which I honestly think has no place on any kind of portable device. When I'm not playing games for TouchArcade, my typical play sessions of games might only be a few minutes long while I'm waiting for something and decide to pull my phone out.

Also, although I don't quite feel as strongly as Brad when it comes to virtual controls, I love games that actually harness the power of the touch screen in ways beyond just plastering a D-Pad and set of buttons on the screen. Unfortunately, this isn't always possible for every game genre, and I can totally get in to virtual controls when they're both necessary and done well.

Anyway, it's impossible for me to list all my favorite games here, but here's a small selection of titles that I've invested a ridiculous amount of time in to over the last year:

Tilt to Live, $2.99 - [Lite / iPad] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I can't get enough of this game. I thought it was great when it was first released, and has only gotten better through updates with additional game modes, power-ups, and more. The art style is incredibly bright, and I really like how they've even managed to give red dots personality through different behaviors and formations. Also, few things are as satisfying as narrowly escaping death and obliterating massive amounts of red dots in one gigantic combo.

Pocket Frogs, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Freemium games have hit the App Store in a major way, and much like similar games on Facebook, your enjoyment with them seems limited to the honeymoon between discovering the game and hitting the usually not that optional pay wall. The great thing about Pocket Frogs is that it seemed to be designed to be a fun game first and a freemium revenue source second. I've played many similar games before where purchases are "optional", but Pocket Frogs was the first where they actually felt optional. Through exploring the frog pond or completing objectives you earn everything you'd ever need to keep going, unless you want to get hardcore with your frog breeding. Freemium developers have a lot to learn from NimbleBit.

Helsing's Fire, $0.99 - [Lite / iPad] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Talk about a complete package. Helsing's Fire has everything I like in an iPhone game: A great art style, fantastic touch-controls, a unique gameplay concept, and endless replay value thanks to super-difficult online puzzle challenges. I also like how nothing in Helsing's Fire is time sensitive, as between moves you can just put your phone down if you need to without issue. The developers have also kept the game fresh with updates, as there has been an entire new campaign and several other awesome additions since its initial release.

Baseball Superstars® 2011 Pro, $0.99 - [Lite] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I'm not really interested in sports, in fact, I've often remarked how much easier things would be if I were into sports as I'd always be entertained by things like whatever football game is on TV. That said, I can't get enough of the Baseball Superstars games. 2011 is little more than a slightly improved sequel over 2010, but that didn't stop me from training up an entirely new team of super players and battling online with them. Gamevil blurs the line enough between sports and RPGs that my natural instinct to fill up experience bars kicks in, making Baseball Superstars 2011 absolutely impossible to put down.

Splode, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - There are a ton of chain reaction type games on the App Store, but what has kept me interested in Splode is how they've taken such a simple gameplay concept and turned it in to something truly special using graphics and sound. I've always thought the transition from black and white to color was a really cool visual effect when used well. (Such as in the movie The Wizard of Oz.) Splode does something similar in that the game starts out dark and dreary with a cold sounding wind, and as you pop a splode, flowers bloom, the sky turns blue, and a musical note plays with each reaction. You can see how this all goes together in the Splode trailer.

MovieCat! - Movie Trivia Game, $1.99 - [Lite / iPad] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - My household consists of huge movie buffs, and as such, it seems like MovieCat! is almost always running on an iPhone at some point during the day. It has enough content in it that duplicate questions still haven't really been an issue thanks to updates and in-app purchase DLC. If you're at all interested in movie trivia, this is the game to get.

After getting together to pick our official 2010 iPad and iPhone game of the year, we also had our writers compile lists of their personal favorites from the last year, and their reasons why.

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It's truly amazing to look back at 2010 and recall just what a huge year it was for iOS gaming. This past year we saw the release of the iPad and its large, high-resolution screen that takes the multitouch interface to an entirely new level. We saw the release of the iPhone 4 which raised the bar in pocket performance, as well as in pixel density with its Retina display that is downright shocking to behold. And we saw the release of a mountain of exceptional game titles from studios large and small the world around. But what we saw most of all, I think -- what no one can presently deny -- is the clear truth that the iOS platform is, far from a lame castle, an Epic Citadel standing tall upon the console playfield.

The list of excellent iOS games released in 2010 just goes on and on, but being perhaps the most ancient gamer on the TouchArcade staff, I am particularly partial to titles that deliver a helping of retro goodness with the action, as longtime readers are likely aware. And, as such, my list of particular favorites leans generally in that direction, if not entirely. And so, I present my list of iOS titles that particularly grabbed my attention this year.

Vector Tanks EXTREME!, $0.99 - [Review] - Ahh, the glowing goodness that is Vector Tanks Extreme. I've been playing this one for nearly a year now and I still stick to my original assesment of the game: it's Battlezone on crack. Well more furious than the earlier Vector Tanks, Vector Tanks Extreme is just a ridiculous level of intense action. Kill or be killed -- and fast. It doesn't get much more white-knuckle than this superb, modern-retro iOS shooter.

Babylonian Twins Premium, $2.99 - [Review] - A reimagining of a 17-year-old Amiga title, Babylonian Twins is a gem of a game with a unique and clever two-character, tag-team play mechanic. You control brothers Nasir and Blasir in order to solve each level. Each brother has certain special abilities, but only one can be active at once. You switch from one to the other, 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. And, this one is definitely not reserved for the retro camp.

Harbor Master HD, Free - [Review] - I quite enjoyed Imangi's line-drawing strategy title Harbor Master when it first arrived for the iPhone (and not just because I've actually been to Fishing Bay). But it wasn't until the game got the big-screen, iPad HD treatment that it earned a place on my list of addictions. The extra real-estate makes all the difference for me and has made Harbor Master HD my favorite game of its sort.

GravSpace, $0.99 - [Review] - I wrote my review of Paul Carter's cave-flyer GravSpace back in March, and titled it "The Closest Thing to 'Thrust' in the App Store." And, that's really all you need to hear to make the leap towards this one. Well, that is, if you've heard of the classic 'Thrust' or appreciate the wonderful gravity game / cave-flyer genre. In a nutshell, it's Lunar Lander, in a cave system, towing cargo with a tractor beam. And it's awesome.

Geometry Warsâ„¢: Touch, $0.99 - [Review] - I bought my Xbox 360 primarily to play Geometry Wars. That game, alone, certainly justified the purchase. It's the definitive modern-retro game and is how I thought games in 2010 would feel, as a daydreaming 12-year-old back in 1984. And now, an iOS version of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 can be played on your iPhone or iPad. For $0.99. (No Xbox required.) (Epic.)

Espgaluda II, $8.99 - [Lite] – [Review] – Cave is legendary in the world of the hardcore shooter, and their App Store release of Espgaluda II brought by far the most intense shooter action to the platform that iPhone gamers had ever seen. Filed under the "bullet hell" genre, Espgaluda II is a touchscreen dance of dodging that will rattle your mind and perhaps change your assessment of just how many sprites an iOS device can kick around the screen at one time. The game was followed by the similarly excellent Dodonpachi Resurrection.

After getting together to pick our official 2010 iPad and iPhone game of the year, we also had our writers compile lists of their personal favorites from the last year, and their reasons why.

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My recent take on two higher-profile games over the last couple of weeks have left many of you resentful or sore. And while this isn't a perfect place to explain a simple belief of mine that informs my critical analysis, it'll do.

I do not think that our touch devices can recreate the feel of a controller in a satisfying way. On-screen UI, the common "workaround," is a lazy and irritating aspect of an endless list of App Store titles attempting to ape console experiences. The simple fact of the matter is that our touch devices can do two things really well: touch and swipe -- not A, B, X, or Y and analog sticks.

What makes the iPad and iPod cool is that they can offer something our Xbox 360s and PSPs can't; they can allow us to directly interact with mobile games in meaningful, totally unique, and sometimes particularly active ways. We can't, after all, stick our hands into our HDTV sets, physically tap on menu options, or carry our consoles in our pockets.

And I believe we should celebrate our touch devices because they offer a fresh and interesting way to play games that no other platform at the moment can. The good games are the ones that take advantage of our hardware. The bad games are the ones that forgo good design by pulverizing our eyes with impure UI elements or other pointless workarounds.

This was a long way of just saying this: here are five of my personal favorite iOS games of 2010, all of which use the platform as I believe it is best used.

Solipskier, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I love indie games because they're often minimal games that present a single intriguing and polished hook. No flair or filler. Solipskier is a perfect example of this, as it's game about creating Technicolor ski slopes as you ski. It's a wild and fun idea that actually comes together to create an entertaining game.

Game Dev Story, $3.99 - [Lite] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I've been writing about games and talking to dudes who make games for a little under five years now, so I think GDS hits me in a spot that it can't for people who haven't devoted their lives to games, games design, and sales. Still, GDS is a remarkable and upbeat simulation that pretty much represents the game development process in an entertaining and streamlined way. And, oh, man, are there carrots that keep you invested in GDS for entirely way too long.

Robot Unicorn Attack, $0.99 - [iPad] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - OK, I should probably use this space for Infinity Blade or Monkey Island Tales 1 HD, but damn do I love me some Robot Unicorn Attack. It's perfect for on-the-go play, getting a laugh from friends, or even scratching the itch to listen to bad euro synthetic music for a few minutes.

Yoot Tower, $7.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - A lazy bit of shorthand for Yoot Tower is to describe it as "SimCity in the Sky," and I'll continue using that because I'm lazy. But I guess I'm also using it because it's so accurate -- this is SimCity in the sky. The balancing act of keeping guests happy coupled with the need for financial gain and continuous building is satisfying and you've got to appreciate the small touches of humor and personality.

Civilization Revolution for iPad, $12.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - The iPad version of Civ Rev hit earlier this year and I've yet to put it down. I think, actually, I've spent more than 60 hours with this one. Like a good Civ, Civ Rev for iPad is complex, yet careful streamlining makes this accessible for even the most unfamiliar with the series.

Image via my pal @nasluks! Embarrassing, but fun!

After getting together to pick our official 2010 iPad and iPhone game of the year, we also had our writers compile lists of their personal favorites from the last year, and their reasons why.

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It's been an absolutely astounding year for iOS gaming, and trying to whittle down all of the amazing releases and compile lists for our year end coverage has been a near impossible job to say the least. Some games are bound to slip through the cracks, and what it really boils down to, though, is that we are blessed with far too many great games to account for them all, which is great for everyone.

Having to come up with my own list of favorites for 2010 was again a gargantuan task. While there's nothing quite like a game that caters perfectly to the touch screen or tilt control capabilities of iOS devices, I'm a traditional gamer at heart, and I've come to accept virtual controls as they give me traditional gaming experiences on my platform of choice. I like having some of my favorite game genres and franchises on my iPhone, even if it takes a bit of shoehorning to fit with the lack of buttons.

I think this list reflects that quite a bit. While this isn't a definitive list of all my favorite games from this past year, it is a selection of titles that stood out to me, and the ones I kept coming back to throughout 2010 and will continue to play into the future.

Game Dev Story, $3.99 - [Lite] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This was the surprise hit of the year for me. I was expecting the worst after checking out the screens in iTunes, but I decided to give the game a chance. After literally playing the game until 7 in the morning, I knew that it was something special. Every aspect is rough around the edges except the gameplay, which proves that that is what really matters, and I hope to see this series evolve in future iterations.

STREET FIGHTER IV, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Virtual buttons and games that require highly precise controls don't really mix, but somehow SFIV on iPhone manages to pull it off pretty well. As a big Street Fighter fan for most of my life, I appreciate having it with me at all times should I fancy a quick brawl. There's a decent amount of single player content, and the local multiplayer is fun when I run into an iPhone owning buddy.

CHAOS RINGS, $12.99 - [iPad] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I rarely am able to get into a beefy RPG, but I gobbled up Chaos Rings from beginning to end. What I loved about it is that it takes all the elements of a traditional JRPG and rearranges them in a way that is mobile-friendly. Actually, with its huge focus on battling and light story elements, it felt more like an action-RPG. The battling was fun, the story and characters were interesting, and Chaos Rings was one RPG that fit nicely into my busy lifestyle.

Solomon's Keep, Free - [Lite] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - This was another surprise hit to me, a dual-stick shooter that blended elements of dungeon crawling, RPG, and rogue. There are tons of items and loot to collect, and many different magic skill combinations to explore. The game is short enough to allow for multiple playthroughs and building different variations of characters, but not too short as to not feel substantial. Plus it's randomly generated each time, so it's a different experience each time you play.

Godville, Free - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - It's hard to call this a game, but it's also hard to not acknowledge the ridiculous amount of time I spend in this app. Godville is basically a text-based RPG that plays itself, with you acting as a God overlooking the process with minimal interaction. It's hard to explain the appeal of Godville, but it's full of humorous dialogue, the content is community-driven, and it's just plain fun to check in on my little hero to see what he's been up to.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, $1.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - There isn't much to say about this title except that it's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 on your iPhone. No fancy frills or enhancements, just the same brilliant game that I spent countless hours with on Playstation a decade ago. The thought of the highly precise controls of the THPS series and virtual buttons sounds like a disaster, but surprisingly this version is highly playable. I absolutely love having THPS2 with me at all times, and had a blast replaying through this classic all these years later.

Pix'n Love Rush, $0.99 - [iPad] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - I love platforming games, and I love retro, and Pix'n Love Rush combines the two beautifully. It's not always easy to get involved in a platform game with structured levels when you're gaming on the go, and Pix'n Love Rush remedies this by delivering bite-sized portions of levels in randomized, Warioware-like fashion. Coupled with awesome retro themes that mimic classic gaming systems and high score chasing through Game Center, and this is a title that I've continually come back to since its release.