There are a couple of examples of the Unreal Development Kit being used for games that don’t feature chainsaws and the color brown in the console space. Most Unreal Engine games, despite this, still just cater to “hardcore” crowd. And, yeah, that's a generalization, but it's true. I just edited the wikipedia entry to reflect this view, so now it's fact.

On our fair App Store we’re seeing the UDK being used a lot for this same crowd, but there are a couple of outliers. Dungeon Defenders [.99] dev Trendy Entertainment’s animal-wrangling game Chicken Coup [.99] , which just released yesterday, is one of them -- and now it’s just 99 cents, down from its original $1.99 price point.

The game is very basic, and definitely falls under the "casual" game umbrella with gameplay that amounts to little more than dragging chickens around on screen to sort them. Still, it's cool to see yet another game using the Unreal Engine on the App Store, something we hope to see much more of this year.

Here's the game's trailer, which oddly enough, is completely free of any kind of actual gameplay:

And on a related note, Dungeon Defenders, the hardcore Unreal Engine 3 game, is also down to 99 cents for an unspecified amount of time. Enjoy it while it lasts.

These deals, guys -- they just keep on coming.

Hold on to your butts -- Double Dragon is coming to the App Store. Publisher Aksys Games just gave us a heads-up about Double Dragon iPhone, which is an enhanced remake of the original arcade joint that’ll feature new sprites, new animations, new enemies, new attacks, and even some extra special hidden goodies, all brand new to the game. The best part? It'll hit later this March.

Brizo Interactive, the team who handled Double Dragon for the Brazillian launch of the Zeebo, is developing this port. And while I’ve got zero experience with the Zeebo port, I’d imagine these dudes, at the very least, know their Double Dragon by now. (If anyone reading actually owns a Zeebo and has played Double Dragon on it, we'd love to hear about it.)

Control is the first thing that jumps to my mind when I think about the brawlers of another age coming to our new-fangled handhelds, but Aksys insists that the change of control won’t be an issue due to Double Dragon’s device-specific combo system that will accompany an in-game controller. Also, you’ll want to grab a pal -- Bluetooth co-op is confirmed. Neat!

Note: We're still digging around for assets. What you see above is just another port of the game, not this specific version. We'll either update this story when we get screens or video, or write up a new post depending on the timing.

Update 1: Here's a video of Double Dragon for the Zeboo:

Again, we're not sure how closely this will resemble the iPhone version, but it's interesting none the less.

Update 2: Here's the official trailer for the iPhone game:

We're not really sure what to make of this, as the controls look to be in line with what we've seen from Sega and other ports of classic games originally designed for a physical control. Regardless, we can't wait to give it a try.

So the lines for Verizon iPhones haven't been anything like AT&T lines, but that's OK. We figure anyone hardcore enough to wait this long for an iPhone on Verizon probably got in on the crazy 3:00 AM preorder or simply decided to order online since it seems like winter isn't loosening its icy grasp yet on most of the United States. I can't blame people for not wanting to line up in the cold. I did 8 hours of sub-zero temperatures to wait in line for a Wii, and never plan on doing that again.

If you've been following TouchArcade for a while now, this guide likely won't be of much use to you. For the sake of accessibility, I'm going to assume you've mostly ignored the world of iOS gaming, as you had no reason to follow it previously using whatever Verizon phone you had before. If this describes you, awesome. If not, well, here's a huge collection of links you still might find helpful in the event that you missed something along the way.

First off, I'd consider our 2009 and 2010 game of the years absolute "must have's"-

2010

Space Miner™, $2.99 - [Lite / iPad] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Looking back on the game releases of 2010 trying to pick what we thought was the best lead to us continually coming back to Space Miner. We loved the classic Asteroids-style gameplay, the clever storytelling, and the degree of customization that kept us coming back for more through multiple play throughs. Depending on how you load your ship out, the game plays much differently. For instance, you can be a glass cannon prioritizing asteroid-pulverizing guns, or take a more slow and steady approach prioritizing shields and cargo space for huge hauls of ore.

2010 Runner Up

Carcassonne, $9.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - There are many board games that have made their way to the App Store, but Carcassonne is by far the finest. Online asynchronous multiplayer, Retina Display graphics, universal compatibility, and classic gameplay. It doesn't get much better than this.

2009

Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, $2.99 - [Lite / iPad] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - We choose Tiger Style Games' Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor for our 2009 Game of the Year first and foremost because it's a great game, but also because it perfectly represented the promise of iPhone gaming. Spider is an original concept built specifically for the iPhone by a small self funded team. It's this low barrier to entry which provides customers with a huge selection of games including unique and polished gems like Spider. You really should experience this one.

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If none of those sound cool (trust me, they are) there are still a ton of other games worth grabbing. Over the years we've put together various buyer's guides which are absolutely chock full of great games to grab:

• Best iPod Touch and iPhone Games: 2010 Buyer's Guide
• Best iPod Touch and iPhone Games: 2009 Buyer's Guide
• So You Just Got an iPhone 4 – An App Store Gaming Guide
• 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Eli
• 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Blake
• 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Brad
• 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Jared

We also have an entire category for Best iPhone Games which has all of these articles and more including our latest Best iPhone Games January 2011 post. This all might be a little overwhelming, so here are some more recommendations I can totally get behind anyone downloading on their new iPhone. I assume like most people on Earth, you've already heard of Angry Birds [99¢ / Lite], so here are some other games you should have. All of these do a great job at showing off the various control methods and game types you'll be coming across in your future of iPhone gaming:

Plants vs. Zombies, $2.99 - [iPad] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Popcap's casual tower defense game hardly needs an introduction. Plants vs Zombies is a game that's easy enough to appeal to everyone, yet fun enough to warrant multiple play throughs without issue.

Cut the Rope, $0.99 - [Lite / iPad] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Proving that a cute main character, clever level designs, and simple touch screen controls are a formula for success, Cut the Rope has ridden the top of the charts practically since it was first released. The goal is to navigate a dangling bit of candy into the mouth of the adorable and hungry Om Nom by cutting the correct ropes to set it free. Just feeding the lil' guy isn't so hard, but getting 3 stars and a high score on each level can be, and is what has brought people back to Cut the Rope time and time again.

Tilt to Live, $2.99 - [Lite / iPad] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - In its intial release, the game was based around a simple but fun formula of frantically avoiding red dots and using various power-ups to dispatch them. Since then, several updates have been released adding great new power-ups, game modes, and more.

Infinity Blade, $5.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - ChAIR's amazing gesture-based swordfighter which utilizes the Unreal Engine to provide the best graphics we've seen so far on the platform. Sadly, you'll need a 3rd generation iPod, iPhone 3GS, or later to enjoy them. If you've got a recent device, this is not a game to miss.

Aralon: Sword and Shadow HD, $6.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - There have been many RPGs released on the App Store, but none with the depth and scope of Aralon. The game is home to an epic game world complete with multiple races, classes, mounts to ride, crafting recipes to master, and quests to complete.

Game Dev Story, $3.99 - [Lite] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - At first glance this appears to be an abysmal port of a J2ME game... Then you play it. A few hours later you will be looking for your charger to keep playing. In the game you run your own game studio, managing staff, making games, and even releasing your own console. Once Game Dev Story sucks you in, it's impossible to put down.

Dead Space™, $6.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - "Console quality" is a phrase that's thrown around a lot to describe portable games, and really, it's a fitting title for this iOS-exclusive version of Dead Space. Sure, we're still irked that there aren't any control configuration options, but that shouldn't stop you from picking up this game, and it hasn't stopped us from playing through it multiple times. We tend to prefer Dead Space for iPad [$9.99] over its iPhone counterpart, but both are fantastic games that should be a part of your collection. EA started 2011 off with a bang by releasing Dead Space, and if this is setting the benchmark for the quality of games we're going to see out of them for the future, this is going to be one hell of a year.

Real Racing 2, $4.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - A marvelous sequel to Firemint's original Real Racing, which improves upon the first in every way imaginable. A career mode, licensed cars, and 16 player online multiplayer are just a few of the new features. It also will run on any device, even the first generation iPod touch.

Helsing's Fire, $0.99 - [Lite / iPad] - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - Helsing's Fire sends you on a quest to destroy Dracula, placing you in 90 randomly generated, dungeon-like levels across three different worlds. The challenge is to eliminate said beasties by moving your torch about the screen, which casts brilliant beams of light and dark shadows about the play area. It's one of the most unique games I've ever played and is a true App Store gem.

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.

NBA JAM by EA SPORTS™, $0.99 - [Review] - [Forum Thread] - The familiar NBA Jam gameplay returns here featuring a relatively rule-free game of 2-on-2 basketball with an emphasis on pulling off insane physics-defying dunks and ridiculous shooting sprees. Besides adhering to a 24 second shot clock and a no goaltending rule, pretty much anything goes in NBA Jam. Any player that makes 3 consecutive shots will then be “on fire” and during this time will make a higher percentage of shots, have unlimited turbo, and be immune to the goaltending rule. If you’ve played NBA Jam in the past, not a lot has changed here, but that’s most likely for the best.

Sales

One of the craziest things about the App Store is how everyone gets involved in this crazy pricing game where suddenly all kinds of great games will have their prices slam down to 99¢, or in some cases, even free. Basically every major developer and publisher has been putting their games on sale under the guise of celebrating Valentines Day, but they really want you, new Verizon customer, to download their games.

Keep in mind, developers can change the price of the games at any time, so in the case of these sales it's usually best to jump on them as quickly as possible as you can come back 10 minutes later and see a game you wanted that was priced at 99¢ rocket back up to its original price of $9.99 with little to no warning.

Here are all the developers running particularly noteworthy sales:

• Gamevil
• Namco
• Sega
• Capcom
• Gameloft
• EA

Clicking through all of these sale listings, you're probably thinking to yourself, "Holy moly, how am I supposed to keep up with this?" Well, an extremely useful tool is our sister site AppShopper which provides nearly real-time updates on both new apps available on the App Store, as well as price fluctuations. Here are some helpful AppShopper links that I use on a daily basis for finding things to cover on TouchArcade:

• All Games
• All Popular Games
• All Games With Price Drops
• All Popular Games With Price Drops
• All Free Games
• All Popular Free Games
• All Games That Were Once Paid That Now Are Free
• All Popular Games That Were Once Paid That Now Are Free

If you want to get more involved than just clicking those links, you'll notice that each of those pages also has their own associated RSS feed. For instance, if you use something like Google Reader or some other RSS reader, you can subscribe to this feed and have an entry pop up in your RSS reader whenever a game gets kicked in to freebie mode. This happens a ton, and you can really score some gems keeping on top of this.

There's also a totally free AppShopper app that you can do all this from as well. You can even create a wish list and the app will send you a push alert when a game you've had your eye on goes on sale. It's incredibly handy.

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That's about it! If you're new to the iOS community, consider stopping by and registering for our forums as well. They're consider by most to be the place to discuss iOS gaming with an incredibly vibrant community of both gamers and developers participating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Enjoy your new iPhone!

My fingers are getting numb from writing Internet articles about sales on the App Store, but because I love all of you as strongly as one of my apartment kittens, I have decided to persevere and pen yet another article about price slashes. This time, I want to point you towards publisher Gamevil’s Verizon “Welcome to iPhone” sale, which sees a lot of its top apps receiving big cuts in celebration of the new market. Here’s the list:

• Illusia -- $2.99
• Baseball Superstars 2011 -- $2.99
• Zenonia -- $.99
• Zenonia 2 -- $.99
• Hybrid 2: Saga of Nostalgia -- $.99
• Soccer Superstars -- $.99

Also, check this out: Gamevil and Paw Print Games are teaming up to put out Kami Retro, a gorgeous retro-stylized 2D platformer, on the App Store. Details are being held close to the vest at the moment, but the following video sheds a little light on what you can expect, which is to say, traditional and level-based platform hopping. Grabbing little collectibles for points appears to be a main focus as well.

“Kami Retro, our first title as Paw Print Games is a platformer/puzzle game, that combines retro elements from classics such as Jet Set Willy, Rainbow Island, and Mario with our own unique twist and visuals,” a Paw Print representative said in a statement.

Cool stuff, right? I’ll be keeping my eyes on this one as I rest my poor, poor hands.

Flower Garden [$1.99 / Lite] is one of those lean back experiences with a game-like structure. It’s like Harvest Moon, minus all the cows, the babies, the towns, and the magical fairies. And if you’ll excuse me for a second, Flower Garden has been blossoming over the last several updates into a more satisfying experience. For example, in the latest update, more Game Center achievements, leaderboards, and a new garden were added.

So, sure, it’s not a game-game, but it’s a thing that is evolving into a different thing and people are still digging it despite lacking cool stuff like gore, cursing, and guns.

Anyway, just wanted to give you a heads-up about the game in case you wanted to grab it today. Developer Snappy Touch has put it up for free starting today until this Valentine’s Day. So, even if you’re just a little interested in the title, this week would be as good, if not better, than most to give it a look or two.

Also, you can gift in-game bouquets to people that you picked and grew yourself via e-mail. Wait until Eli sees what I got coming to him. I’m hoping to win him over here. Think this'll make him be my valentine?

Drop whatever you are doing and head over to the App Store right now. This is not a drill. There are some pretty crazy Valentine's Day sales going on right now, but this... this is beyond crazy. World of Goo HD [Link] for the iPad, the same World of Goo HD that we gave a glowing five star review to and chose as our 2010 iPad Game of the Year, is currently being sold for just under a dollar. We thought World of Goo HD was a bargain at its original price of $9.99, and a must buy when it dropped to $4.99 last month, but at 99¢ you should basically just shift into "click buy button" mode.

If you still need convincing, there is a forum thread full of positive impressions from our members. Honestly though, when a game that is the caliber of World of Goo HD can be purchased for money that is likely swimming around in your couch cushions, it should be a no-brainer. If you own an iPad and don't own World of Goo HD, buy it immediately. If you don't own an iPad buy it anyway, so that in the event that you do get an iPad sometime in the future you'll be prepared. Better hurry though, as the sale will only last for one day and the clock is already ticking. Now, go!

App Store Link: World of Goo HD, $0.99 (iPad Only)

Add another developer to the Valentine's Day sale bandwagon, as Namco is now offering a huge selection of their iOS games at discounted rates. I honestly don't remember Valentine's Day being such a big deal before, but with EA, Capcom, Sega, and countless smaller developers using the holiday as an excuse to release special Valentine's themes or have sales, it looks like we can expect this sort of thing going forward. Have a look at what Namco is offering on discount, separated by price for your perusing pleasure (asterisks denote in-app purchase prices):

$4.99

• Puzzle Quest 2, (Universal)

$3.99

• TIME CRISIS 2ND STRIKE HD *, (iPad Only)
• The Stroke of Midnight *, (iPad Only)

$2.99

• i Love Katamari
• ACE COMBAT Xi Skies of Incursion
• PAC-MAN Championship Edition
• RIDGE RACER ACCELERATED
• TIME CRISIS 2ND STRIKE
• House of Glass *, (iPad Only)
• Lost in Time: The Clockwork Tower *, (iPad Only)

$1.99

• PAC-MAN
• PAC-MAN for iPad, (iPad Only)
• Ms. PAC-MAN
• Mishap
• Mishap for iPad, (iPad Only)
• More Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima
• More Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima HD, (iPad Only)

99¢

• Time Crisis Strike
• Galaga REMIX
• DigDug REMIX
• PAC-MAN REMIX
• NOBY NOBY BOY, (Universal)
• AVATWEE
• PAC-CHAIN Compact
• PAC-CHAIN, (iPad Only)
• PAC-ATTACK
• SPLATTERHOUSE
• PAC-MANIA
• Isaac Newton's Gravity
• Mr. Driller
• Pole Position: Remix
• Star Trigon
• Tamagotchi: 'Round the World

Whew! That's a big list. In other Namco-related news, the Valentine's Day skin for Pac-Man has gone live as a free update for that game, and his lady friend has appeared on the iPad as Ms. Pac-Man for iPad [$4.99], as we told you about earlier this week. The Namco Valentine's Day sale will run through the holiday on February 14th and well into the day on February 15th, so there should be ample time to decide which of these titles are deserving of your money.

Back in the early and mid-90s, NBA Jam exploded in popularity in arcades and on home consoles everywhere with its over-the-top take on NBA basketball. Throwing down monster dunks, catching fire, and trash talking your opponent were all things that made NBA Jam such a blast back then, and that core entertainment was successfully transitioned into the franchise reboot that hit consoles in late 2010. Now an iOS version of NBA Jam [$4.99] based on the 2010 console version has hit the App Store, and despite a couple of omissions it overwhelmingly satisfies in every way if you were ever a fan of the original NBA Jam series.

The familiar NBA Jam gameplay returns here featuring a relatively rule-free game of 2-on-2 basketball with an emphasis on pulling off insane physics-defying dunks and ridiculous shooting sprees. Besides adhering to a 24 second shot clock and a no goaltending rule, pretty much anything goes in NBA Jam. Any player that makes 3 consecutive shots will then be “on fire” and during this time will make a higher percentage of shots, have unlimited turbo, and be immune to the goaltending rule. If you’ve played NBA Jam in the past, not a lot has changed here, but that’s most likely for the best.

Visually the game looks stunning on iOS. The original NBA Jam was the first sports game to use character sprites that were digitized versions of real life players. The new NBA Jam takes this a step further, using 3D polygonal models for player bodies but high resolution photographs of the actual players’ faces for the heads. The effect is hilarious, and a bit creepy, as the various NBA stars make an assortment of funny or intense faces during play. The player models are fluidly animated and the overall performance is fairly smooth, though there is the occasional stutter. The game is also optimized for Retina Displays, and looks especially crisp running on these devices.

The iOS version of NBA Jam uses a smart control system that works incredibly well. There’s a virtual stick for movement, a turbo button in the opposite corner, and based on if you’re on offense or defense a button for passing/stealing and another for shooting/blocking. Using your limited turbo meter not only increases your player’s speed but also enhances your other moves, like turning a simple steal attempt into a full-blown shove of an opponent. This is cleverly and elegantly handled by holding down turbo and then sliding to one of the other two buttons, which works great in practice. There’s a training camp mode which will run through all of these controls, as well as an alternate gesture-based control option, but the default controls were easy to pick up and are my preferred method.

The meat of NBA Jam is the Classic Campaign mode that has you choosing your favorite team and taking on the 29 other NBA teams as well as several additional hidden teams. You can choose 2 players from a pool of at least 3 current NBA players from every team, and some teams have 4 or 5 players to choose from initially. Every team also has at least one unlockable player, which typically includes classic players from the respective franchise and even some mascots. Besides the Campaign mode there is also a Play Now option that will throw you into a one-off game just for fun.

Sadly there is no sort of multiplayer component to NBA Jam on iOS. As fantastic as single player is, any multiplayer-centric game like NBA Jam is always best with human competition. An online multiplayer mode would be ideal, and even a local multiplayer option would suffice, but sadly it isn’t in the cards for this initial release. Also missing are any of the Remix modes or mini-games from the console releases, which is a shame as they would seem a perfect fit on this platform.

At the end of the day, NBA Jam on iOS is just what you would expect it to be - a wonderfully updated version of the classic arcade game. It’s missing some features, most notably a multiplayer component, but the single player offering is more than competent and a lot of fun. There are a ton of in-game achievements to earn which unlock loads of hidden players and special features like “Big Head” mode or alternate basketball styles. There’s also an option to purchase these hidden goodies via IAP if you’re unwilling to work for them through regular play. Players in our forums are loving this game as well, and if you were a fan of the original or just a fan of arcade-style sports games then NBA Jam is an easy recommendation.

TouchArcade Rating:

Super Soviet Missile Mastar [Free] isn’t the greatest game ever. That distinction goes to Super Mario Brothers 2 for the NES, obviously. But Super Soviet Missile Master is easily the second, fifth, or maybe even the 20th greatest game ever. Also, it’s free, universal, and is now available on the App Store.

Sure, I’m kidding here. I’m blowing what the game has to offer you wildly out of proportion. In truth, SSMM is just a basic “runner” type of game that instead of a person, has you guiding a Soviet-fired 8-bit-ish missile around various obstacles until said missile reaches a rough outline of the US. At this point, the game just sort of starts over while keeping your missile progress. It's inspired, sure, but rather flat -- the AI on the obstacles isn't outstanding, the levels are short and get familiar fast, and there's no depth to speak of.

But -- and this is one of those huge, editorial-turning usages -- this is an honestly awesome joint. The look, the style, the tone, and the playfulness of the game make it a winner. I can’t think of a better game at the moment to spend zero dollars on, so consider this an endorsement.

I should note here that The Behemoth, the indie developer behind Xbox Live Arcade success Castle Crashers, made this game. Don’t miss it!

Disney is on the verge of releasing the third installment to the Jelly Car trilogy. We just got the heads up from them along with a video showing some gameplay along with a brief interview of sorts with Jelly Car creator Tim "Walaber" FitzRandolph. If you're a fan of the series, it's worth a watch to see what the original versions of the first Jelly Car looked like. (Did you know it originally was going to be an Xbox Live Arcade game?)

Jelly Car [Free] is still one of my favorite games, and worth downloading for the soundtrack alone. Its sequel, Jelly Car 2 [99¢ / HD] continues the magic, and the improvements in the Jelly Car 3 has me really excited for it.

Disney is telling us that it's being released tomorrow, which usually would mean that it's going to pop up on the App Store sometime later tonight. However, the standard tricks of looking for the game on international App Stores don't seem to be working, so we're not entirely sure when it is that Jelly Car 3 will be appearing. Either way, we can't wait to give it a try.

OK. So, SEGA is following suit with the other big publishers on the App Store and is now holding its own personal deal-a-thon. Now, until whenever, you can grab around 16 different SEGA games for 80 percent off the usual price or just 99 cents. And we’re not just talking about the pub’s stable of lackluster Genesis ports getting the cut here; those games are part of the deal, for sure, but there’s also a few native gems mixed in.

There are too many games to do a meaningful breakdown with, but here’s a list of what’s being offered and the prices of each:

Altered Beast -- $.99
Chu Chu Rocket! -- $.99
Ecco The Dolphin -- $.99
Golden Axe -- $.99
Gunstar Heroes -- $.99
Phantasy Star II -- $.99
SEGA Columns Deluxe -- $.99
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master -- $.99
Shining Force -- $.99
Sonic The Hedgehog -- $2.99
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 -- $2.99
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 -- $2.99
Sonic Spinball -- $.99
Streets of Rage -- $.99
Super Monkey Ball -- $.99
Super Monkey Ball 2 -- $.99
Space Harrier -- $.99
Virtua Fighter 2 -- $.99

Not bad, eh? At this point, I’m not sure if we should say that the entire App Store is up for grabs, but it’s getting close as all these publishers start racing to the bottom. Who knew that Valentine’s Day would be giving us so much this year, eh?

Remember the iControlPad? We've been following its development since mid-2008. In early 2009, they released a video of the unit being used, and in November it was revealed that the product had undergone a complete redesign. Things have been relatively quiet on the iControlPad front since then, until recently, when they announced that they're taking pre-orders and plan to ship the original run of units in a week.

The bad news? Well, they make no attempt to hide the fact that you're going to be an early adopter, and admit that software that supports it will be scarce initially. There's also the fact that the iControlPad will set you back a hefty $74.99, and until developers start supporting it, using it will require jailbreaking.

The iControlPad does have some cool features though. First off, aside from its d-pad it sports enough buttons and analog nubs to make anyone in to emulation smile, and its internal firmware is completely upgradeable to support future features or workarounds to bypass various restrictions. Instead of any kind of proprietary dock port, it uses Bluetooth so it can work with basically any smartphone, console, or computer capable of connecting to it. It's also designed in a way that it's compatible with a number of different devices via a clever clamping system to hold all kinds of phones, and presumably other types of clamps could be released if a major form factor switch occurred.

We're trying our hardest to get our hands on an iControlPad for some kind of in-depth preview/review coverage, so if you're suffering from sticker shock at the $75 price tag, it might be best to wait until we run it through its paces before taking the plunge.

Street Fighter news that doesn’t involve its appearance on the Nintendo 3DS is at a premium as Nintendo rushes its next handheld to market, so I’m pleased to report on this little story which involves something quite different: Street Fighter IV [$.99] for the iPod and iPhone is now being sold for under a dollar. That’s like nine bucks worth of savings for a competent fighting game on a touch screen device. Not bad, right?

But, wait, there’s more savings to go around. Capcom has also slashed the prices of several of its titles to the one-dollar mark. Here’s the full list:

• Devil May Cry 4 Refrain
• Pheonix Wright
• Resident Evil 4
• Resident Evil 4 for iPad
• Dead Rising Mobile
• Mega Man II
• Who Wants To Be A Millionaire 2011
• KENKEN Pro
• Capcom Arcade (In-app arcade machine purchases are 99¢)

Capcom notes in the new game descriptions that talk about the sales that these deals won’t “last forever,” suggesting the usual one-week kind of sale, but not really confirming the stretch the marketing folks plan to play the App Store charting game.

As is usual with these kinds of sales, I suggest grabbing what you want now. Street Fighter IV is a steal at this price, and Devil May Cry 4, which just hit the platform (review!), is a good buy considering what’s being asked for it at the moment.

Update: Looks like we initially missed a few titles that are part of this sale. These have been added to the above list of links.

Not to be outdone by EA's I ♥ 99¢ Sale, Gameloft wants you to know that they love you too. And what better way is there for them to express this affection towards you than monetarily? From now until February 14th (hint: that's Valentine's Day), Gameloft is offering up 13 select titles for the low price of just 99¢. Take a gander at the discounted titles available:

• Spider-Man: Total Mayhem
• Shrek Kart
• Driver
• Fishing Kings
• Let’s Golf! 2
• Shadow Guardian
• Rayman 2: The Great Escape
• Real Golf 2011
• Hero of Sparta II
• Star Battalion
• Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
• Brothers In Arms 2: Global Front
• Zombie Infection

Wait, what's that you say? How silly of Gameloft to put only 13 titles on sale when it would have been oh so perfect to do 14 in honor of February 14th? Well they're way ahead of you, as there actually will be a 14th title available for 99¢. The trick here is that you'll need to go to the Gameloft Facebook page and vote for what title you'd like to see dropped to 99¢. Oh, and iPad owners, don't feel too left out as this promotion also includes the iPad versions of Shadow Guardian HD [Link] and Star Battalion HD [Link] as well.

One game that we enjoyed quite that was released last month is Grim Joggers [99¢] from 10tons Ltd. It’s an endless running game that differentiates itself from the many, many other similar games out there by requiring you to take control of more than a dozen runners at the same time. This unique take on the formula is complemented with wonderful pixel art and music as well as a number of Game Center achievements and leaderboards to compete on.

As we noted in our review, there was a blank space in the level select screen that hinted at an additional level to come in the future in addition to the 3 that were initially included. Today that level has become available in a free update to Grim Joggers.

The new level takes place on a battlefield under a twilight sky as you jog along avoiding soldiers with bayonets, land mines, missiles, and other hazards of war. There are also downed friendly soldiers that you will randomly come across during your run that can be rescued for bonus points. Finally there are six additional Game Center achievements to unlock that pertain to this new level. Interestingly there is now another blank area on the level select screen that hints that another new level is in the works, so we’ll definitely keep our eye out for that.

Grim Joggers is an easy recommendation if you enjoy the endless running games and are looking for one with a bit of variety. If 10tons keeps adding new levels to the game then it only stands to get better. Players in our forums are really enjoying this one as well, and if you already own Grim Joggers then mash away recklessly at your update button and check out the new Battlefield Bodybuilding level.