Well this has been a crazy day. Infinity Blade 2 madness all over the place, a surprise Call of Duty announcement, Where's My Water went free with Facebook hijinx, and a ton of other stuff I never expected when I rolled out of bed this morning. I figured things would be slow, since Chair essentially claimed today as their day at the last keynote. But NO!

So, this is less of a "coming tonight" and more of an "out now." I have a feeling things are only going to get crazier as we get close to the iTunes freeze in late December.

The Bard's Tale, $5.99 - Forum Thread - Embarrassingly enough, the first time I heard about this comedic RPG was when new hit that it was coming to iOS. I was then shamelessly ridiculed for not having played it when it was first released on other platforms. That seems appropriate.

BigBot Smash, 99¢ - Forum Thread - I'm not really sure what to say about this game, since the graphics seem pretty lo-fi but I love the premise of just playing as a giant upgradable robot blowing stuff up.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies, $6.99 - Forum Thread - Surprise! It's a pseudo-sequel to Call of Duty: Zombies! Online multiplayer is the name of the game here, and we've got a great thread if you're looking for someone to play with.

Catball Eats It All, Free - Forum Thread - This incredibly descriptive title basically says it all. I'm sure you'll hear more about this game on Jared's Kitty Korner.

Egg Punch, Free - Forum Thread - I'm liking the looks of this not-quite-mini-golf egg-rolling game. The premise is a bit of a stretch, but I'm such a sucker for cel shaded graphics.

Green Farm 2, Free - Forum Thread - What's better than a Gameloft clone of Farmville? How about a sequel?

Horror Vacui 2, $1.99 - Forum Thread - I'm totally unfamiliar with Horror Vacui, but it's by the creator of The Last Rocket, which I absolutely loved… So I'm excited to try this!

Infinity Blade 2, $6.99 - Forum Thread - Read our review, and download this game. Now.

Last War, Free - Forum Thread - I'm not sure what to think of this as it looks a lot like those old Mafia Wars games, but it's from… Gamevil?

McGyro, 99¢ - Forum Thread - A, err, gyroscope controlled shooting gallery game published by Chillingo.

Mr.Oops!!, 99¢ - Forum Thread - We're massive fans of Ponos, and I have a dedicated folder on my phone to all the "Mr." games. Tonight, I add another.

Sparky vs Glutters, 99¢ - Forum Thread - Clickgamer pulled out all the stops to compete with Infinity Blade 2 this week with this Zuma-style marble shooting game.

Zen Pinball, Free - Forum Thread - An awesome pinball game with one free table and others available via IAP.

We put incredibly powerful devices in our pockets and on our laps daily, but rarely do we see games that utterly embrace this like Infinity Blade has. It's a showcase piece; a technically and visually gifted game that consistently delivers eye-popping stuff.

Infinity Blade 2 [$6.99] is a step a step or two beyond what was accomplished in the original, adding in layers and layers of next-level environmental and character texture detail on top of a ton of fantastic ambient touches -- sharper shadows, stronger lighting, and a glut of atmospheric effects bolster what's already a visual delight, especially on iPad 2 and iPhone 4S.

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Not surprisingly, Chillingo had a ton of upcoming games to show off at EA's winter preview event yesterday. I didn't get to go hands on with everything, but the few titles I did try out I enjoyed quite a bit. Out of the bunch I'm most excited for the iOS version of The Fancy Pants Adventures, not only due to my fondness of fancy pants but also because it's a fun platformer with a wonderfully whimsical style. But still, aside from that, all of Chillingo's upcoming titles look like they'll have a lot to offer to just about any type of gamer. Be on the lookout for these games to start trickling out starting today and into the coming weeks.

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Disney Mobile's fairly well-received puzzle game, Where's My Water [$.99], has received another big content update. This latest chapter, which is available now for $0, adds a new steam mechanic, more collectibles, and a total of 20 new puzzles. With this added into the overall level tally, the game can safely boast 120 different levels.

Let's focus on that steam mechanic for a second since it ties into the chapter's name, the "Boiling Point." In the chapter's puzzles, you'll guide water into hot things, which converts the liquid into a gaseous cloud. Steam eats away at very specific pieces of a puzzle's environment, revealing opportunities to keep the game's Rube Golberg-ian action moving and Swampy the Alligator happy.

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We've been waiting to see some solid evidence of a Mass Effect 3 companion app for some time, and while we haven't heard anything new since series producer Casey Hudson let the cat ever-so-slightly out of its proverbial bag, we've been re-energized about the prospect  courtesy the latest public comments from the studio's brass.

In an interview with BeefJack, Dr. Ray Muzyka praised mobile platforms and said that the idea of bringing what BioWare does best to them is an exciting idea. He also laid out a general plan. “So, we’re trying to adapt what we build and tune it to the needs of and desires of our fans across whatever platform they’re intending to play it on," he said. "And always leave them with the feeling that they’re playing something that’s awesome, really high quality.”

Let's just... forget about this one.

Mass Effect 3 for consoles and PC is shipping with a cooperative, but almost RISK-like online component. "This is a concept that has never been done before in games, ever," Hudson said to CVG in October. "Not simply a story device, it's fundamental to the game. For the first time, wherever you go -- online, mobile, on social networks -- you'll be able to follow your progress. You'll never have to leave the Mass Effect experience."

Here's to hoping the mobile hint is what we think it is -- and hopefully it won't end up stinking like Galaxy [$.99]. Seems like it won't, if BioWare is taking mobile as seriously as it seems to be implying.

[Via BeefJack, via CVG]

For whatever reason, there really aren't that many snowboarding games available for iOS devices. X2 Snowboarding [$2.99] is my favorite of the currently available titles, and I really wish Sean White Snowboarding: Origins [99¢] was a better game, but other than that there's slim pickings on the App Store. Free Range Games and Com2uS are on the verge of adding another entry to the snowboarding aisle of your local iOS games depository with SummitX Snowboarding. I've got my hands on a preview build of it, and I like what I see so far.

The graphics speak for themselves, check out the above trailer, the game really looks like that. What I'm really digging though is the control scheme that they've implemented. The preview I got was on my iPad 2, and games like this are usually controlled in one of two ways: Tilting, which I've never felt is ideal for the iPad, or with a weird virtual joystick setup which similarly never translates very well.

SummitX implements a two-thumb steering wheel sort of approach in that you slide your thumbs along both sides of the screen to control the board. I raised an eyebrow at the first loading screen that explained how it worked, but in practice, it's really cool. When you go over a jump, the interface changes to focus on tricks, which will allow you to do all your standard grabs and flips while flying through the air.

If all goes as planned, SummitX should be available as a universal app sometime this December. Initially, it'll come loaded with 14 different paths spread across 4 different mountainsides and an entirely licensed soundtrack with over 20 different bands. There's also plans for an iPhone/iPod touch-only non-universal build sometime after launch. Neat, right?

The Bearded One attended a somewhat clandestine Activision event a while back to see a very mysterious game. We didn't know anything about it at the time other than it rhymed with "Mall of Beauty," and we were especially not allowed to say anything about it. We weren't sure when it was coming, so we've spent the time since waiting for the high sign that we can let the cat out of the bag on the whole thing.

Well, apparently it is coming tonight. Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies is the $6.99 sequel to Call of Duty: Zombies [$4.99 / HD] which as you may recall similarly just appeared on the App Store randomly one day. Kotaku has the skinny on all sorts of details on the game, and mirrors our experiences in that it plays like an updated version of its predecessor. The biggest improvement are in the controls, making the game feel a lot more playable. Oh, and there's voice chat too, so you can scream at your teammates in true Call of Duty fashion.

Just like the original, Activision plans on supporting Black Ops Zombies with additional map packs and updates. Awesome, right?

Yesterday, EA Mobile, err sorry, I mean EA Interactive held their annual winter preview event for the various titles they have slated for release through the end of this year and into early next year. At this event last December, the star of the show was the excellent Dead Space [$6.99/HD] for iOS. This year there wasn’t really any jaw dropping titles of that caliber, but EA and Chillingo do have a solid stable of new games coming out that are worth getting excited about.

Battlefield 3: Aftershock - Following the success of last December’s Battlefield: Bad Company 2 [$2.99/HD] on iOS, EA is currently in the midst of bringing a mobile version of its Battlefield 3 title to the App Store. Officially called Battlefield 3: Aftershock, the version I was able to try out at EA’s event was in an incredibly early pre-alpha state, thus making it hard to judge at this point. But, it already feels good control-wise and shows plenty of promise for improvement over the previous installment. Pricing and release are currently TBA but for now feast your eyes on these lovely new screens until more solid information is available.

Trenches 2 - We already took a look at Trenches 2 a couple of weeks back, but I was finally able to get my hands on the game to try it myself at EA’s event yesterday. And, not surprisingly, my impressions are positive. The original Trenches was an incredibly solid strategy/defense game, and the sequel follows really closely in the footsteps of its predecessor. There are plenty of new goodies built onto this foundation though, and you’ll get to see for yourself pretty soon as Trenches 2 is set on its new launch date of December 15th.

Need for Speed: The Run - Complementing the recent release of Need For Speed: The Run on consoles comes a mobile version of the game for iPhone and iPad. Being that this is the fifty billionth Need for Speed game to hit the App Store (that’s an approximate guess) then you probably already have a pretty good idea of what to expect from The Run. Race from San Francisco to New York using 30 different vehicles across more than 60 races.

Tetris - Basically everybody on the planet knows the falling blocks puzzle game Tetris, and we’ve had an iOS version of the game almost since the very beginning of the App Store. While that is a fun and totally decent version of the game, the touch screen controls left a bit to be desired. That’s where the new One-Touch mode comes in. Here, when blocks appear at the top of the screen you’re given an assortment of spots to automatically place the block at the bottom of the screen, represented by outlines of the block’s shape.

This seemed like a weird idea to me at first, but after actually playing this mode I was a believer. It’s such a simple change but it dramatically changes how you would typically play Tetris, almost transforming it into a different game and bypassing any imprecise control issues from the touch screen. There’s regular Marathon mode as well as a progressive level-based Rush mode in addition to One-Touch, so this version of Tetris should appeal to purists as well as those looking for a fresh take on the classic gameplay.

The Sims Freeplay - The popular simulation series is making another appearance on iOS with The Sims Freeplay, and as the name implies this time around EA is employing a freemium business model to the game. Much of the progression of your sims and the items you can unlock will be tied to timers, which can of course be conveniently sped up using a premium currency available as IAP. Don’t fret though, once your various timers are ready your experience will just sit there and wait for you, rather than expiring which is usually the big thing that deters me from freemium games.

Other than the freemium model, everything else about this new Sims game looks absolutely top notch. It was built from the ground up for iOS and it shows. The visuals look great, panning and moving around the environment is extremely fluid, and the entire user interface is really well designed. I haven’t been very excited about a Sims game for some time, but I’m really looking forward to The Sims Freeplay, and keeping my fingers crossed that the choice of business model won’t hamper the experience.

Easily one of my favorite platforming games (and just plain favorite games period, really) is this past February's League of Evil [$1.99/Lite] from Ravenous Games and WoblyWare. The game featured bite-sized levels of increasingly difficult platforming challenges in a similar vein to Super Meat Boy, with a great 3 star rating system for each level that begged you to replay over and over until you've perfected every one.

League of Evil became known as one of the top examples of tight virtual controls on iOS as well, and during the past year numerous content updates have added tons of new levels for more than 160 total along with new features like ghost replays and iCade support. In short, League of Evil owns, and is one of the best platforming games on the App Store.

With the positive reception and success of League of Evil, it's no surprise that a sequel would be in the works and the developers have began to tease the first screens for League of Evil 2 in our forums. Ravenous Games and WoblyWare are once again at the helm for this new entry in the series, but this time have enlisted the help of Bulletproof Outlaws to completely overhaul the visuals, or "kick the graphics up to 11!" as Derek from Ravenous puts it. Eleven. It's one louder. Think about it.

Now, first of all, I'm a big pixel art geek and I absolutely loved the pixel graphics in the first League of Evil. However, after seeing these gorgeous new screens for League of Evil 2 I have to admit that I'm really looking forward to this new visual style. Plus, the developers are talking up how silky smooth the new character animations are, and I really can't wait to see this new game in motion.

Since League of Evil 2 is being built off of the same engine as the first game, you can expect the same type of bite-sized level design and tight controls that you've come to know and love. All of the original enemies and hazards will be making another appearance along with about a half a dozen new ones. Right at launch the game will feature more than 100 levels spanning 5 different environments, and more than likely it will receive post-release update love with new features and content similar to what happened with the first game.

Sadly, there is no word on a release date for League of Evil 2 just yet, but all I know is it can't come soon enough. We'll be pestering the developers for more details in the near future, and until then check out the thread in our forums for discussion of the game.

Stories are hard to come by on the App Store. Most games don't bother with even a pretense of a story, and those that do tend to be crammed in rather painfully. It's understandable -- most iOS games are created by tiny teams, often just a programmer and an artist, so there's not much room or budget for writing.

Sometimes, though, a game comes by that shows that you don't need to sacrifice to tell a good tale. Some stories are as simple and eternal as boy meets girl, and they can be told over and over in brand new ways. These Robotic Hearts of Mine [$1.99] is one of those games. It's small, simple and charming, and it does an admirable job of bringing narrative to that least-storied of genres, the puzzle game.

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Love or hate Square Enix, you gotta appreciate the support its throwing behind Chaos Rings Omega [$11.99 / HD] for the iPhone and iPad. For the sixth month in a row, the studio has put together a substantial update to Omega. This latest, which hit the App Store yesterday, raises the bonus content level cap to 150 and adds a new hidden boss, more treasure, two new Piu-Piu collections, and fresh weapons. Huge, right?

Square seems to be missing more than its hitting on the App Store, but the Chaos Rings series falls into the latter pretty safely. Both are fun, iOS-native RPGs with tons of unique content from the get-go. These updates to Omega are icing on an already delicious, and fairly well-rounded cake. Here's hoping more are to come, though. We like free content.

Clay's Reverie [$0.99] is cute. Really, really cute. Cute enough to warrant a warning label. That's how cute it is.

...And hard. In spite of the fleecy clouds and the pink dolphins, SuperGlueStudio's physics puzzler isn't a game for the faint-hearted. One false step and you're dead or, well, whatever passes for dead with doughy-looking things like the protagonist. Here in Clay's Reverie, death is synonymous with touching anything asides from the conveyor belt. It's a tough life but those are the breaks when you're a little, googly-eyed ball of white clay.

Fortunately, the odds are somewhat in your favor. Clay's Reverie benefits from simple and supremely responsive controls. Holding down on the conveyer belt allows you to move it on a vertical axis. Clay, on the other hand, does not seem quite as appreciative of such a hands-on approach. In order to control the blob-by hero himself, you're going to have to make use of the iPhone's accelerometer to roll him around the screen.

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If you're a fan of Red Dead Redemption and similar western-themed horse riding games with lots (and lots) of fighting, Gameloft's upcoming Six-Guns might just be what you're looking for. The environments look pretty impressive, although I'm not entirely sure which games Gameloft will be borrowing the combat mechanic from just yet. Take a look:

One curious thing that sticks out in the trailer is the whole "play for free" thing. Gameloft has been predictably vague in just how players will actually pay for the game, but hopefully whatever free to play model they settle on won't be too offensive to gamers.

If your iPhone or iPad's memory still isn't full after you gorged on the various Cyber Monday and Thanksgiving deals, know this: most of the celebratory sales are still active on the App Store. In fact, we've discovered a couple more that we couldn't fit in before the holiday break. That's what this post is all about -- the leftovers.

For example, Telltale Games has lowered its games' prices 55-80 percent from the usual. The savings began on November 23, but will continue until tomorrow, November 30. Arghata Studio also bashed the prices of its 1112 series in honor of our Turkey Day, and those sales are still continuing, too, well into this week.

Here's a short list of some notables:

Odds And Ends

• The 7th Guest - $5.99 → $1.99 [Universal]
• Age of Zombies - $2.99 → $.99 [Universal]
• Burn the Rope Worlds - $.99 → Free
• Corpse Craft - $1.99 → $.99
• Fling A Thing - $.99 → Free
• The King of Fighters - $6.99 → $3.99
• Scribblenauts Remix - $4.99 → $2.99 [Universal]
• Spirits for iPad - $4.99 → $.99
• Split / Second on iPad - $6.99 → $.99
• XIII - Lost Identity - $3.99 → $.99

Agharta Studios

• 1112 episode 01 - $4.99 → Free
• 1112 episode 01 HD - $6.99 → Free
• 1112 episode 02 - $4.99 → $.99
• 1112 episode 02 HD - $6.99 → $1.99
• 1112 episode 03 - $4.99 → $1.99
• 1112 episode 03 HD - $6.99 → $2.99

Telltale Games

• Back to the Future Episode 1 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Back to the Future Episode 2 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Back to the Future Episode 3 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Back to the Future Episode 4 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Back to the Future Episode 5 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Hector Episode 1 - $3.99 → $.99
• Hector Episode 1 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Hector Episode 2 - $4.99 → $.99
• Hector Episode 2 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Hector Episode 3 - $4.99 → $.99
• Hector Episode 3 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Monkey Island Tales 1 - $6.99 → $4.99
• Monkey Island Tales 1 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Monkey Island Tales 2 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Monkey Island Tales 3 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Monkey Island Tales 4 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Monkey Island Tales 5 HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Puzzle Agent - $4.99 → $.99
• Puzzle Agent HD - $6.99 → $2.99
• Puzzle Agent 2 - $4.99 → $.99
• Puzzle Agent 2 HD - $6.99 → $2.99

Cool deals, right? As a side-note, if you feel like you've been left out of the initial extravaganza, App Shopper [Free] remains an incredible tool to keep on the up and up. You can read more about it here.

There's hype building publicity stunts, then there's hype building publicity stunts. Pre-release excitement for Chair's upcoming Infinity Blade 2 is already at an all time high, which apparently has left Chair's PR department scratching their collective heads to come up with what else they could do to promote a game that's already on cruise control for greatness.

I'm guessing this eureka moment coincided with late night fitness-centric infomercials, resulting in a promotion that's so silly we couldn't help but post about it. Anyway, Chair has partnered up with musclebound bro Nate Green who is known for The Hero Handbook, a free fitness-oriented self-help eBook. Nate (who can be seen above working out at the local playground) put together a list of exercises which should help prepare even the weakest of hands for Infinity Blade 2.

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