Long time readers of TouchArcade might remember the announcement of an iOS port of Space Tripper, a horizontal shoot 'em up from PomPom Games released for PC and Mac way back in 2001 and rereleased in HD as Astro Tripper in 2009. The port was to be handled by True Axis, the Australian developer of Jet Car Stunts [$1.99/Lite], and the project officially began in June of 2008, before the official iOS App Store had even launched. We first caught wind of Space Tripper coming to iOS in December of that year, with a planned release of "early 2009." Boy, how plans can change.

True Axis was comprised of just two members, and as development on Jet Car Stunts hit its stride during 2009, it didn't leave a ton of time to work on Space Tripper, and progress on the title lagged. After Jet Car Stunts' release in November of 2009, the hope was that Space Tripper would be finished up shortly thereafter, and that following December is when True Axis officially debuted the game in our forums, still optimistic that it was coming soon.

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There's something dodgy about Ninja Pong's [99¢ / HD] premise. You're telling me that professional ninjas would jump a huge gap onto a tiny platform that has to be manually controlled? And that they'd do it wearing any number of silly hats? I just don't buy it.

You might want to, though. Silly and simple as it might be, Ninja Pong is a fun bit of arcade play that boasts a surprisingly in-depth list of upgrades. Save ninjas, earn shinies, buy things that let you save more ninjas. Sound good?

As master of the platform, you control life and death for your tiny ninja buddies. They need to get from the building or cliff on the left of the screen to its fellow on the right, and you control the only bridge for the gap between. It's one-sided Pong and you control the paddle, dragging it back and forth along the bottom of the screen to bounce ninjas and dodge bombs.

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One of my most anticipated games of this year is the rerelease of the Sega classic Sonic CD. Yeah, yeah, I know the poorly emulated previous versions of Sonic on the App Store were nothing to write home about, but Sonic CD stands to be different. It's been recreated from the ground up using a proprietary development kit that started off as an impressive fan project over two years ago, and takes into account the temperamental nature of touch screen controls. It remains to be seen how the final product will work out, but one thing I know for sure is that it will be a huge step up from the normal emulator that has housed all of Sega's previous Genesis iOS releases.

Anyway, stoking the flames of my already hot excitement for Sonic CD is a post on Sega's blog that reveals the addition of a special unlockable character in the rereleased game, Sonic's long-time sidekick Tails. According to Sega, Tails will become available after finishing the game once, though it's unclear whether or not there will be any sort of bonus story elements or other changes to accompany his appearance. At the very least, this shows the kind of versatility that is possible by remaking the game using their special retro engine, which will also allow for several other features and options beyond what was in the original Sega CD game.

In another interesting bit of Sonic CD news, the blog also goes on to reveal that the game is actually available right now, as long as you're willing to buy a tablet from one of your local participating GameStop stores or from the GameStop online store. Sonic CD will come preloaded on a selection of tablets that the gaming retail giant began recently selling, and will even be compatible with a special Bluetooth controller that GameStop is selling specifically for tablet gaming.

As for iOS device gamers like myself, we'll need to wait for the official Sonic CD release sometime next month. If you were already in the market for a non-Apple tablet, and you have a hankering for Sonic CD, it might be worth investigating the GameStop promotion to score a free copy a month ahead of everybody else. Buying a several hundred dollar tablet just to get a game that will likely cost between $10 and $20 might not seem like the most financially responsible idea, but at the very least you can wave the game in my face and mock the fact that you have it while I don't, which is something you really can't put a price on.

Our ratings for games we reviewed in October are now in place, and we now present to you the ones that are on the top of the heap. Each game reviewed receives a 1-5 star rating relative to the other games from that month. Generally, a 3 or higher is considered a "good" rating.

Our final scores are not the product of any traditionally objective measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others. Keep in mind, this listing is comprised of games we reviewed in October, and not necessarily games that were specifically released in October. (more...)

Early this year we got a quick look at the upcoming Sphero iOS controlled ball by Orbotix. Well, nearly a year later and the Sphero is available for preorder at the price of $129.99. In addition, demand has even been so high in the initial preorder rush that orders placed now won't even be fulfilled until 2012.

Check out our video of the device from CES:

Initially, the Sphero will launch with six apps to be used in conjunction with the device. The Sphero app tracks leader boards and achievements, Sphero Golf allows you to play a game of golf in your home or office, and SpheroCam sounds like it'll be the perfect photo companion for people who will be using the Sphero exclusively for harassing their pets. Sphero Draw N' Drive, Sphero Blox, and Sphero Drive all offer different variations on moving the ball around.

It sounds awesome, and I can't wait to get my hands on one.

We've covered the various gamebooks on the App Store quite a bit in the past, and we're overdue for a refresher on all the offerings of Tin Man Games-- Especially with the release of their latest gamebook, Temple of the Spider God [$2.99]. If you're new to the whole gamebook thing, here's the gist- Remember Choose Your Own Adventure books back in the day? Well, imagine those, with greater levels of interactivity via dice rolling, character skills, battles, and more. If this even vaguely sounds interesting to you, you should snag the free version of their first gamebook to give it a try. I've had an absolutely fabulous time playing through them, and highly encourage anyone interested in fantasy novels to check 'em out.

Tin Man Games' series of Gamebook Adventures all are set in the same universe, and even though they were released as a continuing series of sorts, you really don't need to read them in order at all. If the premise of a particular gamebook jumps out at you, you can dive right in without feeling like you're missing much of anything by not reading previous installments.

Here's the current lineup, which are all universal apps:

Gamebook Adventures 7: Temple of the Spider God, $4.99 - "Cesaro Cortez, a famed explorer-conquistador, set out three years ago on his last great expedition. His ships never returned to an Orlandrian port and he was feared lost until a mysterious cargo appeared recently in Miramar. The nature of this cargo will put Orlandes in jeopardy, sending you on an epic journey to find Cortez, save the country and face your darkest fear!"

Gamebook Adventures 1: An Assassin in Orlandes, $4.99 - "Set within Orlandes City, nobles are being systematically murdered by a ruthless assassin no-one seems able to catch. Finding yourself thrust in the middle of a large conspiracy, you must make decisions that may put yourself and one other most precious to you in great danger. Can you locate the Assassin in Orlandes before it is too late?"

Gamebook Adventures 2: The Siege of the Necromancer, $4.99 - "Set in the coastal town of Myr, you have returned home after a long Summer in the mines of Durath Tor to find your hometown besieged by strange creatures. A dark presence has taken over the town and you are the only one who can rid the stronghold of Erid Buul, the mysterious new Lord and his ghastly cohorts."

Gamebook Adventures 3: Slaves of Rema, $4.99 - "Cruelly taken from your homeland of Orlandes, you find yourself in a far off land at the mercy of a gladiatorial arena. Somehow trying to find a way to escape overseas, can you also unravel a potentially dangerous mystery that puts two nations on the brink of war?"

Gamebook Adventures 4: Revenant Rising, $4.99 - "The mighty city of Falavia, the military backbone of Orlandes, is under attack from an army lead by a man claiming to be a God. How did this come to pass you ask yourself? You're sure it all started as some innocent adventure in search of treasure but somehow it turned into a nightmare. Also, why are people staring at you strangely? It’s not as if you look like you've recently been brought back from the dead or something. Oh yes, that's right. You remember now... "

Gamebook Adventures 5: Catacombs of the Undercity, $4.99 - "Captured by one of Orlandes City’s most infamous brotherhoods, the Red Hand Guild, you are thrown to the mercy of the subterranean world deep beneath the streets of the great capital. Wading through the sewers and other dark menacing places, your goal is to reach Undercity, the City beneath the City! Only there can you find the help you need to escape this underground horror and bring down the dark brotherhood from within."

Gamebook Adventures 6: The Wizard from Tarnath Tor, $4.99 - "Two hundred years ago, the legendary City of Tarnath Tor was destroyed as it’s defenders, the mighty wizards valiantly tried to repel an orcun horde. Now just a place set within stories and myths, it has been lost to the outside world. A chance encounter with one who claims to be a time traveller sends you on a mission to recover some magical artifacts. This search will lead you to great ruins and the dark forces who have made it their home. Who is this wizard from Tarnath Tor and how can you trust him?"

It's hard to say which cliche best applies to Dark Dot. Good things come in small packages? Don't look a gift horse in the mouth? That's the beauty of cliches -- they're all so universal. The beauty of Dark Dot [Free], on the other hand, is that while tiny, it's well crafted, fun and totally free. If you have an iPad, you should be downloading it right now.

But perhaps you want to know a little more about the game. If so, then think of Dark Dot as the result of a clandestine meeting between vertical shooters and line drawing games. You control an army of darklets led by the Darkest of Terrors, affectionately known as 'Dot.' You can corral your darklets into formation by drawing shapes around them. They spread out or squish in to fill the shapes you draw, and fire from their new positions. All the while, they march over a constantly scrolling background as their elemental enemies fly by.

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This past May, developer Dingo Games brought Laser Dolphin [$2.99/HD] to the App Store, a game that wins all sorts of brownie points from me just based on the name alone. However, before that the developer had released another iOS game that actually proved to be quite popular in an under the radar sort of way. It was called Tasty Planet [$2.99/Lite/HD], and the best way I could describe it would be if Katamari Damacy and Spore Origins [99¢] had a gooey grey baby.

As the story goes in Tasty Planet, one day an enterprising scientist was looking to create a more efficient way to clean. He creates a microbial speck of grey goo that he hopes will feast on dirt and grime, but it turns out it has more of a hunger for anything and everything. Naturally the goo gets set free into the wild, and the game follows its journey through different locations as it grows larger and larger by eating everything in sight.

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Blosics [99¢ / HD] is a casual object-flinging game like Angry Birds, but this is no clone, as it feels fresh and unique with plenty of different features to unlock. FDG Entertainment, the makers of Cover Orange [99¢ / HD],  advise that the online version of Blosics has been experienced by over 40 million players, which is quite a lot of people, but personally I prefer to play my games on iOS devices. Thankfully, that is now possible with the arrival of Blosics in the App Store.

The idea is to throw balls at unfriendly colored blocks, which are often stacked into piles or structures. The grumpy blocks have little faces which are always frowning as they mutter comments like:  "Yada yada" , "Nom nom nom", "Watch it!", "Hey!" and my personal favorite quote: "Blurgh!" No wonder people throw balls at them.

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While in-app purchases have certainly made their mark across a wide variety of genres of iOS games, it has yet to clearly take root with classic role playing games. Dawn of Magic [Free], the latest game from Lakoo, is an experiment in infusing certain elements of in-app purchasing with classic RPG gameplay. For some gamers, such a combination may be a turnoff towards investing a substantial amount of time in Dawn of Magic. However, for those willing to check it out, this classic RPG succeeds in recreating the old school RPG experience, for better or worse.

You won’t find any novel gameplay quirks in Dawn of Magic. Everything from the sprite based graphics to the turn based battles is classic RPG, pure and simple. In addition, don’t expect much in terms of side quests, as Dawn of Magic is extremely linear and runs through the story relatively quickly (assuming you’re able to grind out levels and gold in good order). While I had no problem with Dawn of Magic’s linear style and somewhat generic gameplay, I could imagine others looking for something new might not appreciate the game’s homage to the classic gameplay.

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