At E3 back in June of this year, we got an impressive hands-on demo of the OnLive service running and playable on the iPad. In case you're not familiar, OnLive is the cloud-based gaming service that allows you to play from a fairly large selection of console and PC games by way of streaming them to an OnLive client running on your computer or a specially designed set-top box that connects to your TV. In simpler terms, it's a lot like instantly streaming movies over NetFlix, except it's video games, and you get to actually play them in real time with minimal lag if you're internet speeds are up to snuff.

Basically, the iPad demo at E3 showed off just how versatile the OnLive service is. They simply created a client for the iPad and it allows practically the exact same OnLive experience that you would get using the service on your computer or television. It really felt like the future, but today, the future is now! (Sorry, I've always wanted to say that). But on a serious note, the OnLive iPad client is scheduled to launch today, as in like right now, for FREE.

There is a catch, however, as the OnLive mobile app is currently only available in the US and UK. There's no word yet on if or when the service may launch in other territories. As part of the mobile app's support, more than 25 of the games available on OnLive have been outfitted with touch-specific controls, meaning they can be played directly on the device itself without any additional peripherals. Included in that lineup of 25 titles is Rockstar's hugely successful LA Noire, as well as Lego Batman: The Videogame, which will actually be available for free for anybody to try out the service just by downloading the OnLive client.

The majority of OnLive's nearly 200 other available titles will also be playable on iOS, but won't have the virtual touch controls baked into them. For these games you can pair the Universal OnLive Wireless Controller with your device and play them just like you would on a traditional console, or as demonstrated in the E3 demo video. Not every title will be able to be played on every device, OnLive cautions, but it sounds like the vast majority of them will be fully playable using the controller or virtual button setup.

One cool thing about OnLive is that whether you purchase a game through their service on your iPad, computer, set-top unit, or whatever, it will be available on any of those devices, with full cloud-saving functionality. So, if you're in the middle of an OnLive game on your TV, you can stop what you're doing and seamlessly pick up where you left off on your iPad, for example. You'll also have access to all the social features that are built into OnLive no matter which device you're playing on.

While the OnLive iOS client hasn't quite hit the App Store just yet, it is supposed to be arriving any time, and we'll update this post with a link as soon as possible. Since it's free and comes with a free game, there's really no reason not to download it and check it out. If you're interested in ordering a Universal OnLive Wireless Controller, those will be available sometime soon, and you'll be able to get it in the US OnLive Store for $49.99 or the UK OnLive Store for £39.99.

Earlier this afternoon, Telltale Games revealed when we'll see the next two chapters of the Tales of Monkey Island series on iPhone and iPod Touch: December 15 and December 22, respectively. For fans of the series on these smaller devices, we'd imagine that this is a very welcome turnaround between episode releases. The gap between initial chapter and the upcoming second chapter will have been more than a month when it releases.

For those not in the know, Monkey Island Chapter 2, or The Siege of Spinner Cay, follows the Mighty Pirate (TM) as he interacts with the world's Mer-folk. Monkey Island Chapter 3, or Lair of the Leviathan, deals almost exclusively with the latest, and probably most moist, mess Guybrush has ever been in. Both are cool, so definitely give them a shot if you're really feeling Tales of Monkey Island.

[Thanks, WakeBoardMan10!]

We thought the My Xbox Live app would be the surprise of the afternoon, but Warner Bros incoming Batman Arkham City tie-in for iOS is contesting. Earlier today, the New Zealand App Store was updated with a bunch of new apps that we'll see tonight, and Batman Arkham City Lockdown is one of those. In brief, it's an Infinity Blade-style one-on-one fighter that has you, as the Batman, eventually beating up the Joker, Two-Face, "and more" dudes from that universe across several different gritty Gotham environments.

As you'll notice from the screens, there's a little more to the experience. Gadgets and gizmos and upgrades are apparently a threat, as well as "unique gameplay" elements in its boss fights. I wouldn't be surprised if it had a touch more, er, viciousness than your run-of-the-mill Batman game, too, since the guys behind Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm, are behind it and all.

Lockdown should release tonight at around 11PM EST (at $5.99), so we'll be able to get a much better picture then. For other release news, look out for our upcoming post that spills the beans on everything notable hitting tonight.

[Via Joystiq, via IGN]

Microsoft, via Xbox Live evangelist Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, has just announced the immediate release of the company's first Xbox Live iOS app, My Xbox Live [Free]. It's a free app that basically acts as a mobile companion to some of the more important aspects of the service. You can read and send messages to anyone on your Friend's List, manage that list or invite new people onto it, edit your profile, gander at all of your hard-earned achievements, or even mess with your Avatar's apparel.

Our time with My Xbox Live has been pretty limited so far, but we're pretty pleased with its presentation and how silky smooth the menu-to-menu navigation is on our iPhone 4S. What's especially tickling us is how it plays all those wonderful little dashboard sounds we've come to love, too.

If you're into the idea of having a mobile version of your Live dashboard in your pocket, this is probably something you need to check out. The zero dollar thing makes that pretty easy to do. Also, it's Universal.

Big news this afternoon: the simulation gurus over at Kairosoft have announced their next game, and no, it's not that Hot Springs Story On A Boat title we noted a few weeks ago. Instead, it's a city simulation dubbed Venture Towns, and it's expected to hit the US App Store this coming December 15, presumably exclusively for the iPod Touch and iPhone.

We don't know anything about it from a hands-on perspective, but the screens we've seen so far have been telling. More than likely, this will be Oh! Edo Towns [$1.99 / Free] with a modern twist. As you'll see, Venture Towns is rocking stadiums and skyscrapers, and storefronts, vegetation and even planes. Abilities like "IQ" and "Work" stand in, presumably, for "Farming" and "Loyalty."

More telling is the grouping of buildings. Venture Towns has a similar grid-based style just like Oh! Edo Towns, which implies that it'll have similar mechanics. So, prepare to stare at an Excel spreadsheet all afternoon in order to drill down what combinations work best with the kind of workers you have. Yes!

[Thanks, Nick!]

iPhone controller accessories have been generating a good bit of news, here lately. More and more existing iOS titles are gaining physical control options via updates, and just last week we detailed the upcoming Gametel Bluetooth controller that will soon become a game-enhancing iOS controller option, alongside the iCade and iControlPad. The more the merrier, true, but long time readers may recall yet another controller we covered over a year ago that has been off the radar ever since. Does anyone remember the GameBone?

Once again, Stuart Carnie of Manomio (whose C64 for iPhone just got iCade support) reached out and pinged me to share a bit of exciting tech he's had his eye on, and I'm quite eager to fill the rest of you in.

Stuart showed me the following proof-of-concept video done by Jason Chan of Australian firm 22Moo, the main man behind the GameBone controllers, depicting the venerable Competiton Pro joystick -- a standard, 9-pin Atari-style joystick -- tethered to a Bluetooth controller board, controlling Retro Dreamer's Velocispider as well as Bruce Lee running under Stuart's C64 system as well as his retro iOS port of Flashback, via iCade emulation. It's pretty awesome stuff.

I got in touch with Chan and inquired as to what his intentions are regarding this demonstrated technology, and also regarding the GameBone controller we last heard about so long ago.

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All new and completely separate versions of PopCap Games's Bejeweled Blitz and Bejeweled are coming to the App Store today. Unfortunately, this morning presumably marks the last time you'll ever be able to buy Bejeweled 2 + Blitz [$.99], as it has been targeted for a good old-fashioned EA-style yank in light of the release of these two newer, and seemingly much more fleshed out versions of these two games.

The new version of Bejeweled, simply called Bejeweled, will feature retina display support in addition to higher resolution assets. Three game modes -- Classic, Zen, Diamond Mine -- and all the achievements, stats, and scores tracking services we presume a Bejeweled player could possibly care about will also be included in the $.99 package. Oh, and PopCap is promising that the game will "continually evolve with a range of new and exciting features."

The new version of Blitz, unlike the new Bejeweled, will be a free-to-play take on the bite-sized variant of Bejeweled. Retina display support has been confirmed, as well as "full Facebook integration," and a new user-interface. It seems like "coins" will be its in-game currency, which you'll probably be able to buy via IAP.

Pictured: Old Bejeweled.

A lot of Internet savvy people aren't, uh, so happy with this move and we can see the reason why. It certainly has that cold boardroom kind of feel to it. At the same time, these new games don't strike us as any less of the game that Bejeweled 2 + Blitz was. They'll probably be better judging by the features list.

We'll definitely be giving these a look and we'll get back to you. And, by the way, Bejeweled 2 + Blitz is still up on the App Store. If you're an old purchaser, you won't need back up the .IPA file if you ever want to re-sync it to your device -- you'll apparently be able to re-download this at will via your iTunes history.

I have a confession to make: I never played The Bard’s Tale [$6.99] when it hit consoles back in 2004 (nor did I ever play the original 1985 version on PC). So, when the game made its recent debut on the App Store, I welcomed the opportunity to check out the quirky action-RPG. As it turns out, not only does The Bard’s Tale make a smooth transition to the small screen, but the great tongue-in-cheek story still works for folks that are looking to try it out for the first time, assuming they can get past the simplistic (and somewhat stale) gameplay mechanics.

For those that haven’t played it before, The Bard’s Tale follows the story of the unnamed protagonist as he gets swept away in a story rife with RPG clichés and humor.  Even though the game hardly ever takes itself seriously, the writing and humor remain well done and are the stars of the game. The voice acting also deserves a special mention, with Cary Elwes (of Princess Bride fame) as the voice of the bard. There are some that may roll their eyes at the sarcastic humor, but I believe that it's actually a big part of the appeal as too many games take themselves way too seriously these days.

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The very first time most people play a freemium sim, they reach a point where they think "that's it?" After all, you've put time and possibly money into growing your crops, building your tower or expanding your kingdom, and then you want to, you know, do something with them. It's a feeling that passes, but it's always a bit of a letdown.

Battle Nations [Free] blasts that letdown into bits, because while you build up your military base you're also building up an army, and that army gets to fight. It's part freemium builder, part turn-based strategy game. You use the money you earn from the crops you grow to build your army and keep it in tip-top shape. Then you bring the hammer down on friends and foes alike.

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We first heard grumblings of long-time console and PC developer Paradox Interactive's newest title Defenders of Ardania back in February of this year, with a new trailer and release date being revealed just last month. Now, Defenders of Ardania [$4.99/Lite] has finally hit the App Store and is available for purchase as we speak (well maybe not speaking, since I'm typing and you're reading, but you get the point).

We briefly got to check out Defenders of Ardania in an extremely early state at GDC this year, and based on the trailer released last month it's made a ton of progress since then. As you can see for yourself, the visuals look quite splendid, but it's the twist on the traditional tower defense formula that excites me the most. You see, you set up your defensive towers in the most strategic way possible in order to fend of the oncoming hordes of enemies, but you're also able to send out waves of your own troops to get down and dirty with the enemy up close and personal in the battlefield. It's the type of subtle twist that might really make Defenders of Ardania stand out from the pack.

We'll be diving into Defenders of Ardania to see if it's as good as the trailer would have us believe, but I've got a pretty good feeling about it. If you're the "live life on the edge" type and don't want to wait around for our review, or if you're already sold on the pedigree of Paradox Interactive and would like to support their very first iOS effort, then feel free to mash away at the link below. Don't forget that there's a lite version to try first and you can also scour the game's forum thread for player impressions.

Zen Studios has previously released Zen Pinball, Marvel Pinball and Pinball FX2 for the consoles. But their latest release, Zen Pinball [Free] brings some of these popular pinball tables to the App Store. You can either play a single player game, or compete with up to four friends on the same device in "local hot-seat" (pass-and-play) mode.

Zen Pinball for iOS comes with one free pinball table, named "Sorcerer's Lair".  It's a fully functional table, without any restrictions or adverts, so it's a great opportunity to try the game. If you enjoy it, there's two additional tables (Captain America and Wolverine) available as in-app purchases for $1.99 each, with more tables promised in future.  Sorcerer's Lair  is my favorite of the three tables, so by downloading the free game you're actually getting one of the best.

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A couple of weeks ago, Tough Guy Studios released their first iOS game called Time Ducks [$1.99], and I'm going to be honest, I bought it based solely on the fact that it was called Time Ducks. I figured with a name like that, there was no way I could go wrong. As it turned out, Time Ducks ended up being a pretty fun and unique take on line drawing games, and it sort of sat on the back burner as something I'd been planning on writing about.

Unfortunately, in the iOS space, there are just so many games coming out on a daily basis that good intentions can oftentimes slip by the wayside. Well, a few days ago, Tough Guy released their trailer for Time Ducks, and it's so absolutely insane that it basically forced my hand in the matter as I had to share it with the rest of you. If you're familiar with groundbreaking classic films, then the Time Ducks trailer might look familiar to you, but even if you aren't familiar with the source material there is plenty to enjoy in the craziness found within it:

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On this week's bonus edition of The TouchArcade Show, I talk with Chair Entertainment's Donald Mustard about Infinity Blade 2, that game's unique production pipeline, and future updates. After that, we swing into full "bonus" mode and discuss Mustard's favorite iOS games, in addition to Chair Entertainment's size, history, and what it tries to do as a studio. I came away from this one with a completely different appreciation of Chair. Yeah, it makes awesome games, but it's also an extremely gifted small studio with a hardcore fightin' indie spirit. I like that.

Anyway, if you'd like to give this a download or a stream, feel free via the links below. If you want to subscribe to our podcast and get our latest episodes the second they hit the Internet, hit up our iTunes and Zune pages. Subscriptions are free, folks!

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Zombie Gunship [Free] is easily our favorite zombie game featuring an AC-130. Chances are that it'll be one of yours, too, if you gave it a shot. Normally, Limbic Software asks for a paltry $.99 in return for your fun, but today? It's available at $0. Deals, guys, they happen all the time!

If you'd like to prepare yourself while the game is downloading, spend some time with our review. We were cheeky at the top, there, but this is honestly one of our favorite iOS games and Gunship does a great job differentiating itself in the zombie game "space." Plus, Limbic is really, really good at keeping tabs on the game's community and updating the title consistently.

Our ratings for games we reviewed in November 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 three-star 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 November, and not necessarily games that were specifically released in November.

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