I met with the guys from True Axis in the hall outside of the media lounge on the last day of E3. Having flown all the way from Australia, and dead tired from three days of non-stop video game insanity, they let us in on their plans for the future of Jet Car Stunts [$1.99 / Free], its sequel, and a tilt-controlled sidescrolling shooter, Space Tripper.

Space Tripper is a port of the PC/Mac game with the same title by PomPom Games. True Axis have taken this game filled with bullets, enemies, lasers, bosses, and all forms of other mayhem and turned it in to what they're calling "the most optimized iPhone game of all time." It's immediately evident that they've put tons of work in to this game, as much like Jet Car Stunts, the framerate of the game is incredibly fluid, even with tons of things going on.

Controlled with the accelerometer, you tilt to move your ship and touching one side of the screen turns your ship around while the other changes weapons. Like any good shooter, there are times when your ship is absolutely surrounded by enemies and bullets, and as you can see in the following video, the bosses even fill up half the screen just like they're supposed to in a game like this.

While Space Tripper looked really awesome, True Axis is hard at work both in increasing the content available in Jet Car Stunts as well as putting together its sequel, Jet Car Stunts 2. Currently the sequel is little more than some concept images of the many cars they plan to have in the game. Everything from a monster truck looking vehicle with huge tires to a sports car with wings like a fighter jet will be included, and True Axis is hoping to make each car feel a little different. There are also plans for some kind of level editor, although no details have really been fleshed out yet.

A 26 level pack is coming to Jet Car Stunts very soon, and if you've been looking for an even greater challenge in the game, this DLC is going to be for you. The levels True Axis showed off included driving upside down, flinging around high-banked curves, and even a level with a crazy jump that required you to essentially bounced your car off airborne barricades like a jet powered pinball.

As mentioned, this level pack should be available any day now, and the sequel likely won't appear until next year. They're hoping to have Space Tripper released next month, and you can expect a review from us as soon as it hits the App Store.

Parked outside the west hall of E3 this year was a black party bus covered in Gameloft logos and graphics from their latest games. Inside they walked us through a few games that are nearing release, and a few others that are coming soon. The star of the show was Ultimate Spiderman Total Mayhem, a 3D beat 'em up obviously based in the Spider Man universe with an art style straight out of the Spider Man comic books.

Available sometime towards the end of this summer, Ultimate Spiderman is controlled like all third person Gameloft games, with a virtual joystick that controls your movement and a set of buttons that handle your punching, web slinging, jumping, and other actions. As you fight more guys, an energy bar increases below your health that allows you to unleash an "ultimate combo" which sends Spider Man in to a web-spinning frenzy, damaging everything on screen.

The demo Gameloft was willing to show was fairly brief, but I did get a chance to fight a whole mess of bad guys, fight a mini-boss of sorts, and even experience a few quick time events where your spider sense kicks in to do things like avoid falling obstacles. The first level included everything you would expect in a Spider Man game, fighting on streets, climbing up a building, and finally hopping from roof top to roof top.

The second level they showed involve quite a bit of web slinging. Vaulting yourself forward and swinging between buildings is interrupted by a seemingly constant stream of incoming missiles which using your spider sense you can avoid and leap off of. Overall, both levels were pretty cool, but like quite a few recent Gameloft games, the various gameplay components that make up Ultimate Spiderman all feel transplanted from other titles. Fighting had almost had a Hero of Sparta [$1.99 / Free] feel to it with spider webs mixed in, controlling Spider Man felt a lot like controlling Iron Man in Iron Man 2 [$6.99 / Free], and there was even some rail sliding portions that reminded me of the exact same segments from Avatar [$6.99].

This isn't entirely bad, as if you haven't played these other games all the things that make up Spider Man will seem to go together very well-- But, if you have been playing every Gameloft release, it will be very apparent that you're just playing another conglomeration of Gameloft gameplay mechanics with a Spider Man skin on top. Hopefully when the game is finally released it will include a bit more to set it apart from other Gameloft games aside from the Spider Man license.

Other Gameloft games included Hero of Sparta 2, which picked up where the original left off with you going back to attempt to lift the curse from your homeland and go head to head with Hades. Launching for both the iPhone and iPad, Hero of Sparta 2 will likely be an easy purchase for anyone who enjoyed Hero of Sparta, as the game offers more of the same but this time with substantially better looking graphics.

Let's Golf 2 is also in the works, and just like Hero of Sparta 2, it's Let's Golf with even more holes (108 in total), more playable characters, more stuff to unlock, and better looking graphics across the 6 included environments. I had a great time with Let's Golf [$1.99 / Free], which is incredibly apparent in our review from last year and it's actually still my favorite golf game for the iPhone. I'm really looking forward to Let's Golf 2.

A sequel to Dungeon Hunter [$4.99 / Free] is in development as well, with three classes and much like the original Dungeon Hunter 2 has plenty of loot to gather, quests to complete, and monsters to slay. The biggest new feature in Dungeon Hunter 2 is online co-op multiplayer. Yes, online co-op multiplayer. Gameloft was reluctant to discuss exactly how the multiplayer would work, but if it's implemented well Dungeon Hunter 2 could potentially be absolutely amazing as few things are more fun in my opinion than dungeon crawling with friends.

Other than that, a bunch of Gameloft games which don't have iPad versions are getting upscaled to HD releases. These include Splinter Cell Conviction [$9.99], Blockus [$4.99], and The Settlers [$4.99 / Free]. Each game is basically the same as the iPhone version with higher resolution graphics with the main exception being Blokus which is coming loaded with single device multiplayer.

This afternoon I met with the guys from Taito outside of the west hall of E3. Unsurprisingly, they have quite a bit on their plate right now both between updating their existing games, releasing new ones, and promoting an odd array of Space Invader themed utilities. Originally I was rather confused, both wondering why Taito would release these utilities and who would download them... Then I realized exactly who would download them-- The army of people with severe Space Invader fetishes like our own Blake Patterson.

These utilities all have been done before, but never with a Space Invaders theme. They're all free, and the calculator is actually pretty cool with various easter eggs if whatever you're calculating results in certain special numbers such as 1978, 41, and 10 others. They all include various advertisements for Taito games, and there is a 99¢ version of the calculator that strips these ads.

• Space Invaders Clock
• Space Invaders Battery Meter
• Space Invaders Business Card
• Space Invaders Calculator (Ad-Free Calculator, 99¢)
• Space Invaders Timer
• Space Invaders Flashlight
• Space Invaders Timer

Gardening Mama is in the works, an iPhone port of an existing Nintendo DS game. Just like Cooking Mama [$6.99 / Free], Gardening Mama will use the touch and tilt interfaces of the device to plant and cultivate various plant life instead of cooking. All we need now is a way to hook the two games together so you can cook in Cooking Mama with the ingredients you grow in Gardening Mama. Gardening Mama is still in development, but they expect it to be released later this summer.

Space Invaders HD is scheduled for release in July, and is going to be the classic game of Space Invaders redone for the iPad. It's a little hard to not roll your eyes at a "HD" version of a retro game like this, but they've actually done quite a bit to make the game really cool. Most notably is a single device two-player mode that works just like the cocktail table arcade machines, with players taking turns and the screen orientation switching just like back in the day.

Taito is using Space Invaders HD to test the waters before determining what else to do with the iPad, but not having "HD" versions of their existing games shouldn't dissuade you from checking them out on your iPad. The pixel art used in their iPhone games all look great with the iPad's scaling.

The next retro classic Taito is bringing to the App Store is Bubble Bobble, and I doubt I'm alone in hoping this game gets the same amazing treatment as Space Invaders did in Space Invaders Infinity Gene [$4.99]. Today all they were able to show is a basic demo of the game running with touch controls, but they assured me that Bubble Bobble for the iPhone would feature both a "retro" mode, and a new game mode they weren't willing to talk any specifics beyond telling me to not "expect something just like the original."

Moving on to game updates, Taito is committed to updating their popular games, both either through free updates or via in-app purchases. Cooking Mama has already had a few updates with new recipes, and there are even more coming. Taito is even debating recipe packs, potentially with seasonal or holiday themes.

Space Invaders Infinity Gene is getting a huge update, with both free and paid components. Everyone who owns the game will get access to a new ship, and the ability to turn the game sideways to shift the perspective in to a horizontal shooter. In-app purchases will be available to unlock different themes for the game.

These themes include Darius, Metal Black, and Night Striker. Each theme comes with their own unique ships, bosses, and remixed music that any fans of the original games should instantly recognize. Taito hopes the update will land on the App Store sometime next month.

As I mentioned before, they've got quite a bit in the works at Taito, and it's hard to not look forward to their future efforts on the platform especially with how great some of their recent releases have been-- Especially Space Invaders Infinity Gene.

Venan Entertainment, creators of Space Miner: Space Ore Bust [$1.99 / Free] and Ninjatown: Trees of Doom! [99¢], were at E3 this year crammed in the corner of the mobile section. The two new titles they had to show off were Ninjatown for the iPad, and a brand new freemium arcade game based on Space Miner called Space Miner Blast.

Space Miner Blast will be supported by unobtrusive in-game advertising, with optional DLC which will add features to the game and disable advertisements entirely. Most of the original Space Miner has been stripped out in favor of a quick survival game with a very basic upgrade system. All you do is see how big of a multiplier you can keep going by blasting as much ore as you possibly can (while defending against enemies of course). Here is a few minutes of gameplay:

Ninjatown: Trees of Doom! for the iPad retains the same feel of the iPhone game, with upscaled graphics and a new timed mode which will soon also be released in an update for the iPhone. You have 25 seconds to start, and with every 100 meters you climb adds 15 seconds to the clock. The original Ninjatown for the iPhone works great upscaled on the iPad, but if you've held off on buying it and own an iPad it would make sense to wait for the iPad HD release.

Here is a clip of the new timed mode in action:

Venan has had a track record of releasing fantastic games lately, and if you haven't already, take a look at both the Ninjatown: Trees of Doom! review and the Space Miner: Space Ore Bust review. You really can't go wrong downloading either.

Announced at GDC in 2009, OnLive takes the concept of cloud computing to the next level in providing high-end video games running at HD resolution streamed in realtime over the internet playable on any device capable of running the OnLive client connected to an internet connection with a downstream of at least 5 megabit. Following its announcement, speculation ran wild regarding whether or not this sort of remote technology could even possibly exist and provide the same lag-free experience as a home console.

OnLive had an impressive presence at E3 this year, with playable clients running on the OnLive set-top box, Macs, PC's, and we even got a peek at the games running on the iPad. On a computer or the actual OnLive device, the experience was flawless. According to the people I spoke with at the event, everything we were seeing was being rendered and streamed live from their datacenter hundreds of miles away to the E3 show floor. I'm still skeptical, as the technology as it was presented to me today just seems too good to be true. If a simple set-top box or a client running on a low-end computer can in fact easily stream high-end HD video games for a low monthly fee it really does have the potential to change the face of gaming forever.

If this is the first you've heard of OnLive, stop by the Wikipedia article and read about it. They cover all the origins of the service, the skepticism, as well as the sheer clout of the executive team behind the company. You can also see the featured OnLive games on the OnLive web site.

Today I got a peek at the iPad client for OnLive, something they stressed over and over was not representative of any final product, but rather just exists to serve as an example of how ubiquitous the OnLive service truly is. When a new platform comes along, all they have to do is write a client for it and you will be able to play all of your games live and in the cloud just like you presumably already have been on your TV or computer easily and seamlessly over the internet.

Because of its raw tech demo state, the controls are less than ideal. The client uses a weird virtual joystick button layout that I don't really think would be very useful for anything outside of just demonstrating what is possible. The following video walks through the OnLive iPad client, and shows Borderlands running, an XBOX and PC game. Also, after that, we load up Dragon Age: Origins, which didn't work because it didn't have gamepad controls, and finally we spectated on some games in session by other OnLive members.

If you watch to the end, you can see a side by side of someone playing a game on the OnLive unit hooked up to an HDTV, that same game is then instantly streamed to both that TV as well as the iPad. The video stream is identical. It really is amazing to see. As explained in the video, they're not sure when or if the iPad client will even ever be available, but needless to say, we've got our fingers crossed.

At E3 this year Disney was showing two new iPhone titles, Tron and Toy Story 3. I had very high hopes for Tron, as the original movie is very near and dear to my heart but I'm really not too sure what to think of the official licensed game after playing so many great games inspired by the light cycle battles from the movie already.

Disney's Tron is being released as something they're calling a "franchise portal", which is going to be a host to numerous individual Tron games and toys, originally launching with a tank game shown in the following video:

As explained in the video, Disney is planning to update Tron consistently leading up to the release of the movie later this year. The game portion of the Tron will start off as a Tanks game but later get free updates with different game types. It's a promise that always causes us a little pause as it's becoming increasingly common on the App Store. I suppose all we can do is wait and see, and see how the pricing works out. But I would have loved to have seen Disney launch with a little bit more than a dual stick shooter.

Oddly enough, this confusing usage of such excellent licenses persisted through their iPhone version of Toy Story 3. Currently, the game has several components: A button trading game where players earn buttons like you would earn in-game achievements then trade them with other people who also have the game, an accelerometer controlled racing game, a hidden object game, a sound board, and others. You can even use the Toy Story 3 iPhone game as a virtual controller for the Toy Story 3 PC game via WiFi.

The accelerometer-powered racing game can be seen in the following gameplay video:

We'll see how both of the games turn out once they're finally released and each see their full suite of associated Tron or Toy Story 3 content unveiled. Meanwhile, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for an absolutely fantastic official light cycle update to the Tron game.

Chillingo is in full force at E3, showing a array of titles, some coming soon and some already released. Predators is based on the movie with the same name coming out on July 9th, and as a fully licensed game, features an amazing amount of fan service. You will be able to rampage around as a predator, using staples like net guns, stealth cloaking, and thermal vision. Predators includes both short and long range weapons, as well as the ability to save the heads of your prey just like any self-respecting Predator would.

Developed by Angry Mob, the iPhone studio responsible for Guerilla Bob, Predators has a really similar feel to it both in how the game plays and how little things like the way the in-game camera follows your Predator. Enemies include stereotypical bad guys such as both Yakuza gang members and Russian soldiers among the others you will come across in the game's 24 levels.

Predators is scheduled for release on July 1st for $2.99. But, like most games that shoot for a specific date, they're at the mercy of the Apple approval overlords. Predators is a surprisingly cool game that fans of both the Predator universe and top-down shooters should enjoy.

E3 opened today in sunny Los Angeles, California and if you've never been to the event the sheer scale is absolutely dumbfounding. There are people in costume everywhere, someone passing you a free energy drink on every corner, and the booths that the big players of the video game world have set up are beyond amazing.

The first appointment we had today was with Sega who gave us a hands on of their upcoming game Sonic 4 for the iPhone. The release is still TBA beyond "late 2010", as Sega seems very concerned with getting the game right instead of just throwing it out there like other recent Sonic games which have all been fairly mediocre going all the way back to Dreamcast Sonic games. Sonic 4 actually was a lot of fun to play, and as you can see from the video, shares quite a bit of the look and feel of classic Sonic games:

With both tilt and touch controls as well as the same amount of content found in the game on other consoles, Sonic 4 is really working up to be something special. I was cautiously optimistic when Sega announced the delay of the game, and it really seems like they're taking their time to make a game that anyone who looks back to the days of classic 16 bit fast-paced platformers will enjoy.

Details are sketchy on this one, but besides Final Fantasy Tactics, it appears Square Enix is also delivering Secret of Mana to the iPhone. The above/right photo by @rpgfancom.

Secret of Mana is an action role-playing game that was originally released in 1993. The game was re-released for Wii in 2008 and ported to Japanese mobile phones in 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz4tg_KWw8o

More details as we get them.

Square Enix has releveaed that they will be bringing Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of Lions to the iPhone and iPod Touch. The official release date is scheduled for September 15, 2010.

In 2007, FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: The War of the Lions delivered a 1997 PlayStation® fan-favorite to a new generation of players on the PSP® (PlayStation Portable) system. Featuring an array of enhancements to the original FINAL FANTASY TACTICS, including breathtakingly beautiful CG movies, additional characters and jobs, and an all-new English translation, the critically acclaimed FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: The War of the Lions now makes its way to iPhone® and iPod touch®.

Peer through the eyes of young heroes Ramza and Delita, and uncover the secrets that lie hidden within history’s darkened folds.

An E3 trailer has been released for the game:

News continues to trickle out from E3. We'll have more details as we get them.

Capcom has finally released screenshots for the iPhone version of its classic shoot 'em up 1942. It was hinted that 1942 would make its way to the iPhone back at E3 2009, but we haven't heard much of the game again until now:

1942 was first released in 1984 for the arcade. It gave way to the sequel 1943: The Battle of Midway. Stay tuned.

Gameloft has released a trailer for their upcoming iPhone game Ultimate Spider-Man: Total Mayhem.

We should have more details throughout E3.

Back in January, we got pretty excited about the Parrot AR.Drone Quadicoptor. The Parrot AR.Drone remote control quadricopter is controlled by creating its own WiFi network that either an iPhone or an iPod Touch connects to. The Parrot AR.Drone is then maneuvered using the accelerometers of the iPhone combined with a video feed from the forward facing camera on the drone itself. A smart piloting system intelligently compensates for wind and other environmental conditions, and utilizing a second camera which faces the ground can perform a stationary flight on its own.

We had some hands-on time with it back at CES, and were impressed:

Of course, the big question on everyone's mind was "when" and "how much". Ars Technica reports that the Parrot AR.Drone will finally go on sale this September at a price of $299. The device itself is only so exciting on its own, but combined with its open SDK, Parrot is hoping that developers will take advantage of the device's controls and cameras to create augmented reality games. At least a couple of these titles are said to be available at launch.

We knew SEGA would be at E3 showing off their latest Sonic title, so it should come as no surprise that Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is part of their press pack that they have started distributing.

Unfortunately, SEGA didn't seem to bother placing any iPhone screenshots amongst the assets. So here's the closest approximation that we have.

Sonic 4 was previously confirmed for iPhone but isn't due until the second half of 2010. The previously released this trailer last month as a teaser for the game.

We're hoping to see a playable iPhone version of Sonic 4 at E3 this week.

We are going to be attending both WWDC in San Francisco as well as E3 this month. WWDC runs from the 7th to the 11th at the Moscone Convention Center, and E3 goes from the 15th to the 17th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Readers can look forward to an avalanche of news, game previews, and other interesting things from both events.

Coverage from these events in 2009 is viewable either by taking a look at the E3 Expo 2009 or WWDC 2009 categories.

WWDC will likely bring about the official announcement of the new iPhone, even more iPhone OS 4.0 details, and potentially several other things floating around the Apple rumor mill during the keynote on the morning of the 7th. While game coverage from WWDC will likely focus on games by the various indie developers in attendance, the big players of the gaming industry will be in full force at E3. We're expecting a Sonic 4 hands on, and many other exciting developments from well known console game developers/publishers throwing their hats in to the iPhone ring.

If you're a developer or publisher and would like to meet up at either WWDC or E3, send us an email at tips@toucharcade.com or send me a message via AIM to schedule an appointment. Our event schedules usually fill up very quickly, so don't wait to long if you have something you'd like to show us.