One of our most highly rated games on the App Store, Meteor Blitz [$2.99 / Free] by Alley Labs, is getting an iPad specific HD version. If you have some how missed this game completely since its September release last year, here is a recap of a few of it's succeses:

• Apple's Best of 2009
• TouchArcade's Best of 2009
• Our Monthly 5/5 Star Rating
• TouchArcade's Review

And if that is not enough to convince you on how good of a game this is, we highly recommend trying the 3 level Lite version of Meteor Blitz [Free] to see for yourself.

There is a lot about the game that we liked from the iPhone version like near-instant load times, auto-save, real-time high score rankings, and great controls that we look forward to playing on the larger screen.

Meteor Blitz HD includes new features such as an extended remix soundtrack, separate high score leaderboards from the iPhone version, a larger playing field, new effects, including slow-motion blur, and more intense particle systems, an option to enable or disable the automatic gravity gun, and all the features from the original, including auto-pause, auto-save/resume, smooth gameplay and controls.

Here is a gameplay video from the developers of the iPad version of Meteor Blitz:

Meteor Blitz HD will be $4.99 and has already been submitted to Apple, so we should expect to see it soon on the App Store. Our impressions on the HD version should be out shortly after this hits the store. We haven't been huge fans of dual-stick controls on the iPad with previous titles, so we'll have to see how one of our iPhone favorites makes the transition.

The developers of Sally's Spa [$2.99] and Hottie Hookups [$.99] are about to release their newest game, Sigma. Entering a new category of games, BigStack Studios has created a marvelous looking match-3 game.

Using multi-touch, you can independently spin two columns of blocks on either side of the screen. Tapping either side of the screen sends blocks back and forth across the screen. Once a match has been created, you'll have a couple of seconds to tag additional blocks on to the cluster before the whole thing explodes. Overall, it reminds us of an enhanced version of Unify.

The goal is to create huge blocks of the same color to earn the most points, get power ups, and increase the point multipliers. There will be three different modes in Sigma; Sectors, Time Attack, and Multiplayer. Playing in Sector mode allows you to unlock up to 10 different themes, each with their own music track. Time Attack mode has three time lengths to score as many points as possible before the time runs out. And go head-to-head in Multiplayer mode to compete against your friends over local wifi or bluetooth connection. Sigma will also have the online social network Plus+ included in their game with awards to unlock and leader boards to submit your high scores and compete against the world.

Sigma should be available soon, look for it on the App Store in the near future. And to better see how Sigma will be played, check out this gameplay video:

We'll take a closer look when it arrives. The developers plan on submitting the game to Apple as early as today.

Back in 1989 now-veteran UK game developer Jamie Woodhouse released a lively little puzzle / platformer called Qwak for the 8-bit BBC Micro home computer. Not long after, he joined forces with Team17 to develop an enhanhced, two-player Amiga version of the game, which was released in 1993 and featured faster action and more frantic gameplay. The rather well-reviewed title (Amiga Computing magazine gave it a "Gamer Gold" 92% rating) later made its way to the Gameboy Advance as well as the Mac and PC.

We're pleased to report that Jamie recently got in touch with Touch Arcade to give us an exclusive look at the iPhone version of Qwak he has just completed and will be shortly launching through the App Store.

In Qwak, you control a duck (get it?). Your objective is to guide this green duck through level after level of platforms, fruits and gems (worth points), bouncing enemies, power-ups to help demolish said enemies, and keys to unlock goodies as well as the level's exit gate. Your duck can run, jump, and fire volleys of egg projectiles to knock out the baddies. Grab a bonus item and watch a hail of colorful fruit rain down upon you. Take too long on a level and meet a hail of spikeballs. In a nutshell, I call it frenetic, fun, and rather fruity (to be alliteratively wanton).

I've spent some time with the prerelease build of the game Jamie provided us and it's been lovely to play. It's a touch-controlled affair with a left / right control in one corner and jump and egg-fire controls in the other. The vibrant visuals move about the screen as smooth as glass on the iPhone 3GS test device and a very Amiga-sounding score accompanies the action. It feels both retro and highly polished. It's a game platformer fans won't want to miss.

[ NOTE: Our original video embed ran at half-speed for some reason, the video has been replaced with a speed-accurate version. Have another look. ]

Additional details, I'll leave to the developer to provide (after the jump), as he was kind enough to grant us an interview along with the exclusive ad hoc build.

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Limbic Software has announced that TowerMadness HD has been submitted, including 8 new maps, new single player campaign mode system, and a unique multiplayer system.

TowerMadness HD is an open-field or fixed-path tower defense game where you can create your own path to defend off the enemies (Aliens) from reaching your base (herd of sheep). The game has full 3D graphics with pinch-to-zoom capabilities to view the game from any angle, all the way down to first-person viewing of the action. You can check out our full review of the iPhone version of TowerMadness here.

One of the most intriguing new features coming to the HD version is the split-screen multiplayer mode. The way it works is that each player is controlling different games, but they are fighting the same linked waves of aliens, allowing each player to have their own strategy. Sending waves in early will result in both you and your opponent having to fend off the incoming aliens. So if your confident in your defenses, you can overload your opponent with waves and win, but this could also result in your own demise if your not careful. There are also new multiplayer specific features, like 'Panic Your Opponent', where you can accelerate the aliens on your opponents side for a little while to hopefully get past their defenses. Another one is a new character called 'Robosteal', who will travel down your opponents path and steal a sheep if he reaches them, and give it to you.

Look for TowerMadness HD on the App Store soon as it has already been submitted.

It's kind of crazy to think how much has happened since November of last year when we had the guys from Crescent Moon Games on the fourth episode of our podcast just before the release of their first iPhone game, Ravensword: The Fallen King [$4.99 / Free]. They've since released the game and it became both a critical and financial success. Following the coattails of Ravensword comes several ambitious projects.

The first of which is the obvious Ravensword sequel, along with Ultra Kid: Mystery of the Mutants, Rimelands: Hammer of Thor, and the game they're revealing their involvement in tonight: Aralon: Sword and Shadow.

Aralon: Sword and Shadow actually has a great story behind its development. It turns out, the game has been in the works by Galoobeth Games since before Ravensword was even started. The two developers, Jason and Sam, have built the framework for an insanely impressive RPG, but neither are artists. The models were rough, the animations were mediocre at best, but if you looked past all of that, you could see something amazing.

Crescent Moon Games along with artist Mark Jones, famous for his work on everything from the Elder Scrolls series to Arkanoid for the Amiga, are giving Aralon the sprucing up it badly requires to turn a great RPG with bad graphics to what they're hoping to be the best 3D RPG on the App Store.

Aralon: Sword and Shadow is going to sport a feature list that is going to be difficult to beat. They're promising over 30 hours of gameplay, a faction system, crafting and gathering skills, and hundreds of items to equip your character with that also will change your appearance. In addition, there will be four character classes: Warrior, Ranger, Rogue and Mage, each with a unique play style in three playable races: Humans, Elves, and Trolls.

A primary quest will send you through every part of the Kingdom of Aralon, with many optional side-quests to add even more depth to the game. Different enemies will use different battle tactics, and you'll even be able to acquire mounts to quickly travel.

In talking to Crescent Moon Games about Aralon, I've asked them multiple times if they really want to promise all of these things. According to them, almost all of this is already programmed and all they need to do is spend the next four months or so making the game look as great as it plays.

As a fan of RPG's, it's hard to not get excited when developers promise epic gameplay experiences filled with deep stories, tons of character customization, and everything else. We're going to keep a close eye on all of the projects Crescent Moon Games has cooking, and I'm hopeful that Aralon: Sword and Shadow will be just as awesome as it has been described when it finally launches.

Dicework Games, creators of the steampunk puzzler Diceworks [99¢] in collaboration with Crescent Moon Games, the developers behind both Ravensword: The Fallen King [$4.99 / Free] and the upcoming Ultra Kid: Mystery of the Mutants are nearing the finish line in releasing the first of what sounds like a series of turn-based roleplaying games for the iPhone.

Rimelands: Hammer of Thor is going to come loaded with multiple classes to play as, each customizable with talents. The game world consists of both pre-made and randomly generated levels in a game world that is said to be light-hearted and adventurous while still supporting more epic and serious undertones.

The Rimelands web site is absolutely loaded with information about the game, including lore to set the scene of the Rimelands game world. So far everything we've seen from this new partnership between Diceworks and Crescent Moon has been extremely impressive. The art looks great, the Rimelands universe sounds cool, and the brief gameplay shown in the above trailer has really piqued my interest.

Needless to say, we're going to be following Rimelands: Hammer of Thor very closely.

Carcassonne developer The Coding Monkeys has confirmed with us that the iPad version of the upcoming Apple handheld title will be a universal update to the initial App Store release this summer.

Just don't expect the update to hit in the immediate.

According to developer Martin Pittenauer, The Coding Monkeys haven't started work on the larger version of the game. Instead, they've focused their efforts on the iPhone and iPod Touch versions slated for release in May.

"The iPhone version will be released this month and we plan to start work on the iPad after that," developer Martin Pittenauer told us via e-mail.

"We poured a lot of love into the game already and feel the iPad version deserves the same level of attention, so it's hard to make promises for a release date right now. But we plan to have the game universal later this summer."

Universal updates allow handheld Apps to run natively on the iPad, which avoids creators from having to juggle two similar Apps on the Store at the same time.

The Carcassonne update will be free for purchasers of the App, but the price of the whole package will be raised from its initial $4.99 price point once the update goes live on iTunes.

"Once the app is universal we will end introductory pricing and sell the game for $9.99," Pittenauer told us in a later e-mail. "So, if you buy early, you essentially get a discount on the version that runs on iPhone, iPod, and iPad."

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At GDC 2010, one of the games we got a secret sneak peek of was Imangi's upcoming dual stick shooter Max Adventure. Imangi is finally ready to start revealing some details about their most ambitious project to date.

While Max Adventure is yet another dual stick shooter, Imangi's Natalia Luckyanova promises it brings more to the table. She writes, "There will be plenty of the action-packed survival shooting that you expect from a dual stick shooter. But unlike other dual stick shooters, Max Adventure will also have open exploration in non-linear levels, diverse missions, puzzle elements, and story-driven progression."

They've released this epic trailer which shows some gameplay towards the end:

We played an early build of the game at GDC and were pleased to find it capture great controls with a fluid feel. This smooth dual-stick "feel" is something that games like MiniGore have gotten so right while games like Garters & Ghouls have gotten so wrong. Max Adventure is targeted for release at the end of summer. Imangi has started an upcoming discussion thread for the game.

We first saw the beginnings of Freeverse's Flick Baseball at WWDC last year, and I can only imagine how long it had been in development before then. Much like the recently released Warpgate [iPhone: $4.99 / iPad: $7.99], it's immediately evident that a lot of time and effort went in to this game.

Flick Baseball is a full 3D baseball game that looks and plays a lot like a fleshed out version of Com2Us's Homerun Battle 3D [$4.99 / Free] with 3D players, tilt to aim batting, and some extra features such as being able to control your runners and where your outfielders throw the ball. Since Homerun Battle 3D is still one of my favorite iPhone games, I'm really happy with how Freeverse seems to have captured a very similar batting mechanic that works extremely well.

I've barely begun to scratch the surface of Flick Baseball, as we'll be saving that for our in-depth look in our full review, but this is a very complete baseball game. You can play both 3 and 9 inning baseball games in two different difficulty modes, and the entire game is driven by this crazy subsystem of player statistics. Some players bat better than others and as such have a much larger hit zone when they swing, and others require your aim to be practically perfect when batting to hit. There are tons of other stats that control every attribute of each player of your team.

34 teams are included, and you can build your own team with a custom name, lineup, uniform color, roster, stats, and everything else. You could likely spend hours doing nothing other than building custom teams in this game if you wanted to. There are full 11, 33, 66, and 165 game season modes with all kinds of stat tracking, a playoff mode, and the games even change from night to day depending on the actual time of day it is in the city you're playing at.

Here is a video of me playing a couple innings, which features a lot of strike outs and a beginner's luck home run:

Flick Baseball should be available May 3rd, so keep an eye out for a full review and another video of me (hopefully) hitting nothing but home runs with my tricked out custom baseball team. So far I'm really enjoying the game a lot, and look forward to getting deeper in to it.

This morning Crescent Moon Games, creators of Ravensword: The Fallen King [$4.99] just pulled the curtain from their upcoming space-themed 3D / 2.5D platform game, Ultra Kid: Mystery of the Mutants.

Inspired by fantastic games like MegaMan, Kid Icarus, and Super Mario Galaxy and others, Ultra Kid will have players flying their rockets through space to land on different moons and planets, where they will find crazy creatures to fight and dark tunnels to explore.

With a mixture of both 2.5D and 3D platforming, you'll collect weapons and suit upgrades as you progress through the game to help you complete your main mission of saving the galaxy from Dr. Ridalin, who we've been assured is quite evil. Ultra Kid is still in development, and while details are vague right now, we expect to learn quite a bit more about the game in the upcoming weeks.

We just got word from UK-based developer Mr. Fung Fung has been hard at work on the upcoming MiniSquadron Special Edition. We really enjoyed the original MiniSquadron [$2.99 / Free] in our review, and are expecting the same kind of arcade style shooter gameplay in this special edition pseudo-sequel.

MiniSquadron Special Edition is going to sport 8 brand new levels, 50 more planes to unlock, 2 new power-ups ("rapid fire" and "freeze") along with a new fireball weapon to unleash on the new enemy types which can be seen in the following gameplay trailer:

Best of all, MiniSquadron Special Edition will be free to download, and will include a pair of levels to try out. Following that, levels are sold in sets of two for 99¢ a pack. MiniSquadron Special Edition is coming soon, and definitely will be worth downloading if you never played the original just to see what you've been missing.

In February, we first spoke with Rocketcat Games' Kepa Auwae about the successor to Hook Champ. At the time it was described simply dubbed "Avalanche Game". Auwae has since released to us the first gameplay video and a name for the project: "Super Quickhook".

As described in February, Super Quickhook is a spiritual successor to Hook Champ. Yes, that means you can hook and swing your way through this game too. Unlike Hook Champ, however, Super Quickhook features infinite, randomly generated levels in a survival/last-longer type game. Your goal is to outrun (outswing) the avalanche for as long as you can.

Auwae also reports that you can search for and uncover "mysterious secrets". Here's a first look at the gameplay:

Super Quick Hook will also share many popular features of Hook Champ. If survival gameplay isn't your thing, there are unlockable, non-random racing levels with no time limit. The shop system and achievements will also be back as well as OpenFeint ghost races. There are plans for frequently released free new levels, and yes, fancy new hats.

The game will launch at $1.99 with a normal price of $2.99. As further incentive, they are working on giving early adopters exclusive hats. The game should be done in about a month. Follow Rocketcatgames' twitter for more news about the game.

I really wanted to like the original Monster Trucks Nitro back when it was first released last year, but poor controls combined with a lackluster framerate and gameplay that didn't make a whole lot of sense somehow managed to even make monster trucks not fun. Miniclip.com went back to the drawing board, and with the release of Monster Trucks Nitro 2, the game is much, much closer to what I wanted it to be the first time around.

Your truck is controlled by tilting the iPhone, with a slider along the bottom that controls your speed. The whole setup feels much more responsive compared to the first. Competing in a series of timed events, you'll come across all kinds of crazy jumps and nitro tanks you can drive over for a temporary boost of speed. Hitting these tanks is vital, not only for good times, but also to get enough air to do flips which also rewards a small amount of boost.

As you can see in the following gameplay trailer, the developers really amped up the amount of action in the game with cars to smash, bridges that break, explosions everywhere, and other over-the-top obstacles to run over with a number of included trucks:

The game is still in development and won't be available until next month, but in the meantime, Monster Trucks Nitro 2 needs to be on your watch list if you're a fan of monster trucks. I'm really glad to report that the sequel is a night and day difference from the original, and a lot of fun.

We've been following the development of Freeverse's Warpgate for nine months now, and it sounds like the game's epic development cycle is coming to a close with Warpgate's impending release early next month.

We've posted about the game numerous times in the past, between its initial unveiling at WWDC, the appearance at the iPhone Launch Party, and other previews such as a early combat video and a demo of the graphics engine. Meanwhile, the thread on our forums has been building in anticipation, and the impressions I've managed to juice out of a few beta testers I've talked to have been remarkably positive.

Warpgate is a space conquest game with tons of ships to pilot, factions to fight with, planets to take over, and a string of missions that expand the plot of the game which are supplemented by randomly generated missions that players can accept and complete as many times as they want to always have something to do.

First off, the cinematic trailer sets the scene of the game:

And a gameplay trailer from the iPhone:

I've been looking forward to this game since I first got wind of it last year, and I cannot wait for it to be released. Following the previews we've done, it's amazing how far the game has come since we first saw it. At WWDC, the game was little more than a tech demo where you could zoom the camera in and out. Judging by the response on our forums, I doubt I'm alone in being really excited to finally play the full version of the game.

Like many other developers, Imangi Studios has been hard at work creating an iPad version of their game in time for the iPad's launch. Harbor Master has been their most successful title on the App Store, and come April 3rd, Imangi hopes to launch the "HD" version of the title that has been reworked for the iPad's larger screen.

Here's the first teaser screenshot from the iPad version:

Harbor Master for iPad - Click for Full Size image

Harbor Master is a line drawing game that requires you to juggle the docking and undocking of ships from their respective docks. All the while, you need to avoid collisions, cyclones and even pirates.

The iPad version seems to take advantage of the added real estate by offering more docks and ships to juggle as compared to the iPhone version (screenshot).

1000 Harbor Masters Giveaway

Imangi is celebrating the imminent launch of the iPad version of Harbor Master HD by giving away 1000 copies of the original version of Harbor Master to TouchArcade readers. Apple has recently begun allowing individual apps to be gifted to individuals and Imangi is taking advantage of this by giving away 1000 copies of their game for free.

Click here to signup

To qualify, you simply need to be one of the first 1000 readers to sign up for their mailing list. It's a low volume double opt-in mailing list, and you can easily unsubscribe at any time. You need a U.S. iTunes account to be able to redeem the free App.

Harbor Master remains available in the App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch users.

App Store Link: Harbor Master, $1.99, Harbor Master Lite, Free