We figured with the launch of the iPhone 3G S and the introduction of the $99 iPhone 3G, the number of iPhone users will have grown massively just over this past weekend. As a result, we expect we'll see a number of new visitors looking for the best iPhone and iPod Touch games available in the App Store.

While we compiled a list of some of the best games from 2008 back in December, we haven't done much of a wrap up since.

So, here's list of notable games that have been released in 2009. It should be a great list to catch up on some of the best titles this year. Game titles link directly to the app store. Most review links contain gameplay videos.

Required Reading
It's hard to come up with a must have list for the App Store, but you should be familiar with these titles that seem to have already become App Store classics.

• Fieldrunners ($2.99) - Ok, this one didn't come out in 2009 but thought it needed a mention. The tower defense game that really started it all on the iPhone. (review)
• Flight Control ($0.99) - deceptively simple and addictive game that has hit over 1 million sales (review)
• Doodle Jump ($0.99) - Dead simple and crazy addictive. Jump higher and higher. (review)
• Pocket God ($0.99) - Not really a game, so not one I can blindly recommend but it's got a massive appeal. (review)
• Real Racing ($9.99) - Not yet a true "classic" as it just came out, but widely considered the most technically impressive iPhone racing game. (review)

Cheap Fun
Some solid titles at bargain bin prices.

• Wild West Pinball (Free) - great pinball game that's now free (review)
• Let's Golf ($0.99) - high quality arcade golf game on sale (review)
• Stoneloops! ($0.99) - a high quality luxor/zuma clone (review)
• UniWar ($0.99) - turn based strategy with online multiplayer (review)
• iDracula ($0.99) - survival shooter (review)
• Underworlds ($0.99) - a hack and slash dungeon crawler (review)
• Gemmed! ($0.99) - a match-3 game where the goal is not to match-3 (review)

Other Notables

• Zombieville USA ($1.99) - side scrolling survival shooter. (review)
• F.A.S.T. ($4.99) - dog-fighting game with online multiplayer (review)
• Baseball Slugger ($2.99) - home run derby with online head-to-head(review)
• EDGE ($4.99) - wonderful platformer (review)
• Ragdoll Blaster ($1.99) - physics ragdoll game with a goal (review)
• Isotope ($2.99) - Geometry wars-like shooter with RPG elements (review)
• Monster Pinball ($3.99) - a beautiful pinball experience (review)
• Zenonia ($5.99) - an epic action RPG (review)
• Toki Tori ($4.99) - platform puzzler (review)
• geoDefense ($3.99) - a retro/action tower defense game (review)
• Word Fu ($2.99) - word finding dice game (review)
• Brick Breaker Revolution 3D ($2.99) - brick breaking in 3D (review)

Big Brands

• Peggle ($4.99) - named one of the most addictive games of all time (review)
• Bookworm ($4.99) - popular word finding game (review)
• Wolfenstein 3D ($2.99) - grandfather of first person shooters (review)
• Sims 3 ($9.99) - the latest in the Sims series (review)
• Dance Dance Revolution ($6.99) - one of the original rhythm games (review)
• Puzzle Quest ($7.99) - award winning puzzle adventure game (review)
• Need for Speed ($6.99) - great arcade racer (review)

Retro / Classics

• Saucelifter ($0.99) - Choplifter-inspired retro action shooter (review)
• Vector Tanks ($2.99) - Battlezone in your pocket review
• Rogue Touch ($2.99) - iPhone remake of dungeon crawler Rogue (review)
• Oregon Trail ($4.99) - Yes, dysentery can be fun again (review)
• Pinball Dreams ($4.99) - classic Amiga pinball game (review)
• Myst ($5.99) - the classic adventure game review

Only on iPhone / iPod Touch
Some standout titles that use the iPhone / iPod Touch controls in a unique way that couldn't easily exist on most other platforms.

• Space Ninja ($2.99) - space shooter without the shooting. Dodge your way around enemies in "bullet time". (review)
• Touch Ski 3D ($0.99) - multi-touch skiing (review)
• Sway ($4.99) - multi-touch platformer. A true iPhone original. (review)
• Zen Bound ($4.99) - wind rope around wooden blocks in this beautiful zen-like gaming experience (review)
• Eliss ($2.99) - an amazing multi-touch puzzle game (review)
• Ignite ($1.99) - platformer designed with touch controls in mind. (review)

Be sure to check out our 2008 Holiday "Best Of" list (prices listed in the 2008 article may not be accurate any longer).

iPhone developer Manomio has been secretly working on a major App Store project for the past year that has just been completed, but may never see the light of day in its current form. Readers may remember Manomio as the developer behind the iPhone version of classic game Flashback. Manomio's slogan is "In Retro We Trust" and their mission statement is to bring classic game titles to the leading handheld devices such as the iPhone.

What Manomio has done is to create a fully licensed Commodore 64 emulator for the iPhone that can play classic games and even run Commodore 64 BASIC. The full list of features are as follows:

• Full speed, Commodore 64 emulator
• SID sound emulation
• Auto-save, to continue exactly where you left off
• Realistic joystick and beautifully crafted C64 keyboard
• Portrait and Landscape play
• Vertical and Fullscreen gaming (auto rotate for iPod users)

Did I mention it was legally licensed?

Despite some initial work on the project last year, Manomio had originally decided to abandon the project for two main reasons. 1) a lack of licensing rights for the Commodore 64 and 2) the question of whether or not an emulator would be allowed in the App Store.

Manomio, however, ended up connecting with Kiloo Aps who happens to own the license for the Commodore 64 and ultimately managed to sign the proper deals with both Kiloo and Commodore Gaming.

Manomio then contacted Apple Europe in the UK and detailed what they were planning to accomplish and according to Manomio's CEO Brian Lyscarz, "Apple seemed really excited" and so he felt safe that they would sanction the final app. With that assurance in hand, Manomio proceeded to secure the necessary licensing from individual publishers and finalize work on this major project.

It all came to a head last week, however, when Manomio confidently submitted C64 for iPhone along with 3 individual gamepacks (officially licensed) to use along with the emulator. All seemed fine until Manomio received the dreaded App Store rejection email:

Thank you for submitting C64 1.0 to the App Store. We've reviewed C64 1.0 and determined that we cannot post this version of your iPhone application to the App Store because it violates the iPhone SDK Agreement; "3.3.2 An Application may not itself install or launch other executable code by any means, including without limitation through the use of a plug-in architecture, calling other frameworks, other APIs or otherwise. No interpreted code may be downloaded and used in an Application except for code that is interpreted and run by Apple's Published APIs and built-in interpreter(s)."

As originally feared, Apple had rejected their app based on the SDK clause specifically prohibiting interpreted or executable code.

Even aside from Apple Europe's early assurance, Lyscarz pointed out to us that there are a number of apps in the App Store that do exactly the same thing from CHIP-8 emulators, programmable calculators and, of course, Frotz, a Z-machine interpreter. In fact, Sega's Golden Axe and Sonic iPhone games are nothing more than emulators packaged with the original game ROMs. Lyscarz is understandably frustrated with the process after having spent so much of his company's time and money into the project. Lyscarz continues to hope that C64 might still be approved in one form or another.

Here's a video of the game in action. Not all the games shown would be included in the initial launch, but Manomio hopes to eventually obtain licensing for these games as well.

And we'll provide a hands on evaluation shortly.

One of the most notable of all the gaming genres is the 2D shooter.  And while the number of such titles in the App Store is growing, there is a sore lack of true quality offerings available for the iPhone.  We recently learned that an upcoming release from Namco's classics catalog will soon give shooter fans something to smile about.  Namco's arcade classic Galaga, widely considered to be one of the best arcade shooters of all time, is about to blast into the App Store in the form of Galaga Remix.

This evening I spoke with several members of Namco's mobile group who shared details of this impending iPhone release.

Galaga Remix is two games in one.  While the 1981 classic that shooter fans have grown to know and love is here in all it's pixellated glory, a greatly enhanced take on the franchise is also represented.  Basically an iPhone version of Namco's Galaga Arrangement, a 1995 arcade title that has since appeared on various consoles including the PSP, the Remix side of Galaga Remix is a widescreen affair with frantic onscreen action, level bosses, and infinite continues.

In classic Galaga, the only powerup available was riding up the alien insect's beam to achieve a side-by-side ship arrangement, at the expense of a spare life.  Remix features nine different actual powerups (three levels of three distinct weapons improvements) including spray shots and supercharged laser cannons.  The game features 36 levels with changing galactic scenery and a massive boss insect (and its smaller minions) at the end of each series of six levels.  And while the classic game of Galaga is played in portrait orientation, Galaga Remix is played in widescreen, landscape.

The game features three methods of controls, present in both the classic and Remix games: left / right onscreen buttons, a slider touch control at the bottom of the screen (below the player's ship), and accelerometer-based controls.  Each mode uses a tap to screen for laser fire

See Namco's preview video to see Galaga Remix in action.

The arrival of Galaga on the iPhone represents an extremely significant addition to the iPhone game library.  We can't wait to get our hands on Galaga Remix and will post a detailed hands-on when the game goes live.

Galaga Remix will arrive in the App Store any day now and will be priced at $5.99.

When I think back to the magical wonder that was the '80s video arcade, certain particular sights and sounds spring to mind as I gaze nostalgically out towards the horizon.  I recall the ever-present tinkle of the change machine.  I recall the electric glow of all CRTs ablaze with pixellated goodness.  I recall the ozone charged smell of electric wonder in the air.  And I recall certain key games.

Robotron.  Ms. PAC-MAN.  Space Invaders.  Tempest.  Donkey Kong.

And Battlezone.

Yes, Atari's first-person, vector-based tank shooter all wrapped up in a wonderfully imposing up-right cabinet.  Battlezone.  I feel like it's part of my DNA.

And so does Retro Overlord Peter Hirschberg.  This is why Battlezone is proudly represented in his amazing Luna City Arcade located in Northern Virginia.

Now, one would think that a man with such a magical cave of retro delight in which to daily dwell would be satisfied with the arcade goodness found within.  But not Peter.  Peter got greedy.  He wanted the goodness of Battlezone in his pocket–with him at all times.  What's more, he has attempted to one-up the legendary green-and-black tank shooter and inject a bit of modern vitality into the tried and true formula.

Well, there was no stopping him.  Peter Hirschberg has just released Vector Tanks [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch through the iTunes App Store (published by Chillingo).

Vector Tanks feels like Battlezone 2.0.  It's a first-person 3D tank shooter with a vector-based battlefield display akin to the classic we know so well, but it features certain modern touches that give the game a fresh, new feel while not sullying the core retro gameplay.  The notable enhancements include semi-translucent vectors that glow with a warmth reminiscent of arcade CRTs of old, a smooth inertial "sway" to the motion of the tank, and a convincing jolt resulting from the shockwave of near-proximity explosions.  It all fits together nicely.

The game places the player on the aforementioned vector-based battlefield in a futuristic tank.  The landscape is littered with simply-shaped obstacles that can be used to shield against enemy fire.  The on-screen enemies are tanks and jeeps.  Tanks are slow-moving and dangerous, capable of firing volleys of shells in an attempt to turn your tank into slag.  Jeeps are more nimble and provide a bonus when destroyed by weaponry or crushing impact.  (With every third enemy tank destroyed, the difficulty moves up a notch.)  Several power-ups are strewn about the battlefield and can be collected to aid in battle: Rapid Fire helps with moving targets, Nuke delivers a powerful blast that can take out several enemies at once, and Shields protects against enemy fire and the Nuke shockwave, but not land mines.  Oh yea–watch out for the land mines.

In the absence of a cabinet with dual analog sticks, the tank is controlled by way of touch control at the left and right edges of the iPhone's screen; each thumb controls a set of tracks.  Both left and right thumbs forward = full speed ahead.  Left thumb forward, right thumb back = a quick turn to the right, and so forth.  Firing is handled by a tap to the center reticle.  The controls work quite well and do a fine job of preserving the unique dual-handed control of the arcade classic.

I've spent over a week with Vector Tanks and can say that it brings quality arcade action that takes me back to the arcades of my youth.  It includes most of the charm of the original bundled up in a polished, "future retro" package that's hard to put down.  While it's is a no-brainer for retro fans, any iPhone gamer who enjoys a nice action title may find Vector Tanks worth a look.

Have a look at our gameplay video to get a feel for the action.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

Peter indicates that a future version will feature helicopters and possibly rocket ships, so those lamenting the game's lack of aerial opponents (the Battlezone UFO!) need not fret.  What's more, frequent updates is the plan, says Peter.

IGN posted some screenshots from the upcoming iPhone version of The Oregon Trail.

This classic game which was developed in the 1970s and later saw popularity in the 80s and 90s has been recently revived by Gameloft for mobile phones.

As Wikipedia describes it,

The Oregon Trail is an educational computer game developed by Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann and Paul Dillenberger in 1971 and produced by MECC in 1974. The game was inspired by the real-life Oregon Trail and was designed to teach school children about the realities of 19th century pioneer life on the trail. The player assumes the role of a wagon leader guiding his party of settlers from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon's Willamette Valley by way of the Oregon Trail via a Conestoga wagon in 1848.

See screenshots of the Apple II and Mac versions of the game.

We presume Gameloft is bringing this title to the iPhone. No release date has been provided.

The Grand Theft Auto series, which was originally released for the Playstation and PC back in 1997, is one of the most popular action / role-playing franchises of all time.  Along with the console and PC releases, Gameboy and PSP versions of the game have given mobile gamers the opportunity to carjack and pillage on the go (with a Nintendo DS release set to debut in March).  And, while we haven't heard that Rockstar Games has plans to bring GTA to Apple's mobile platform, tonight mobile gamers are getting the next best thing.

Or perhaps…a better thing?

Apex Designs has just (re)released Payback [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch.  And in the original author's words, "every effort has been made to ensure that Payback beats GTA in every way."

Payback started life as an Amiga clone of Grand Theft Auto [info].  Apex Designs brought an enhanced version of the game to the Macintosh, Gameboy Advance, and GP2X.  Early this month, the developer informed us that the iPhone version was near release.

Payback features dozens of vehicles and 11 cities to explore.  The player starts off each city on-foot and must get to a payphone to receive mission details.  At first, the player's only weapons are his fists, but crates scattered about the cities contain shotguns, grenades and other weapons that aid significantly in wreaking various flavors of havoc upon the cities' inhabitants.

Each level requires a certain number of accumulated points to complete.  Points are gained by completing mission milestones, running down civilians, and generally causing mayhem.  The more mayhem the player causes, the more of a target he / she becomes to local law enforcement.  A particular challenge of the game is the short timeframe given to complete certain missions.  Admittedly, I've spent only a short time with the title, but some of the allotted mission times would seem to require back-of-the-hand familiarity with a given city.

The game features accelerometer control for left / right movement and touchscreen control for forward / backward movement as well as fire and enter / exit vehicle controls.  Having played the joystick-based GP2X version, I can say that the control system of Payback for the iPhone compares quite favorably.  It works well and is not in the way.

Payback offers three modes of play: Story, Rampage and Challenge.  Story mode places the player in the role of a criminal seeking to amass as much money as possible in moving from city to city.  Challenge mode offers all of the cities of Story mode plus a variety of smaller arenas–more of a pick-up game scenario.  Rampage mode has no requisite score to move from level to level, it's just about getting the most points possible.

Payback for earlier mobile units won kudos for its relatively complex software 3D rendering engine that pushed the limits of both the Gameboy Advance and the GP2X (neither of which feature 3D graphics hardware).  The iPhone version appears to include an enhanced version of the GP2X engine with HDR (high dynamic range) rendering and impressive lighting and shadowing. Not surprisingly, the iPhone version runs at a notably higher framerate than the GP2X outing.  Interestingly, it appears that Payback's 3D engine for the iPhone version is not implemented in hardware-assisted OpenGL ES, but utilizes a software-based engine like the GP2X version before it.  Is this a big deal?  Not really, though true, perspective-correct texture mapping done in hardware would have given the game a bit more graphical polish.

Moving through the game's various cities, tossing grenades at oncoming vehicles and pedestrians, carjacking fast rides, and gunning down rival gangs makes for rather engrossing gameplay.  Payback is a fast-paced game and the never-distant sound of police sirens add to the overall pacing and urgency.  For fans of the genre, it's fun, solid action.

Having played both the GBA and GP2X versions of the game, I can say that the iPhone version of Payback is easily the best yet.  It does a solid job of delivering the essence of the experience that is Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto II to the iPhone platform.  Fans of the series will find that Payback hits close enough to home to be of particular interest.

Have a look at our gameplay video to get a feel for the action and the various levels.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

The developer has also posted a video on YouTube showing additional action including some tank warfare.

A few hours ago we brought news that, based on a product scan that appeared in Famitsu Weekly, it seemed Metal Gear would be heading to the iPhone.

This morning we found solid confirmation of that.  From Konami themselves.

Konami has just issued a news release indicating that they will soon be bringing four new titles to the iPhone platform.

Metal Gear Solid Touch

Metal Gear Solid Touch is an original game in the series that will bring the world and characters of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots to the iPhone.  The game is of the "touch shooting" genre and will use the iPhone's touchscreen for targetting as well as zoom mode control.  The initial release will feature eight stages, with more to come in future updates.  Progress in the game will be rewarded by unlocked images and wallpaper from the Metal Gear series. 

Metal Gear Solid Touch will be released in Japan, North America and Europe in Spring 2009.

Dance Dance Revolution S Lite

Dance Dance Revolution S Lite is an iPhone adaptation of the highly popular rhythm and dance game Dance Dance Revolution that is considered one of the most original video game releases of tall time, and the inspiration of many, later musical rhythm games. "Tap the arrow icons that appear at the bottom of the screen in time with music."

DDR S Lite will be released in Japan and North America later this month.

Silent Hill: The Escape

Silent Hill: The Escape is an iPhone adaptaiton of the popular survival horror series, Silent Hill, which brought a game-inspired motion picture release in 2006.  It's a first-person 3D shooter that utilizes both the iPhone's touchscreen and accelerometer for gameplay control. 

Silent Hill for the iPhone will be released in Japan, North America, and Europe later this month.

Frogger

It's true.  Frogger is already in the App Store [link] in some areas.  Konami indicates that this classic arcade jumper will see a full Japan, North American and European release later this month.  We noted that the original North American release would function only on the iPhone, not the iPod touch.  Konami indicated that this would be addressed in the future, and now may be the time.

Konami has just setup touch.konami.net, a site through which more information (in Japanese) can be found regarding the company's iPhone game offerings.

The arrival of these titles is huge news for iPhone gaming and goes a long way to lend validity to the iPhone as a truly serious gaming platform.  Stay tuned for more information on all of these titles as it becomes available.

A few weeks back, Kotaku noticed a new flash teaser that went up on Konami's Kojima Productions website.  The site featured the Konami logo and the title "A Next Metal Gear Is…"  Kotaku speculated that this might hint at an Xbox 360 release (green graphic) or a Wii release (the 'i') or…perhaps an iPhone release (also the 'i').

Based on a scan that has since appeared from Famitsu, it seems the last guess was the right one.

Hideo Kojima said that we'd still have a couple week's worth of speculation on what "A Next Metal Gear Is…", but rumored scans from Famitsu may have spoiled it. It's Metal Gear. For the iPhone.

Or at least that's what this scan, supposedly from the newest issue of Famitsu Weekly, indicates, a gesture based Metal Gear designed with the iPhone and iPod Touch's touchscreen controls in mind. From what we can gather from this heavily artifacted scan, it looks like it might be a spin-off of Metal Gear Solid 4, with a new heads up display and possibly shooter heavy elements.

Metal Gear is one of the most well embraced console series of all time.  Fans should get ready.  It seems iPhone gamers and Solid Snake are about to meet up for some quality fighter action.

If this is indeed accurate, it's huge.  Stay tuned.

Namco has recently released I Love Katamari [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch through the iTunes App Store.

I Love Katamari for the iPhone is the fourth installment in the Katamari Damacy series of puzzle games.  The series, which is spread across various platforms (PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, and iPhone), involves rolling a magical, highly adhesive ball called a katamari around various locations, collecting increasingly larger objects.  It sounds bizarre–and it is–but the series has received high praise from reviewers and collected a cult following of gamers.

As the story goes in this iPhone release,

The King of All Cosmos has accidentally knocked all the stars out of the sky during a crazy night out. It is up to the pint-sized Prince to put the twinkle back in the heavens in i Love Katamari. i Love Katamari delivers an experience only possible on the iPhone.

Have a look at a gameplay video of the PS2's Katamari Damacy which is similar to the iPhone version:

The game features several play modes: Story Mode (find and roll-up the King's requested object), Time Attack Mode (roll up as much as possible in a limited time), Exact Size Challenge Mode (match exactly a requested katamari size), and Eternal Mode (roll at your own pace without any time or size limit).

I Love Katamari has been rather well received by our readers, but some accurately note that as the katamari increases in size, the framerate of the game dips to a rather low level, making for sluggish gameplay.  And, frankly, this iPhone installment is somewhat graphically bland as compared to the earlier console versions.  But unique gamplay it does offer–in droves.

Hopefully the performance issues will be addressed in future updates.

App Store Link: I Love Katamari, $7.99

Last night, Ngmoco released their fourth iPhone game called Dropship [App Store]. The game was said to be inspired by both Geometry Wars and Thrust and it shows.

The retro-looking shooter puts you in command of a "Dropship" whose goal is to rescue stranded allies and also recover lost pods. The game is essentially a 2D game but set in a 3D environment. This causes some disorientation when you first play the game, but the end effect is remarkable.

The game succeeds on many levels, but perhaps the most critical piece that they got right were the controls. Your ship is controlled by your left and right thumb which can be placed anywhere on their respective sides of the screen. Left thumb controls thrust and right thumb controls the direction of firing. There is a slight learning curve to this control method, but it ultimately allows very good control of your ship and avoids the major problems that come with a fixed button system (using up screen real estate, and accidentally hitting the wrong button).

The game offers two basic modes of play: Free Play and Campaign.

"Free Play" is a more classic arcade mode in which you play progressively more difficult timed stages in which you must save a certain number of your allies before moving on to the next level. You will have to fight off turrets, tanks and interceptors in the meanwhile. Your ship loses energy as you take on damage, but this can be resupplied by collecting the blue debris left by your destroyed enemies.

"Campaign" mode offers 18 missions in which you must recover a lost pod. You have to descend the level with your Dropship while fending off enemy cannons. Once you find the lost pod, you must pick it up with your tractor beam and fly back to the surface. But the pod can easily become dislodged if you go to fast or hit obstacles, so you have to be a bit cautious.

As an added bonus, extra levels can be downloaded from within the app itself, with three additional levels already available. The mechanics of the game are well balanced which makes this a very fun and highly recommended game easily worth the $1.99 asking price.

This gameplay video shows off both Free Play and Campaign modes (low bandwidth version):