The much anticipated BeatRider rhythm game launched into the App Store tonight with a full version [$4.99] as well as a generous Lite version [Free].

BeatRider is a rhythm game in which the player taps along with the music. While the basic concept is the same as popular apps such as Tap Tap Revenge and Dance Dance Revolution, BeatRider has one unique feature that has not been seen in the app store yet: the ability to use your own music.

There's a reason we haven't seen this feature before — Apple doesn't make it easy. App Store apps are restricted in what they can access and the music library is off limits. In order to get around this restriction, the developers of BeatRider came up with web-based solution that works very well. You simply upload your MP3 or M4A song files to your free account on MyBeatRider. Once uploaded, the songs are processed and available to download within the iPhone application. The app downloads the songs to your iPhone or iPod Touch which can be played later even offline.

The system works surprisingly well, though given the size of the files (4-8MB) you are transferring, we recommend you stick to fast Wi-Fi connections. Even the Lite version allows you to upload and download songs, giving you the full experience. The difference between the Lite and Full versions is that the Lite only allows you to hold 1 single song while the Full version allows up to 20.

The resulting quality of gameplay can be variable depending on the songs. Songs with strong beats seem to fare better with the automated analysis. MyBeatRider offers a list of frequently played songs and most uploaded songs to help guide your choices. I found Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas and Paper Planes by M.I.A. to be particularly good songs to try. Meanwhile, TouchArcade forum users are listing songs they recommend in this discussion thread.

The game, itself, works as you might expect. Tap on the notes as they cross the bottom. The game also includes tap and hold as well as tap and slide mechanics. Songs are given up to 6 different levels of difficulty and even the easy difficulties can be challenging. When testing the game out, I recommend sticking to "Easy" and above. As tempting as "Very Easy" is, the resulting note-mapping simply wasn't very fun for several of the songs I tried.

All in all, a really nice title that offers a full featured Lite version to try. Give this one a try.

App Store Link: BeatRider Touch, $4.99, BeatRider Touch Lite, Free

Fans of the Dave Matthews Band will be pleased to hear that Tapulous has just released Dave Matthews Band Revenge [App Store], the latest release in the highly popular Tap Tap Revenge music / rhythm game series.

The game brings the following features:

• 10 smash hits from Dave Matthews Band, including two hot new singles off their upcoming album: Funny The Way It Is, Shake Me Like A Monkey, Tripping Billies, Everyday, Ants Marching, American Baby, Crash Into Me, What Would You Say, So Much To Say, Two Step
• New themes, graphics and effects, inspired by Dave Matthews Band videos and discography
• Four addictive difficulty levels, each with unlockable boss tracks
• Superior stability, multi-player mode, a Dave Matthews Band news feed, and Facebook Connect to flaunt your scores to the World

Fans of the series may also want to have a look at Tapulous' Tap Tap Coldplay [App Store], which was released last month.  It features themes and effects inspired by Coldplay's videos, along with the following tracks: Lovers in Japan (Osaka Sun Mix), Lost, In My Place, Fix You, Life in Technicolor II, Clocks, Yellow, Shiver, Speed of Sound, Viva la Vida, Viva la Vida (Thin White Duke Remix).

App Store Links: Dave Matthews Band Revenge, $4.99, Tap Tap Coldplay, $4.99

DifferentCloth's Lilt Line [$2.99] is an original music/rhythm game for the iPhone set to a dubstep soundtrack by 16bit.

In a world of match-3 games, DifferentCloth delivers a refreshing concept that I love — but a little more in theory than in practice.

The game is stylistically simple which seems to work. The gameplay is also somewhat simple. Steer a growing line through a simple maze while avoiding the walls. Tap on the screen as you pass white bars which represent beats in the music. Manage to accomplish both of these tasks and you are rewarded with a smooth playing soundtrack. Miss a bar or hit a wall, and the music still stutter and your score will lower.

The game contains only 10 levels of progressive difficulty and has been criticized for being short, though getting a perfect score on each level will take some time.

Music/rhythm gamer fans or anyone looking for a different type of game will find this an enjoyable experience, but with its relative simplicity and short length I don't necessarily believe it will appeal to the broader audience.

Some other reactions can be found in our forums.

App Store Line: Lilt Line, $2.99

Here's a collection of recently released games that are well worth a try: a platformer, a rhythm game and a puzzle game.

Each developer has kindly provided a free Lite version for their games so you can give them a try yourself. That said, the games only cost $0.99-$1.99 and all seem to provide plenty of content. The prices listed besides the game titles link directly to the App Store.

• iDroids ($1.99, Free) – A nice looking side scrolling platformer that we've had our eye on for a while. You control a droid who is trying to rescue his wife while fighting and swinging your way through iDroidOpia.

  The game itself uses on screen buttons to control movement, jumping and weapons. While everything seems to work right, the game isn't really as immersive or engaging as I had hoped it would be. Fortunately, there is a lite version that takes you through a tutorial level and a regular level which provides plenty of gameplay to make a decision. The full game is only $1.99 which represents a special launch price. A YouTube trailer is available and discussion of the game in our forums.

• World of Tunes ($1.99, Free) – The latest offering from Korean developer Com2uS, World of Tunes is a charmingly designed rhythm action game.

  The game offers 4 modes of play which revolve around tapping on the little "Tuney" creatures at the right moments in time with the music. The music seems to be all original songs and the Story mode is set to a loose story complete with Boss attacks. The gameplay video shows how the game is played as well as boss battles.

  Overall the game is being very well received in our forums and a recent price drop from $4.99 to $1.99 should make it much more tempting. The free lite version contains two of the four modes of play.

• SuperNova Blast ($0.99, Free) – This game seems a bit simple with so-so graphics and an ugly icon… but is still worth your time. This is a chain-reaction game — and there are a number in the App Store — but something about this one is a bit more compelling.

  The $0.99 version of the game contains 250 levels. Each level contains a grid of stars in different energy. Tapping on a star makes it go from Blue -> Green -> Red -> Yellow -> until it finally explodes and shoots blasts in each of four directions. These blasts cause nearby stars to increase their size/energy. The goal is to make all the stars explode within a limited number of taps.

  The free version of the game offers 15 levels of play which is plenty to find out if you like the game. Some of our forum members are also enjoying it.

Konami's DanceDanceRevolution S [App Store] has finally arrived in the U.S. App Store. Konami the Lite version back in January but the Paid version had been nowhere to be found.

The worldwide sensation that started the dance game craze – hits the iPhone/iPod touch!

Hear the rhythm and tap your touch screen on stage! The controls are simple – the challenge is rocking to the beat with the upcoming arrows coming from the bottom of the screen!

The game offers a remarkably authentic DDR experience and fans of the original will likely be pleased. The full version of the game is said to have 25 total songs which have been fully listed in the forum post. The default unlocked songs are listed here:

• AFTER THE GAME OF LOVE 1/2/6/8 – 105bpm
• Beautiful Inside (Cube::Hard Mix) 2/4/7/9 – 110bpm
• Brilliant 2U 3/6/6/10 – 150bpm
• escape 3/5/7/11 – 140bpm
• A Geisha's Dream (Ruffage Remix) 3/6/9/10 – 140bpm
• HANA RANMAN -Flowers- 3/5/7/11 – 160bpm
• INTO YOUR HEART (Ruffage Remix) 2/4/8/11 – 135bpm
• Mess With My Emotions 3/5/6/11 – 130bpm
• SABER WING 4/8/10/13 – 74-222bpm
• TRUE LOVE 4/4/8/10 – 188bpm

This gameplay video is from the Lite version which remains available in the App Store:

App Store Link: DanceDanceRevolution S Lite, Free, DanceDanceRevolution S, $6.99

Tapulous has released Tap Tap Revenge 2 [App Store, Free] tonight.

Tap Tap Revenge 2 features a completely new gaming engine with awesome new graphics and effects, making for a more immersive 3D experience. As you progress through each song, the colors and effects get more intense. On the higher levels, we've introduced "tap and hold" and "multi-tap" features that make the game even more fun.

The new download catalog features over 150 free songs from a variety of genres including rock, dance, electronica, pop, hip hop, even country music. Also included are "hit songs" from artists including Death Cab for Cutie, Prodigy, The Crystal Method, Daft Punk, The Offspring and Nine Inch Nails.

This developer video shows some of the new features:

With the new engine, this is a definite "must try" even if you weren't a huge fan of the original title.

App Store Link: Tap Tap Revenge 2, Free

In going through our backlog of new iPhone games, I've run across two relatively new Audio-based memory games that take the traditional "Match" or "Memory" games and replace the usual visual tiles with audio clips.

The first one I ran across was Mozart 1791 [App Store], a $1.99 game in which clips of Mozart's Requiem are played when you tap on any of the tiles. You goal is to match the two tiles with the same clip to eliminate them from the board. While an interesting idea, the game itself was rather limited with only 4 levels. The payoff in the end is simply unlocking the ability to listen to the whole Requiem and also reading some of Mozart's letters. In the end, not a game we'd recommend unless you happen to be a huge fan of Mozart's Requiem. But that brings us to the next find, which is more a full game.

Melody Match [App Store, $3.99] takes this concept and implements a full game behind it. Instead of just Mozart, the game uses musical instruments, sound effects, as well as clips from popular music today (including Hip-hop, pop, alternative rock, folk, and country). GameVision Mobile will have to forgive my doubts, but I'd be surprised if all the audio clips were officially licensed from the artists/studios. Regardless, features include:

• Four modes including Arcade, Freeplay, Record, and Speakout.
• 50 levels and over 300 diverse sounds.
• 8 different style cards and 19 categories including the best of Hip-hop, pop, alternative rock, folk, country, and even sound effects such as animal calls and sounds in nature.
• A replay option along with your favorite themes in Freeplay mode.
• A record option, where your own sounds and beats allow you to personalize your game.
• An encode option that allows you to encode a sentence in SpeakOut mode, while allowing you to test your friend's Melody Match skills to unscramble your code.

I suppose the game is "polished" though they seem to have taken this to an unnecessary level complete with Koi Pond-like water effects throughout the game and menu system. The developers also provide this somewhat boring gameplay video, though the actual game is more entertaining:

Skip to 1 minute 10 seconds to see actual gameplay, or just download the lite version which is also available for free. The Lite version contains 9 levels.

App Store Link: Melody Match, $3.99, Melody Match Lite, Free

As promised, Konami has released a Dance Dance Revolution title for the iPhone and iPod touch: Dance Dance Revolution S Lite [App Store].

As the name would imply, this 'Lite' (one song) version (which is free) is but a shadow of a full, paid version of the game…which is "currently in the works" and will be "packed with new songs and unique characters."

Have a look at our brief gameplay video of DDR S Lite.

Our forum members seem to like it.  We'll send out a heads-up when the paid version lands in the App Store.

App Store Link: DanceDanceRevolution S Light, Free

Studio Radiolaris' first iPhone game was released to the App Store this weekend. Radio Flare [App Store, $4.99] is described by the developer as a "musical shooter" in which enemies are destroyed in sync with the beat:

In Radio Flare, your space ship is equipped with a sonification beam that desynchronizes space debris, as well as an entire alien invasion force. Propelled by radio flares, your ship speeds pulsing through deep space, taking you on a journey into sound. The game features an interactive electronica track from Berlin based electronic musician DJ Glow (Trust Records).

The game is structured as a traditional side-scrolling shooter in which you must destroy enemy ships and avoid enemies and their incoming fire. Each destroyed enemy leaves a "radio flare". These radio flares must be collected in order to progress to the next levels. The game includes only 5 stages with the final being a special boss-fighting stage.

The controls for the game are actually well implemented which involves the use of your left thumb to provide direct movement control of your spacecraft, while your other thumb provides targeting. The targeting of your enemies is similar to Space Deadbeef in which you can target multiple enemies with the swipe of a finger.

Your "sonification beam" will destroy the enemy and also provide a bit of musical accompaniment to the soundtrack (headphones recommended). As the major selling point of the game, however, the musical interaction was a bit of a disappointment in its scope. The music certainly adds significantly to the atmosphere and immersiveness of the game, but is perhaps a far cry from Rez and similar musical shooters that have preceded it.

As a scrolling shooter, however, the game was a surprisingly good experience. Side-scrolling shooters have been poorly represented on the App Store with Platypus being perhaps the most notable title. Using direct touch-control on your ship allows you to quickly maneuver around enemies and incoming fire, though your finger will sometimes obscure your view. While I quite enjoyed the mechanics of the game, the game is limited to 5 stages, with the first three being relatively easy. So gameplay value is limited despite the offering of achievements (example: make it through without losing a ship), high scores and fastest time records.

Combine both of these features (musical interaction and scrolling shooter), and you come away with a good but short game. Fans attracted to the "musical" aspect of this title may be disappointed, though scrolling shooter fans may find enough in it to take away for the $4.99 price. Meanwhile, it likely doesn't fall into any "must have" category for those with only a casual interest in the genres.

Developer video:

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.