The Iconfactory has released two new DLC packs available for their nostalgic ball rolling game, Ramp Champ [App Store]. We had a great time with the game in our review, and these two new packs provide even more of the same great gameplay.

Each of the packs will get you two new ramps, along with eighteen new prizes matching the themes of the ramps, six new challenges, and new trophies. Like the other Ramp Champ DLC, both of these packs are 99¢, and extend the original game content with new things to aim for, more great Iconfactory style art, and matching music.

The first DLC is the Voyage Pack, which includes Star Struck, a space themed ramp and Plunderin' Pirates, which obviously (eventually) has pirates as targets.

The other DLC pack has a Halloween theme. Trick or Treat will have you rolling balls at kids in costumes and candy. Grave Danger takes place in a grave yard, and hitting the tombstones make ghosts and zombie hands appear.

It's always great seeing continued support for games on the App Store, either with fresh content delivered via DLC or through free updates. If you enjoyed Ramp Champ, picking up these two DLC packs is a must. If you don't own Ramp Champ yet, it's worth a look. Meanwhile, if you're looking for a more traditional skee-ball type game, Freeverse's recently released Skee-Ball [99¢] offers similar game play utilizing a officially licensed virtual Skee-Ball machine.

App Store Link: Ramp Champ, $1.99

In a surprise release, Namco has released BurgerTime Deluxe for the iPhone.

Join Chef Peter Pepper as he attempts to help his uncle thwart the dastardly Vinnie Vinegar. Scale the platforms and assemble the burgers to clear the levels, then speed through the exciting minigames.

This retro refresh of the 1982 classic was originally written for other platforms including the Mac and PC before being ported to the iPhone. The game contains 60 levels and a story mode.

Namco appears to have previously obtained the rights to the BurgerTime franchise remains with G-Mode who we reported acquired many of the rights to Data East's old intellectual properties.

Here's a video from Namco:

The game only offers a somewhat strange floating virtual d-pad controls for movement that appears where you tap down. If you lift your finger off the screen for a while the d-pad disappears and can be placed at will. Once in place, it acts much like a standard virtual d-pad, with the typical precision issues. There is no retro/original mode or even arcade mode. The game seems set entirely in the 60-level story mode.

A downloadable PC version is available to try, but appears to be formatted somewhat differently with a larger view area. Like with most of these retro refreshes, we suspect the primary target audience will be limited to big fans of the original title, but we will spend some time playing through.

App Store Link: BurgerTime Deluxe, $1.99

This is turning out to be a great weekend for retro gamers. Hot on the heels of C64, comes Taito's classic Arkanoid [$4.99] game for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Arkanoid for iPhone brings back the 1986 brick-breaker with some additional enhancements.

• Over 100 stages
• Branching level progression
• Many boss battles
• VS two player mode

Arkanoid is the 1986 brick breaker that modernized Breakout. Arkanoid introduced special bricks, enemy ships, power ups and more to the classic brick breaking formula.

Here's a hands on video from AppBank with the Japanese language iPhone version. The U.S. version is otherwise identical.

The game certainly brings Arkanoid back with proportionally the same levels scales as the original arcade game. This means that everything will seem a bit small on your iPhone screen compared to other brick breakers we've seen. The size and color of the ball can cause it to get lost in some of the backgrounds of the game, but those can be turned "off" to give you a clearer view. The sliding touch control worked well and accurately, and the game played well. The game comes with 3 levels of difficulty.

Fans of the original will get a blast from the past as the sound effects are identical. Taito also promises big boss battles later in the game:

We obviously haven't played it far enough yet to encounter the bosses. The game also teases you with two unlockable menu options and also offers a head-to-head two player mode in which each player gets a paddle on opposite sides of the screen. Power-up pills picked up can negatively impact your opponent (shrinking paddle, for example).

App Store Link: Arkanoid, $4.99

Manomio's Commodore 64 emulator [$4.99] has finally been approved by Apple. We first reported on the project back in June, after Manomio had received their first rejection from Apple. The rejection was particularly disappointing considering the efforts that Manomio had made in making sure their emulator fully licensed and legal.

We posted an extensive hands on with the emulator shortly after rejection. The final Apple approved version appears to be the same but with BASIC disabled. Note that some of the games demonstrated in the video aren't actually available yet. See below for the launch list.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

It's important to note that Manomio's C64 emulator will not run arbitrary disk images, and only supports fully licensed disk images that are offered through Manomio.

It works like this: the emulator comes bundled with several C64 games (Artic Shipwreck, Dragon's Den, Jack Attack, Jupiter Lander and Lemans) along with standard Commodore BASIC 2.0 interpreter. Users can purchase separately sold program packs (early prices appear to be $0.99-$1.99 each and are determined by original IP holders) from the App Store that, when launched, install a game (or games) into the main application, adding them to the bookcase-like program launcher.

The $4.99 C64 emulator costs $4.99 and includes 5 games: Dragons Den, Le Mans, Jupiter Lander, Arctic Shipwreck, and Jack Attack. Additional separately sold game packs will be coming soon. With the C64 emulator approved, Manomio is also clear to pursue further licensing deals and they have said they are actively working on adding new titles.

App Store Link: C64, $4.99

Thanks eggzbacon

The Iconfactory was launched back in 1996 as a repository for icon packs as well as software for creating and using icons. Since then, they've been responsible for the creation of two great iPhone apps, Frenzic [$2.99], a fast-paced puzzle game and Twitteriffic [$3.99 / Free], one of the original premium Twitter clients available on the App Store.

Their latest game, Ramp Champ [App Store] takes the arcade game of skee ball, shrinks it down to the iPhone screen, and applies the same thick layer of highly stylized graphical work seen in all the other Iconfactory products. Included in the initial release of Ramp Champ are four different virtual skee ball machines. Clown Town has a carnival theme, Breakwater Bay is underwater, Space Swarm tips its hat at Space Invaders, and The Icon Garden pays homage to Iconfactory's roots in icon design.

Controls are simple and shares the same strangely compelling gameplay as Paper Toss [Free]. Flicking your finger up from the bottom of the screen rolls a ball, and depending on how fast you flick and which direction you swipe towards controls the power and aim of your shots. All of the targets award different amounts of points, and after rolling all your balls the game dispenses virtual tickets that you can buy virtual prizes for.

If you're old enough to have been around when arcades were popular, you likely have fond memories of dumping quarters in to skee ball machines, cramming your pockets full of tickets, and claiming some completely worthless reward from the prize counter. As the eventual owner of several of those terribly useless over-sized stuffed animals, Ramp Champ has provided an awesome amount of nostalgia. There's more to the game though as each of the four included machines also have their own sub-set of goals (achievements).

For instance, The Icon Garden's progressively harder goals are to plant all the pixel flowers, tip over the canine bovine, and score over 13,000 points. Planting the pixel flowers is as simple as hitting every target, I presume the canine bovine has something to do with Clarus the Dogcow, and scoring over 13,000 is self-explanatory. Completing all the goals requires a high amount of precision, and in my few days with the game I've been unable to complete more than a few of them. As a result, Ramp Champ has kept me coming back for more, since most goals seem simple at first (How hard can it be to hit 6 things with 10 balls?) but end up being much more difficult than they appear.

The Iconfactory is already offering two add-on packs that can be purchased for $0.99 a piece. Each pack contains 2 new ramps, 6 new goals, 18 new prizes, and shiny new trophies. . The videos below show the included levels on the left and the ones available via downloadable-content on the right:

If you loved Paper Toss [Free] or the included screenshots/videos are tickling your nostalgia bone, I recommend picking up Ramp Champ, as you will likely enjoy it as much as I have.

App Store Link: Ramp Champ, $1.99

Retro gaming fans should have a look at two '80s arcade classics that are currently on sale in the App Store.

• Frogger from Konami ($5.99 -> $.99)

  One of Konami's first App Store releases, Frogger [App Store] for the iPhone is available for more than 80% off August 20th (today) through the 22nd.

  The game is an adaptation of the studio's 1981 arcade original featuring updated graphics, an updated soundtrack, and a choice of touchscreen or accelerometer controls–or both combined.

  Like the 28-year-old original, the goal of the game is to direct five frogs, one by one, from the starting point at the bottom of the screen to their homes at the top before the timer runs out.  It's a treaturous journey.  The lower half of the screen consists of a busy roadway with five lanes of speeding traffic.  The upper half contains a rushing river filled with logs, turtles, alligators and other such hazards.  The challenge is getting the frog home safely without getting flattened, drowned (this was always puzzling…), or eaten.  It sounds simple, but can be rather frustrating challenging.

  We took a look at this one back in August.

  App Store Link: Frogger, $.99 (limited time)

• Pole Position: Remix from Namco ($5.99 -> $2.99)

  Pole Position: Remix [App Store], Namco's iPhone adaptation of their classic 1982 arcade racer, is available for a limited time at 50% off.

  As the title suggests, Pole Position: Remix is a (somewhat) modern adaptation of Namco's 27-year-old classic arcade racer.  Retro gaming nuts will appreciate the fact that, although the title brings a graphical overhaul, the gameplay remains rather faithful to the original.

  The game offers three methods of control: tilt (accelerometer-based), slider (swipe right and left), and steering wheel mode (radially control a steering wheel, capable of flick-spin, with your finger).  A semi-translucent, on-screen pedal controls either braking or acceleration, depending on settings.

  We had a look at this one back in September.

  App Store Link: Pole Position: Remix, $2.99 (limited time), Pole Postition: Remix Lite, Free

Back in June we reported the existence of a fully functional Commodore 64 emulator for the iPhone, written by Manomio, that was rejected from App Store approval by Apple.

It seems those holding out hope for the official release of this emulator have something to look forward to, based on a recent tweet from the developer.

C64 for iPhone UPDATE: Contacted by senior director at Apple today and we have BIG news coming. Thank you to EVERYONE for the support

Stay tuned everybody. It seems some retro goodness may just be around the corner….

In the meantime, see our hands on look (with video) at Commodore 64 for iPhone.

A little over a year ago, in the App Store's youth, Namco provided some of the first big name iPhone game titles with their release of rather faithful ports of Pac-Man [App Store] and Ms. Pac-Man [App Store] for the iPhone.  They quite recently followed these titles up with the release of Pac-Man Remix [$5.99], featuring modern graphics and enhanced gameplay.

Pac-Man Remix is indeed Pac-Man at its core, but features various enhancements that add variety to the well-known formula.  Aside from the standard maze full of dots and power-pellets, there are power-ups that enable things such as an invincible, mirror image Pac-Man ghost that helps with the dot chomping and the ability to jump over pesky, travelling arcs of electricity (a new hazard).  Many of the mazes are dual-height, with elevators and transporter pads providing access to the upper and lower areas.  What's more, at the end of each stage is a boss showdown that demands dodging skills beyond those called upon in the standard mazes of dots.  Animated cut-scenes between certain levels help illustrate play technique.

The game offers two methods of touchscreen control.  The swipe-anywhere technique introduced in the earlier Pac-Man for iPhone is available and works better, but still not ideal.  Alternatively, an onscreen directional button control mode is offered, but the layout is a bit awkward.  I'm guessing it will see little use.

Pac-Man Remix succeeds in delivering a colorful new take on the original Pac-Man formula, but what concerns me is the challenge that the game provides.  I began playing it on the default 'Normal' difficulty setting and got through all six stages in just over an hour.  The 'Hard' setting adds to the challenge, but the game just feels too easy — far easier than either Pac-Man or Ms. Pac-Man.  And that certainly doesn't have you coming back for more. It's an official Pac-Man license from Namco, and that's a notable mark in the iPhone's repertoire, but at $5.99 — big name license or no — the game should provide more than an hour's playtime.

My recommendation on this one is to take a good look at the gameplay video to get a feel for the title and be quite aware that you're in for a short-lived gameplay experience, going in.  My guess is that only true, die-hard Pac-Man fans could find Pac-Man Remix a sound value.  The casual Pac-Man fan looking for a modern take on the formula may want to wait for the upcoming iPhone adaptaiton of the highly rated XBLA title Pac-Man Championship Edition.

App Store Link: Pac-Man Remix, $5.99

Duke Nukem 3D [link], which jumped on our radar early last month, has finally appeared in the App Store.  3D Realms' highly popular 1996 first-person shooter has been ported to the iPhone by MachineWorks Northwest.

The game starts out in  21st century Los Angeles.  You control Duke, who is on a mission to thwart the efforts of an evil alien race bent on stealing all of Earth's women.  Later missions are set in military installations, moon bases, deserts, space stations, flooded cities, and Japanese villas.  The PC original was very highly rated, but controversial, due to the claims that it promotes pornography and murder.  GameSpot, who gave Duke Nukem 3D an 8.8 ("Great") out of 10, wrote:

Based on the hackneyed first-person Doom formula, Duke Nukem 3D is the first 3D shoot-em-up to offer the player more. There are more diverse environments, more devastating weapons, and greatly improved playability. Unlike the fantastical dungeons and lava pits found in Doom and its kindred, the atmosphere in Duke Nukem is more tangible. The story revolves loosely around a "Mars needs women" theme, involving aliens and their abduction of scantily-clad women. As Duke, you explore everything from an alien mothership to metropolitan underbellies, including smut shops, skin flicks, strip bars, and the horror of horrors: karaoke bars. The levels are massive and, even on the easiest difficulty setting, provide a formidable challenge.

As an avid PC gamer at the time of its release, I recall a distinct rivalry between the DOOM vs. Duke 3D faithful.  It's a game that definitely made its mark and started off the chaotic effort that is (or was) Duke Nukem Forever.

In our limited time with the game so far, the iPhone version appears to be a rather full implementation of the the PC original, and runs quite smoothly on our 2G iPod touch test unit.  But not all is well in the world of Duke 3D on the iPhone…

The game features both analog and digital on-screen control sticks, modeled after those from Prey.  Unfortunately, in this initial release, the analog controls are not working correctly.  (See video.)  The (left) movement stick cannot be used as as stick (by dragging), but must be used by tapping to allow any sort of coherent control.  The digital sticks (pictured above) work as they do in Prey, but feel fairly awkward to us, though if you're comfortable with Prey's digital controls, then you should be fine here.

Happily, George Broussard, co-author of the original game, addressed the situation in our forums and indicates that an update will soon be released that sets things right with the controls.

Until the control update arrives, iPhone gamers may want to consider the current release to be a bit of a trial.  Controls are key and while there are some workarounds (see update below), the default control for Duke Nukem 3D on the iPhone just isn't there yet.  The game is currently available at a launch-day special price of $2.99 [App Store].

See our gameplay video for a first look (using the virtual stick as a tap-pad and not a stick)

App Store Link: Duke Nukem 3D, $2.99 (launch-day sale)

Update: Another workaround that works pretty well for the analog controls was posted to our forums: Choose Analog Controls, Disable Strafe. Then use the left Analog Pad for forward and backward movement only (again, you must tap, not drag your finger). And use the right Analog Pad for direction.

With Pac-Man Remix [link] fresh in the App Store, iPhone gamers in a love affair with that little yellow dot-chomper are busy getting their retro maze munch on.  But don't fill up too much, because a dose of Pac-Man goodness that should far exceed Remix will soon be making its way to the App Store.  G4tv has gotten word that Namco Bandai will be releasing the highly acclaimed Xbox Live Arcade title Pac-Man Championship Edition for the iPhone and iPod touch later this year.

What many have called the first "real" update to Pac-Man in 29 years, Pac-Man Championship Edition contains major differences from the 1980 original.  The Xbox Live version, aside from supporting on-line leaderboards and high-definition graphics, is a race against the clock in every game mode.  There are several different play lengths to choose from for each electric-looking maze, and the goal is simply to score as many points as possible in the relatively short time limit.  The more points you score, the faster the pace of the game.  Each maze is divided into two halves.  Eating all the dots in one half causes a bonus fruit to appear in the other.  Eating that fruit causes a new maze (that may differ in layout from the previous) to appear in the other half.  It's back and forth, back and forth.  And enormously fun.

We've got no information at present as to how the iPhone version will differ from the Xbox Live original, but will keep you updated as details come our way.  But, if it's anything like the Xbox Live version, Pac-Man Championship Edition for the iPhone is going to bring some serious addiction to the platform.

See a video of the Xbox Live version to get a feel for the game.