Pangea Software, the developer behind the iPhone games Cro-Mag Rally [App Store] and Enigmo [App Store] has put up an info page for a forthcoming 3D iPhone game called Billy Frontier that features mixed-mode gameplay with a “cowboys in space” theme.

As Pangea describes it,

Billy Frontier is a space cowboy who’s mission is to rid the galaxy of alien outlaws. This is the most diverse 3D game you’ll find for the Apple iPhone / iPod Touch - it is a combination of adventure game and arcade game with a whole lot of blood spewing action in-between! You’ll test your reflexes in Duels, see if you can outrun a stampeding herd of Kanga-Cows (half kangaroo, half cow), hunt down alien bandits in gun battles, and blast catapulted critters out of the sky in the Shooting Gallery! Billy Frontier is really four games in one: Dueling, Shootout, Stampede, and Target Practice. The graphics and audio are the best there is for an iPhone game, and if you like spaghetti westerns then you’ll love Billy Frontier because it is a spaghetti space western with all the fixins!

Billy Frontier for the iPhone is a port of Pangea’s Macintosh title of the same name, released in 2003.  The Billy Frontier page features an extensive screenshot gallery but provides no indication of release date or App Store pricing for the title.  Stay tuned for more information on this.

( Thanks James Foote! )

Chaonic has recently released iPhone puzzler Go! [App Store] through the iTunes App Store.

Go! is a geometrically inspired puzzle game that is basically a cross between the classic jigsaw puzzle and Tetris.  The Go! gameboard consists a puzzle map of colored blocks above three wells of puzzle pieces, each of a different color and each containing Tetris-like block shapes (there are nine in all).  Clicking on any well rotates the presented shape.  The goal of the game is to fill the puzzle map with pieces from the wells by strategically placing the puzzle pieces on map blocks of a corresponding color before the timer runs out.  Once a puzzle piece is placed on the map, the well from which it came fills with another piece until all pieces of that color are used.  Exactly the number of puzzle pieces needed to fill the map are provided in the wells–no more, no less.  This makes it important to place each piece wisely.  Each well has a reset button that, when tapped once, puts the last placed piece back in the well or resets all placed pieces of that well’s color if tapped twice.  You will get to know the reset button well.

See the gameplay video for a better look at how it all comes together.

Go! features 50 different puzzle maps with difficulty ranging from “child’s play” to “insane.”  Game progress is saved with the successful completion of each puzzle.

Go! has a polished feel and features clean, colorful graphics on a scrolling backdrop. The game is pleasantly challenging, requiring strategy on the part of the player, and is a solid pick-up puzzler.  The only real complaint I can offer is the lack of any audio in the current version.

Griptonite Games has released a free demo version of their Chimps Ahoy! [$4.99, App Store] game.

Chimps Ahoy! Lite [Free, App Store] provides a 7 level version of the game to provide you a taste of the gameplay before committing the $4.99 for the 100 level version.

The game is a multi-touch take on the classic breakout/arkanoid formula. The two chimps on either side of the screen are controlled independently with your thumbs, and your goal is to bounce a coconut between the two chimps to eliminate all the blocks. Enemies and powerups are also available.

While we have not done a full review of the game, this video from the developer provides an overview of the gameplay.

As IGN reports, game developer Fireglow Games is partnering with Mac games publisher Virtual Programming to bring the Plumeboom franchise to various mobile platforms including the iPhone and iPod touch.

Three specific titles that will arrive for the iPhone are Plumeboom The First Chapter, The Golden Path of Plumeboom, and A-B-O-O - Plumeboom’s Friends.  The Plumeboom games are color-based puzzlers of the “match-three” sort, each with a different style of gameplay.

Fireglow sets the story for Plumeboom The First Chapter,

Orniland is a paradise for birds. Thousands live here in peace and harmony. But two villains, Crowbeak the Wizard and his servant, Cornix the Scientist, seek to undo the tranquility of the land through darkness… with an evil potion that they spread across the country using conveyors. The potion turns birds into Warriors of Darkness serving the villains. Only Plumeboom the Peacock can destroy the system of conveyors and save Orniland! Help him in his mission!

No solid date has been given for Plumeboom’s arrival in the App Store.  A taste for the gameplay of The First Chapter can be seen in a demo video of the PC version.

As Gamasutra reports, Electronic Arts has announced that Need For Speed Undercover, the twelfth installment of its popular racing series, will be released for the iPhone and other platforms.

According to EA CEO John Riccitiello, Need for Speed Undercover will bring better innovation and gameplay than the series’ previous incarnations.  

Also notable is the fact that the game will star Mission Impossible III actress Margaret Quigley.

As a handler, she will recruit and guide players as they go undercover to infiltrate and take down an international crime syndicate. Players will complete dangerous jobs, compete in street races, and take part in cop chases along the way. 

Need for Speed Undercover is set to ship to stores in North America on November 18 and in Europe on November 21.  It is unclear at this time whether the game’s appearance in the iTunes App Store will occur in that same timeframe.

See the teaser movie released by EA for a loose glimpse of what’s to come.

Swedish game developer Resolution Interactive has released a preview of their forthcoming flight / action / sports hybrid Clusterball 2.

Clusterball 2 for the iPhone is a conversion of the developer’s existing PC title (pictured) and offers unique, fast-paced gameplay that, as the demonstration video illustrates, translates well to the iPhone’s accelerometer-based control systems.

Clusterball is a high-paced, adrenaline pumping flight sport demanding skill, tactics and ball control - designed as a first person shooter but without the splatter and gore. Played in midair with high tech aircraft, your objective is to gather and score as many balls as possible while trying your best to keep your opponents from doing the same. As your tail grows longer, your ship will gradually slow down, making you more vulnerable to attacks. Thus, each extra ball gathered involves a calculated risk.

According to Resolution Interactive, the game will feature various online components including gamer profiles, public scoreboards, and challenger features and sport graphics that are above and beyond what is available for the iPhone today.

Clusterball® 2 for iPhone will aim to make a mark on the iPhone market by offering the highest quality of graphics and maneuverability through the gyro controls. With a fast-paced gameplay and obstacle rich environment, Clusterball® 2 for iPhone will be an adrenaline filled experience for young and old alike.

“Clusterball® 2 for iPhone is very exciting, and will be a new start for us.” Say Lars Lindstrom, founder at Resolution Interactive. “We look forward to present our new demo as well as our coming titles at the GC convention next week”.

Resolution Interactive will be demonstrating the title at next week’s Game Convention in Leipzig Germany where we hope to hear additional details including an App Store release date.  Stay tuned.

A demo video of the PC version offers an additional glimpse at gameplay.

[ via Pocket Gamer ]

Noah Witherspoon has released Tris [App Store], a free version of Tetris, for the iPhone.

The game is a port of a Jailbreak version by the same name. This free game offers a no-frills Tetris experience for those who don’t want to spend $9.99 for the official version [App Store].

Touch controls move pieces left, right, down and even up, while tapping allows you to rotate your piece. The actual game is nicely implemented with attractive graphics and smooth animation. Tris also offers a global high-score system so you can compare your play with others. A lack of sound effects or music, however, makes the gameplay a little unsatisfying. Fortunately, you can play your own music in the background.

Still, it’s hard to complain about free. Witherspoon’s game has already hit the #1 spot in the App Store. Download it in the App Store.

The folks over at iLounge have taken on the daunting task of reviewing every Solitaire game on the App Store to come up with the following list.

There are 19 games of solitaire in the App Store from 12 different developers. Apps prices link to the App Store:

• Acid Solitaire Collection ($9.99, B-) - 3 games, good gameplay
• Cookie Bonus Solitaire ($2.99, B-) - cutesy interface, online mode
• Cookie Bonus Solitaire - Free (Free, B+) - same game but ad supported
• Demon Solitaire ($0.99, D) - very plain
• Las Vegas Solitaire ($2.99, D) - very plain
• MobilityWare Freecell ($1.99, D) - mediocre, limited single game
• MobilityWare Pyramid ($0.99, D) - mediocre, limited single game
• MobilityWare Solitaire ($1.99, D) - mediocre, limited single game
• Mondo Solitaire ($9.99, B+) - one of the best, over 100 types of solitaire, lots of play
• Platinum Solitaire ($3.99, B) - interface and depth are only so-so compared to others
• Pyramid Solitaire ($4.99, C) - simple pyramid solitaire game
• Pyramid Solitaire Lite (Free, D) - a few less options
• Solebon Solitaire ($9.99, C-) - 20 games, limited audio
• Wee Spider Solitaire ($4.99, C-) - 7 games
• Sol Free Solitaire (Free, B) - 3 games, very nice for free game
• Solitaire CAO ($4.99, D) - Klondike, demo-quality
• Solitaire City ($9.99, B) - impressive, online leaderboard, 13 games
• Solitaire Forever ($5.99, A-) - slick, 3D engine, over 150 games
• Solitaire Top 3 ($3.99, D-) - 3 games, simple

iLounge picks Mondo Solitaire ($9.99) and Solitaire Forever ($5.99, pictured above) as their top paid picks and Cookie Bonus Solitaire - Free (Free) and Sol Free Solitaire (Free) as their top free picks.

Solitaire City ($9.99) should get an honorable mention, however, due to its unique inclusion of an online leaderboard.

iLounge gets into far more detail and provides screenshots of every game in their extensive roundup.

Retro gaming fans take note: StarByte has released Space Invasion [App Store] for the iPhone.

Space Invasion is a remake of Taito’s 1978 classic Space Invaders with a few perks.  Since there can’t be a person reading this post who hasn’t heard of Space Invaders, I won’t get into a detailed description of gameplay.  Suffice it to say, you contol a laser turrett that can be moved left and right and your objective is to destroy the advancing alien horde.  Aside from more lavish graphics than the original, Space Invasion features various power-ups that drop from the occasional blasted alien, such as power shots (destroy a column of aliens with one shot), shields, extra lives, and bonus points.  Adding challenge, the “mystery ship” that moves across the top of the screen drops bombs, as does the occasional blasted alien.

Space Invasion features multitouch control (one thumb for ‘left’ / ‘right’, one for ‘fire’) that works well and feels responsive.  This is a solid Space Invaders port.  If you love that classic, you’ll likely find Space Invasion worth its space on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Space Invasion is available for $3.99 [App Store] through the iTunes App Store.

StarByte has posted a sample gameplay video (which lacks sound, unlike the game):

Interactive Fiction (IF) fans will be pleased to hear that Craig Smith has released Frotz [App Store] for the iPhone through the iTunes App Store as a free download.

Interactive Fiction, better known as “text adventures” was a popular game genre in the ’70s and ’80s when computers were text-based or offered, at best, very limited graphical capabilities.  The first text adventure, Colossal Cave Adventure (also known as ADVENT due to a six-letter filename restriction on the PDP-10 for which it was originally written and available [App Store] as a stand-alone iPhone game) was created by Will Crowther.  It was quickly ported to virtually every machine of the day and spawned an IF industry, the most commercially successful games of this sort coming from the now defunct Infocom.

The IF titles most gamers may remember is the Zork trilogy, published commercially by Infocom.  Infocom published dozens of quality IF titles for most every computer platform available during its heyday.  To make the development of such games for multiple platforms as simple as possible, the company created the Z-machine virtual machine interpreter which allowed a common game format, Z-code files, to be used for all versions of its titles, with only the interpreter program being written natively for each platform (not unlike the SCUMM VM, which is available for jailbroken iPhones). The Z-code format became popular among indie IF authors for creation of public domain adventures.

Frotz for the iPhone is a port of the popular Frotz Z-machine interpreter that was created in 1995 and is available for a great number of platforms.

Frotz is capable of playing most Z-code files out there (version 6 and above, which allow graphics, are not supported at this time).  Frotz comes bundled with a number of public domain IF titles, with more accessible through a download repository integrated into the application.  Users are able to specify other download repositories if they wish.

Frotz presents the player with a menu through which titles can be loaded and, once loaded, renders the adventure in a text window with a pleasant, parchment-colored backdrop.  Games can be played in portrait or landscape mode and the standard iPhone text entry keyboard is used for input.

For iPhone using IF fans, Frotz is heaven.  For those unfamiliar with the genre, this free download is definitely worth a look.  IF may have sprung from hardware restrictions, but many gamers feel that the mind, rather than the graphics screen, is the best tool for rendering out an adventure.  Some of the best games I’ve personally ever played are text adventures.  Don’t knock it ’till you try it.