I’d like to write “hot on the heels of the re-release of Dragon’s Lair [.99 / HD], comes Dragon’s Lair 2: Time Warp [$2.99] for the iPhone and iPod Touch.” If I did just throw that out to the ether, I’d be incorrect. The original Dragon’s Lair re-release was shoved out the door in December 2009. Dragon’s Lair: Time Warp joins its predecessor in the App Store in June 2011.

I doubt I’ll ever receive an answer that sits with me well about the hold-up, but I suppose it’s stupid subject to broach at this point. The game is out so... who cares, right?

Let’s talk about it then. Dragon’s Lair 2 has the same feature set as the original re-release, including the move guide, the choice between three, five, or infinite lives. However, there is a fun extra that I’m sure the core enthusiasts out there will love: Dragon’s Lair 2 for the iOS features a “Director’s Cut” version of the game with an alternate ending.

In total there’s eight levels to explore as you play as Dirk who is charged with saving a certain princess named Daphne. This time around, you’ll need a rickety time machine and fast fingers to successfully retrieve her from the evil wizard Mordroc.

Dragon’s Lair 2 is $2.99 on the App Store while it’s predecessor is now sitting at a good 99-cent price point. Check out our review of the first in series to see if it’ll click with you. Lord knows how much these QTE-focused games hurt me on the inside.

Oh! And there's been no word yet if there will be an "HD" version of this sequel for the iPad. We're working on getting confirmation.

Yesterday, we asked what was up with Knights: Spiral Island. It was a promising FPS headed to PC with potential spin-offs set to hit handheld devices like, say, the iPhone and iPod Touch. Game creator Playground State had attempted to fund the development of Spiral Islands via the might of Kickstarter's Internet crowd sourcing, but when the studio failed to gather the capital it desired, we thought the project was in trouble.

I’m still not sure about how well the studio fares post-funding failure, but I do know this: an iOS spin-off title based in the Knights universe is still in the works right now. It’s just a week old, yet the final build projected to hit in about five weeks. It'll be using the UDK.

“... as of the past [seven] days, we have been developing an iOS-specific version of the game Knights called Jump Knight Missions,” studio co-founder and lead artist Barry Collins confirmed to us via an e-mail response to our original inquiry about the project.

Collins shot us a slice of the Jump Knight Missions design document. Jump Knight is an objective-based FPS that combines conventional genre action to “touch tasks,” a phrase that describes the little things you’ll be doing when you’re not killing dudes or exploring the world.

According to the document, about half the game will be composed of these tasks ranging from ‘defuse the mine,’ to ‘hand food to the soldier,’ to “give a high-five” to a soldier who “killed 20 zombies and saved 30 women and children.” The other half is action.

You’ll get points for accomplishing these minor objectives and even more if you can do it without flaw or within a set time limit. Each Mission will have around ten of these tasks, with the first and second missions sharing over that amount.

I’m told that a lot of progress has been made within this super short time frame. I get the sense that the first two missions are very close, or already, content complete. And here’s the cool thing about them: they’ll be set in totally different places, which makes me think that the team isn’t ready to drop the bite-sized, one-style-or-place-per-content-chunk idea that made Spiral Islands so appealing in the first place.

Considering that the project is a mere week old, I wouldn’t be surprised if anything that you’ve read changes in the coming days before final release. We’ll be keeping in contact and watching development from our desk chairs, though, so stay tuned.

There’s a way to simulate 3D visuals on devices with front-facing cameras. Researchers Jeremie Francone and Lawrence Nigay have proved that with i3D [Free], a brand new app that is available on the App Store right now for the generous price of $0.

Is it a game? No. It’s a proof of concept that uses a device’s front camera to track a user’s head in order to trick their eyes into seeing 3D through ‘a small window.’ But while it has no use as a game, the overall tech shows promise as a middleware tool that could, maybe, grant more adventurous developers the ability to make their own 3D scenes.

The thought that Apple devices, or even other handhelds with front-facing cameras, could someday be able to spit out 3D -- illusion or not -- is an interesting one. Nintendo’s next generation portable, the Nintendo 3DS, is centered on its use of glasses-less 3D. If that hook were to become not so unique, what would be the point of picking up the device?

(more...)

A significant snag has hit the development of Dream:scape, the promising Unreal Engine-powered adventure game that’s been making waves with those of us who like our visuals crisp and our worlds open. According to the game’s creator, the title flat-out won’t operate on third-generation devices or even the original iPad -- but there’s still hope it will be able to.

"So I have finally, after dozens of painstaking hours, accepted that my game, dream:scape, will never run on the iPad 1, iPod Touch, or iPhone 3GS,” he wrote on the official UDK message board. A vicious memory bug, which makes the game crash when a build-up occurs, is to blame.

At the time of writing, “kamequazi” wasn’t sure if he could just release the title for the iPhone 4 and iPad 2. It was an obvious point of concern in the post, as it sounds like the title is currently worming its way through the Apple review process.

The good news here is that, yeah, you can submit a targeted game. “I did get the go-ahead from Apple to release the targeted version,” he wrote in an update. He followed up, adding, “Ironically, however, I did connect with a programmer who feels confident that we can get D:S running on all relevant devices.”

“So, while he works on that, I am adding a few new gameplay elements. There will be a new trailer in the next week or so, and when D:S finally does get released it will be better than ever.”

Who knew awesomeness could come from such a bummer moment?

Someone is listening when I pray. The other afternoon, 2D Boy flung some awesome news one the Internet, confirming that World of Goo [$4.99] is indeed coming to the iPod Touch and iPhone, And it’s coming, like, real soon, according to a post on studio’s blog that explains, additionally, that the title is worming its way through Apple’s approval process at the moment.

Before you get all stupid-happy, check what generation your device is. In the reveal post, 2D Boy warns that World of Goo will require 3GS or better, or in iPod Touch terms, a 3rd Generation Touch or newer. Certainly, this design decision will cut a few of you out of the fun, but I’m sure it’s all for the better, as World of Goo will be poised to remain a visual treat in addition to being a great physics-based puzzle game. Oh, and if you already have the iPad version you'll get this for free. World of Goo will become a Universal App.

(more...)

Let’s talk about Rope Racket. It’s a physics-based puzzle game with adorable birds and long, brown lengths of rope. Instant hit, right? It might be, but not because of its inclusion of two of the hottest trends in iOS. Fact is, it’s a plain-old entertaining and unique game.

You’ll get a better sense of what Rope Racket is all about in the video below, but I’ll express what I can here. The goal is to wrap a wobbly bit of rope around a set number of rotating wheels. Then, you can free a bird with said rope at the end of a level.

Of course, there are hooks and interesting pieces of design. Rope is limited, however, the way you approach each wheel “puzzle” is not scripted. There are different solutions. But some of your more unconventional approaches might bring you too close to the Rope Racket’s diverse set of obstructions: vampire bats that relentlessly follow your bird around, cannons that fire flaming stones, and even darkness.

I want to note one mechanic that grabbed me. When you wrap the rope around a special wheel, the wheel then moves with the rope. In the short demo I watched at GDC in San Francisco, I saw Untame’s Itay Keren block those flaming cannons with the wheels. This is remarkable, to me at least, because you’re using the world to interact with the world.

We’ll be keeping our eyes on this one as it comes down the pipeline. It’s slated for a release on the iPad and iPhone 4 at some point in the next month.

Considering how into Minecraft some folks are, and the surprising amount of unsanctioned Minecraft apps on the App Store, it’s not too surprising to learn this exciting bit of news: Mojang, the studio behind the indie monster hit, is developing its own iOS version of the title! It's slated to hit at some point in 2011 for the iPad, iPhone, and the iPod Touch.

Specifically, one dude is at the helm. A fellow that goes by the name of Aron Neiminen has been brought on board to handle it. Details, unfortunately, are light at the moment, but Gamasutra confirms that not all the updates to Minecraft will make it over the iOS version. Mojang is only instituting stuff Minecraft iOS that “makes sense” for its touch-based platforms, which is inspiring. You gotta love it when a dev gets that touch devices are just that -- touch devices.

Minecraft, by the way, is still in beta. You can get into the action by shooting over to the game’s Web site and checking out the download version or even the browser version.

[via Gamasutra]

Here's something awesome: You can rock out Max Adventure [$.99] with a projector, TV, or any other video display device with a VGA input and a Apple Dock to VGA adapter. (It also might work with the component and composite adapters as well, but Imangi hasn't had a chance to test them -- let us know if you own either of these cables and are able to get it going.)

To show you how, Imangi Studios has released a neat little YouTube tutorial video about these "video-out" capabilities -- tech-speak for "yo, you can plug a cable in your thing to make a game work on a TV or whatever." Check it out!

This capability isn't new by any stretch, but only a small number of iOS games take advantage of it. Each time a really good game like Max Adventure adopts the tech, we get excited like we just found a Zero bar buried in our couch.

Max Adventure's video-out, by the way, runs natively at that projector's full screen resolution, which is 1024x768. We're told the actual implementation of it was pretty easy -- Imangi was able to drop it into Max Adventure in a day. The possibilities!

Of course, totally wireless iPhone-to-TV would be better, right? That's something Imangi is thinking about. The studio told us that it wants to develop for Apple TV so it could stream content over AirPlay. And while there's no solid way to do that with the SDK as it is, Apple could, theoretically, write up some APIs that would allow real-time streaming in lower resolutions similar to how OnLive operates. The needed hardware is, apparently, already in the iPhone 4, according to Imangi.

In case I lost you there, no worries. I was just spitting out some stuff about grey magicks and tech voodoo that I don't even completely understand. What I do get, though, is that Max Adventure is pretty rockin', so give that a check if you're in the mood for a game.

Here's something that'll make you say, "Uh, what?" It's the teaser trailer for Perfect Cell, the next iOS title from Edge [$1.99] and Cross Fingers' [$1.99] developer Mobigames. At first glance, you might think it's Shadow Complex sans Nolan North. We did, at least. But after a bit of digging, we've discovered that Perfect Cell is nothing of the sort.

The IGF 2011 listing for Perfect Cell fills in some of the gaps. That pink octopus-alien-thing is a cell, the "most advanced creature ever discovered on Earth." In the game, you'll control up to three of these unusual creatures in an attempt to escape a submarine. You'll run into puzzles, enraged guards, and need to keep a low-profile at times by exploring the game's infiltration mechanics.

Here's the full listing, which while helpful, is still pretty abstract:

"Play as the most advanced creature ever discovered on Earth. You are trapped in a high security submarine base and you must use your superpowers to escape from this hostile environment; dodge lasers and AK-47 bullets, solve puzzles to progress and try to survive the many other dangerous and deadly traps.

Play through an original story that uniquely combines the best of action and infiltration games. Use intuitive, multi-touch gameplay; play as up to 3 Cells on the same screen, dash through the air with a swipe gesture or cut off your enemies’ heads with a ‘draw and dash’! Use your mind to find your way out covertly or, if you prefer, use fast-paced action gameplay to kill every scientist and soldier in your path. You are the Perfect Cell!"

What's with the lack of info? Our guess is that Mobi wants to build up a significant amount of pre-release hype, which makes sense consider how fast the App Store moves. The good news is that the wait to see what Perfect Cell is won't be too long -- at the end of the teaser, Mobi notes that the game is coming "soon" to the iPad and iPhone. We'll get our hands on it as soon as we can, that's for sure.

BREAKING: Kids like expensive electronics. ALSO BREAKING: Kids under the age of 13 want an iPad or an iPod Touch more than any other electronic this season, so says the survey masters over at Nielsen (a research company).

Within the next six months, 31 percent of the respondents (parents) of a recent Nielsen survey say they have an "interest" in picking up a iPad this season. The next highest item are computers and the iPod Touch at 29 percent.

The list that follows includes the Nintendo DS, the PS3, Microsoft's hands-free controller, Kinect, and several other consoles, including other electronic items like TVs and E-readers.

Don't just take it from me; gander at this pretty blue list:

There's a billion ways to analyze this bit of data. We could, right now, scream from our podium that iOS gaming is more attractive to kids than the Nintendo DS or the other "core" platforms. The data certainly looks like it supports that.

Or we could say that parents, who obviously answered the questionnaire that Nielsen blasted out, really want iPads and iPod Touches and wouldn't mind using their really young kids as an excuse to buy one.

Or we could say that Apple has won the platform wars and will now forever since it has become, theoretically, the top dog among kids. These guys'll grow up and evangelize and establish the norm, you know?

Or we could just look at this data and see that, at the very least, iOS is becoming a recognizable platform -- one that kids under 13 are certainly excited about. Wait, that's too rational. Forget it. Apple is winning the war against the old guard, guys! Nintendo? Who is that? A coffee maker manufacturer? Pfft!

But seriously, if you're interested in this kind of stuff, swing over to the Nielson site and take a look at the second graph Nielsen has up. This one, for kids over the age of 13, looks more like a solid representation of electronic desires. According to it, teens are more interested in buying a computer or TV than an iPad or iPhone, though both Apple devices are still rather high on the list. Interesting stuff, for sure.

We're barreling towards the December-ish release of The 7th Guest, Trilobyte Games iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad port of the popular CD-ROM puzzle game it developed long before humans decided to get real and grow crops. As part of our coverage the other day regarding the cut content, the studio handed us a few images of the Retina Display-ready version of it. We thought it'd be radical to share those with you, and so we are!

You'll notice that not much of substance is being tweaked from a visual standpoint. Not that you should expect Trilobyte to do such a thing with The 7th Guest -- this is a port, after all, but we're pointing this factoid out in case you're not entirely clear on the creative direction for this touch-enabled version, which is hitting well more than a decade after the original's debut. Ah, if only every studio would re-release their older games rendered completely in their former glory!

KITCHEN PUZZLE

GHOST IN THE HALLWAY

DINING ROOM OF THE DEAD

CATHEDRAL

Sure, the full-motion video snaps we've received look rough by today's iOS standards (especially in a post-RAGE [$.99, HD] and Epic Citadel [Free] world), but you have to realize that Trilobyte would have to remaster the entire game to bring it up to said standards. Plus, a huge part of the allure of playing an older game is experiencing it within its original framework, visuals and all. But regardless of the approach, we're excited to get our hands on it.

I couldn't help but feel more than a little trepidation at the announcement of a new Lego game for the iOS, particularly after the huge disappointment that was Lego: Batman. Still, two years is a long time in development land, and of late we've seen developers make leaps and bounds in what can be squeezed from the Apple devices. Fortunately, the Warner Bros. Mobile dev team haven't rested on their laurels in all this time, having really stepped up to make amends with the release of Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 [$4.99], a universal app for the iPhone and iPad.

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is in actual fact a port of the PSP and DS version of the game released earlier this year. Though I haven't had the opportunity to play either, from screenshot comparisons you can immediately tell that the game has-- contrary to many ports-- benefited dramatically from its translation to the more capable iPhone and iPad hardware. This is no lazy carbon-copy, good readers-- graphics look crisp and vibrant (particularly on the Retina display, but even so on the 3GS we primarily tested it on) and the frame rate is consistently good; controls have been tastefully re-modelled for the iOS with mini-games that make great use of the touch-screen; and the musical score is authentic and second-to-none. In fact, I am certain that what we have is now the premier handheld version.

But first thing's first – for the benefit of those who have never seen a Lego game in action (other than getting you from out of your cave), Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is a re-imagination of J.K. Rowling's ludicrously popular fiction in all the childlike splendor of Lego. Everything in the game is made up of Lego pieces, from the well-known heroes such as Harry, Ron and Hermoine, to table decorations, quidditch broomsticks and even the different colored coins littered positively everywhere that act as a form of currency in the game.

And in true Lego style, the entire world is over-the-top. Cut-scenes between levels tell the Harry Potter story in an exaggerated, tongue-in-cheek way that can be more than a little hilarious at times, especially as Lego men can't talk (of course)-- having to mime out and gesture through all their conversations. In fact, I was pleased to see that these clips are actually the same as those in the PS3/X360 version of the game (which I have played) which re-tell each of the first four chapters (Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban and the Goblet of Fire) brilliantly.

That's a word I constantly came back to when playing Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, as there is just so much to explore and such a variety of rich experiences to play through that more than once I forgot I had an iPhone in my hands. Whether it was taking magic classes in the enormous Hogwarts, visiting stores at Diagon Alley, or chasing after Draco on a broomstick as he he makes off with Neville's Remembrall, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is jam-packed with memorable events that have been craftily converted into engaging gameplay sequences.

You start off controlling Harry, moving him around the screen by either tapping or dragging your finger across the screen. There's no virtual joystick option here which may disappoint some, but I can't really say I had difficulty migrating to the new controls. Spell casting has also been carefully implemented for the touch screen. Very early on, you learn the Reducto spell which is a simple hooting spell that requires a quick flick towards the object you want to hit (which I resort to spamming to explode anything in sight to coin pieces), and Stupefy, which is an area stun attack that requires a quick circular gesture around your character.

Soon you'll accumulate a wealth of spells as you take classes at Hogwarts and explore the game world. Reparo for instance is needed to piece together important objects, whilst Wingardium Leviosa is used to levitate objects and reach otherwise inaccessible areas. These spells are performed by tracing on-screen gestures that appear after tapping a context-sensitive object in the game world. Other spells still, such as Transfiguration, result in short mini-games that have to be completed before they take effect, most of which are actually engaging and not merely annoying distractions.

If you've played a Lego title before on any other system, you'll be glad to know that all the unlockable characters and abilities normally expected of these games feature here too. In each of the 40+ levels in Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, you'll usually take control of just a few of 100 characters available, some of which have special abilities that have to be utilised to progress through the level. Hagrid, for instance, can use his strength to interact with pulley mechanisms and pull and push heavy objects that the others cannot. Exploring each area thoroughly and working through some clever puzzles will reveal red bricks, golden witches hats and character cards that make available additional spells (of the ridiculously variety, such as Engorgio Skullus, which can swell any NPC's head to giant proportions) and unlock playable characters.

To go through every facet of Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 would be nigh on impossible in a review. Case in point-- just as I thought I'd seen much of what the game had to offer, I was thrown into a stealth sequence, where you have to rely on your map to avoid detection. Later still, I had my first real boss encounter, which requires a lot more dexterity and thinking than the usual puzzles. Suffice to say, this is one game that will put your money to work in a big way, as it is seriously bursting at the seams with content. If I had to put my finger on the average play time, judging by my current game, you're looking at somewhere between 12-15 hours over all four chapters. Then there's Free Play mode, where completionists can access all the levels of Story Mode to find hidden secrets (using later acquired abilities) and drastically explode their game time.

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is without a doubt a must-buy for any real iOS gamer, barring any prejudices you may have against our scar-faced hero, of course. This is the game to show your doubting friends as I don't believe a game of this depth or breadth presently exists on the App Store, and certainly not one with the care and attention that the Warner Bros. team have expended on it. Yes, it does benefit from being a port of an existing game on a more developed system, but when the quality of the finished product is this good, who really cares? I simply cannot overstate just how high the bar has been raised for these types of games-- a shout out to other developers with similar opportunities to take note of what our beloved Apple devices are really capable of.

iPad Owners: Please note that although the game is listed as Universal and can be purchased without any problems, the game will not be able to be synched to iPad devices until the release of OS 4.2 (purportedly next week). You must have the new OS 4.2 update before the game can be played on the iPad.

Surprisingly, a search of the App Store won't reveal much in the way of Tolkien's epic high-fantasy trilogy. We've seen many other movie adaptations converted to games, but nothing in the way of the Fellowship's desperate plight to Mt Doom. It's strange then that Glu Mobile has championed the well known licence on the App Store, and has done so in the form of a tower defense game, The Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense [$6.99 / HD].

Thankfully, Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense isn't your typical tower-defense clone. Obviously, this is largely due the vast source material it draws from, using the entire Lord of the Rings adventure as a tapestry to bind each of its 18 levels together. You'll encounter goblins in the Mines of Moria, fight with the Rohirrim in the Battle of Helms deep and fend off Nazgûl a-plenty on your way to defeat Sauron. There are 7 iconic battle locations all up and a host of familiar enemies to mow through.

As far as the gameplay is concerned, what really sets apart Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense is the way it uses the heroes of the fellowship as your typical TD towers. Maps in Middle-earth Defense aren't comprised of static paths bordered with designated areas where you place your towers. Instead, in much the same way as Fieldrunners handles TD, the path the enemies take can and must be manipulated by you to succeed. To do so, you'll be able to build a variety of different barricades with wood earned after each wave. Barricades each have different abilities, such as slowing or damaging creeps that pass by them. Though you are limited where you can build, it is up to you to decide what paths to open or close.

Once your path is determined, you must then place your heroes. Ranged heroes operate much like your typical towers, attacking from static positions. Melee heroes however, roam around their area picking fights, and so can get up close and personal with a creep wave hitting them constantly as they pass. Heroes can be upgraded with earned gold, improving their attack power, speed, range or skills. The latter is unique to Middle-earth Defense, as each warrior Hero (there are support heroes too, such as the hobbits) has a skill that can be periodically activated to dramatic effect. Effective use of skills such as Gandalf's meteor shower or Gimli's axe tornado are pretty much essential for getting past the harder levels, as the game does get quite difficult at times.

The individual creeps and heroes in Middle-earth Defense are a mixed bag-- some look terrific, whilst others are barely recognizable. This can be attributed to the somewhat jaggy models and darker textures experienced on the 3GS device we tested the game on, though we're thrilled (and surprised!) to see that a Retina patch has already been released which sharpens things up significantly. Unfortunately, this doesn't remedy the fact that animations are only just serviceable, and that heroes are sometimes indistinguisable and easily lost amidst the chaos.

Glu Mobile have otherwise done a great job of maintaining the standards of the license. The musical score is not overstated, and is actually worth listening to as you're battling wave after wave. Short cutscenes describing each scene and text dialogue between characters abridging each level are well written and give context to your encounters. There is also a Challenge Mode which is unlocked after completing the tutorial that allows you to attempt each of the Story Mode environments with unlimited enemy waves, in an attempt to post your best Game Center or Facebook score.

Finally, there are a host of trophies (achievements) to earn in Story Mode that unlock additional characters and environments in Challenge Mode. We're happy to see that Glu Mobile haven't skimped on content, as there's a heap to do here; and with 3 difficulty levels you can honestly expect several hours worth of gameplay all considered. Certainly don't expect to breeze through your journey to the Black Gates.

Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense is an interesting take on the saga for its first journey to the small screen. Though an unusual use of the licence, it is not an unwelcome one, as Middle-earth Defense does enough different to make it stand out from the very crowded tower defense market, not the least of which is provide great context for your battles and an interesting and well-known story to keep you engaged. There is one minor setback though-- while we don't usually comment on price, it is obvious that use of the Lord of the Rings licence does bring with it a slightly elevated hit to your hip pocket. If that doesn't phase you, we can certainly recommend Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense as a challenging and entertaining TD clone that should pose a pleasant surprise to cult fans and fans of the genre alike.

Big Bucket Software's The Incident [$1.99, Lite] is a pixel-art powered junk climbing game that we enjoyed quite a bit in our review. And while Big Bucket could just ride out the wave of sales and positive response and then start full-on developing a sequel, it appears to be doing quite the opposite: putting more into The Incident. In fact, the team is readying a crazy update for the game that will make it possible to play via a TV. No, for real.

A recent post on Big Bucket's blog teases this cross-compatibility, which requires an iPad and an iPhone. According to the post, this update (which will be 1.3 if you're keeping score at home) will allow you to plug your iPad running The Incident into a TV as if it were an input device. Then, with a game-connected iPhone, you'll be able to control the action in the game as if the phone were an Xbox 360 controller.

The best part about all of this? Big Bucket has fiddled with the game's visuals to make sure they'll accommodate widescreen on our huge and ridiculous HDTVs. It's the future, guys. The future.

As the blog post notes, you'll have to own an iPad Dock Connector to VGA to make this work, or if testing goes well, an Apple component AV Cable. Also, note that this setup doesn't require you to touch your iPad beyond plugging it into your TV -- this is all controller, babe. Like I said, the future. Keep it up, Big Bucket!

Back when Gameloft's Modern Combat: Sandstorm [$4.99 / Lite / HD] was first released, in our review we called it one of the most impressive gaming experiences we've seen so far on the platform, but it wasn't long before it was inevitably bested by other first person shooters (some even released by Gameloft themselves) on the fast paced market of the App Store. Gameloft ups the ante once again with Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus [$6.99], a game that is by far their most blatant carbon copy yet, but is executed so masterfully that it hardly seems to matter.

If you've played Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2, you'll know exactly what to expect out of Modern Combat 2. Single player consists of a similar mixture of combat scenarios that follow the typical plot line of hunting terrorists. Objectives are varied and involve some light stealth elements, protecting caravans, escaping from or infiltrating enemy installations, and others. However, just because this has all been done before in other games (and even to some extent in the original Modern Combat), it doesn't make playing through the single player campaign any less fun-- in fact, it's a blast to play through.

The default normal difficulty is incredibly forgiving, with the same health regeneration that has practically become standard in first person shooters. Modern Combat 2 also has an aim assist system that will snap your crosshairs on to nearby targets, taking a lot of the frustration out of controlling the game. In addition, an arrow on the top of the screen constantly points to where you should be going. Of course, if you don't need your hand held, you can crank up the difficulty and turn off all the assist systems-- resulting in a surprisingly challenging campaign.

One of the best things about Gameloft games is their incredible consistency when it comes to all the little things that you don't usually notice unless a game lacks them. For instance, you're able to completely customize your controls and the locations of interface elements on screen. You can control your music without leaving the game or even visiting a submenu, it saves your progress when you close the game for any reason and resumes instantly, and when you pause, it displays the time and your battery level. Modern Combat 2 has all this and more, adding to the near-perfect technical execution of the game. Also, if you're playing on an iPhone 4 or 4th generation iPod touch, you'll be able to enjoy optional gyroscope controls and full Retina Display graphics.

Unfortunately, this also means if you play a lot of Gameloft games, you'll also notice many similarities that can ruin your immersion. For example, the quick time event sequences used for your spider sense in Spider-Man: Total Mayhem [$6.99] has since turned in to slow motion interactive cut scenes where you need to tap specific areas of the screen to do things like avoid an explosion, an incoming knife, or grab a ledge. Quite of a few of the events that take place in the incredibly scripted single player campaign feel recycled, and it seems like far too often you're using the familiar mounted turret gun to defend against an oncoming swarm of bad guys. However, once again, all these mechanics go together so well in Modern Combat 2 that they're not much of a distraction even if you stop and notice them.

Much like Modern Warfare 2, the single player campaign in Modern Combat 2 almost seems secondary to the extensive online multiplayer included. Gameloft is boasting MC2 as providing "the most comprehensive FPS multiplayer experience on the App Store," and that's a claim that is hard to argue with. It's almost like Gameloft internally distributed copies of Modern Warfare 2 and simply said, "Make this, but for the iPhone." Initially, you might groan at just how obvious the similarities are, but all that will quickly wash away when you realize just how awesome it all is and how an experience bar with tons of unlockables serves as an unbelievable carrot on a stick, keeping you playing for hours on end without even realizing it.

Seemingly every positive action you make in an online game awards experience. Headshots, kills, assists, revenge kills, and other things result in an explosion of experience points in the center of your screen. Eventually you level up, unlocking new ranks, weapons, and kill messages which work just like the Modern Warfare 2 title and emblem system and displays little tag lines on the screen of the person you killed. (However, unlike Modern Warfare 2, endless drug references are nowhere to be found.)

Multiple game modes are included, and all are a lot of fun. Both standard and team-based deathmatch makes an appearance, as well as a capture the flag and diffuse the bomb game mode. Whatever you play, it will be with up to ten players at once either locally or online. Online multiplayer works incredibly well, and aside from a few rogue disconnects I haven't had any issues playing game after game.

It remains to be seen how much post-launch support Gameloft will provide Black Pegasus. I'd really love to see Game Center supported for matchmaking, as finding friends online with Gameloft Live is a chore and I've really been looking forward to not needing to worry about what everyone's Plus+/OpenFeint/Gameloft Live/Crystal/Agon/etc. names are. Also, I'd love to see more multiplayer maps or even additional ranks and weapons to unlock either via some kind of DLC pack or available as a free update.

As I mentioned previously, Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus is Gameloft's most blatant clone yet. However, there is absolutely nothing like it on the App Store. Without a doubt, this is a game that absolutely every fan of Modern Warfare 2 should have on their iPhone. The single player, while entirely cliche, is extremely fun to play through and the online multiplayer is incredible. Our forum members have been going crazy over the game, and as it stands, Modern Combat 2 is the king of iPhone first person shooters. For now, anyway.