Back in September we took a look at Crystal Cave Classic [App Store] from Rake in Grass, the studio who also brought us Archibald's Adventures, Undercroft, and Westbang. The game delivers Boulder Dash-style play and tons of content — we liked what we saw. Rake in Grass has just released a spin-off to the title, Crystal Cave: Lost Treasures [App Store], which features over 100 new levels and is designed for the more casual gamer.

An adventure logic game, Crystal Cave: Lost Treasures challenges the player to exhibit the required ingenuity to move through the game's treacherous environs, pulling off the right moves at the right time in order to find the treasure and move on to the next level. The game's riddle-packed levels span three different graphic scenarios.

See the developer's gameplay video.

With over 100 levels at $0.99, Crystal Cave: Lost Treasures is a great value and should have definite appeal for fans of the classic version, Boulder Dash, or logic puzzlers in general. This one comes highly recommended. Those wanting to try before they buy can grab Crystal Cave Classic Lite [App Store] or the OS X and Windows demo versions.

To mark the release of this new title, Rake in Grass has lowered the price of the original Crystal Cave Classic from $3.99 down to $1.99.

And in further Rake in Grass news, the studio will shortly be releasing has just released a match-three action puzzler known as Phantasia, developed by 300AD.

Phantasia, designed to appeal to gamers of all ages, challenges the user to save an unfortunate group of fairy dwarves imprisoned within colored spheres. Row by row the spheres move down the screen and it's up to the player to destroy the spheres and free the dwarves by firing his or her spheres at two or more advancing spheres of the same color.

The game offers both an Arcade and an Adventure mode and delivers over 30 levels of gameplay.

See the studio's gameplay video.

App Store Link: Phantasia, $0.99

Halfbrick's latest game actually started its life on the PlayStation Network as a PSP Mini, along side Fieldrunners and a small hand full of other similar bite-sized titles. Recently making its way to the iPhone, Blast Off is nearly identical to its PSP counterpart, with the control scheme as the main differentiator.

In Blast Off, you control a tiny rocket ship blasting through space rescuing astronauts. Touching the screen tilts your ship in that direction and fires your rocket, usually sending you off that way. Your enemy in the game is gravity, and the game is over when you crash– Numerous celestial bodies are scattered across each level, each which have a different effect on your ships trajectory.

As you blast through space, you have to keep an eye on your air and fuel gauges. Air serves as the timer for the levels, and fuel is consumed as you touch the screen to let off rocket burns. Once you get a feel for how the ship performs in space, it won't take long for you to sling shot around planets and use gravity to your advantage to really only need to fire your rocket for minor course changes.

Two different game modes are included, endless mode where you need to rescue as many astronauts as possible while picking up power ups to refuel and refill your air supply. Classic mode consists of 45 levels with multiple difficulties where players must collect as many astronauts on screen as possible then make their way to the warpgate without running out of air or fuel. Both game modes are a lot of fun, although I've found myself preferring endless mode.

Online scores and achievements are tracked via OpenFeint, and Halfbrick has even released the game's soundtrack as a free download on their site. If you've had fun with these kinds of gravity puzzle games in the past, Blast Off is really worth a look.

App Store Link: Blast Off, 99¢

In many ways Aftermath is the zombie shooter I've been waiting for.

You find yourself walking the streets at night of a zombie infestation, trying to fight your way out of the city. It's dark and raining. The entire scene is dark with the exception of your flashlight. You move around frantically trying to take out the incoming zombies when a flash of lighting reveals a horde of them right behind you.

The mood of the game really is perfect. The lighting effects, 3d engine and sound come together to give Aftermath a great feel. Your character is controlled by two thumb pads, but not in the traditional dual-stick format. Left is movement while the right one lets you turn left/right. Meanwhile, firing at zombies is automatic when you point at them with your flashlight. While this may sound awkward, it works quite well and makes the game feel a bit more realistic and frantic as you must be facing your opponents to fire at them.

Another aspect of the game that really stood out was the large city map in which the levels take place. There are blind alleys, cars, and buildings. You need to navigate your way around parts of the city to make your way through the level goals. This is a refreshing change from other dual stick shooters such as Alive 4 Ever which have all taken place in small square-shaped arenas. In Aftermath, you really feel like you are getting lost in the city.

Check out the video for the gameplay:

The game, however, only comes with an 8 level story mode and a final survival mode, but is integrated with OpenFeint for high score achievements.

While there is some replay value in the existing story levels to improve your score (and, of course, the survival mode), the main criticism about the game is this relatively short level structure. The early levels can go by really quickly and leave you wanting for more.

Still, it's hard to find too much fault in the game at only $0.99 when other games launch with much less. If you're looking for an atmospheric zombie shooter, this one's an easy recommendation.

App Store Link: Aftermath, $0.99

Infinite Dreams has finally released the Pro version of their Sailboating Championship game that was released as a free trial version back in January.

Sailboat Championship is a clever game in which you must properly steer your boat in order to fully capture the wind in an effective way to propel yourself forward. While I'm no sailor, I've been told by those who having sailing experience, this is a great representation.

The full version of the game links to the free version as a training mode, so it's worth downloading both if you've never tried it before. The full version comes in at $0.99 contains 9 Pro stages, 2 Rescue missions, and 6 different boat types.

App Store Link: Sailboat Championship, Free, Sailboat Championship PRO, $0.99

During last night's iPhone Developers Union party, here at GDC 2010, I had the chance to sit down with Dan Bliss of BinarySquare and have a look at his new, retro-styled block elimination title Kerplinkus [App Store].

Now, many of you out there are surely thinking you need to see another block elimination game like you need a hole in the head, but Dan has managed to deliver a fresh take on the formula that's simple and highly challenging — in fact, it can be downright panic inspiring. It works like this: you start off with a playfield consisting of upwardly advancing rows of differing blocks. Particles that match the rising blocks fall from above and, in the case of a match, eliminate the blocks they hit (and any bordering blocks of the same design) or, if the shapes don't match, add a block to the column in question. The goal of the game is to see how long you can keep the tallest column from touching the top of the screen. The real strategy lies in the fact that you can swap any two of the advancing blocks by tapping one and then the other. The trick is to wisely determine which columns to focus on to keep the game going. It's a pretty frantic affair.

Like BinarySquare's earlier title, Space Out [App Store], the game features a highly-retro, pixellated graphical treatment that lends the title a distinctive look that some gamers (like me) will love. Old school music and sound effects, created using the Commodore 64's famous SID chip, are also featured.

While it's true that the App Store is flooded with block elimination games, Kirplinkus really does deliver a fresh twist on the formula. See BinarySquare's demonstration video for a look at the gameplay.

App Store Link: Kerplinkus, $0.99

A few days ago we took a look at Cocoto Magic Circus [App Store]. Since then, the game has been released and is easily one of the better tap to shoot arcade style games I've played on the iPhone.

From our preview:

In Cocoto Magic Circus, you take on the role of Cocoto, Shiny, Neuro, or Baggy on a mission to save poor Fairy, the pixie, who has been kidnapped by a sinister and disturbing clown. In order to save her, you must progress through five different creepy carnival settings, wielding your dart-gun like a champ, tapping true on the clown's various minions to knock them into oblivion. There are seven shooting gallery-style mini-games in each of the settings, making for 35 challenges in all.

While it's true that shooting gallery titles are generally rather simplistic affairs — and there's certainly no lack of such games in the App Store — Cocoto Magic Circus is a surprisingly enjoyable little game. The visuals are very well done — cartoonish, cute, and atmospheric with a nice parallax effect to the scenes that adds a sense of depth to the game. Complexity is added to the title's tap-to-shoot dynamic by way of line-of-fire obstacles as well as floating bonuses and special effects that, when shot, trigger things both good and bad: double shot score, free hits, lights out, gun jams, flip screen, etc. It's a nice touch.

Cocoto Magic Circus is a fun series of tap to shoot mini-games that is enhanced by a real-time online multiplayer mode that worked pretty well in the few games I was able to play. The game has seen an overwhelmingly positive reception in our forums, and while these tap to shoot games never come close to the feel of an actual light gun game, Cocoto Magic Circus is really worth checking out.

App Store Link: Cocoto Magic Circus, 99¢

As someone who has spent more time than I'd care to admit playing both the first JellyCar [Free] and JellyCar 2 [99¢], I've been having an absolute blast with Chalkboard Stunts [99¢ / Free]. Featuring similar gameplay to the JellyCar series, developer Manta Research ups the ante by including a full featured level editor that not only allows you to create your own levels, but also upload them and download levels made by other players.

The object of the game is simple, you drive your little car across a track drawn out on a chalkboard to reach the finish flag. Buttons on each side of the screen control your movement and the rotation of your car for landing properly off jumps. You can also make your car bounce by tapping the screen. The included maps start out extremely easy, and slowly introduce more gameplay elements such as loops, ramps, and objects you can ram or otherwise interact with using your car.

Much like the JellyCar games, it doesn't take long for these courses to get amazingly difficult and you experience the same sense of satisfaction when you finally beat a level with your car spinning out of control and just barely crossing the finish flag. The levels you can download online vary in quality, but I've had a good time playing through the ones I've tried.

These silly physics puzzle racing games are among my favorite kind of iPhone games, and I've been having a great time exploring the various user submitted levels in Chalkboard Stunts. So much so that this review was delayed by nearly a week because every time I'd sit down planning to write something about it I'd fire up the game and lose an hour to it.

I still prefer the original JellyCar (Mostly because of the awesome music) but if the community generated content in Chalkboard Stunts keeps up, I can easily see it living a long and happy life on my iPhone.

App Store Links:

• Chalkboard Stunts, 99¢
• Chalkboard Stunts Lite, Free

iPhone developer Marco Mazzoli recently released a fresh new iPhone game called Spirit [App Store].

The $0.99 retro-styled game has been getting high praise in our forums for what is a relatively new game mechanic wrapped in a very nice package. The idea behind the game is somewhat similar to Upsi Looper (no longer available), but thankfully implements touch controls rather than tilt.

In Spirit you move your ship around the screen by simply tounching any part of the screen and moving around. The ship moves relative to your finger so it never has to be in the way. The goal is to destroy the enemies by looping them with your ship's trail. If successful, a vortex appears sucking them away to nothingness. Combos and chains improve your score, and all the while you need to avoid running straight into an enemy.

Check out the developer video:

Learning to move your ship accurately is a bit of a challenge, but in that "gotta try one more time" kind of way. The gameplay is also further enhanced by a great visual style and sound effects as well as a good variety of enemies. At only $0.99, if you're looking for a challenging new arcade experience, this one's easy to recommend. The current version does not have global leaderboards, but the developer has indicated Open Feint integration is on the way.

App Store Link: Spirit, $0.99

Eurocenter, who brought us the popular Cocoto Kart Online, has given us an exclusive preview of their upcoming iPhone shooting gallery game Cocoto Magic Circus, a conversion of the Wii original.

In Cocoto Magic Circus, you take on the role of Cocoto, Shiny, Neuro, or Baggy on a mission to save poor Fairy, the pixie, who has been kidnapped by a sinister and disturbing clown. In order to save her, you must progress through five different creepy carnival settings, wielding your dart-gun like a champ, tapping true on the clown's various minions to knock them into oblivion. There are seven shooting gallery-style mini-games in each of the settings, making for 35 challenges in all.

While it's true that shooting gallery titles are generally rather simplistic affairs — and there's certainly no lack of such games in the App Store — Cocoto Magic Circus is a surprisingly enjoyable little game. The visuals are very well done — cartoonish, cute, and atmospheric with a nice parallax effect to the scenes that adds a sense of depth to the game. Complexity is added to the title's tap-to-shoot dynamic by way of line-of-fire obstacles as well as floating bonuses and special effects that, when shot, trigger things both good and bad: double shot score, free hits, lights out, gun jams, flip screen, etc. It's a nice touch.

The game offers an Arcade mode, which is progressive play through the various settings and challenges, as well as a Training mode that allows you to jump in and play any challenge in the game. Online multiplayer is also included, allowing you to engage in real-time matches with players around the world. (Unfortunately I was unable to test this component as there is no community at present, since the game has not yet been released.)

I've enjoyed my time with the game, learning its ins and outs for this post. Getting through it requires some fast reflexes, especially in the later challenges, which ramp up the difficulty and pacing — it's no cakewalk. One thing to note is that it's not a particularly lengthy affair; most users could get through it in an hour or two, but that's helped a bit from a replay perspective by the three available levels of difficulty, with Normal presenting a decent challenge.

Cocoto Magic Circus is a shooting gallery title that delivers a good deal more than most games of its sort. It's a cute little game that's fun to play and, as IGN called it, "a surprisingly fresh breath of air." I'd wager most gamers out there would enjoy it more than they think.

Have a look at the gameplay video to help you decide for yourself.

Cocoto Magic Circus is set to debut in the App Store on Thursday, March 4th at a price of $0.99.

Three games we recently previewed all have since made their way on to the App Store. If you've been looking for some games to get your kiwi flying, hockey playing, zombie shooting fix, look no further.

Fly Kiwi Fly!, 99¢

From our preview:

In Fly Kiwi Fly, you play as a small yellow kiwi who wants to fly, much like the unrelated YouTube hit video "Kiwi!" (which you should really watch if you haven't seen it before).

Motivated by watching the Space Shuttle on TV, you take flight and somehow earn money by constantly jumping off a cliff. This money is then spent on upgrades in the in-game shop that will allow you to jump higher off the start, briefly glide, or even rocket forward among other things.

I shot my own hands-on video of early gameplay, but this recently released trailer gives you a much better idea of what the game is like once you buy some upgrades:

Stinger Table Hockey, $1.99

From our preview:

Stinger Table Hockey effectively duplicates the same insanity of a real hockey table, and while the controls are still in the process of being tweaked, I thought they worked pretty well. Basically, dragging up and down on a track moves that player back and forth, and swiping right or left on the same track causes the player to spin around. It's pretty intuitive, and works well enough to be fun.

There is a single player mode that allow you to play against an AI opponent which is a little on the lame side since the fun part of hockey tables were always playing with another person. Thankfully, Stinger Table Hockey has both bluetooth and wifi multiplayer that I can't wait to try out. There are also tournament modes, and skill tests that feature shootouts and other challenges.

Zombie Cannon Carnage, $1.99

From our preview:

In Zombie Cannon Carnage, zombies from outer-space have crash landed on Earth. Instead of sticking around to endlessly munch on succulent Earthling brains, they decided to build a makeshift cannon from spare circus parts to fire themselves back in to space. With semi-randomized gameplay, various purchasable power-ups, all kinds of obstacles to run in to, and tons of explosions, Zombie Cannon Carnage is one of the better (and substantially more hectic) cannon firing games I've played recently.

Gameplay is similar to other cannon firing games in that you aim your cannon, fire, and see how much stuff you can hit. Each zombie is equipped with a jet pack that has a limited amount of fuel which is capable of sending you flying forward for a brief period of time. When you finally crash in to the ground, you can self destruct for even more points.

Aside from the official trailer, we also shot some gameplay footage: