I've personally never wished for a puzzle game hosted by the ghost of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, and I'm fairly confident that most people could say the same thing. In spite of this, the good people at Fuzzi Tail Software have delivered that exact experience in Mondrian, a challenging and visually pleasing puzzler brought to you by Piet Mondrian, who needs you to unscramble his masterpieces so he can enjoy the afterlife in peace.

While the puzzles in Mondrian are similar in design to the artwork of Piet Mondrian, they are not identical, as some concessions had to be made to make the game playable (they don't have the same grid-like black lines that Piet used in his art). Your goal is to duplicate each image provided in as few moves as possible. The target image can be checked as often as a player needs by touching the "solution" button in the bottom-left of the screen, and Piet Mondrian can be summoned to provide tips should a player get stuck.

The game board is populated with various tiles which can be moved about freely. Tiles are moved across the screen by a swipe, but their movement can only be stopped by another tile or wall. Basic, colored tiles can be used to block each other's path, black tiles can't be moved, numbered tiles must be moved precisely the same number of times as the number displayed on the tile itself, grey tiles adapt the color of the tiles they touch, and "merge" tiles can occupy the same space as indentically colored tiles.

Mondrian takes players on a mission to solve puzzles through numerous countries and continents around the world (beginning in Canada and ending in the USA). Each time one of the aforementioned game elements is introduced for the first time, Piet will come out and give a short lesson on how things work, so players won't ever be completely lost so long as they pay attention to the famous painter. If you're like me, that won't be hard to do, as the game's depiction of its namesake is pretty charming; Piet's dialogue made me chuckle on more than one occasion.

Although there aren't a massive number of levels in Mondrian (69 total) the levels that are included are so challenging that anyone who downloads the game is in for quite a few hours of brain-tingling puzzles. Also adding on to the total number of hours that players can get from the title, levels feature a par that indicates the minimum number of moves needed to complete so those interested can redo them later if they wish to improve their scores.

While I like the challenge that Mondrian offers, I think that the difficulty level might ramp up a little bit too quickly for most players. Levels do start out simply, but from about the second world location on to the end, puzzles are REALLY hard. This makes the puzzles much more satisfying to complete, but simultaneously could alienate less deft players.

The worst part about the difficulty is that all the levels in a world location must be completed before players can move on to any other level in the game. This is the sort of design mistake that can really cause problems, bottlenecking players on one or two levels that they just don't understand when the game should simply allow players to move on and come back to a particularly difficult level later if they so wish.

Mondrian offers up a hearty challenge for anyone who enjoys a good brain-teaser. The difficulty is a tad high on this one, so if you're not often in the mood to get the brain juices flowing, it might not be for you.

Update: I've learned from the developer that an update for Mondrian that addresses my complaints about the level progression has already been submitted and approved. Here is the official description of the update, directly from Jef Armstrong of Fuzzi Tail Software:

"Now any location/level can be unlocked. Simply touch the icon on the map and choose to unlock. Of course, the ghost of Mondrian may not be happy with your choice to skip ahead and will tell you so, but there is no penalty and once a location is unlocked it stays that way. Also, the timer is now optional and is turned off my default."

App Store Link: Mondrian, $2.99

The App Store's low-grav racing space certainly is starting to get crowded, which is just fine by me. And it looks like the latest release to join the ranks, Speed Forge Extreme [App Store] from Rat Square / Chillingo, may just be the best of the lot.

It’s 2142, and the colonization of Mars is underway. Vast settlements have been created to house miners seeking the valuable raw materials of the Red Planet. Crime is rampant, time is abundant and the citizens are looking for some entertainment …

The mining gig on 22nd-century Mars must be a rather fruitful one, considering how much raw materials would be needed to construct a large-scale racing arena made up of 12 futuristic racing tracks. But then, the miners, just like iPhone gamers, need their entertainment. And Speed Forge Extreme delivers.

While Speed Forge largely follows the standard Wipeout-inspired racing formula, it does add in a bit of a twist. To start, most of the game's 12 tracks deliver the typical low-grav racer experience. Choose from among six different craft (unlocked along the way) in a race against five computer-controlled opponents in a bid to cross the finish line first. Along the way, you can pick up power-ups such as weapons to knock out opponents, shields, and repair kits and make use of speed-pads (while avoiding slow-pads) to help get the job done. In addition to these traditional tracks, Speed Forge includes various arena levels where you and your opponents are placed in a large enclosed space smattered with power-ups, in an effort to destroy the most opponents as fast as possible to come out on top. It's a nice variation on the formula that helps break up long race sessions. It's a nice mix.

The game features five different control configurations utilizing different combinations of accelerometer, D-pad, and slider controls, some featuring auto-acceleration. I was able to enjoy the game playing with each method, but favor the tilt-controls. It shouldn't be hard to find a configuration you're happy with. Invert-Y and vibration effects are toggles.

Speed Forge is quite impressive, visually. The interesting ship designs, track architecture, and dark Earth- Mars-tone palette lend a very nice atmosphere to the game. (The visuals and overall feel of the motion puts me in mind of UBI Soft's late '90s racer POD – Planet of Death.) But where the game's graphics really shine are on the iPhone 3GS and 3G iPod touch, where the developers were able to take advantage of OpenGL ES 2.0 to deliver a full-screen motion-blur effect that makes for some of the best looking polygons ever seen on an iPhone screen. Unfortunately, such eye candy doesn't come without a price; the framerate of the game running with motion-blur enabled on my iPhone 3GS feels lower than that of the game running (without motion-blur) on my 2G iPod touch. Happily, the developers allow users to disable the motion-blur effect as well as set its intensity on the latest devices — and Speed Forge running without the effect on my 3GS is as smooth as silk. All that said, the game still looks great on older devices — don't get me wrong. But, for the record, I prefer playing with motion-blur on despite the framerate impact — it's just too lovely to miss.

An optional 'Overbright' display toggle, available on devices old and new, delivers magnified lighting blooms that give the game a stronger HDR-lighting feel at little or no cost to the framerate.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

Having spent considerable time with the v1.1 release (a recent update), I can confidently call Speed Forge Extreme my current favorite futuristic racer in the App Store. The camera angle, the well done tracks, the visual effects, the excellent sense of speed — they all come together to deliver what really does feel like a "console" title on the iPhone. I do wish that the developers had opted to add-in online leaderboards and, perhaps even, multiplayer support to really take things to the next level but, lacking these, it's still a great single-player racing experience. I'd urge everyone to at least have a look at the free, lite version [App Store].

App Store link: Speed Forge Extreme, $2.99, Speed Forge Extreme Lite, Free

If you have fond memories of wasting entirely too much time playing Crazy Taxi on your Sega Dreamcast, Mad Processor's Parcel Panic – Post Car Racer 3D [App Store] is really worth checking out. In the game, you play as a delivery truck driver on Tapiti Island, a strange land where customers expect their packages to be delivered in a matter of seconds or minutes instead of the days (or weeks) we're used to in the real world.

Starting the game, you have 60 seconds to get to the first seemingly random package pick up location indicated by a green circle on the ground. Once there, the bed of your truck is filled with crates and you need to race the packages to their destination. Guiding you to where you need to go is both an arrow, a mini map, and a dotted line showing you one way you could take.

Once you get familiar with Tapiti Island, you'll quickly realize that simply following the dotted line is not the fastest way to get from place to place as there seem to be shortcuts and ramps everywhere. Getting massive amounts of air also adds a few seconds of time to the clock, and when you successfully deliver your cargo, you're also awarded bonus time. The game continues until the clock reaches zero.

Also included is a free play mode where you can explore Tapiti Island. Although you may not notice it while you're frantically ferrying packages from place to place, the island itself is home to all kinds of varied architecture and overall, in my opinion, seems much more interesting than the repetitive cityscapes that made up the Crazy Taxi world– Even though Tapiti Island is nowhere near as large.

The developer put together the following trailer for the game:

Really, the only thing I don't like about this game is the camera takes a bit of getting used to. Your truck is controlled by tilting, which is standard for games like this, but your viewpoint seems to always tilt to keep the truck level on the screen regardless of how much you're tilting your device. The driving physics themselves seem fairly realistic, so your truck doesn't turn instantly, but the way the screen will tilt all the way to the side makes it feel like it should be.

It's only disorienting the first few times you play the game, but since people have mentioned not liking games with cameras that tilt with the device it's worth mentioning that Parcel Panic is one of the more extreme examples of this. Even though it has a weird camera, Parcel Panic is by far the closest thing to Crazy Taxi on the App Store, and completely worth a look for that reason alone.

If the Crazy Taxi comparison is lost on you, Parcel Panic is a fun and fast paced driving game with tons of jumps, unlockables, great graphics with effects that scale depending what device you're using that I've really enjoyed since loading it on my iPhone.

App Store Link: Parcel Panic – Post Car Racer 3D, $2.99

It's always great to see indie developers banding together for cross promotion, and even better when those joint efforts result in some fantastic deals. The Second Annual New Year's App Blowout which was put together by the guys at Howling Moon Software is back again to ring in the new year with a bunch of games (and a few apps) on sale. All of these prices should be in effect by now, with normal pricing returning sometime after the first of the year.

• Aqua Wars, 99¢ → Free
• Dragon Eye, 99¢ → Free
• Outnumbered, 99¢ → Free
• Volcano Planet, 99¢ → Free

• 3D Wizard Wand, $1.99 → 99¢
• Cash Machine, $1.99 → 99¢
• CatTaTa, $1.99 → 99¢
• Eyegore's Eye Blast, $1.99 → 99¢
• Hi, How Are You, $1.99 → 99¢
• iHurt, $1.99 → 99¢
• iTweetReply, $1.99 → 99¢
• iType2Go Pro, $1.99 → 99¢
• MatchTunes, $2.99 → 99¢
• Pinch 'n Pop!, $1.99 → 99¢
• Pollywog, $1.99 → 99¢
• Rail Adventures, $1.99 → 99¢
• Ringo, $1.99 → 99¢
• RocketFuse, $1.99 → 99¢
• Screw The Dealer, $1.99 → 99¢
• Smiles Zen, $1.99 → 99¢
• SpaceDuel!, $1.99 → 99¢
• Tap-Fu, $1.99 → 99¢
• Trace It, $1.99 → 99¢

• Battle for Wesnoth, $4.99 → $1.99
• Crayon Ball, $2.99 → $1.99
• Rogueship, $2.99 → $1.99
• Smiles, $2.99 → $1.99
• Train Conductor, $2.99 → $1.99
• Twilight Golf, $2.99 → $1.99

• Sword of Fargoal, $4.99 → $2.99

There may be rhythm games on the App Store already where you can pretend you're singing, playing a guitar, rocking out on the drums, or even spinning turntables, but all those pale in comparison to beat matching to slay an endless supply of zombies. In Zombeat [App Store] you play as Zeke who according to the in-game character bio has given up a life as a biker to start a new career in zombie mass murder.

The game comes loaded with tunes from APM Music, and while it doesn't include any tracks that I was able to recognize, with the optional 99¢ holiday song pack there are 22 total songs available. Gameplay consists of standard beat matching with blocks that must be tapped as they come flying down the screen. The unique twist in Zombeat is that with each beat you match, Zeke shoots a gun, swings a chainsaw, or uses one of many other attacks.

Depending on your performance, bombs that clear the whole screen when tapped and weapons that can be equipped appear on conveyor belts. The game is over when you miss enough beats for Zeke to get overwhelmed by zombies, but if you succeed in surviving through a song your score is uploaded to an online leaderboard.

Zombeat isn't a particularly amazing game, it just does a good job in combining a rhythm game with zombies– Which likely will be more than enough for some people to slam their mouse down on the "Buy" button in iTunes. Watching the river of zombie blood as you do well in the first few songs you play is highly entertaining, but aside from that, Zombeat doesn't really do anything that Tap Tap Revenge 3 [App Store] isn't already doing for free.

…But, Tap Tap Revenge 3 lacks the killer feature of, well, killing zombies.

App Store Link: Zombeat, $2.99

At PAX this year we first got word that there was a Fieldrunners [App Store] update in the works with additional maps which was later confirmed along with the announcement of OpenFeint gold. Available now, Fieldrunners 1.3 includes everything we expected with both the latest and greatest of OpenFeint integration, and two new maps available via two 99¢ microtransactions.

OpenFeint 2.4 adds even more XBOX Live-style features, and should be available in other OpenFeint-enabled games as developers update them to include it. Among the improvements is an instant messaging service that works across all OpenFeint games similar to the previously implemented chat, a new forum system, and the "fan club" area. In this new section you can add a game as a favorite, read developer announcements, subscribe to newsletters, and even suggest new features.

Fieldrunners itself seems to be largely unchanged aside from two new maps: Skyway and Frostbite. Skyway is an interesting map with chunks of the field missing that prevent towers being built in various locations. Building a maze of towers with these restrictions to effectively survive seems to be fairly difficult so far.

In Frostbite, you defend a central base from attackers that come from multiple directions, forcing you to spread your defenses dangerously thin to cover all of the entrances until you are able to build a good array of towers to funnel creeps around. Frostbite also features a neat snow effect which doesn't do much aside from look cool.

Both maps include new enemies and tower types, and have done a great job at breathing new life in to Fieldrunners, a game I spent a great deal of time with when it was first released. If you're like me and haven't had Fieldrunners on your iPhone in ages, it's worth re-syncing it and giving the new maps a shot.

If this is the first you've heard of Fieldrunners, check out our review from 2008. Fieldrunners is practically a classic in the overloaded tower defense section of the App Store, and is worth a look if you enjoy open-field tower defense games.

App Store Link: Fieldrunners, $2.99

Last week we posted a preview of Adult Swim's My Lil' Bastard [App Store] and mentioned a release date of the 23rd. Sure enough, it's the 23rd, and My Lil' Bastard is ready to be abused on your iPhone.

My Lil' Bastard is a virtual pet game with an Adult Swim spin on it. This isn't your everyday Tamogotchi that just wanders around eating and sleeping, your lil' bastard has quite an attitude and seems to really take a liking to destroying the toys you get it and burning its cardboard box down. You eventually toilet train your lil' bastard, and even send it instant messages once you get it a computer… Assuming you don't kill it before then.

Like other Adult Swim games, the flash version of My Lil' Bastard can be played for free online. The iPhone port of the game is remarkably similar, with the only major difference being using your finger instead of a mouse. Here are the first few minutes of the flash version:

If you like virtual pet games, but found ngmoco's Touch Pets Dogs [Free] to be a little too cute for your tastes, My Lil' Bastard might be right up your alley. Try the flash version first, if you find yourself enjoying your flash lil' bastard, you'll have just as much fun on your iPhone.

App Store Link: My Lil' Bastard, $2.99

Tiger Style's Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor [App Store] is a clever adventure game where you play as a spider, spin webs, eat bugs, and so other spidery things– All the while either unraveling or completely ignoring the mystery of Bryce Manor. We love the game in our review, and particularly enjoyed how well the entire game is controlled:

As a spider, you are able to crawl across objects, jump great lengths and lay down silk to weave your web. Spinning a web simply requires you to create closed geometric shapes using your silk. Tapping on the spider toggles silk production while swiping on the spider causes it to jump. Finally, crawling is invoked by simply tapping on the screen. All in all, the controls work incredibly well and makes it feel like a natural iPhone game.

The recent update adds 10 additional levels, 24 new achievements, a level select, new music, and hornet's nests. Dubbed the "Director's Cut", this update seeks to flesh out some of the game's story, answer some of the mysteries, and even provide some new ones along with providing other refinements and additions.

Hornets, one of my favorite bugs to devour, are actually the star of their new not-quite-a-lite free spinoff game, Spider: Hornet Smash [App Store]. In Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, eating hornets involves tackling them in-air, as they're impervious to your webs. Hornet Smash turns this in to an entire game where you must tackle as many hornets as possible before getting beaten to death by angry hornets.

With online leaderboards, multiple levels, and a teaser for the full game, Spider: Hornet Smash is different enough that it's still worth downloading even if you own Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor and if you haven't downloaded the full version yet, Hornet Smash serves as a great introduction to the mechanics of being a spider of Bryce Manor.

App Store Links: Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, $2.99 – Spider: Hornet Smash, Free

Inspired by Dante's Inferno, The Inferno is a top down-puzzle game which will have players adventuring through all five circles of hell collecting souls, avoiding obstacles, and hopefully reaching the exit of each level before running out of lives and/or time. The story is told through a text-based character conversations before levels, and the only real fault I can find in the game is the somewhat confusing default control scheme. Instead of a normal D-Pad, you control your movement east and west with your left thumb, and north and south with your right. It's a little disorienting, but a quick trip to the game's option can turn this in to a much more comfortable standard D-Pad.

What is interesting about The Inferno is how Xpressed is selling it on the App Store. There is a full version of The Inferno [$2.99] with all 121 levels, The Inferno [99¢] that comes loaded with 50 levels, and The Inferno [Free] with the first 23 levels. Regardless of whether or not you download the 99¢ or free version, both can be upgraded to the full version from within the game via DLC.

While Xpressed has also released a trailer for the game, here is our own gameplay video showing the first few levels:

To celebrate the release of The Inferno, UniWar [Free] will be available for free for the next 24 hours. UniWar is a turn-based strategy game with online multiplayer that is a ton of fun. If you somehow need more reason to download this game while it's free, check out our review.

App Store Links:

• The Inferno, $2.99
• The Inferno (50 Levels), 99¢
• The Inferno Free, Free
• UniWar, Free (For a limited time.)

Glu mobile's sequel to the much beloved Glyder has finally arrived in the App Store. Glyder 2 continues Eryn's flying adventure across 6 new worlds and revives that sense of soaring that players loved in the original.

Glyder 2 adds a number of new customizations and mini games to the original formula and plays quite similarly. If you never tried the first Glyder you can read our review or check out the Lite version of the original [Lite]. The sequel doesn't have a Lite version yet.

Readers are enjoying it so far, and we'll provide a full review soon.

App Store Link: Glyder 2, $3.99