As one of the early tower defense games on the iPhone, Zombie Attack quickly became a cult favorite. The story of one man’s survival against a zombie invasion is something we could all get behind. But despite a fresh approach to the genre and all of that undead-hacking fun, the original game ultimately lacked a lot of variety with one small map and only four turret types. Zombie Attack: The Second Wave takes those concerns to heart and offers a vastly superior offering for those looking to fight off a legion of re-animated corpses.

Like its predecessor, Zombie Attack: The Second Wave will place you in the shoes of a zombie invasion survivor. You’ll be tasked with protecting a building from the undead horde. What sets the Zombie Attack series apart from other iPhone tower defense games is that your survivor will have to manually place and upgrade the turrets. You can’t simply swipe around the screen with a high omnipotent finger placing units willy nilly. You’ll need to safely guide your survivor past the oncoming monsters if you want to place that gun turret just right, or upgrade that cannon to maximum ferocity.

New turrets join old favourites and add a little bit of whimsy to this terror-filled TD. Scarecrows will attract zombies to their location and blow up in their faces. A giant hammer will pound back and forth trying to smash any zombies that get in its way. A ray gun will send out a space age sonic pulse that will slow the shuffling feet of the undead. Mix in Zombie Attack staples like saw blades and flamethrowers and you’ve got a fairly decent assortment of weapons at your disposal, which is good, as you’ll need them to tackle an assortment of new enemies.

The original Zombie Attack offered a fairly generic, repetitive experience in terms of enemy units. While the game boasted two zombie types, it was hard to ever notice a difference. This time around IUGO has introduced a slew of new baddies to tackle. Cheerleaders can use their heads as projectiles. Winged beasts are immune to a variety of turrets. Hounds lock on to the survivor and go for the throat. The Second Wave offers 6 zombie types, which is more than enough to help keep things fresh and a definite change from what’s come before.

Tools of death and types of terror aren’t the only thing to see an increase in Zombie Attack: The Second Wave – the map situation has taken a drastic step forward, going from only one map to four. The maps aren’t just greater in number, they’re also better by design. Larger areas mean you’ll need to scroll around the playfield to see every inch of zombie territory, and different map layouts mean there will be different obstacles that you can try and exploit. Each of these areas showcases a different location like a backyard or a trailer park. It’s a nice touch, but at the end of the day what makes these maps a success isn’t whether or not you’re navigating a spooky graveyard or an abandoned highway, it’s how different each of these levels plays.

This video by AppBank doesn't show much of gameplay strategy but shows moving your character around, though many towers have already been built:

If you grow tired of playing these different maps in the standard Survival Mode, you can check out the surprisingly robust Challenge Mode. You’ll select from 20 different challenges (5 for each map) that offer up some twists on the series tried and true survival gameplay. One challenge may restrict you to using certain turrets. Another may speed up the movement of the zombie horde. With 20 in all, there’s enough here to keep any tower defense fan occupied for days.

Zombie Attack: The Second Wave retains everything that made the original a cult classic while at the same time offering a drastically more robust package than its predecessor. If you were a fan of the original, Zombie Attack: The Second Wave is pretty much a no brainer. As for tower defense fans that found the original a little too shallow, the depth of content offered here definitely makes this franchise worthy of a second look. With all of the new additions and improved gameplay, it’s hard to not fall in love with Zombie Attack: The Second Wave. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun killing zombies with saw blades.

App Store Link: Zombie Attack! The Second Wave, $3.99

Tap Fu offers a fun casual fighting game that can be played in short spurts or in more prolonged sessions when you’re looking for a little more action. While it isn’t a particularly deep game, Tap Fu provides an enjoyable enough gameplay experience that makes it worth considering.

The game has 4 modes: Story, Survival, 100 Rounds and Training. In Story mode, you play the role of a Tap Fu Trainee out on a mission to recover candy that the Sweet Tooth Clan has stolen from your village. Under the tutelage of the Elder Tap Fu Master, you gradually learn new skills. The story is told through cut scenes, dialogue boxes and muffled dialog. One of the things to keep in mind is that Tap Fu’s Story mode is a work in progress that currently only includes Chapter 1: Ninjas (7 levels). While additional chapters are planned in later updates, the content that is there right now offers just a glimpse into future installments.

Meanwhile, Survival mode offers high-scoring opportunities by battling a continual onslaught of enemies. A variation can be found in the other mode 100 Rounds where you must defeat the entire wave of enemies to move to the next round. Both modes provide the option of playing in two different locations: Mount Fuji and Sakaki Forest. Whether in the village or on the mountaintop, the colorful backgrounds look terrific even though they are limited in variety.

The big selling point for Tap Fu comes in your Tap Fu Trainee’s fighting abilities. These abilities—blocking, quick attack, jumping, spin kick, back kick, roll, and fireball—visually look great and the entire combat system is intuitive and well implemented.

Using either the virtual d-pad or specific finger gestures, these various moves can be performed. The easier of the two control options is the d-pad with specific action buttons that appear when available. The gesture-based controls require a bit of practice, but are also well implemented. Jumping for example can be accomplished by swiping upwards, while swiping downwards will result in a roll. In general, the quick punch/kick attack is activated by tapping the screen and will be your primary method of attack against ninjas.

Tap Fu includes a local and online scoring system which awards points for combo moves and style. The game also incorporates an achievement system for points scored, battle combos, damage inflicted, and length of survival.

In both Story and Survival modes, Ninjas do become more difficult to slay as you progress, as well as gain the ability to cloak their appearance and teleport from one place to another. While the gameplay can get intense, it is also becomes rather repetitious as there is a limited variety in the enemies. We also found the difficulty ramp up in survival modes to be very slow, making an average session drag out into more of a grinding experience than we wanted.

While the game's art and core fighting mechanics are wonderfully executed, the current version of the game noticeably suffers from the inclusion of only an abbreviated story mode. Tap Fu can still be fun a game for those looking for a casual fighting experience, but we expect that it will quickly grow old those hoping for a deeper game.

App Store Link: Tap Fu, $3.99

Here are some games that have come out recently that are worth a look, but with all the excitement this week between the Eliminate and TouchPets Dogs previews and the 360iDev Game Jam they sort of fell between the cracks of front page coverage.

Bloons Tower Defense

Last month we posted an early trailer for Bloons Tower Defense [$2.99], an iPhone port of the Bloons spinoff tower defense flash games, all playable on the Ninja Kiwi site. Bloons [99¢ / Free] was a wildly popular game on the App Store, and if the positive reactions in our forums are any indication, Bloons Tower Defense may be another hit.

Bloons Tower Defense comes with 50 levels over 15 different tracks with multiple difficulty levels and unlockable medals for each. The game has the same touch controls of other tower defense games on the platform, along with oodles of different towers, upgrades, and tons of balloons for your monkeys to pop.

Mr. Mahjong Touch

FDG Entertainment, most famously known for Parachute Panic [99¢ / Free] and Bobby Carrot [$3.99] recently released Mr. Mahjong Touch [$4.99] based on the popular Mr. Mahjong series of mobile games.

Mr. Mahjong Touch features 100 layouts, 4 tilesets, tons of unlockables, and even a shop system where you can buy power ups. Big Albie posted a review of the game on our forums, and according to him, the game is "easily one of the best mahjong games on the platform."

Galcon Labs

Galcon Labs [99¢] is an evolution on the original Galcon [$2.99 / Free], providing the same basic gameplay with four new game modes not found in the original.

• Billiards – The the planets that make up the battlefield are in constant motion.
• Stealth – Enemy ships are only briefly visible after launching from a planet.
• Crash – Ships collide with each other, so instead of just going after planets you can run in to the enemy to win.
• Assassin – Players start with assigned planetary targets, the first player to capture their targets wins.

Reactions on our forums have been mixed as some people feel there hasn't been enough change to justify an entirely new game, while fans of the original are greatly enjoying Galcon Labs. If you haven't played a Galcon game, I recommend trying Galcon Lite.

Toy Bot Mini Missions

IUGO seems to be pumping out additions to the Toy Bot series like crazy lately. Toy Bot Mini Missions [$3.99] is based in the Toy Bot universe and comes packed with 100 mini games and 12 unlockable playable characters. These ultrashort levels are a bit of a departure from the other Toy Bot games which feature an extended level structure.

Fans of the Toy Bot series may want to consider Mini Missions, but if you're new to the Toy Bot world, you might want to try some of the other games or even the free version first. Take your pick of the seven different Toy Bot games on the IUGO App Store listing.

Mobile developer Big Blue Bubble has released an iPhone version of its popular mobile turn-based role playing game Elven Chronicles [link], winner of the Pop Vox awards, through the App Store.

Turn-based RPGs, such as SoMoGa's popular Vay, are few and far between in the App Store.  And so, if our forum readers' reactions are any indication, iPhone RPG fans may find fondness with this release, reworked from its mobile original for the more capable iPhone platform.

Features as listed by the developer:

• Classic Console RPG design
• Massive World Maps
• Captivating Story
• Countless Spells, Weapons, Armour and Accessories
• Random Dungeon Maps
• Stunning Characters and Scenery
• Over 20 hours of Gameplay

Pocket Gamer spoke with Big Blue Bubble regarding the challenges faced in porting the game to the iPhone platform.

…We ported the game from BREW using our own code converter tools and the iTorque engine. This port went very smooth and we had a playable game in a matter of days.

Re-doing all the art took much longer than anticipated and we had to put several artists on the project. Also, as we didn't have the same memory limitations as on the cell phones, it was hard to resist adding more art content so this took some time as well.

Finally, we had to re-do all the controls and menu system. Even though fully functional, it just didn't feel right. This is last thing we need to complete before sending the game to Apple.

The studio indicates that they have their ear to the ground and updates, including expansion packs, will be forthcoming, including features added via microtransactions.

Elven Chronicles is currently being offered at a limited time, introductory price of $3.99.

See the developer's game trailer for a closer look.

App Store Link: Elven Chronicles, $3.99 (limited time)

When I saw the Zombieland game iZombieland [App Store] show up in my RSS reader, I couldn't help but groan. Historically speaking, movie games have generally ranged from bad to mediocre with a few rare diamonds in the rough. Movie games ported to the iPhone so far have been leaning towards the "bad" side of the spectrum, so naturally I wasn't expecting much of iZombieland. (Especially with the "i" prefix plastered on the front.)

Much to my amazement, the game is actually a lot of fun and seems slightly reminiscent of 16 bit side scrolling gore-fests like the Splatterhouse series. Of course, like all movie games, iZombieland attempts to introduce the plot of the movie in to the game, but these giant blocks of scrolling text add very little and are easily skippable to get to the next level with even more zombies to mow down with the various weapons at your disposal.

iZombieland is controlled with a set of virtual buttons on each side of the screen. Instead of any kind of D-Pad, the right and left side each have their own corresponding buttons to shoot, move, or kick in that direction. When zombies are in range to shoot, targeting reticules appear on the available targets. If a zombie is too close, you won't be able to shoot its head off. In that case, kicking usually pushes them away enough to get a headshot.

If a zombie grabs you, a button will appear along the bottom of the screen that can be tapped to break free. As you kill zombies, a meter slowly fills that allows you to unleash a devastating attack that can clear the entire screen of zombies.

A variety of ranged and melee weapons are included in the game. Ammo is plentiful and is found in barrels and crates that can be broken open along with health packs and other weapons. The one slightly irritating side to iZombieville combat is dealing with melee weapon durability. There are few things more awesome than cutting down entire zombie armies with a chainsaw in each hand, but that fun quickly comes to an end as your chainsaw's durability runs low.

To replenish your weapon's durability, you have to break open crates and barrels to find another one. This can sometimes lead to annoying situations where you need to replay levels because you burnt through your melee weaponry too quickly and eventually come across a room that is too tight to use your guns because you will be mobbed by zombies before you have time to reload.

Here is a video of the most awesome weapons in the game, the dual chainsaws. The percentage that is constantly decreasing is the durability of my chainsaws, so you can see how fast it decreases:

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

If you like killing zombies and having the screen of your iPhone filled with zombie blood, chances are you will enjoy iZombieland. The game doesn't feel like it's trying to cash in on the movie, and actually could stand alone as a fun sidescroller if you removed the Zombieland references.

App Store Link: iZombieland, $3.99

Rake In Grass, the developers behind Archibald's Adventure and Westbang, recently released a new level-based puzzler called Crystal Cave Classic for the iPhone.

The game is reminiscent of Boulder Dash, requiring you to dig through dirt to dislodge boulders while collecting all the crystals. The game, however, also introduces a number of additional elements that take it beyond Boulder Dash in many ways. Aside from the usual boulders, enemies, and crystals, there are breakable walls, encased crystals, acid, glass boxes, flip tiles and more.

Crystal Cave Classic delivers over 170 levels of play with a number of control options. The default controls, which I felt worked well, are a simple virtual d-pad. The game also allows you to also use swipe controls or tapping on the top/bottom/left/right areas of the screens for movement. In practice, however, I had some issues with accidental movements using the swipe controls, so stuck with the d-pad.

Here's the game in action:

The initial 15 levels serve as an in-game tutorial introducing you to the various elements in the game. The game offers challenging play even with amongst some of the early levels. Like many similar puzzle games, such as Bobby Carrot, there is a bit of trial and error involved in figuring out how the pieces fit together. Levels are skippable, and if you are one to easily get frustrated with challenges, the developer has gone to the trouble of compiling video solutions to all the levels of the game.

The game was simultaneously released for iPhone, Mac and PC, so there are some elements of the game that don't feel entirely natural on the iPhone. You'll likely find yourself trying to pinch zoom and pan a level, but the game instead offers zoom in and out buttons on the bottom left of the screen. A relatively minor issue, but one you will likely encounter. Meanwhile, Mac and PC demos can be downloaded as well, which will give you an accurate sampling of the iPhone game.

Overall, the game offers a solid level-based puzzle game with over 170 levels that should keep you occupied for a long time.

App Store Link: Crystal Cave Classic, $3.99

LucasArts' Secret of Monkey Island has been put on sale this weekend for only $3.99 (down from $7.99) [App Store].

Originally released in 1990, and having seen several revisions following the initial release including a port to the Sega CD, this Special Edition of The Secret of Monkey Island [App Store] is the best version of the game yet. It has been completely re-imagined with new art, complete voice-overs, and a new live instrumental musical score. The iPhone version really is an impressive effort.

The game has also seen a 1.1 update which fixes a number of 3GS related issues (graphics, crahes), audio bugs, and tunes the control acceleration and sensitivities.

App Store Link: Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, $3.99 (Weekend sale)

Artificial Life has released a new 3rd person shooter called Pandorum for the iPhone which is based on an upcoming movie by the same name.

Pandorum is a Sci-fi/Horror film directed by Christian Alvart that is scheduled to be released on September 25. The movie plot follows the plot of the game which is set as a 3rd person exploration game and shooter.

Two astronauts wake to find themselves drifting through space and with no memory of who they are. They believe that they must be the only ones aboard the spacecraft, but can hear sounds coming from its center. Exploring the spacecraft, they encounter several other surviving crewmembers, and the astronauts start to learn that a terrible event has occurred on board which might affect the survival of the entire human race.

Here's the official movie trailer:

The game features a pretty immersive storyline that has you exploring the space ship while trying to reactivate the ship and find out what happened to the remainder of the crew. The mood of the game is dark and erie as you battle with psychological effects of deep space (known as Pandorum). These effects cause momentary hallucinations that can only be tempered by the use of antidotes that can be collected throughout.

The game is controlled through the use of a left virtual pad for movement and a right slider for left/right looking. The game's engine doesn't allow up/down looking at all. The controls take a bit getting used to, but can work reasonably well once you put a little time in it. The full version of the game has 5 missions split into 2 segments, so 10 levels in all and, based just on the Mission 1-1, should provide a fair amount of play time. Exploration and fighting are broken up by cut scenes and puzzle elements.

The game has gotten some positive feedback and does offer a feature complete Lite version to try.

App Store Link: Pandorum, $3.99, Pandorum Lite, Free

Four noteworthy games went on sale today including two from App Store giants. If you've been holding out waiting for a price drop on these titles, here's your chance.

Rolando, $5.99 -> $2.99 / Lite – A game that should need no introduction, Rolando is a puzzle/adventure game developed by HandCircus and published by ngmoco. Gameplay involves tilting the iPhone to move the various rolandos around Rolandoland. Different rolandos have different abilities that all must be used together as a team to make your way through the various puzzles of each level which often hinge on interactive objects like platforms and catapults. Featuring a soundtrack by Mr. Scruff, a ton of new levels added to celebrate the release of Rolando 2 [App Store], and nearly universal praise from the iPhone gaming press, now is a great time to pick it up.

Super Monkey Ball, $5.99 -> $3.99 – As an App Store launch title, Super Monkey Ball has been around forever. Featuring 110 levels starting off easy and eventually graduating to nearly impossible, Super Monkey Ball includes enough content to keep you busy for quite some time. If you're a fan of the series, or like ball rolling games with tilt controls, Super Monkey Ball is worth a look, especially at the sale price.

Boulder Dash Rocks, $4.99 -> 99¢ – A modernization of the Boulder Dash concept. While we had some reservations about some of the artwork and strictly timed nature of gameplay, at only $0.99 it represents a very high quality production with great controls. Boulder Dash Rocks is an action puzzler in which you play the earth digging Rockford who must collect a quota of diamonds to pass each level. Unlike the original game which relied on fast-paced joystick responses, Boulder Dash Rocks seems more suited for mobile / iPhone play.

Ynth, $2.99 -> 99¢ / Lite – A unique iPhone puzzler, Ynth allows you to take command of a small bug who must rotate a box across a marshland without meeting an untimely demise to the plethora of obstacles between the level start and the goal. Controlled with simple on screen buttons, most of the levels require a bit of trial and error to solve. At 99¢, Ynth is worth a look if you're in the market for a colorful brain teaser.

Snood has arrived for the iPhone tonight. We took an early look at the game just a few days ago, which offers a revamped version of the classic game. Some will find the gameplay familiar to other matching ball-shooters like Bust-a-Move, but Snood had its own following amongst Mac and PC gamers.

Snood for the iPhone preserves both the Classic gameplay with original graphics but also provide enhanced visuals as well as a number of new play modes. The game offers both single player and two player modes. Single player modes include Story, Classic, Time Attack and Puzzle modes across 5 different difficulty levels (child, easy, medium. hard, evil) and can be played with either the original or new graphic sets.

This video shows Classic and Puzzle modes using both the old and new graphics:

The game's goal is to eliminate all the Snoods from each level by matching them up in groups of 3 or more. Additional Snoods are fired onto the board with a canon at the bottom of the screen. Extra points are awarded for bank shots and chaining eliminations in sequence. iPhone controls allow you to touch on the screen to aim your canon with a button to fire. Controls work well, but like on the Mac/PC version it takes a little time to learn how to aim consistently.

The game makes heavy use of Facebook to offer online challenges, achievements and multi-player. Like many of our readers, I've never been a big fan of Facebook-integrated gaming as my Facebook world is very separate from my game playing world. While this integration for multiplayer makes some sense as a Facebook version of Snood is launching soon, even the single-player achievement system requires you to login.

For those who loved it, Snood was one of those time-sucking games that let you lose yourself for hours mindlessly firing away. While I don't think the iPhone version is necessarily going to draw in a new generation of gamers, it should please longtime fans of the franchise. For those on the fence or want just want to try out the game first, an online Facebook version of the same game will be launching very soon.

App Store Link: Snood, $3.99