MLB.com has released an official Major League Baseball World Series 2009 game into the App Store [link]. The $7.99 offers players an officially licensed product featuring 30 Major League Clubs and four MLB ballparks.

Game features include:

• Multi-Touch Pitching Mechanics - Choose between fastball, curve, change-up or slider and swipe correctly to execute the perfect pitch
• Accelerometer Targeting: Tilt the device to aim your pitch and line up your swing.
• World Series mode, Season mode, Exhibition mode
• Fielding modes - let the computer play defense or switch to manual for an added challenge

We've included a number of screenshots from the game (click thumbnails to enlarge):

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

The game itself allows you to play a season from the start or straight to the World Series. Games can be setup with different teams and substitutions can be made mid-game based on player stats or fatigue. The video shows off batting and pitching.

Batting is performed using the accelerometer to match the ball while pressing the "swing" button at the right moment. Pitching is performed using swipe gestures which influence power and accuracy of your pitches. Accelerometer controls also help target the location of your pitches.

Fielding can be performed automatically (the default), but if you're interested in more of a challenge, you can turn this to "manual" and then decide where to throw the ball after it's hit. The embedded video shows manual fielding.

An ongoing discussion thread has some first impressions. As noted by one forum user, individual player names are not included in this game, only team names.

App Store Link: MLB World Series 2009, $7.99

2XL Games are no strangers to the extreme racing genre. They’ve been at it for over 10 years, starting with the Motocross Madness series on the PC, then graduating to releasing six Xbox racing games based on all kinds of off-road vehicles (and watercraft) as well as BAJA: Edge of Control for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

They’ve taken their decade of experience combined with the track design of Motocross champion Stephane Roncada to create the most graphically impressive racing game we’ve seen yet on the iPhone, 2XL Supercross [App Store].

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2XL Games released their much anticipated offroad motorcycle racing game tonight: 2XL Supercross [App Store].

The $7.99 game offers a truly remarkable package from the creative team who also developed Motocross Madness, ATV Offroad Fury, and MX Unleashed for other platforms. This iPhone game offers a laundry list of features:

• Tracks designed by Motocross champion Stephane Roncada
• 3 Modes of Play: Time Trials, Practice and Racing
• 4 Camera views
• 8 preset control schemes
• 12 different tracks
• 15 different bikes with 15 different skins
• "Secret jump combinations"

The original developer gameplay video shows off a race with accelerometer controls:

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When playing the actual game, the first thing that you notice is the high production quality of the entire game. 2XL Games offers a number of calibration options as well as 8 different control schemes. This includes accelerometer, slider or joypad steering as well as left/right handed combinations.

The game comes with 12 tracks (many locked) that can be played in Practice, Time Trial or Race modes. Locked tracks can be unlocked when placing 1st or 2nd in a race. Whips and backflips can be performed and a reference to "secret jump combinations" is mentioned in the app store description.

We recorded this video to show off the control schemes, track choices and a bit of the gameplay:

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

Early reactions to the game have been very positive, though some have voiced concern about a lack of "career" mode in the game. We'll offer a more in-depth look at the game after we've had more time with it.

App Store Link: 2XL Supercross, $7.99

Everyone was pleasantly surprised when Metal Gear Solid Touch [App Store] went online two days earlier than the supposed launch date.

We quickly downloaded it, and were pretty happy with our initial impressions. However, this morning the honeymoon is over and I’ve really been struggling to come up with the best way to review this game. So to start, let’s just ignore the price tag and look at Metal Gear Solid Touch the game.

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Like most people, I wasn’t expecting Metal Gear Solid Touch [App Store] for another couple days. Imagine my surprise when forum member 1337brian discovered the game on the App Store well before its expected launch!

After spending the last hour or so downloading, syncing, and playing, I believe fans of the Metal Gear series will enjoy this latest pocket-sized entry in Kojima’s twenty-year running dynasty of action packed games. I admit I was skeptical when I initially read about the control scheme of Metal Gear Solid Touch, but after blowing through seven levels, each more hectic than the last, I'm surprised at how well they work.

Moving your finger anywhere on the touch screen allows you to aim using a circular targeting crosshair. Tapping shoots, and to seek cover to avoid enemy fire all you have to do is take your finger off the screen. Not all enemies will be in range of your M4 assault rifle, and this is where my favorite part of the game comes in--pinching your two fingers on the screen switches weapons to the SVD sniper rifle, perfect for picking off far away enemy soldiers. Moving your two fingers apart zooms back out and Snake switches guns again for close range combat.

Power-ups randomly appear, which either give you a more powerful weapon or refill a part of your health bar. Like many shooting games, conveniently placed explosive barrels that can be used to blow up nearby enemies litter the playing field. The game quickly gets tricky, and after only a few levels in, you will find yourself frantically juggling between seeking cover and alternating between your assault and sniper rifles.

Taking down enemy combatants isn’t the only thing you have to worry about, however. Standard for most shooter games, friendly units will also randomly pop out of cover, and shooting them takes off a portion of your health bar. It really should go without saying, but if you ever find yourself caught in the crossfire between Solid Snake and a platoon of angry enemy soldiers, I would really advise getting out of there fast!

The graphics consist of pre-rendered 3D backgrounds and character models which work quite well for the game. The animations are well done, and run at a high frame rate. The music fits right in with the Metal Gear universe and the sound effects are spot-on. The loading screens are beautiful, and are totally screenshot-worthy to use as iPhone wallpaper.

Gameplay video:

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

My initial impressions of this game are positive, but I still can’t disregard the associated price tag. Metal Gear Solid Touch is without a doubt one of the better tap-shooters on the iPhone, but at $7.99 you’re definitely paying a premium for the Metal Gear name. Keep your eye on Touch Arcade for an in-depth review soon; in the meantime, I’ve got some more baddies to shoot.

App Store Link: Metal Gear Solid Touch, $7.99

This first impressions article was written by Eli Hodapp, a guest contributor at TouchArcade.

As promised, TransGaming has delivered the version 1.3 update to Puzzle Quest [App Store]. The new free upgrade offers continued graphics, sound and performance enhancements as well as the entirety of Chapter 2.

With Chapter 2 upgrade brings 20+ more hours of gameplay to the $7.99 game which brings the total game time to 40+ hours. Puzzle Quest was originally released for the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable in early 2007 and became a surprise hit.

Puzzle Quest brings together Role Playing and Match-3 gameplay into a harmonious package. Set in a traditional fantasy world occupied by knights, orcs, wizards and warriors, you must complete quests in order to progress the storyline. Beyond the actual storyline, there are also a number of side-quests that can also be pursued.

A free demo version remains available for those to try the game out.

Our gameplay video from Version 1.0 provides a feel for gameplay, though there have been graphics and performance enhancements since:

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

App Store Links: Puzzle Quest Free, Free, Puzzle Quest Chapter 1 and 2, $7.99

As promised, TransGaming has delivered a free trial version of Puzzle Quest [App Store, Free].

This introduction to Puzzle Quest offers you the ability to create your hero, embark on some quests, and learn to battle on the head-to-head puzzle board.

To further stimulate sales, TransGaming has also simultaneously dropped the price of the full version of Puzzle Quest down from $9.99 to $7.99 [App Store]. As we previously reported, the full version of Puzzle Quest will be getting a Chapter 2 update included in the coming weeks. This should offer over 40+ hours of gameplay total.

Puzzle Quest is a very highly rated game on multiple platforms. If you've never played the game, you might be surprised by fun to be had in an RPG Match-3 game. With a free trial version now, there's no reason not to try.

App Store Links: Puzzle Quest Free, Puzzle Quest, $7.99

Despite all the great iPhone games that are out there, the have been a few common deficiencies that we've seen even amongst the premium titles. One has been that level-based puzzle games have tended to be too short or too easy. While I very much enjoyed titles such as Loopy Laboratory and Mouse House, the process of completing them had a bit of a "paint by numbers" feel to it. While there have been challenging moments, in many cases, there might just be one obvious solution. And, in the end, that can leave you a bit unsatisfied.

FDG Entertainment's Bobby Carrot Forever [App Store, $7.99], however, delivers a refreshingly challenging game that should keep you occupied for some time. While the official gameplay estimate is said to be over 15 hours, I believe that this is likely a conservative estimate for most.

Bobby Carrot Forever is a level-based puzzle game similar to Chip's Challenge in which a number of objects must be collected in order to open the exit. In this case, the objects are (unsurprisingly) carrots. In your way, however, are a variety of obstacles that you must manipulate in order to reach your goal. Several objects require triggers to activate. In order to turn on the tractor, you must get the fuel canister first. To climb over certain obstacles, you will need to seed the ground with beans in order a bean stalk to grow. In the meanwhile, Bobby Carrot must navigate breakaway floors, one-directional pathways, switches, kites, fans and much more. The game also offers a "shop" where you can purchase upgrades (faster tractor, different background music, etc...) for use in the game. Levels also contains some hidden bonuses and unlockables to keep things interesting.

Bobby Carrot comes with 60 levels split across 6 worlds of 10 levels each. Each world has a difficulty rating of low, medium or high. Don't be fooled, though. Soon after you start the game, you'll find yourself restarting many of the low-difficulty levels trying to figure them out. In the end, however, this is what makes this game great, and one the best values in the App Store despite its relatively higher cost ($7.99).

While the game itself is excellent, there are a few interface issues that you may notice in the gameplay video that we feel should be tweaked in future updates. The current method to restart a level is somewhat awkward which requires you to turn the iPhone from landscape to portrait to pull up the menu. This becomes more noticeable in more difficult levels that you might be restarting often. The controls for the game involve tapping on the four edges of the screen: top/bottom/left/right to move the character appropriately. While this solution is effective, some (including myself) tend to prefer a swipe control system. Finally, there is no way to replay a single level in the current version. Instead, an entire world must be replayed. The developer appears aware of these issues and is planning on addressing some of these shortcomings in a future update.

Still, these are relatively minor interface issues that don't significantly detract from an otherwise solid game. This game is easily a "must have" for fans of these types of puzzle games and is highly recommended for others.

Our gameplay video shows two of the levels (complete with a few failed attempts).

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

Game developer Rake in Grass has released an iPhone version of their innovative puzzle platformer Archibald's Adventures [link] through the iTunes App Store.  We've recently spent some time with this title.  Have a look.

As the story goes,

Archibald and his friends were near a dump behind a mysterious mansion of inventor - professor Klumpfus. Accidently Archie fell down a pipe and ended up in professor's basement. In the same time some crazy experiment went wrong and all genetically engineered creatures escaped from their containment in laboratories, while paranoid central computer locked the whole complex up! Now both Archibald and professor got stuck in the mansion! It's up to you to help Archie to overcome all of the pitfalls of the mansion, and use your skills and wit to guide the heroes through more than 100 uncanny levels!

In Archibald's Adventures, the player controls Archibald, a boy on a skateboard.  Soon, he trades up to a robotic vehicle that can climb along walls and ceilings, and ultimately ends up with a flying jet-powered craft.  He can also summon a floating bubble and send it to do his bidding (transporting objects, pressing remote buttons, etc.).

The game features well done, detailed animation that makes utilizing the various vehicles and controlling the curious balloon a pleasure.  As for control, an onscreen D-pad is used for movement and a single balloon button summons and dispels the aforementioned balloon. The game exhibits an attention to detail scant found in the various platformers currently available in the App Store.  Roll down a wall and jump at the last minute to avoid an array of floor-mounted spikes.  Use the balloon to pick up crates in order to array them one-by-one across an area of water to gain dry passage.  That sort of thing.  It requires puzzle solving skill and provides a satisfying platform experience as reward.

Features listed by the developer:

• Go through 114 levels in this mind blowing action puzzle platform game
• Experience innovative gameplay with many unique features of the hero: transportation of objects, riding on walls and ceilings, flying with a jet armchair and more
• Use your wit and fast reaction to avoid nasty dangers of the mad scientist's mansion
• Use the professor's device pod to climb the walls or his artificial intelligence matter to solve riddles
• Encounter lots of weird and funny lifeforms running loose in the levels!

Archibald's Adventure on the desktop has met with positive reviews.  The iPhone version is no less enjoyable.  Anyone who longs for a platformer with a little more to offer than the typical jump-stomp-run experience would do well to have a look at Rake in Grass' iPhone offering.  But don't take our word for it.  Try out the Mac OS X or Windows demo version before taking the App Store plunge.

Have a look at our brief gameplay video to get a feel for the action early in the game.  Rake in Grass has posted their own video which provides additional footage.

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Konami's Silent Hill is now available in the U.S. App Store [App Store].

Early impressions of the european version have been reported in the discussion thread.

The game is a first person shooter in which you must navigate a maze of corridors with a 6-shooter in hand. The game is set in a slow paced "creepy" setting and really delivers on atmosphere. Controls are reasonable with swipe gestures providing forward/backward and turning movements. Meanwhile, the accelerometer is used to allow for some degree of free movement and aiming.

Some players such as K.D! seemed to enjoy the overall package and atmosphere:

Yes, it's only 6pm at the moment that I'm playing it. You have a radio which emitts a static noise (like in the console versions) when an enemy is nearby... well there was a nusre a few feet in front of me so I assumed that what the noise was for, but when I turned around and saw one right on me from behind I did literally jump. You see, you don't get any health, one hit and your dead, so it really helps in making things a little intense sometimes. Also, I once accidently fired off a round as I was walking around a corridoor and the echo scared the c**p out of me.

Another nice touch to the game is that your revolver must be reloaded manually by aligning the bullets with the chamber using the accelerometer. This approach requires a steady hand which can be difficult with zombie nurses wandering around the corners.

Not everyone loved the game, however, and some thought the game was too repetitive and simple.

Based on our limited play, it seems both sentiments are likely accurate. This gameplay video (not recorded by us) shows the basic mechanics of gameplay, but curiously does not demonstrate the accelerometer-based aiming which can be required later.

App Store Link: Silent Hill, $7.99

Namco has released a version 1.0.1 update to their iPhone Katamari outing, i Love Katamari [App Store].  As reported by the company, the update provides:

• Improved control response
• Added tilt indicator to game screen

Our forum readers have reported mixed results, with overall indications of improved performance.  Wegmans had this to say:

This makes the game playable!! I wasn't able to beat the second level before (ran out of time/frustrated) and now i beat it with a minute to spare! The game is much better, and makes turning a little less frustrating as well.

I just played that one level to see if it was better, and it certainly is. The controls are perfect now and there is no recalibration or anything like that.

App Store Link: i Love Katamari, $7.99

Japanese publisher Square Enix has delivered the promised Crystal Defenders game to the iPhone. Crystal Defenders [$7.99, Lite] is a tower defense game with a Final Fantasy theme.

Crystal Defenders is a defensive strategy game in which players deploy popular jobs from FINAL FANTASY Tactics A2, such as Black Mages and Soldiers, to fend off encroaching enemy hordes and prevent them from stealing their party's crystals.

Early forum adopters of the title, however, were appalled at the use of a large virtual control stick that takes up half of the screen.

Several of those who stuck with the title, though, were won over by the gameplay. Forum user h1976 captures the general sentiment:

First of all, that WTF button, ok the control works, but its lame, even if they want to do that, at least texture the thing, make it nicer not just a black pad with a giant blue orb.

It gives the game kinda an "indie" feel, feels like someone rips off the sprites of final fantasy tactics advance and pasted them in his own game, a pretty good game though I have to say. So my personal view, the gameplay is good, I love tower defense, so I'd give it a 10 personally. The level up system, the variety of the unit, good.

BUT I just cant get over the look and polish of the game

Fortunately, a free lite version is available to try that gives you the first 20 waves of one of the beginner's maps.

App Store Links: Crystal Defenders, $7.99, Crystal Defenders Lite, Free

Paramount Digital Entertainment has recently released Iron Man: Aerial Assault [App Store], based on the hit 2008 Marvel Studios film release by Paramount Pictures, for the iPhone and iPod touch.

The Iron Man game gives players the opportunity to play as Iron Man and engage in aerial combat and challenges that require quick maneuvering and accurate shooting. As players navigate through high altitude battles, they will soar through 12 different levels of airborne combat where menacing enemies will not rest until they have conquered the skies. To aid in the mission, players have access to high-powered weaponry and strategic flying mechanisms that will serve to eliminate those that stand in Iron Man’s path.

Using an upgradeable, high-powered armor developed by Stark Industries, players will hone their skills by using a variety of weapons to battle through wave after wave of enemy units. With the touch of a thumb, players can access, charge and fire an arsenal of state-of-the-art weapons including repulsor blasts, missiles, and the devastating Unibeam.

Iron Man: Aerial Assault is an on-rails shooter that is more or less a modern take on the 1985 Sega arcade classic Space Harrier.  Equipped with a variety of weapons, the player guides the accelerometer-controlled Iron Man through wave after wave of enemies and bosses of increasing complexity.  The goal?  Destroy everything and remain intact.  (Where have we heard that before?)

Iron Man, with its accelerometer controls, conveys a nice sense of "bouncy flight," as it were, through its various combat scenarios.  The framerate is rather solid and the target action is intense.  The difficulty increases notably from level to level, extending the playtime (and player frustration) nicely.  It's a fun shooter overall and feels of a higher caliber than one might expect from a movie studio release.

See our gameplay video to get a feel for the action at hand.

[ low bandwidth video ]

Namco has recently released I Love Katamari [App Store] for the iPhone and iPod touch through the iTunes App Store.

I Love Katamari for the iPhone is the fourth installment in the Katamari Damacy series of puzzle games.  The series, which is spread across various platforms (PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, and iPhone), involves rolling a magical, highly adhesive ball called a katamari around various locations, collecting increasingly larger objects.  It sounds bizarre--and it is--but the series has received high praise from reviewers and collected a cult following of gamers.

As the story goes in this iPhone release,

The King of All Cosmos has accidentally knocked all the stars out of the sky during a crazy night out. It is up to the pint-sized Prince to put the twinkle back in the heavens in i Love Katamari. i Love Katamari delivers an experience only possible on the iPhone.

Have a look at a gameplay video of the PS2's Katamari Damacy which is similar to the iPhone version:

The game features several play modes: Story Mode (find and roll-up the King's requested object), Time Attack Mode (roll up as much as possible in a limited time), Exact Size Challenge Mode (match exactly a requested katamari size), and Eternal Mode (roll at your own pace without any time or size limit).

I Love Katamari has been rather well received by our readers, but some accurately note that as the katamari increases in size, the framerate of the game dips to a rather low level, making for sluggish gameplay.  And, frankly, this iPhone installment is somewhat graphically bland as compared to the earlier console versions.  But unique gamplay it does offer--in droves.

Hopefully the performance issues will be addressed in future updates.

App Store Link: I Love Katamari, $7.99

Com2us has announced the release of their new iPhone game Chronicles of Inotia: Legend of Feanor [App Store] as an "action RPG with PC and console game graphic quality".

Players begin by creating a customized character with their choice of attributes, then set out on a journey to find the evil dragon Deathtaker, who disappeared after an epic battle. Villagers and vendors help along the way, and players can raise pets who enhance their attributes.

The developers list the following features:

• Old-school action RPG
• PC, console-quality graphics and animation
• Optimized touch control for iPhone
• Gigantic map, items, all kinds of fantasy monsters
• Dynamic weather, various quests, dealing, pet system

We've only spent a very brief amount of time with the title so far, so are unable to speak to the scope of the game. The game, itself, however, seems well designed for the iPhone and of good quality. The game begins with your character in a town. You start with a short sword and 5 potions to replenish your health. The small town you are in has a shop in which you can sell and buy equipment and a couple of townspeople to start you off with a couple of simple quests. The initial portion of the game involves fighting off local creatures to increase your experience and gather goods to sell.

The control scheme involves tapping on the location on the map which directs your character to automatically walk towards that location. Fighting is automatic and simply involves tapping on the enemy you would like to attack. The menu system provides inventory, a list of active quests, your skills and experience.

A couple of the our early adopters in forum seem pleased with the game even at this early stage.

App Store Link: App Store Link, $7.99