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

EA has released the iPhone and iPod touch version of Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition [App Store] for $7.99. Features listed include:

• Give your iPhone/iPod touch a shake to roll the dice or animate the movers
• Use your touch screen to flick and drag property cards and simulate real-life game experiences
• 3D view of the board and movers
• Select full-board view or zoom in for a close-up
• Play solo against the computer or Pass n’ play for 4
• Wi-Fi Multiplayer Mode allows 4 players to connect via the same router on a Local Area Network
• Automatically replaces players who leave with AI

App Store Link: Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition, $7.99

Agharta Studio's interactive adventure 1112 Episode 01 [App Store] has just gone live on the App Store.

We previously highlighted this new game, which appears to be a very ambitious interactive adventure.

Take a journey to explore this intriguing mystery and discover the reasons behind his constant headaches and strange dreams. Meet a bunch of colorful characters, dive into bizarre situations until an unpredictable event occurs and turns everything upside down!

The game features hand drawn artwork for the scenes and hundreds of sound effects. Players can utilize the iPhone’s touch interface to interact with all visible objects (open, move, examine, etc…) and even multi-touch zoom and rotate certain 3D objects. The developer has been active in our forums and describes the game as installments of a TV show:

Think of it like a popular TV show instead (Lost for exemple) Each episode is a stand alone game starting with a "previously on 1112" and a recap of what happened Of course there will be improvement made in each episode (we already have tons of ideas) in the user interface of new way to do things…

An early gameplay video is provided, but the developer says a new and updated Trailer is in the works:

The game is on sale for an introductory price of $7.99 (normally $9.99).

App Store Link: 1112 Episode 01, $7.99

Danielle Cassley and Jason Citron's sequel to their popular game Aurora Feint has been released to the App Store. Aurora Feint II: The Arena brings multi-player online action to the puzzle game. Features include:

• Real-time asynchronous player vs. player dueling
• Continuous personal news feed
• A thriving multi-player community
• Powerful new character classes
• Player profiles with walls
• Friend and global leaderboards
• Amazingly beautiful artwork and particle effects

We previously detailed the unique asynchronous play in which you leave "ghost sessions" on the server for others to challenge.

The game is on sale for an introductory price of $7.99 through Christmas with a regular price of $9.99.

App Store Link: Aurora Feint II: The Arena, $7.99

Gameloft has provided a gameplay video for their new Uno title we reported the other day.

Overall, the iPhone version of Uno is relatively well implemented, but one of its most compelling features is Online Multi-player play. This means that aside from playing over local Wi-Fi, you can reach out to play others on the internet. (Because, let's be realistic, how many of you are sitting out there playing iPhone games with others in the same room.)

There were no players available when we tested this on the first day of its release, but just today were able to play a few games with some random internet players. Note that you must be on a Wi-Fi connection to play online.

App Store Link: UNO, $7.99

Gameloft has just released UNO [App Store] through the iTunes App Store, an iPhone adaptation of Mattel's highly popular Crazy Eights-style card game.

Play the classic card game that's #1 for fun with friends and family. In single or multiplayer, playing UNO has never been so fun and easy, thanks to a brand new gameplay system! Simply drag & drop cards using your finger on the screen for intuitive control, and be the first to get rid of all your cards.

• All your favorite Action Cards are here: Wild, Reverse, Draw 2 and more!
• Customize your game with 9 different rules including 7-0 and Jump-in.
• Play against the AI or your friends: use only one iPhone or play with multiple devices through a WiFi connection
• Take on increasingly hard challenges in Tournament Mode.

App Store Link: UNO, $7.99