Dungeon crawler fans that like to equip an iPhone or iPod touch when it comes time to hew a row of ogre necks are in for a real treat in a coming iPhone remake of a true classic of the genre. Jeff McCord at age 17 originally wrote Sword of Fargoal for the Commodore PET — in BASIC — in 1980. Two years later he teamed up with Epyx and released the game commercially for the VIC 20 (still in BASIC). The following year, Jeff and friends brought the game to the newly-released Commodore 64, and the rest is history.

Sword of Fargoal is one of the best loved roguelike games ever to light up a CRT. In its 1996 anniversary issue, Computer Gaming World listed the game as #147 in the "Top 150 Best Video Games of All Time." It has been inspiration for many dungeon crawlers created since, and has itself been remade for various platforms.

In a nutshell, the game places the player within the top level of a deep series of dungeons with the quest of seeking out the legendary "Sword of Fargoal" and escaping with it from the depths of said dungeons. Complicating matters is the fact that the layout of each dungeon level is randomly generated when the player enters it, and that the dungeons are all initially bathed in darkness, revealing themselves only as the player explores. Those lucky enough to locate the sword have only 2,000 seconds to find their way out of the dungeons which, even on the way up, are randomly generated…. Not a proposition for the meek.

Along the way, the player encounters a vast array of enemies, both human and not-so-human. Battling these enemies, the player builds experience points which allow the character to level, increasing his fighting abilities and hit points. As well, various spells can be found throughout the dungeons that aid the player in completing his quest: Invisibility, Drift, Light, Regeneration, Teleport, and Shield.

Now, the astute reader might be asking themselves just how well a game written almost 30 years ago in BASIC for a 1MHz, 50 lb computer suits the iPhone. The answer is, in fact: quite well. As the game moved from PET to VIC 20 to C64 to PC it has certainly evolved graphically, but never moreso than in its latest jump to the iPhone. Jeff and his partner in this effort Paul Pridham (who brought us Saucelifter) have done an excellent job with this remake.

The iPhone version, with which I've spent notable time this weekend, features completely redone graphics utilizing OpenGL ES to add depth to the stony visuals. It allows for pinch-and-spread zoom control to focus on the action at hand and features an optional on-screen mini map to aid in negotiating the twists and turns of each dungeon level. What's more, Paul has implemented a full, real-time music synthesizer system for the game which delivers sound that, while ringing of retro, surpasses the quality of the C64's SID-based score.

But, really, what makes the game so well suited for the iPhone is its casual nature as compared to the typical roguelike. And that's not to say the game is shallow or light on dungeon crawling action, but rather I feel it's simply a bit more accessible to the typical gamer than, say, Nethack, Moria, or Rogue thanks to an economy of controls, spells, and the like. Those who've never played a dungeon crawler before might just find themselves drawn in to Sword of Fargoal.

Have a look at the developers' trailer video for a glimpse of the action.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

Sword of Fargoal will be submitted to the App Store sometime next week and should go live in early to mid December at a one-week introductory price of $2.99 (regular $4.99). After the game goes live, the developers plan to release a series of free, episodic updates that will introduce new game elements, level types, and the like. Additionally, new graphical tile sets will eventually be made available as in-app purchases for those wanting to apply a whole new look to the game.

I've enjoyed recent dialog with both Jeff and Paul as they've introduced me to their upcoming iPhone title and we plan to post an in-depth interview with the developers in the next week that takes a closer look at the game's history, the iPhone remake, and iPhone development in general. Accompanying the interview will be a detailed gameplay video that should give prospective buyers a solid look at Sword of Fargoal for the iPhone.

True Axis has released its much anticipated Jet Car Stunts racer which has been described as "a fun, over the top, 3D driving game, with massive jumps, mid-air hoops, floating platforms, spiral roadways, outlandish maneuvers and impossible environments." The game offers two modes of play:

• Platforming – the player maneuvers the car from roadway to roadway, performing connecting stunts to reach the finish line.
• Time Trails – the player races around stunt-filled circuits to beat the lap records.

Here's a video of the time trial mode:

Reader impressions are trickling into the forum. We'll take a closer look soon, but our first impressions are positive.

App Store Link: Jet Car Stunts, $1.99

What started as a promotion to keep people playing Eliminate [App Store] in the wake of the massive worldwide release of Modern Warfare 2 has now been extended "until further notice". If you haven't fired up the game recently, the rate at which energy recharges has been reduced to 60 minutes, down from 240.

Because of this change, players will be energized more often, earn more credits, and in turn be able to spend those credits on the various upgrades that are sold in game much faster. If this somehow is the first time you've heard of Eliminate, if you're at all interested in first person shooters you should download it (for free) as soon as you can. While you're waiting for it to download, check out our review which explains quite a bit about the game, available upgrades, and play strategies.

If you've been as captivated by Eliminate as we have, you also will be happy to know that ngmoco already has Eliminate 1.1 in the works. Along with many refinements, there will also be a brand new map and even more armor for you to buy with your hard earned credits. Ngmoco isn't ready to release details yet as the update is still in development, but we should have more information as soon as it is actually submitted to Apple.

App Store Link: Eliminate, Free

Resolution Interactive, who brought us the enjoyable iPhone racing titles Dirt Moto Racing and Aqua Moto Racing, has announced that they will soon be bringing the first iPhone snowmobile racer, Snow Moto Racing, to the App Store.

Experience the thrill of high-speed snowmobile racing while carving your path through beautiful winter landscapes.

Perform stunts to trigger speed boosts that will give you the edge when racing against your opponents.

Challenge your friends and race head-to-head for glory in the new multiplayer mode with up to 4 players.

Features listed by the developer:

• 6 Unique Race Tracks
• Easy-To-Use and responsive controls
• Dynamic Opponent Difficulty
• Local Multiplayer via Bluetooth
• 14 Achievements to unlock
• Hidden Bonus Game Mode
• Download directly to iPhone via 3G

See Resolution's preview video for a look at the game in play.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

We here at Touch Arcade are fans of Resolution's earlier Moto racing installments and are anxious to get our hands on this upcoming release.  We'll take a closer look when the game goes live in the App Store.

Snow Moto Racing has been submitted to Apple for approval and will launch at a price of $0.99.

Auditorium has arrived for the iPhone. The musical puzzle game began life as a Flash game that can still be played on its website.

In Auditorium you have to guide a flow of light particles into the audio containers on the game board. Each level has a different set of movable pieces that all have different effects on the flow of these particles, from simply controlling its direction, speed, or even attracting or repelling the flow. The early levels start in grayscale, but quickly make way to vibrant colors and different audio containers that can hold each the various particle colors.

The iPhone version of the game contains 25 levels across 5 different acts and naturally uses touch and pinch controls to adjust the placement and strength of the pieces. Additional "movements" (levels) can be purchased for $0.99 a piece, adding 14-17 levels per pack. Some of the more advanced pieces that affect particle movement are reserved for the add-on content. A Lite version of the game is also available which contains 5 different levels and starts off slightly more difficult to give you a better taste of the game. Auditorium is an original game that's worth a try if you've never experienced it before.

App Store Link: Auditorium Lite, Free, Auditorium, $2.99

As part of a challenge to get more Twitter followers, the guys at Ezone held up their end of the bargain when they hit 500 and made Galactic Gunner [App Store] free today. We enjoyed Galactic Gunner when it first came out, and with the free Friday promotion there's really not much reason to give it a spin if you're at all interested in sci-fi shooters.

From our coverage of the Galactic Gunner release:

As the title would hint, you play as the Galactic Gunner, shooting down Trepidoids by tapping the screen while the Galactic Captain flies the ship. Taking the control out of the player's hands allows for a more cinematic experience as your ship flies through precisely choreographed manuevers.

All the while, you're listening to near constant radio chatter between the Galactic Captain, your wingmen, and the Trepidoids. The whole package creates an experience unlike anything on the App Store, and the game feels like playing an episode of a wonderfully cheesy low-budget 80's Sci-Fi show, especially whenever the Trepidoids speak.

[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]

The only thing bad we had to say about the game was its relatively short length, but it's hard to complain about a half hour or so of expertly choreographed free rails shooting action. Galactic Gunner is going back to its regular price tomorrow, so don't delay if you're planning on giving it a try.

App Store Link: Galactic Gunner, Free

We enjoyed Rockcat Games' Hook Champ [$2.99 / Free] when we took a close look at it in our review, we then discussed the game during episode 2 of our podcast and there has been a thread on our forums that has been constantly growing since the game released late last month.

Hook Champ is a game that takes the swinging mechanic which has been amazingly popular both in Rope 'n' Fly and its sequel as well as the recently released Rope Raider. The game has wonderful pixel art retro graphics, and feels more like an Indiana Jones game than the actual Indiana Jones NES game.

Using your trusty rope and grappling hook you swing through a series of caves trying to make it out alive with the idol you stole before the evil (and hungry) ghost that is constantly chasing you catches up and eats you. Everything in the game is upgradeable via an in-game shop where you spend the gold coins you pick up, and each level has its own online leaderboard with additional in-game perks if you rank high enough such as a crown for your guy to wear if you're #1.

The impending update is going to have even more hats for you to buy, along with full OpenFeint support. Along with OpenFeint comes loads of achievements that range from things like beating levels to killing 40 bats in a single level. Aside from the current in-game leaderboards, there will also be a myriad of OpenFeint powered leaderboards including an overall leaderboard to see who the true king of Hook Champ is. Also, you will be able to challenge friends to compete against your performance in any level in the game.

If you felt Hook Champ did a poor job at representing female grappling hook spelunkers, you'll be happy to find out that Gunny, the girl who hauls you up at the end of each level will be a playable character in the new update. Not only that, there's an entire new level set. The rat series of levels is all about doing things at blisteringly fast speeds. There's even a new ghost that chases you that's shaped like a rat skull that moves even quicker than before.

Hook Champ was a great game, even before this update was announced. Rockcat Games' commitment to adding additional content and features for fans of the game goes even further to seal the deal. If you haven't yet played Hook Champ, I highly recommend downloading the free lite version.

App Store Link: Hook Champ, $2.99 – Hook Champ LITE, Free

Just when you thought you had enough of Bejeweled, PopCap has released an update to the massively popular Match 3 game adding the competitive one minute Blitz mode that has been so popular on Facebook. According to the Facebook application page for Bejeweled Blitz, there are over 10 million monthly active users.

The iPhone version naturally connects to the Facebook version as detailed by Games.com:

The iPhone version also includes all of the same power-ups — score multipliers and laser gems — vital to pushing your score to unbeatable heights. Your high scores will automatically show up on the leaderboard in the Facebook version, and you'll be able to post brag notes on your Facebook page anytime you score a metal in the game (see example below). We were impressed to see our new high scores appeared in the Facebook version's leaderboard in real time, as well as our brag notes.

This tight Facebook integration allows you to compete on the existing leaderboards as well as in the weekly tournaments and prize drawings.

The Blitz mode is a free update to the Bejeweled 2 iPhone game. Facebook connectivity is, of course, required to take advantage of the online component. You can play in an offline mode if you prefer, but then you may as well be playing the existing single player modes.

App Store Link: Bejeweled 2, $2.99

The Settlers is a real time strategy (RTS) gaming series that has evolved quite a bit over the past two decades. Gameloft’s The Settlers as a standalone game brings a slightly different take on RTS to the iPhone/iPod Touch platform that for the most part delivers, but also bringing a few frustrations along the way including the omission of a freeplay mode. Ultimately, The Settlers is a solid experience and good introduction for newcomers to the series.

As with any typical RTS game, the objective is to build a community, establishing a means of income, develop a powerful military, and expand territories. The Settlers, however, is less about tactical micromanagement and more about strategic planning. In many ways, The Settlers is a game focused on urban planning where the placement and construction of buildings play heavily in your success. Unlike many of today’s RTS games, direct control of individual or groups of units is limited. You literally establish a virtual society where your vision will set it down the path to success or failure. This premise alone makes The Settlers worth considering especially for newcomers to the series.

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If you're a child of 80's video games like me, few games likely bring back more traumatic memories of horrifying difficulty than Ghosts 'n Goblins. While the game was originally released in arcades in 1985, it wasn't until 1986 that Ghosts 'n Goblins cursed the NES with its presence and quickly grew in fame as one of the most difficult games of all time. Over the years there have been many sequels, ports, and remakes of the game with the most recent being Ghosts 'n Goblins Gold Knights [App Store] for the iPhone.

So what has changed over the years? Well, the most noticeable thing are the sprite-based graphics from days of old have been replaced with a 2.5D world with all kind of new animations and environmental effects. It's hard to say how much this improves the game though, as the textures are low resolution, the animations appear to be almost intentionally ridiculous, and what's worse is the game doesn't run very smoothly even on my iPhone 3GS.

The difficulty has been significantly decreased from the original. You can now absorb multiple hits from enemies before dying, and there are a whole array of additional weapons and power ups to be found in the game. Unfortunately, it seems that most of the challenge in the game now comes from negotiating the inherent lack of precision in the virtual D-Pad controls. Similar to how we felt about Earthworm Jim, if your memories of Ghosts 'n Goblins involve a physical D-Pad, you will likely have an uncomfortably awkward adjustment period of missing jumps and falling in to pits.

Because of the increased life bar and chests with power-ups littering the game, the only real threat that the monsters you come across pose is knocking you backwards in to a pit. At the end of each level there's a boss, but the gimmick of each boss only amounts to dodging different things. Levels feature multiple check points, and it seems like there's always a checkpoint just before a boss so if you don't beat them the first time you will almost assuredly beat them the second.

There is an in-game store where you can buy access to various cheats for 99¢ each. These cheats range from infinite lives to stronger armor and weapons. Unfortunately, there's no "don't fall in pits constantly" cheat you can buy, so none of them seem really that useful. Since after you die you're able to select the last level you were on and start from that point, even having infinite lives doesn't help that much.

Video by AppBank

Despite the game's many flaws, it's still Ghosts 'n Goblins, and I doubt I'm alone in enjoying this game just because of that. Everything from the map scrolling across the screen between deaths to your guy running around in his underwear when you take enough damage to lose your armor is in place. If you're into nostalgia, Ghosts 'n Goblins does deliver but, otherwise, the iPhone version of the game can't really stand on its own. If this is the first you've heard of Ghosts 'n Goblins, you'd probably be better off playing it on a real console with a real d-pad, though it will likely cost you more than $2.99.

App Store Link: Ghosts 'n Goblins Gold Knights, $2.99