Black Friday discounts appear to be coming early as a number of excellent games have just been price reduced to only $0.99.

At that price, we highly recommend picking up every one of these titles.

• Enigmo 2 ($2.99 -> $0.99) – Pangea's sequel to their incredibly popular Enigmo puzzler. $0.99 is a steal for this 3D puzzler which we reviewed when it came out in September.
• Beneath a Steel Sky ($4.99 -> $0.99) – A classic reborn, this point and click adventure holds up well over the years and the iPhone-specific changes make it a wonderful adaptation. We reviewed it and found it to be a really great adventure game for both fans and newcomers.
• Loopy Laboratory ($4.99 -> $0.99) – Now this is a blast from the past. We reviewed this game back in October and really enjoyed it. It's a Chip's Challenge-type puzzle game in which you must escape each level by manipulating objects. The game was fun to play and had excellent controls. My main criticism at the time was it stayed too easy for too long, but for $0.99, it's really a winner.
• Ground Effect ($3.99 -> $0.99) – A very recent release that we really enjoyed. While a little rough around the edges, the sense of speed and stylings kept us coming back. An easy pick up at $0.99
• Aves ($2.99 -> Free) – And here's a freebie. We described this as more of a tech demo but an impressive one. It uses binaural audio and an impressive animation technology called BioReplicants.

The developer of Fayju Ball has set the game for Free for a day. We looked at the game back in June and found it to be a standout game in the Labyrinth/Ball Roller genre.

Like many other games in the App Store, Fayju Ball has you tilting your phone to try to get the ball(s) into the proper spots. This game, however, stands out in its use of puzzle elements as well as the 3D physics involved. Some levels require you to flip your iPhone upside down to get the balls to "fall" towards the screen.

Check this video to see it in action, or better yet, just download it for free.

App Store Link: Fayju Ball, Free (For 1 day)

Konami is having a massive sale discounting every single one of their games to $0.99. No matter what your take on the games, there's definitely deals to be had here.

• Power Pros Touch ($3.99 -> $0.99)
• Krazy Kart Racing ($2.99 -> $0.99)
• Silent Scope ($2.99 -> $0.99)
• Metal Gear Solid Touch ($5.99 -> $0.99)
• Dance Dance Revolution S ($4.99 -> $0.99)
• Silent Hill ($4.99 -> $0.99)

There's no indication how long the sales will last, but it's safe to say that despite any shortcomings every game listed above is worth at least $0.99.

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

For those who never picked up Gameloft's Dungeon Hunter game, it has now dropped in price from $6.99 to $4.99.

The game is a hack and slash RPG that we reviewed back in September. The only real criticism of the game was that it was somewhat easy, but our conclusion was very positive:

Overall though, Dungeon Hunter is a blast. Until Blizzard releases an iPhone port of Diablo or Microsoft does the same with Dungeon Siege, Dungeon Hunter is a great alternative. If you like slaying monsters, earning experience, doing quests, and picking up an obscene amount of loot in the process, Dungeon Hunter is the iPhone game for you.

Gameloft has also released a Lite/Free version to try.

App Store Link: Dungeon Hunter, $4.99, Dungeon Hunter – FREE, Free

Firemint's Real Racing game has received a new updates and a price drop down to $4.99 from $6.99. Real Racing is one of the premier racing titles on the iPhone and recently saw the release of a Volkswagen lite version called Real Racing GTI.

This newest update brings the full version up to par with the Lite by offering two of the Volkswagen GTI vehicles and also provides a bit of a discount for late adopters.

If you've been holding off on getting the full version, here's your chance. If you still haven't tried the game at all, the Lite version is certainly a "must try".

App Store Link: Real Racing, $4.99, Real Racing GTI, Free

Turns out the guys at Ezone aren't the only one celebrating the holiday by cutting the price of their games. There's an amazing amount of games that are seeing significant price reductions for the weekend. If you've been waiting for any of these games, here's your chance!

Rock Band, $6.99 (Originally $9.99) – EA's latest rhythm game should need no introduction. 20 songs are included, along with a whole in-game store filled with other song packs that sell for 99¢ a pop. Play as any of the four band positions, each with a different melody to tap out on the iPhone screen.

Tap Star, 99¢ (Originally $4.99) – Another rhythm game for the iPhone, providing similar gameplay as the others… But this one not only includes a song by RUN DMC, but also "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas. (Lighter not included.)

Haunted 3D Rollercoaster Rush, 99¢ (Originally $1.99) – Digital Chocolate's tilt controlled rollercoaster game comes with 40 different Halloween themed tracks and a ton of unlockables.

Derek Jeter Real Baseball, 99¢ (Originally $4.99) – While there were a few things we weren't crazy about in Gameloft's latest sports title starring the one and only Derek Jeter, 99¢ is hard to pass up for a 3D baseball game with this many in-game options and play modes.

Robocalypse – Mobile Mayhem, 99¢ (Originally $1.99)- A popular game for the Nintendo DS, this fantastic port is enhanced for the iPhone and comes loaded with surprisingly awesome online multiplayer. Highly recommended.

iDracula – Undead Awakening, 99¢ (Originally $2.99) – Once again back to 99¢, this dual stick shooter is still one of the best available on the platform. It's been out for quite some time now and has had some substantial content updates. If you don't own iDracula yet, now is a great time to get on board the undead slaying train.

Nick Chase: A Detective Story, 99¢ (Originally $4.99) – While some gameplay elements kept us from fully endorsing this game when it was first released earlier this month, the presentation is one of the best I've seen in a hidden object game. Well worth 99¢ just to experience the attention to detail and comic book style plot progression.

Sentinel 2: Earth Defense, 99¢ (Originally $2.99) – If you're a tower defense fan and somehow don't own this game already, please take this opportunity to download it. Sentinel 2 is even better than the original and is still one of my favorite tower defense games.

Tap-Fu, $1.99 (Originally $3.99) – A fun and casual side scrolling beat 'em up with an interesting gesture-based control system. 2.5D graphics and high quality animations make for a very impressive visual experience, even though the gameplay can be somewhat repetitive.

Blades of Fury, $4.99 (Originally $6.99) – Gameloft's take on Soul Calibur, Blades of Fury works remarkably well with the on-screen controls and has character models and graphics that look great.

Orbital, 99¢ (Originally $2.99) – Launch orbs in to the game field to collide with other orbs. Each orb must be hit the displayed number of times to clear it off the board. The gameplay is fun and the amount of graphical flare in the game make Orbital one of the coolest looking casual games out there.

Aside from all these games that went on sale, there's also a ton of games worth checking out that recently went free for a limited time:

• Shipwreck
• Udder Chaos
• 2 Minute RPG
• Crash!! The Most Stupid Race
• Heavy Crossbow
• Scarecrow
• Libra Balance

These are just a selection of the many games currently on sale or free. For a complete listing, check AppShopper's list of games with price changes. All the prices are current as of this posting, but given the nature of sales on the App Store, they all could change at any time so snatch whatever you've been looking at quickly.

If you've found yourself with nothing to do today aside wait for Halloween tomorrow, the Edis brothers of Ezone.com have offered a small amount of relief in making their latest game free for the day. Scarecrow [App Store] is a simple jumping game similar to Doodle Jump and other games with the sole goal of seeing how high you can go.

We explained the game in more detail in our review last month:

ike their predecessors, the scarecrow wishes to go high… very high. Instead of jumping on platforms, however, scarecrow is propelled by popping kernels of corn. Make sure to hit enough of them as you ascend to keep your momentum going. Hitting the explosive corn also recharges your own personal boost that can be triggered by tapping on the screen. This supply is limited so you need to use it sparingly.

Your path is hindered by a number of obstacles including chainsaws, spikes, and more that threaten to dismember you as you ascend. You can take a fair amount of damage to where you are just left with a torso flying upward.

We enjoyed Scarecrow in our review, and played it enough that we included it in our recent Halloween games roundup. So what are you waiting for? It's free, and it has Plus+ with high score tracking and Push challenges. There's not much reason to not give the game a try.

App Store Link: Scarecrow, Free (Today Only)

In our first Best iPhone Games column for September, we placed Meteor Blitz at the top of the heap with 5/5 stars. And, if for some reason you haven't already gotten the game, here's your chance to do so.

Alley Labs has introduced a 3 level Lite version of the game last night which gives you a sizable taste of this wonderfully executed space shooter. In contrast, the full version of the game includes 30 levels across 6 different worlds as well as an endless survival mode.

There was a lot we liked about the game including near-instant load times, auto-save, real-time high score ranking and great controls.

As a further incentive, Alley Labs is dropping the price of the game from $1.99 to $0.99 for this weekend.

App Store Link: Meteor Blitz, $0.99 (Weekend sale), Meteor Blitz Lite, Free

A few notable applications have dropped to free this weekend, while we find one developer increasing his price in response to the constant downward drop in game pricing.

Free

• Car Jack Streets ($2.99 -> Free) – A top down Grand Theft Auto-alike that was well received back in April. The game has since seen increasing competition with Gameloft's 3D Gangstar as well as the upcoming official Grand Theft Auto from Rockstar. Still, this top-down sandbox game had its fans and is certainly worth a download.
• Peter und Vlad ($1.99 -> Free) – Yet another line-drawing game, but this time your job is to herd your sheep to safety to avoid an out-of-control weather machine. The game is well done, though we didn't find the herding gameplay as compelling as the other line-drawing games.
• Roadkill Cafe ($0.99 -> Free) – Can you successfully dodge traffic while picking up roadkill? A humorous game that has its fans. Pick it up for free this weekend.

$39.99

Meanwhile, Schiau Studios has taken this weekend to raise the price of their game Alchemize from $2.99 to $39.99 in protest of ongoing complaints about game pricing. The $39.99 price makes it the most expensive iPhone game in the App Store.

• Alchemize ($2.99 -> $39.99) – A different kind of matching puzzler that we looked at in September. While the game resembles a Match-3 puzzler, the gameplay actually revolves around a progressive discovery of new elements.

The move has generated a lively discussion in our forums.