Gamers in the house will be well aware that Mass Effect 3 is launching next month, and it will be adding a lot of new tricks to the established sci-fi game franchise. One of those tricks is going to be a third-person shooter for iPad and iPhone called Mass Effect: Infiltrator, and playing it will not only be a lot of fun in its own right, but will advance your progress in the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC game as well. As far as I’m concerned, this is the single best implementation of cross-platform gaming to date.

I’ve seen way too many game developers simply try to drag and drop the experience from consoles and PCs to mobile, but it’s obvious that Mass Effect’s developer, BioWare, understands that gaming on mobile is a different experience. Infiltrator looks like it will still be action-packed, but the fact is, gamers aren’t going to be spending hours on end playing it as they might on their proper gaming rigs. Datapad in particular looks like it will be a great way to stay involved in the game even if you can’t dedicate the laser focus needed for pitched combat. The closest any other developer has come to giving this high-quality interplay between gaming platforms is Call of Duty: Elite, and even that hinged on a subscription service to get the full functionality.

Mass Effect: Infiltrator involves rescuing prisoners from a human supremacist group on a hostile arctic planet, while collecting evidence to advance a war effort spanning lightyears. You’ll find a bunch of the same weapons and powers in Infiltrator as you would in any Mass Effect game, and likewise, you’ll be able to unlock items in the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or PC versions of the game by playing on your iPhone or iPad.

Gameplay in Mass Effect 3 will be extended in multiple directions through a system they’re calling Galaxy at War. The game’s single-player story involves you fighting an intergalactic threat called the Reapers. By playing Mass Effect: Infiltrator on iOS (or co-operative multiplayer in the full game) you increase a score called Galactic Readiness, which will ultimately influence the final conclusion of the core campaign against the Reapers.  There will also be an iOS app called Datapad to keep tabs on your Galaxy at War progress, and allow you to deploy troops to particular regions of space, as well as get messages from in-game characters.

Combined with the cool Xbox Kinect controls Mass Effect 3 is going to offer, I’ll be having a really hard time saying “no” to this game when it comes out March 6. Be sure to check out some of the sweet trailers at BioWare’s site.

Source: BioWare, IntoMobile, Kotaku

The only thing more sweet than a rampaging tyrannosaurus rex is a rampaging tyrannosaurus rex on an iPad 2 – a gift which Telltale has graciously given the world by way of Jurassic Park: The Game, Episode 3. In “The Depths”, your group is trying to escape Isla Nublar through a series of maintenance tunnels, while being hounded by a variety of nasty predators. Jurassic Park’s security system is completely shut down, so all sorts of dinosaurs are roaming about the island freely. All episodes of the Jurassic Park game are built specifically for the iPad 2, as it makes use of the dual-core processor, and has full AirPlay support if you want to enjoy the action on the big screen.

I’ve played a couple of Telltale’s games on PC, and I’m a big fan of their style, quality, and sense of humour. Obviously this game is going to be a little more dramatic, but it looks like they’ve done a great job with it. The game is stitched together as a kind of direct-your-own-movie style, where you can jump between scenes, and your actions take place in the midst of 3D cinematic sequences.

You can check out a few snippets of the iPad 2 gameplay after the jump, though it plays more like an Apple ad. The game is available for $6.99 in the App Store at the link below.

• App Store link

Namco Bandai has announced that it will be bringing its weapons based fighting game Soul Calibur to the App Store this week. Soul Calibur was originally launched in arcades back in 1998 and has also been available for the Sega Dreamcast and more recently the Xbox 360.

The iOS port of the classic arcade and Dreamcast fighting game features all 19 fighters and a mode list that includes arcade battle, time attack, survival, extra survival, practice and museum modes. Of these, time attack, survival and extra survival are compatible with Game Center’s Leader Boards.

Source: Andriasang

• PDF Connoisseur – Kdan Enterprise iPad Edition: A versatile, top-notch file reader from Kdan Mobile’s PDF product series that includes the following features: Save to PDF, Text to Speech, annotations, file transfer, and more. [$9.99 for iPad - App Store link]

• iDownloader Pro: Easily download anything from the web to your device and then view/play the downloaded files or transfer them to your computer. Now with a multi-tab browser, private browsing, and Wi-Fi sharing! [$1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Safari Party: Safari Party is a new genre of match-4 action puzzle game where you become a photographer travelling around the globe: Safari, Ocean, North Pole, Forest and Metropole. Take as many photos as you can of more than four animals of the same kind. [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Apple Life i: Swap an apple with an adjacent apple to form a horizontal or vertical chain of apples. The chain should contain 3 or more apples to get eliminated. Bonus points are also given if the chain contains more than 3 apples or if it forms 2 separate chains in a single swap. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Kick the Buddy Episodes: Meet a cheerful Santa Claus on your roof in the new Santa Stops Here episode. Hit the Buddy with a Christmas tree or blow him up with fireworks! And you can do a lot more in this “truly Christmassy game”. [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

The guys at BlackSmithGames have announced that their AppventCalendar will be returning for 2011. If you go to AppventCalendar.com everyday in December, you will be able to pick up a free game, and a free app. Thats 2 free downloads a day!

Something new for 2011 — an iPhone app, meaning that you don’t even have to visit the website to download your gift. You can check the app, and download the free gift, directly on your iPhone.

Don’t forget, like any advent calendar, if you miss a day you can’t go back and get it later!

• AppventCalendar website
• iTunes Link

Get ready to start wielding your boomsticks as Backflip Studios has just informed us that the long awaited game based on 1992′s cult classic Army of Darkness film is about to be released.

In perhaps the most perfect marriage of a film scene and game premise of all time, Army of Darkness: Defense is a castle defense game that takes place during the pivotal castle scene within the movie where Ash and his allies defend the powerful Necronomicon (book) within Lord Arthur’s fortress from the onslaught of Deadites (living dead). Gamers take on the role of the chiseled chin, one-liner-spouting Ash while summoning familiar troops, spells and weapons from the movie to help in the defense. Gameplay features include over 150 direct lines of dialogue from Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, and beautifully animated graphics using the well-known “Granny 3D” engine. Army of Darkness: Defense gives Ash the ability to call upon a wide variety of allies to help preserve the Necronomicon including swordsman, armored knights, archers and more. In addition to the originally composed sound and music, the app also features many of the famous characters from the movie including Arthur, Henry, Sheila, the Wiseman, Evil Ash, and more.

This is a must buy for any fan of Bruce Campbell or of the films. Army of Darkness: Defense will be available in the App Store on May 12th for the iPhone/iPod Touch for $0.99 and for the iPad for $2.99. Very “Groovy”…

Gameplay video after the break!

Army of Darkness: Defense (Backflip Studios / MGM) from Backflip Studios on Vimeo.

The TiPb forums are naturally a great place to talk, commiserate, celebrate, get help, and offer advice to your fellow iPhone users. In order to create a new thread of your own or reply to any of the existing threads, you must be a registered member. Becoming a member is easy and free so if you haven’t already, head on over and register now!

• If you had to choose between one device for the streaming of content which would you choose? An Xbox 360 or Apple TV?

• Google and Samsung unveiled the successor to the Nexus One, the Nexus S. What are you thoughts about this device?

• How many applications do you currently have on your iPhone or other iOS device?

• It’s pretty obvious that a new iPad is on the horizon, the big question to current iPad owners is, will you upgrade once the new one is released?

See you in the forums!

Sam Raimi’s horror cult classic, Evil Dead, is coming to the iPhone. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Evil Dead is the first of three films starring Bruce Campbell and revolves around a group of college kids who visit an abandoned cabin in the woods only to unleash pure evil.

Currently there is not much in the way of details about the game except for the fact the characters look like Wii bobble-head avatars. A trailer has been released and if the game turns out anything like the trailer, expect to have a very polished iOS game. As a nice touch, the developer pretty much matched the game trailer with Evil Dead‘s original trailer and is very well done. View both trailers after the break!

Arguably one of the most addictive games for iOS, Angry Birds, has just received a pretty significant update that is now available in the App Store. The update gives you the following improvements and add-ons.

• Game Center support
• Retina Display compatibility
• 15 new levels

This is a free update for those of you who own the app and if you don’t, just spend the $.99 already…

[Angry Birds - iTunes link]

Evil Dead fans can finally breath a sigh of relief as you will soon be getting your first iOS game based off one of the popular cult classic movies staring the one and only Bruce Campbell. Army of Darkness will be brought to us by Backflip Studios and is promised to be worthy of the movie.

“A game developed by us in tandem with MGM Studios based on the cult classic ARMY OF DARKNESS movie will launch early in 2011 . . . deadites beware!”

The game is said to have all of the classic witty quotes and is hybrid castle/tower defense inspired as your main objective is to protect the Necrinomicon from the Deadites using chainsaws, boomsticks, etc… Sadly, Army of Darkness will not be introduced into the App Store until early 2011 but that gives you plenty of time to watch the film if you have not done so already!

Movie trailer after the break!

[Touch Arcade]

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars HD for iPad (GTA henceforth) is a great homage to its console brethren. Good story? Check. Good graphics? Check. Plenty of adult-themed action, adventure, and melodrama? Check. Check. Check.

You start off GTA on a flight back to the US, specifically Liberty City to transport your recently deceased Chinese Mafia Father’s sword to the new leader. However, as soon as you arrive you are kidnapped and left for dead. Without spoiling anymore of the story, that’s where you begin. I am not going to give away any more of what happens to you. Instead I am going to focus on the play mechanics, environments, etc.

GTA is structured in an isometric 3/4 view topdown action game. You are centered above Huang Lee’s (the main character) head and move him around via a virtual d-pad on the bottom left of the screen. You can sometimes get turned around quite easily, so you can center the camera behind your character by double-tapping the d-pad. On the left of the screen you have your action buttons. These buttons are dynamic depending on what you are doing. You basically have some core functions; jump-kick, leap (over an obstacle such as a fence) and punch. If you acquire a weapon, the punch button is replaced with the weapon of choice. However, switching weapons is a little painful; you have to go to the pause menu located in the upper left and tap the weapon you want. This can remove you from the action in the middle of a fire-fight and is a bit disappointing.

The story is driven by mini-quests typically given to you by your uncle early in the game. You go to his house, some dialog ensues and you are then sent on your way. Examples might be to meet a family friend and escort them to a location, take out a rival gang and more. To do this you have to take advantage of your environment such as car-jacking anything from trucks to motorcycles to boats in the harbor.

The environment is absolutely huge. To help you get around you are given a GPS with map to get you to any destination. This is a very necessary tool. I couldn’t tell you how big the city is in virtual miles, but it is quite large and with a lot of variety. You have everything in Liberty city including different burrows ala New York City style. You can go where you want, take people out for cash, play mini games all while time moves in accelerated time. Day goes to night and so on. The night effects are particularly nice as car, street and building lights all have neat effects on the environment which is quite impressive.

I think it’s a fair statement that though there have been a few iterations of the game, the iPad version resigns supreme if for only having the larger screen. I absolutely love the gameplay and the fun uses of the touch screen from throwing out trash in a dumpster to manually having to hot-wire a car. Is the game groundbreaking? No, especially compared to other consoles. Is it fun? Oh yeah.

[$9.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Great graphics- details, light effect, shadows, etc
• Pedestrian back-talk
• Robust mobile iteration of the consoles legacy
• Easy to play with the iPad screen

Cons

• Inconvenient means to switch weapons
• Vehicle controls can be frustrating at times

I have to admit, I am not much of a Sudoku player. Not because I don’t like it, but because I am horrendously slow at it and I always feel inadequate playing since my wife is about twice as fast as me solving puzzles on even a much higher difficulty. However, I sucked up my gumption and thought I would give Finger Arts latest release a try.

Sudoku 2 HD Pro is simple enough. Tapping play will start you off with successive difficulty levels which will only be unlocked after beating the previous difficulty twice. Fortunately, there is a super easy mode called “Flash”.

I won’t go over the play mechanics of Sudoku, instead let’s elaborate what Sudoku 2 HD Pro does to enhance the game on iPad. After your game starts you have numbers on the bottom (portrait) or on the sides (landscape). To place a number on screen, tap the space you wish to place the number to and then tap the number. Once placed, other numbers on the sudoku board will have a green highlight to them. This helps you by pointing out other numbers so you can isolate where to play your next number. You can do this for any number at any time, you don’t have to place a number, instead simply tap any number in the field and it will highlight the same number tiles in green.

If you are not sure what number to play, you can use the convenient drawing tool to place the numbers you think might be needed on a particular tile on the board. To do this, tap the empty tile on the board then the drawing icon. Next, just tap the number(s) you want in the space and you are done. The game will even remove all obsolete notes in a tile once the correct tile is placed. If you get stuck, you can also tap the hint button. You are allowed three hints per game. The hint will highlight the suggested corresponding next move (you are also allowed three mistakes that don’t count against your score. The devs feel this is the appropriate number to include accidental screen taps).

Once you register for OpenFeint you can start playing games and saving your high scores online, but you still have some options to choose from. First You have your typical volume and music volume levels. Next you have game specific options to turn off the auto green tile select for like numbers. This is an incredibly useful option that can help you spot patterns more easily. I would only turn this off if you are a gluten for punishment.

The OpenFeint integration is really a nice added bonus to the game. Typically Sudoku games are individual but this adds a layer of social-ness to the game. You can see who has the highest score (this is calculated by the number you are placing… errr, it’s a really fancy formula) and it also keeps track of your runs (a run is an uninterrupted sequence of games own) and achievements!

I really like Sudoku Pro 2 and will be playing it for months to come. Perhaps one day I will even break the 10,000 point barrier, but likely not the current point leader with a whopping 105,622 point lead…

[$2.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Simple, easy, fun Sudoku!
• Online Leaderboards
• Can change tiles/look
• Screen rotation
• Hint system
• Resumes if you quit

Cons

• More tile/background customization options
• No iPod music background controls from within the app

With this weeks sale of Square-Enix games in honor of Chaos Rings release, I thought it fit to review Crystal Defenders for iPad. This is a very fun strategy/tower defense game: hardcore players apply only.

Crystal Defenders has you assume the role of master strategist as you place your units on a map to destroy the oncoming 30 waves of monsters trying to steal your crystals. Before you begin a game, you have to choose which game style you want. There are three to choose from: W1, W2 and W3. W1 is the easiest and simplest. The maps are not difficult and you do not have any power crystals (more on that later). W2 brings in the use of power crystals during gameplay and more challenging levels. W3 is the ultimate challenge. New monsters, units and very challenging maps.

The game revolves around Gil, which is your money/source for everything in the game. You use Gil to place units on the board and to upgrade them. The waves of monsters are cued up on the left of your screen and your units on the right. Before each wave of enemy monster you can place as many units as you would like onscreen till you use all of your Gil. Then, with the tap of the screen the oncoming horde commences towards the level exit and you have to cross your fingers that your units can defend your crystals. The good news; even during a wave you can still place and upgrade your units and if needed pause the action in the middle of a wave. If you become impatient, you can speedup the action 4X so waves complete very quickly.

You have a wide variety of units and monsters. There is the standard solider fanfare as well as archers, mages, thieves, hunters, etc. All of these types of units are necessary as monsters have varying levels of HP, resistance to physical, magical or air attacks and movement.

Once you progress past the W1 levels, the W2 levels give the add strategy of power crystals. There are three crystals in your arsenal: red to increase damage, blue to increase distance and yellow to increase speed. It is imperative to place these crystals next to your most important units to give them an edge. Just like other units, the power crystals can be upgraded, but at a much higher Gil cost than your units. You also have the ability to cast what are called Espers. Espers are creatures that can cast a spell for a wave, like increase all unit damage for that wave; Espers come in really handy.

If you think you have what it takes, then this is the ultimate in Tower Defense games. Three levels of varying difficulty and challenges, deep strategy (it’s the only way to win) and creatures and characters from the Final Fantasy universe make this a must have game for the enthusiast.

[$3.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Great fun!
• Bright, colorful graphics
• Familiar characters from the Final Fantasy universe

Cons

• Very difficult
• Simple graphics might shy players away

During QuakeCon 2010, ID Software’s co-founder John Carmack demoed Rage on a iPhone 4 running at a very impressive 60 frames-per-second. And what’s maybe even more impressive is the fact that Carmack believes this game will “kill anything done on the Xbox or PlayStation 2.” We first heard of Rage coming to the iPhone and iPad back in March so it’s good to see that this is finally going to happen and sooner rather than later.

Any first-person-shooter fan out there should definitely be chomping at the bit to see this one land into the App Store “later this year”. And if one title is not enough, perhaps the planned sequel that will be available just in time for the 2011 launch of the PC version will make you happy.

Check out the most impressive video after the break!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Like Star Wars? Like tower defense games? Then you might want to take a look at THQs recent release Star Wars: Battle for Hoth for iPhone. 

The game premise is that of all tower defense games; prevent your enemy (in this case the Imperial Empire) from reaching the other said of the map. As you play the game you get a fairly diverse set of units to deploy in defending Hoth. But, before I get into that, let’s look at play mechanics first. 

You start Battle for Hoth with some simple ground troop units and a shovel. The shovel allows you to alter the landscape of the level and force units to move a certain route. This is a great tool in later levels as you can really funnel the Empire to their doom. When you place your units and they destroy a wave of Imperials, you are rewarded with a green wrench icon you have to touch to collect. This gives you points to build or upgrade units. You have to be fast though if you wait too long the wrench will change color to orange then red, decreasing the point value. Wait too long, and your points are gone forever.

As you play through the 15 levels you unlock more types of units including; seated blaster units, radar lasers, turrets, snow speeders, x-wings, shield generators and ion cannons. Some of the more complex units like the ion cannon, shield generators and turrets require an energy generator placed next to them. The energy generator is required to power those units. If you upgrade a unit (say the shield generator) without upgrading the energy unit, you run the risk of losing power to that unit so you always have to keep it in check. 

You can upgrade your existing units to make them more powerful and sell them as needed. I found the most fun in the game building up units under the safety of the shield generator and then taking out AT-ATs with relative ease once my units were upgraded to the maximum.

When writing this review, I have to admit I had some distaste for this game. Simple and not a lot of variety in what appeared to be a shameless use of an awesome gaming license. However, after I made my video review above, I am having a bit of a change of heart. I think I am trying to make Battle of Hoth more than it is;  a simple Star Wars-themed tower defense game to kill a view minutes in your day while standing in line to get groceries. Should you get it? If you are a Star Wars fan I think you will enjoy. If not, I would pass. 

[$2.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Fast gameplay
• Fun in small chunks
• Fast forward the game action
• Familiar Star Wars universe
• Units behave as they should

Cons

• Original game music is not the Star Wars music we love
• Easy is too easy
• Lacking variety of Star Wars units and ships

I was excited to see that Let’s Golf 2 just appeared in the App Store! I am not a golfer in real life, but I enjoy a good golf game every once in a while. Let’s jump right in and see what this new version has to offer.

Let’s Golf 2 is not meant as a real golf simulation like a Tiger Woods Golf. Instead, you are greeted with cute, often funny characters in outlandish environments that are beautiful and colorful. This does not mean that the levels are easy, in fact they become quite challenging later in the game (how can that be a par 4, impossible!)

There are several new characters to select. But in the beginning of the game, you one have two to choose from; Vincent and Jane. As you progress through the levels, you unlock a lot of customizations including clothes, hair, golf balls and clubs. A fun addition is the new Skill for each character. I am using Jade for example and her power is “Power of Charm”. This move is useful when putting as no matter how hard you hit the ball when putting, you can use her power to stop it anywhere on the green. The character powers, once used, have to replenish over time and can’t be used again and again without replenishing; use your characters power wisely.

Single Player has a few different modes to choose from; Instant Play where you play across three random holes from a variety of courses. Career where you complete against other virtual players for the trophy. Challenge where you play a series of “challenges” and score the highest points. Free Hole where you can setup the course you would like to play. As you play courses you earn points and medals that go towards unlocking courses and character customizations as well as increasing your character’s abilities.

Multiplayer uses Gameloft Live for online play, but you can also play locally with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Once online you can create or join a room and view the leaderboard. The game is a blast online as you complete in matches against a competitor from around the world.

Gameplay in Let’s Golf 2 is really straight forward. You can tap on the course map on the left of the screen to view where the ball is going and tap left or right on the screen to adjust or use the zoom controls to pan away form the action for a big picture of the course. You have the option of changing your clubs as well, but I have found for the most part the AI does a good enough job that I don’t have to change clubs too often, I can typically control the outcome of my swing by adjusting the strength I am swinging. Swinging your club is accomplished by tapping the golf ball on the right to start swinging and then tapping it again to center the swing for angle and strength. One feature that is missing is some sort of advanced club swinging mechanic. These swinging moves are typically accomplished by swiping your finger in a direction and letting go at the strength you want. Alas, this feature is not available that I have been able to find it.

I really enjoy Let’s Golf 2, but there is one issue that really bugs me. The framerate/accuracy of your club swings is not spot on. Depending on the course I often find that I have to touch the swinging meter ahead of when I plan to swing in order to assure accuracy. This is really frustrating sometimes as golf is a game that focuses on the smaller number of strokes in a game and I often find that through no mistake of my own, I miss a swing or calculate the incorrect swinging strength because of this flaw.

Don’t let my previous statement sway you from getting this game. Granted, the timing of some swings can be frustrating but the online play coupled with many characters and unlockables makes for a fantastic golf game.

[$4.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Colorful graphics
• Diverse courses
• Unlockable characters
• Unlockable character customizations
• Online and local wireless play
• Many different types of golf games to play

Cons

• Framerate can be slow at times
• Easy to miscalculate swing due to input latency

Can Gameloft deliver with their sequel to Hero of Sparta? I think the answer is a resounding yes. Though not perfect, Hero of Sparta II (HOS2) delivers pure action and colorful graphics on Apple’s noble iPhone and iPod Touch.

HOS2 is an action game spun in the Greek mythological era of the Gods and Goddesses. You play the warrior Argos. I won’t get into his story here, but in this game you are sent on a path of redemption. You return to Earth after spending some buddy time with Hades and immediately the action starts. The controls are different than its predecessor. The main diffidence is that Argos can now jump. This adds a much needed play mechanic to HOS2. In the weapon department, you start off with the basic shield and sword. After every level or so, you start to collect a variety of different and useful weapons including: wings that can be used to glide and attack, a helmet that give Argos the ability hurls fireballs, and my favorite the claws which give you God of War like attacks against your enemies.

The levels are mostly linear, but on occasion you can find a hidden area that has extra gems. You can collect red balls that can be used to increase the attack and magical attack of each weapon. Blue gems to replenish magic and green gems to gain back health. You can also collect additional gems that can be added to your weapon of choice to gain attack/magic bonuses like a +2 to attack, for example.

Pulling off attacks is fun. You have an attack button that when pressed successively, gives you a combo attack on your enemy. However, you can add a modifier to your attack by swiping up, down, left and right. If you use the down motion it will typically cause a “shield break” maneuver with your selected weapon to destroy a shield or some other object. Using the up swipe will launch your enemy in the air for you to unless even more combos.

I am very pleased with the variety of levels in HOS2. You have a lot of different interactive events from running acorss a crumbling bridge to swinging with the claw weapon like a vine to climbing towers. The enemies in HOS2 are not as great. I found that I was constantly fighting the same 3-4 enemies every time with an occasional 5th monster added just for variety. A new enemy feature which is enjoyable is “taking control” of the enemy. For example, the Minator can be controlled by following a series of button presses on screen. You can then control the Minator and attack the baddies. Regretfully, there is not much of a boss battle. There is a boss at the end of every level in HOS2, but you rarely actually attack them. Instead, you typically dodge their attacks or dodge environmental variables. This is somewhat disappointing, but there is plenty of action when fighting during the levels.

The graphics have really be stepped up in this release. There is an insane amount of detail close up with a wide variety of color and textures; make no doubt, HOS2 is very pretty and impressive. However, all of this comes at a controversial cost in this reviewers opinion; framerate. HOS2 moves nicely if you are in a relatively enclosed area with a couple of enemies, but this is rarely the case. You are typically fighting 5 or more bad guys at once in an open area and this is where the framrate begins to suffer. I estimate this game runs at an average of 15-20 frames per second. This can become frustrating when trying to string combos together,etc. I can only hope that Gameloft will update this app soon. Gameloft did an awesome update to GT Motoracing Academy to the pleasure of many fans and I hope that they do the same here.

Overall, HOS2 is a must buy for any action fan. If you are looking for the silky smooth framerate of say, N.O.V.A, look elsewhere. If you want a solid, fun action game that pays homage to God of War, then this is the game for you.

[$6.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

Cons

Plunderland is Apple’s App of the Week this week. Does it deserve it? Yes and no. Developer JohnnyTwoShoes has made a solid effort to bring pillaging across the sea in the hands of eager gamers.

The premise of Plunderland is you are a ghost with pirates that sail across the sea to attack and sink enemy ships, pillage tribes people and take money from their monuments then make it to the next port. Sounds fun? Well, get used to it because that is what you do over, and over, and over again with little variety. Call me a stinker, but I don’t see the allure with this game.

Sure, the water physics are nice. You tilt the iPhone left or right to make your boat move in that direction. When there is a storm, etc, the water behaves in a more erratic manor, making maneuvering more difficult. Once you are on the high seas, you come across your enemy; the British warships. You have a couple ways to take them out. First is to use your ships cannon. You have a nifty way of angling the cannon to shoot your targets, just move your finger along the bottom and you will get a reticule via a line that helps your aiming. Release your finger and you fire your cannonballs. Second, you can use the enemies cannonballs against themselves. Before the enemy launches an attack, the cannon will puff smoke, that is your cue to ready your finger and deflect the cannonball back upon the enemy ship and with luck, split it in two!

I know, I make it sound exhilarating, and it is the first two or three times you do it. Sadly, Plunderland does little to keep your attention. Future attacks add blimps and more, but the fun is gone by that point. The attacking villagers is a simple “tap, tap. tap” on the totems to get money and fling some villagers around in an effort to extract some more dough. Again… zzzz…

There is nice upgrade system though, you can upgrade your ship, cannons and bowsprits by earning said money above. The game has excellent promise. The controls, physics and graphical style all lend them selves to a success. However, the bland  I really, really wanted to like this game, being highlighted on Apple’s App Store, but alas, mateys, I just can’t bring myself to recommend this lack-luster treasure.

[$2.99- iTunes Link]

UPDATE: I had a delightful Twitter chat with the developers. I explained that I had played 50% thorough the game and became unchallenged with the levels and objectives. They understood and are looking at a way to unlock the more exciting and complex levels earlier for more “hardcore” gamers. I also said that when I find the time to complete the game 100%, I would update this review to include my findings. I am hopeful that by the time I do this, they will have some new content available. You can follow the developer on Twitter here.

Pros

• Great graphics
• Solid frame-rate
• Good physics engine
• Upgrade system

Cons

• Very, very, very repetitive
• Takes a while to become a challenge (the end of the second chapter)

My latest favorite iPhone game is Fruit Ninja. The premise of Fruit Ninja is simple; slice fruit, don’t miss any and don’t slice a bomb by mistake. Sound easy? Think again grasshopper! After beginning a game, fruit flies up from the bottom of the screen. You use your finger (or fingers) to slice the fruit. If a fruit falls back off the screen without being sliced, you receive an X. Three X’s and it’s game over. To make things interesting, bombs are thrown into the mix as well. So, not only are you trying to slice a lot of fruit coming at you and not missing any, you have bombs that shoot up as well. The challenge is, if you slice the bomb, it’s instant game-over.

When it comes to difficulty with this game, it is a nice and smooth curve. The issue is that once you get good at it, it would be nice to start at a higher difficulty. However, Fruit Ninja always starts you back at the beginning. Your efforts are not at a loss though, the game has plenty of achievements via Open Feint and unlockables. Different colored swords and backgrounds can be unlocked if you have the dedication and skill of a true ninja.

Fruit Ninja also has two different play modes. First is Classic. This is the primary play mode I have described above. Score points by slicing fruit while avoiding the bombs. Zen mode is fun and fast. There are no bombs, but you have a time limit to slice as many fruits as you can. This is not hard, what is hard to is to slice with combos to rack up more points. Check out the Open Feint leaderboards and you will see what I am talking about.

I can’t say enough about this game. It has great art direction, animation and fun. When you lose, it even gives you facts about fruit. This is a near-perfect game, I love it!

[$0.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Fun gameplay
• Great graphics
• Unlockable content

Cons

• No option to start at a higher difficulty

Ngmoco has just brought out the ultimate game/tech-demo (to show your friends) for the iPhone 4 – Eliminate GunRange. It’s a virtual gun range game where you use real weapons to shoot targets. The concept is not entirely engrossing as there are plenty of other top-notch shooting games out there (ngmoco’s own Eliminate comes to mind). What makes this game fun and special is that it is the first game to take full use of the new iPhone 4 gyroscope. How does it work? Continue reading to find out!

The game starts out simple enough; you are presented with a single weapon, an M60. There are numerous other weapons to choose from, but you have to score well to unlock additional weapons with credits. After you select your weapon, you then can begin the ” Challenges” for your selected weapon. When the level begins you have a pre- determined set of targets to destroy. That is where the fun begins.

The enjoyment factor of GunRange does not stem from the fact that you are destroying targets, it comes form the amazing control offered by the iPhone 4 gyroscope. It literally “feels” like you are holding the weapon in your hands and where ever you aim your iPhone, the cursor hovers over the target. This level of control is unprecedented in previous iPhone efforts till now. It is simply a tease of what is to come.

What could be hum-drum central, ngmoco has attempted to make levels as interesting as possible, however there are only three ranges. For example, the first level is a basic shooting range. As you progress you being to shoot targets outside in a different locale. What makes the level and challenge enticing is that targets appear “off screen” and you have to use the gyroscope to quickly turn left and right. Speaking of turning left and right, you don’t have to rotate your whole body like Steve Jobs did in his WWDC 2010 keynote. Rather, I was able to successfully turn by simply lowering one side or the other to turn. This is also effective in racing games too, I have found.

For $.99 this is an easy pick up title. Will it keep you engaged for months to come, unlikely. But is it fun and cool to show off? Definitely.

[$0.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Awesome use of the iPhone 4 gyroscope Graphics are sharp and look good on the retina display
• Multiple guns and shooting ranges

Cons

• A bit repetitive
• Only three gun ranges, more variety would have been nice

Survival horror thriller Zombie Infection for iPhone has to be Gameloft’s highest production game to date. The graphics and voice acting are top notch and the cinematic style is engrossing.

Zombie Invasion starts off with you landing in a small town, that — wait for it — has been overrun by zombies! The first level is basically a tutorial showing you the moves for your character. You can shoot and stomp on crates to find goodies such as ammunition and medical supplies. You can move while aiming (albeit very slowly) and you can dismember the zombies by shooting their legs, arms and heads; what more can you ask for?

As you progress through the 12 levels in the game you unlock them to replay at any time. This is great since Zombie Infection has a trophy achievement system. You can go back though levels and practice/earn achievements. There are some fun ones too, for example if you shoot off both legs of a zombie, you get an achievement for that. It is this type of mechanic that makes me come back for more.

To add a little variety to the game, you can also play as one of two characters; Ex-soldier Damien Sharpe and reporter Alex Rayne. The names are cheesy, yes, but the gameplay and fun factor is not. I love this game and I am thankful that Gameloft is bringing these types of games to iPhone; it makes one really compelling alternative to other platforms for mobile gaming. Check the video and pictures after the break!

Pros

• Great graphics
• Good voice acting
• Solid controls
• Two different characters to play
• Compelling story
• Level select after you complete a level
• Trophies
• Online leaderboards
• 12 Levels
• Unlockable Survival mode

Cons

• No quick turn
• I can’t think of anything else… this game is HOT!!!

Today the App Store was introduced to the latest RPG from Square Enix, Chaos Rings. [iTunes Link - $12.99] If you appreciate RPG titles with RTS turn-based battles than Chaos Rings could be for you — if you can get over the hefty admission fee.

• Amazingly smooth 3D graphics
• Gorgeous sound that takes full advantage of the iPhone and iPod touch’s powerful hardware
• A deep story with unique twists for every pair and multiple endings
• Traditional game and battle systems polished to perfection
• Hours upon hours of gameplay, complete with hidden bosses, secret weapons, and more

Are you going to give it a try? What do you think of a $12.99 price-point for an iPhone game? If you decide to give this a try let us know what you think in the comments below!

We are pretty sure by now most of you have heard of a little game called Plants vs. Zombies from the developer Popcap. TiPb would now like to introduce you to Plants vs. Zombies HD. [iTunes Link - $9.99] Right away I know what many of you may be thinking, why spend another $9.99 on a app I always paid for on my iPhone or iPod touch? I am here to tell you that if you love the game on any platform – buy it for iPad as you will not regret it. Plants vs. Zombies HD on iPad is the best way to experience this game.

The iPad version is identical to it’s iPhone counterpart in the gameplay aspect but is much more graphically pleasing to the eye on iPad. You defend your home from invading zombies with an arsenal of 49 zombie destroying plants. The plants (a.k.a. weapons) available to you include peashooters, wall-nuts, cherry bombs and more to dismember the 26 different types of zombies. Along with all of this zombie action you get five game modes:

• Adventure: 50 levels — Play through day, night and fog, in a swimming pool and on the rooftop.
• Mini-Games
• Puzzle
• Survival
• Stress Free Zen Garden

Screenshots and a video from Georgia after the break!

YouTube link

Whether you are a fan of the Castle Defender genre or Zombies, you are sure to love the soon to be released ZombieSmash! for iPhone and iPod touch.

In similar fashion to the very popular Plants vs Zombies, ZombieSmash! adds a few new tricks to Castle Defender games with the addition of some fancy ragdoll physics and excessive amounts of cartoon gore. Look for ZombieSmash! to drop in the App Store sometime this month for $1.99.

Check out the official trailer after the break!

[Via Touch Arcade]

They are finally here RPG fans, Final Fantasy [$8.99 - iTunes link] and Final Fantasy II [$8.99 - iTunes link] were released earlier today in the App Store for your iPhone or iPod touch. Each game will cost you $8.99 but that seems to be a small price to pay for such classics as these.

Final Fantasy features the bonus dungeons added to later editions of the game – the Soul of Chaos and the Labyrinth of Time. Part 2 also contains the bonus dungeons added to later editions from the Soul of Rebirth and the Arcane Labyrinth.

If you try them out let us know us what you think in the comments below! Do they live up to the hype or are there better ways to spend $18?

Today’s TiPb Top 5 will be directed towards our iPhone and iPod touch wielding readers who love their classic, retro games. Just like our other TiPb’s top 5 must-have posts, all of these applications are available in the App Store. For the full run down, follow us after the break!

Mega Man 2

Originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1988, Capcom’s Mega Man 2 ranks in as one of the greatest retro games ever made. This iPhone version is a pretty close port of the Nintendo original. The game features the same simple graphics from the original version along with the 256×256 pixel playfield. Controls are handled via a virtual onscreen joystick and two buttons. The biggest negative that some of you may not like is the game’s difficulty — or lack there of. It’s pretty easy to get through this one, especially when compared to the original.

• Utilize virtual arcade controls to control the blue bomber.
• Rebalanced gameplay for the iPhone experience.
• Battle your way through 14 levels, and conquer 9 unique bosses, each with a unique weapon!
• Bringing the original classic NES game to the palm of your hand

Mega Man 2 [iTunes Link] is available now in the App Store for only $.99 but hurry as this price may soon change!

Earthworm Jim

Initially released on Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo back in 1994, Earthworm Jim broke new ground in 16-bit gaming and we are happy to say the Gameloft iPhone version holds up pretty well. No corners were cut with this one as everything that makes the original a classic is here. — nice crisp graphics, excellent sound and good controls.

• Run, gun, swing from hooks with your head, launch cows, bungee jump, rocket through speed levels and more!
• Face 12 types of enemies and 9 bosses.
• 4 different styles of gameplay: Side-scrolling run & gun, space racing, bungee jumping and underwater levels
• 10 original environments divided into 16 levels
• 4 levels of difficulty, including the challenging mode of the original game
• The re-mastered cult soundtrack
• iPod library access to play your favorite tracks while playing the game.

Earthworm Jim [iTunes Link] is currently available in the App Store for $4.99.

Myst

Myst was one of the first games to be put on a CD-ROM in 1993 and back then it simply awed gamers around the world. With the iPhone version of Myst you not only get an exact replica of the original but you get it improved graphically. Yes, the iPhone version of Myst is visually more impressive than the PC/Mac counterpart.

• All the original Ages & gameplay
• High quality images (better than original Myst)
• Full music & sound effects
• Original movies & animations
• Auto-save (when quitting or phone call)
• “Bookmark” system to save & restore progress
• Swipe to turn
• Auto-zoom in certain close-up areas
• Quick access to hint guide
• Works with iPhone 3G, the original iPhone, and iPod touch.

Myst [iTunes Link] is available in the App Store on sale for $4.99.

Golden Axe

Sega’s 1989 classic 16-bit game Golden Axe is available for your iPhone. Those of you familiar with the original will feel right at home as it’s a exact replica of the Genesis version. You pick one of three characters -a powerful Fighter, a female Amazon, and a mighty Dwarf. Each have different strengths and magical powers, and your mission is to battle through dark castles, on the back of a giant turtle, and even on the wings of an enchanted eagle to challenge the Death-Adder. Along with your sword and axe, you can hop on the backs of the Bizarrians and use their fierce attacks like fire breath and tail whips.

Those of you who do not own a iPhone 3GS may want to avoid this as there are reports of it being a bit sluggish on the older models.

Golden Axe [iTunes Link] is available in the App Store for $4.99.

Secret of Monkey Island

This remake of the 1990 classic PC title Secret of Monkey Island weighs in at a hefty 351MB and it is worth every single byte. If a brilliant story, great visuals and good controls are what you look for in a game, this one’s is for you. Some reviewers complain about the controls but we did not have any major gripes. Sure they could be improved but this very well may be the best version of this LucasArts classic.

• An all new re-imagined contemporary art style
• Complete voice over by members of the original Monkey Island™ franchise cast
• A re-mastered musical score using live instruments
• Plus, scene-for-scene hot swap to seamlessly transition between Special Edition and Classic modes at anytime

Secret of Money Island [iTunes Link] is available in the App Store for $7.99.

Have a classic retro game you would like to add to this list? Please share it with other readers in the comments below!

Activision’s first person shooter hit, Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies is taking advantage of in-app purchasing with a new map – Verrückt (Zombie Asylum).

This new map will run you an additional $4.99, added to the app’s original price of $9.99. (Full disclosure: Activation was nice enough cover the cost for TiPb’s test-drive of both the app and the new map). Price aside, it does not disappoint. Zombie Verrückt has been brought over pretty much exactly from console versions, electric barriers and all.

Also worth mentioning are the slew of impovements the recent free 1.2.0 update to the game brought to the table.

• Verrückt Map Now Available; Support for In-App Purchases of downloadable maps
• 9 New Weapons including FG-42, Gewehr-43, PPsh-41, M1 Garand, and the Springfield
• 13 New Achievements for Nacht der Untoten and 10 New Achievements for the new Verrückt map
• Overall game engine optimizations for a smoother, richer gameplay experience
• Leaderboard Enhancements to track Highest Wave Reached, Points Scored, Kills, and Headshots
• Control Tweaks to Touch Screen & Dual Stick configurations with Options to adjust controls based on user preferences
• Tutorial adjustments to allow for experimentation of control schemes before game start
• Multiplayer Point Display to track your comrades’ in-game progression
• Improved Network Reliability
• More connection types will be able to support online multiplayer; UPnP support to address players with Wi-Fi routers that block players’ ability to connect to MP
• Support for French localized text

This game is one heck of an experience for you to check out on your iPhone or iPod touch. If you find yourself still on the fence we highly recomend that you at least try the lite version for free. [iTunes Link] Sure you only get to play a few rounds but everything else is there including multiplayer.

We’re also curious to know what you think about the price point. Is $9.99 for the full version of the game plus an additional $4.99 for a single new map still cheap compared to console games, or does it deter you at all? Are you willing to pay a premium for premium games? Are in-app purchases like this a good way to breathe new life into existing titles? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll add a few screenshots after the break!

If you did not already know, Final Fantasy 1 and 2 coming to an iPhone/iPod touch near you and on Friday, Square Enix decided to tease us all with the first official trailer.

We are sure all of you who are die hard RPG fans are growing impatient by the minute but unfortunately there is still no specific release date or price. The only information the video gives us is that it is “coming soon”. If you’d like to get the latest information be sure to follow Square Enix on Twitter.

Video after the break!

[Via Crunch Gear]

After a bit of a delay, GTA has finally made it’s way into the App Store with it’s guns blazing. Back in September we told you Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars [iTunes Link - $9.99] was coming to the iPhone and now it is finally here. While we have not had a chance to give it a try just yet, Touch Arcade has taken a spin in Liberty City and they have come away quite impressed.

• PSP and Nintendo DS graphics quality
• Gameplay and storyline are classic GTA, profanity included.
• Minigames
• Hours of gameplay
• Gives you the full GTA experience

General consensus is that this game is a must have for any GTA fan. Check out the video after the break!

[Via Touch Arcade]

For the past week or so I’ve been playing this new game from OstinGames, Zepi [iTunes Link - $.99] and it turns out it does belong in the “New and Noteworthy” section of the App Store. It’s quite an addicting little game that’s premise is simple, build the longest chain of bubbles of single color as fast as possible by tapping them. The longer chain of bubbles you have, the more points you receive.

• Bright, colorful skins (3 skins currently available)
• Global score ranking system (as well as local)
• Support of accelerometer: you can hold the device in a way which is comfortable for you
• Easy gameplay: even for kids

For $.99 this is definitely a game to check out and be sure to keep an eye out for an update that contains new new skins and sounds as it should be released soon.

Wish you could be strapped in free riding down the mountain at any given moment? Now you can as Ubisoft along with Advanced Mobile Applications have released Shaun White Snowboarding: Origins [iTunes Link - $4.99] for iPhone and iPod touch.

With excellent 3D graphics and touch controls, you can choose from four different characters to snowboard with at destinations around the world including USA, Chile, Japan, and Spain. Each playable character has their own unique control, trick or speed specialties. Once you have your player selected you will be introduced to the snowboarding world with a tutorial by White and then you are on your own. 50 or so tricks can be pulled off, including ollies, flips and grabs. As you progress you can earn unlockable content, such as real-life snowboarding footage of White and friends by earning various achievements.

To add a ton of replay value you get various game modes such as one freestyle option, and three that make use of a ghost feature. Now toss in leaderboards, and Twitter and Facebook connections and you have yourself a nice little game.

See you on the mountain…

More screen shots after the break!

Metallica and iPhone apps seem to be pretty popular as of late. First they released Live Metallica and now Tap Tap Revenge Metallica has just been released into the App Store. [$4.99 - iTunes Link] For your money you get the following 10 tracks:

• Enter Sandman
• Sad But True
• King Nothing
• All Nightmare Long
• Some Kind of Monster
• Master of Puppets
• Seek and Destroy
• Fuel
• One
• For Whom the Bell Tolls

This Tap Tap game may seem to be no different than the rest but it the first of the series to include battles over Bluetooth. This Bluetooth battle mode allows players to challenge their friends to a point-by-point battle where they can deploy bombs and other special objects to distract the opposition and come out victorious. Tapulous then added another all new fast-paced Arcade Mode where players are challenged with even more bombs and other objects that make the game that much more difficult.

So if you are a Metallica fan and have $4.99 to spend, we highly recommend checking this one out as you will not be disappointed.

[Thanks to Phil for the tip!]

With Star Wars: Trench Wars THQ Wireless is finally giving all of the Star Wars fans what seems to be a quality game based off of the classic films. To us it looks like a nice remake of the classic Star Wars arcade game.

Use the Force to overthrow the evil Galactic Empire as they attempt to destroy the small Rebel base on Yavins jungle moon. As part of the Rebel Alliances Red Squadron you dogfight with TIE Fighters above the Death Stars surface before heading into a trench where you are inundated by cannon fire. Dodge obstacles, and stay out of Darth Vaders sights as he tries to gun you down before you have the chance to fire your proton torpedoes into a thermal exhaust port the size of a womp rat. If successful, a direct hit will cause a chain reaction that destroys the Death Star, thus saving the Rebel base from impending doom.

While no price or exact release date has been given, the game is showing promise. I’ve grown up a fan of the Star Wars films and yes, the last three films were unfortunate but hopefully games like this will make us all feel a little bit better. Maybe?

[Via Touch Arcade]

Dexter fans can now visit the App Store and purchase their favorite serial killers very own iPhone game for $5.99. [iTunes Link] It was almost a year ago since we first mentioned that this game was in development. Hopefully the extra time it took to arrive has paid off. Judging from the above video and what I’ve seen in the brief time I’ve spent with the final version, it does seem a bit more polished.

In the game, help Dexter choose his next victims while always protecting his identity. Analyze crime scenes, uncover evidence and use stealth tactics to stalk your prey. Is the case best served by the courts or the Dark Passenger? The outcome of every choice and action revolves around the Code of Harry: only kill the guilty, maintain the mask, and above all, don’t get caught!

This game should hold you over until the new season begins on September 27th.

[Via Touch Arcade]

Rockstar Games announced yesterday that it will be porting one of their most popular games over to the iPhone platform. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will make its iPhone debut sometime before the year is over (price still to be determined).

This is simply more verification that Apple’s iPhone OS can pull its weight in the handheld gaming wars. If you can’t wait until GTA‘s release, Gangstar: West Coast Hustle from Gameloft [iTunes Link] should be good enough to hold you over.

According to Rockstar, screen shots will be coming soon but until then feel free to take a look some Sony PSP images after the break.

[Via Rockstar Games]

The NFL’s regular season is fast approaching and what a better way to kick the season off then with some Madden 2010 on your iPhone (or iPod touch)?! EA has been promising us some Madden action on iPhone for a while and now they finally will deliver.

The game will contain real NFL rosters and, based upon the screen shots, will include Brett Favre and Michael Vick on both of their new respective teams. While EA is promising a release date of no later than opening day, September 10th, there is no official word on a price point. All of that aside, we think you can expect Madden 2010 to stiff arm it’s way into the App Store at $9.99.

[Via Cnet]

Screen shots after the break!

Yesterday Popcap announced that it will be porting its fastest-selling Mac/PC game in the company’s history, Plants vs Zombies, over to iPhone before the year is over.

Not familiar with this game? You should be, it’s highly addicting gameplay not only caters to hardcore tower defense fans but to casual gamers alike.

• Play five game modes: Adventure, Mini-Games, Puzzle, Survival, plus the stress-free Zen Garden
• Conquer all 50 levels of Adventure mode — through day, night and fog, in a swimming pool and on the rooftop
• Battle 26 types of zombies including pole-vaulters, snorkelers and “Zomboni” drivers
• Earn 49 powerful perennials and collect coins to buy a pet snail, power-ups and more!

Sadly, no exact release date or pricing has been announced but Zombie lovers rejoice. It will be here soon enough.

What are the top 5, must-have board games currently available on the iPhone? Many of you have taken a liking to our Top 5 Must-Have Jailbreak Apps features, so TiPb figured why not expand the series and cover some of the better apps directly from Apple’s own iTunes App Store as well? So that is exactly what we did. Today we have compiled what we feel are the current top 5 must-have board game apps available. For the full run down, follow us after the break!

UNO

Gameloft’s rendition of the classic card game has come a long way since it was first introduced into the App Store back in November. With a slick layout, nice graphics and a very fluent control scheme a card game like this is a perfect fit for the iPhone platform.

The feature that makes this a great iPhone board game is Gameloft’s new community based-social network – “Gameloft Live”. This new feature adds friends lists, trophies, chat and personal messaging for players.

• Action Cards are here: Wild, Reverse, Draw 2, and more
• Customize your game with 9 different rules to play your way, including 7-0 and Jump-in
• Play online or with your friends through a Wi-Fi connection.
• Collect prizes by winning increasingly difficult games in Tournament Mode.
• Game invites via push notifications

UNO is available for $4.99. [iTunes Link]

Scrabble

EA Mobile has done a excellent job on it’s latest board game release, Hasbro’s Scrabble, especially for those of you looking for a great multiplayer experience via WiFi. For those of you who may not be familiar with this particular game, the object is to create words from a rack of seven letters that is randomly assigned to each player. You use those seven letters that were assigned to you to build words on the game board. Certain letters have more points associated with them and certain game board squares enable higher scoring. Winning the game is simple, you must create words that give you a higher score than your opponent.

• Now you can play SCRABBLE™ with your friends on Facebook
• Start a match from any platform to play-invite friends the same way
• Play in real time-stats and chats appear instantly
• SHAKE your iPhone to shuffle letters, ZOOM to view the playing board, and DRAG-n-DROP to place tiles
• Tap into your iTunes® libray and listen to your favorite songs

Scrabble is available for $4.99. [iTunes Link]

Monopoly Here and Now: World Edition

Monopoly, what more can you really say but we are willing to bet most, if not all, of our readers has a fairly good idea what this game is all about. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this classic – Monopoly is a board game that can be played two to four players. Each player is represented by a token of their choice: a shoe, a top-hat, a dog, or a car. Each player takes a turn, rolls two six-sided dice and moves his/her token across the board. Each space on the board is either a property you can purchase or it initiates some other transaction – fines, rewards, etc… The goal of Monopoly is to make the most money and bankrupt your opponents.

• Wi-Fi Mode Allows 4 players to connect via the same router on a Local Area Network (Disappointing, we know…)
• 3D view of the board and movers
• Play solo against the computer or Pass n’ play for 4
• Use your touch screen to flick and drag property cards and simulate real-life game experiences

Monopoly Here and Now: World Edition is available for $4.99. [iTunes Link]

The Game of Life: Classic Edition

Just like all of the other EA Mobile board games, The Game of Life translates very nicely over to iPhone. In The Game of Life players travel around the game board landing on spaces that act out various events that you may experience throughout ones life – schooling, work, retirement, etc… During your journey of life you will come be offered jobs, slapped with lawsuits, have children, purchase property, and get life tiles. Life tiles represent major life events that are revealed at the end of the game, each of them will reward players with different amounts of money that will be added to the players retirement totals. The player with the most amount of money at the end of the game, is the winner.

• High replayability – endless choices allow you to recreate your life every time you play!
• Animated tokens bring the game to LIFE!
• Innovative controls for effortless navigation around a colorful gameboard
• Stunning, 3D playing environment with winding roads and plush landscapes

One of most obvious omissions of this game is the lack of Wi-Fi play. Hopefully that will come in a future update.

The Game of Life Classic Edition is available for $4.99. [iTunes Link]

Trivial Pursuit

This last game we have for you today comes from EA Mobile yet again, Trivial Pursuit. This game offers you Classic mode, where the game board has the looks just like the classic board game. The game play is still the same as well. You still collect wedges by answering multiple choice questions for six categories – Entertainment, Geography, History, Sports & Leisure, Science & Nature, and Arts & Literature. The player who is able to answer the most questions correctly and gathers the most wedges – wins.

• Play with up to 4 players using Pass’N Play and local Wi-Fi multiplayer.
• Choose the right amount of wedges to win, set your own time limits, and create personalized difficulty levels.
• Innovative, easy-to-use touch controls allow you to roll the dice with a tilt and a shake. Page through questions with the swipe of your hand and tap to select answers!

Trivial Pursuit is available for $4.99. [iTunes Link]

Conclusion

Well that’s it, TiPb’s Top 5 Must-Have iPhone board games. Did we miss any of your favorites? Overlook any killer features? Drop us a comment and let us know your list!

UniWar is quite the little gem of a strategy game. You have four modes of play: Online, Campaign, Solo and Vs. and three species to choose from: Sapiens, Titans and Khraleans. The variety of  units is very diverse. You have units that can bury them selves underground and move a space at a time to units that can teleport across the screen. One of the great things I enjoy about this game is the plethora of maps you have to play; 50+!!! That is plenty to keep me busy. As of this writing, I have only played about 10 maps, so I have a long way to go!

This game is very polished and I have lost many hours playing it. If you like StarCraft, this is an excellent diversion to keep you busy. The developers are quite active in delivering updates (they are up to 1.0.4 already). They have also added the little extra touches that can make a difference such as the ability to play in portrait or landscape in real-time; just rotate your iPhone. Nice.

When you play online you register on the UniWar website and it keeps track of your stats and even has a ladder to see your ranking. You also have the ability to save multiple active games and resume them at your leisure.

If I were to mention some areas of improvement it would be the AI’s time to play; it can be lengthy at times (I once waited 20 seconds). Though trivial, I think with the modern hardware of the iPhone, that the AI can be sped up a bit for mobile gaming. Also, though the graphics are good, the animation appeared to be a bit jerky. Perhaps this could be improved with more animations per unit. If i had to guess, there are only a few frames of animation each. The fluidity of movements would make the play that much more immersive.

Overall, if you like Sci-Fi turn-based stragatey games, this is a steal at $4.99! Check it out now! Sreenshots after the break!

With the release of Terminator Salvation only a few short weeks away — May 21st to be exact — Gameloft has gone and sent TiPb the very visually-pleasing trailer for their new iPhone game tie-in.

This game looks to be the most impressive iPhone game to date, we can only hope that the controls will be half as good.

There is no word on pricing (We’d expect it to be in the $9.99 price range.) or a release date but you can only assume it should be hitting the App Store on or around the movie’s theatrical release.

As for the movie, it is looking pretty decent, if you can get past the PG-13 rating…

Well Tap Tap Revenge 2 is now available in the App Store and for a great low price: Free!

Right off the bat, Tap Tap Revenge 2 comes with more than 150 free downloadable tracks, and we’ll continue to add great new tracks every week. The three bundled tracks in the game are some of our favorites. Death Cab for Cutie’s “The Sound of Settling“ is supremely catchy and super fun to play.Stroke 9 went into the studio to write and record Tap Tap DomiNation, the hot new title track for Tap Tap Revenge 2.

Tap Tap Revenge 2 has the same addictive gameplay as the first game but add a completely new look and feel to it with some additional new features. Some of these new features are: a online multiplayer mode, 3-D experience where the feedback and the colors get crazier the better you do in the game, multi-tap – tap & hold and instant tap feedback make the game more challenging and fun at the higher levels, a career mode, and finally a kids mode.

Once again, you can download this game for free in the App Store today. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for free and paid music track downloads in the near future!

I’m usually not a fan of games like Resco Bubbles, but I have to admit that this one is pretty addictive. The premise is simple:

Resco Bubbles for iPhone/iPod Touch is an action puzzle game where the idea is to clear the grid of bubbles in order to advance to the next level. You are given a sequence of bubbles, which should be quickly and efficiently popped. Numerous explosive, speed-up, slow-down and damage bubbles keep the game play exciting and challenging.

You can now purchase the full version of Resco Bubbles in the App Store for $1.99 or you can give it a try for free simply by downloading the lite version.

[Thanks to Hobbes for the tip!]