Every week iMore's editors carefully cull through hundreds of thousands of iPhone and iPad apps and games, and countless accessories, and pick only one of each -- one app, one game, and one accessory. Innovative, interesting, or just plain exciting, they might might be the latest and greatest or the most newly updated, or they might be classics or hidden gems. The only constants are, they'll always be among our very favorites, and they'll worthy to join the exclusive ranks of iMore's new picks of the week.

This week we have an old social favorite with new social hook, the sequel to the sequel of one of the best shooters ever, and way to give your iPhone an incredible new set of eyes...

App of the Week: Flipboard with SoundCloud

Flipboard is a dynamic, up-to-date, but highly personalized magazine created from everything being shared to you from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Reeder, LinkedIn, Flickr and most recently added, SoundCloud.

That's right, now you can enjoy amazing sounds created and shared by your friends and people you follow on SoundCloud as well as explore dozens of recommended audio feeds in new Audio category in the Content Guide.

Using Flipboard is joyous. You simply flip through the different stories in your feeds that are displayed with big images and an expert of text. When reading an article, advancing through pages also requires the act of "flipping". It's actually pretty fun.

Flipboard is one of our favorite personal magazine apps, and it also supports our favorite read later services: Instapaper, Pocket, and Readability.

Free - Download Now

Game of the week: N.O.V.A. 3

This week, there was really only iOS game worth talking about: Gameloft's N.O.V.A. 3. The franchise has long been meeting the needs of hardcore Halo fans looking for something similar on their iPhone, and over time, N.O.V.A. has very much come into its own.

You play the role of Kal Wardin, a reluctant (and supposedly retired) military man who's the only one with the skills to fend off the usual intergalactic threats. Your standard assortment of shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, grenades, and missile launchers are supplemented by superhuman abilities like slowing time, telekentic force pushes, and freezing enemies. Though there's a 10-level single player campaign, the real game takes place online, where you fight 6 v 6 across a variety of classic game modes, like team deathmatch, free for all, and capture the flag. As you play, win or lose, you gain experience points and level up, which unlocks new weapons, equipment, and add-ons to spawn with. One of the most exciting elements of multiplayer is the ability to hop into a variety of awesome high-tech vehicles, like walker mechs and jeeps.

This sci-fi first-person shooter boasts Retina-optimized graphics for both iPhone and iPad, but be warned new iPad owners - the price for razor-sharp textures is steep. In order to keep the framerate up, you'll be sacrificing lots of cool effects like depth of field and motion blur. Gameloft is also trying to push in-app purchases for guns, which is a trapping generally left to free games, but luckily you can earn all the in-game currency you need through regular gameplay.

N.O.V.A. 3 provides top-notch action, great multiplayer, and graphics that you will have a hard time finding anywhere else on iOS. Although many scoff at dual-stick shooters on mobile, I find Gameloft has done a great job at integrating gyroscope control since Modern Combat 3, particularly for fine aim adjustments. I also take zero issue with the "inspiration" they pull from sci-fi games on other platforms; if Halo isn't ever going to find its way to the iPhone and iPad, then more power to Gameloft for bringing it here. For action game fans, N.O.V.A. 3 is a no-brainer.

$6.99 - Download now

Accessory of the week: olloclip lens system

The olloclip is a compact, convenient lens system that easily slides over your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S camera and turns it into a fun, flexible, photography powerhouse. The olloclip contains both a fisheye and wide-angle lens, and you can unscrew the wide-angle to reveal a macro lens as well. That's 3 extra options in one small package.

We used the olloclip extensively at both CES 2012 and Macworld|iWorld Expo 2012 and it worked fantastically well. The fisheye let us fit multiple people into frame for video interviews, and the macro let us get in really close for details. We even used the macro to capture the Retina display comparison shots for our new iPad review.

Combine it with the killer tips in our iPhone photography column and you're on your way to one fairly incredible ultra-mobile photo kit.

$69.99 - Buy now

Curated by Leanna Lofte, Simon Sage, Georgia, and Rene Ritchie

Gameloft has launched N.O.V.A. 3, the next step to their sci-fi first-person-shooter franchise for iPhone and iPad. This time, you're taking to the streets of Earth, engaging in gripping firefights with a bunch of high-tech weaponry and vehicles. As with previous games, there's full support for multiplayer, spanning 6 modes and including up to 12 players, but there's also a ten-level single-player campaign to get you warmed up. Vehicles now let more than one player hop in, which promises to be a ton of fun when playing online. There's no Game Center support, since Gameloft has their own setup for multiplayer and achievements, but N.O.V.A. 3  is optimized for the new iPad.

The N.O.V.A. franchise has been around for awhile, and has been a staple for the quality of mobile first-person-shooters in many respects. Modern Combat, another one of Gameloft's brands, has very much done the same, only it targeted the Modern Warfare and Call of Duty crowd rather than the hardcore Halo players.

Personally, I'm itching to give this a shot. Are you?

$6.99 - Download now

We're pitting two iPhone and iPad games against one another that are all about settling a brave new world. On the one side, we have the digital adaptation of the classic board game, Catan. In the other, we have a veteran PC title that's made the leap to mobile, called The Settlers.

For some people, the word "Catan" will conjure up memories of hours spent haggling for sheep and building roads. Trust me, it's more fun than it sounds - that nostalgia is what will pull most iPhone and iPad owners to give the digital game a try. The game board is broken up into hexagonal tiles, each with their own resource type. Players build settlements at the intersections of these tiles to gather surrounding resources, and construct roads to connect their towns. Every turn, dice are rolled to determine which tiles produce resources, which the players can then trade with one another as needed. There are a variety of win criteria, none of which involve going to war and razing your opponents' cities to the ground, which is a nice change of pace. Instead, you earn victory points for having the longest road, the most (or biggest) cities, and amassing the largest army. The first one to a certain number of victory points (usually 10) wins.

The fly-in menu in Catan is very slick, and after a few games, navigating it becomes very natural.

The charm of the board game was playing with friends - wheeling and dealing in resources, cutting each other off in road construction, and planting robbers in their territory to plunder their resources. Despite the wide variety of turn-based online multiplayer titles available for iPhone, Catan only offers local hand-off multiplayer, which significantly stunts the fun factor. Catan also takes another knock for requiring you to buy "The Seafarers" expansion pack for $5 in order to access the single-player campaign mode, although it nearly doubles the number of scenarios you can play in the one-off custom games. Without the add-on, you're limited to the generic skirmish mode with AI opponents and a smaller handful of game variants. Given, the computer opponents have a wide variety of strengths and weaknesses, providing for some decent replayability, it's still not an ideal single-player experience with a level-by-level narrative. At least dealing with robots means you don't feel bad for taking a long time on turns or screwing them over in trades. I found the user interface and graphics for Catan to be pretty nice, and even when you're just playing with the AI, the fundamental gameplay retains its classic appeal.

You'll have a lot of buildings in The Settlers, and even more resources to manage.

Fans of the settling-themed games will likely be familiar with The Settlers series on PC. At its core, The Settlers is a production chain game. The line of production is sensible, but extensive. Make a woodcutter to chop wood. Make a sawmill to make boards from that wood. Use the boards to make a farm. Make a mill to turn the grain into flour. This goes on all the way through feeding miners to smelting iron to training troops to expanding your territory. Though aggressive military expansion is the inevitable outcome of all of that micromanaging, you spend the vast majority of your time making sure everyone is fed and properly supplied. The game stretches across four separate single-player campaigns, traveling through a wide variety of landscapes and pitting you against many different civilizations - both indigenous and competing colonies.

The problem with The Settlers is that the sheer complexity of the chain of production creates a very cluttered user interface on the iPhone. There are tons of sub-menus to pinpoint specific units. Terrain is graded on how quick it is to build structures, creating this jarring blur of red and green dots. Though some of the nitpickier parts of the PC game have been axed for simplicity, such as creating the network of roads to connect buildings, and upgrading building levels to increase productivity, I would say they could have cut even more while keeping the same core, appealing gameplay. For example, we could skip the coal requirement to smelt iron and gold, get rid of stone mines since there are already quarries, and reduce the number of unit types to avoid confusion. There are 33 different types of settlers that you have to manage, each with their own tool, material, and building requirements, not to mention the second- and third-level military units you can train - that's a lot to juggle. They've even introduced a lot of extra elements that I don't recognize since playing Settlers 7 on PC, like sulfur mines, eyecatcher buildings, and priests.

Is this what combat is supposed to look like?

Sure, great real-time strategy games benefit from extensive tech trees, but for an iPhone game, it feels cramped, and I imagine even on an iPad The Settlers would be hectic. The graphics are decent, but zooming in on gameplay just shows a pixelated blown-up view, rather than higher-res textures.

Picking between the two is a tough call because they both have pretty specific flaws; Catan is missing vital online multiplayer support, and Settlers has a cramped user interface. Despite having similar themes, both have fairly different game mechanics, too. Besides having a more streamlined user interface, I found the pace of Catan's gameplay more sensible for mobile; even with a fast-forward button, The Settlers is built for long-haul single-player missions. Meanwhile, you could have a rewarding turn in Catan in a split second, and quickly put it away if something else demanded your attention.  I'm sure The Settlers would be less cluttered on the iPad, and if you're a hardcore fan of the franchise, I'd suggest checking it out, but for casual players looking for a fresh colonization game on iPhone, go with Catan.

$4.99 - Buy The Settlers

$4.99 - Buy The Settlers HD

$4.99 - Buy Catan

$4.99 - Buy Catan HD

Gameloft has released a new trailer for its upcoming Gangstar Rio: City of Saints game. The trailer offers slightly more than the usual run of the mill marketing promo. This one offers full in game footage and it looks really nice. Well nice in the graphics department anyway, beyond that, it’s all fast cars, guns, helicopters, tanks, rocket propelled grenades and explosions.

Gameloft hasn’t announced when this one will be available; except that it will be “Very Soon”. Hopefully it will be released as part of its holiday line up. It will be available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.  A word of warning, the trailer contains a bit of strong language!

Source: touchArcade

Today marks the first day of July, which means Independence Day is only a few days away. To celebrate, many developers have put their apps on sale and we've rounded up some of our favorites to tell you about!

1. EA Games: All games up to 90% off. [EA - iTunes link]

2. Gameloft Games: Select titles on sale for $0.99 for a 'limited time'.

   • NOVA 2 [iTunes link]
   • NOVA 2 HD [iTunes link]
   • Asphalt 6: Adrenaline [iTunes link]
   • Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD [iTunes link]
   • Dungeon Hunter 2: [iTunes link]
   • Dungeon Hunger 2 HD: [iTunes link]

3. Private Info: On sale until July 4. $1.99 for iPhone [iTunes link]. $5.99 for iPad [iTunes link].

4. Photopod: Free on July 2-3 [iTunes link]

5. QuickMark - QR Code Reader: Sale on July 4 [iTunes link]

6. Create a Monster HD: $0.99 until July 8 [iTunes link]

7. Boom Boat: Free until July 5 [iTunes link]

8. DataMan Pro for iPad with 3G: $1.99 until July 4 [iTunes (link].

9. Trucks and Skulls NITRO: Free today [iTunes link]

10. Zen Bound: $0.99 until July 11 [iTunes link]

These are only some of the sales, so make sure you check the App Store for more and share with us what you find! If you pick any of these up, let us know what you think!

Gameloft has announced that they'll be bringing Epic's pixel-popping 3D rendering engine, Epic Unreal 3, to four iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad titles:

Gameloft penned a long-term, multi-platform licensing agreement with Epic Games, Inc. Whew! This agreement enables Gameloft to incorporate Unreal Engine 3 in four new games, two to be released in 2011 and two in 2012.

You can currently see the Epic Unreal 3 Engine in the free Epic Citadel demo and the Infinity Blade game. So which Gameloft games do you want to see get the Unreal treatment? NOVA, Asphalt, Modern Combat, Dungeon Hunter... or something new?

[Gameloft]

Gameloft has just released N.O.V.A. 2 for iPhone and iPod touch, the sequel to it's smash hit first-person shooter (FPS) N.O.V.A. If you are unfamiliar with the N.O.V.A. game it is Gameloft's take on the ever popular HALO genre. You play as an elite military soldier who is responsible for fending off an alien invasion. N.O.V.A. 2 is set 6 years after the ending of the original N.O.V.A.. The game includes an intense single player campaign as well as multiplayer brawls for you to eliminate opposing players.

N.O.V.A. 2 has some very welcomed updates which include:

• Meet new enemies with improved AI! Volterites’ new tactics make the gyroscope controls ideal
• Master a larger range of weapons & powers
• Much more diversified gameplay: run, shoot, fall, drive a motorbike, pilot a giant mech, and blast a laser
• The more, the merrier, now with up to 10 players in 10 multiplayer maps
• Build a career and rise through the multiplayer leaderboard
• Explore new locations, offering amazing graphics, fully optimized for the Retina display
• Enjoyed the first N.O.V.A. – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance? Be rewarded with extra bonuses.

If you are like many of us and played the original N.O.V.A. you will start N.O.V.A. 2 multiplayer with advanced XP which allow you access to advanced weapons and an unlocked special achievement on Gameloft Live! This seems to be a nice little bonus for those hardcore players that spent a lot of their time playing the original game.

So if you are a diehard N.O.V.A. player go grab the next episode and get your game on! If you are new to this series and decide to see what all the fuss is about let us know what you think.

[ $9.99 - iTunes Link ]

Are you ready for the ultimate in iPhone first-person shooter games? If so, then sit back and enjoy Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus. Gameloft has really, really, really shown it is in this to win and take advantage of the hardware on iPhone. This game is gorgeous, especially on the retina display. Ah, but let's not dwell on the graphics for now, let's jump into the game itself.

Black Pegasus is a sequel to Modern Combat. This game was good for its day, but Black Pegasus sets a new standard. The game starts off after the old one where you are part of a squad sent to take out the bad guys, protect civilians, etc. There really isn't anything new there, so let's talk about what is new. As I mentioned earlier, the graphics are awesome. I don't mean just because they are retina display graphics, they are awesome because the new character models look very realistic and body movement is very smooth as characters move about the screen. You also have a blinding white screen when you are caught with a flash bang grenade and if you "bust" in a door you have slow motion for a few seconds to take out the bad guys, creating a sense of stunned enemies.

To control the game you have the standard fanfare of d-pad on the left and your attack, grenades, etc on the right. You have the crouch button on the bottom left and the zoom scope on the bottom right. When maneuvering your character it is quite responsive and when you zoom to scope view, the controls turn very sluggish. This is done on purpose, because if not, everyone would spend the whole game in zoom mode! The controls are solid, but still suffer for Gameloft's persistent issue of keeping on the d-pad on the left as the control point and if your thumb moves off of it, you inadvertently end up controlling your view. Though not a game-stopper, it does happen on occasion- I will be in the middle of combat and all of a sudden be looking up at the sky or down at the ground. If Gameloft would simply change the whole left of the screen for movement, the problem would be solved.

There are lots of single player missions with great difficulty on the hard levels, but where this game really shines is in multiplayer. 10 players online and 4 types of games tend to keep me very busy. You have typical "deathmatch" where everyone is out for each other. Team deathmatch where two sides go after each other. Next is capture the flag where you capture the enemy flag and take it back to your base and last is bomb defuse where you have to protect a bomb from the other guys defusing it.

These multiplayer matches are crazy awesome. Fluid, look beautiful, solid Internet connections, etc., what could make it better? Points. That's right, there is a ranking system. Every kill, headshot, assist, you name gets points. Typically every level unlocks something from a kill signature (it's like a taunt) to new weapons or a skill like -20% on gun recoil and more. The only chink in the armor is that the online multiplayer is Wi-Fi only, so no 3G regretfully. Still, I can live with that as the single player missions are still a blast to play.

If you like first-person shooters, this is an absolute no-brainer purchase; it must be bought and it must be bought now. It is without a doubt the BEST game of this type on the App Store and I guarantee you will waste many hours fraggin' your peeps online. Not sure? Watch my video up top and you will be convinced.

[$6.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Amazing graphics
• Great controls
• Very challenging single player campaign on the hard levels
• The absolute best multiplayer FPS experience on the App Store

Cons

• No Game Center support, uses Gameloft Live! )but it works really well!
• No 3G Multiplayer

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

Gameloft's NOVA has just received one awesome update; high-res retina display support and the ability to use the gyroscope (looks like Gun Range proved useful after all) for iPhone 4. First let's talk graphics...

This game looks absolutely amazing. Color. Crispness. It's all there. No aliasing problems, things just look great. Now for the not so great news, the Gyroscope.

I have been playing with the NOVA update for the last couple of days and for the life of me, I can't seem to feel comfortable using the gyroscope in conjunction with the traditional controls. Sure, the gyroscope is precise. Sure you can pivot in a circle and the game will rotate with you. But when it comes to playing in a firefight with aliens, it is hard to be using the traditional controls to pan while using the gyroscope to aim. Perhaps I just don't have the reflexes of my youth, but I found the experience frustrating. Thankfully you can turn the gyroscope controls off.

This was just my experience, how are you liking the update? Let us know in the comments!

Video after the break.

[$4.99- iTunes link]

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!!!

Iron Man 2 for iPhone -- based on the upcoming Marvel movie about the Golden Avenger -- is now widely available in the iTunes App Store [$6.99 - iTunes link].

You can play as either Iron Man (fast and agile) proper or as War Machine (powerful), and there's a variety of other armor to try out as well, including the Mark IV, Mark VI, Stealth, and underwater.

Gameloft Live is supported for achievements. Check out more screenshots after the break, and if you try it out let us know what you think!

Update: iPad version is out as well [$9.99 - iTunes link]

UNO HD for iPad [$4.99 - iTunes link] by Gameloft brings the classic card game to bigger, bolder life on that 9.7" screen. At first blush, UNO more so than something like NOVA feels like it could have been a universal binary, sparing existing owners of the iPhone version from having to buy it twice. However, Gameloft wisely upped the ante based on the iPad's-size, offering a 4 player option that makes it eminently more suitable as a true board-game replacement -- you can realistically sit 2 or 4 people around an iPad and start up the multiplayer version of the game, share the screen, and get your UNO on.

You can of course also use single-player mode, or multiplayer between devices either locally or online. The graphics look prerequisite-ly great on the iPad, though we did find the controls a tad challenging (choosing and playing cards weren't quite as buttery smooth as we'd like).

A side effect of the game being run on an iPad instead of with real cards is that it's almost impossible to make mistakes or (gasp) cheat. The game only allows you to play cards you're allowed to play, when you're allowed to play them. Whether that's a good or bad thing we'll leave up to you and your consciences to sort out.

If you like UNO and you want to bring a little bit of real world social interaction back to your family and friends, grab an iPad, fire it up, pass it around, and let us know what you think.

Video of me taking on a challenger, after the break!

YouTube link

Asphalt 5 HD [$6.99 - iTunes Link] for iPad from Gameloft is a game that does not take the speed limit into consideration. Just the opposite. Nitro bursting, vehicle demolishing street racing combined with great graphics and smooth controls is what makes this game a joy to play.

Just hold the iPad in your hands as you would a steering wheel and turn it in the direction you want to move. I love using the accelerometer, but if for some reason you don't, Asphalt 5 HD also offer a virtual steering wheel and touch screen controls. Nitro is a tap away and gives you a speed boost. Oh, and you can break (I think, never used it).

There are over 30 cars for you to enjoy including a Ferrari 599 XX, Lambourghini and Ducati, and there are also 12 locations to play. Gaming options include straight up races, or if you are one of the more aggressive drivers (can someone say road rage) you can try to eliminate the other drivers by side-swiping them off the road. If doing a regular race bores you, Gameloft has also added a whole bunch of different modes of play: drift, cop chase, time attack, duel mode, last man standing and escape. Want to play against your friends? Multiplayer modes can be accessed through bluetooth or online.

Stay with us after the break for picture and video proof of why you would never want me to drive your car!

YouTube link

Here we have NOVA HD [$9.99 - iTunes Link] for iPad, an action-packed first-person shooter (FPS) that should make any Halo fan feel right at home.

For video of me playing (kinda funny), pictures, and more -- stay with us after the break!

The graphics on NOVA are smooth and beautifully rendered, and make full use of the iPads processors. The various levels are a lot of fun and increase in difficulty gradually, which should appeal to moderate and power gamers alike. There's single player mode and multiplayer mode (my favorite), which allows you to play online against friends or random opponents. Nothing says stress relief more than being able to sneak up on a friend and and send them to bullet-ridden oblivion, or maybe thats just me...

The controls are much easier to get used to than I expected. Movement is controlled with a virtual d-pad on the left, direction by swiping the screen, and shooting, reloading and using grenades by virtual buttons on the right.

Gameloft has once again taken a popular game genre and made a beautiful, highly playable version for mobile. If you love FPS, pick up NOVA HD for iPad.

YouTube link

Dungeon Hunter HD [$6.99 - iTunes Link] brings Gameloft's popular iPhone game to the iPad in beautifully rendered, HD splendor.

The story unfolds as our hero uses the dark arts to resurrect his beloved wife only to have her turn against him and plunge a dagger into his heart (women!). You play the hero and get to choose between three classes, wizard, rogue and warrior. The inventory menu and manner of choosing skills is intuitive and enjoyable to navigate.

For more on Dungeon Hunter HD and screen shots continue with us after the break!

The main difference between the iPad and iPhone version is the crisp HD graphics and the absence of long load times between zones, which afflicted my iPhone 3G. Thanks Apple A4! The iPad version also allows you a choice between using the circle pad to control your characters movement or to place your finger where you want it to go.

If you enjoy real-time RPG games than this is a must-have for your collection.

Video and screenshots after the break!

YouTube link

Gameloft knows how to take popular gaming genres, polish them to multitouch perfection, and release them faster than ought be possible, and the iPad release is no exception with N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance; Modern Combat: Sandstorm; Dungeon Hunter; Asphalt 5; UNO; NFL 2010; Let’s Golf!; and, Real Football 2010.

Check 'em out after the break!

Here's what Gameloft has to say about developing for the iPad:

The large, stunning screen brings a higher level of graphic detail to the games in addition to the optimization of textures and models. The screen size and depth perception ratio allows the player to feel completely immersed in the experience. For example, Real Football 2010 was re-mastered to include HD resolution grass surfaces, textures, characters and animations.

More direct and enriched controls allow for more intuitive thought and action response, as well as fully customizable buttons and mappings that fit the player’s preference. For instance, the N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance App for iPad includes more contextual controls in the environment: open an airlock door by rotating three fingers, slide the button upwards to make an elevator move upstairs, etc.

The larger screen means there will be more ambitious gameplay sequences such as increased field of depth, complex map layouts and more intense action sequences. In N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, the player can enable MTA - Multi Target Acquisition which is a new feature for iPad gaming. The player can trigger a new functionality from the regular rocket launcher, then directly draw a grid on the battlefield to kill all selected enemies on screen in one shot. In Real Football 2010, the larger surface allows for a more strategic overview of the playing field and gave the designers more space to create comfortable control schemes.

Multiplayer challenges will also be increased on iPad and cooperative gameplay will be easier and more attractive on the larger screen. Whether a spectator or participant, online challenges will become more fun and engaging. With UNO, the world famous card game, users can gather four friends and play on a single iPad using the new “One Device Multiplayer” mode. They can also connect with friends on iPad or iPhone devices for local and online Wi-Fi multiplayer gameplay.

Live from GDC 2010, Rene talks to Baudoin Corman and Sanette Chao from Gameloft about Nova [$4.99 - iTunes link], Rayman 2 [$6.99 - iTunes link], GT Racing [$4.99 - iTunes link], Avatar [$6.99 - iTunes link] and many more [iTunes link] for iPhone and iPod touch... and soon for iPad!

Gameloft really wants to offer highly polished games and the highest quality gaming experience in every genre and to every type of gamer. for 2010 they're, already showing off Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction, Fisher Kings, Zombie Infection, and no doubt much more -- including iPad specific versions of some of their titles that better make use of the bigger screen. (As seen during Apple's iPad event).

For a large company, Gameloft has proven time and again they can react quickly to take advantage of new developments in the iPhone OS and whole new platforms like the iPad. It will be interesting to see what else they have planned for us in 2010. Fun too.

Watch along after the break!

YouTube link

For those of use that have been patiently waiting for the arrival of Gameloft's NOVA, the day has arrived! This game looks to be the ultimate FPS for the iPhone with an unrivaled multiplayer experience. I have only had time to quickly run through the tutorial level, but so far, so good; I am hooked.

The game borrows heavily from Microsoft's Halo franchise to create a world where the space marines fight against an alien invasion. With a solid single player campaign, online and local multiplayer (the YouTube video above shows some of the awesome multiplayer action)and leaderboards, this is a game I will be playing for a while; and just in time for the weekend! What do you think of the game? [$6.99 - iTunes link]

I know many of you have been eager to see some footage of NOVA after our preview the other day. Touch Arcade got some hands-on playtime with NOVA and all I can say in a word is: AWESOME. The gameplay is described to be very similar to Modern Combat: Sandstorm (which was listed in TiPb's Top 5 First-Person Shooters). Controls and even difficulty will be similar except this will be a much more run n' gun style of game over Sandstorm's more realistic and strategic approach. NOVA will also sport Online 4 player matches too. I sure hope this plays well, the jury is out at this time.

The game is supposed to launch before holiday 2009, so we should see it very shortly. One can only hope it has been submitted to the App Store and is awaiting approval.

[via Touch Arcade]

After making a lot of noise about Android Market not being ready and how they would be scaling back development for the platform, Gameloft has done an about face and looks to be full speed ahead:

Paris – Gameloft®, a world leader in the publishing and development of downloadable video games, plans to launch High Definition games on next generation Android phones like the Motorola Droid and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10.

“The arrival of this new generation of phones will allow the development of High Definition games that make the most of the technological capacity and the speed of execution offered by the new Android phones. Consumers will benefit from a top quality gaming experience,” says Gonzague de Vallois, vice-president of Publishing at Gameloft.

Gameloft also continues to support the current generation of Android phones and announces the imminent arrival of titles such as Assassin’s Creed. These titles will be accessible on the Android Marketplace and Gameloft internet sites and will further strengthen our catalogue of Android games already available.

As our buddy Casey over at Android Central points out, the reversal is stunning considering how Gameloft claimed they make 400x as much on iPhone apps as they do Android. (Casey also points out that persistent app size limit annoyance in Android land -- fix that Google, would ya?)

We say -- awesome. More competition for the handset makers and better games for everyone. Bring the fun!

What do you think, did Gameloft re-run the numbers, see a secret prototype, or did someone from Google use Maps Navigation to find France, pay them a visit, and show them search rankings before and after for their "re-consideration"? (We joke! Don't Wave us!)

We saw a preview of Gameloft's N.O.V.A back at WWDC 2009 for iPhone/iPod Touch. Even then it looked suspiciously like Halo. But now, there can be no doubt in saying that Halo "unofficially" makes its way to iPhone. This teaser trailer shows a lot of video reminiscent of Microsoft's Halo franchise. The last 50-seconds of the trailer shows actual gameplay, let's just say that the players involved look a lot like Master Chief a military soldier and The Covenant some aliens in an intergalactic battle.

Microsoft has to take critical eye to this game as the similarities are TOO close for comfort. But, at the end of the day, I am just excited to get a Halo-like experience on my iPhone; I'm not complaining. Thank you Gameloft.

iPhone app developers have gone crazy this week with some great sales in the App Store and just in time for Black Friday.

Agile Web Solutions popular Mac application, 1Password, [iTunes Link] has been ported over to iPhone and is now free until December 1st! Some of it's features are as follows:

• Saves web site login credentials, personal identity information (such as names, addresses and telephone numbers), a variety of information that you might find in your wallet (licenses, social security numbers, credit cards, etc.), and freeform secure notes to store any data you'd like to keep safe from prying eyes.
• Locks your data behind both a four-digit unlock code and a master password, both of which you configure. Even if your mobile device is stolen or misplaced, your 1Password data is safe.
• Syncs safely and securely with 1Password for the Mac over a WiFi connection, provided both the mobile device and the Mac are on the same network. The sync is two-way, so new information can be easily added on your mobile device and synced back to your Mac!

Still searching for that decently priced GPS app? Perhaps CoPilot Live North America [iTunes Link] which is on sale for $19.99 will raise your interest. This sale is only valid until midnight on November 30th so act fast!

• Ease of use: the app includes colorful 3-D maps, text-to-voice directions, full use of the iPhone keyboard and iPod controls.
• On board maps: rather than relying on strong mobile coverage, CoPIlot Live’s maps are stored on the phone.
• Value: although $19.99 is low for a turn-by-turn app, there are also no additional charges for update.

Last but not least we have Gameloft and they are also spreading some holiday cheer around as some of their titles are currently $.99 until November 29th!

• Terminator Salvation
• Shrek Kart
• Blades of Fury
• Real Tennis 2009
• Brothers in Arms: Hour of Heroes
• Castle of Magic
• Hero of Sparta

If any of you, our readers, know of some great holiday sales please share them in the comments below!

Gameloft -- and other developers according to Gameloft -- are cutting back on development for Google's Android platform due to the "weakness" of the Android Market. According to Reuters, Gameloft finance director Alexandre de Rochefort said:

We have significantly cut our investment in Android platform, just like ... many others. [The Android Market] is not as neatly done as on the iPhone. Google has not been very good to entice customers to actually buy products. On Android nobody is making significant revenue."

Ouch. Harsh words. Meanwhile, with iPhone generating 13% of Gameloft's revenue (400 times more than Android), we'll no doubt see plenty more on the iTunes App Store.

While we've heard developers and pundits talk about the business advantage of the iPhone before, and while Android's numbers may be rising and soon, in the short term the bigger houses like Gameloft might just stick with where the money is.

[Thanks to the Reptile for the tip!]

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...

With all the hubbub surrounding the App Store these days, the blogophiles among us may forget that, for casual users, everything is pretty sweet. Browse. Tap. Download. Launch. For mobile gaming fans this is especially true. Check out the Top Apps list, and you'll routinely see games hogging most of the spots. Don't think this has escaped attention either. Says Block Breaker Deluxe (available via the iTunes App Store) developer Gameloft:

With some competitors due out next year, Apple is looking to capitalize on their virtual monopoly of these types of games, and with the success of their iphone games so far, they look certain to sustain a strong share of the market for smartphone games for some time to come.

As if to prove their point, Block Breaker Deluxe looks to be a bright, innovative take on the classic genre, and will no doubt appeal to the casual gaming audience the iPhone (and Apple) is hitting so well with as of late.

Whether the push from Android Market eventually forces Apple to change their current developer relations process or not, in the gaming space at least, everything on the iPhone is apps!