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!

Every week a few of us from team TiPb, bloggers and forum crew alike, will bring you our current favorite, funnest, most useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone (or iPod touch) related, they’re fair game.

So who’s on deck this week and what are our picks? Find out after the break!

Chad’s Pick: Need for Speed Underground

Wow. By far the best graphics of any racing game on the iPhone. Easy controls, car customizations and different racing scenarios make this one a winner in my book. It may be a little pricey at $9.99 for some, but I consider this to be the FIRST console-quality game for the iPhone; a must buy for any iPhone gamer! [$9.99 - iTunes link]

Chris’ Pick: The Weather Channel

I am currently on vacation at the beach, and have been using The Weather Channel app to keep an eye on the weather. Keeping an eye on rain, heat index, and humidity are useful when planning the day. It’s great to get more information that just the temperatures that are provided with the default weather app. [Free - iTunes link]

James’ Pick: Tiger Woods PGA Tour

I am a golf fanatic. I love video games. I buy Tiger Woods for my Xbox 360 the day each new version is released. I am completely addicted. I purchased Tiger Woods for the iPhone the day it was released and it is worth every penny. Fluid game play with great graphics. The ability to save a game and continue where you left off. You can even customize your player. Quite possible the perfect game for the iPhone! [$9.99 - iTunes link]

Jeremy’s Pick: MMA Torch

Best Mixed Martial Arts application in the App Store. Get all the latest mma news as it’s updated daily. [Free - iTunes link]

Leanna’s Pick: MYST

Who remembers the best selling game Myst from 1993? Well, now you can spend those hours sifting through clues and solving puzzles all over again! The developers remade Myst for iPhone and the sound and graphics are absolutely stunning. This is a game you don’t want to miss! [ $5.99 - iTunes link]

Matt’s Pick: MYST

Having been playing this game for the past couple of weeks, I have thoroughly enjoyed playing it. Many of you will probably know this game, some of you may not. For those of you who don’t , MYST is a complex puzzle game in which you must find a way of a deserted island/world. The footprint of the game is somewhat large, but worth it (about 720MB.) I really liked the sound the game provided, as they didn’t go short on sound design. I rarely felt like there was repetition in sound, which can be a drawback for other games. [$5.99 - iTunes link]

Rene’s Pick: Star Defense

I’m not much of a gamer. And I’ve never played any type of tower defense game before. So when ngmoco asked me to be part of their pre-release press tournament for their latest game, Star Defense, I said “no!” Or I should have, since saying yes likely resulted in exquisitely public humiliation. But here’s the thing — I had a blast playing it. It’s gorgeously designed, wonderfully interactively, and joyfully addictive. Even though I got my butt kicked across the Twitterverse in the tournament, now that it’s over, I’m going buy the release version just to keep on playing it. [TBA - Website link]

Your Pick?

You’re part of team TiPb too, so what’s your pick? What app was your absolute fav last week? Let us — and everyone — know in the comments!

There’s a lot of talk today (here and here for starters) about the iPhone’s sales numbers from Apple’s quarterly conference call and how they didn’t match up with AT&T’s numbers from their conference call. The gist is that Apple sold 3.7 million iPhones and AT&T had about 2 million iPhone subscribers. So where are the rest?

Of course, many were sold overseas, but most people very much doubt that Apple sold 1.7 million of them. Which has led to speculation that as many as a third of all iPhones have been purchased and unlocked. That’s a lot, and it strikes me as an unrealistically high number. Naturally, we’d like Apple to help us understand this riddle. Naturally, we are sure they won’t. Fake Steve Jobs agrees:

Why not just break out the numbers and share more information and tell Toni Sacconaghi and his pals on Wall Street exactly where all the iPhones are? Well, we’re not going to do that. We’re not going to break out any numbers or share any more information on this topic or try to explain how we arrived at the 4 million figure. We’re just not going to do it, so stop asking.

It could be that Apple’s number includes those shipped out to AT&T (and international carriers) for them to sell but haven’t actually sold yet. It could be that hundreds of thousands of people bought iPhones just because they’re really shiny. Whatever it is, it’s clear that a significant number of these un-accounted for iPhones have been unlocked.