The folks at Chillingo were showing off Icycle 2 at GDC 2013, and it broke my brain just a little. The game mechanics themselves are very simple; the controls are ultimately the most basic ones you could have for a platformer game. The real trip is in the art style and storyline.

Players control the chilly and lovelorn Dennis, who, for whatever reason, is chasing the woman of his dreams naked on a bicycle. Eventually, her head turns into that of a fish, but I'm not quite sure why. My demo of the game ended with Dennis mere millimeters away from smooching this aquatic goddess. Players are ranked out of three stars for each of the positively surreal levels based on how many little icicle pellets they pick up along their twisted route. Over time, players can unlock new and ridicuclous outfits to make sure Dennis doesn't have to do all of his chasing in the nude.

Those of you that have played Wonderputt will be familiar with the level of graphical polish and left-field thinking that the developer, Damp Gnat, is capable of. I'll go so far as to say that Icycle 2 is the most interesting and refreshing mobile game that I've seen between GDC and PAX East. The Chillingo folks are being coy about a release date, opting for a "it'll be ready when it's ready" approach, but expect it to cost about a buck in the App Store.

We swung by the Glu offices while prepping for GDC 2013 today to check out their next Frontline Commando game, due to launch this Thursday. You'll find a lot of the same third-person, duck-and-cover action of the franchise, along with a few new elements that really sets it apart.

Obviously since this Frontline is all D-Day themed, you'll have to blow up plenty of tanks, as well as play wave defense stages where you man an anti-air flak gun and shoot down enemy aircraft. While on foot, there's a new sprinting mechanic. If you don't time your leaps right, you may trip and take a hit to your health. Players explore a variety of different locales across Europe, and are ranked out of three stars for each mission's performance. Over time, they earn cash and currency to acquire and upgrade new equipment. The primary consumable you'll be relying on are grenades; they're scarce, but handy.

For a free-to-play title, the graphics are great, and the authentic World War 2 weapons and history tidbits between levels really set the mood. Since the Call of Duty games have long since left the World War 2 theme behind, it's nice to have something new in the genre. To keep an eye on what's happening with FrontLine Commando: D-Day, hit up Glu's Facebook page.