Caster, the intense fast-paced 3^rd person shooter available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Apple iPhone™ and Apple iPod touch® is now available on the Apple iPad with stunning upgraded high-resolution graphics!

In Caster, you start off as a rookie Caster and progress through a variety of missions in an attempt to free your homeland from an infestation of bug like creatures known as the Flanx.  As you progress through the game, you learn 6 unique attacks that include massive terrain deformation and eventually allow for total domination of your enemies.  You also earn experience points that let you not only improve the power of your attacks, but upgrade your abilities to eventually jump hundreds of feet into the air and run on top of water!  Caster is an episodic game and this release contains the first two episodes.  Future episodes are provided free to anyone who purchases the game.

Be sure to check out www.casterthegame.com to see the game trailer and download demos for the desktop platforms.

Caster HD is available from the App Store here.

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Having been exiled many years ago by his unhappy subjects, the wily king CubeHead has returned and seeks to recover his throne. Your task is to help the Cubies fight back and protect the kingdom before it is too late! Beware though, as protecting the kingdom is not as easy as you might think: Not only do you play against the clock; you also have a limited amount of energy available to succeed.

Says developer Claudio Pinto: “We are thrilled and excited to learn that our second game for the Apple iPhone™ is also being featured on the App Store, as was our first game WackyLands Green last year. With the help of Indie Developer Consulting we have experienced a very successful launch since the game was released”.

Says Thomas, PR Executive from Indie Developer Consulting: “The quality of CubeHead from Fair Play Labs speaks for itself. The successful launch is a testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment from the developer. It comes as no surprise to us that CubeHead, as well as Wackylands Green by the same team have both received special recognition and are both highly successful”.

CubeHead is available from the App Store here.

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About Fair Play Labs:

Fair Play Labs is an independent game development studio based out of Costa Rica, a beautiful and peaceful country known for its efforts in nature conservation and restoration. The company offers experience in all areas of game development including licensed and original intellectual property, and provides outsourcing services for the digital interactive entertainment and edutainment industries.

The world famous H1 Longitude Sea Clock is possibly the most important timepiece ever created. Nearly 300 years ago it was the beginning of John Harrison’s quest to create a timekeeper accurate enough to determine longitude at sea. The H1 Longitude Sea Clock still exists to this day, thanks to Rupert Gould’s and Jonathan Betts’ dedication in restoring and maintaining it. It is the property of the Ministry of Defence Art Collection in London, and is on extended loan to the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich where it can be viewed in the Time and Longitude Gallery at the Royal Observatory.

Developer Tech Center Labs has been granted the exclusive and honored opportunity of bringing this marvelous creation to life on the Apple iPhone™ and Apple iPod touch®.

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John Harrison’s first marine timekeeper (known today as H1) is the first experimental sea clock made by Harrison, to enable navigators to find longitude at sea and is one of the great milestones in clock-making history. The dials on H1 are different from ordinary clocks. The seconds hand (top) is double-ended and can be read from either end. It goes round the dial once in 2 minutes (30 seconds have passed when the hand moves from vertical to horizontal). The minute hand (left) is also double-ended and goes round its dial once in 2 hours. The hour hand (right) is also double-handed and goes round the dial once in 24 hours. The bottom dial shows the day of the month and goes round once every 31 days, straight up is the 16th.

H1 Longitude Sea Clock is available from the App Store here.

Additional information can be found here;

www.italentproductions.com

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=ZAA0034

… Now that sounded weird right? Yeah, I don’t think I will ever be able to pull off the ‘American News Reader’ act. But anyway we do have another round up sorted for you and today we see Hell on Earth, GoDVD app hits App Store and we hookup with some hotties. So grab a cup of tea, put your feet up and read on.

More Hell On Earth In Updated Version Of HellKid

Escaping From Hell Has Never Been Harder – Or More Fun!

JUSTNINE has just unleashed more hell on earth with an updated version of their popular game, HellKid, for Apple iPhone™ and Apple iPod touch®, and on popular demand the developer has also made available a FREE version of the game.

To the uninformed, HellKid features Devi the devil, a little red-hot monster from hell determined to become human because of his fascination and interest in humanity (good grief!). On the surface, HellKid is a conventional 2D side-scrolling platform game where your objective is to collect enough human souls to escape from hell, but HellKid also includes a lot of added twists and features. The updated version of HellKid (v1.1.0) now available from the App Store features among other additions a brand new and hellishly hard mode called the “Valley Of Bones” – a mode that only becomes unlocked if you have successfully collected 40,000 blue souls elsewhere in the game. If the name itself is not enough to scare the heck out of you, perhaps its complexity is! To escape the “Valley Of Bones” Devi must overcome his hardest challenge yet as it’s impossible to complete this part of the game without extensive use of his hook because the mode has zero to none ground-level! The updated version also adds the option to play a new character, Astaroth, who becomes unlocked if you successfully collect 20,000 or more golden souls. Other new features in the updated version include the ability to compare your brilliant score against your friends score on Facebook.

The FREE version of HellKid is available from the App Store here, The Updated (v1.1.0) version of HellKid is available from the App Store here.

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GoDVD Offers Immediate And Instant Access To Movie Information

“Do you remember that movie called … you know … the one with what’s-her-name in the lead role? … Surely you remember? It’s the classic we just discussed the other day, which I am sure was released in the 90s … I think”

Sounds familiar? It should. We have all tried it. Whether you are at a party with a bunch of friends, stuck on a bus, impatiently looking for the train, or sitting at the terminal waiting for the plane to depart, discussing movies is always fun and interesting. iMania LLC, a company dedicated to developing useful and entertaining Apple iPhone™ software recently released the new GoDVD app. With this app at your fingertips you have instant access to search and browse information about DVD and Blu-Ray movies, provide links directly to friends, relatives and family, and if your mind is made up, purchase the movie directly from your phone! With GoDVD at your disposal you no longer come up short when it comes to remembering or retrieving all the facts about the latest blockbuster release or the black and white classic your grandparents encouraged you to watch.

GoDVD features a pleasant, simple, and intuitive user interface that is accessible to anyone and everyone as the app is free-of-charge! GoDVD is the first in a series of “Go” apps from iMamia LLC, established independent developer with previous releases on Apple iPhone™ including Coach Nagger, Doggee Talk and Boss Nagger.

GoDVD is available (FREE) from the App Store here. Additional information about GoDVD can be found by visiting: www.imaniaapps.com

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Car Control by HandyGames^TM heads full throttle into the App Store!

Let Car Control enchant you with its 1950s charm! With its latest freemium title, HandyGames™, the leading German publisher of mobile games, brings the Rock’n'Roll and lifestyle of the fifties to your iPhone and iPod touch. Traffic chaos will ensue all over the city unless you take action. Cars of different color have to reach their designated targets by using a complex street network. In order to guide them there, you have to switch road junctions to the correct position. It’s the only way to avoid crashes, to clear traffic jams and to make sure that everyone has a save trip. The faster you guide all cars to the exits – and the fewer errors you make – the more points you will receive at the end of the level.

You will need organizing skills and quick fingers to sort through the traffic havoc! No matter what your playing field looks like – the beach, the mountains or the snowiest winter – nerve-racking hecticness is bound to occur. Prove your skills and use the online high score to compete against the best players from all around the world!
Features:

• Up to 42 levels with tricky tasks
• Avoid crashes and traffic jams while guiding cars to the right exit
• Experience the colorful world and music of the fifties
• 3 different scenarios
• Prove your organizing skills and dexterity on your way to the high score
• Comprehensive local and international high score list
• Create different profiles for you and your friends
• Intuitive gesture controls

Car Control is now available on the App Store here. Why not follow Handy Games on Twitter!

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Do You Want to Tap Hotties?

Furries and Geezers and Fatties! Oh, my! Defend hotties from a motley crew of nerds while making love connections. Hottie Hookups is a whole new kind of time management game for the iPhone & iPod touch created by the designer and programmer behind the #1 iPhone game Sally’s Spa. Download Hottie Hookups from the App Store today, here.

Developed by Blue Unit Studios and published by BigStack Studios, Hottie Hookups is the best way to tap hotties on the iPhone & iPod touch. Draw lines to connect hotties dancing on a variety of trendy dance floors. Once you’ve hooked up the hotties, defend them from a variety of nerds by flicking, tilting, or shaking them off. After the hotties have had enough time to groove together, send them away in a taxi to continue the party!

“Building on our time management experience by incorporating elements into Hottie Hookups from other genres such as line drawing and castle defense was not only challenging, it was a lot of fun as well,” said Craig Rushforth, lead programmer for Blue Unit Studios.

“Hottie Hookups is our take on dating, and combines multiple gameplay elements together with a funny, non-politically correct theme,” said Dan Kratt, lead designer for Blue Unit Studios.

“Hottie Hookups represents a milestone for us as we continue experimenting with unique styles of gameplay and creative concepts,” said Jon Lam, founder and CEO of BigStack Studios. “We’re confident that iPhone and iPod touch users will enjoy Hottie Hookups for its original humor and engaging gameplay.”

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Fly Kiwi, Fly!

Hungry Game is proud to announce the official release of Fly Kiwi, Fly! for iPhone/iPod Touch. It’s a game about a cute kiwi (New Zealand’s wingless bird) that encourages itself into a great adventure: to fly around the world!

The game is graphically beautiful and its controls were designed especially for the iPhone/iPod Touch: the player has to tilt the device in order to make the kiwi do awesome stunts or keep its flight momentum, make money and upgrade its equipment buying gliders, rockets and all sort of incredible items. Starting in New Zealand the journey will take him through beautiful landscapes all the way to the USA.

The goal is to reach the ultimate flying machine: a marvelous spaceship!

It’s already available on the App Store here.

Social Networking Site FreeAppAday.com – Top of the App Store Rankings

Social networking sIte FreeAppAday.com had another impressive weekend, with 3 FreeAppADay (FAAD) promoted apps simultaneously reaching the App Store top 20. The promoted applications included #3 FaceFighter, #9 Tiki Totems and #13 4×4 jam. As an indicator of the success of the site 4×4 jam for instance received well over 170,000 downloads during its single day promotion this past Saturday.

The website also announces that its single day visitor mark was broken this past Sunday, passing for the first time the 60,000 visitors barriers. FreeAppAday.com acts as a catalyst for iPhone applications viral downloads by combining downloads from its user base with the viral marketing provided by its twitter base as well as the multiple iPhone sites directly linked the site’s RSS feed.

“We are really please with our tremendous results” said Joe Bayen, CEO at ICS Mobile and Founder of FreeAppADay.com” We have accomplished our dual mission faster than expected not only do we provide visibility to our developer partners but we also help them generate more revenue following their FAAD campaigns. Our community is also rewarded with free applications daily making the solution a win-win for all parties involved”

The Game Trail Shows the Way to the Best iPhone Games

The Game Trail, a brand new solution designed to show off the greatest iPhone and iPod Touch games on the App Store, was released today by Swedish mobile developer Fabrication Games. The Game Trail is the first ever app discovery system to allow iPhone and iPod Touch owners to watch video of games in action before they buy rather than having to make decisions on a text description and still images. Games are the most in-demand content on the App Store right now, both in terms of sales volume and revenues. The latest data suggest that there are over 24,000 games available in the App Store with new games added each day. Games represent 16% of the roughly 150,000 apps that are currently available; the second largest category of apps after books. Choice typically benefits the consumer but this huge volume clearly poses a problem for both developers selling their work and individual buyers when it comes to finding the best games for them.

Game shoppers already depend on independent review scores from a host of specialist web sites alongside recommendations on the App Store, but only a handful of these sites are available to browse in an app format on the iPhone or iPod Touch, where the vast majority of app purchases are made. Review scores are an invaluable guide, but they are subjective opinion and can only describe the gameplay. The only way to get a full sense of the game is to see it in action.

The Game Trail is the first recommendation app of its kind and the only one focused exclusively on consumers looking for games. The app employs a proprietary algorithm to rank games according to review scores from multiple independent sources as well as the app’s userbase. The Game Trail’s interface combines this ranking system with a selection of gameplay trailers and video reviews that give gamers the full picture and provide them with the ultimate utility for discovering the best new games suited to their tastes.

The Game Trail will give app shoppers the confidence to make purchases and avoid buyer’s regret with the convenience of:

• Game trailers and video reviews in-app for hundreds of the best iPhone games
• Direct links to purchase the game from the App Store
• Fresh content added every day
• Independent ranking of content from respected sources and customer reviews
• Helpful game lists including: New, Featured, Top 250, and Genre as well as Search and App Submit features
• Highly accessible: The Game Trail is at your fingertips via iPhone, Facebook and website

“The App Store has created a tremendous opportunity to expand mobile gaming and empower developers, but the sheer amount of content available has become an impediment to discovery,” said Tommy Palm, president of Fabrication Games. “We know that gamers rely on video trailers and unbiased reviews for their purchasing decisions and we have created The Game Trail to be a guide to the best games the iPhone has to offer.”
Available now for free on the iTunes App Store, you can download The Game Trail here.
You can also access The Game Trail online at this link or via Facebook here.

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The Crystal Maze Launches on iPhone & iPod Touch

The Daddy of all TV Game Shows Returns! START THE FANS PLEASE!! The iconic Richard OBrien returns with his leopard-print coat, magnetic charisma and hilarious anecdotes to be your guide through the four zones of cult 1990s game show The Crystal Maze.

Developed by BAFTA award-winning studio Dynamo Games, The Crystal Maze captures the show perfectly. With classic mid-zone animations, appearances from Richard O Brien and Mumsie, the official soundtrack this is a fitting tribute to an iconic series. Better yet, the game also features a free 16-sample soundboard chock-full of your favourite series sound-bites, Richard O Brien quotable and even some of his famous harmonica solos.

TWO MINUTES TEAM!! Relive the classic TV game show as you take on the challenges of the Medieval, Futuristic, Aztec and Industrial zones, full to the brim with devious puzzles and obstacles. The Crystal maze comes complete with two challenging game modes. The first is TV Show Campaign, which tasks players with the full Crystal Maze challenge with lock-ins, meeting Mumsie, collecting crystals and trying to beat the final test of the Crystal Dome itself. Challenge Mode lets players take on any completed challenges to compete for the highest score via Open Feint leaderboard connectivity. With a wide range of free expansion packs in development for future release, The Crystal Maze boasts generous replay value and a high nostalgia factor.

GAME FEATURES

• 4 Challenging games from the original zones: Medieval, Futuristic, Aztec and Industrial
• The final Crystal Dome challenge
• Richard O’Brien as your enigmatic host
• Mumsie!
• TV Show Mode & Challenge Mode
• The original Crystal Maze Theme tune
• 3D Zone Videos, just like from the TV Show!
• Add-on game update packs after initial release
• The game also comes with a FREE Crystal Maze soundboard with 16 classic quotes and sounds from the TV show!
• OpenFeint technology for online high scores to challenge your friends

Brian McNicoll at Dynamo Games said:, The Crystal Maze is one of those rare institutions that really defines television in the 90s. Working closely with the creators of the show, we have worked hard to really capture the feeling of the series to provide the best in fan service. We look forward to expanding on the game with a strong line up of expansion packs in the near future.

The Crystal Maze is available to download for both iPhone and iPod Touch devices via App Store, priced 1.79. Free expansion packs with new challenges will follow so keep an eye on iTunes for updates.

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Major free update for Crazy Hamster on iPhone

Gamelion ( http://www.game-lion.com ) is pleased to announce a major free update of the best-selling kids/adventure game “Crazy Hamster” for iPhone and iPod touch.

Crazy Hamster is an addictive casual game where the player’s task is to help a hungry hamster to pass through different levels full of traps and obstacles. The hamster is just running and unstoppable, the only way to save him from certain death/peril is to use a limited selection of tools to neutralize the traps on his way. The free update, available now on Apple App Store, features a completely new island, new levels, new tools, features and OpenFeint support with high scores and achievements. Crazy Hamster has been featured by Apple in “new and noteworthy” and reached the Top 10 and Top 20 in several countries (including US, UK, Canada and Germany) in the categories kids and adventures.

Crazy Hamster is available for only $0.99 from App Store on iPhone and iPod touch. More information, screenshots and videos are available at www.game-lion.com/hamster.html

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iPhone Game – Annihilation Undead, Free soundtrack download

The gritty soundtrack to the brutal iPhone shooter Annihilation Undead, has been released as a free download for any fans of the game, as well as any fans of good music.

It is comprised of several tracks by renowned rock band Battle Circus, as well as dark electronic songs by underground industrial act Neurotyk. It can be obtained by visiting the developer’s blog at http://annihilation-undead.blogspot.com/ – links to the mp3 files, as well as a zip of the entire soundtrack, are available there.

Annihilation Undead is a gory twin-stick shooter for iPhone and iPod Touch. To find out more about the game, and purchase it, visit it’s iTunes store page.

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Sqramble launched for iPhone and iPod Touch

PuzzleKings is delighted to announce a unique contest to celebrate the launch of its new game Sqramble which will result in half the royalties going to players recording the top 3 scores in the hard mode of the game. Sqramble is an ingenious sliding puzzle for the iPhone that makes its players think like no other. The game consists of a 4*4 grid of squares that are sqrambled and must then be restored to normal, like the famous Rubiks® Cube, by sliding rows and columns in the grid.

In easy mode there are 4 different coloured squares and 331,276 permutations while in hard (numbered) mode there are over 21 trillion permutations of the grid. This explains why the game is so challenging and why it will be a real achievement to win a prize in this contest. “I think this is a unique way of launching a uniquely addictive game which nobody has ever done before, because the more people who buy the game, the greater the challenge and the greater the prize” said Nalin Sharma, the award-winning game designer behind Sqramble.

Scores are derived by multiplying the number of moves by the time taken to solve the puzzle, so lower scores are better. This contest runs until Friday 30th April 2010 and the prizes are as follows:

• 1st Prize is 25% of net royalties received from sales of this game
• 2nd Prize is 15% of the net royalties
• 3rd Prize is 10% of the net royalties

Sharma goes on to say: “Sqramble will appeal to people who love to think and be challenged by brain teasers and games like Sudoku and Rubiks® Cube and it is designed in harmony with the functionality of the iPhone and iPod Touch. I hope that the contest enables people to discover a game that they will truly enjoy and give them a lot of pleasure”.

Sqramble is available at this link on the AppStore within iTunes.

For more information and full contest rules visit the Sqramble web site at www.sqramble.com

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So without further ado I present our daily roundup of iPhone / iPod Touch gaming news.

Resident Evil 4 in Bite-Sized Bits

Zombie fans that like their undead experiences serialized can now pick up the highly acclaimed Resident Evil 4 for iPhone and iPhone Touch as smaller more digestible bite sized bits. Dubbed Resident Evil 4: For Beginners, the game contains the first two chapters of Resident Evil 4 for iPhone as well as a new tutorial level. Additionally, the game offers a new “Beginner” difficulty setting, one new “shooting gallery” mini game and three mercenary missions. Players will be able to download the remaining Resident Evil 4 chapters as DLC if they wish to continue the journey. Customers that have already purchase the full game will receive the added features in a free update.

Featuring high-resolution 3D graphics and intuitive context sensitive Multi-Touch controls, Resident Evil 4 for iPhone allows gamers to experience one of the most thrilling chapters of the Resident Evil saga in an all new way. Engage in running gun fights against crowds of enemies utilizing Resident Evil 4’s intuitive tap interface. The new location based damage system allows the player to blast enemies in their legs to slow them down or in the head for a quick kill. Additionally, context sensitive controls pop up as needed allowing the player to perform complex actions with a tap of the button. Players can climb ladders, equip binoculars and jump out windows with the touch of an icon.

It has been six years since the destruction of Raccoon City. Leon S. Kennedy, formerly Raccoon City Police Department’s idealistic rookie cop, is now a U.S. agent with a top-secret mission to rescue Ashley Graham, the President’s daughter. Leon begins his investigation in an undisclosed Spanish-speaking village in Europe, where he encounters a horde of unruly villagers who pledge their lives to Los Illuminados, the cult that perpetrated Ashley’s kidnapping. As Leon encounters unimaginable horrors, he must find out who or what is behind everything.

Resident Evil 4: For Beginners for the iPhone and iPod touch is available for $.99 from Apple’s App Store.

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Origin8′s “Space Station: Frontier” receives major update!

Today, veteran iPhone/iPod Touch developers Origin8 released a major content update for their acclaimed sci-fi strategy game “Space Station: Frontier”. Released in late December to an overwhelmingly positive reception, “Space Station: Frontier” has developed a passionate fan base whose input has been invaluable during post-release development.

This free version 1.1 update extends Campaign Mode from 10 missions to 15, adds a new endless game mode, and provides new structures for use in mining and defence. Fittingly, the new content includes the first on-screen depiction of the venerable dropship “Sentinel”, just two days before the anniversary of the “Sentinel: Mars Defense” release. New content is fully integrated with the OpenFeint social gaming platform, and bug fixes and balance tweaks round out developments. The full feature list follows:

• Campaign mode has been extended with 5 new missions and new gameplay features.
• Added “Protect”, a completely new endless game mode.
• A new “Rail Cannon” turret is available to buy in the shipyard.
• A new “Emergency Battery” upgrade can be bought from the shipyard.
• Power generators can now be upgraded.
• Enemy waves in endless modes have been completely rebalanced.
• New OpenFeint achievements and leaderboards.
• Bug and crash fixes.

“Space Station: Frontier” is available from the iTunes App Store here for $2.99 or regional equivalent.

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Can You Help Blyx Escape His Colorless And Dull Universe?

Blyx comes from a universe that is colorless and dull, and the poor little bugger could use some help. This is where you come in. You need to help Blyx experience a colorful and vibrant world in this addicting puzzle game developed by Pearl Fisher Games. Blyx is easy to learn, but incredibly hard to master, and is suitable for players of all ages.

Each of the 96 puzzles split across six levels of difficulty is represented by a picture of an alien life-form, a life-form probably related to Blyx himself, and each picture is broken down into tiles: some dull and colorless, others vibrant and colorful.

To complete each puzzle all the colorless tiles must be flipped to make them colorful in the least amount of steps. This is done by tapping each tile in a specific and often tricky sequence: as tiles are tapped, adjacent tiles are affected too which makes this game so challenging! Just when you think the puzzle is successfully completed, one tap on the wrong tile will bring back colorless and dull tiles!

Blyx is available from the App Store here.

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The one thing we don’t have today is an App or Game relating to Zombies… it just doesn’t seem right not having Zombie news. Oh well! Let’s get on with the show.

Unveil the Drama and Link Up With Friends in this Masterpiece of Love and Betrayal

I-play, Oberon Media’s publishing division and the world’s leading multi-platform casual games publisher, today announced the launch of Artist Colony for the iPhone™ and iPod® touch. Based on the successful PC franchise already downloaded by millions of players, this highly acclaimed story of love and betrayal will keep friends all over the country enthralled while allowing them to share their experiences by posting game achievements through Facebook. By bringing this game from the PC to iPhone and iPod touch and offering social connectivity, Oberon reinforces its leadership role in delivering quality multi-platform content that maximizes the ability to leverage connected social features.

Fueled by love betrayal and creative genius, this game entices players to restore a thriving oasis of artists by rebuilding the community. Players must attract new talent to the colony by renovating the gorgeous surroundings and inspiring artists, dancers, musicians and more to become masters of their craft. Once inside the colony, players will create, perform and sell brilliant works of art to revive the ultimate creative sanctuary.

Artist Colony is the latest I-play game made more compelling by the integration of connected social features. Fans can now share their experience with their friends as they play through this masterpiece. As players complete the various challenges and receive awards they can share their accomplishments with their friends on Facebook. Players can also post messages when they sell a work of art, when a new artist has arrived or when artists fall in love with each other.

Artist Colony immerses and engages players with a gripping plot, stunning graphics, changing seasons and creative adventure. Featuring 15 characters, each with unique personalities, preferences and creative talents, players strive to complete over 550 masterpieces in 12 picturesque locations. In this time management sim game, players are required to delve into each character’s unique passions and emotions in order to guide them through relationships, jealousy and rejection. As they uncover clues that reveal the history of the colony and the secrets behind its original founders, players will be captivated by the pieces that begin to come together in this gripping adventure with a dramatic twist of fate.

Artist Colony is available now on the iPhone and iPod touch for XXX. To purchase here:
To get updates about I-play Games, become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
To enter the Artist Colony Sweepstakes for a chance to an iTunes Gift card, please visit here.

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Build a Career, Stocking to Supervising, in Supermarket Management

G5 Entertainment, known for its best-selling iPhone games like Supermarket Mania, Stand O’Food, The Mystery of the Crystal Portal, and Jane’s Hotel, today announced Supermarket Management for iPhone and iPod Touch. Supermarket Management, which was originally developed for PC by Playful Age, has been both a critical and consumer success, having been downloaded millions of times.

Supermarket Management is a mile-a-minute time-management game, and follows Kate, a recent college graduate, as she builds her career in a grocery store. From keeping customers happy and shelves stocked, to hiring and supervising employees as a manager, Supermarket Management challenges players at every step. As Kate’s responsibilities increase from low-level tasks to managing multiple stores, Supermarket Management becomes more complex.

The fast-paced, addictive gameplay of Supermarket Management includes a wide variety of mini-games in addition to classic time-management action. Each store can be embellished with unique upgrades, and a huge variety of delicious foods are available to satisfy customers. Colorful graphics and a cheerful soundtrack provide players with a top-notch handheld gaming experience.

Supermarket Management is available on the App Store here.

For more information, please visit Supermarket Management’s home page, YouTube channel or G5′s Facebook page.

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MeanFreePath LLC. Announces Push Notifications For The Latest Turf Wars Update

MeanFreePath LLC., maker of innovative, location-based social games for major mobile devices, announced today the release of Version 1.2 for its ground-breaking app, Turf Wars, for the Apple® iPhone™ and iPod® touch. The update makes various performance enhancements and provides GPS fixes, but most notably it enables Push Notifications, which allows you to keep track of what’s happening to you and your turf while you’re away.

“Push Notifications means you’ll know instantly when someone makes a move against your turf,” says Nick Baicoianu, founder of MeanFreePath and creator of Turf Wars. Receiving an A- rating from The Onion AV Club, who called it, “an addictive download that’s continuously delivering new challenges”, Turf Wars is a free crime-based social MMO that uses real-world territory through an interactive map to provide an innovative multiplayer experience. Utilizing the Apple iPhone and iPod touch’s GPS capabilities, control your own piece of Turf, and attack others as well. Turf Wars is also the first social crime game to use real physical territory as a major gameplay element.

To download Turf Wars for FREE or for more information, please visit www.turfwarsapp.com or follow us on Facebook

**NOTE: iPhone/ iPod touch users must be running Apple’s GPS-enabled, OS 3.0 or higher in order to play Turf Wars**

KickSwerve update released and available in the App Store now.

Pixelcocoa Ltd. announce the release of major update to unique free-kick football game and price drop to celebrate. Pixelcocoa’s KickSwerve bases its gameplay around a selection of soccer free-kick scenarios, ranging from classic crossbar challenge and tyre targets, through to full-on in-game free kick situations with a wall and goalkeeper to beat. To celebrate the update, Pixelcocoa have reduced the price from £1.79 (US $2.99) to £1.19 (US $1.99).
“We love football and we’ve created what we think is a fun and accurate representation of one of the most popular aspects of the beautiful game” said Damian Wood of Pixelcocoa. “The process of swiping the screen to kick the ball is a very natural one for anyone familiar with the game. We’ve put a lot of love into this update, including tightened physics, optimised performance and whole new range of in-game models. It’s great to pick up and play for a minute at a time but can easily soak up hours of your day!”.

KickSwerve features four modes of play, two difficulty settings and a unique replay gallery from which users can view saved replays and share them with friends on other devices or even view online. ‘Quickplay’ sees the player dive straight in against a randomised free-kick situation, where the position of the ball, number of defenders and position of the ‘keeper is randomised each time, offering endless variety. ‘Main Game’ takes the player through 50 progressively difficult free-kick scenarios, scoring them in a golf par style system. ‘Crossbar Challenge’ is the classic test of skill in which the player has a minute to strike the crossbar as many times as possible. Finally, ‘Tyre Targets’ challenges the player to fire the ball through tyres – which when struck, act under realistic physics – suspended from a goal frame. Online high scores keep the challenge coming as players compare their skills from KickSwervers around the globe and the replay saving and sharing functionality lets users show off their beautiful goals.

iTunes link
Gameplay video can be seen here.

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Thumpies out today.

Big Blue Bubble Inc. announced today that Thumpies, a truly original beat matching game, is released today for iPhone/iPod Touch. Special version designed for iPad will be available on the launch date. WiiWare™ and PC versions will follow up shortly. Thumpies is a unique rhythm based music game for players of all ages. The best way to describe Thumpies is a rhythm game crossed with juggling. Players tap the screen to match the beat of bouncing Thumpies, creating layers of a song. If the player taps the targets in time, their Thump-o-Meter slowly rises, but if the player misses or taps out of time, the meter falls. Unlike typical rhythm based games, Thumpies uses a mechanic of bouncing in time instead of just a series of notes.

The quirky art design of Thumpies is accompanied by a unique musical score composed by award winning composer and industry veteran David Kerr. The music was crafted with game play in mind, giving the player a harmonizing experience.
Players also have the chance to unlock progressively bizarre Thumpies characters by collecting different colored butterflies. But be warned, hungry Thumpies might just eat them up before you get a chance to catch them!

Beware Internet Users! The Thumpies are on the loose and have taken over their own Facebook page! They want to invite all humanoids to a very special Live Chat . . . do you dare converse with the Thumpies?
Thumpies is a game that will keep people of all ages hooked with its addictive, quirky and stylistic gameplay. For more information, check out http://www.thumpies.com

iTunes link.

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First footage of Wonderland Software’s deity sim

“alternate”… they promise no life lessons.

Semnat Studios is happy to announce the release of their second game: “alternate”, a simple and addictive arcade action experience full of floating orbs, careful maneuvering and mesmerizing musical landscapes. Tilt your iPhone or iPod Touch to grab as many yellow orbs as you can while avoiding the red orbs, because they are jerks. Tap the screen to reverse the orbs-yellow into red and red into yellow. What were once your enemies are now the way to your new high score, and vice versa. Get it today from the app store, everyone! And tell your friends! And your enemies! Because this game teaches us that your enemy can become your friend, which is an important life lesson.

• Compare scores with friends (point and laugh), or compete for your worldwide rank using our global OpenFeint leaderboard to become the greatest person alive
• Challenge yourself by unlocking all ten of our OpenFeint achievements worth a total of 1000 Gamerscore points. That is neat!
• Increase your score to unlock additional backgrounds
• Features a brand new soundtrack from the composer of Eduardo the Samurai Toaster, Raymond Gramke
• Perfect for minutes of bite-sized playtime and addictive enough to challenge you FOREVER. Or for a good while.
• It’s only 99 cents!
• Life lessons!

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And that’s your lot for today! Phew… that was hard work. I think I might go take a walk down by the old stream now to relax. Enjoy! (And don’t forget to comment/share!)

CAPCOM® ANNOUNCES STREET FIGHTER® IV

The Legendary Fighting Franchise is Set To Make Its App Store Debut This March. Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that Street Fighter® IV, the definitive next generation fighting franchise, is making its way to iPhone and iPod Touch this March. The game will feature a roster pulled from recent console releases including several classic and newly introduced fighters.

“This is Street Fighter IV in all its glory… uncompromised and awesome,” said Takeshi Tezuka, General Manager of Mobile Content Development, Capcom. “We’re particularly proud of the multiplayer feature as it remains true to the series arcade roots by allowing players to go head-to-head over Bluetooth in spectacular fashion.”

Street Fighter IV for iPhone uses an advanced virtual d-pad or “Visual Pad” control interface to immerse the player into the familiar Street Fighter combat system. Players can fully customize the “Visual Pad” interface by repositioning the buttons and d-pad anywhere on the screen through the options menu. Additionally, players can further refine their configuration by setting the transparency level of the controls.

For newcomers to the series, a new “Dojo” mode unleashes the warrior within turning neophytes into Street Fighter masters. Once players hone there skills in single player mode they can then go head-to-head against their friends via Bluetooth for bragging rights and the coveted title of “Champion.”

Street Fighter IV will be available this March on Apple’s App Store.

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BBC ONE SERIES MERLIN COMING SOON!

FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) and INTENIUM Console announced today that the hugely successful BBC One family drama Merlin is to become a role play gaming app for iPhone and iPod touch users around the globe.

FME holds the exclusive international rights for Merlin, including distribution, licensing, and home entertainment, and has sold the TV series to more than 180 countries to date. FME has invested in the series alongside the broadcaster BBC1. The show is produced and created by Shine TV and series 3 will air in the UK in autumn 2010. The app will be available in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Spain and Portugal. It will be available in five languages – English, German, French, Spanish and Italian.

Combining the fantasy, action and magic elements of the show with engaging game play, the app will appeal to fans of the series, casual gamers and fantasy role play gamers alike. Players can be either Merlin or Prince Arthur as they travel throughout Camelot taking on villains and monsters, solving riddles and putting magic to good use.

Mel Alcock, CEO, EMEA, FME commented, “FME has had great success selling the programme around the world, and our licensing teams globally are looking at ways to complement on-air activity with off-air brand engagement initiatives. Partnering with Intenium enables us to offer Merlin fans everywhere an additional way to connect with the brand.”

Merlin stars Colin Morgan as Merlin, Bradley James as Prince Arthur, Anthony Head as King Uther, Katie McGrath as Morgana, Angel Coulby as Gwen, and Richard Wilson as Gaius. The show is executive produced by Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps, and produced by Shine TV for BBC One in the UK.

The game will be available on iTunes from April 2010

Calorie Tracker Pro: Intuitive And Efficient Nutritional Tracker

Calories are how we measure energy from foods for our body. When we get more calories than we burn, we store the extra in fat cells. This is how we gain weight. The old saying “You Are What You Eat”, although not entirely accurate, still has some merit as your lifestyle is, and should be, very important to you. To aid you on your quest to become a healthier person, Healthy U Technologies have released Calorie Tracker Pro.

With more than 120,000 unique food items that you can easily access at the touch of a button, Calorie Tracker Pro is the ultimate intuitive and nutritional tracker. Among the vast list of features included is the ability to track and monitor food and water consumption, as well as weight loss / gain over time. Charts and features galore, Calorie Tracker Pro has plenty to help your waistline stay thin and your wallet fat.

Says Bring Young, CEO of Healthy U Technologies: “People are relying on their mobile devices more and more and with the introduction of applications on the Apple iPhone™ and Apple iPod touch®, tracking your diet to lose weight is as simple as dialing a phone number.”  “Our mission”, added Young, “is to help the millions of Apple users manage their weight to live healthy lifestyles no matter where they are”.

Calorie Tracker Pro is available from the App Store here.

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Zombie Wonderland

Get ready! Grab your weapons because they are coming! When the pesky undead come out at night to haunt Niceville, there is only one person who knows how to clean up the mess: You! Hold the fort until dawn and you’re good to cash in on the fame and fortune of a Zombie Cleaner! Zombie Wonderland is a fun, fast and engaging variation of tower defense in 3D for the iPhone, with strong elements of time management and survival horror. Well, without the horror part. And you can cut a little slack on the time management too. It’s about shooting zombies, actually. The cute kind, as there is nothing more annoying than cute zombies.

Niceville is a lovely town that is having a bit of an inconvenience right now. A little zombie infestation is causing some discomfort to the citizens, and they decided to take action. Chuck, a Zombie Cleaner, is the guy to call when you’re having a Zombie infestation at your place. He will be called by property owners of Niceville that need help getting rid of the wretched dead-alive things. He works from dusk till dawn, always checking the clock to see when the Zombies will go back to bed – when the sun comes up!

His duty is to keep the zombies at bay and maintain an impeccable floor. His job is to shoot his beloved shotgun Betsy until his shoulder hurts and his face is cramping because of that stupid smile. He works the graveyard shift because it’s always twilights and long nights for a Zombie Cleaner!

Zombie Wonderland makes perfect use of the touch screen interface on the iPhone. Pinch to zoom in or out; swipe sideways to rotate the camera; tap a zombie and Chuck will shoot him, tap again for another dose of hot lead. Tap a window and Chuck will run to it, where you can then use your hammer to nail some planks to the window and keep the scent fresh in the house. Swipe up and down to clean the floors from zombie gut splash.

When you are tired of running around, get yourself a sprayer, that thing people call machinegun. Place it on a window and voilá! Instant protection! And in the unlikely case a zombie comes into the house, use the tool at hand to clean the floors after Betsy shows him who’s boss!

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Lock, loaded and ready to shoot down some alien scum?

The first game from Com2uS’ 2010 lineup is a graphically stunning, intergalactic shooter game called Heavy Gunner 3D. The game places you in a futuristic time where alien weapon technology is as commonplace as water guns. As alien invaders rain down from above, you man a turret armed to the bone with gatling guns, EMPs, missiles and a boat load of weaponry.

Eight different types of weapons with over 130 possible upgrade combinations allow you to transform your simple turret into a full blown death star taking down alien invaders from all over the galaxy. The controls are simple to learn but require a special ‘touch’ to master. Simply pressing down on the dual v-pads allows you to shoot a gun on both sides, but with each circular shooting pad, you are allowed to control the aim of each gun individually.

Heavy Gunner 3D gives you a bang for your buck with endless playtime, loaded with 35 missions, a survival mode, and 50 achievements. Similar to many dual-stick shooters, the enemies come at you in swarms like flies at an outdoor barbeque. However, unlike most dual stick shooters, Heavy Gunner 3D places the camera in first person view. The game increases re-playability with 3 options of difficulty levels. The easy level may give you the feeling of an untouchable turret, but don’t be fooled because the harder levels make it more and more difficult to hold your ground.

Com2uS has also been holding beta tests for two other games that are currently in the works. Caligo Chaser, a slash and dash action-arcade game with customizable clothes and attack skills. IMO: World of Magic, is a fully-featured MMORPG contained within a massive virtual world. All three Com2uS games have been highly anticipated by the iPhone community.

Heavy Gunner 3D is now on the App Store here

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Apogee Software and Mobila Interactive today announced that Extreme Rise of the Triad™ will be offered as a free update to the recently added App Store title Rise of the Triad™. The Extreme add-on pack contains deviously different tricks, traps and treachery not seen in the original Triad.

“Apogee has always been a company of firsts in the gaming industry” said Terry Nagy, Chief Creative Officer of Apogee. “Other companies would create a gold or platinum package and charge you for the additional content”.

Extreme Rise of the Triad has over 40 additional maps with some of the most brain-bending puzzles and devious traps offered in the Triad series.

“The overwhelming response to the Rise of the Triad announcement has had fans wanting more right out of the gate” said Yevgeniy Goyfman, President of Mobila Interactive. “Offering Extreme Rise of the Triad as a free upgrade gives them what they want without having to pay more for it”.

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Rise of the Triad is now available from the App Store!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rise-of-the-triad-dark-war/id354856087?mt=8

The classic first person shooter game, Rise of the Triad, will soon be available for download at the App Store for all iPhone™ OS platforms, including the Apple iPod touch® and Apple iPad. Mobila Interactive, LLC, a company specializing in creating applications for the mobile world, and Apogee Software, LLC, the legendary publisher that helped create the first-person-shooter genre, have partnered to bring this classic to Apple iPhone™, Apple iPod touch®, and future Apple iPad users.

“We are very honored to be working with industry pioneer like Apogee Software to bring this groundbreaking game from the 90’s to platforms of the 21^nd century,” said Yevegeniy Goyfman, co-founder of Mobilia Interactive. “It is exciting to be a major part of re-introducing classics like Rise of the Triad and allowing fans to re-live the experience, as well as share these true entertainment treasures with a new generation of gamers.”

“Rise of the Triad introduced a lot of ‘industry firsts’”, says Terry Nagy, Chief Creative Officer of Apogee Software. “Many features pioneered by Apogee long ago have become integral to the first person shooters of today. We are thrilled to be working with Mobila Interactive to bring our legacy title to the iPhone™ OS platforms.”

You can find a video and sneak preview of how the game will look at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUPFlkMhw90.

Game features include:

• An Apple iPhone™ OS port true to the original game.
• Original game soundtrack.
• A number of customizable control schemes.
• Four full game episodes containing 32 super huge levels – up to one million sq. feet, and up to 16 stories high!
• Secret levels, hidden rooms, and other surprises.
• Play as one of five players, each with unique attributes and abilities.
• Look both up and down, up to 45 degrees, to see what is above and below.
• Ten unique, real digitized enemies (actual Apogee employees!).

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World’s Most Popular Virtual Neighbourhood Celebrates A Decade of Simulation, Innovation and Reinvention

The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announces the celebration of the ten year anniversary of The Sims™, the groundbreaking game that allowed players to create and live a virtual, simulated life on a computer. Since the original The Sims debut on February 4, 2000, the unstoppable, award-winning franchise has produced three core games – The Sims, The Sims 2, and The Sims 3 – supported by dozens of expansion and stuff packs with lifetime unit sales eclipsing 125 million worldwide. As the best-selling PC game* in nearly every major video game market worldwide, The Sims has continuously reset the bar over the past decade delivering new content, gameplay elements, platform support, and partnerships that resonate with its global fan base in meaningful ways and take the play experience to new levels of fun and entertainment.

“The success of The Sims is something gamers and the gaming business as a whole can be proud of. With its charming and quirky style, lovely emergent game mechanics and user created creativity that delights every day, The Sims is a game that can be enjoyed by everybody and reflects what you put into it,” explained Rod Humble, Head of the EA Play label. “The future of The Sims is going to be a lot of fun; it is rare for an entertainment franchise to be gaining momentum a decade after release, so this is a particularly pleasant moment for everyone who has worked on the games.”

“No other game in the history of electronic entertainment has ever had the broad, nearly universal appeal of The Sims franchise,” says Logan Decker, Editor-in-Chief of PC Gamer magazine. “Everybody plays it: hardcore gamers, young women, celebrities, conservatives, professors, soldiers, grandmothers, even people who say they don’t like computer games. And the game—or, rather, the experience—has thrived throughout 10 years of sequels and countless expansion packs because EA has kept the environment fresh and infinitely customizable while never getting in the way of the game’s primary focus—the player’s imagination, and the natural inclination of all human beings to create meaningful stories.”

Just how popular is The Sims?
The franchise has generated more than $2.5B of revenue putting it in the same class as blockbuster films Avatar, Titanic, and The Matrix Trilogy.

The Sims, available in 60 countries and 22 languages, remains a worldwide cultural touchstone for its enormous and growing fan base by continuing to evolve its content and remain current. Since its June 2009 launch, The Sims 3 has sold more than 4.5 million units worldwide to date and holds the #1 best-selling PC title for 2009 in North America and Europe*. The Sims 3, like its predecessors, allows players to create, download and share player content on its online exchange fueling nearly 110 million downloads for The Sims 3 alone in a matter of months. The Sims 3 community site alone, www.thesims3.com, welcomes up to six million unique visitors monthly, handles 300 content downloads every minute and more than 1.8 million uploads have been made to date, including 20 movies each hour. The Sims 3 App for iPhone and iPod touch became the top selling game on the App Store for 2009 and reached the #1 position in the top paid Apps in nearly 40 countries worldwide in the same year.**

What does it feel like to host 6 million visitors each month?
Social networking sites play a significant role in the ongoing popularity of The Sims with pages on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube, amassing a following of a million friends to date worldwide. That’s enough people to fill the world’s largest stadium, North Korea’s Rungrado May Day Stadium, more than four times. The Sims 3 YouTube Channel is the second most subscribed to sponsored channel of all time with nearly 55,000 subscribers and over 26 million video views. Through social networks, The Sims development team shares the latest news and content, hosts contests and showcases player creations, and provides answers to game-related questions.

Sims are the trendiest virtual people on the block.
The Sims has continued to hold magnetic appeal because it is relevant, quirky, edgy, and fun; it’s a microcosm of society. The games give players the ability to create and control another life for themselves complete with relationships, children, homes, travel, business and pure entertainment.

If the games were buried in a time capsule, when unearthed in 100 years, The Sims would give future generations an instant understanding of how people lived between 2000-2010. For example, music would come alive from blockbuster recording artists such as The Black Eyed Peas, Nelly Furtado, Katy Perry, Natasha Bedingfield and Depeche Mode, all of whom have recorded songs for various The Sims games in Simlish, the official language of the Sims.

The popular franchise has also kept pace with societal trends such as “going green” with The Sims 3 allowing players to live off the land, grow their own food and or use pedal power or a Toyota Prius to travel, all in an effort to reduce their personal carbon Sim footprints.

Galileo Seven rocks the undead in Zombeat

What do Aerosmith, the Beatles and Robert Anthony Navarro, a.k.a. Galileo Seven, have in common? Much like the legendary rock bands’ signature video games, players get the opportunity to mimic Navarro’s music in the rhythmic video game Zombeat. Composer Robert Anthony Navarro delivers an original instrumental arena rock sound to the first zombie music video game to hit the iPhone; Zombeat is the latest beat matching game created by 3G Studios, Inc. Players battle countless zombie attackers by beat matching the music on their way through the undead hordes. Zombeat is available for purchase on iTunes App Store.

Music... Zombies... fun gaming time!

Who is Navvaro?

Navarro brings his diverse musical talents to film and video games. The composer is a much sought after music collaborator by leading film and game composers including Inon Zur, Takeshi Furukawa, Sascha Dikiciyan, and Chris Velasco with whom he recently scored the official trailer for Monday Night Combat. His guitar-infused original music can also be heard in the action film Fast and Furious.

Born in New York City to a Latin entertainer and a Playboy bunny, and the godson of Latin percussion legend Tito Puente, Navarro was destined for a career in the entertainment industry. As a child, he picked up his first guitar and found his calling. Navarro studied guitar with legendary axe-slingers including: Kirk Hellie (guitarist for Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols), Bruce Bouillet of Racer-X, Ron Borczon and Eric Jones. He furthered his studies with classical, music production and music theory classes at Cal State Northridge. Simultaneously, he fronted and played bass for the Pop/Punk group Trip, which toured nationally for their highly-acclaimed release, Naked—featured on MTV.

Prior to founding Ra Audio, Inc., Robert Anthony Navarro supervised projects for film, television, and video games as music director of Associated Production Music (APM Music), where he produced, co-wrote and developed over 1500 individual musical tracks. Currently, Navarro resides in Los Angeles, devoting his time to creating contemporary music for motion pictures, television, video games and commercials.

Hive: A Board Game With A Difference

Hive is a board game originally designed by John Yianni and released by “Gen Four Two Games” in 2001. Courtesy of independent developer Lotusland Studios, this famous board game with a difference is now available on Apple iPhone™ and Apple iPod touch®. Hive is categorized as an abstract strategy game and is highly unique as the pieces are simply placed on a flat surface without the limitations and constraints of a traditional game-board.

The objective of Hive is to surround the opponent’s queen bee while preventing your own queen from being captured. Whichever player accomplishes this task first has won the game. The game is made up of hexagonal tiles representing the contents of the hive. In total, Hive features 22 pieces, 11 per player, including 1 queen bee, 2 spiders, 2 beetles, 3 grasshoppers and 3 soldier ants – each having different methods of movement and abilities.

Hive is suitable for players of all ages: it is quickly learnt but hard to master, and as levels are completed, others become unlocked. Interface elements clearly indicate where players may move or position pieces and the game can be enjoyed as a single-player experience featuring four levels of difficulty, including an introductory setting against an artificial opponent gently allowing beginners to become familiar with the rules of play, and a multi-player feature against another human opponent.

Hive can be played using no less than four distinct sets of tiles: A wooden tile-set with the official 2nd edition board game artwork, a plastic set with the official 3rd edition board game artwork, a tile-set designed by the developer Lotusland Studios, and finally a high contrast black and white Carbon set primarily designed for outdoor play. Players can set the play surface background color, with an optional hex grid to aid visualization.

The touch version of Hive clearly displays where each piece can move, making the different pieces easy to learn for beginners. Game options include tournament rules and the new Mosquito expansion to Hive: a parasitic new player piece that takes on the abilities of its neighbors, use your mosquito cleverly as an extra ant, beetle or spider!

Hive features a soundtrack by John Tennant, including “Depths” – “TypeCaste” and two exclusive remixes of “Project of Science” from the album “Early Ambient Works”. Hive is available from the App Store here.

Revs! – Big Head Games Ltd.

BHG are today pleased to announce the release of iPhone game Revs! to the Apple store. Revs! Is a shameless throw back to the good old days of 8bit racing games, playing on the joy of retro gaming, pixel art and simple controls last seen on games consoles like the Nintendo NES with classic games like Super Sprint and R.C Pro-Am.

Play Championship and tackle eight courses against four opponents battling for the top spot and the coveted Championship Gold Cup. Compete in Time Trial for the best lap times, upload them to the worldwide high scores server and take on players from around the world. Look out for short cuts, earn money for upgrades and grab Nitro Boosts for that extra edge.

Look out for more ‘all in the gameplay’ games in the coming months.

Revs! is in the app store now priced at 59p/99c/0.79e http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/revs/id352075542?mt=8

Hospitality Comes to the iPhone, Courtesy of Jane’s Hotel from G5 Enterainment

G5 Entertainment, known for its best-selling casual iPhone games like Stand O’Food, Supermarket Mania, and The Mystery of the Crystal Portal, today announced Jane’s Hotel for iPhone and iPod Touch. The time-management game, developed by Realore, has already attracted millions of players on PC, and is now published for the iPhone by G5 Entertainment.

In Jane’s Hotel, players guide Jane as she begins her hospitality career with a simple 2-star hotel on the outskirts of town. Quick wits and reflexes will be required if Jane’s hotel is to reach its full potential. Players must keep visitors satisfied with clean rooms, exquisite drinks and tasty meals. As the cash rolls in throughout 40 dynamic levels, accommodations can be upgraded until Jane is running a sophisticated five-star hotel.

Jane’s Hotel is available on the App Store here. For more information, please visit Jane’s Hotel home page here, G5Entertainment’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/g5enter, or G5′s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/g5games.

Vampire Origins

Let us know your thoughts and opinions by leaving a comment below.

A bargain at less than £3

Nordcurrent to bring 101-in-1 Games to iPhone

Nordcurrent, a European game developer and publisher, announced today that its first iPhone and iPod Touch title, 101-in-1 Games, will be available for download worldwide on iTunes on January 28, 2010 for a price of $2.99 in the U.S. and €2.39 for Europe. 101-in-1 Games is a compilation of 101 mini-games spanning across numerous genres and is the perfect game for players of all ages.

“We are excited to bring this quirky and addictive collection of mini-games to the iPhone and iPod Touch,” said Victoria Trofimova, Director at Nordcurrent. “There are an endless number of games for players to choose from, so no matter what type of genre they enjoy, there is plenty of fun to be had with 101-in-1 Games!”

101-in-1 Games features the greatest-ever games collection for iPhone and iPod Touch, with 101 games in all for players to select. Ranging from puzzle games and fast-paced arcade action, to racing, sports, cooking, shooting, and Sudoku, the combination of all these mini-games in one package is enough to satisfy every iPhone user’s gaming needs.

When users first begin playing, they can choose from 10 mini-games that are unlocked. As they continue through the games, players earn points for each completed mini-game as they beat the score. These points can be used to unlock the other mini-games. While some mini-games require more than others to unlock, the more points needed means that the player will earn more points as they complete it.

For more information about 101-in-1Games, or Nordcurrent’s complete lineup of products, visit http://www.nordcurrent.com/.

iPhone Game Development-New from O’Reilly

What do you need to know to create a game for the iPhone? Even if you’ve already built some iPhone applications, developing games using iPhone’s gestural interface and limited screen layout requires new skills. With iPhone Game Development (O’Reilly Media), you get everything from game development basics and iPhone programming fundamentals to guidelines for dealing with special graphics and audio needs, creating in-game physics, and much more.

“The iPhone is a proven platform for game development with a growing market Just the other day I saw a billboard advertising the iPod Touch as a gaming platform. Apple is a really strong company to partner with, and the doors are open. And yet, the true potential for iPhone games has yet to be tapped; there is still plenty of room for innovation out there,” says author Paul Zirkle, Lead Mobile Programmer at Konami Digital Entertainment.

In iPhone Game Development, Zirkle is joined by Joe Hogue, a mobile programmer with Electronic Arts. Together, they provide an experienced iPhone developer with the knowledge needed to make games for the Apple iPhone. Starting with a basic overview of game and technical design particular to the new device, the book moves on to detail the development process with examples. You will find everything from game development basics and an introduction to iPhone programming to tips on using APIs to develop in-game physics and strategies for AppStore publication.

Loaded with descriptive examples and clear explanations, this book helps you learn the technical design issues particular to the iPhone and iPod Touch, and suggests ways to maximize performance in different types of games. You also get plug-in classes to compensate for the areas where the iPhone’s game programming support is weak.

• Learn how to develop iPhone games that provide engaging user experiences
• Become familiar with Objective-C and the Xcode suite of tools
• Learn what it takes to adapt the iPhone interface to games
• Create a robust, scalable framework for a game app
• Understand the requirements for implementing 2D and 3D graphics
• Learn how to add music and audio effects, as well as menus and controls
• Get instructions for publishing your game to the App Store

Advance Praise
“As an owner of an iPhone app development company currently in the process of producing games, I found this book an invaluable companion to architecting our gaming engines and thinking through game and level design. This book is a true asset to iPhone game programmers.”
-Brad O’Hearne, founder of Big Hill Software LLC and the Phoenix iPhone Developer Group

Joe Hogue has five years of mobile game programming experience. He worked with Paul at Konami and currently works for Electronic Arts as a Mobile Programmer. Joe has worked on over 40 titles as well, including porting, re-writes and full development. Joe has written an iPhone game that is currently being submitted to the iTunes AppStore.

Paul Zirkle has five years of mobile game programming experience and is currently a Lead Mobile Programmer at Konami Digital Entertainment. He has worked on over 40 titles, including porting, re-writing and full development. Occasionally, Paul is called upon to give lectures on game development at the University of Southern California.

Additional Resources:
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover graphic, see: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596159856

Pythongem Releases Compilation Of Puzzle Games For Apple iPhone^TM & Apple iPod touch^®

Blokuz One, Blokuz Mono And Blokuz Dual: All In One Download!

Blokuz is a collection of three unique puzzle games, all of which are sold separately through the App Store from independent developer, Pythongem. By purchasing the trio of games as one combined download, puzzle maniacs save money and gets triple the fun!

The first of the three games is “Blokuz One”: In this game the playing screen is filled with tiles of varying color. Selecting connected tiles of the same color destroys the tiles from the screen earning you points. The higher the number of connected tiles of the same color you manage to destroy, the higher your score will become.

The second of the three games in the compilation is “Blokuz Mono”: In this game, you are presented by a screen of cleverly disguised tiles represented by question marks. Your objective is to open and collect groups of similar tiles by tapping on the question marks. Your aim is to clear the screen. Choose the largest block of tiles, and the more tiles you destroy simultaneously, the higher your reward.

And thirdly, to complete the compilation of puzzle games is “Blokuz Dual”: In this game, it is your objective to clear the screen on each side of a dual-sided board. This is similar to the previous games but adds an element of complexity and challenge as you are faced with two screens of tiles you need to juggle simultaneously.

Blokuz Game Collection is available from the App Store here:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=329516697&mt=8

Annihilation Undead

The undead have returned, in the latest update of Annihilation Undead, a new twin-stick shooter for the iPhone. Available very soon, Chapter 2 continues the massacre with two new game modes, Scavenge and Frenzy, and a new high-tech weapon, the Laser Rifle.

Set in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, players are tasked with surviving a horde of ghoulish monstrosities. Luckily they have an impressive arsenal of weaponry at their disposal – from samurai swords and lawnmowers to flamethrowers and grenade launchers, there’s a death-dealing tool for every enemy. Slaughter your way through masses of decaying zombies, hideous mutants, and even undead pigs. Use more than 20 unique weapons, from a home-made sawblade launcher to a futuristic plasma gun. Hack off heads, arms, even entire bodies, as you cover the level in zombie blood!

New in Chapter 2, Scavenge mode changes the way the game is played – as the name implies, players now collect weapons from around the level, instead of being given them in a steady progression. The second new mode, Frenzy, presents the player with a series of timed challenges to slaughter as many enemies with a given weapon before the time runs out. Annihilation Undead features online highscores and achievements, courtesy of OpenFeint. Compare your skills against your friends, and earn your bragging rights as you compete to become the top survivor! Annihilation Undead is available now for $1.99US in the App Store, with even more content updates on the way.

iTunes App Store Link:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=334638389&mt=8

Will there be an end to them...?

PikPok Adds Online Leaderboards & Achievements to Bird Strike for the iPhone

PikPok™ today announced the addition of online leaderboards and achievements for Bird Strike™, utilizing the OpenFeint framework. PikPok’s addictive new title for iPhone is already receiving critical praise for its cartoon style and fun flight dynamics. Bird Strike is available in the App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch for $1.99/£1.19.

“The community has been giving great feedback on Bird Strike and their biggest request so far has been that we incorporate OpenFeint so they could compete with their friends,” said Jos Ruffell, manager of the PikPok label. “We’ve worked with OpenFeint before and our team implemented it in just a few days. The result is more features for Bird Strike that we know will make the players happy.”

In addition to online leaderboards, PikPok has added 25 achievements to the game. Achievements range from collect 100 seeds in any level, to Ride all Rockets in a Level. The online leaderboards and achievements add countless hours of additional gameplay for people hoping to master all aspects of the game.

For more information on Bird Strike™, please visit:www.pikpokgames.com/birdstrike

Crush the Castle 1.2: iPhone Destruction Fit for a King

Armor Games is proud to announce a kingdom-sized update for their medieval rock-slinger, Crush the Castle. The puzzle-action game challenges players to rain down destruction on increasingly fortified castles. Armed with a trebuchet – a specialized and highly accurate style of catapult – players hurl projectiles over and through castle walls to crush both the castle and its royal denizens. This iPhone classic is the heir to the realm of its father, the wildly successful flash-based Crush The Castle.

Crush the Castle 1.2 adds 40 new levels to the already-robust 50, and launches an even easier-to-use level editor. Armor Games have doubled the weapon set, adding wicked new bombs and potions to the player’s arsenal, letting players dabble in alchemy or just fling a trio of big rocks to send the walls crashing down. Thanks to realistic physics and the wonders of simulated gravity, a perfect shot can crush a castle in one fell swoop and net the player a coveted gold medal. Players can look forward to a fantastic reward if they earn a gold medal in all 90 levels.

Crush the Castle 1.2’s challenge comes from mastering the trebuchet’s precise timing – wreck the opposing fortress in one glorious, arcing lob of demolition. Tap anywhere to set it in motion, and tap again to release the payload. The controls are both simple to learn and highly responsive, creating massive pick-up-and-play appeal for gamers of all ages.

Furthermore, between January 18-22, 50% of the proceeds of all sales of Crush The Castle will go to supporting the American Red Cross’ relief efforts in Haiti. For more information, please visit AppsForHaiti.

For addictive, calculated destruction on-the-go, download Crush the Castle on the iTunes App Store today for only $1.99. This update is free for current owners of Crush the Castle.

Memory^® Classic and Memory^® Kids to debut on iPhone and iPod Touch

Brilliantly simple – and simply brilliant: Ravensburger Digital, part of well-known games & toy maker Ravensburger Group, is to publish different variants of the world-famous classic memory training game – the original memory® – for iPhone and iPod Touch, starting now with the fascinating memory® Classic and memory® Kids on the iTunes App Store. In its own special way, memory® allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to exercise their memorization and concentration skills with memory® anytime and anywhere, either alone or with gaming partners.

See, not all games are evil!

Off to a new start: Both variants of the unique memory training game include a selection of exciting game modes. In duel mode, two players compete according to the classic rules of memory® to determine who is the true mastermind. In single-player mode, on the other hand, speed is what counts; the better and the faster the player memorizes the cards and completes the game, the more points are awarded. The exciting adventure mode also requires enormous concentration, as fans of brainteasers play through several rounds with an ever-increasing number of cards. Moreover, three levels of difficulty are included to guarantee heaps of fun for both young and old. Local and world-wide high-score tables ensure that the game never grows boring, as iPhone and iPod Touch users can compete for the highest ranking worldwide in both memory® Classic and memory® Kids.

memory® Classic and memory® Kids are available now for iPhone and iPod Touch on the iTunes App Store at a price of $ 1.99 each.

Fleeced! – Shear Terror is Available Now

Bight Games are announcing the immediate  availability of Fleeced! – Shear Terror on the App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch. Early previews have been overwhelmingly positive and Pocketgamer.co.uk has included Fleeced! on their list of the 10 most anticipated games of 2010.

The somewhat bizarre premise of feuding Pseudo-Peruvian brothers, llama shearing and canons make for a truly unique tailor-made experience for the iPhone. Bight CEO Stuart Duncan says “There were times when even we thought, is this too weird? Will people get the sense of humour? I think it’s fair to say that given the great response we’ve been getting that people really love the game.”

To support the launch of Fleeced! two of Bight’s other popular games, Puzzlings and Kill All Bugs will be available for free during the launch window. Fleeced! Shear Terror is available for $3.99 USD from today.

Kaboom... like he said!

2 Million Pocket God Fans Cant Be Wrong

Bolt Creative has announced that Pocket God has now sold over two million copies, becoming the first paid app to cross the two million sales mark. While the announcement comes too late to put Pocket God in the “2010 Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition,” the game is now securely in the hearts and home screens of over 2 million users. If you were to stack all the Pocket God iPhones and iPod touches end-to-end, they’d be over 140 miles tall – the equivalent of 23,000 Easter Island tiki heads, or taller than 33 of the world’s tallest volcano, Hawaii’s Mauna Kea.

What started as a casual game about tormenting adorable islanders has evolved over time to include many of the community’s most-requested features. With nearly 30 free updates and a bargain $.99 price tag, Pocket God has moved from lovable app to iPhone zeitgeist. Like a fine wine, the app has improved with age since its arrival in January 2009, and it’s still hot. Sales of the game have moved over 53,000 units in a single day and over 100,000 units per week around the 2009 holiday season. The game now features a variety of locations, natural disasters, challenges and monsters – an unparalleled degree of support from the team at Bolt

“We couldn’t be happier with the turnout we’ve seen at the island,” said Bolt CEO Dave Castelnuovo. “The community has been absolutely incredible embracing this game. From the thousands of YouTube videos to the homemade Halloween costumes to the valuable user feedback we’ve received, we can’t thank our community enough for our success.”

A slew of awards and accolades have piled up at the Bolt Creative studio, including nods from WIRED and Apple. The perpetually-unlucky islanders have even made cameos in other successful iPhone titles like Doodle Jump and Harbor Master. Whether you’re flinging natives into a volcano or accelerating global warming on your island paradise, Pocket God has something for everyone. And of course, another update is on its way.

Pocket God can be purchased in the iTunes App Store. For more information, please visit www.boltcreative.com.

Bytemark Unleashes Bloodthirsty Zombies onto the App Store with Dawn of the Dead Game

Zombies are on the loose and invading your iPhone and iPod touch in the newly announced Dawn of the Dead game, created by Bytemark Games and Universal Partnerships & Licensing. Based on the smash hit movie of the same name, the Dawn of the Dead App takes you inside the legendary Crossroads Mall in a series of intense and terrifying levels as you fight to survive an onslaught of bloodthirsty zombies.

“We are thrilled to bring this hit movie to life as we challenge gamers of all levels to defeat the undead and survive by any means necessary, ” says Bytemark CEO, Jon Walsh.

“Bytemark’s reputable lineage in the interactive space is beautifully showcased by the Dawn of the Dead App with its creative use of the iPhone OS platform’s remarkable capabilities,” said Calvin Lim, Director of Mobile Sales, Universal Partnerships & Licensing. “Fans of this timeless classic and zombie enthusiasts alike can now play out each terrifying moment anywhere they go.”

The Dawn of the Dead App is available for $1.99, from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dawn-of-the-dead/id347666921?mt=8

and finally…

Not One, Not Two, But Three Games In Magic Ludo For Apple iPhone^TM & Apple iPod touch^®

Independent developer, GameFront, has just released Magic Ludo into the App Store. Magic Ludo is an adoption of the classic and popular board game, and is free to download featuring extra content such as additional boards and levels available through micro transactions at regular updates.

Magic Ludo features 13 levels and three distinct versions of Ludo: First, there is the classic version similar to the European incarnation of the board game. Secondly, there is the Chinese version, which unlike the classic European version features stacking and flying. And last but not least, there is the African version which includes stacking, stack blocking and movement penalty. The game also features a challenge mode in which solo players can participate in missions such as Gogogo, Serial Killer and Time Trial. Included is also a tutorial for those new to the world of Ludo. In casual mode, 1-4 players challenge each other on unlocked boards and missions. Savor the moment of triumph when you send opponent pieces home.

To those unfamiliar and unacquainted with the classic board game “Ludo”, it is a game in which player’s race from start to finish according to dice rolls. The rules of classic Ludo, according to WikiPedia is as follows: A Ludo board is normally a square marked with a cross. Each arm of the cross is divided into three columns, with the columns divided into usually six squares. The centre of the cross is the finishing square which is often divided into four colored triangles. Each colored triangle is combined with a colored middle column appears as an arrow pointing to the finish. The shaft of each arrow is a player’s “home column” and is five squares long. To the left of each home column, one square from the edge of the board is a starting square, also colored. During game play a piece moves from its starting square, clockwise around the perimeter of the board, and up the player’s home column to the finishing square. In the space to the left of each arm is a circle or square to hold a player’s pieces before they are allowed into play.

Magic Ludo is available from the App Store here:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=349534717&mt=8

I loved Ludo as a kid. Did you?

That just about rounds up the iPhone new for today. I know there is a lot, but hopefully you will enjoy this daily updates from us here down on the Electronic Farmyard.

Good night.