Over the last few years, the staff here at Blast has been working on a list of what we view as the top 100 games of all time. We hope to finalize it so it’s out early next year, but It hasn’t been an easy process and we’ve all argued back and forth about just what should be number one, but I’ve stayed strong on what I think it should be – Rockstar’s genre defining open world crime adventure Grand Theft Auto III.

You see, GTA III kind of saved video games for me. There was a time when I really didn’t care about the industry and I was one of those “casual gamers.” Then my brother came home with GTA III and everything changed. For the first time ever a video game didn’t fit into a tiny box, it felt like it didn’t just end when I turned the power off. This was a living, breathing virtual playground and I was free to do just what I want. I spent countless nights just seeing what I could do, I missed dates, parties and holidays for GTA III.

I was admittedly a bit unsure about how this experience would translate to tablets and smart phones, but it was all for not – the tenth anniversary edition of Grand Theft Auto III is exactly how you remember it and still feels incredibly fun and rewarding to play. Sure, I could gripe on a few things, but GTA III is greater than the sum of all of its parts, and it’s a must have for anyone who loves the series and owns a device that can run it.

The mot impressive aspect of this version of GTA is just how impressively complete it is. Like the other games in the series, GTA III is a massive game and it’s quite the feat that Rockstar’s was able to convert the entire experience to the new medium. Immediately upon loading the game ( well, as soon as I could), I took to the roads and looked for things I remember from my time with the game and it’s all there. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that the game’s entire soundtrack is in tact, a rare feat in this modern day of licensing agreements. The sound on the game, especially the character’s voices can sound a bit tinny at times, but this is rare and doesn’t get in the way of how well the experience translates.

But maybe it’s too much of the same. For this tenth anniversary edition, I was really hoping for some extra director’s cut type content. What about the deleted scenes we heard so much about? What about the recently released concept art for the game? I would gladly pay a few extra dollars to see this kind of stuff for an experience that shaped my love of games.

What I was out worried about with The new version of GTA III was how the game’s controls would translate to touch screens. I played the game on an iPad 2 and within the first few seconds of driving a car, I had it flipped over and in flames. Whoops. Then I took my time and just let the controls handle themselves and realized that it felt extremely fluid. On the PS2, the controls were more of a pedal to the floor, always going type of experience, but here – they’re based more on, timing and rhythm and it fits the experience quite beautifully. Where there times when I “accidentally” lost control and mowed down a few pedestrians? Of course, but it’s all part of the GTA experience.

The Blast Factor: Grand Theft Auto III is a bit personal to me, so I was happy to see it get such a superb re-release on a very modern platform. It’s a game that shows its age a bit, but still feels incredibly rewarding and immersive as ever. For me, it’s not just a great re-release, it’s the game that verifies that tablets and smart phones can not only be impressive gaming devices, but can hold their own against consoles.

I wanted to write this review about how Angry Birds, Rovio’s mobile game that’s become a major cultural icon had finally jumped the shark. About how the game’s flirtation with Hollywood in it’s partnership with the upcoming family film Rio had finally done it in.

I couldn’t.

Somehow, Angry Birds: Rio is just as fun, if not more so than the original or it’s quasi-sequel Angry Birds: Seasons. Featuring more detailed graphics and sound, the latest chapter of the Angry Birds saga may seem like a cheap whore-out for a semi-related movie, but it’s still just as addicting as ever.

If you’ve somehow missed the Angry Birds phenomena totally, the game is built on simple mechanics. Using a sling-shot and a nice set of physics, you launch a number of birds, each with different abilities into structures in hopes that they topple over and crush your enemy pigs. It sounds quite simple but as evidence by just how many people have downloaded the game — it’s quite addictive as well. In Rio though, the pigs are nowhere to be found, instead you’re smashing these structures in order to free caged birds (eventually leading up to the main characters from the film) and eventually take out monkeys. Rio features 60 stages with a boss fight thrown in for good measure, and while that’s not even close to the amount of stages in the original game, it’s clear from the menu screen that Rovio intends on adding levels soon. What’s most interesting perhaps about Rio is that there’s a decided learning curve thrown in that was absent from the original. Yes, the game is a bit easier, especially in the beginning of the game, but it’s a smart move by Rovio since the game is likely to picked up by a lot more younger games thanks to its association with the film.

The visuals in Rio have also been upgraded from its predecessor. It may seem trivial, but the caged birds lend a much needed sense of color to the environments, which have also been spiffed up with a more detailed overhaul.

The Blast Factor: You already own Angry Birds, hell you probably already have it on multiple platforms, but I still can’t help but recommend Rio. It’s a slightly updated version of a game that’s become much of a cultural phenomena, plus what else are you going to play on the john?

Alawar Entertainment has released a new vampire game for the iOS platform called Vampire Saga: Pandora Box. The new game built for all iOS devices including the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, focuses on engaging the player in a virtual world of fear and horror, where the player must advance though the storyboard in a Victorian style location and search for the over 300 hidden objects along the way.

Vampire Saga: Pandora Box embraces the tradition of the finest Hammer horror movies and classic novels by H.P. Lovecraft. The main character plays the role of Matthew Ward, who steals aboard a cargo ship to elude from the Spanish-American War and later awakens to the site of menacing coffins and a vacant crew. Mathew feels he is being watched, has strange visions and has no clue where they crew had vanished to.

To help him figure this out, Mathew needs your help and you must venture through several scary Victorian style locations, find over 300 hidden objects and be ready for the creepy surprises that this game has in store.

We decided to take the plunge into the world of unknown and give Vampire Saga: Pandora Box a shot in our tests. Upon launch, I couldn’t help but notice that the graphics were very good. The maps seemed to have decent definition, clarity and resolution.

While I felt the graphics were good, I found game play to be more on the difficult side and it took me a while to figure out how to move and get to where I needed to accomplish the various scenes in order to advance though the game. I found the storyboard and in-game sounds to be well thought out and implemented, but again navigation was a problem for me and I wish there was some kind of on screen navigation pad, rather than having to tap on sparkly spots on the screen to advance forward.

The game starts out at Grandpa’s house and your forced to get inside, in which the door is locked and you must break thought he window and find items to advance further within the game. I’ll stop here, as I don’t want to give too many details away and ruin all the fun.

Check it out for yourself–the game is reasonably priced at $2.99 in the iTunes App store and an iPad version is available for $6.99. If you’re not up for the paid version yet, or just want to try the game, there is a free light version in the iTunes store as well.

Since the inception of the App Store, customers and skeptics alike have debated whether or not the iPhone could handle serious gaming productions.

There is now confirmation that the iPhone is a legitimate, all thanks to Tarver Games’ new production, Ghosts Attack. This game, which should be released in the coming week, is probably one the deepest and most interesting releases I’ve seen.  From the interface, to the gameplay, to most everything in between, Ghosts Attack is one upcoming iPhone App that I am quite excited for.

To give a short overview of the plot, Ghosts Attack puts you in the middle of a rescue mission to help 13 scientists get rescued after an experiment goes terribly wrong.  Apparently the scientists were trying to invent a teleportation machine in the 1960′s.  Instead, and I think we’ve all ran into this issue from time to time, the scientists accidentally opened a portal to a alternate dimension where they were transported, never to be found.  Now, 40 years later, it is your task to help find these scientists in this dangerous, ghost-filled world.

In the beginning of the game, you are a new recruit in the world of Ghost hunting.  Most of the game’s opening missions are just a tutorial, but they are quite entertaining given what most iPhone games put you through.  You are led by Karl, your mustachioed guide and Torgan Science Rover Technician, who shows you the ropes on how to use your new vehicle.  Using fairly straight-forward missions, awesomely-poor voice acting and some uber-nerdy wit, the tutorial is over before you know it and the game begins.

The controlling scheme is quite intuitive and easy to use.  On the left side of your screen, there is a bar that allows you to change the speed that your Rover will travel with a slight slide of your thumb.  On the right, there is the button to shoot, which helps the destruction of enemy ghosts.  To steer, players must tilt the iPhone in the respective directions.  Getting used to the controlling scheme is going to take some time to master, but experienced gamers should be able to catch on quickly.

One good thing about the game is that the Rover is upgradable, specifically in the firepower and handling of the vehicle.  This adds some customization to an already deep production from Tarver.  Buying these upgrades are a fun way to spend the “credits” that you accumulate during the game.  Credits are earned by distance traveled, items recovered and ghosts killed, letting players have fun not only by spending money, but by making it as well.

Ghosts Attack uses the different functions of the iPhone in ways not even imagined by many other developers to enhance the gameplay.  For instance, with the use of the Google Maps interface, players can take their Rover to any place in the world to combat the Ghosts and recover important objects.  Selecting a region by use of Google Maps will let the game invent new levels for you to roam about, making the potential replay value virtually unlimited.  Ghosts Attack also implements less-common-but-not-previously-unused features such as Facebook Functionality, which will allow you to invite friends to play the game with you, coordinate rendezvous points or leave a package for fellow Ghosts Attack patrons.  Tarver Games’ upcoming title will also incorporate episodic content, which will allow players to download more missions, add-ons and Rover upgrades as the year progresses.  This will be a form of in-game transaction, costing each player about $0.99 per episode.

Ghosts Attack also has a very intriguing storyline.  Though I haven’t played all of the levels, many of which will be released at a later date, the plot develops pretty well for a mobile game.  Karl offers plenty of comic relief while the ghost characters are quite scary.  Let’s put it this way: I laughed, I cried and I cant wait to see what additional twists and turns will be made available as we move through the comings months.

My favorite part of Ghosts Attack was how impressively deep the game was.  Not only was the story good, the graphics tolerable and the gameplay entertaining, but the sheer number of levels was unexpected.  I think that Tarver Games really has something going here.  They have really pushed the bar to which gaming on the iPhone was thought possible.  Though it is a completely different style of game, I almost got a Half-Life vibe from Ghosts Attack.  It’s just that interestinh.

However, this brings me to one of the few negative aspects of Ghosts Attack.  First, I must add a disclaimer that this has nothing to do with the gameplay or in-game controlling schemes (things of which have been know to be very picky about).  No, instead this is more a broad, couldn’t-help-it criticism that should be taken very lightly.  I just wish that Tarver Games could have expanded on this title a little more.  It is already great, don’t get me wrong, but I would’ve liked to see this title go another step forward in development.  I know that Tarver doesn’t have unlimited resources or capital, so it is very hard to put any blame on them for this.  Let’s just hope that this game is a success, so Tarver is swiming in revenue and can kick even more ass with the sequel.  Also (and I’m nitpicking here), some of the loading times for the game were a bit slow.  Hopefully that will be taken care of to a certain exent by the time the public release is live.

Blast Factor: The significant thing about Ghosts Attack is not that it’s the best game that’s ever been made for the iPhone; that’s just not the case.  This title has shown the potential that iPhone has as a gaming platform.  Furthermore, the fact that Ghosts Attack came from a smaller developer like Tarver Games is just icing on the cake.  I cannot wait to see what Tarver brings in the future and, if we’re lucky, what a major developer can do if they sink enough resources into a project for the iPhone.  Ghosts Attack can be picked up for $4.99 at the iTunes App Store, which is a very fair price.  If you’ve got the iCash, I say give this App a shot and let your visions for the future of the iPhone as a gaming platform unfold.

Ghosts Attack will be available exclusively at the App Store for $4.99. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

Get your drill sharpened and your air supply filled because it is time for Namco’s latest throwback release, Mr. Driller. Yes, the folks at Namco have revived another classic character from games’ past.‚  However, instead of an iconic game like Pac-Man or Galaga, this time’s revitalization is of a lesser character, everyone’s favorite too-excited, slightly flamboyant driller.

For those who don’t know, Mr. Driller stars Susumu Hori, who coincidentally is the son of Taizo Hori of Dig Dug fame.‚  Susumu’s task is much like his fathers, to drill, drill, drill.‚  The further and faster Susumu drills through the multi-colored underground blocks of his domain, the more points he accumulates.‚  However, this task is not without its perilous dangers.‚  The deeper Susumu drills, the higher the chance of unsupported pieces of earth will collapse upon.‚  Worse yet, Susumu can run out of air if he drills too long without getting his supply replenished.

Now that a little background information has been laid out, lets talk game modes.‚  Mr. Driller for the iPhone comes in three modes: Survival mode, Arcade mode, Time Attack.‚  In Survival mode, players drill as deep as they can for as long as they can.‚  Players will have to keep an eye on their air-level meter, however, if they want to survive.‚  Luckily, each level in Survival mode will have air-replenishers, which look like little blue pills, dispersed throughout the drill-scape.‚  Still, even an unlimited amount of air will not protect the younger Hori from the falling rocks”¦

Arcade mode has a more level progression-based type of gamplay.‚  On the initial menu screen for the mode, players can choose whether they would like to play levels are that 500m or 1000m long, depending on if they consider themselves “beginners” or “experts.”‚  It would have been nice to see a less extreme designation for what players consider themselves, if only to let me feel something other than severe modesty or tremendous cockiness.‚  Arcade mode is quite similar to Survival mode in that, both modes are evaluated on the distance they drill while also providing air-refilling pills.‚  However, Arcade mode does have one main distinction from Survival mode: Arcade mode players are able to go through multiple lives before the dreaded Game Over screen is bestowed upon them.‚  This one feature definitely made Arcade mode my favorite of the three.

In Time Attack, time subtraction tokens are scattered on the level instead of air bonuses.‚  This is because players are only evaluated on the time they take to clear a stage, rather than how many points they can accumulate.‚  Time Attack is fun because players can choose which level they would like to play on, making it the most customizable of the modes.

Though the game modes are entertaining, my favorite aspect of Mr. Driller is the high-quality nature of its visuals.‚  The Japanese stylization is fun and colorful, making for a less graphics-intensive gaming experience.‚  This does wonders for battery life and making Mr. Driller one of the iPhone’s most unique looking games.

Still, not all of the aesthetic features of Mr. Driller were satisfactory.‚  Every level design in this game is repetitive.‚  It seems like each level was built nearly identical to one another.‚  Sure, the backdrops change for each stage, but Mr. Driller always works on the same blocks with the same colors.‚  The game is certainly cyclical, but never really boring, which is a nice change when compared to other games of the genre and platform.

Namco also continues to implement my favorite controlling scheme in its games, with Mr. Driller being no different.‚  The use of a virtual arrow pad is key for any game like Mr. Driller, so it makes sense for Namco to maintain that approach.‚  To control Susumu, players need to simply point his drill in the desire direction by pressing down on the corresponding arrow on the pad and then pressing the drill button.‚  That’s it.‚  This is a very easily learned controlling scheme and can be used by even the most novice of iPhone gamers.‚  Namco also continues to offer the Swipe and Accelerometer controlling schemes options, but I’m not sure why.‚  It’s always nice to try and attempt to use the iPhone’s amazing features in your product, but that doesn’t mean one needs to do it.

Finally, Namco decided to add a Facebook connect feature to Mr. Driller.‚  This allows players to post their top scores on their Facebook page while also talking a little trash as well.‚  This will add a whole new level of competition between players and friends.‚  I think this is a great addition and will be key to replay value of the game.

Blast Factor: Mr. Driller is a very fun and addicting game.‚  Though it does lack diversity in its levels, Mr. Driller does have some excellent game modes and visual features to make up for it.‚  At $1.99, it has a great price and a great value.

Namco’s Mr. Driller is available exclusively at the iTunes App Store for $1.99.

Pac-Man is back and he’s hungrier than ever. Yes, everyone’s favorite dot-eating, ghost-munching, maze-navigating yellow sphere has been resurrected by Pac-Man Remix.‚  This iPhone app, brought to you by the now throwback masters at Namco, brings all the excitement of the classic Pac-Man title, while amping up the graphics and adding tons of extra features in the process.

Though it sounds great, there are sometimes mixed results with updates of classic franchises on the iPhone. Pac-Man does hold a special place in my heart though, so I especially wanted to keep an open mind, even if the possibility of a poor controlling interface or unimpressive graphics was still present.

When first launching Pac-Man Remix, I knew I was in for a treat. The splash screen instantly brought me back to my classic Pac-Man days, while the interface gave the game a more modern look.‚  The opening menu lets users know what game modes are available: campaign and free play.‚  Though fairly self-explanatory, I’ll go ahead and describe them anyway.‚  The campaign mode, not surprisingly, is most in line with the classic Pac-Man gameplay.‚  Players go through a sort of Pac-Man adventure island, exploring different and unique maps.‚  When each area of the island is completed, a new region is unlocked and available to be played.

Each region of the island is unique due to the diverse features found in the maps.‚  At one area, maps will resemble (to an extent) the classic, simple maps of the original title.‚  However, a few levels later, one will run into such additions as elevating platforms, acceleration devices and even teleportation pads.‚  Each map also has its own color scheme and design, again dependent on the region in which the player is trying to complete.

Free play mode essentially has the same meaning in all Namco iPhone releases, but it’s always good to touch on because I see it as an important feature.‚  This mode allows players to go back to their favorite levels and experience the fun again.‚  For a game like Pac-Man Remix, with the very diverse levels and mere depth it provides, having a mode like free play can really help the replay value of a game.‚  With so many games that can downloaded for free at the App Store, a game like Pac-Man Remix , which is currently running for $4.99 at the iTunes App Store, will need any additional features it can get to compete with the competition.

Though game modes are great, the majority of Pac-Man Remix’s value comes from the revamped graphics it features.‚  First of all, instead of the flat, pixelized graphics of the past, Pac-Man Remix brings some eye-popping, colorful 3-D visuals to the table.‚  These graphics make what was once a super simple game into a complex and interesting title to play.

Pac-Man Remix also features one of the best controlling interfaces that I’ve seen from Namco as of late.‚  Though it still offers the (dare I say) awful “Flick” controlling system, which requires players to flick their finger across the screen to dictate what direction Pac-Man should go, Pac-Man Remix offers an arrow pad option that is infinitely superior to the other option.‚  The arrow pad resembles what one would find on a keyboard, making it fairly natural to use.

Blast Factor: Overall, Pac-Man Remix is a fun little app for the iPhone.‚  Sure, its not the most innovative thing anyone has ever seen, but it is quite fun and very addicting.‚  For the price ($4.99), it might be a questionable buy for a lot of iPhone gaming enthusiasts, but for fans of Pac-Man and classic games in general, this is probably a must-have title.

Pac-Man Remix is available exclusively in the iTunes App store for $4.99.

The first set of dominos was dated from around 1120.

The first game of Tetris was played in 1984.

So, what do you get when these two classic games are combined in 2009?‚  Puzzle Domino for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Puzzle Domino, created by 415 Games, is a simple and addicting Tetris-esque app where the player must manipulate falling white domino blocks in order to eliminate buildups and prolong the game.‚  However, this isn’t your run of the mill Tetris game where players must make complete horizontal rows with random shapes.‚  Instead, making vertical, horizontal and diagonal combinations of three like domino numbers purges the blocks from the screen in this title.

Puzzle Domino is the definition of a simple game.‚  There are no levels.‚  Instead, it seems that this game is a mere test of addiction and endurance.‚  What’s amazing about Puzzle Domino game is that the simplicity does not take away from the replay value.‚  Instead, 415 Games takes the classic gaming approach and just leaves players with their Highest Score and the opportunity to beat it.‚  It would have been nice to see an online leaderboard for Puzzle Domino’s best players or even a top-10 Scores list for each phone, but perhaps 415 Games didn’t want to venture too far from the simple nature of the game.

The simplistic approach in Puzzle Domino can also be noticed in the gameplay.‚  To rotate the blocks, players must tap the falling domino.‚  This action will make the current item turn clockwise.‚  To move the block horizontally, just take your finger and drag the block across the screen.‚  Finally, once you have a domino positioned where you want, simply flick the block down to speed up the falling process.

There are a few different types of domino blocks that fall in the game.‚  First, there are the standard domino blocks, complete with two squares containing an assortment of dots designating the number each side represents.‚  Next are the single, randomizing blocks.‚  Instead of containing two sides with different numbers, this block is a single square that switches its number designation in rotation fashion.‚  The only way to use this block is to use careful timing and strategy.‚  If you don’t, you’ll probably end up messing up a chance to remove some squares from your screen.‚  Additionally, there are the bomb blocks.‚  This mistake-eraser is good for only one thing: eliminating squares.‚  When this block shows up, the strategy is to find the biggest and most unruly mess on your screen and slam your bomb block into it.‚  If used correctly, the bomb block can take out a large chunk of any troublesome squares.

There are certain parts of the game in which the screen gets noticeably darker and black dominos start falling.‚  When this happens, players must maneuver these blocks the same way they would the white dominos.‚  However, the dark blocks can only be used to eliminate dark blocks.‚  This adds a more difficult aspect to the game and increases the level of fun.

One of the great things about Puzzle Domino is that it is an App that loads very quickly.‚  Too often do iPhone and iPod Touch owners are burdened with slow loading Apps, which cut into crucial gaming time.‚  It’s a small detail, but one that will certainly be noticed and appreciated.

Puzzle Domino is one of those games that could easily become a big hit.‚  It’s simple, it’s fun and, above all, it’s addicting as hell.‚  The only thing holding this 415 Games creation from reaching its selling potential is the price tag.‚  It is currently selling for $1.99 when it plays more like a $0.99 title.‚  For big Tetris fans or bored gamers with some extra iMoney, Puzzle Domino makes sense for that price.‚  However, for the average iPhone or iPod Touch owner, it seems like there are cheaper options that make more sense.

Never has being dumb been so fun.

Thanks to Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima, a new brain training iPhone app released by Namco Bandai, no longer do I need to pretend that I know how to read in order to seem like I have a single iota of intelligence.‚  Nope, instead all I have to do is turn on my handy iPhone device and start playing the various games that Brain Exercise has to offer, boosting the power of my frontal lobe in the process.

However, with the ever-growing number of apps available, can Dr. Kawashima’s latest creation validate its price tag?‚  Let’s take a look.

The first thing you notice when booting up Brain Exercise is the very clean and colorful presentation found in every menu within the game.‚  If I was told that a sophisticated, educational game heavily used pastels and metallic color schemes throughout its menus, I would have been very skeptical.‚  Nevertheless, Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima makes it work.

After admiring the aesthetics, players must create their own personal, reusable account to login to the game.‚  Each of these profiles allow players to track the progress of their brain training and their improvements “" or regressions, as the case may be “" throughout certain mini-games within Brain Exercise.‚  Account holders can measure their progress through charts, graphs or even by use of a calendar.‚  If you end up deciding to download Brain Exercise, expect to be visiting your profile page religiously.

Once logged into a profile, players can begin their brain training.‚  There are two different ways to do this: either through Brain Training or Brain Age.‚  Each of these modes has their benefits and unique quirks as they test the different regions of the brain with their diverse collection of games.

When starting a brand new profile, I suggest starting with Brain Age.‚  This mode challenges players to complete a certain mini-game at the best time possible.‚  Players will only get one attempt at the game.‚  The more accurate and swiftly one can complete a game, the lower their brain age will be.

The difficult part of Brain Age mode is the fact that a player cannot attempt to lower their age more than once a day.‚  This offers a challenging experience to any player with a competitive, self-improvement mindset.

However, because Brain Age only allows one attempt at a single, brain area specific game each day, a player’s brain age is only determined by testing a single brain region.‚  This would lead to me scoring a low brain age when tested on a certain region, but a higher age when tested on another.‚  It just seems like something as all-inclusive as a brain age should test all regions of the brain, not just one.‚  I would much prefer a “brain region age” with this format.‚  However, I don’t have a PhD and leave much of my education up to the completion of games on iPhone Apps, so I’ll leave the decisions up to Dr. Kawashima.

Once you have established your brain age, it is time to get to work with Brain Training.‚  This is the mode where players will probably be spending most of their time in. ‚ Brain Training lets players complete three different games per day in order to condition their brain for success in their next Brain Age attempt.

Using the Brain Training mode is a great way for players to learn all of the different games that Brain Exercise has to offer such as: Inverted Numbers, a game in which players must type in which upside-down or backwards number they see on the screen, testing the Parietal lobe of the brain; Rolling Shapes, a game in which players must decide position a shape is lying after its silhouette is rolled, testing the Temporal love; and Add 3, a game in which players must do simple math problems while also adding 3 to the resulting answer, testing the Frontal lobe.

The great thing about Brain Training is that it is able to test more than a single brain region at once by letting players complete multiple games.‚  Brain Training also collects all the data from your attempts and adds it to your progress tracker in your profile.

Brain Exercise is full of extra goodies as well.‚  First, Brain Exercise will keep the casual Sudoku player satisfied with an additional bonus game.‚  Also, players can enjoy a multiplayer experience by using the Challenge function, which allows players to duel their friends by playing a certain game on the same iPhone.‚  Finally, players can also download high scores from around the world and also upload their personal profile to the web.

There are very few negative things to say about Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima.‚  Sure, the price might be a little higher than a lot of Apps available for the iPhone.‚  But, given that Brain Exercise is a game that can be used every day, the price is justified.‚  Another potential negative aspect of Brain Exercise is the lack of clarity within the game instructions.‚  The presentation of the instruction screens is great, but it usually takes a run-through or two before a game is fully understood.

Overall, Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima is a great App.‚  It is fun, addicting and, most impressively, educational.‚  This is a great release and has already become one of my favorite Apps.

Brain Training with Dr. Kawashima is available in the iTunes App store for $5.99.

Get your shovels ready. It’s time to get your Dig Dug on.

Yes, once again Namco has come out with another throwback title for the iPhone. This time Namco has reached all the way back to 1982 to recover the popular arcade game Dig Dug, a game in which players control a single futuristic miner whose sole mission is to eliminate the dangerous monsters who inhabit the underground, to create Dig Dug Remix.

In Dig Dug Remix there are two versions of the game. First is the original version, which is identical to what you would find in an arcade in the 80′s, just in a smaller package. Second, there is the Remix version, which gives players a more updated and impressive presentation of the classic title.

(A look at the classic version of Dig Dug.)

Of the two versions, the Remix is quite impressive and is definitely my favorite game to play. Though this version does not closely resemble its more famous, classic counterpart, Remix really brings a different and exciting look to an old-school game.

The Remix edition also shows an incredible attention to detail for such a simple game. From the character animations to the movement of the dirt, the Remix is sure to please even the most fickle of visual critics. Even things as small as the flowers, which are located in an area that is rarely used in the game, sway back and forth in the wind. I found that the small mole that pokes his head out of the topsoil during random instances in the game to be the most enjoyable of these features.

(A closer look at the Remix version of Dig Dug. ‚ Notice the higher quality graphics.)

However, beyond its nostalgic value and great graphics, Dig Dug for the iPhone has one major flaw: the control systems. Dig Dug Remix offers two different ways to control your character. One of these is by use of the basic arrow pad; the other by means of “flicking.” Though both of these control systems have their advantages, neither is particularly useful for this game.

As mentioned earlier, the default control system is by using your thumb to press a basic arrow pad. The pad itself is fully functional. However, the size of the pad becomes very bothersome. When trying to press the up arrow, you end up going sideways instead. Trying to use your index finger to press the arrows is worth a shot, but it feels quite unnatural. Overall, this system was not fun to use. Not fun at all.

The second control system is called flick. With this system, players flick their finger anywhere on the screen in the direction that they want Dig Dug to go. Though it sounds simple, flick is equally as frustrating as the directional pad. All too often my flicks would not register within the game, resulting in many deaths. Also, I would find myself flicking across the main part of the screen in order to make sure my instructions register. However, this would often interfere with the in-game visibility, resulting in more deaths. In a game that relies heavily on precise directional control, these problems are incredibly disappointing.

Dig Dig Remix is definitely a fun app for the iPhone. Namco has been doing a solid job reincarnating the classic titles of the past for use on mobile devices. In the case of Dig Dug Remix however, the control system, which is frustrating enough to make fans new and old very frustrated with this beloved game, makes it quite apparent that there may be more worthy investments for your iCash.

Dig Dug Remix is available exclusively for the iPhone for $5.99.

At some point in every kid’s life, one wonders what it would be like to try to survive a zombie apocalypse.

However, the folks at Monkey Wrench Games take this thought to a whole “Ëœnother level.

Say hello to Kids Vs. Zombies, an exciting new game for the iPhone. This tower-defense(ish) app has a lot going for it, but will it be intriguing enough to purchase over the deep field of similar titles?

Kids Vs. Zombies has two different versions: Full and Lite. With only 2 levels and limited functionality, Lite has significantly less entertainment and replay value. Today, we will be looking at this Lite version to see if it warrants the purchase of the fully functional edition.

The object of Kids Vs. Zombies Lite is to defend your base from the increasingly difficult undead onslaught. As the zombies approach your fort, it is your job to kill them before they can do any damage. The more levels you complete, the more money you will receive to repair your base and upgrade the weapons and intelligence of your characters.

Your tools for defense come in the form of a few weapon-savvy kids. Dexter, the demolitions expert, is responsible for taking out large groups of close to medium-ranged zombies. In the Lite version of Kids Vs. Zombies, Dexter shoots large orange balls that will take out just about anything in its path. Scarlett, the long-range sniper, is the character I found myself using the most. She is able to hit zombies at long ranges by launching golf balls out of a slingshot. Finally, Marcus is the close-combat specialist. He is only effective when the zombies are very close to the base. Each kid has their own unique skill set and can come in handy in each game.

To play, users must aim one of the kids towards a zombie, pull their finger back in order to determine the distance of which to fire your weapon, and then release. Aiming involves pointing an arrow in the direction of the targeted zombie. Don’t expect to be accurate from the get go as it will take you a few tries before you really get the hang of the targeting system.

Initially, the gameplay of this app seemed a bit unnatural. Turning the separate characters in order to use their weapons to your advantage can get a little hectic, but one gets used to it fairly quickly. Also, when the zombie get close enough to your base, the characters that you aren’t using will pitch in with a few shots. Unfortunately, when aiming at distant zombies, the targeting system can be unforgiving. Luckily, the characters have nearly unlimited ammo, so one can just keep pumping out rounds until the enemies are cleared.

An interesting aspect of this game is that every level represents a new night of survival. This means that every level is taking place in the dark, making zombies tough to see. Luckily, aiming Dexter, Scarlett, or Marcus at an area can also be used to illuminate zombies that may be approaching in the darkness. This element makes Kids vs. Zombies Lite much more exciting and VERY addicting.

Other helpful features include the ability to save a game in mid-level. I have been waiting for more apps to implement this feature because most of my gaming is on-the-go. Kudos to the guys and gals at Monkey Wrench Games. The tutorial was also surprisingly accommodating.

In terms of graphics, Kids Vs. Zombies Lite is pretty good. The game runs very smoothly while it’s also visually impressive. The zombie models are diverse and move realistically. Also, the models for Dexter, Scarlett, and Marcus are satisfactory. The different types of ammo that are fired, the colorful menus and even the battle grounds are detailed as well, making it quite apparent that Monkey Wrench Games did not cut corners when it came to graphical presentation.

Overall, Kids Vs. Zombies Lite is a good, addicting game. With four difficulty settings and two levels, this app will surely keep any mobile game player enticed for a while. However, it is clear that purchasing the regular version of Kids Vs. Zombies is undoubtedly worth the $1.99 price. Happy hunting, kids!

I love the smell of gunpowder in the morning.

However, my days of outdoor hunting are over, thanks to Hands-On Mobile’s release of 3D Hunting Trophy Whitetail Championship 2009 for the iPhone.

Sure, I’ll miss the smells, tastes, and adrenaline rush of actually hunting. But now that I can stalk bucks from the comfort from my own home, office, or anywhere that I take my iPhone, I think I’ll live.

3D Hunting, a franchise that has already sold millions of units, has successfully breached the mobile gaming scene with their offering of this deer hunting title. The impressive graphics, diverse weapon repertoire and easy gameplay makes this game a good offering at the App Store; however, is it worth the price?

The first thing you notice when playing 3D Hunting is the incredibly clear and sharp visuals. From the menus to the hunting action itself, 3D Hunting’s clean graphics are some of the best available among iPhone applications. The animal models look especially impressive. For comparison’s sake, 3D Hunting has PS1/N64 quality graphics. Now, this may not seem impressive, but consider the following points:

1. The iPhone was not made to be a gaming device
2. N64 might be one of the greatest systems of all time (See: Super Smash Brothers, Golden Eye, Mario Kart)

3D Hunting has two different hunting modes. The first mode is simply called Hunt. In Hunt, you have pretty much unlimited time to shoot critters in a pretty much infinitely large environment. This is where you practice your aiming and other hunting skills.

The second hunting mode is called Action Hunt. This mode is the campaign version of the game. After you’ve mastered your skills, you can now put them to the test by traveling to different areas and hunting various game.

Controlling your hunter is pretty straightforward. The buttons for movement are found in the bottom corners of the screen. In the left corner you will find your forward, backward, and side-to-side motion buttons. On the right: your look up, down, and side-to-side buttons. At times, controlling your hunter with these controls feels unnatural and delayed, but it works. This is not a game in which you would want to use an accelerometer. Firing involves tapping a small target button which is also found on the bottom right of your screen.

You will also find more buttons on the top of your screen. These are some extra functions that one wouldn’t expect to find in a mobile hunting game. Some of these functions are the use of a scope, the use of a call, the use of scents and the use of binoculars. Each of these options come in handy during your expeditions and really go above and beyond mobile hunting expectations.

Another great aspect of 3D Hunting is the Trophy Room. Head here to find your archived collection of your best kills throughout the game. Each entry has a rotating, fully intact version of your trophies for your viewing.

However, like most games, 3D Hunting can be a little rough around the edges.

First, if you’ve read any of my prior reviews, you will know that I believe in-game crashing is a very negative thing. For 3D Hunting, things are no different. I have to give 3D Hunting a break because of how complex the game’s graphics are, but there is still a significant amount of crashing that happens in this game. Luckily, Hands-On will be releasing an update for this game which should help with this issue. Also, like with any app you download from the App Store, be sure to restart your iPhone to ensure the highest quality experience.

Is 3D hunting a perfect game? Clearly, no. Is it even the best iPhone game I’ve played? No, probably not. Still, 3D Hunting brings one of the best available mobile hunting experiences. The price is right at a cool $.99. It’s worth a try for hunting and gaming enthusiasts alike.

Before 1981, killing bug-like spacecraft with your own galactic ship was a thing of dreams.

Then Galaga hit arcades. The world was never the same.

Before 2009, reliving your Galaga memories on your mobile was impossible.

Then Galaga Remix was launched for iPhone. Get ready for your world to be rocked once again.

Galaga Remix, brought to you by throwback-extraordinaires‚ Namco, is the most recent installment of the classic space-inspired video game. Like in its predecessors, users take a space ship and guide it using a side-to-side scrolling function to aim and shoot at enemy crafts. The longer you last, the more points you accumulate.

However, what makes Galaga Remix a remix?

Simply put, Galaga Remix allows users to play two versions of the same game. If you are looking to relive the days of Sandra Day O’Connor’s supreme court nomination and Belize’s declaration of independence, look no further than playing Galaga’s classic skin. However, if you are looking for a newer, cooler, flyer, and smoother version of the classic, you will also have that option as well.

Though I am a sucker for “the original” form of everything and I usually dislike anything resembling a remake, I have to say that the updated version of Galaga is quite good. Instead of the grainy graphics of Galaga circa 1981, Galaga Remix has dramatically better animations and models (though nothing to write home about by today’s standards). Allowing players to choose which of the two versions they would like to play in the same app was a welcome change to the game.

Galaga Remix did not just offer better graphics, however. This edition allows users to also enjoy the perks of nine unique powers found throughout the various stages of the game. These bonuses allow your ship to add additional firepower to take on the bug-alien onslaught with higher efficiency, which is a massive upgrade to the single shot arsenal provided in 1981. Galaga Remix makes it quite obvious that it is not your father’s version of Galaga.

Looking beyond just improved graphics and additional powers, Galaga Remix does not forget to focus on the little details as well. For instance, when playing the original edition of the game, Namco remembered to include the same soundtrack and sound effects that you would have found at your local arcade in 1981. For the updated version, a more advanced sound library is used, but one can still tell that it was greatly influenced by the original. Galaga Remix also implemented progressively changing backgrounds on stages to help foster plot development. The interfaces on both editions of the game correspond nicely with their era, as well.

Unfortunately, not everything in Galaga Remix was flawless. One of the things that stood out as imperfect were the control types. In each of the versions of the game, users can choose between the three available options of how they would like to steer their ship: with either the arrow keys, slider, or the accelerometer. Using the arrow keys involved tapping arrows in order to move your ship. The slider option allowed users to glide their finger to the left or right to guide where you want to go. The final and most unique-to-iPhone method, is by use of accelerometer, which involves tipping the iPhone in order to move your spacecraft. Each of these steering methods, though functional, are very delayed and unnatural. Prepare yourself for some frustration here.

Porting any classic game to an advanced piece of hardware like the iPhone will always be a challenge. However, unlike many games, this difficulty, especially in the adaptation of the controls, really showed in Galaga.

Overall, Galaga Remix is a very good game. Though there are some flaws with the controls, this game is really a beauty to behold. Whether you are a quarter-hoarding veteran or new to the title completely, Galaga Remix will surely have something for everyone. It is clearly worth the $5.99 price tag.

In the brief time that they have been producing apps, Namco has already become one of the industry leaders in bringing classic games and characters from years past to today’s hottest piece of technology: the iPhone.

With that in mind, it was no surprise to a lot of folks in the business that Namco was releasing another bit of nostalgia with Inspector Gadget.

Inspector Gadget, a character who recently celebrated his 25^th birthday, is up to his old habits as he solves the world’s toughest cases one goofy mistake at a time. With the help of his niece Penny and their trusty dog Brain, players will be able to guide their favorite characters throughout the many complex, maze-like levels while collecting clues and points along the way.

Inspector Gadget gives players the option of playing a New Game, which is essentially a campaign mode that saves your progress, or a Quick Play, which allows players who are short on time to try and beat their top scores in single levels.

The first thing players will notice when starting a New Game is how cluttered the screen is. The game takes you through a quick-and-dirty tutorial (which pretty much involves arrows pointing at the buttons with a two or three word explanation of what function they perform). Once you look past the sheer number of buttons and how visually intrusive they can be, you start to realize that the layout is fairly straightforward and intuitive.

First, on the top left and right corners of your screen (when the iPhone is held in with a landscape orientation) you will find a button consisting of two arrows. This is the jump left/jump right button.‚  You can also use these buttons to change your direction while you are in the air. Right below the jump buttons you will fine the walk left/walk right buttons. Below those are the crawl left and crawl right buttons.

Finally, right next to the walk buttons are the action buttons. These buttons, signified by their red color, activate the various amounts of gadgets made available throughout the game. However, these buttons, though arguably the most important in the game, are also the most disturbing as they are the ones closest to the middle of the screen. So, as easy and intuitive as the controls of Inspector Gadget are, the intrusiveness of their placement really offsets a lot of their value.

You really get your money’s worth with the length and complexity of the levels in Inspector Gadget. Players will have to explore the majority of the levels to unlock certain areas and to continue the investigation. Levels also have some variability in their types. Though most of the time levels will require players to walk, other levels will be put on rails, putting players in a race against time.

One thing that stood out in Inspector Gadget was its lack of replayability. Levels usually took too long to reattempt in short time periods (which, in my experience, seems to be when the majority of gaming apps are used). Also, the built-in high scores are not very challenging, and easy to beat.

Overall, Inspector Gadget is a quality game. It is fun, lengthy and, best of all, will bring you back your days of youth and cartoon watching. You may not want to play it more than a few times, but you will be able to get some decent mileage out of it with the complexity of the levels. At $4.99, it’s a stretch to justify the price. However, if you like maze games and would like a bit of nostalgia, it might be worth spending the extra iCoin.

During my short (yet quite astounding) iPhone game-reviewing career, I have had a flashback to a time in my childhood. ‚ Not surprisingly, this review is quite similar.

Namco has recently started selling Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World, another addition to the seemingly endless remakes being released for the iPhone.‚  Growing up in the 1990′s, I took part in my share of the Tamagotchi (and Tamagotchi knockoff) phenomenon.‚  However, Tamagotchi was never one of the fads that really stuck with me like Pokemon, Moon Shoes and Furbies.‚  So, when I heard Namco was going to bring back the original digital pet, my feeling was indifferent.

For those of you who don’t know, Tamagotchi was a hand-held, low-bit, digital pet-raising game.‚ The game was stored in a small, egg-like console with a small screen on the front. ‚ The pets were cute, the game was cheap and the keychain was a must have for all the cool boys and girls.

Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World, however, is still hand-held, but in a slightly more high-tech device: the iPhone.

This Namco title is, essentially, the same basic game as the original.‚  You are trying to “raise” a tiny little creature.‚  Still, though the basic premise is the same, Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World is a bit more complex than the original Bandai game.

First, the iPhone title offers players to raise different breeds of Tamagotchi.‚  These breeds, named Mametchi, Memetchi, Kuchipatchi and Violetchi, don’t really perform any different tasks than any other; they just look different.‚  All cute, just different.‚  Other unique features include the ability to play five mini-games, which include Rock Paper Scissors, Bubble Game, Move It, Beach Ball and Dancing as well as three more “activities” called Tickling, Memory Match and Math Puzzle.

The ultimate point of Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World is to complete the various missions that you encounter.‚  To complete these missions, you need to interact with the friendly environment. And by friendly, I literally mean friendly.‚  The trees, bushes and geysers all have big, smiling faces.

The missions require you to do different tasks involving these friendly faces.‚  Sometimes you will need to do a Rain Dance near a geyser.‚  Sometimes you may need to play rock paper scissors with a tree.‚  Other times it might be as simple as pooping on a bush seedling.

Whatever the case, the missions all end up seeming the same.‚  Sure, the Tamagotchi breeds rotate in-between missions and the environments change, but it definitely was not enough to keep my interest for very long.

The movement and gameplay was fairly bland.‚  Moving involved pointing and clicking to a location.‚  Doing key functions required the same: pointing to a location and choosing an action.‚  This idea is perfect for the click-wheel iPods, but for a touch screen, I think a drag and drop feature would be much more fun and interactive.

One thing that I did liked about Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World was the infinite environment.‚  No matter how far left or right you send your pet, it would always end up in the same general area.‚  Think mouse wheel.‚  It was a creative way to keep the game simple and the players from getting confused.

This review has sounded critical, but in all fairness, Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World is a decent game for kids.‚  The gameplay is simple, the environments are clean and friendly and the pets are pretty cute.‚  For adults, however, the Namco title will grow quite bland quite quickly.‚  Tamagotchi ‘Round the World is a solid title for iPhone and iPod carrying younguns, serving as a cheaper ($4.99 price tag, less the cost of the device, of course) substitute for Webkinz.

Back in the days when I used to leave my dorm room, snowboarding was one of my favorite hobbies.‚  Yes, believe it or not, this incredibly gifted writer/reviewer/King of Awesome used to partake in physical activities.‚  Nowadays, I enjoy the simpler things in life such as sitting with my iPhone, playing video games and sitting while playing video games on my iPhone.

Thanks to Alpine Racer, however, I can now enjoy one of my prior favorite pastimes with one of my current favorite pastimes.

Alpine Racer is a Namco snowboarding/skiing racing game for the iPhone and iPod touch. ‚ It is simple, fun and perfect for the platform.

In the game, players choose characters to race down certain courses in one of two possible playing modes: Time Attack which players try and beat their best times on certain courses, or Story Mode, where players compete against computer controlled opponents.

Players steer their character down hills using either a touch system or a tilt system.‚  The touch system allows users to use their finger to steer while the tilt system uses the built-in iPhone technology to determine how far you physically turn the iPhone, adjusting the direction of your character accordingly

In its Story Mode, Alpine Racer casts the players in the role of either Shogo Saga (a snowboarder) or his sister, Rina Saga (a skier).‚  Both siblings are competing for the all-important “King of the Mountain” competition.

The first race that players compete in is the Time Trial.‚  In this race, you are just seeing how fast you can complete the Nostalgic-EX course, theoretically determining where you will be seeded in the semifinals.

After the time trials are completed, you are put in a head-to-head semifinal competition against your sibling, either Shogo or Rina, depending on who you chose to be.‚  In the semifinal, you both race down a course called High-Jump-Mountain, simultaneously.‚  The first Saga to finish advances.‚  Luckily, players have an unlimited number of chances to beat your opponent, conveniently guaranteeing you a spot in the definitive race.

The last race in Story Mode is called, well, the Finals.‚  In this race, you compete against a mysterious last-minute entry into the tournament whose identity is later revealed at the Spiral-Night course.‚  Similar to the semifinal, you will have an unlimited amount of attempts to beat this mysterious skier.‚  If you do end up beating the mysterious skier, you will obtain glory and unlockable characters.

The Story Mode in Alpine Racer was fun, but that is really all that can be said about it.‚  The plot isn’t interesting, the character development is insignificant and there are only three races.‚  If this was a major platform game, I would be quite disappointed.‚  However, because I tend to go easier on the evaluation on iPhone apps, I found that the Story Mode was just about the perfect length and complexity for this platform.

There were plenty of positive aspects in Alpine Racer.‚  First, I would like to compliment Namco on their inclusion of both skiers and snowboarders.‚  Although I have been a lifelong snowboarder, I really appreciate a game that doesn’t focus on just one of the two major snow sports.

I also thought that the upgradeable character feature was great.‚  After each semifinal and final race, you are able to improve the Power, Acceleration, Style, Max Speed ratings of the character you are using in Story Mode.‚  The best part about this feature is that the upgraded ratings will carry over into future Story Mode attempts.

In regards to negatives, there is nothing “wrong” with this game.‚  I really did enjoy it.‚  I just wish the there were a few more levels to play and more characters to use.‚  Also, the $5.99 price tag might not seem like a lot to the average gamer, but may seem expensive next to some other apps on the platform.

Overall, Alpine Racer is probably one of the better racing games for the iPhone.‚  It has kept me entertained more than most apps, earning itself it’s solid rating.

Katamari is fun, and has been successful on every platform that it visits, even those without the dual-analog setup that made it so intuitive back on the Playstation 2. Rolling with Katamari, the mobile version of the series, is no exception, as even when limited to four directional buttons on a phone you still get that Katamari experience you were craving, and in your pocket.

The presentation is obviously different than on its console cousins-the Prince is now seen rolling his Katamari ball on a 2D background that looks somewhat isometric, rather than the full 3D worlds we are used to seeing. The gameplay is the same though: Prince needs to collect objects to make his Katamari larger, and must do so within the time limits imposed by the King of the Cosmos. Sometimes the levels are about collecting different versions of one kind of object (such as crabs to make the constellation Cancer, or lots of blue things to make a Blue Star). There are five game modes in all: Roll a Star, Roll a Color, Rock n Rolling Racing, Don’t Touch, and Roll an Object. This keeps things fresh, as even though you do the same thing in each level-namely, roll around to collect objects-you have different goals to strive for each time out.

The levels and requirements are designed in a way that an experienced Katamari roller will easily reach the King of the Cosmos’ demands with time to spare, in order to make a larger ball that will please him. For those who don’t have that experience though, or would just like some time to become accustomed to the new control scheme, Rolling with Katamari is there to help with a few instructional levels that tutor you on the controls and point of the game.

The game comes packaged with 30 levels, but there also downloadable theme-based ones, such as “My Valentine”, “Winter”, and “Halloween”. Within these levels, the objects are theme-based, and in some cases, such as in “My Valentine”, the messages that pop up each time you snag an item are going to say things specific to that level that relate to the theme. You can download these levels straight from the game’s menu rather than navigating whatever store your phone uses as well.

The controls work, and they work well. You press up on your phone to move Prince in a direction, and you use the other directional buttons to move Prince around the Katamari; pressing up makes him push the Katamari from whichever direction you chose with the other buttons. In order to dash, you press up twice quickly, and based on my time with the game, you will want to dash often. You can also reverse direction by jumping to the other side of the ball, just like you can in the console versions of the game. Once you become accustomed to the controls, you’ll be rolling around with the best of them in no time.

The best thing about Rolling with Katamari is its high replay value. Sure, you can blow through the 30 levels and the downloadable ones in no time if you’re dedicated (or have a long commute), but the fact that you are supposed to improve on your scores constantly is going to make you come back again and again, just like classic arcade games. In addition to that, you also have to find your cousins and the presents hidden in each level, just like in the console Katamari games. This gives you reason to dive back in, even if you have already rolled around in the kitchen countless times.

It’s just $6.99 to have unlimited Rolling with Katamari use on your phone, which is easily worth it given the number of levels, the downloadable content, the ease of play and the high replay value. Though not a 3D game like you are used to seeing from the series, this version of the game is faithful to the series, and worth it for any die-hard Katamari fan out there, or those without access to any of the other titles.

Sometimes game reviews shouldn’t be based on first impressions.

For example, take my experience with NANO, a musically inspired app available for the iPhone and iPod Touch from Rustcycle.

Upon downloading the game, I wanted to launch it, of course.‚  As I clicked the app icon for the first time, the loading screen popped up.‚  And it sat there… and sat there.‚  And sat there some more.

Yup, that’s right.‚  It froze on its first launch.

Some reviewers may have given up right then and there, but I was still intrigued by NANO’s clean, black and white loading screen and the interesting (albeit small) reputation that it had built.‚  Luckily, the second attempt of booting the app was a success and, for the most part, so was the game.

NANO’s opening screen is simple.‚  You have three options: start a new game, resume an old game or learn about the rules of NANO.‚  I suggest learning the rules first.

The object of the game (if there really is an object) is to guide the benign particles (recognizable by their blue, green and white colors) to the grey Assembler nodes. In order to direct the particles where to go, you must make a path using the “magnetic flow lines” by using your finger to paint their alignment. The Assembler nodes will acknowledge your progress by slightly changing color as the benign particles start pouring into it.

However, watch out for the malign particles, which are red, orange and yellow.‚  If any of these particles enter the Assembler node, all of the progress you may have made will go to waste.

The key to enjoying NANO is to have the sound on.‚  Without the sound, NANO will seem quite dry.‚  However, with sound, NANO really starts to make sense.‚  As you guide the benign particles to the Assembler nodes, the pitches and tones of the music begin to change.‚  The quicker you can activate the nodes, the more interesting and complex the music will get.

NANO has very little structure or guidelines.‚  For the most part, the game is open to interpretation.‚  There is no progression through levels, per se.‚  Instead, players sort of do the same thing over and over again, though the levels do progress in difficulty and there are 255 overall.

As frustrating as this might sound, NANO actually is quite relaxing.‚  Along with the music, the smooth motion of the particles and the soft glowing of the Assembler nodes really makes the game quite enjoyable.‚  Rarely will you notice how similar each of the stages are because NANO isn’t about the stages; it’s about the experience.

Ever since I downloaded NANO, I have found myself playing it after a hard day of class.‚  It has really become a sort of an electronic stress ball for me.

With that said, NANO does have it’s share of flaws, too.

The app still has trouble loading on occasion, either by taking a long time or just freezing the entire device.‚  I have also noticed that if you get a text message during the loading process, your iPhone will most likely freeze.

Although NANO has great, relaxing music, I would have really liked to see (or hear, in this case) more variety in the tones within the game.‚  If Rustcycle could have added more tones and songs as you cleared stages, I think it would have been a great improvement to the game.

Overall, I thought NANO was pretty good.‚  I admit that I was quite skeptical of this app upon hearing about it, but it really proved my gut wrong.‚  Sure, the game freezes when loading every once and a while, but that is really its only (real) negative aspect.‚  I think NANO is a good investment for those stressed-out iPhone and iPod Touch owners who are looking for a 5-10 minute escape every once and a while.‚  Plus, with a $0.99 price, it is worth purchasing just out of pure intrigue.

Nano isn’t perfect, but it sure is delightful to have, especially for less than a buck.

It’s 1997 and I’m in a movie theater arcade.‚  In one hand, I have my light gun.‚  In the other, a large cup of Hawaiian Punch.‚  I have been shooting enemies left and right while dipping behind makeshift cover such as barrels and cars to reload and buy myself some time.‚  I have cleared the stage and I am now facing the boss.

His mouth opens and I hear a voice:
“Chase, what do you think is the most important factor to consider when launching a new entrepreneurial venture?”

I snap out of my trance and realize that the year is actually 2009, I’m in class, and, most shockingly, I’m playing Time Crisis on my iPhone.

Since its release on February 4, this nostalgic flashback scenario has surely occurred many times thanks to Namco’s release of their iPhone adaptation of their popular title Time Crisis.

Time Crisis Strike is a very simple railed first-person shooter app for the iPhone.‚  Much like the original title, Time Crisis Strike does not only focuses on the quick shooting skills needed for most FPS but also uses the concept of using cover to one’s advantage as well.

The two main functions in Time Crisis Strike are to shoot and to duck.‚  To shoot, players simply use their finger or thumb and tap the screen.‚  To kill most enemies, all one has to do is tap on the foe once.‚  However, some enemies take more than a single shot, so tap accordingly.

To take cover, players won’t have the luxury of stepping on and off a pedal like in the classic arcade version.‚  Instead, users need to tilt the iPhone forward (or backward, depending on what setting you use) to hide from enemy fire.‚  Tilting also serves as your only method of reloading.

Though a creative idea, tilting the screen also provides some visibility issues.‚  Playing indoors is fine, but outdoors with a heavy sun glare makes the game nearly impossible to play.‚  Also, if you have a protective film cover for your iPhone screen, be sure it’s polished and free of bubbles otherwise, you won’t be able to see.

Time Crisis Strike provides players with a few different playing options.‚  First, lets go over the arcade mode.‚  Not surprisingly, this mode allows users to travel through a completely railed mission.‚  Initially, there is only one mission is available to play, but once you beat “Get “Ëœem All”, four more campaigns will be waiting for you.

Second, Time Crisis Strike also has the option of playing in “One Stage Trail” mode.‚  This mode allows players to trying a beat their high score on a certain chapter of mission.‚  However, players will not be able to play on a chapter they have not already beaten.

Finally, users have the option of playing in a “Crisis Mission” mode.‚  This mode challenges players to perform tasks such as shoot all the enemies within a certain time or only shoot the enemies of a certain color.‚  “Crisis Mission” will certainly pose a challenge for even the most advanced of iPhone users and gamers alike.

Time Crisis Strike is a success.‚  Sure, the graphics aren’t incredible and the interface isn’t exactly perfect.‚  But, does any iPhone FPS really succeed at one of these, let alone both?

Nothing will quite beat the feeling of stepping on and off a pedal and shooting a peripheral gun, but Namco did as well as they could given the platform.‚  The game is challenging and the campaigns last long enough to keep one entertained for a while.

At $5.99, Time Crisis Strike could be a questionable purchase for some, especially for those new to FPS.‚  However, if you are an experienced gamer and need a way to spend all that iDough from those iTunes gift cards you got over the holidays, Time Crisis Strike isn’t a bad option.