Not to be outdone by EA's I ? 99� Sale, Gameloft wants you to know that they love you too. And what better way is there for them to express this affection towards you than monetarily? From now until February 14th (hint: that's Valentine's Day), Gameloft is offering up 13 select titles for the low price of just 99�. Take a gander at the discounted titles available:

• Spider-Man: Total Mayhem
• Shrek Kart
• Driver
• Fishing Kings
• Let's Golf! 2
• Shadow Guardian
• Rayman 2: The Great Escape
• Real Golf 2011
• Hero of Sparta II
• Star Battalion
• Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
• Brothers In Arms 2: Global Front
• Zombie Infection

Wait, what's that you say? How silly of Gameloft to put only 13 titles on sale when it would have been oh so perfect to do 14 in honor of February 14th? Well they're way ahead of you, as there actually will be a 14th title available for 99�. The trick here is that you'll need to go to the Gameloft Facebook page and vote for what title you'd like to see dropped to 99�. Oh, and iPad owners, don't feel too left out as this promotion also includes the iPad versions of Shadow Guardian HD [Link] and Star Battalion HD [Link] as well.

One game that we enjoyed quite that was released last month is Grim Joggers [99�] from 10tons Ltd. It's an endless running game that differentiates itself from the many, many other similar games out there by requiring you to take control of more than a dozen runners at the same time. This unique take on the formula is complemented with wonderful pixel art and music as well as a number of Game Center achievements and leaderboards to compete on.

As we noted in our review, there was a blank space in the level select screen that hinted at an additional level to come in the future in addition to the 3 that were initially included. Today that level has become available in a free update to Grim Joggers.

The new level takes place on a battlefield under a twilight sky as you jog along avoiding soldiers with bayonets, land mines, missiles, and other hazards of war. There are also downed friendly soldiers that you will randomly come across during your run that can be rescued for bonus points. Finally there are six additional Game Center achievements to unlock that pertain to this new level. Interestingly there is now another blank area on the level select screen that hints that another new level is in the works, so we'll definitely keep our eye out for that.

Grim Joggers is an easy recommendation if you enjoy the endless running games and are looking for one with a bit of variety. If 10tons keeps adding new levels to the game then it only stands to get better. Players in our forums are really enjoying this one as well, and if you already own Grim Joggers then mash away recklessly at your update button and check out the new Battlefield Bodybuilding level.

If you're a fan of playing App Store QB at home, then this World of Goo [$4.99] post-mortem piece is definite must-read toilet material. In the blog posting, game creator 2D Boy talks about the sales and problems with keeping our GOTY at the top of the charts and even takes the time to discuss points of design users weren't fans of, the promotion of the game to press, the release timing, and its overall observations about the project.

I'm still in NFL mode, so here are some highlights:

ON PRICING:
2D Boy timed the release of World at Goo, to the game's detriment, so it would be featured for the two weeks that it was. The plan was always to price it high and then go low later, but as you'll read in the article, you'll find that the chart lift from price slashes isn't all that it's cracked up to be when all things are considered. Spoiler, though: you still make a ton of more money when a game is up on the charts.

ON PROMOTION:
There's a lot of crap on the App Store, but 2D Boy had a couple of things going for it during the pre-launch phase: (1) it was a known, innovative property from a darling indie developer who got burned by piracy, and (2) 2D Boy was pitching this version of a two-year old game as the DEFINITIVE version, which actually, it turned out to be.

In this part of the post, 2D Boy shares some thoughts on pre-launch marketing and discusses how it got into all our heads. I'm guessing the big break was the Apple dude who replied saying that he or she was a fan. Also, there's some discussion about hype.

ON DESIGN:
A post-launch update to World of Goo added infinite level skips. That was a direct result of, presumably, the stuff the post details in its design section. Some users weren't huge fans of the difficulty of the puzzles and often rated the title poorly as a result of their frustration. Interestingly, 2D Boy raises the issue of App Store developers not being able to issue refunds, which is a pretty common problem on closed networks like Xbox Live Arcade or PSN.

INSTALL BASE:
World of Goo has sold more units on the iPad than it has on the Steam or WiiWare by the tune of tens of thousands of more units. That's wild when you think about it since the device we're talking about here is young comparatively.

WORLD OF GOO iPHONE:
Don't get your hopes up � this is an "if" and not a "when" thing. In the pricing section, 2D Boy discusses the need to have a seriously low price point in order to compete on the iPhone part of the App Store, which is something of a bugbear considering how much work would need to be done to get World of Goo on other, smaller devices. Also, World of Goo iPhone was already canned once when plans fell through with contractors.

Anyway, cool post and lots of fun information. Check it out when you have the time!

It's been, oh, a little over two hours since the last dual-stick shooter hit the App Store, so I doubt you've been wanting for a game like Infinity Field [$1.99]. But I'm digging what Forze Field is doing with its dual-stick joint enough to bring it to your attention. Sure, it's yet another Geometry Wars [$.99] offshoot, yet what it lacks in originality in the sound and visuals department, it makes up for with clever modes and mechanics.

There's no real starting point in Infinity Field, but I think the campaign is a beautiful place to find your legs. As a whole, it's paced well, allowing you get a sense of the shooting, the AI, and the different power-ups without stress. But it's also a great place to find some continuity and a sense of progression � a unique trait, I think.

Of course, there are plenty of one-off modes, most of which are pretty unique. Snake, for example, puts a tail on the end of your ship that steadily grows as you kill. The catch here is that you aren't blowing up stuff with bullets. Instead, you're using a leash that connects the ship and the tail, cutting enemies while moving around in circles.

Zombie is another great example of some of the base innovation. This mode has you firing a special attack stream that incapacitates the vast majority of enemies, but doesn't clear them off the map. Interestingly, the only way you can kill these "dead" foes is by hitting a bomb power-up that appears every so often.

As you'd expect, your finger or thumb can sometimes get in the way of the action, but there's some cool mitigation of this bugbear. Maps are presented at a tilt, meaning you don't have to look straight down to see everything. Also, as soon as you take your both fingers off the iPad, the game pauses, giving you time to re-adjust without the game moving on.

I should note that there are some awesome two-player options in the one-off modes as well, including some neat iPod-to-iPad connectivity. But if you don't have rich friends, relax; two people can play on one tablet, too, and it looks rad, though presumably a little clumsy in practice.

You'll find more "good" peppered throughout the design. I think the power-ups in particular are solid. Most won't change your approach to the core game, but there are a couple, like the leash, that radically change-up the pacing mid-game.

I'm also a fan of the AI behavior and scripting. Sure, there are a couple of obvious genre throwbacks�in terms of enemies, but there's enough unique stuff here to freshen up the experience.

The one spot I'd criticize are the visuals in particular. While the particle stuff on the explosions are great, I'd love to see something less flat. The game just doesn't pop like it should on iPad hardware. Also, it's very Geometry Wars. There's no way the game can shake the comparison.

That said, cool game. If you've been sinking hours and hours into dual-stick shooters like�Minigore [$.99 / HD] or�Geometry Wars, this will be your jam, easily. Check it out.

Just when I thought we were finished posting things about Valentines Day today, I get an email from FDG Entertainment regarding their newly released completely free Cover Orange Valentine's Gift [iPhone / iPad]. FDG is following Chillingo's lead with their not-quite-a-lite-version of Cut the Rope, Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift [iPhone / iPad] with a similar not-quite-a-lite-version of Cover Orange [99� / HD].

We liked the original Cover Orange quite a bit in our review, and if you missed the game while it was free a while ago, here's your chance to give it a spin in this Valentines themed version of the game. As an aside, I wonder if we're going to see similar enthusiasm from developers during all holidays this year. I secretly have my fingers crossed for an Angry Birds Mardi Gras update, because seriously, how rad would that be?

What's the best way to celebrate Valentine's Day? I think the dudes over at Zepto Lab would argue that dishing out flowers, sugar, and frilly things to the special person in your life isn't the right way to go about it. No, it'd probably want you to dig into its special V-Day update for Cut The Rope [.99 / HD] and pass on all the usual lovey-dovey junk.

As for that update, expect to see Om Nom with Cupid wings in 25 additional levels filled with themed art including half candies and pleasant backgrounds. Also, the game will soon reflect the change with a new, presumably adorable, themed icon.

Here's a video of the new levels in this new "box." Publisher Chillingo tells us that new features are coming alongside the new levels:

Not bad for free, right? But even if you don't own the game, it's definitely a lot cheaper than a box of chocolates. Give your mate some Cut The Rope. You'll save money and, if he or she gets hooked, you won't have to listen to their crap all night long! Bonus!

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Game developers are building a game that has various advocacy groups worked up before it's even released. In this particular incident of this all too familiar news story, immigration advocates are up in arms over the upcoming game Smuggle Truck by Owlchemy Labs, creators of Super Ramen BROTHers [Free]. In the game, players take control of a pickup truck loaded with illegal immigrants attempting to cross the US border. Looking at the trailer, gameplay seems similar to a amped up version of Mr. Onions, a seemingly similar physics-powered platforming game that I had a great time with.

News of this hit the Associated Press yesterday, which really couldn't possibly be better for Owlchemy Labs as it seems like everyone (ourselves included) is feverishly republishing this story in one form or another. The good news is, not everyone is taking this so seriously, as thankfully there are still some people in this world who can differentiate video games from reality. The very same Associated Press story also includes the following very choice quote from Steve Kropper, co-director of the Massachusetts Coalition for Immigration Reform:

"In America, we are used to trivializing everything," said Kropper. "I think 'Smuggle Truck' will do to the immigration debate what 'Angry Birds' did to ornithology."

If all goes as planned, Smuggle Truck should be available in March.

Back in January of last year, developer Gaia released a unique game into the App Store called Sword & Poker [$2.99/Lite]. Similar to how games like�Puzzle Quest 2 [$4.99] or Dungeon Raid [$2.99] wrapped a simple match 3 mechanic around an engaging RPG system, Sword & Poker is build around making poker hands from a 5�5 grid of cards and fleshes out the experience with all the usual RPG trappings of leveling up and upgrading equipment. It's a formula that we really enjoyed when we reviewed the game upon release, and the sequel Sword & Poker 2 [$3.99/Lite] offered even more of this satisfying gameplay when it released several months later.

Then, for whatever reason, both Sword & Poker games and accompanying lite versions disappeared from the App Store late last year. Even more puzzling is that the titles still appeared in the App Store but if you actually tried to download any of them you were met with a message that they were no longer available. I had since emailed Gaia, as did many members in our forums, to see if I could find out what the deal was. Unfortunately none of us ever received a response.

While we still don't know the reason for their absence, Sword & Poker, Sword & Poker 2, and both lite versions have since become available for download once again. I can't say for sure if something like this will ever happen again, so I would suggest that if you've had interest in any of these titles you should waste no time picking them up just in case. At the very least give the lite versions a try, as both Sword & Poker titles offer a fun and unique experience that shouldn't be missed, and it's great to see them finally return to the App Store.

After seeing a ton of success with their massive holiday 99� sale, the folks at EA Mobile are once again going on a discount binge. While not quite as extensive as that previous sale, a number of EA titles have temporarily dropped to 99� as part of an "I �? 99� Sales" sale. Check out the following list of discounted games which are directly linked to the App Store:

iPhone/iPod touch games:

• Battlefield: Bad Company 2
• Mirror's Edge
• Tetris
• SimCity Deluxe
• Pictureka!
• The Simpsons Arcade

• Need For Speed Hot Pursuit
• Need For Speed Undercover
• Need For Speed Shift

• The Sims 3
• The Sims 3 World Adventures
• The Sims 3 Ambitions

• Monopoly
• Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition
• Scrabble
• Risk: The Official Game
• The Game of Life Classic Edition

• FIFA 11
• FIFA 10
• NBA Elite 11
• NCAA Football
• Madden NFL 11

iPad games:

• Reckless Racing HD
• Pictureka! for iPad
• Snood for iPad
• Yahtzee HD
• Clue: Secrets & Spies

The sale is said to run for 48 hours, so make sure and grab whatever you like while it's currently discounted. We'll keep our eyes on AppShopper.com to see if any new titles are added to this sale, as several new games were added to the sale just as I've been working on this post. Also, there's still a load of EA titles that are still 99� from their last big sale, so it may be worth rummaging through their catalog to see if there's anything you may have missed.