Last month we had a hands-on preview of the upcoming iOS version of Dead Space from EA Mobile. Since then, anticipation for the title has been growing in our forums, and EA stoked this fire even more by releasing a set of iPad screenshots a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, at the EA event where I had a chance to play Dead Space, video of the game was not allowed. This is really one of the most graphically impressive titles that I've seen on iOS, and static screenshots just do not do it justice (though they look pretty fantastic anyway).

Today, EA has finally unveiled the first official video of Dead Space for iOS. In it you can really get a good idea of just how creepy the atmosphere is in the game, as well as how horrific the enemies are that you'll be facing. Note that just like the console version, the game screen in the iOS version is practically devoid of any HUD elements, allowing you to see more of the game and feel further immersed in the action.

The story for Dead Space on iOS will bridge the gap between the original Dead Space and the upcoming Dead Space 2 on consoles. EA has officially stated that Dead Space for iOS would hit the App Store the same date as Dead Space 2 on consoles, January 25th. This latest video has gotten me even more excited for the release, and after experiencing just how well the game translates to the touch screen I really can't wait to get my hands on it again. We'll bring you any additional information should EA decide to drop any, otherwise be on the lookout for Dead Space to land in the App Store next week.

A few days ago, developer Lakoo released a new iOS MMORPG into the App Store called Empire Online [Free]. Empire Online claims to be the biggest iPhone MMORPG with over 5 million users across Asia and Australia, and it is now available to US players. It's free to download and play, with an IAP currency system. There are four races and five classes to create your character from, with a deep skill system to learn as well as thousands of different items and equipment to collect. What is cool about the equipment in Empire Online is that it affects the look of your avatar, giving you a staggering amount of personalization to set yourself apart from the rest of the players online.

Visually, Empire Online employs an overhead perspective and pixel art style reminiscent of some classic 16-bit RPGs. Combat is turn-based and can have up to 20 combatants in a single battle. You can battle in real-time against other players in single PvP matches or team battles with up to 5 players on each team. Another interesting aspect is creating your own Empire where you can recruit members and battle to take control of territories and build your own cities as you expand your Empire's reach.

What I really like about Empire Online is the touch-friendly interface and ability to customize how you want to play. There are a number of different chat systems in the game that allow you to type out messages to all players, only those in your Empire, private one-on-one chats, and more. These text messages appear at the top portion of the screen, and all other online players' avatars are shown roaming around whatever world you happen to be in. These two elements can add a lot of clutter and confusion to the action on screen, especially when you're first starting out.

Luckily you are able to filter out which types of text messages appear, or turn them off altogether, and you can turn off the other player avatars as well. Shutting both of these off allowed me to focus on the early missions in the game without any distractions, and let me get a handle on how the game played. In this way, you can basically just play Empire Online as a solo game, leveling up your character and completing missions on your own. Likely there will be certain missions that require you to have a helping hand, but for the most part there seems to be a lot of gameplay available for those who aren't keen on interacting with the outside world.

I've enjoyed my fair share of RPGs over the years, but I've never gotten into the whole MMO thing. Partly because I've seen how they can overtake my friends' lives, but also partly because they can be intimidating to a newbie. Empire Online is the first one I've tried that I actually felt I could get the hang of, and I've been having a lot of fun with it so far. While I can't really speak to whether it will be satisfying to hardcore MMO players or not, it's definitely friendly to first-time players or those who are constantly on the go. Player discussion in our forums has been positive towards the gameplay itself, but critical towards the implementation of the IAP. At any rate, it's free to download and try out, so there's no reason not to check out Empire Online if you're in the market for a new MMORPG.

I love sprawling multi-million dollar platformers as much as the next guy, but I'll take a small indie-developed project over the Super Mario Galaxies of the world any day. It boils down to execution, really. The good indie devs distill their games and bring to the fore one single, sometimes miraculous mechanic. Then, our underfunded heroes iterate and eventually offer us good games that lack the big budget fluff or unrealized stuff that sometimes worms its way into huge projects.

Yeah, yeah, you heard this all before. Welcome to mobile, Brad, you say. We see this all the time, you say. And to that I reply: hey, have you played They Need To Be Fed [.99 / HD] yet? Because even though it has problems, it could be the poster child for what we're talking about here. It's a no frills platformer with near perfect execution on a simple and entertaining mechanic. Oh, and it's made by a single guy � that's, like, eight billion less people than the core�Ratchet & Clank teams!

Provided you don't already know about TNTBF, let's talk about what it has to offer. It's a 2D, physics-based platformer with hardly any plot to speak of and an art style that would melt any HAL Laboratories employee's heart. But despite it being filled with so much color and life, it's got a grim undertone. In TNTBF, you play as a silhouetted avatar with an endearingly misshapen head across a variety of levels in which the point is to die. Specifically, the end goal is always a squiggly monster's gullet.

No worries. The sacred gameplay loop � progress, fail, and die � is still in effect, though in a more tortured way than normal. In TNTBF, it's more like progress, fail, die… and then die again.

Fun stuff, sure, but the core mechanic is easily the most compelling thing in TNTBF. To move around and meet your doom as the game demands, you'll need to get good at moving around platforms. Each level is littered with various geometric objects, all of which the daring silhouette clings to via 360- degree gravity. So, when he jumps to, say, another platform, the game negotiates that platform's gravitational pull versus the platform he just left. If the silhouette is closer to the latter, it'll cling to that one. Progress!

Momentum factors in as well. The faster your avatar moves, the more he'll be able to bounce out of a platform's pull. This leads to some interesting platforming, made all the more interested � and dangerous � when the game starts throwing in nasty stuff like rotating platforms laced with spikes, exploding platforms, cannons that shoot bullets at last known positions, and more.

It's a breeze to shake bullets and jump around with the on-screen controls, but the jumping itself is a hair too floaty for me. Overall, the game is flat-out missing a layer of accuracy that's seems warranted for some of the more nontraditional platforming sections. Also, some of the levels expect way too much in terms of object avoidance, which kinda complicates this basic, but annoying problem.

The good news is that this isn't a punitive joint. Levels have smart checkpoints and accidental deaths are infinite. You'll just get slapped on the wrist with a restart for your buffoonery or complications with the level design.

They Need To Be Fed is indeed, a smart, simple, and endearing platformer. The core mechanic might sound a little abstract, but don't let that get in your way. In fact, just play it for free on the PC first. You see, this game used to be just a web-based project before publisher YoYo Games decided to bring it to iOS. Both versions of the game are a ton of fun, and it really comes down to whether you value portability or the ability to play it with your keyboard.