Outdoorsy types should get ready as Mastiff Games is set to launch a port of their Wii and PC target shooting game Reload for the iPhone very soon. I had a chance to check out the iPhone version of Reload firsthand at GDC, and despite there being a ton of different gallery-type shooters available on the App Store I found Reload to be pretty compelling.

What I like about Reload is that it offers a lot of variety. There will be a number of different weapons to choose from, including authentic licensed models from the likes of Remington, and the gameplay will change depending on which weapon you use. A machine gun has you moving from room to room in an on-rails fashion and taking out bad guy targets that spring up while avoiding innocent people, police training style. A sniper rifle level puts you in a stationary position as you scan a landscape from afar looking for targets, and then zoom in to take them out. Another example is the shotgun which presents a fun skeet shooting level where you're scored based on speed and accuracy.

These different gameplay types will be experienced in a single player career mode that has you playing through each type of weapon, and levels can be replayed once unlocked. There will also be a local hot seat multiplayer where you and up to 3 other buddies can take turns passing around a single device trying for top scores. While Reload doesn't really reinvent the arcade-style shooting game, it seems to offer a decent amount of variety and fun for some on-the-go gunplay. The visuals look nice, it controls well, and it has a nice air of authenticity to it too. Keep your eyes out for Reload which Mastiff is hoping to have out sometime before the end of March.

One item on my follow-up todo list for GDC 2011 was to find out what happened to Steph Thirion's Faraway game we previewed back at GDC 2010. Thirion was the developer responsible for Eliss, a favorite of ours.

Well, we caught up with Thirion who was showing off Faraway at GDC 2011. Thirion reports that game is still in the works but had been delayed by other projects that took him off task for a number of months, so work on Faraway has been on hold. He can't commit to a release date yet, but he's working on it again and hoping the release will be soon.

The gameplay mechanics are pretty much the same as in our 2010 preview.

In Faraway, you control a comet by activating a gravitational pull by simply pressing a single button. Each time, it activates a gravitational pull to the nearest star. Using well timed presses, you can slingshot your comet into the right direction. The goal is to create as many complex constellations in the time allotted. Powerups include speed-ups as well as time-extenders. Creating large and looped constellations add to your high score (which will be recording on a global leaderboard). Once time runs out, you are treated with a panning view of the constellations you've created.

Thirion has been tweaking some of the progression so that both skilled and unskilled players can have an enjoyable experience playing the game.

We've got some updated screenshots for the game, and will let you know as soon as it's been submitted to Apple.