Remember Boost 3D? It came out in late 2009, and we absolutely loved it in our review. It's a tunnel racer with a sky high framerate and an elegant simplicity to it. The game is so simple, in fact, that we really didn't mind that it didn't get updated for close to two years. Some games are great just the way they are, and this was a perfect example of that.

When I first heard of this update which was so massive that it even required a name change to the whole game, I was completely apprehensive. I thought the game was perfect the way it was, and usually "massive update" means the introduction of power-ups, levels, and all kinds of other nonsense that would get in the way of the previously mentioned elegant simplicity.

Thankfully, this update manages to completely enhance the game, all the while maintaining everything we first loved about Boost 3D. Instead of a single game mode, there are now three: Time trial, survival, and even multiplayer which works via Game Center.

I've yet to be able to get a game going (since the update just launched, I assume) but here's how it's supposed to work� Players have 60 seconds to finish the race, at which point the player who has travelled the farthest wins. The blocks change color depending on your position in the race. Sounds awesome.

Aside from using Game Center for multiplayer, there is also total Game Center (and OpenFeint) for online leaderboards and achievements. Both the Retina Display and the iPad are now fully supported, and there are a number of other tweaks and fixes including a totally redesigned HUD.

Boost 2 is on sale for 99� in celebration of the relaunch. It was the best tunnel racer when it was originally released in 2009, and I'm having a hard time thinking of a better one that has been released since then� Especially with these new enhancements.

Those crazy geniuses over at ThinkGeek recently invited me to visit their Fairfax, VA Megaplex headquarters. (We're more or less neighbors, you see.) Today I headed over and spent an hour surrounded by an inspiring cloud of creativity.

And I brought my camera.

For those somehow unfamiliar, ThinkGeek is basically, in short, the best geek toy store in the world. They started off in the late '90s with just a handful of folks and have grown to about 70 in all, spread about an office space that rivals Pixar for complete awesomeness / workplace heaven. It's one of those rare places where, no matter how hard you might be working, it can't possibly actually feel like work. And, I'm quite sure the amazing atmosphere plays no small role in the amount of ridiculously fine products they create and send out the door.

Jamie, whose business card reads "Evil Schemes, Nefarious Plans," gave me the tour, along with "PR Manager / Righteous Dude" Shane. I saw recent products, long ago products, and products still in the design pipeline (that I wish I could talk about � they're awesome!). I also saw the offices, design shops, photo studios, and fun rooms that make them all possible. Everything I saw I wanted to take home with me, basically. But, of all the wondrous gadgets and gizmos, it's the original April Fools iCade unit that I most want to share with readers.

At the Megaplex I met Ty who originally envisioned the iCade, as well as Hans, one of the product designers. They showed me a mid-stage, two-button iCade prototype as well as the original April Fools unit, complete with slide-in, foam-and-paper iPad. (The iCade landed on ThinkGeek's 2010 April Fools page, after the original iPad had been announced, but before it shipped.) I was also treated to the original pen-and-paper design sketches that brought the unit to life. And, button count aside, the 'Fools unit looks pretty darned close to the shipping model.

Jamie explained that the iCade was designed to interface with the iPad in the guise of a Bluetooth keyboard for reasons of simplicity, as opposed to taking the route of tying straight into the unit as a custom control device. A bundle of example code and docs for developers working under various frameworks is coming, but it's true that a game can interface with the iCade by just looking for the keyboard codes that it sends � a pretty simple and straightforward arrangement.

ION Audio's fortuitous relationship with Atari has given early adopters a nice set of games to chew on, but Jamie made me aware of certain forthcoming titles that will support the diminutive cabinet's controls � and I promise that gamers won't be disappointed.

And, while it's not directly iOS related, one of the other stand-out items I saw during my visit was the April Fools Playskool Apple Store. It's genius and, well, who doesn't want one? I grabbed a few photos of the setup, but I'm afriad we probably won't be seeing this one spring to life, like the iCade did. [Sad face]

A visit to ThinkGeek's Megaplex. What a great way to spend an afternoon!

The last time I discussed the Back to the Future series, I noted that I've hit a creative wall of sorts in terms of coverage. The initial two episodes hit all the same notes that the third episode does, so it's hard to find something meaningful and fun to share. Of course, I'm also couching this in the opinion that every episode is well produced and their respective new, or even reproduced, mechanics are sharp and solid.

If you missed out on the first episode [Free] though, now is the time to grab it. It's free on the App Store until June 31, 2011. You have the entire month to push "download" and grab what is, easily, one of the coolest modern adventure games out there.

If the fact that it's free isn't enough to convince you to give it a download, go ahead and check out our review for it. Overall, it's an ambitious beginning to a serial that treats its source material with the proper reverence. It might lean on a more casual-level of skill, but it's still fun to play.

In other Back to the Future news, Episode 4 [$6.99] is now out on the App Store. We will, of course, continue our coverage of the series so look forward to our impressions down the road. Now, push "download" already. Jeesh.

UPDATE: For whatever reason, the first episode of Back to the Future is now back at $6.99. The press releases all mention that the game will be free until July 31st, so they might have potentially jumped the gun on setting it free. Either way, we're trying to get to the bottom of things.