I've always thought the early Fallout games would work great on the iPad, (and to some extent they do, if you were able to download iDOS before it got pulled) but like many ancient PC games, the Fallout IP is securely locked up in a twisted web of developers and publishers that have been bought and sold over the years. In the case of Fallout it was originally an Interplay project, which got rolled into Bethesda, which now is part of ZeniMax. There's even been some brutal legal drama as who owns the rights to a Fallout MMO has been duked out in courts. What I'm getting at, is I'm not holding my breath for an iOS Fallout anytime soon.

So, having totally written that off long ago, imagine my surprise when I stumbled across PipClock [99� / Lite] randomly browsing the App Store today. In a nutshell, it takes the "dashboard" style clock and weather apps, but applies a glorious level of Fallout-esque style to it. Seriously, just check out the screenshots:

The functionality is basically what you'd expect out of one of these sorts of clock and weather apps, although everything has a wonderful Fallout spin. For instance, here in the "Ruins of Los Angeles" in "California's Wastelands" it's 85 degrees out with "poisonous fog not detected". Oh, there's a faux geiger counter built in too. Each element also has subtle animations, with static, scan lines, and even sparks.

Since upgrading to an iPad 2, I've been looking for a good use for my original iPad outside of checking to make sure games we're reviewing still run on it. With PipClock, I'm thinking I might have to relegate it to night stand duty as PipClock just looks too awesome to not be running all the time. It's universal too, so you could do the same with an old iPod touch if you've got one laying around.

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We did our best to stay rational amidst the rampant speculation that Nintendo was getting into the App Store with the release of Pokémon Say Tap in Japan this summer. For one, it isn't a move that makes sense. Nintendo puts its own titles on consoles and handhelds that it owns and sells exclusively. Also, Nintendo is keen on ragging on the App Store and saying Apple has it all wrong, so why would it bother with an app?

The word that we trusted was that this was a The Pokémon Company release, not a Nintendo one. The Pokémon Company is an affiliate of Nintendo and are the marketing managers of a brand that expands well beyond the confines of video games and into the realm of TV, toys, and other forms of media like a trading card game.

Turns out that this information was accurate. Nintendo of America, in a recent chat with Giant Bomb, flatly denied any Nintendo involvement with the project and said Nintendo content will continue to stay on Nintendo platforms. Pokémon Say Tap is a The Pokémon Company marketing tool. That's it. Period.

"On July 1, the Pokémon Company announced that it was launching a free Android and iOS application in Japan called [Pokémon Say Tap]. The Pokémon Company routinely launches applications for cell phones and PCs as a way to promote its non-video game products, such as a music CD and Pokémon TCG cards in this instance," Nintendo of America said in a statement given to Giant Bomb.

"Since they are intended purely as promotional tools, not as unique video games, Nintendo is not involved in any way," it said. "… Nintendo has no intention or plans of publishing its IP on non-Nintendo platforms. This is an example of a promotion by a key Nintendo partner and has no bearing on Nintendo's overall strategy."

Keep dreaming those Nintendo dreams for Nintendo-published and created releases on the App Store. Mario and the rest of the bunch aren't coming in the foreseeable future, as was made clear in this statement. You'll have to keep buying the latest Nintendo handhelds if you want in on some Nintendo action.

[Via GiantBomb]

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How much of a multitasker are you? If you're anything like me, you've probably got a dozen tabs open in your browser, three other programs on your desktop and a game or two waiting on your phone. But that might just make you a singletasker with a short attention span. If you want to prove that you're pro at juggling tasks, pick up VineKing [$1.99 / Free]. It will put even the best multitasker to the test.

In VineKing, the green lands of the world have been destroyed, leaving nothing but cold stone, lava, and monsters. As the last Vine King, its your job to bring back the luscious greenery that once existed, but the forces of darkness won't give up easily. Each of the game's 30 levels is a piece of rock that you need to win back, and you only have one tool: the vine that grows from your head.

The vine can be used in two ways. To reclaim ground, draw a path over it. When the vine whips out, the rocks will shatter beneath that path and grass will grow through. To defeat the monsters that come to steal back the ground and destroy the Vine King, tap on them. Those two tasks will keep you occupied, but there's a problem: you only have so much vine to work with. Once your green meter goes dry, you're toast. To keep fueled, you need to collect the seeds that pop out of the cleared ground and from defeated monsters, but while you're sucking up seeds you're completely vulnerable.

While you're balancing those three tasks, the monsters are hard at work taking back the ground you've cleared. As the game becomes more difficult, it's easy to play yourself to a stalemate � as you clear more land, more monsters show up and take it back while you fend them off. To keep from getting overwhelmed, you can upgrade the Vine King. Each time you complete a level, you're ranked for how many seeds you picked up, how many monsters you destroyed, and so on. That rank translates to coins that you can use to purchase upgrades, like faster vines and better seed storage.

You'll need a well-upgraded Vine King and quick fingers to master later levels. As you progress, the monsters get faster and more aggressive. The levels also get more unfriendly, with lava pits that burn your vine and crystals that block your way. I found that grinding earlier levels for coins made later ones more manageable, but skilled multitaskers might be able to get by with less. You'll want to go back to earlier levels either way, to collect Game Center achievements and earn gold rankings.

VineKing is very loveable, with charming art and a soundtrack that keeps things stressful. It's also a strikingly original game. Our forum users seem to love it, and there's a lite available if you remain unconvinced. You'll be giving your drawing, tapping and gathering skills a workout in no time.

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Yesterday the gaming media at large descended upon EA's Redwood Shores headquarters in order to do 3 things: watch dogs catch frisbees, eat from a wide variety of lunch trucks, and play a ton of upcoming video games. The first two activities were definitely enjoyable, but the real fun was being able to check out some of the excellent titles that are coming out soon on iOS and consoles. Some of what was being shown from EA and from Chillingo we already took a look at during E3 last month, so here is a look at some titles which weren't previously covered.

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Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed � A sequel to the original Need for Speed Shift that launched in 2009, this time around you're getting twice the number of cars with more than 40, including one that is exclusive to the iOS version of the game. The visuals are also a step up, and one of the new things that caught my eye is the new helmet cam option. Instead of just a regular interior camera view, you can actually race right from the driver's first-person perspective. It's a subtle change, but one that adds a dramatic effect to the gameplay. NFS: Shift 2 Unleashed should be available sometime next month.

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One Man Army: Chain Reaction � According to Chillingo this game was created by a single mom developer, and I would say it falls in the category of "why didn't someone think of this before?". One Man Army is a turret defense style game with an added tower defense element. The two genres mix together pretty well too. There's a lot of strategy in placing your towers correctly but also some real time action as you blast away at the baddies with your turret as well. The game is currently only slated for iPhone and iPod touch, but was shown off to me on an iPad in pixel doubled mode.

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Dream Track Nation � We first learned of Dream Track Nation with a trailer that was released back in April, and the game is now set to launch in just a couple of weeks. Dream Track Nation is a side-scrolling stunt racer of sorts that uses a pretty wacky physics system. The best way I can describe it is like JellyCar [Free] without the jelly. One of the big features will be a level editor which allows you to upload and share your own tracks with others online, as well as check out their creations. In this video, after a quick run through a level, you can see the level editor in action. Although we didn't actually end up putting together a usable course, you should get an idea of how simple the process is.

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Anomaly Warzone Earth � Easily my favorite out of the games that were at this event, it's easy to see why Anomaly Warzone Earth won an Apple Design Award at WWDC this year for the Mac version. Now it's getting set to hit iOS next month, and is even better with the touch screen interface. It's also another game I'm surprised nobody thought of before. In it, you take on the offensive role in what would be your typical tower defense game. You'll choose the vehicles and route of a convoy as it makes its way through levels filed with enemy towers. The interface works beautifully, and the strategies needed with the typical tower defense roles reversed are fresh and engaging. The game is also quite beautiful, to boot.

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Be on the lookout for the EA and Chillingo titles shown here and the ones we saw at E3 to hit the App Store during the next several months, and you can check out our upcoming games forum for individual threads to discuss each game with the TouchArcade community.

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