Needing no introduction for any iOS Action fans, the Gangstar series has been Gameloft's answer for folks looking for the city sandbox experience popular on gaming consoles. While we enjoyed the previous two Gangstar titles, there were outstanding issues in both games that prevented each from becoming a truly 'must-own' title. With Gangstar Rio: City of Saints [$6.99], Gameloft looks to up the ante in all aspects from the new location to cleaner graphics to even a new character advancement system. While Rio falters in its voice overs and the overarching story, everything else makes this the best Gangstar yet.

Gangstar Rio continues the tried and true gameplay of previous titles that closely mimics the gameplay of sandbox games like the Grand Theft Auto series. All the elements from previous games � from the mission based main story, to the large amount of collectibles, to even the side jobs attached to various vehicles � make a return. However, Gangstar Rio improves on its predecessors by making everything just a little bit better. For example, the Rio de Janeiro locale seems to be bigger and is a lot more unique compared to the previous locations. The entire world just feels more alive than previous titles. In addition, the developers have improved the controls by adding a few new options and tightening the existing schemes. However, I was extremely disappointed in the lack of cloud saving/syncing as that should be an essential requirement for lengthy games such as this (moreso since Rio is a universal title).

Another new feature to the series is the clothing system which works in tandem with the experience/level up system. In addition to gaining experience and earning 'Respect Levels', you can now also buy clothing which changes your appearance and provides additional perks beyond the typical stats that you increase with each level up. Some of the perks include 'Luck,' which increases the amount of looted money and ammo from enemies, and 'Look' which makes it harder to increase your wanted level. This is a significant leap forward from previous Gangstar titles, as there is now more motivation to simply enjoy the sandbox environment and earn exp and money in addition to playing the missions.

Graphics-wise, Gangstar Rio also improves upon the previous two titles. While Rio isn't the nicest title we've seen on iOS, its visuals look much better compared to the previous Gangstar games. In addition, the game loaded extremely quickly and the framerate was relatively smooth (at least on an iPad 2 and iPhone 4S). Gameloft also did a good job improving the building pop-up, an issue we had in previous games. However, it's important to note that your experience may vary based on the model of iOS device you have, and things may not be as smooth on earlier generation systems.

Gameloft also does a good job in nailing the music in Gangstar Rio. There are several radio stations, each with a decent selection of music. Personally, I could care less about name recognition so long as the music simply sounded good in the flow of the game. �Thankfully, most of the songs succeed in that regard. I did think that the developers were trying a bit too hard with the fake radio commercials, but otherwise, the radio was definitely a plus.

(PSA: Some foul language in the trailer):

Unfortunately, despite all these improvements, one area that Gangstar Rio seems to take a step back in is in regards to its story and voiceovers.� The story is your typical riches-to-rags-to-riches-again novella that really doesn't have any originality. Granted, I'm not expecting a literary masterpiece while I'm planning a drive-by, but it is one of the weakest parts of an otherwise decent gameplay experience. The voice acting, meanwhile, is by far the worst part of Gangstar Rio. Horrid accents, low sound quality, and simply atrocious acting make the voiceovers so bad that it's almost funny. In fact, I honestly don't know if the dreadfulness is a deliberate ploy or not. Either way, it's one of the few dark spots in Rio.

Regardless, I understand that most folks aren't playing these games for the voice acting or even for the story. The most important question is whether Gangstar Rio is actually fun to play. The answer to that is definitely a 'yes.' Rio's improvements to the core gameplay system, combined with better visuals and good music make this game the best yet in the series. However, much like the previous iterations, there are a few issues that prevent the game from living up to its full potential.

If you're familiar with mid-90s video game history, then you might remember a not-quite-released title by the name of Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors. The game was an odd puzzle platforming affair starring the famous comedian magician duo, as well as a collection of mini-games that were designed for pranking your friends. Originally slated to arrive on the Sega CD in 1995, the publisher of the title went out of business that year. That effectively shelved the release for good even though it was basically in a complete state, however, the unreleased game did eventually leak out into the wild.

Easily the most notorious mini-game from Smoke and Mirrors is Desert Bus, which tasked you with driving from Tucson, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada… in real time. The feat takes about 8 real world hours, and since the game can't be paused, the trip must be completed in one sitting. If you manage to accomplish this, you receive… one point. One measly point. Then, you're given the option to drive back to Tucson, which takes another 8 hours, in order to get… another point! You can keep going like this as long as you're able to, until you reach the maximum 99 point limit. Which would take about 41 actual days of non-stop virtual driving. Right, let me get right on that.

While I don't have the gumption to sit and play the most mundane video game ever created for hours on end, better people than I have come up with a brilliant idea called Desert Bus for Hope. This is a marathon gaming session of Desert Bus put together by the group LoadingReadyRun, where people can donate money to force the members of the group to play Desert Bus for extended periods of time, with all proceeds going to Child's Play charity. Since the first marathon in 2007, Desert Bus for Hope has raised over half a million dollars for Child's Play, and this year's marathon is happening as we speak.

In support of Desert Bus for Hope, developer Amateur Pixels has released a port of Desert Bus [99�] for iOS and Android, and all the profits from selling the game on the Apple App Store and Android Marketplace will go to the Child's Play charity along with the money raised during the marathon. Just think, you can fit all the action of driving in a straight line for 360 virtual miles in your pocket to enjoy anytime, anywhere � even while you're actually driving from Tucson to Las Vegas in real life! The future!

Desert Bus on iOS is a pretty faithful port of the original, and it is almost like having a little piece of strange gaming history in your pocket. While not exactly a fun game, I think the novelty factor is well worth the price, and still think the concept itself is just brilliant. Plus, you can feel confident that your hard earned monies are going to a good cause, helping children through Child's Play. Definitely check it out, and if you're feeling especially sadistic, swing by the Desert Bus for Hope donation page and throw a few dollars their way to help force some schmuck into yet another straight hour of Desert Bus torture.

Boston-based indie developer Dejobaan Games has been pumping out unique titles for the PC and Mac since 1999. Due to the originality in their game designs, they've garnered quite a dedicated following of fans and have seen their fair share of accolades from the gaming industry at large. One of their most well known titles is 2009's AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity (or AaAaAA!!! for short, thankfully).

The gist of the gameplay in AaAaAA!!! involves base jumping from the top of a high-rise in an alternate version of Boston, and speeding towards the ground from a first-person perspective. As you're falling, you can gain points for doing crazy things like flying as close as possible to objects without hitting them, breaking through target panes of glass, hitting birds, spray painting graffiti on buildings as you whizz by, and more. We've definitely seen these first-person skydiving type of games before, but nothing really compares to the style and original ideas found in AaAaAA!!!.

(Trailer for the original AaAaAA!!! for the PC)

Ever since the release of AaAaAA!!!, people have wondered if the game might make its way to the App Store. The accelerometer and gyroscope capabilities of iOS devices seem like a perfect fit for a game like AaAaAA!!!. Earlier this year, Dejobaan revealed that a semi-sequel to AaAaAA!!! was in the works, and it was revealed recently that this game will be titled AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome. And, as Dejobaan confirmed in our forums over the weekend, the game will indeed be coming to iOS.

First of all, Dejobaan has switched over to using the Unity engine to create AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome, due to enhanced graphical capabilities and easier multi platform porting. Also, they've enlisted the help of fellow Boston developer Owlchemy Labs, creators of Snuggle Truck on iOS, to assist with getting AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome humming away on the new Unity setup.

Unfortunately, there's no word yet on pricing or release date. Dejobaan is looking to add exclusive new levels to the iOS version, and while they're busy creating those they're working on the game for other platforms as well as other projects. Also, they're making streamlined audio for the iOS version, fiddling with the controls to get them just right, and banging away at optimizations in order to get AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome running as well as it possibly can on the various iOS hardware.

So in other words, it might be a while before we see AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome on the App Store. But hey, at least we know it's coming, right?

(Credit to PocketGamer who were able to nab these lovely screens you see above straight from an early build of the game)

On your first look at Snoopy's Street Fair [Free], you'll probably feel a warm glow of nostalgia. It might be for Charles Schulz' classic Peanuts comic strip or television specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas. But you also might be thinking of something a little more recent. Like, say Beeline Interactive's big hit, Smurfs' Village [Free].

The apps have a lot in common, you see. Both of them are fantastic at bringing back the properties we know and love. Both flawlessly emulate the look of the classics. Both are missing a few key features. And both are cripplingly tied into IAP and grinding mechanics.

Snoopy's Street Fair does a particularly good job of cranking up the nostalgia machine. As you build up your street fair to help Charlie Brown go to the baseball tournament, you'll be flooded with memories. The game is filled with familiar sound bites that were either pulled from the Peanuts TV specials or are excellent impersonations. All manner of beloved characters pop up -- Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Peppermint Patty, Linus, Lucy and a huge roster of B, C and D-listers.

But more than that, nostalgic features are peppered throughout the experience. As you level up, you unlock classic comic strips that you can go back and read freely. After unlocking a certain item, you can take Peanuts photobooth pictures and send them to your friends. There are Snoopy trading cards to collect. These sweet little Easter eggs really elevate Snoopy's Street Fair to something occasionally special.

It's almost enough to make you want to use the app to, say, introduce the Peanuts gang to your kids. I'd recommend against it. To its credit, Beeline Interactive does a very good job of pointing out that the IAP costs real money, and warning players that there are real world purchases to be made. But that hasn't stopped the developer from making this game's argument for IAP very compelling. You can earn everything in-game, it seems, but it would take an extremely long time. You only earn a couple Snoopy Dollars each level, and many of the items and characters can only be bought with them -- for 20, 50, even 75 Snoopy Dollars a pop. The minimum purchase is 50 for $4.99, so be prepared to dig deep.

This wouldn't be so irritating if the game surrounding the IAP was more compelling. I've fallen in love with a few freemium games with simple grinding mechanics, but this one is just a bit too brainless. You can tap each of the stalls and features of your fair once in a while - 30 seconds, 24 hours, or somewhere in between. You get coins and experience when you do, and occasionally random rewards pop out to try to hit the part of our psyche that loves that kind of thing. The grinding is oversimplified, as is the decorating. It's all just rather bland.

There are a few mini-games that round out the experience, but they're pricey and straightforward. You can twist lemons for lemonade, or marshmallows for campfire roasting, and you can play with paints. But you can only do these things occasionally, because you could otherwise earn too much experience or have some kind of fun.

Rounding out the flaws, on the other hand, are a pair of familiar issues. While Snoopy's Street Fair lets you add Game Center friends, it doesn't have any other Game Center integration. Worse, it doesn't make any attempt to save your progress to the cloud. Delete the app for any reason and you'll have to start over from scratch. It's a bad call for a game with its hands so deep in your pockets.

If Snoopy's Street Fair is a game for nostalgic adults, it's not interesting enough to hold any attention. If it's a game for children, the aggressive focus on IAP is distasteful. Still, if you have fond memories of Charlie Brown and crew, it's worth your time to poke around briefly and see what charm this game has to offer. Just don't get sucked in -- unlike Peanuts,�wine, or cheese, Snoopy's Street Fair doesn't get better with age.