I'm not sure how it is that Kairosoft does it, but they've managed to nail a gameplay formula that's so engrossing that seemingly everyone is more than willing to overlook the fact that all of their games are mediocre ports of feature phone games. I, for one, don't care at all, and have spent an embarrassing amount of time building game studios, racing teams, shopping malls, schools, and all the other things the guys from Kairosoft have put me in charge of.

For a limited time, Grand Prix Story [99�] and Mega Mall Story [$1.99] are on sale. As you probably guessed by the title, in Mega Mall Story you manage a shopping mall. We explain how it all works in details in our review. Similarly, our review of Grand Prix Story goes over all the ins and outs of your racing career.

My favorite Kairosoft game is still Game Dev Story [$3.99] and I really recommend diving into that first if you've yet to play a Kairosoft title as its premise is likely the most familiar to readers of TouchArcade. Regardless, all the games are tons of fun (although some are more confusing than others) and you really can't go wrong with any of them.

Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 (and the upcoming Windows Phone 8 ) have always been incredibly interesting platforms to watch for those of us into smartphone gaming. Just like Web OS, I really don't see Microsoft building up enough steam to become a serious competitor to either iOS or Android. However, also like Web OS, Windows Phone 7 and 8 are home to a whole host of cool features that I (likely somewhat foolishly) have my fingers crossed in hopes that they eventually dribble down into iOS somehow. Specifically, the way Windows Phone 7 integrates Facebook is really slick, and I promise if you spend some time with one of the devices you'll find yourself saying, "Huh, that's neat" several times. Adding Nokia hardware to the mix only makes things more interesting, although, again, we'll have to wait and see how the market reacts.

Sadly, one potential nail in Windows Phone 7's gaming coffin is the complete lack of Unity support. In a recent interview with Develop, Unity CEO David Helgason explained that Unity won't be making its way to Windows Phone 7 due to the closed nature of the platform, although support for Windows Phone 8 is being looked at. Windows Phone apps and games need to be either be based on XNA or Silverlight, and getting Unity on the devices would require an exemption to this rule, which Microsoft has decided against.

Just like Web OS, Windows Phone has seemed to be a promising candidate in turning this two horse smartphone OS race into a three horse one, but I'm not sure that's possible without Unity, as the engine has become a major player in mobile gaming. When you look at the best games of the Android marketplaces, they're almost all utilizing Unity. Take those away, and, well, you've got the Windows Phone Market.

I could get up on my soap box here and go on about how competition breeds innovation and all that jazz, but I think we're all well aware of that. In today's market, third party apps are vital to the success of any mobile OS, and it's sad to see Microsoft taking this approach with Unity. Windows Phone owning gamers are losing out, as are developers that have existing Unity projects that could be quickly and easily ported to the platform- Especially since quick and easy porting is among the greatest strengths of Unity.

[Develop via Pocket Gamer]

Surely you've heard of Words With Friends by now, haven't you? I figure, if my mom plays it, that's a pretty good benchmark for the entire world knowing about a video game. Well, if you haven't, here's the gist- Words With Friends is basically the game of Scrabble with a social cross-platform twist. Utilizing the magic of asynchronous multiplayer and push alerts, you can play games of Scrabble with friends across the world. Cooler yet, it doesn't matter if your friends have Android phones or are even playing the Facebook version of the game… It just works.

It's casual and simple enough that you could play with your grandma, while being classic enough that it's fun for even the most hardcore types who enjoy playing word games with their friends and family. Seriously, I can't say enough good things about Words With Friends.

I can say one bad thing though, in that the advertisements that power the free version can get a little obnoxious at times, especially if you have a hatred for interstitial ads… Which is exactly where today's sale comes in. For a limited time, you can get the ad-free version of Words With Friends for 99�. I can almost promise you'll get more than 99� worth of entertainment out of this game, but, if you're a cautious App Store customer you can always try the free version first. All of your games will transfer over if and when you decide to spring for the paid version.

I sat down with Blueprint 3D [$0.99 / HD] last night, planning to get a feel for it. When I got back up, I'd 3-starred every level and earned every achievement. It isn't terribly hard, and it's short enough to be completed in under an hour, but I'm not complaining. Rarely do you find a game that's so simply entertaining.

When you launch a level in Blueprint 3D, you're presented with an explosion of scribbles. With single finger swipes you rotate those scribbles until they start to line up into a recognizable image. Tweak and reposition it until it's right, rotate it with two fingers, and you're done. This only takes a few seconds once you get the hang of it.

You'd think that would make for an unsatisfying experience, but with unbroken music the levels flow together into themed packs of 35 or so. As you complete the levels in rapid-fire style, you earn stars and your completion time adds up. So instead of being per-level, the challenge is on a per-pack basis. Can you get your completion time under 5 minutes? Can you collect every star in a pack? Most puzzle games involve hitting your head against a wall at least a little bit -- Blueprint 3D is a much faster, smoother experience.

It helps that the packs are charming, with Da Vinci-esque devices to reveal in the Medieval pack and stuff straight out of Star Wars in the Space pack. I want more, though. The final packs are Tech and Transport, which left me a bit cold toward the end of the game. Bring on the niche packs, filled with geeky references. Or taxonomic drawings of plants and animals given this treatment. The possibilities seem nearly endless, and FDG Entertainment are eager for ideas. You can share yours with them in our discussion thread.

One of the things that makes Blueprint 3D so successful is its attention to detail. The game's theme changes to an appropriate style for each level pack, electronic for the Electronics pack, and more like something out of Metal Gear for the military pack. The desktops change too, and the blueprint styles and tools.

True, the game is simple. Once you figure out how to spin a blueprint around and line up one obvious spot or another, you'll rarely run into trouble. If you do, you are given five level skips (you can buy more, but you really shouldn't need to). But simple isn't always bad, and here it works beautifully. If you want a taste first, the team also made Starlight, a flash game with a very similar style of play. If you need a whole lot of bang for your buck, you might want to look elsewhere. If you're down with small and charming experiences, though, Blueprint 3D deserves a look.