Looking back at our review of the original Real Racing [$4.99 / Lite / HD], we had a few disappointments, but overall had no issue calling it an "unrivaled racing experience." While EA has released a few great racers from the Need For Speed series, Real Racing was always my racing game of choice… Making me wonder what game was going to boot Real Racing off my personal throne of favorite racer on the platform. Unsurprisingly, Real Racing 2 [$9.99] was the game to do it.

The original Real Racing received universal acclaim from the gaming media, and even went on to take home an Apple Design Award at WWDC this year. Real Racing 2 is everything a good sequel should be in that it builds on top of the excellent foundation set by Real Racing, adding often requested features and other surprises we weren't expecting all while improving nearly everything that was retained from the first.

Just like Real Racing, the sequel is host to a variety of control options that mix and match touch and tilt, along with various automatic systems that can be enabled or disabled depending on your skill level. By default, Real Racing 2 is incredibly easy to play. Steering assist and anti-skid default to on, and the brake assist is cranked up as high as it can go. Controlling this way, the games handles almost everything for you, and all you need to do is tilt your phone right or left to steer. Alternatively, you can turn everything off and drive completely manually, controlling both the brake and the gas while either steering with touch or tilt, along with many options in between. Unfortunately, it seems that there isn't any way to manually change gears.

The graphics in Real Racing 2 are substantially improved. Both the tracks and the cars themselves seem much more detailed, and while you can change the camera to several positions, the most awe-inspiring is the cockpit view where each car's interior is modeled with extreme precision. Speaking of cars, one of the most surprising reveals before the game was released was the inclusion of 30 different fully licensed real cars. Brands range from VW to BMW to Ford and much more.

The number of cars in each race has been cranked up to 16, which I think is one of the most substantial improvements. Previously, iOS racers all felt pocket sized in one way or another. You never really got the full experience of a console racer because in most racing games you were only ever competing in 8 car races. Doubling this makes for races that are just crazy, especially on higher difficulty settings where the AI racers seem to actively try to prevent you from passing them� Often creating epic battles between cars as you attempt to slowly climb to first place.

These 16 player races aren't limited to single player either, for the first time on the App Store you can play up against 16 players online. These huge online races are absolutely awesome, and work effortlessly. You tap the online multiplayer icon, and seconds later you're tossed in to a lobby with other players. Following a short countdown you're at the starting line of an online race. Real Racing 2 seems to prioritize quick matching to full races, so if you're playing at an off time you likely will get matched with fewer players. One thing I'd like to see in the future is if there was some kind of slider that you could set whether you prefer shorter wait times or larger races. Often times I wouldn't mind waiting a little bit longer to play with more people.

Also added is a new career mode, which Firemint is claiming should keep you busy for around ten hours. Playing through career mode will have you making your way through various events, earning money, buying cars, and upgrading them. The career mode also serves as a bit of a tutorial, as the early events require you to do things like upgrade your car to a certain performance threshold, win a certain number of popularity points, or even paint your car a different color. One minor complaint I do have about this is that at the start of the game you're given a small amount of cash to buy your first car. This requires you to go through all the different cars searching for one you can actually afford. While I suppose this initially gives you a good idea of just how many cars there are, I would have much preferred to just have the option to select an available starter car instead of needing to search through everything else.

Though Real Racing 2 may have a few things I'd like to see changed, it's without a doubt the current king of iOS racing games. I'd go as far as calling it the perfect iPhone game. The controls are perfectly suited to the platform, the graphics are fantastic, and Real Racing 2 is compatible with every iOS device, even the ancient 1st generation iPod touch. The online component is fantastic, the career mode is a welcome addition, and there's even a new car damage system that reflects just how much you've been bumping in to things. There aren't many other games that showcase what the iOS platform is capable of more than Real Racing 2, so much so, that Apple should just be bundling it with their devices. Do not miss this game.

Last week we brought you new video and information on Rocketcat's newest iOS game Hook Worlds [99�]. The aim of Hook Worlds was to be more accessible to people who felt put off by the somewhat hardcore nature of their previous offerings Hook Champ [$2.99/Lite] and Super QuickHook [$2.99]. Hook Worlds is a collection of 3 (or 4, depending on when you're reading this) endless running-style games, but featuring the grappling hook mechanic that is a Rocketcat trademark. Hook Worlds definitely succeeds at being more accessible, and although it lacks the structured level progression of their previous games it does not lack in gameplay or fun.

Each game included in Hook Worlds is its own complete experience built off of the same general idea of hooking as far as possible in a randomly generated level. The hardest adjustment to make playing Hook Worlds compared to the previous hooking games is getting used to your character automatically running to the right. This simplifies the controls down to just two moves though, an action button on the right and launching your grappling hook by touching anywhere else on the screen. This scheme works really well, and lets you focus squarely on the action happening in the level instead of worrying about the controls.

Hook Worlds initially comes with 3 different game worlds to play, but if you buy the game before this coming weekend is over then you'll get access to a fourth world and a couple of exclusive items that are part of an early buyer program. If you miss out on this, the fourth world will become a permanent addition to the game with the first update about a month from now. Each world feels like its own complete experience, and comes with local and online leaderboards for comparing high scores. Sadly there is only OpenFeint integrated at the moment, but Game Center is a possibility for a future update. The shop system from the previous games has been streamlined in Hook Worlds, and unlocking new items is now based only on earning medals or hitting total point requirements in each of the different worlds.

World 1 in Hook Worlds features the character Gramps as he tries to escape an evil spirit that is frantically chasing him down after finding out his sacred idol has been stolen. Gramps' special move is a recharging rocket boost that will launch him into the air and propel him forward. World 2 stars Zelle from Hook Champ, and features ghost enemies and the ability to shoot them with a revolver. The point of this world is to collect as many coins as possible before dying. Zelle has a 3 heart life bar that depletes by hitting enemies or hazards in the environment, and when it's empty it's game over. These first two worlds are a lot of fun, and combine elements from the previous games, but world 3 is where things get really unique.

In World 3 you play as Gnomey from Super QuickHook, only in the distant future where it's illegal to be a Gnome. Here you are trying to escape the Gnome Police who are constantly on your tail, and Gnomey's special move is the ability to flip gravity. The gravity flipping adds a whole new dimension to the hooking gameplay formula as you'll need to hook while upside down at times, something that resembles pole vaulting. It's hard to wrap your head around this at first, but once it clicks, world 3 offers some of the most exciting and intense gameplay in the entire game. My favorite world though, if I had to pick one, is world 4 which is a Commodore 64-esque retro take on Hook Champ. Gameplay here is similar to world 1 in that there's a chaser after you and you have recharging rocket boots, although movement is much faster. I don't know if it's the overly simplistic graphics or the pureness of the hooking gameplay, but I can't ever seem to get enough of world 4.

That is the great thing about Hook Worlds though, there's basically 4 complete games in one. It's a breeze to hop in and out of each as you see fit, and I love just bouncing back and forth through all of them. I do miss the progression of working through set levels like the previous hooking games, but I understand that isn't what Hook Worlds set out to do. What it did try to do is create a more approachable hooking game with near endless replay value, and at this Hook Worlds succeeds beautifully. It's my new favorite Rocketcat game, which is saying a lot considering how much I love the previous two, and our forum members are loving the game as well. If you ever felt intimidated by Rocketcat's previous hooking games, or you're already an established hooker looking for a new fix, then you'll want to give Hook Worlds a shot.

Subatomic Games could sleep on the success of its fantastic tower defense title Fieldrunners [$2.99 / HD], but it isn't. The studio just informed us that a new update for both versions of the game has been submitted to Apple, and it's an update you won't want to miss. New maps, new towers and same-screen multiplayer are being added to the core game with this beast.

But there is a catch. The iPad version is the only one receiving this multiplayer stuff. Specifically, the studio is dropping in two exclusive maps that support both cooperative and versus play. We're not sure how this will work or shake out, but we will undoubtedly give it a go once the update hits.

A total of three new, single-player focused maps are are coming too, each of which adds a new defensive tower to play around with. We've got a short list of these towers and their descriptions for those of you who really care about this stuff.

Plasma Tower � creates combo attacks when used with other plasma towers!
Shotgun Tower � fires a devastating volley of drill bits.
Lava Tower � incinerates all nearby fieldrunners in a giant wave of fire.

While the exclusivity might be a bummer for the iPhone and iPod owners out there, take comfort in the fact that you're probably also getting these three maps and turrets. Subatomic wasn't super clear about this, so we've put one out there to confirm what's in the upcoming iPhone / iPod update. We'll let you know as soon as we know.

There's a chance you could get your hands on this new content within the next four days. There's also a chance you might not see it until December 28. As you may be aware of now, courtesy of the recent App rush, Apple is turning off the lights on the App Store from the 23rd until the 28th. The reason is the season, of course, so don't be too crushed if the certification button-pusher guy can't get around to this content in time. Dude has to see his family too, you know?

UPDATE: The iPad version of the update is out, apparently. And, as you've witness by our edits, we've been seeing conflicting reports about this update. We're checking it out now to confirm what's actually in this thing and will update in a bit.

Given the incredible success of Street Fighter IV [$9.99] since its release on the App Store, I've always wondered if its 90s arcade competitor Mortal Kombat would ever grace our touch screens. Just a few days ago, it was confirmed that indeed an iOS version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 was in the works from the folks at EA Mobile. And just like that, yesterday Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 [$6.99] was released in the App Store.

I'm a diehard Mortal Kombat fan, going back to the very first release in arcades almost two decades ago. I've since owned just about every version of every Mortal Kombat game for every console over the years. I even bought and suffered through the abomination that is Mortal Kombat Advance on the GBA, so I can definitely recognize a terrible MK game when I see it. And Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for iOS is far from terrible, and in fact it's pretty good. It gets a lot of things right, and even does some interesting new things, but some of the changes will alienate longtime fans who are looking for a trip down nostalgia road, and the poor execution of the controls can make the game difficult to enjoy.

The most significant thing to notice about Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is that despite its name this is in no way a direct port of the arcade game. The biggest change is that the game is completely rendered in 3D. Purists will likely cry foul at this design choice, but I have a more positive feeling towards it. The characters are comprised of fairly basic 3D models but they look like their originals for the most part, and this also allows them to appear extra crisp, especially on the Retina Display. I can't imagine the old digitized sprites looking especially great on iOS screens, and the many frames needed to animate them would likely cause performance issues. Because of these points, I understand and accept the decision to go 3D.

One huge disappointment though is the lack of available characters. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 in the arcades boasted a healthy roster of 22+ fighters, whereas the iOS version only has a selection of 11 including two unlockable characters, and I believe the two bosses are playable though I have yet to verify that myself. Hopefully they take a page out of Street Fighter IV's playbook and offer frequent updates with new characters, because as it is now the roster feels lacking.

The best part about the game being in 3D is that the redone backgrounds look downright gorgeous. Again there is only a selection of 10 stages from the original arcade game's 16 or so, but the ones chosen here are the best of the bunch and contain all of the levels with stage fatalities. There's really nothing like knocking someone in front of a subway train or into a pit of spikes in 3D. On that note, all of the fatalities, babalities, friendships, and animalities are included for each of the characters. Some of these look better in 3D, and some I would prefer the original, but either way it's still hugely satisfying to pull off a finishing move on a defeated opponent, and that's what's important.

Regardless of your feelings about the graphics, none of it would matter anyway if the game didn't control well. Here is where Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 slips up the most. It offers two control schemes and the ability to move the buttons for each wherever you want on the screen. The joystick remains fixed, but it's in a pretty good default position anyway.

The first "pro" control scheme has all 6 buttons of the original arcade game, and all the moves are performed just like in the original. This is my preferred way to play because it's what I know, but it also makes it difficult to pull of moves that require multiple buttons to be held down at the same time, like Sub-Zero's slide for example. The second "easy" control setup features only 5 buttons � punch, kick, block, run, and special. This scheme changes all the special moves and fatalities into simple combinations of the special button and joystick directions. Both setups have their strengths and weaknesses, and neither is completely ideal, but they are both competent enough to get the job done.

The real problem with the controls has to do with the responsiveness. It's a strange phenomenon, really, because at the beginning of the match they work just fine. But as the match prolongs they stop responding as well. Button presses have a way of getting bunched up, and moves that you were trying to perform will play out much later than you intended. There's no way to stop this from happening either, so you'll just have to sit there until the string of button presses is completed before you can focus back on the action of the current moment. It doesn't render the game unplayable, but it's a frustrating problem that definitely needs to be addressed.

Content-wise,�Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 contains an arcade mode with 4 tiers of difficulty, a local multiplayer mode over WiFi or Bluetooth (complete with the 6 symbol code entry functionality of the arcade game), a survival mode, and a Shao Karnage mode. Shao Karnage mode is brand new, and is actually pretty neat. It pits you against Shao Kahn using the character of your choice, sans health bars for either character, to see how many points worth of damage you can do to him in 99 seconds. There are supposedly online leaderboards for both survival and Shao Karnage modes, but for some reason I have yet to get them working.

Initially I was turned off by Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, but I stuck with it and the game grew on me by leaps and bounds. I've had a lot of fun playing it, and there's all sorts of potential here for it to be a stellar Mortal Kombat game. Assuming you can get past the lack of characters and the new look of the graphics, the only actual problem with the game is the laggy controls. They're workable now, but I'd really like to see them improved in the future. Of course, adding more characters couldn't hurt either. For being the first Mortal Kombat game on the App Store, I ended up being pretty impressed, and there's a lot of positive impressions of the game in our forums as well.

If you're a fan of Mortal Kombat then you'll likely get enough enjoyment out of this version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 to justify the purchase, but if you're looking for a comparable fighting experience to the iOS version of�Street Fighter IV then you may want to hold off and see how this game evolves over time.

I always like the good news first, so here it is: Secret of Mana for the iPhone will be released this year, presumably before the App Store freeze on the 23rd. The bad news? That's really all we know. The game's producer, Masaru Oyamada, isn't giving out any details on the Squre Enix Facebook page aside from the fact that it's done, and he's happy. Look how happy:

In addition, they're also not discussing pricing aside from the fact that it won't be 99�, and it will cost less than Chaos Rings. So, basically, what we know for sure is that the game is being released at some undetermined point in the future, and it will cost money. Also, here are three new screenshots:

Secret of Mana was one of the many classic RPGs that SquareSoft released for the Super Nintendo. Instead of turn-based battles like previous games, Secret of Mana is played in real time, similar to a Zelda game. Also, Secret of Mana had a really awesome coop mode where you could play through the game with the help of another player. Last month, I would have doubted that this mode would make its way to the iPhone, but with Sega implementing Bluetooth multiplayer in their Genesis games, I'm not even sure what to think anymore.

At least it sounds like we won't have to wait much longer to find out.