A new turn-based iteration of aerial combat game Steambirds [$1.99 / HD] is on the way, and get this: it's a free-to-play venture headed up by the original crew behind Steambirds, Spry Fox, AND the video game gurus over at Fruit Ninja [$.99 / Lite / HD]creator Halfbrick. Talk about a mash-up.

Phil Larsen, Halfbrick's potential Hollywood movie star and marketing wizard, calls Survival the "ultimate dog-fighting tactical aerial combat game" and he's probably right. I mean, what other game manages to fall under that description? This is why he's a wizard, folks.

We've seen preciously little of Survival thus far, but we do know that it's a turn-based combat joint similar to Spry's original game in look and vibe. It'll hit later this October with eight planes and 64 missions at launch with the promise of more to come. We'll definitely try to get this in our e-office soon and give you the skinny from a hands-on perspective.