Just a quick heads up that my current favorite obsession Disc Drivin' is having a 99� sale this weekend. Disc Drivin' is a turn-based racing game that we reviewed back in December that uses an asynchronous online system to allow racing with people all over the world at your leisure. Take your turn, then the game sends that data along to the other players in the race, and when it's time for your turn again a simple push notification lets you know.

It works wonderfully well, and just a few days ago we detailed the past updates for Disc Drivin' which included random online matchmaking in the latest one. Players have also been discussing the game and trading usernames in the game's official thread and the dedicated username swapping thread.

There has always been a fully-featured ad-supported version of Disc Drivin' available, and the ad-free version usually sells for $2.99. If you're one of those people who have been enjoying the ad-supported version but didn't quite feel like ponying up the 3 bucks to upgrade, now's your chance to do so for just 99�. If you haven't yet tried Disc Drivin' then give the free version a spin, and if you like what you see make sure to grab the full version for a dollar before it jumps back up in price after the weekend is over.

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A little less than 20 years ago id Software turned every PC into a gateway to jaw-dropping FPS action with DOOM and DOOM II. These groundbreaking games had Mac owners pretty jealous of all that gory Cacodemon-crushing action. Oh, the Mac did get its ports, but with no low res, high framerate screenmodes, the DOOM experience on the Mac could also be called Tiny Window Carnage. That is, until a little studio called Bungie came along and released their own take on the FPS that took sweet advantage of all those high res pixels on the Mac's display. It was called Marathon, and just about every gamer with a Mac was hooked.

As Wikipedia describes the game's backstory,

Marathon takes place in the year 2794 aboard a large, multi-generational colony spacecraft called the UESC (United Earth Space Council) Marathon. The ship was converted from Deimos, one of Mars' two moons. The plot of the story sets the player as a security officer and focuses around an invasion of the ship and (to a much lesser extent) a colony on the nearby Tau Ceti by hostile extraterrestrials. The plot is primarily revealed through various computer interfaces called terminals, which relay crew logs, maintenance documents, historical accounts, and stories. It is through these terminals as well that the player receives mission information from Leela, the ship's artificial intelligence, as well as Tycho and Durandal, the science and utilities AI in Marathon respectively.

Well, we all know the Bungie story � Microsoft grabbed 'em, and the most promising Mac-focused game studio ended up on…The Other Side. But, not before releasing the Marathon game engine into the open source community. The engine, known as Aleph One, is based on the Marathon 2 source code and allows modern machines (Macs included) to play through those well-loved Bungie classics, with notable enhancements to boot.

In a thread started a few weeks back in our forums, Daniel Blezek ("vidmaster") revealed that he is working to bring an iPad version of Aleph One to the App Store.

Aleph One for the iPad will feature the following:

• All levels from Marathon, Marathon 2: Durandal, and Marathon Infinity
• HD graphics
• Smooth game play experience
• 9 unique weapons, fists, double shotguns, and the devastating SPNKR-X18 rocket launcher!
• Infinite saved games, film recording

The game is currently in beta testing, with a few issues to be worked out before it's ready for release.

The developer indicates that, if Aleph One for the iPad does well in the App Store, he will likely release an iPhone version of the game, as well.

UPDATE: The iPad version of Aleph One may face some difficulties that we've seen discussed in the Pfhorum.com Aleph One forums ("iGuy" = "vidmaster").

First, there is the issue of the distribution of the various Marathon level packs. That is being handled in this app by the download of the actual levels from a remote website on the first launch of the app, which is a technique we've seen used (successfully) in the App Store previously. The second issue is the fact that code under a GPL license is not "compatible" with the rights situation of an app that has been submitted to the App Store. We'll see how this pans out, but suffice it to say there may be rocky shoals ahead for this effort to bring the Marathon trilogy through Aleph One to the App Store.

Just a quick heads up here on a major weekend sale that's underway on the highly popular�Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episodes One [$0.99] and Two [$1.99], both down from $7.99 for 87% and 75% price reductions, respectively. Both titles are also available on XBLA, PSN, and Windows, but these are the lowest prices we've seen for them on any platform.

As described by creators Penny Arcade and Hothead Games,

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness is an RPG-Adventure game set in the comic-book-meets-pulp-horror-meets-H.P. Lovecraft deranged 1920s universe of New Arcadia, delivering mature and compelling entertainment to gamers via accessible episodic delivery. The creative collaboration between Penny Arcade creators Mike 'Gabe' Krahulik and Jerry 'Tycho' Holkins, legendary game designer Ron Gilbert and veteran producers Hothead Games results in a 100% authentic Penny Arcade experience that pushes bizarre characters, outrageous combat, and adult humor to the precipices of darkness.

Players join Gabe and Tycho, the crime-solving team of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, to combat savage enemies and solve mysteries hidden deep in the sinister heart of New Arcadia. The ominous 1920s landscape features distinct artwork and characters designed exclusively by Krahulik and brought to life by the Hothead team.

Gamespot called the adventures well worth the initial XBLA price of $20 USD for any Penny Arcade-loving gamer. Any Mac user who meets that description should find this weekend sale an absolute steal.

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Back in October we reported that, in what will surely be a dream-come-true for a sizable swath of oldschool iOS gamers, Tower Studios and Vivid Games, in association with The Bitmap Brothers, announced that future sports classic Speedball 2 would be making its way to the App Store in the form of Speedball 2: Evolution. We're happy to now be able to add a good bit of detail � along with screenshots and a trailer video � to this excellent news, thanks to a recent release by Tower Games.

The original Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, which was first released for the Atari ST back in 1990, was just awesome. It was a sequel to the original, superb Speedball, that was just better in every way. (Some readers with fewer years of gaming under their belts might be familiar with the 2007 XBLA release of the title.)�Speedball 2: Evolution, as the name might suggest, takes the game even farther, bringing quick-play, league and cup tournaments, a detailed career mode, along with multiplayer support.

"This is the best version of Speedball 2 since the original and the best remake of any classic title available on the App Store," creative director and Tower Games CEO John Hare, who earlier brought us Sensible Soccer, assures us.

"Speedball 2: Evolution is the most comprehensive game in the series, and a real programming masterpiece thanks to the amazing efforts of Vivid Games. To existing fans this is a classic remake, to the new generation this is a fantastic modern game in it's own right. It marks the first arrival of a Bitmap Brothers classic to the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad � expect to see many more classic titles re-mastered and updated by us in the future."

Some of the Speedball 2: Evolution features, as listed by Tower Games:

• 336 individual players
• 22 achievements
• 20 power-ups and pick-ups
• 16 classic Speedball teams
• 12 new intergalactic teams
• 10 season career mode
• 10 single player modes
• 6 arenas on four different planets
• Player transfer market and upgrades

Speedball 2: Evolution will be available in the App Store later this month (price not yet determined). And, this is only the beginning of the retro goodness. Tower Games intends to release a series of remakes of classic Bitmap Brothers games for iOS gamers.

The Bitmap Brothers, in years past, also brought us Xenon II, Gods, The Chaos Engine, Cadaver, and Magic Pockets.

A little less than 20 years ago id Software turned every PC into a gateway to jaw-dropping FPS action with DOOM and DOOM II. These groundbreaking games had Mac owners pretty jealous of all that gory Cacodemon-crushing action. Oh, the Mac did get its ports, but with no low res, high framerate screenmodes, the DOOM experience on the Mac could also be called Tiny Window Carnage. That is, until a little studio called Bungie came along and released their own take on the FPS that took sweet advantage of all those high res pixels on the Mac's display. It was called Marathon, and just about every gamer with a Mac was hooked.

As Wikipedia describes the game's backstory,

Marathon takes place in the year 2794 aboard a large, multi-generational colony spacecraft called the UESC (United Earth Space Council) Marathon. The ship was converted from Deimos, one of Mars' two moons. The plot of the story sets the player as a security officer and focuses around an invasion of the ship and (to a much lesser extent) a colony on the nearby Tau Ceti by hostile extraterrestrials. The plot is primarily revealed through various computer interfaces called terminals, which relay crew logs, maintenance documents, historical accounts, and stories. It is through these terminals as well that the player receives mission information from Leela, the ship's artificial intelligence, as well as Tycho and Durandal, the science and utilities AI in Marathon respectively.

Well, we all know the Bungie story � Microsoft grabbed 'em, and the most promising Mac-focused game studio ended up on…The Other Side. But, not before releasing the Marathon game engine into the open source community. The engine, known as Aleph One, is based on the Marathon 2 source code and allows modern machines (Macs included) to play through those well-loved Bungie classics, with notable enhancements to boot.

In a thread started last month in our forums, Daniel Blezek ("vidmaster") revealed that he is working to bring an iPad version of Aleph One to the App Store.

Aleph One for the iPad will feature the following:

• All levels from Marathon, Marathon 2: Durandal, and Marathon Infinity
• HD graphics
• Smooth game play experience
• 9 unique weapons, fists, double shotguns, and the devastating SPNKR-X18 rocket launcher!
• Infinite saved games, film recording

The game is currently in beta testing, with a few issues to be worked out before it's ready for release.

The developer indicates that, if Aleph One for the iPad does well in the App Store, he will likely release an iPhone version of the game, as well.

Just a quick heads up here on a major weekend sale that's underway on the highly popular�Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episodes One [$0.99] and Two [$1.99], both down from $7.99 for 87% and 75% price reductions, respectively. Both titles are also available on XBLA, PSN, and Windows, but these are the lowest prices we've seen for them on any platform.

As described by creators Penny Arcade and Hothead Games,

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness is an RPG-Adventure game set in the comic-book-meets-pulp-horror-meets-H.P. Lovecraft deranged 1920s universe of New Arcadia, delivering mature and compelling entertainment to gamers via accessible episodic delivery. The creative collaboration between Penny Arcade creators Mike 'Gabe' Krahulik and Jerry 'Tycho' Holkins, legendary game designer Ron Gilbert and veteran producers Hothead Games results in a 100% authentic Penny Arcade experience that pushes bizarre characters, outrageous combat, and adult humor to the precipices of darkness.

Players join Gabe and Tycho, the crime-solving team of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, to combat savage enemies and solve mysteries hidden deep in the sinister heart of New Arcadia. The ominous 1920s landscape features distinct artwork and characters designed exclusively by Krahulik and brought to life by the Hothead team.

Gamespot called the adventures well worth the initial XBLA price of $20 USD for any Penny Arcade-loving gamer. Any Mac user who meets that description should find this weekend sale an absolute steal.

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