Earlier this morning we posted news that Firemint would soon be bringing an update to Real Racing 2 HD [App Store], with support for full-screen 1080p video-out on the iPad 2. This news�got us wondering about the overall situation that the iPad 2 and it's new PowerVR SGX543MP2 graphics processor(s) present to existing games that already utilize TV-out by way of Apple's earlier component and VGA video cables for iOS devices.

I chatted up Keith Shepherd of Imangi, author of Max Adventure [App Store], which has supported TV-out via the aforementioned cables for some time now, to see what he thought the iPad 2's 1080p capability means for existing titles. While he hadn't tested Max on an iPad 2 personally, he felt it likely that the newly supported resolution should be there among those presented to an application by iOS, and therefore presented as an option in his game.

And, he was right.

With an iPad 2 connected to a 1080p HDTV by way of the Apple Digital AV Adapter (the HDMI cable), I fired up Max Adventure to see how it runs on the new hardware. Max, which supported a maximum resolution of 1280�720 on all previous devices, presents the option to run at a full 1920�1080 on the iPad 2. And, when chosen, the game runs beautifully in full 1080p.

I also loaded up MajicJungle's Chopper 2 [App Store], which has supported TV-out since day one, and noted that it runs in full 1080p on the iPad 2, where it, too, was previously limited to 720p.

It's great news that existing apps like these got an automatic upgrade courtesy of Apple and Imagination Technologies.

Since I was caught up in waving around my HDMI cable, I decided to try it out on the iPhone 4 running iOS 4.3, which we already knew supports TV-out via the component and VGA cables. I loaded up Max Adventure and my HDTV lit right up, with full audio and video coming through just fine, but at a maximum resolution of 1280�720 due to limitations of the device's earlier generation graphics chipset. Still, this is great news, as HDMI delivers a nice, clean digital signal while the VGA and component cables provide analog output only (and lack audio information).

Speaking of those older cables, a quick look at Apple's website indicates that the VGA cable will also deliver 1080p video when used with the iPad 2, but that the component cable is limited to a maximum of 576p on recent devices and just 576i on older hardware.

I wish I could explain why I've recently found myself so infatuated with a golf game of all things, since my real-world golf experience is limited to doing poorly on driving ranges… But, I digress. EA just released a gameplay trailer for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, and it looks sweet as heck. We were expecting this game to land next Thursday, and EA just confirmed that date on their end.

Check it out:

Keep in mind the original Tiger Woods PGA Tour [99�] is still just a buck, and it's hard to say if that price will remain the same or not once its successor is released. (Or if the game will even still be sold or not.) So, if you want the old version, or don't particularly care about having the new hotness, don't wait too long on picking it up.

I have some history with other versions of Max and the Magic Marker [$1.99 / HD] . Back in Jan. 2010, I previewed a PC build of the downloadable Wii version. I dug what I saw, though held back on the write-up because the build wasn't native. At the time, it was suggested to me that Max could make it to other platforms. I'm slapping my head now because I didn't even consider a touch-based port.

That was stupid of me. Max and the Magic Marker's core mechanic � the drawing of objects � is a more intimate affair with a touch screen. In more measurable terms, the drawing is more precise and satisfying with a finger. Unfortunately, nothing else about Max translates so well.

In brief, Max is a side-scrolling puzzle / platform game wherein you control a imaginative boy who has just been thrust into a colorful world of his conjuring. The obstacles are the same that you'd see in other joints in the genre � open pits, water, and odd pieces of geometry � but the hook in�Max is that you can construct your own bridges, or stairs, or oddities to circumvent obstructions.

It works a little something like this: you walk up to the lip of a pit, stop, and then draw a thick orange line across the two ends, thus giving you an easy passage. Later in the game the obstacles get more sophisticated. For example, at several points, you'll need to scribble a makeshift skateboard in order to ride across pits of gears. It's harder to do than you think.

And still later on, you'll also have to start paying attention to the game's physics, as weights and counterbalance puzzles start popping up. These are simple, as the game doesn't give you all that much credit. The favorite physics puzzle seems to be the see-saw, which has you drawing thick balls that drop on one side of the see-saw in order to catapult something, or you, on the other side.

I think what's special about all of this is rather obvious: your solutions are flavored by your own choices. You don't have to make a solid line to cross a gap; you could also, to go to the extreme here, draw the Golden Gate Bridge or something � provided you've the ink.

To get the ink required to draw, you need to collect little bubbles in the levels, which are easy enough to find. I should note that levels also have tons of other collectibles and each world of levels has a different, though still as colorful, theme. It's satisfying stuff in terms of level design and palate cleansing.

Where the game lacks is in the virtual controls for the boy. The left and right direction arrows leave a lot to be desired in terms of precision, which is an interesting contrast to how incredibly well the drawing mechanic works. Also, the jumping and the pushing of basic environmental objects are tied to buttons that appear on the right-hand side of the screen, well out of the way of the your hand, making even basic movement a hassle. These control issues are noticeably worse on the iPad, where all of the buttons are absolutely massive and nowhere near ideal for the thumbs of any human.

In general, these faults don't necessarily kill the experience. Max and the Magic Marker is a laid back joint; it doesn't require a lot of split-second decisions, mitigating control issues to some degree. Also, elements and obstacles are pretty well spaced, giving you room to mess up and even struggle with the controls. There's also a pause functionality that allows you to pause the game then draw, which can make things a little more forgiving. But if a seamless and intuitive experience is something you absolutely desire, I recommend grabbing the Wii version of the game instead. It's just easier to use the buttons on the controllers to guide the boy around his world in that specific version.

So, the verdict here is that this is a solid port of an imaginative game that puts a lot of control in your hands. You make the bridge, the make the weight, you make the thing that helps you reach the end point. I should also add that there's a lot of game in this package; there's tons of levels and worlds, so you'll be spending some time with the game. As a whole, I'm digging this version, despite the control struggles � but it might be best to steer away from this one if you demand perfection for your five or so bucks.

Anybody who hasn't been living under a rock for the past month is familiar with Tiny Wings [99�], the little indie game that could from Andreas Illiger that we fell in love with in our review and then went skyrocketing up the charts to the #1 overall paid position. Tiny Wings has since been knocked down to #2 in the US, but it took an entirely brand new Angry Birds game to do it.

Today the first update to Tiny Wings went live in the App Store, and it adds a number of new features and fixes to the game. The big addition is Game Center support to supplement the existing OpenFeint integration. Previously there was just one leaderboard for overall high scores, but 5 new ones have been added for distance, longest fever time, perfect slides, cloud touches, and coins eaten.

There is also a new nest to earn, allowing for a x30 multiplier, and 3 new achievements associated with it. The Scores option on the main menu is replaced with Stats, where you can view all the local scores for the leaderboards as well as a screen showing a stack of every nest you've ever unlocked. Pausing during play will also display all of these same stats for your current game, as well as which island you are currently on. Another new feature is an onscreen counter right above your score display that keeps time of how long you are in fever mode.

Among the many small fixes in this update, there are two big problems from the initial version of Tiny Wings that have thankfully been addressed. The game now no longer crashes when receiving a popup notification, and the ability earn fever mode time while your device is sleeping has been fixed.

The first update to Tiny Wings is a pretty good one, with Game Center support and a new nest being the standout additions. The many other small fixes and tweaks are appreciated as well, making the game a more solid experience overall. Andreas has hinted on his Twitter account that a new mode is in the works for a future update of�Tiny Wings, but isn't spilling any beans on what this mode might be. Until we find out more about the next update, drop by the forums and join the chorus of praise for Tiny Wings, and be sure to grab this current update and check out the new features.

The folks at Firemint have just sent over a brief demonstration video of the next major feature they have cooking for Real Racing 2 HD [$9.99]. Using the video out feature of an iPad 2, Real Racing 2 HD will be able to be displayed on a big screen in full 1080p resolution with the next update. This is a first for any iOS game, as other games have built in video out support but run in the native resolution and aspect ratio of the iPad. Real Racing 2 HD, on the other hand, will run full screen with no black borders and at native 1080p resolution without scaling.

The game is said to run at a solid 30fps in this mode, and real-time telemetry between the iPad screen and TV will allow for no lag while controlling the game with the iPad. This announcement is a big deal as it effectively paves the way for your iOS device playing the part of a home gaming console in addition to a mobile platform. While not quite as powerful as the current crop of gaming consoles, and iPad 2 is capable of some impressive visuals, and the appeal of being able to play the same games on my living room TV that I play while I'm out and about is huge.

Firemint is vague on when this feature will be hitting Real Racing 2 HD, only saying that it will be in the next major update. Real Racing 2 HD is already on of the best games for showing off the power of an iPad 2, and once this update is released you'll be able to show it off in your living room in full screen 1080p.