Hey, have you heard the one about the dolphin with a laser beam attached to its head who must battle enemies on his way into space in an effort to save the Prime Minister who has been abducted by aliens? Oh, you haven't? Well, neither have I, but that is the awesomely absurd premise in Dingo Games' appropriately titled Laser Dolphin, which appeared on Mac and PC a few years back and is now making its way to iOS. I've had a preview copy of the game for the past few days and have been enjoying it a lot so far, not just for the crazy story but for the solid underwater action and fun variety of modes it contains.

At first blush, Laser Dolphin may look like Ecco the Dolphin with guns, and that description wouldn't be totally far off. The game is presented in a 2D side view with levels filled with corridors to explore. You can also launch above the surface of the water to leap over barriers and gain access to new areas, or even perform tricks in the air. On the most basic levels, Laser Dolphin definitely has a few things in common with Ecco the Dolphin.

The big difference is the various weapons your dolphin can equip that turn him into a one-mammal army. You start with a standard laser which is fired by tapping directly on enemies. You can also hold down on the screen to charge the laser and unleash a much stronger blast. As you progress in the game, you'll come across several other weapons, like homing missiles, a rapid fire gun, and an awesome lightsaber-esque Laser Sword which attaches to the dolphin's head and cuts through enemies like butter while also deflecting incoming fire.

Laser Dolphin will come equipped with a 50 level campaign that takes place across 4 planets as you attempt to rescue the kidnapped Prime Minister. There is also a 10 level Stunt mode where you can earn medals by performing tricks in the air for points within a given time limit. Then there is a 10 level Race mode where you attempt to pass through every ring laid out in a level as quickly as possible in order to earn medals. The Campaign has been a blast to play through, but I was surprised by how much fun the Race and Stunt modes are as well. Game Center will also be included with leaderboards and achievements.

One problem I've always had with Ecco (and especially with the sub-par iOS port), is that it can be a tricky game to control. Laser Dolphin doesn't suffer from this problem, as the virtual control stick works very well for maneuvering your dolphin and tapping enemies to shoot is a breeze to pull off. In fact, the tap-to-shoot might be a bit too easy, and I'd like to see some sort of alternate control scheme where you actually have to aim you shots to add a bit of skill to the combat. A dual-stick method would seem perfect for this, but the default scheme is still totally serviceable.

Besides that small quibble, I've been enjoying my time with Laser Dolphin. Dingo Games will be releasing the game for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad and are hoping to have the games available in early May depending on Apple's approval. We'll take another look at Laser Dolphin when it launches in a couple of weeks, and in the meantime you can download the free demo of the game for Mac or PC for a taste of what's to come.

Adult Swim Games VP Jeff Olsen has said something that's music to my ears, at least. In a recent interview with Joystiq, Olsen made the point that an original IP is often a more profitable game than a branded one. Basically, he believes that branded games like your Fast Five's of the App Store world are more inclusive. "The audience for a casual game based on completely original IP, in my experience, is almost unlimited," Olsen said. "If you're basing it on a show, you're probably shutting more people out than letting them in."

And Adult Swim knows a thing or two about making branded games � before they started making ports based on original Flash-based games or concepts, Adult Swim was licensing out titles based on its cartoon content.�As Joystiq rightly points out, its branded games weren't good, but obviously Adult Swim itself is now capitalizing on unusual and unique in-house IP offerings like one of the greatest games on the planet, Robot Unicorn Attack [$.99].

Awesomely, even more unique stuff is in the pipeline � a very rotund and slidey pipeline, I should add: "We're trying to get to the point where we can release a new mobile game a month," Olsen said. Hell yeah! Although, admittedly, I really want one of those to be Robot Unicorn Attack 2.

[Via Joystiq]

Across Age [$2.99] is one of the few really, really good RPG-adventure game hybrids available on the App Store. It's kind of like Zelda, as it has plenty of musky environments and disheveled tombs with entirely too many moveable blocks, treasure chests, and baubles that open locked doors. The Zelda-like approach to the design is what makes Across Age a standout among the throngs of games, but I think you've got to appreciate the cool time-shifting, real time battle, and party member mechanics. In brief, it's good.

Also, the DX version, Across Age DX [$.99], is now cheaper.

Starting now and for a limited time, you can download Across Age DX for just .99 cents, a big time savings of two bucks. DX, by the way, is a huge improvement over the original the we reviewed � not only does DX boast retina visuals, it also incorporates a much better way to do battle, slicker animations, and a new dungeon. It's a new game, basically, adapted from the old one.

So, yeah, go grab it if you're an RPG nut. We've no clue how long this'll last, so make the choice soon.

Careful watchers of the top charts on the App Store have noticed an interesting trend over the weekend with various apps inexplicably substantially changing position. Previously (and possibly still currently) Apple seemed to use the number of downloads an app had to form both the top free and paid lists. While this method might have made sense originally, gaming these download-only lists has turned into a remarkably profitable enterprise for those that have apps with a large install base which also have a way to push users into downloading other apps.

If you&39;ve played a freemium game lately that offered some kind of benefit for downloading a completely different game, chances are the developer behind the title you&39;re being incentivized into downloading paid the original developer a bucket full of money for that promotion. For both developers it&39;s a win/win situation, one (often) gets a fat stack of cash while the other gets a massive boost in overall charting position along with all the benefits that includes. The issue with this is that clicking a link in your favorite social farming time sink to get more virtual oats for your virtual cows to download another game creates a top-download list that might not be entirely representative of what people are actually even using for anything more than that download bonus.

Google&39;s Android rankings also used to work like this until a recent change that substantially altered the algorithm which resulted in apps like Seesmic [Free] jumping from 39 to 10 while Gowalla [Free] went all the way from 78 to 18. Developers speculated that the cause for these jumps were something referred to as the "sticky factor" which instead of relying only on downloads looks at daily active users, or perhaps factoring in a ratio of daily active users compared to monthly active users. Of course Google hasn&39;t commented on what actually is going on behind the scenes, likely out of fear that this new system will be gamed like the old lists.

Chart courtesy of App Annie!

Apple could potentially to be following suit with a similar algorithm which might explain some recent shifts in the free charts. For instance, Facebook [Free] previously had comfortably floating around the middle of the top 25 for quite some time, and recently shot up to #1. Similarly, Pandora [Free] jumped into the top ten after living in the top 20&39;s for ages. Speculating this has to do with engagement-based charting could make sense, as there wasn&39;t any immediately apparent reason (such as a large influx of new devices from a launch or something similar) for Facebook to see a massive surge in downloads over the weekend. Previously, the amount of downloads needed to even climb single positions in top ten free was incredible, making it even more likely that the top lists as they are now factor in something else.

What that something is is anyone&39;s guess. Apple obviously is notoriously secretive, so it will likely be up to developers analyzing their apps&39; movements on the charts compared to their own analytics inside of those apps. From a gaming perspective, it will be interesting to watch what kind of impact this new charting algorithm has on the freemium market which historically has been heavily influenced by paid installs, incentives, and other tricks to game the charts sending specific games rocketing up the charts. If they are in fact using daily active users to factor in how apps are ranked, developers are going to need to build freemium games that are actually engaging to play which keep people coming back instead of cutting deals with other developers to essentially buy chart positioning.

[via Gigaom]

Get Outta My Galaxy [99�] was released in late March and provided some really great puzzle and action elements with levels that are actually little Super Mario Galaxy-like planetoids. We get more in depth in our review:

Each level, much like Super Mario Galaxy is a unique planet with different kinds of vegetation, obstacles, and more. They're all spherical in shape, and generally are small enough that you never really get lost. Progressing in the game requires clearing a planet of Wikus, which just involves giving them a smack with one of your arms. There's a number of different types of Wikus, and various power-ups as well to mix things up. After you've "dealt with" all of the offending Wikus, you need to make it to a glowing stone of sorts, hit that, and you're off to the next planet.

Also mentioned in the review was that I wasn't really crazy about the game's controls which were all tilt-based and nowhere near sensitive enough which resulted in severely tilting the device to play. Now that it has a virtual joystick, there's no reason not to pick this game up. In addition, the developers are also working on a "big content update" which will "deepen the gaming experience and boost the replay value" along with eventually supporting the iPad. Sounds good to me!

As we discussed last week, and has become commonplace whenever a new holiday rolls around, Rovio has released an update to Angry Birds Seasons [99�/Lite/HD] adding 15 brand new levels themed after the upcoming Easter holiday. In addition, there is a new Easter leaderboard and several new achievements in Game Center, as well as some new golden eggs to discover.

Rovio has also released a new gameplay trailer showcasing the new Easter levels, which are full of brightly colored eggs and pigs clad in bunny ears. Check it out:

This latest update is free for current owners of Angry Birds Seasons and the iPad version Angry Birds Seasons HD, so make sure to grab the latest version to check out the new Easter theme. We're still waiting to hear more about Rovio's planned game save syncing across multiple devices, and we'll let you know when we have more concrete details about that feature.

In the meantime, feel free to speculate on the next holiday update for Angry Birds Seasons. The smart money would most likely be on obvious choices like Cinco de Mayo or Mother's Day, but I'm hoping Rovio doesn't forget about the renowned National Dance Like A Chicken Day on May 14th.

Future game developers, it might be a good idea to make sure the main character in your upcoming game has feathers. Currently in the US App Store, 4 of the 5 overall top paid apps are games featuring some type of bird.�The newest of these titles, and the game that has recently toppled Angry Birds Rio [99�/Lite] at the #1 spot, is Gamevil's Air Penguin [99�].

It's not hard to see why either, as Air Penguin contains all the elements that can make for a successful game. It has adorable graphics, dead simple gameplay, and an engaging scoring system that ensures you'll keep coming back for more.

Global warming has caused the glaciers to break apart into pieces in Antarctica where Air Penguin lives. Your job is to direct him across the scattered pieces of ice in an effort to reunite him with his separated family members.

This portly penguin will bounce high into the air and you control his direction by tilting your device, trying to bounce safely along each chunk of ice. Breaking up all the bouncing gameplay is a turtle which you can land on and control for a quick ride through the ocean, and some segments have you landing on a long sheet of ice and literally skating along while avoiding seals and holes in the ice.

Each of the 100 levels in Story mode have 5 golden fish which can be collected along the way, and these can also be used to purchase special items to help you in your journey. These items include things like making seals smaller and easier to avoid, covering the gaps in the ice while you're skating, or giving you a second chance after you've fallen into the water.�Besides collecting the gold fish to use as currency while you play, you can also get more via IAP if you're running low and need to buy some assistance.

Scoring is cumulative across all the Story mode levels, with an added bonus that grows based on how many levels you complete in succession without dying. There is also a Survival mode which gives you a randomly generated endless level to see how long you can last, and Game Center is integrated to track high scores across both modes and unlock achievements.

I'm not usually a big fan of tilt-only games, but Air Penguin definitely does it right. The tilting is extremely accurate, so it makes completing acrobatic leaps of faith a joy rather than frustrating. The tilt sensitivity can also be adjusted to your liking, and Air Penguin is the perfect game to pop into when you have a few minutes to kill here and there. Of course it's also extremely easy to get sucked in and play for great lengths of time trying to perfect scores and collect every fish, which is another hallmark of a good game.

I can definitely recommend checking out the newest bird-themed sensation to hit the App Store, as I've been having a pretty great time with Air Penguin so far and players in our forums are enjoying it as well.