Back in March we posted an exclusive hands-on with a pre-beta version of the Universal title�Battle Squadron ONE, an iOS port of Cope-Com's excellent Amiga vertical-scrolling space shooter Battle Squadron. Even in its relatively early state, the game was playing just great on the iPhone and iPad. We're happy to report that Martin Pedersen and Torben Larsen of Cope-Com have recently shared a close-to-final beta of the game with me to put through its paces. And I definitely like what I'm seeing, here.

The biggest difference between the two pre-release versions we've been given is the controls. The earlier, pre-beta version they provided us with offered both swipe and tilt controls. This new release features entirely revamped swipe controls (at two sensitivities), as well as tilt (also at two sensitivities), and an onscreen D-pad. I'll say right off that the last is the weakest. The best control scheme � by far � is the more sensitive swipe control scheme which breaks the shackles tying it to the Amiga ship movement speed and lets you zip your craft around the screen like nobody's business. This method would absolutely make the game too easy at the Amiga difficulty level but, happily, there are three difficulty settings to choose from. Jacking the difficulty to the roof and going with the sensitive, fast swipe is absolutely the way to play this game on an iOS device.

As a retro enthusiast I'm pleased that the graphics from the Amiga version were maintained. They're so faithful, in fact, that one might think it's an extended emulation title � but it's not. The iOS version is a line-by-line C/C++ adaptation of the original Amiga 68000 assembly code. Impressive.

According to the guys at Cope-Com, the only thing left to add before release is Game Center integration. And, based on the gameplay I'm seeing in this near-launch beta, that's just fine with me.

Battle Squadron ONE will be followed up by Battle Squadron TWO which offers a two-player, cooperative game mode for those with friends. Battle Squadron TWO will be free for those who purchased the initial release.

We'll give the heads-up when this lands in the App Store. Stay tuned.

In case you're not a dice person, a "Hard Eight" is a roll in craps. It's two fours � they add up to eight, and the matched pair makes them hard. Games on the Down Low has taken that single roll and built a fun new drop/match game out of it. Your goal in Hard8 [$0.99] is to drop dice on a play field and make matches that add up to eight. Soft Eights clear themselves, Hard Eights clear everything around them.

The developer describes Hard8 as "Drop7 on steroids," and I'd say that hits pretty close to the mark. Both games ask you to employ some basic number skills to create matches. Both also use a field that climbs toward the top of the screen. But Hard8 adds a few bells and whistles that take it to the next level.

Take Hard8's three game modes. Two will be familiar to Drop7 players. In Challenge mode, you make as many matches as you can until one of your dice hits the top of the screen. Tournament mode is like Drop7's Sequence mode � the same as Challenge, but your drops always follow the same pattern. This lets you compete for high scores knowing that your competition isn't just luckier than you.

On top of that formula Games on the Down Low added Puzzle mode, which includes 14 levels with pre-designed fields. You have to use a lot more strategy to deal with them, because you might be starting with half your screen pre-filled. You'll need to collect all the diamonds in the level to win, and most of them start below the field of play. Hard8 also scatters a few powerups in as rewards for good combos.

All of this is rounded out with a huge collection of leaderboards. Each mode and each puzzle has its own leaderboards, with daily, weekly and all time scoring. Puzzle scores are a bit weird � you can keep earning a higher score by refusing to drop a dice on the last diamond for as long as possible. But generally, the competition is fierce. Hard8 also has 20 Game Center achievements to earn that reward both skillful and persistent play.

I'm pretty hooked on this game, and I haven't encountered much that gets in the way of my fun. The game can be a bit laggy when you launch it, though most people report that it clears up quickly. Hard8's casino theme is a touch too true-to-life. The visuals are a kind of garish and the music gets grating after a while. Apparently Games on the Down Low has already submitted an update to let us listen to iPod music instead, so that should help. They're active in the Hard8 thread on our forums, too.

If you like dice games, drop/match games or high-score competitions, I'm not sure how you've made it this far without hitting that "BUY" button. Are you holding out for an iPad version? Apparently one is in the works. Otherwise, Hard8 isn't much of a gamble.

Dinosaurs still breathe. In our neck of the woods, dinosaurs are the fixture studios that once built great games and franchises. Some like Midway Games have died hard in the recent past, while others like Trilobyte Games and Cyan Worlds staunchly continue to produce. These latter two studios are rolling differently though. Instead of gripping onto the markets they've lost, they're investing in the App Store.

But, in the current climate, is it even possible for these older guys to fit in, no less survive?

For Cyan Worlds specifically, it's hard to say � at least, if Bug Chucker [$.99], it's latest game, is considered as a valid stargazing device.�And, really, why couldn't it be used as a makeshift crystal ball? It's certainly not a good game, so there's little point in using it as an entertainment product.

Bug Chucker seeks to capitalize on the millions of fans of "fling" games like Angry Birds [.99 / Free] and the legions of imitators. In Bug Chucker, you control a pipe that spits bugs into space. In each level, the goal is to spit a bug directly into the mechanical maw of a metal sphere.

Boxes and other out-of-place blockades are deterrents, so you'll spend most of your time clearing these obstructions with your supply of extra bugs. In addition to this, you'll also be fiddling with a physics engine that focuses on gravity. Masses have their own fields of effect, so often the game is about shooting around objects as opposed to towards them.

It's an alright idea as far as App Store games go, but the execution is poor and the direction overall even poorer. I think a solid touchstone for the overall woes that plague Bug Chucker is the mishmash art direction. This is a game about Earth bugs in space being fired out of a copper catapult attached to a ship with a tree the size of stars in the hull. Nothing matches, nothing feels right, and nothing jives with the other.

In a way, Bug Chucker also suffers from the same direction problems most were able to overcome with the original Myst. Experimentation was as vital in that as it is in Bug Chucker and the senselessness of testing is every bit as grating. You're never sure if what you're doing is right.

End of the day, I look at Bug Chucker as an interactive checklist. It's an attempt by Cyan Worlds to do a low cost game that has all the elements of a modern Angry Birds clone. It has mascots, a bad bit of senseless narrative, a catapult, physics-based puzzles, clear goals, a lot of levels that don't fit together, and costs next to nothing.

But the thing that bothers me other than the overall quality, is that Cyan Worlds is capable of better. I'm not entrenched in the camp that believes Myst and its sequels were the greatest bits of interactive fiction to ever touch a store shelf, but Bug Chucker is easily one of its worst products to date. It makes you wonder if Bug Chucker is just the end result of Cyan Worlds trying to fit in � its attempt to try and stay relevant with the new crowd of platform owners.

I'd imagine the rock bottom prices are App Store games isn't aiding in development matters. Cyan Worlds hasn't been in business for this long because it's stupid with its money. It takes lost of sells of low-cost games to merely break even on development costs, so why spend significant coin on a game in the first place if it's probably going to fail in a store packed full of other, more promising one-dollar games? That's the tack, I think, that it's taking with Bug Chucker � and it shows.

On another note, I'm not sure if Cyan Worlds can go backwards and �continue to leverage�Myst in its traditional context. In addition to expecting games to be cheap and light, App Store consumers also want games to be fast and simple.�Myst was a slow-walking, complex beast. Cyan Worlds was built to create these kinds of complex games and not the throwaway titles it's doing now. It'll be… interesting to see if this studio will be able to continue to compete without a total change of guard.

I don't think many people are privy to what exactly Midway's long term plans were, but it was also once an aging house like Cyan Worlds that was attempting to fit in to a market that evolved beyond its stable of IP and abilities to innovate in a flooded market. Midway's third-person gambling game�This Is Vegas was certainly no good, and �Midway's closure proved that it couldn't leverage its old properties in a meaningful way on consoles. Other studios, unfortunately, have leveraged its properties correctly post-bankruptcy and mass IP sell-off.

That's not to say Cyan Worlds is digging a hole for itself, but this is an old studio with a great past to be proud of. It might be a dinosaur, but if it can somehow capture the indie game spirit that dominates the App Store, there's a chance it'll thrive in this new environment. I'm not sure that it will, though, if�Bug Chucker is a good indication of such matters.

Grab your whet stone app and find a virtual squire � you'll need them, no doubt, to best the hordes of Infinity Blade [$5.99] slaves waiting for this bit of news. On this Thursday, May 19, the oft-promised competitive multiplayer update to Infinity Blade goes live alongside some new, though traditional content additions all for the generous price of $0.

The competitive online component has been dubbed "Infinity Blade: Arena," but aside from its monster-versus-dude twist, point, usage of Game Center, and its titling, we still know almost next to nothing about it.

No worries if you can find the time to spare this afternoon, though. Game creator Chair Entertainment will be doing a special Facebook Q&A session this afternoon at 4:30 EST to answer these lingering pre-launch questions.

Back to those other content additions I mentioned: in addition to "Arena," this content update will see the release of "two dozen" new rings, swords, shields, and helmets, as well as Facebook integration, and new achievements. Also, Chair will be dropping in a new Boss Rush mode called "Survivor Mode," that'll have you fighting against Titan after Titan in an attempt to get a high score. Oh, and holiday helms! Everyone loves those.

That's one hell of a free content drop for any kind of game, right? I can't wait to hack you dudes up this Thursday.

Over the years there have been tons of sports games released on the App Store, and as time goes on, each release seems to get better and better as developers refine their offerings. First Touch Soccer [99�] follows this trend beautifully, with some great AI, awesome graphics, fantastic controls, and even online multiplayer.�Released by X2 Games, First Touch Soccer is a continuation of the X2 Soccer series released in 2009 and 2010, which we had a great time with in previous years.

One of my favorite things about First Touch Soccer is how smooth the controls are.�X2 Games has really refined their virtual controls, and every function in the game is easily accomplished using a set of three buttons and a virtual joystick. Switching between players is incredibly easy, and through screen tapping you can perform a variety of different maneuvers.

Games are fast paced and can be very challenging at times due to the new opponent AI. This new AI is not only among the best I've seen in a sports game, but at time, actually feels like you're playing against a human opponent. Thankfully, the AI that controls your teammates is also improved, which not only helps to even the odds, but also can result in some incredibly satisfying goals. Your teammates even go as far as to get in proper passing positions while maintaining proper field position. This makes the game feel like you're actually playing with a team instead of just cycling through available players to control like way too many sports games.

Since the AI is a force to be reckoned with, you might want to spend some time in the game's extensive practice mode. You'll be able to hone all your shots which not only will help you in single player, but is practically required to do well in the online multiplayer mode against actual real opponents. Matches are made via Game Center, and so far it seems like there's a decent online playerbase as I haven't had any difficulty finding people to play with. Games are smooth,and I've rarely encountered even minimal lag.

First Touch Soccer has tons of content. There are over 250 club teams, 30 competitions, and 7 different game modes. My favorite game mode is "Dream Team" mode where you play games to win coins which are then used to hire all of your favorite players to create a legendary team. You can even customize your team's uniforms along with practically everything else you'd ever want to tweak.

The graphics in First Touch Soccer are amazing. Character models are great, and the in-game camera does a great job of focusing on all of the action without ever getting in the way. There's even a full instant replay system that gives you complete control of the camera and even allows for YouTube uploads within the game. It's really cool, and perfect for bragging about insane plays you made during a game.

At this point in the life cycle of the App Store there are a ton of different soccer games available, but First Touch Soccer is both the latest and greatest. Even if you've got an existing favorite soccer game, First Touch Soccer is worth downloading because of the improved AI alone. It makes playing the game feel like actually playing a real game of soccer, with real players, which is an incredible achievement for a mobile game. Online multiplayer is the proverbial cherry on top of numerous other great features, making First Touch Soccer an effortless recommendation.

It's been so long since we've heard anything about Square Enix's iOS port of the PlayStation classic Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions that I was starting to wonder if they really did announce it back at E3 2010 or if I merely dreamt the whole thing up.

The last news we officially heard about the game was back in December when Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy Tactics, which had missed its intended September 15th release, was now slated for a much more vague "Spring 2011" date. Seeing as the end of Spring is fast approaching and there's been no updates on the title's progress, some have started to wonder whether the release of this highly anticipated title would slip once again.

Today Square Enix has finally broken their silence and announced on their Facebook page that yes, Final Fantasy Tactics likely won't be making its Spring debut as promised, but instead will be released shortly after in "late June to mid-July".

I guess if you're the ultimate optimist, it conceivably still could make Spring if it somehow hits on the very last day, June 21st, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Still, having a clearer idea of when the game will launch is appreciated. Plus, Square Enix have released a new batch of screens, which I'll go ahead and let you check out for yourself:

Another interesting tidbit that Square Enix has shared is that the game will be getting an iPad native release, and that one of their artists is actually redrawing much of the art in 1024�768 resolution so that it looks nice and sharp on the screen of the iPad.

Because of this extra work, you can expect the iPad version to launch sometime after the iPhone/iPod touch version. No word on if the artwork that is being redrawn in high resolution will also make its way to the smaller screen in the form of Retina Display support, though I would certainly hope so.

Mark your calendars and clear some free time in the "late June to mid-July" window for the long-awaited release of Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, and drop by the massive thread in our forums to share in the anticipation with your fellow gamers.

Originally starting life as a PSP Mini, Flying Hamster from developer The Game Atelier made its way to iOS this past January. A horizontally scrolling shooter, Flying Hamster's gameplay harkened back to shooters of days past, with an unforgiving difficulty and strict arcade-style level structure. The old-school design offered no mid-level checkpoints, and losing all of your lives meant starting all the way over at the beginning.

That's not a bad thing at all though, especially if you like classic shmups, but it's not everybody's cup of tea. Aside from the gameplay, the strongest aspect of Flying Hamster was its adorable style and fantastic sound and visuals, which we noted in our original review. There's almost no end to the zaniness of the enemies, environments, and weaponry in Flying Hamster, and it really is a sight to behold. There's just something fun about playing this game that brings a smile to my face very time.

Now you can check out Flying Hamster for yourself for absolutely nothing for a limited time. Shortly after the iPhone release in January, an iPad native version was released, and that's free right now as well. In fact, the iPad version actually tempered the difficulty somewhat by virtue of showing more of the playing area thanks to its larger screen.

Chances are if you even remotely enjoyed watching the above trailer, then you'll get a huge kick out of playing Flying Hamster. It isn't the best shmup on the App Store, but it's certainly one of the wackiest. Definitely give Flying Hamster a try while you're able to grab it for free.

We've been pretty excited for the release of Casey's Contraptions ever since we posted the first trailer a couple of weeks ago. This colorful physics puzzler has you building up machines in order to collect lost items for young Casey across over 70 levels in the game. You can then take these collected items and use them in a level editor to create your own puzzles, sending them to friends via email for them to solve.

Another intriguing aspect to Casey's Contraptions is the ability to share solution replays for each of the levels with friends on Game Center. Yesterday, the developers behind Casey's Contraptions, Snappy Touch and Mystery Coconut Games, posted some new screens and information in our forums on how this system works (click any image below to enlarge).

This screenshot on the left shows one of the early levels in the game, where you must get down a soccer ball that is trapped on top of some pipes. Upon completing the level, you're show the screen on the right, which tells you how many stars you earned on that level. Along the bottom of this screen are the 3 most recent solutions that your Game Center friends have shared, and clicking on one will allow you to see their final setup or even replay the level so you can see exactly how it worked.

You'll notice that among the choices of replays there is one that has a Casey icon in the corner. Casey himself will actually be a friend to everyone in the game, and he wants to share his solutions to levels with you too. The screen above on the left is one of Casey's solutions for earning 3 stars on that level. The way Casey goes about solving levels is often very direct with no frills, but the beauty of Casey's Contraptions is that there are many ways to solve every level. The screen on the right shows the solution to the same level, once again earning 3 stars, but using a completely different tactic.

The ability to share solutions like this sounds like one of the most appealing aspects to Casey's Contraptions. With the somewhat open-ended ability to create solutions to each level, I can see it being incredibly fun sharing a particularly crazy or elaborate solution for all your friends to see, and challenging them to try and one up it. Besides showing the 3 most recent friend solutions after completing a level, you can also expand this and see both your own solutions for that particular level plus all the shared solutions from your entire Game Center friends list.

Casey's Contraptions is scheduled to launch this Thursday (or rather, Wednesday night in the US) for the iPad at a price of $2.99. An iPhone version is in the works as well, though no date is set for that at this time. You can drop by the upcoming thread in our forums for discussion of the game, and we'll have a full review of Casey's Contraptions when it launches later this week.