I've played a lot of brick breakers, and whenever one claims to reinvent the genre I cringe a little bit. Usually it means they've added crazy paddles or rotation mechanics that turn the game into something totally different. All I want is a really awesome modern take on the Breakout formula. Is that so much to ask?

Apparently not, because that's exactly what Anodia [$0.99] gives us. Functionally, it's a standard brick breaker, with one paddle at the bottom, some bricks to break on top, and a ball that bounces between them. The pickups that drop from broken bricks can enhance your game, making your paddle faster, giving you extra balls, and so on. They can also punish you, with handicaps like a stunned or shrunk paddle. All fairly typical stuff. Aesthetically, though, this game is anything but typical.

The "bricks," in this case, can be almost anything. You'll be bouncing your ball at light bulbs, flowers, and beautiful geometric shapes, many of which move and sway with realistic physics. This can lead to some confusion�sometimes you can't really tell how much damage you've done unless you can spare a glance at the brick's health meter at the top of the screen�but it's worth it. Each level is a new surprise to look at and play with.

The main campaign has 48 levels across 8 themes, like "Colors" and "Geometry," and there's a mini-campaign with 5 extra levels. In campaign mode, you're working toward an overall high score for completing all the levels. You start with 5 lives, and you can buy 5 more with 20,000 of your hard-earned points.� Your overall score and best level scores are ranked on Game Center leaderboards. You also get graded with stars on your performance each level, and you can go back to improve your grade in Quick Play mode.

I should mention one powerup that makes Anodia a lot less frustrating than some other brick breakers � the Gravity Field. It's a freebie that you can activate at any time by tapping the screen. Balls will be pulled toward the spot you've tapped, making it much easier to hit the last few bricks in a level. Once you've used it you'll need to let it recharge, but the recharge time goes down as you approach the end of each level. It's a little touch, but it keeps things moving.

You can choose between tilt and touch controls, and they're both fairly good choices�with slight downsides. With touch controls, the paddle feels a bit too slow. It's no faster in tilt mode, but without your finger speeding ahead you won't notice as much. Tilt mode doesn't feel quite as precise as touch, though. You might want to experiment a little to see what feels best.

There's only one serious problem with Anodia: it has no music. Since you can't listen to iPod music while playing, you have the choice of silence or the sound effects alone. There's a toggle for music volume, so I'm hoping to see an update that brings it in eventually. Feel free to chime in with other ideas in the forum thread. I'd also love to see some more color. While Anodia's levels are beautiful, most of them rely on a very muted color palette. Some later levels are filled with color, and it just brings the game to life.

Neither of those things is keeping me from putting a lot of time into Anodia. With star ratings to earn on each level and 32 Game Center achievements, there's plenty to do. As a Universal release with Retina support, Anodia looks lovely on any device. I'm not sure it actually reinvents the brick breaker, but it's certainly an exciting and beautiful example of the genre.

There is no way to beat around the bush, so let's just get this out of the way from the start: Com2uS trademarking "tower defense," for�Tower Defense: Lost Earth [$2.99 / HD] is a little bonkers, like if�Call of Duty was granted a trademark and changed its name to�First Person Shooter. Not only does it peeve off a bunch of developers caught in the legal crossfire, it also gives players incredibly lofty expectations for the final product when it's branded as the "officially trademarked" game of tower defense.

Thankfully, it delivers, albeit through a kitchen sink approach more than an innovative one. This is in fact a tower defense game and you'll get every single tower defense trope you've ever run into. The core campaign takes the preset route approach, where you'll set up your units on a grid and the enemies will take a predestined path. There are, however, seven different challenge stages that offer more variety, including several that utilize freeform defense where you create the enemy paths by obstructing the enemy's movements, like in�Fieldrunners [$2.99 / HD].

You'll have nine different units to choose from, each of which act as you'd expect in a tower defense game and counter the ten different enemy types in different ways. Enemy diversity is limited to slow, fast, and slow then exploding-into-fast-creatures. Killing enemies and shooting at certain environmental structures yield crystals that can be turned into more units. Some of the stages have actual resource-gathering units associated with them, but don't expect it to be a major part of the experience. The limited units and enemy types means each stage has a relatively restricted number of ways to complete it, which is altered slightly based on the difficulty setting you choose.

There are three difficulty settings, each changing the number of enemies, your starting resources or the score awarded. There are also four different game modes, the standard defense mode, a survival mode, a resource gathering mode and an attack mode. The first three are pretty self-explanatory, but the attack mode changes the dynamic of the game in an unusual way. You'll have to defend by setting up towers as you usually would, but you'll also have to expand through the level to get your units close enough to a boss to attack it. At times it's more annoying than it is innovative, as the core game doesn't change and it ends up just adding a layer of grinding.

But for the most part, the game is well balanced and well paced and you probably won't find yourself getting stuck too often. There were a few levels that stumped me where I was wishing there was a help or skip function, but for the most part, if you follow the "rock, paper, scissors" approach to defending against enemies, you'll get through the campaign on the easiest setting with little trouble. As far as strategy is concerned, there are two different ways you can approach a match, either by upgrading your units (you get two upgrades to each unit) or by scattering a ton of units across the map. Upgrading seems to work better in the long term, but your mileage may vary. If you find yourself in a pinch, each level offers you one additional attack with a one-time use. These include gas that slowly drains enemy life, a ship that drops bombs and others.

Perhaps because Com2uS is already in deep water with a lot of players because of the trademarking, it should come as no surprise the game is well executed. Visually, it has the same look as a lot their RPGs, with well-animated sprites, diversity in the environments and a reasonably long campaign. The menus and interface are well laid out and work well on both the iPhone and iPad. Although the game is refined, it's still generic sci-fi nonsense, clearly inspired by the menus of nearly every single PC science fiction game in existence. The sound doesn't live up to the visuals, with comparatively underwhelming enemy and weapon sound effects.

The campaign does feature a story mode, but it reads like pretty much every RTS storyline ever written. You need to expand to save the human race and to do so, you've decided to exploit the resources of an alien planet. The inhabitants aren't too keen on this idea and start attacking your settlements by running at your guns in waves. It's commendable�Tower Defense: Lost Earth tries to add a narrative layer, but the fact you're the invading party, not the defending one makes the story come across as more ridiculous than it already is.

There is leaderboard integration with Game Center as well, but the options are relatively limited. With as much development effort that was clearly dumped into the game, you'd expect to see a bit more stat tracking, trophies or more complex leaderboards. That's only going to matter to some people, but for statistics nerds, the streamlined leaderboards might be a bit of a disappointment.

There is no way around the fact that naming your game after a genre is really not that wise of a decision, but�Tower Defense: Lost Earth does a good job of providing exactly what you'd expect from it. Still, it's hard to shake the feeling the game is missing something � it's a well-executed genre game, but it lacks character. It's not going to fundamentally change what we expect from the genre, it's not going to shift mountains or alter the collective consciousness, but it will give tower defense nuts a deep and nicely packaged experience� And really, what more can you ask for?

Note: Tower Defense: Lost Earth is presently being advertised on this site, but it has no influence on our choice of coverage or the outcome of our reviews. See advertising and editorial policies for additional details.

I'm nearing the point where it's impossible to say something of significance about the Back to the Future series. The third episode, which just released in the US App Store for $6.99, is a definite follow-up to the previous two. It takes no sudden turns. This is still an adventure title with a stellar cast, solid production values, and a casual-leaning curve.

I felt some fatigue with the last release specifically, but I couldn't attribute it to a specific design element. And while I didn't rush to the App Store for Episode 3, I did actually get drawn into the experience this time around. I think the reason for this lies somewhere in the more exciting tone and setting in this one.

I won't spoil the story details, but in Episode 3: "Citizen Brown," you'll be walking around a 1984-ish version of Hill Valley headed by Doc Brown. This far-flung utopian society, I suppose, just appeals to me more than 'classic' Hill Valley, but there's also a lot of fun art and clever ideas being thrown around in this specific entry that weren't present in the last.

I want note, too, that this serial runs a lot better than its brethren from the onset. For the first time ever for a Telltale joint, I didn't need to restart my iPad just to run the game. I also haven't caught a single audio or animation glitch. I've no idea if this is just a clean port or if Telltale did something different, but it runs better.

Like with Episode 2, if you're a fan of the first, you should probably keep following the series. It retains what made the first game good and capitalizes on the fiction in a lot of cool, original ways.

Ah, the thrill of riddling aliens with bullets. It never gets old, ever. Fortunately for us, EA is hip to this universal truth. In an effort to deliver more bullets-against-alien-flesh action in Dead Space [$6.99 / HD], the publisher has just pushed out a brand new update that does just that in a new mode called "Survival." It has also added a fresh pulse rifle with a heavy twist that can be purchased with in-game credits or even via the in-game store.

Survival mode, in a nutshell, is a "Horde" mode that pits you against an "all-out rush" of Necromorphs. It's also a convenient way to collect more in-game credits that can be used for all sorts of stuff in the game, including the brand new "Heavy Pulse Rifle."

This update also adds "Nightmare" difficulty, a fascinating way to play if you're not into regenerating health or dumb enemies. As if that wasn't enough, the update adds chapter select functionality to the game, meaning you can re-live your harrowing experiences as much as you feel necessary.

That's some big deal stuff for an awesome game. If you haven't checked out Dead Space yet, you're crazy. Seriously. Give our review a read and click "buy."

Arcades just aren't what they used to be (with a notable exception or two, of course). But, back in the day, they were wonderful places � the glowing cloud of phosphorescence, that lovely din of beeps and boops from every direction, and rows and rows of stand up cabinets of many shapes and sizes. Of all the cabinets I recall encountering in my youth, one of the most striking was that of Tecmo Bowl, an American football game released in 1987 that was easily the most visually impressive arcade take on the sport of its day. It was a 46-inch, double-wide cabinet that featured two side-by-side monitors sitting back in a dark sort of monitor cavern. The game was played on a side-to-side "widescreen" rendering of a football field across both screens.

Those recalling this well loved game will be happy to hear that Tecmo Koei Games has just released an enhanced iPhone version of the game, called Tecmo Bowl Throwback [App Store].

Those fondly familiar with this classic likely recall the highly popular NES port, which was responsible for most of the game's popularity, given the relative scarcity of the wide cabinet in arcades. Tecmo Bowl has, since, come to the Game Boy, the Wii Virtual Console and, last year, the PS3 and Xbox 360 in the form of Tecmo Bowl Throwback. This iPhone release is actually a port of last year's console remake.

Like all versions of the title, gameplay in Tecmo Bowl Throwback consists of basically picking teams, starting off a game, and choosing plays from a menu that can be customized to some degree. In the arcade and elsewhere this is done with buttons and sticks, but on the iPhone a touch interface that works well has been put in place. It's the same basic drill, however.

Once a play is in motion, you can choose where a player runs or who to pass to with a screen tap. The active defensive player can be chosen with a tap and the act of tackling a player or breaking out of a scuffle is also done with a tap. This approach versus an onscreen D-pad that might've tried to emulate console play was a wise design decision, I feel.

Now, sadly, I am generally not a fan of sports games. I did play the arcade version a few times with friends long ago, and recall it being a good time. Tecmo Bowl, when it was released, was praised for its easy appeal to typical gamers. Spending time with the iPhone version, I can understand where that sentiment was coming from; it's a very approachable title.

The arcade graphics were impressive for their day, while the NES version's were less so. When the title came to the PS3 and Xbox 360 it got a major overhaul featuring a sort of angled perspective 3D playfield. The iPhone version sits somewhere between the original arcade version and last year's console release on the visual front. It's pretty much 2D gameplay with shadowed "3D" players. It looks nice enough, though somewhat retro � a situation magnified by the game's apparent lack of native Retina display support.

Tecmo Bowl Throwback offers a Quick Play mode to get you going in a flash, and also a Season Play mode that offers more depth, variety (30 teams in all) and overall team development. There is an impressive degree of player and team stats available through the menus, with certain customizations available along the way.

Tecmo Bowl Throwback is a solid representation of the original game that stands as a well done, albeit somewhat abbreviated (no online play, for example), version of the recent console release. Those who enjoyed the earlier versions should have a good time with the iPhone release, but I fear that the nearly 25 years of video game evolution that's taken place since Tecmo Bowl hit the arcades will limit the game's appeal to gamers that have no history with the title.

Tecmo Bowl Throwback requires an iPhone 3GS or 3G iPod touch or better. The iPad's full display is not natively supported at this time.

Back in November of 2008, Illusion Labs' Touchgrind [$4.99/HD] was a remarkable display of what was possible on iOS devices. It had fantastic 3D graphics, a great physics system, and excellent multi-touch controls that let you interact with a skateboard in a way unlike any game before it. Now Illusion Labs is back with a new entry in the series called Touchgrind BMX [$4.99] that takes the formula into the world of trick biking.

All of the major traits that made Touchgrind so good carry over to Touchgrind BMX, and it even comes with many welcome improvements. But it's also missing a few features that I would expect in a game like this, and the multi-touch controls come with a steep learning curve much the same way Touchgrind's did. Such is the cost of innovation though, and Touchgrind BMX is definitely innovative. It's also a ton of fun once you get the hang of things, and those who persist in the ways of Touchgrind BMX will be rewarded with a truly unique experience.

Like Touchgrind before it, Touchgrind BMX only requires two fingers to play. One finger controls the handlebars of the bike, and the other controls the frame. Using an assortment of different gestures, you can get your bike to perform just about anything you can think of. The gesture control is really organic, and moves are pulled off just how you'd expect them to be, like flicking the handlebars to spin them around while you're airborne.

A simple 3 part tutorial walks you through everything you need to know about controlling your bike, and it's all incredibly easy to understand. The challenge comes when actually trying to perform tricks in practice. It takes fast reactions and precise finger coordination to pull off the elaborate tricks and combos that will earn you the most points. It took me a few hours to actually feel pretty comfortable and start performing some more complex tricks, but looking at the developer high score challenges I know I still have quite a ways to go. It's a lot of fun though, and improving my skills is what keeps drawing me back into the game.

One major change from the original game is the perspective. Touchgrind was strictly top-down, whereas Touchgrind BMX is more of a third-person perspective. This works beautifully, and really opens up the environments in the game and allows you to actually see where you are going, which is nice because the background visuals are beautiful in Touchgrind BMX and are a huge step up from the sterile skatepark in the first Touchgrind.

The 5 courses in Touchgrind BMX are quite varied from one another, offering an assortment of terrain that runs the gamut from very realistic to borderline fantasy settings. There are some jagged edges in the graphics that could use a dose of anti-aliasing, but by and large Touchgrind BMX is gorgeous to look at and runs at an incredibly smooth frame rate.

Another huge change is rather than having a sandbox environment where you're able to move about freely, the levels in Touchgrind BMX are linear courses with deliberately placed jumps and obstacles. You still have a small range of movement within the width of each track, and you control your forward movement, but you aren't allowed to stray off course and explore or go back to specific obstacles.

I actually think this design decision is for the best, as there is always a defined finish line to work towards and you must learn to maximize the scoring potential of every object in a level before you reach it. It's more goal-oriented in this way, and each level is filled with tasks to complete that will slowly unlock new features, like different bikes, paint jobs, and new levels.

The progression in Touchgrind BMX is balanced really well, and it seems like there's always some new reward or challenge waiting for you. It feels very much like the old Tony Hawk Pro Skater games in this way, which is definitely a good thing. The scoring system is also done really well, with a nice multiplier that rewards you for landing high value tricks, mixing up your variety of tricks, and not bailing. One glaring omission though is Game Center integration to coincide with the in-game achievements and high scores, though I wouldn't be surprised to see that added in the future.

While the linear nature of the game makes for a better overall experience, I definitely think there should be a sandbox level where you're allowed to ride around as you please. Part of the fun of Touchgrind was jumping into a free skate session and experimenting to your heart's content, and this aspect is missing from Touchgrind BMX.

One of the coolest features in Touchgrind BMX is the replay system. After crossing the finish line of any level, you have the ability to watch a replay of your entire run. The game automatically presents the replay from several different camera angles for maximum dramatic effect. You can also choose to save any replay to a list that's accessed from the main menu. From there you can choose to create a video file of that replay and either export it directly to YouTube from within the app or transfer it to your computer by way of the File Sharing option in iTunes when your device is connected. The whole process is simple and works extremely well.

While it's easy to point out some of the minor flaws, it's impossible to ignore just how excellent a game Touchgrind BMX is as a whole. Illusion Labs has taken the concept of multi-touch manipulation of an object to the next level, and has fleshed out a great gaming experience around it. It takes a lot of practice for the controls to click, but that process is also part of the fun. There is many hours worth of content to play through, with new levels already planned for updates, so it should keep you busy for a while.

Players in our forums are definitely loving this one, and whether you were a fan of the first game or you're just interested in a challenging and completely unique type of game, then Touchgrind BMX really delivers.

High score games are a difficult breed of game to talk about because you either get into them and love them, or you don't. If you frequently find yourself obsessing over leaderboards, Jonathan Kreuzer and Khang Le's Arno the Hunter [99�]] is an interesting take on the scrolling-enemy-shooter that offers an appealing world and distinct visual style.

As a premise, Arno the Hunter borrows most of its inspiration from the likes of Space Invaders. Different enemies streak across the sky and you tap to angle shots at them. You get around by tilting your device left and right. It takes a little while to get used to, but it works well-enough once you do. Some, myself included, would have probably preferred touch controls, but since you're only working on a horizontal plane, it's not too hard to get the hang of it.

There are currently only three base levels you'll be fighting on, but each one offers a variety of enemies and bosses. As you pass each wave of enemies you'll get a massive boss that has several weak points highlighted visually. Kill a boss and you'll be treated with a slew of power-ups and a new wave of enemies.

There are five different weapons you'll be outfitted with to help you rank up your high score. These come in the form of Contra-style weapons: a spread-shot, boomerang, giant bomb and others. While it might seem like the biggest weapon is always the best, each serves a purpose during certain segments more than others.

Traditionally speaking, high-score games aren't about much more than getting higher and higher scores on each play through, but the visuals of Arno the Hunter are what set is apart the most. Someone in the forums already pointed out the game evokes the feel of Roger Dean's artwork from early Yes albums, but it also bears a slight resemblance to the Oddworld series of games. That's not to say the art's derivative, because it's not � but the style is certainly in the same vein. That's a good thing, because the tripped-out, lush alien landscape is surprisingly underused in games.

There's a close attention to detail in its execution too, the parallax scrolling of the background artwork gives you a clear sense of movement even though you're restricted to a small portion of the screen. The backgrounds move and animate too, which might make you wish this was a little more than a high-score game because you'll likely want to jump into the background and start exploring. For their part, the enemies all look great as well, clearly torn from the same cloth as the backgrounds. That's especially true with the massive bosses, one of which looks something like what I'd imagine an elephant crossed with a mosquito would look like.

There are trophies and online leaderboards built into the game, but if you like to face off against friends more than strangers, you'll be a bit disappointed by the lack of Game Center support. Still, it's a well-visualized game that's a ton of fun with a skill curve that will keep you playing for ages.