App Store fads come and go, and I think it's safe to say that the endless runner has been on its way out for a while now. These days it's all endless flying, jumping and swimming. So consider me officially surprised that Temple Run [$0.99], a brand new endless runner by Imangi Studios, has captivated my attention for days.

As we noted in our time with the game at WWDC, part of the appeal is the third-person chase view. Temple Run isn't unique in employing this point of view, but it does add a delightful sense of urgency to the game. You never quite know what will be around the next corner � until it's about to smack you in the face.

Corners are something you see a lot of in Temple Run. The game eschews the more traditional one-button jumping control of most runners for a swiping method that still allows for one-handed play . You can swipe up to jump, down to slide, and left or right to turn. This control setup is risky � it's much easier to mess up a swipe than a tap � but it works. Though the world is randomly generated, the addition of twists, turns and crossroads makes it feel more organic, like more of an adventure.

An Indiana Jones aesthetic extends that sense of adventure even further. You control an explorer who has just claimed an ancient idol. The guardians awaken and prepare to devour you � so you run. In your journey, you'll travel across the remnants of ancient temples, leap over flaming statues and dive beneath the roots of massive trees. A slip up can kill you, but even a couple minor stumbles can give the guardians the chance they need to catch you. It's basically a chase scene that would fit into any Indiana Jones film � though it probably wouldn't end with Indy's gruesome death in that case.

While you're dodging death, you can tilt your device gently to collect coins that appear on either side of the path. You'll collect hundreds each time you set out for a run, and they actually go to a good cause: powerups. There are four powerups to unlock, and each one adds something fun to the game like invisibility or bonus coins. They can each be upgraded to become stronger or more valuable. You can also purchase a resurrection item that you trigger by double tapping on the screen. Once you do, it will save you from your next death.

The coins you earn in-game should be more than enough to purchase powerups and upgrades at a reasonable pace. If you really want to get ahead of the pack on the Game Center leaderboard, you can pay cash for coins � but it isn't remotely necessary.

Any endless runner worth the name will give you high-tension situations and that "one more time" compulsion. But Temple Run is probably the only one that also makes you feel like a daring archaeologist with a penchant for deadly situations. So yeah, it's good. Check it out, and stop by our discussion thread when you do.

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If you've been waiting for Final Fantasy Tactics for the past few months… Tonight is the night. In fact, there's so many awesome games coming tonight that I'm just skipping the normal pleasantries of easing everyone into the game releases via a smart introduction.

Instead, I'll just go over how this works for first timers out there. iOS developers are able to set specific release dates for their games/apps. Since the App Store is a global market with tons of different regions, and time zones exist, that particular date arrives earlier in some corners of the world than it does other. New Zealand due to their proximity to the International Date Line gets first crack at new releases, followed by Asian markets, then European markets before things finally appear in the US App Store at 11:00 PM Eastern.

Arenas, Trial of Valor, $3.99 � Forum Thread � This universal online turn based strategy game has a feature list that has piqued my interest. There's both a PvP and PvE battle system, five types of arenas, ten available races, thousands of unique objects with more on the way, along with hundreds of different spells and creatures. We'll have to see how big of a component the online stuff is, as a $3.99 price tag combined with a (somewhat) obscure online game never seems to be conducive to building a large online pool of players.

Colosseum Heroes, 99� � Forum Thread � These sidescrolling beat 'em ups have been surprisingly popular on the App Store, and Gamevil seems to have nailed the formula very well. Multiple skills to use, along with several playable characters fighting their way through seemingly endless waves of varied bad guys. It looks like there's oodles of things you can customize, with 7 levels of 126 different spells.

Cut The Rope: Experiments, 99� / HD � Forum Thread � ZeptoLab seems to be following in the footsteps of Rovio's Angry Birds Seasons and are going it alone in self publishing this Cut The Rope pseudo-sequel. Anyway, it's safe to say that if you even vaguely enjoyed Cut The Rope, this is a game you need. More of the same with a few new twists is hardly ever a bad thing.

Desert Quest, Free � Forum Thread � I'm not entirely sure I'm sold on the gameplay of this game, but I think the art style is really slick. It's free too, so it seems worth checking out if for no reason other than it has a cool look to it.

Emberwind, 99� / HD � Forum Thread � This game puts you in charge of a gnome fighting off a legion of gremlins. It sounds crazy, and it looks crazy from the above trailer which seems oddly reminiscent of obscure 16-bit era action-centric platformers. We'll see how that all translates to gameplay, and I'm curious to see how the controls work.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of The Lions, $15.99 � Forum Thread � This game hardly needs an introduction. It's Final Fantasy Tactics… Finally on the iPhone after months and months of delays. We're overjoyed it's finally here.

Frankenstein Matchmaker, $1.99 / Lite � Forum Thread � This word game comes with the odd premise of needing you to match various words in order to make Frankenstein some love connections. Hopefully its difficulty level is adult-appropriate, as it seems like it could be a little on the simple side.

Kickin Mama, $1.99 / Universal HD � Forum Thread � If you've found yourself awake at night wondering what would happen if you combined Peggle-like gameplay with kicking babies… Well, here's what happens. This game.

Ninja Fishing, 99� � Forum Thread � Despite a hefty amount of drama with Radical Fishing, Ninja Fishing looks like it could be pretty cool� Especially if they deliver on all the planned updates mentioned in the iTunes description.

Puerto Rico HD for iPad, $7.99 � Forum Thread � This game is based on a board game which I have no experience with but it's apparently won all kinds of international gaming awards. It's rated incredibly highly on boardgamegeek.com, which has a massive amount of information on the game.

Shift 2 Unleashed, $4.99 / HD � Forum Thread � We loved all the previous Need For Speed games for iOS devices that EA has released in the past, so it would stand to reason this one would be just as good. Like most EA franchises, this seems to include tons of incremental improvements and boasts Origin support as well.

Snowball Run, 99� � A simple looking endless running avoidance game, only this time you're running towards the camera instead of away from it… And you play as a yeti.

Super Granny, Free � Forum Thread � The iTunes description is a little vague on how the digging mechanic of this game works, but it sounds a lot like Lode Runner and it looks a lot like Lode Runner. And hey, I remember my grandma liking Lode Runner, so it makes sense in a roundabout way.

Taco Master, 99� / HD � Forum Thread � This time management game puts you in charge of making… Tacos! (If the title wasn't a big enough clue on that for you.) Also, the trailer seems to be voiced by the guy from Zombo.com.

Temple Run, 99� � Forum Thread � We've had our hands on Temple Run a few times in the past, and it's safe to say if you love endless runners this is a game you need to get.

Toss The Ball, Free � Forum Thread � Namco's latest foray into casual gaming involves, as you may have guessed, tossing balls. It's free, and offers different bonuses for coming back every day, but the question is, is tossing balls compelling enough for you to want to?

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Last month we checked out the trailer for an upcoming platformer called Roboto from developer Fenix Fire Games, and thought it looked pretty promising. You play as a hoverboard riding robot who is chasing his female robot crush all across the galaxy, in an effort to win her affection. Gameplay appeared to fall somewhere in between a traditional platformer and a fast-paced endless running game, which seemed like a good combination.

Then last week, Roboto [$2.99] was released in the App Store, and after playing through the game it mostly delivers on all the promise that was expected from the trailer. The visuals and level design are the brightest points of Roboto, but a couple of technical shortcomings and less-than-ideal controls hold it back from true greatness. Fenix Fire is already in the process of addressing these issues though, and with just a small bit of post-release update love Roboto could be one of the finest platformers available on the entire iOS platform.

Right off the bat you'll notice that Roboto is simply stunning visually. The crisp and colorful graphics look fantastic on the Retina Display, and there are loads of little details that give the game a great sense of character. Gameplay is strictly on a 2D plane, but the entire game is rendered in 3D and the usage of the foreground and background give a great sense of depth as you play. Killing an enemy might shoot a gear right into the screen when it explodes, and background elements like huge wrecking balls will swing into the foreground, looking like they might burst right through the screen.

Roboto's moves consist of running left or right, jumping, hovering, and shooting. Holding down the jump button will cause Roboto to hover for a short period, a la Princess Toadstool in Super Mario Bros. 2. Roboto's actions will expend an energy meter at the top of the screen, which can be replenished by collecting various energy pickups spread throughout the levels. If you run out of energy and come across a point where you need to hover over a gap, you're pretty much screwed, so it's best to keep a close eye on your supply and not overuse any of your moves.

The real brilliance of Roboto lies in its level designs. They are each designed to be completed speed run style if you choose, but if you slow down and take your time there are plenty of items to collect or enemies to defeat. At the end of each of the 30 levels in the game, your score is tallied based on completion time, enemies killed, remaining energy, and whether or not you collected each of the 3 gears hidden in the level. This gives Roboto great replay value, as after merely completing a level it can be a nice challenge to go back and try to get 100% for everything and land a huge score. Game Center integration for achievements and leaderboards adds to this as well.

My biggest gripe with Roboto is the absolutely terrible control stick used for moving your character in the game. The stick is seriously temperamental, and sometimes will drop whatever direction you're moving without you even realizing it. This can make the game infinitely frustrating, as you'll literally be hovering over a gap and will suddenly drop right into it due to no fault of your own. I've easily died more times from this one issue than from any enemy or challenge in the game. Luckily, Fenix Fire has posted on their Facebook page that an update will hit soon that adds separate left and right arrows for movement, which I think will be a much better option. But right at this moment, the control issue drives me absolutely bananas.

Another issue worth considering is that for such a graphically intense game, performance has been spotty for some players. It's not really consistent, either, as I've had almost no issues running the game on my iPhone 4, except for very minor stutters when a ton of things happen onscreen at once. Conversely, some members in our forums cannot even play the game at all due to an abysmal frame rate grinding things to a halt or the game simply crashing on them. The developers also mention on their Facebook that performance optimization is coming in an update as well, but again, as of this writing you may or may not have any luck getting the game to run consistently well, or at all.

Roboto has all the makings of a classic platforming game. It's one of the most visually impressive games I've seen in some time, and the gameplay itself is well designed and a lot of fun. If the controls and performance issues can be ironed out sufficiently, then Roboto will fall into the "must have" category of iOS platformers. Right now though, expect to be frustrated with the touchy control stick and potential for some technical hangups that might prevent your from playing the game. If you're on the fence, it might be worth waiting to see how the update resolves these issues.

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As I write this, you could be designing your own Snuggle Truck [$.99 /�HD]�levels in the brand new update to the physics-based driving game. Owlchemy Labs' dropped us an e-letter this morning stating that Apple had blessed the titanic update, and it also revealed that, in celebration, Snuggle Truck will be sold at 30-50 percent off the normal price. For the next 24 hours, you can grab the game on iPhone and iPod for $.99, or on the iPad for $1.99. That's a cool deal! I think!

Just as a light re-cap if you missed our previous coverage, the level editor is a drag-and-drop deal, similar to the one in LittleBigPlanet. Also, like LBP, you'll be able to upload your creators or play, share, and rate other peoples' levels through a new web portal. This update also rolls in a much-needed UI flip, some balance tweaks, and other little fixes.

We've seen a lot of crazy updates in our time, but rare are the ones that change the face of a game. Granted, Snuggle Truck will continue to be a title about cute animals that you need to escort back to the zoo, but now it can also boast a previously unexplored sandbox aspect that really tries to tickle the creation itch. What's next? A built-in text editor?

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Mika Mobile's third-person, side-scrolling shooter Zombieville USA [$1.99] hit the App Store in early 2009. Considering the growth of the App Store and the amount of different handhelds Apple has released since the game's initial launch, I think its safe to call it prehistoric. To put another spin on that: I remember reviewing the game at another outlet as part of a new initiative to cover the budding platform. Wild! But anyway, I'm bringing all this up to pound home the point that Mika Mobile isn't done with the game quite yet despite its relative age. Intriguing, yes?

In a new update, the studio has added fancy retina display graphics, as well as support for "fast app switching," which is another indication of its advanced age. Also, Universal support has been added, ensuring that you'll, from now on, get two copies of the game for the price of one. Zombieville has been 2011-ized, in other words.

I'd imagine all of this work ultimately serves the purpose to promote Zombieville USA 2 and perhaps comfort new fans who might flock to the old title. That's right; Zombieville 2 is a thing that was announced alongside this update and, according to Mika Mobile, it's coming as soon as this 'summer.' Neat!

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On Monday, Gamasutra reported that Rubicon Development, creators of the excellent iOS strategy title Great Little War Game [$2.99/Lite], had posted over on the NeoGAF forums that they received several PlayStation Vita development kits from Sony for free, so that they could port Great Little War Game to that platform.

What's interesting here is not just that an active iOS developer is porting a popular and previously iOS-only game to the Vita, but rather the stance Sony seems to be taking in regards to independent developers. You might also hear them referred to as "garage developers" by Nintendo, and the last time I checked, The Big N wanted nothing to do with these indies making games for their soon-to-be price-reduced 3DS console.

The thing is, independent and smaller scale studios account for some of the biggest success stories on the App Store and are a huge reason that iOS gaming, and even smartphone gaming in general, has surged so drastically in just the past few years. The barrier of entry is so low for Apple's App Store that it allows new or risky ideas to be brought to life by almost anyone, sometimes even just one person working on a project in their down time from the tribulations of daily life.

Of course, with a user base of more than 200 million devices, the big boys have jumped onto the App Store bandwagon too, bringing many popular video game franchises to the touch screen. But by and large, it's the independent developers who are responsible for creating the quirky and original experiences that just wouldn't have been viable under the traditional video game creation model the industry had grown accustomed to.

So, the fact that Sony is embracing this idea and welcoming independent developers to the new Vita platform with open arms (and at least in some cases, free SDKs) is a good sign that the company is recognizing the importance of independent developers and the direction the game industry is heading. Digital distribution is the future, and it offers a significantly more even playing field where the little guys can sit on the virtual shelf right next to the big guys.

It's unclear just how readily available the Vita SDK is to just any old person interested in making a game for the system, and Rubicon notes that their kits are only on loan and must be returned to Sony when the port is complete. But even still, if Sony can create an entry point to the Vita that is similar to the App Store's, then they might be able to create the kind of 3rd party traction that the 3DS has been unable to attain thus far. With the Vita's $250 starting price point and more technical bells and whistles than you can shake a stick at,�it might actually become a real enticing alternative to mobile gamers currently satisfied with their iOS devices for on-the-go gaming.

It will be interesting to see how Sony plays their cards with the Vita and the digital download indie scene, and how it will affect Apple's game (if at all). The Vita seems the most well-poised to give iOS a run for its money, and that sort of competition can only mean good things for all fans of portable gaming.

[Via Gamasutra]

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Just yesterday, we learned that developer Zeptolab had a sequel in the works for their astoundingly popular physics puzzler Cut the Rope [99�/Lite/HD]. Given the huge success of that game, a sequel doesn't come as a surprise at all, but the teaser images did pique our interest as to what changes the developers would be adding to their winning formula. Unfortunately, there really wasn't any solid information to go along with the screens.

Now, TechCrunch has learned straight from Zeptolab themselves some new details on the title, which will be called Cut the Rope: Experiments. The premise this time around is that main character Om Nom arrives on the doorstep of a mad scientist, and like everybody who has played the original game, he wonders just what the heck Om Nom is. So, in order to get to the bottom of things, he begins performing various experiments on Om Nom, which we would presume act as the levels themselves.

TechCrunch has the first trailer for Cut the Rope: Experiments, which is a total teaser and doesn't show any gameplay, but does reveal that�the game is already launching on August 4th, which is basically later tonight here in the US. And indeed, the game is now live in the NZ App Store and early impressions are rolling into our forums. Interestingly, Cut the Rope: Experiments isn't being published by Chillingo as the first game was, and rather it's self-published by ZeptoLab themselves. If you remember, another popular Chillingo published title, Angry Birds, did the same thing with their two follow-up titles. I guess when you become practically a household name, it doesn't make sense to fork over part of your earnings to a publisher.

But more importantly, I'm curious to get my hands on Cut the Rope: Experiments tonight to see how it stacks up to the original, and you can bet we'll be back to let you know what we think of the title.

[Via TechCrunch]

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My first minutes with HypnoBlocks [$0.99] were pathetic, floundering things. I looked at it as a puzzle, with reaching the end of each level as my goal. I didn't make it far, so I tried again. After a few abortive attempts, I reconsidered my approach. Was it about reaching the highest level, or reaching the highest score? That's when everything clicked � this isn't a game about getting the farthest you can, no matter the cost. It's a game about sustaining perfection as long as possible.

Though it looks like one, HypnoBlocks isn't quite a match 3. You are pressed to match colors, but not in lines or patterns. Instead you tap blocks as they form into a rotating cube � it doesn't matter where they are, just that you match them. After a moment, those block disappear. You have a few seconds after that to make another match and build your combo. If you're too slow, your combo fades. If you tap a mismatched block, your combo also fades.

That combo is all that really matters. Not only does it increase the score you earn from each match, but at the end of each level it multiplies the bonus you earn. If you manage to maintain it throughout the entire level but lose it on the last match, you'll lose what may be a ridiculous quantity of points. So perfection is needed, yes. And speed � you also earn bonuses based on the seconds remaining on the clock. Let it run down before reaching the end of the level and you're done, game over, high score noted.

This is made more complicated by the obstacles HypnoBlocks throws in your way. Each block is surrounded on several sides by a dark barrier. In order to see the color of the block beneath, you need to rotate your view around the cube. If you lose sight of the other blocks you wanted to match, you'd best hope your memory is accurate. You'll also need to deal with spikes that plant themselves throughout the cube. Even grazing one will kill your combo.

When all these factors come together, you'll find a fast-paced game with scores that will explode almost exponentially as you improve. Eventually the leaderboards will be dominated by those who can sustain perfection through every level in the hardest difficulty mode, but for now it's still the Wild West out there. You can make a mark just by being particularly good at a handful of levels.

My one wish is for a little more content. There are three difficulty modes, two of which are unlocked while playing, and twelve Game Center achievements. But once you burn through those, there isn't much else to keep you busy when you hit a plateau with your score. This seems like a game that's just begging for more � more achievements, unlockable themes, anything to keep things interesting as you fight for first place on the leaderboards. The game is undeniably fun, but I don't see it having much lasting appeal.

Still, while the experience lasts it's well worth the price of admission. Ambrosia Software has put together an excellent package, with slick graphics, good sound and perfectly precise multi-touch controls. Once it clicks it becomes hypnotically intense, and rather hard to put down. But do put it down long enough to share your thoughts in our discussion thread, okay?

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If you like the RPG genre, you've likely spent lots of time exploring old worlds populated with critters out to get you, unexplored bits of terrain mysteriously populated with treasure chests no one else has gotten to yet, and serious quests (Save the princess! Save the world! Save your mom!). And yet, there's something endlessly appealing about the formula � it's kept us playing for decades, after all.�Nothing wrong with the serious formula, of course, but that's not what you'll get when you go for Quest Runner [$1.99], an cute little action RPG from Trident 3D that goes with cartoon-inspired 2D graphics and humorous writing to tell the story of your adventure to protect the town of Torma and keep its citizens safe and sound.

Quest Runner starts out allowing you to pick your own character and customise it a bit, which feels a little limited when it comes to options. You can only play as a male (boo! Where's the ladies at?), but at least you can choose some cool costumes, and in homage to retro games, you can even wear costumes that you may remember some of your old favorite characters donning back in the day. In fact, the game is peppered with tongue in cheek references to lots of wonderful classic games such as Zelda, Sonic, Prince of Persia and more. The developers wanted you to know that they're loved videogames for a long time, and it shows � it's a little dash of fun that put a smile on my face.

Gameplay is easy enough to navigate. The action is sidescrolling, and there's no directional pad to clutter up your screen, which seems like a good idea but left me feeling as if my fingers were blocking the action more than I'd like. You just tap the direction you want your hero to move in and off he goes. The bottom of the screen offers easy access buttons for your potion supply, basic attack and special attack, all accessible with a single tap, and tiny icons on the top right keep track of your quests and your current status. They did a good job with managing the tiny bit of screen space offered on the iPhone, and there's no excess clutter, making the action easy to enjoy � as long as you don't mind peering around your fingertips a bit.

It won't be long before you make your way into town and realize how many options are at your disposal. Sure, there's the usual merchants and vendors, but what makes Quest Runner really cool is the ability to hire mercenaries to assist you in your quest. These are colorful personalities, and you'll find yourself wanting to try them all out. As the difficulty ramps up, you'll find these guys to be truly helpful to your cause too. You can also get pets to help you, but you'll need to remember to feed them or they won't stick around. Don't be a neglectful hero � feed your four legged friend!

You'll get basic quests from NPCs in town that will guide you along in your adventure, allowing you to explore the terrain as you go and gain levels in the process. Your interactions with these characters remain consistently funny, and you'll find yourself giggling as you complain about the lazy commander who can't be bothered to give you a hand. What a jerk.

Quest Runner is Game Center enabled as well, so you'll be able to get achievements for your gameplay time, which makes it a bit more challenging and gives you some goals to meet. A total of 35 are available, and many focus on killing a quantity of monsters, so you may want to spend some extra time in the field instead of hurrying to your next quest if you want to get them all.

Quest Runner has that great casual feel, so it can be played in bits and pieces whenever you have free time for it, and it's easy to come back to the adventure at anytime. There's a bit of grinding involved, but if you're the type that hates having to spend hours in the field just to be at the right level to buy that one sword, you won't have to cope with that type of thing in Quest Runner.

Overall, it's a fun experience, and players in our forums seem to be enjoying it as well. While it doesn't break any startling new ground in the genre, it executes the humorous action RPG formula very well. If you want to laugh while you play an RPG instead of furrowing your brow and trying to shoulder the weight of the world, this one's for you.

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