Fuzzy Professor Head's Puppysaurus [$3.99] isn't the Pokemon clone that we expected it would be when our all-seeing eye initially caught it earlier this summer. Inarguably, it cribs a lot from Game Freak's overly formulaic and mega popular franchise, but it also packs a few important twists � namely within the barrier of entry � that gives it some measure of distance. Because of the anticipation surrounding it we thought it would be wise to go ahead and give you a run-down and, sadly, tell you why it isn't for you.

The short version is that it's�Baby's First Pokemon, a very rudimentary take on the series with spectacularly base mechanics and systems seemingly designed for kids. The long version is that it takes just about everything important to Pokemon � the world navigation, the battle system, the training, and the catching of beasts � and simplifies it to a point where it's hard to stomach as a grown-butt dude, but might end up being perfect for little ones looking for a light sort of RPG immersion.

I think there's a slight chance I could be reading Puppysaurus completely wrong, and it could somehow be a game targeted for adults who dig Game Freak's titles. My reservations, though, stem from its overly cutesy art direction and visuals, its overly produced introduction of mechanics and systems, its desire to get parents involved in the play, and its total lack of aggression.

This is a game where you "play" with other beasts in order to catch them, stand on little white sparks to engage in fights, and "bop" and "bark" your way through battle, even though the character lead, Puppysaurus, could obviously rip the head off and spit down the neck of anything rotund and furry that stands in its way. It's a very measured, methodical experience with obvious area level caps, super simplistic navigation, and a fairly linear progression.

Where it departs is within the dialogue, and I guess to some extent, how far down the collection rabbit hole you want to go. NPCs are outrageous in that knowing Saturday morning cartoon nod-at-the-parents sort of way, and it does, I'd imagine, take some level of skill to really get a handle on catching some monsters. New monsters, according to the app's description, will be added every day, too, which is something you don't see from Pokemon. Also, you can draw your own monsters (called "Twees") with an out-of-app drawing program.

Upon playing, you'll immediately get the feel that this isn't a game meant for you. It's a game targeted at youngsters, and even though Pokemon appeals to millions of kids around the world in addition to adults, the series still packs a punch for its older crowd � its systems, mechanics, and world have a satisfying level of depth and complexity, whereas�Puppysaurus doesn't appear to.

Is it uncomfortably close to its inspiration? Yes. Could you argue that this is a rip-off or a clone? Probably. But it's obviously not a game that everyone can enjoy, which, again, gives it a measure of distance from the Pokemon franchise, for better or worse. We were really revved for this back in May, but we can't really get behind this just now. If you have kids, however, this might just do the trick.

Forever Drive, Supermono Studio's insane-ambitious racing game where you, pals, and total e-strangers will compose and create the game's uber-highway, is still coming "soon." No hard date has been set, in other words, but while the studio crunches, it's been churning out a beauty of a teaser trailer that I think does an awesome job in expressing the game's core mechanics and fleshes out what sets it apart from other top-down racers.

In brief, this is Supermono's attempt to shake-up the racing model. Most racing games give you an assortment of well-designed, though never-changing tracks to compete on. Forever Drive will attempt to always provide something new via the sorcery of user creation. Basically, you'll be charged with constructing pieces of tracks with others that'll be combined into one huge highway. It's a cool idea.

Will this work out? I dunno, man! But I guess that's what makes following this game so fun. It looks great and has a ton of promise. Definitely stay tuned to us as we follow it.

The previous two episodes of Agharta Studio's conceptually brilliant and artistically gifted adventure game series, 1112, are now on sale. For what appears to be a limited time, you can grab the regular and HD versions of Episode 01 for $0. The regular and HD versions of the second episode, Episode 02, are available for $.99. This price-slashing maneuver comes on the heels of Episode 03's release earlier this summer.

• 1112 Episode 01 � $4.99 ? Free
• 1112 Episode 01 HD � $7.99 ? Free
• 1112 Episode 02 � $4.99 ? $.99
• 1112 Episode 02 HD � $7.99 ? $.99

While the earlier games initially had some weird issues due to localization, we've always been pretty impressed by what it tries to do, how it goes about weaving its story, and the super snazzy art direction. Our review for the third episode is still coming, but take a look at this trailer to see if its up your alley:

It took around a year for Agharta to refine and develop the third entry and it shows: the campaign is much longer than the previous two games and the title incorporates multi-touch puzzles, as well as a new soundtrack. If you've missed out on previous episodes obviously now would be a great time to dive in. You've got nothing to lose when it comes to the first episode, at least.

When I first saw the banner for Brick People, one of three upcoming titles that Sega was demoing yesterday in San Francisco, it seemed somewhat familiar but I couldn't quite place why. It wasn't until they showed a video of people playing the arcade version that I remembered, "Oh yeah, I've seen that crazy thing before!"

In the arcade version of Brick People, there were actual physical bricks that you used to play the game. They were similar to oversized Legos that you could stack onto a small ledge that jutted out at the base of the game screen. The tiny characters in Brick People would then be able to jump onto the bricks that you had built to reach fruit floating in the sky.

Brick People in the arcades was definitely kind of odd, but also a pretty clever idea. Now, Sega is bringing the game to iOS, though obviously without the physical bricks of the original. That's probably for the best, actually, since lugging around a tote bag full of oversized foam bricks really hampers the portability of iOS devices.

The virtual brick approach actually works quite well, especially on the large screen of the iPad. Brick People is a dead simple game at its core, but contains a ton of underlying strategy and challenge. It's probably best explained by one of Sega's reps in this brief hands-on video:

One interesting aspect to the iOS version of Brick People will be the multiplayer modes. You can connect locally over Bluetooth or WiFi to compete with a friend to see who can complete a level faster. On the iPad, there will be a same-device multiplayer mode as well, and this was the mode I was able to check out at yesterday's event to compete with some of my fellow game journalists.

I use the word "compete" extremely loosely, as I lost 6 times in a row and never won even a single game. The important takeaway from that, though, was that the frantic gameplay style of Brick People was still extremely fun face to face with another live person even when on the losing end. Also, I need lots of practice.

I came away really impressed with just how much fun Brick People is, even without real physical bricks to play with. The simple, fast-paced gameplay is perfectly suited for mobile, and there should be plenty of content to play through when the game ships this Fall. By that time, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to win at least one multiplayer match. Time will tell.

At a San Francisco preview event yesterday, Sega announced that they would be bringing their classic fishing franchise Sega Bass Fishing to iOS this Fall. Sega Bass Fishing originally launched in arcades back in 1998, but most people will likely remember it from its days as a Dreamcast launch title complete with wacky fishing rod-shaped controller. Since then, it's been rereleased in various forms over the years, and � perhaps most appropriately � as a Wii title using the motion controlled Wiimote.

The iOS version will be based on the 2009 arcade game Sega Bass Fishing Challenge, which was an updated version of the original, hence the "Challenge" in the title. The game is still at an incredibly early state, though it's looking really nice so far. As with most fishing games, you'll be able to cruise around the waters in your boat in various worldly locations, cast your line, and hope to entice a huge fish to take a bite. You control your boat from a third-person perspective, but once your line has been cast, things switch to an underwater view.

Here is where you can get up close and personal with your future prize catch while you orchestrate a careful balance of reeling the bugger in without snapping your line or letting him off the hook. The underwater view really showcases the impressive visuals in Sega Bass Fishing Challenge, with detailed fish models that swim, wriggle, and fight you in a very realistic manner.

The build we were shown today worked well with onscreen virtual controls, but the final release version of Sega Bass Fishing Challenge will incorporate the motion control capabilities of iOS devices, similar to using the fishing rod controller of the Dreamcast original. These motion controls weren't implemented just yet, but I'd imagine they'll work equally as well as other iOS titles that have utilized them like Flick Fishing [99�/Free] or Fishing Kings [$4.99/Free], and add another level of immersion to your virtual fishing endeavors.

Sega Bass Fishing Challenge is vaguely set for release sometime this Fall, and we expect to have more information on the title in the coming weeks. Based on what I've seen so far, if your were a fan of the original, or just a fan of fishing games in general, you should be in for a treat when the game hits the App Store later this year.