Fresh off the heels of releases on XBLA and PC, Robot Entertainment is turning to iOS for its next release. Earlier this afternoon, Robot announced Hero Academy, a "head-to-head tactics" game that has you, and hopefully a pal, moving fantasy characters primed with spells, stabby things, and countermeasures across a virtual board in an attempt to destroy each other's home base crystals.

Hero Academy's core play will be asynchronous like, say, Words With Friends, and launch with all sorts of fun features, including Push notifications, in-game chat, and down the road, IAP options for "heroic teams, avatars, and add-ons." Oh! It also looks cute, too.

Generally speaking, most people are pretty pleased with Robot Entertainment's Orcs Must Die and Age of Empires Online, so we're pretty stoked to see what it has up its sleeves for us. The wait won't be too long, either: Hero Academy is set for a "winter" release.

Jurassic Park: The Game 1 HD [$6.99] is a mixed bag. On one hand, it's a technically messy and poorly optimized iPad 2 exclusive. It stutters and drops frames so consistently that it becomes nearly impossible to enjoy, no less play. And even when you're willing to forgive this fairly fundamental flaw, the roller-coaster-y placement of its sluggish and mundane puzzles has a habit of obliterating the tension it succeeds in building. But on the other hand, this is a Telltale production. The characters, which are newcomers to the universe, are handled with care and written as if they were, actually, people; the story is laced with excitement and drama conveyed with a palpable reverence for the source material; and when the game is actually clicking, the tension and the pull of its beats are enormous.

The story takes place in Jurassic Park sans electrical fences -- basically, right after Dr. Hammond, Malcolm and the rest of the crew bail on Isla Nublar and its new occupying force, dinosaurs. You'll be following a new cast of characters, including a well-equipped ... contractor lady sent in to assist Nedry with his capture of the dinosaur embryos, a veterinarian, and the vet's daughter, who obviously has some issues with her family life.

Probably the coolest thing about the game is how hard the world hits you in the jaw. It is the place you remember from the movie, right down to the signs, Jeeps, and specific audio. I also love the fan service Telltale throws in; the Mr. DNA callback in the middle of a T-Rex fight is probably the most awesomely absurd of the bunch, but you'll also hear talk of Muldoon and Hammond from a new perspective.

This isn't your typical Telltale adventure game, by the way. It's much more focused on cinematics than usual and you never directly control the people the story is focusing on. The puzzle segments, for example, are simple search and find dalliances -- just point, click, and watch the characters interact. This never bothered me. The lack of control bolsters an overall cinematic purpose, as the core of the best mechanical action of Jurassic Park: The Game hinges on some insanely harrowing interactive scenes featuring plenty of dinosaurs.

These scenes, mechanically, are pretty similar to what you might have seen in Heavy Rain: you'll be presented with a fast-flowing scenario, and you'll need to hit a bunch of contextual prompts to replicate what a character goes through in a scene.

In Jurassic Park, for example, you'll need to rub, push, and pull on certain spots on the screen to hurdle through the jungle of an exhibit as spitting dinosaurs chase you, or, a little bit later, avoid a T-Rex as he hulks out on the cast. I'm not the biggest fan of these kinds of games in general, but I did find some fun with Telltale's scenes, and mainly because of the effective tension. Telltale absolutely nails the drama and emotion of being confronted by a house-sized lizard. Also, the repercussion for screwing up in a scene is always death, so there's a reason to be on your game.

The bummer with the game in general is that each of these heart-pumping sequences are sandwiched by much more laid back and fairly easy puzzle sections. They feel sluggish in comparison and just don't gel well with everything else the game offers.

But there's bigger problems with the iPad 2 version of Jurassic Park: The Game: it's on the borderline of unplayable due to a myriad of technical issues. We don't recommend that you bother with it, actually, despite the fact that this game delivers on a lot of different levels. On the Mac or PC, though? Check it out.

NOTE: Screenshots from other, much higher-resolution versions of the Jurassic Park: The Game. Also, we finished the first episode on a Mac after tiring of the iPad 2 version's clunkiness.

We had a great time with Limbic Software's Zombie Gunship [99�] when we first reviewed it, and it's already been updated since then. If you check your pending updates, you'll see that Zombie Gunship 1.3 is waiting for you, which adds a whole new scenario featuring cool environmental objects (like trains) and AirPlay support.

I got a look at the AirPlay functionality back at GDC Austin, and the way they implemented it is actually really cool. Instead of just simply mirroring the display, you will have a radar display of sorts on your device while you see the video output on the TV. What will be interesting to see is whether or not players who play this way have any kind of advantage score-wise from players who play normally. It'd seem to me that a radar display would be pretty powerful, but we'll have to see what happens.

If you haven't grabbed Zombie Gunship yet, now seems like a great time. If you have, make sure you snag this update, it's solid.

If you're not an O.G. iPhone (or maybe even a original 3G) owner, chances are Apple's own Texas Hold'em never even appeared on your radar. There wasn't much reason for it to, either. It was originally released in late August of 2008, updated a few weeks later, then totally abandoned. Even though the presentation at the time was a major step above the other offerings on the App Store, Texas Hold'em was quickly outclassed by third part developers that included things like online multiplayer, multiple game modes, and more.

Apple just pulled Texas Hold'em from the App Store, which was the only game they ever released for iOS devices. If you've got a copy of the .ipa laying around, it's probably a good idea to back it up somewhere if you at all care about keeping it. If you're into reading tea leaves with every minor move Apple makes, this could signal them withdrawing entirely from first-party iOS game development. Although, you could really argue that they've already been withdrawn anyway.

If you're curious what Texas Hold'em was all about, Apple's web site for the game is still online, although don't expect it to be there for long.

Does the world really need another big, brawny, cigar-chomping, generic-looking hero? Adult Swim says yes. Major Mayhem [99�]�is Adult Swim's latest contribution to the mobile marketplace and… a rail shooter, I guess.

Closer in tone to Duck Hunt than Counterstrike, Major Mayhem bears more than a passing resemblance to games like Virtua Cop and Time Crisis. Here, movement is largely independent of the player. You'll be transported to the next zone automatically once you've killed a sufficient number of enemies.

The shooting breaks down as follows: See enemy. Tap on enemy. Earn bonus points. Avoid projectiles that have red auras. Profit. (Okay, fine, so there's some rudimentary platforming mechanics and a number of weapons to pick through, but still.) See? Nothing we haven't heard before. Nonetheless, there's probably a reason as to why this formula has been reiterated time and time again. It works.

Silly, over-the-top parodies work as well. Put those two together and you'll have a winning combination. Or Major Mayhem. Whichever comes first. As you might have already guessed, Major Mayhem doesn't take itself too seriously. It can't. It has a protagonist that looks like every 80s All American action hero rolled into one. It has players gallivanting across the world to save both humanity and the eponymous lead's girlfriend from the clutches of the Evil Villains Corporation. If it took itself seriously, I would be extremely worried.

Unoriginal as the premise might sound, it's also the perfect excuse to take on a swarm of ninjas, men in well-pressed suits, katana connoisseurs and to ogle Major Mayhem's slick production values. Fully 3D, the visuals are crisp and pleasing to the eye. Colours are bright. Animations are fluid. Controls are delightfully responsive and simple to learn.

They've put a lot of attention to the small details as well. For example, you get combo points whenever you flambe poultry in rapid succession. I also especially liked how damage is shown. The first hit removes the Major's hat, the second his shirt � it's a simple, effective way of providing feedback. (Don't worry, it doesn't ever venture out of the realm of good taste.)

Aside from all that, I don't have much more to say about Major Mayhem. It's a brainless sort of fun, the kind you can easily waste many unsuspecting hours on. So, if you've been aiming for something new to keep you occupied during a particularly laborious stretch of the day or during your daily pilgramage to the Porcelain God, you should really give Major Mayhem a shot. (See what I did there?)

Ticket to Ride is a popular board game created by board game gurus Days of Wonder. Back in May, Ticket to Ride [$6.99] was digitally converted into an iPad game, one which we thoroughly enjoyed in our review. Ticket to Ride had an excellent computer AI to play against, but the real fun was in playing another real life person. The iPad version contained a slick online multiplayer mode for up to 4 players, but was criticized for not having a local pass-n-play mode, something that should be a core element of any game based on a real life board game. Thankfully, pass-n-play did eventually come in an update a couple months following release, and there was much rejoicing.

Yesterday, Days of Wonder has gone and released an iPhone version of Ticket to Ride, dubbed Ticket to Ride Pocket [99�]. Many iPad gamers, and of course non-iPad owning gamers, have been clamoring for a portable version of Ticket to Ride, so this release certainly should make quite a few people happy. However, Ticket to Ride Pocket has almost the exact opposite problems that its iPad counterpart had on release. It does contain a pass-n-play mode along with its single player, but does not contain an online multiplayer mode. Days of Wonder has stated this was a conscious decision, as they didn't want to compromise the online experience with interruptions that are inherent to phones like incoming calls and spotty network coverage.

Besides lacking online play, Ticket to Ride Pocket also nixes the extra Europe and Switzerland maps from the iPad version, instead focusing on just the American map. This was another conscious decision by the developer, as they felt that the additional maps contained too much detail to be sufficiently playable on the smaller screen of the iPhone and iPod touch.

While Ticket to Ride Pocket is a more limited experience than the iPad version, it doesn't make it a bad game at all. In fact, quite the opposite. The single player AI is quite good, and pass-n-play is adequate for when you have a friend close by. There's also multiplayer over local WiFi or Bluetooth if you're close by friend(s) happens to have their own device and copy of the game. Perhaps best of all is that the pocket edition is just 99� as of this writing.

I still think it would be nice to see online multiplayer and the additional maps added into the game, despite the developer's concerns, and that may happens sometime down the line. But for the cheap price of entry, Ticket to Ride Pocket is a great mobile take on the board game that's worth having a look at.

Whizzers [99�] by Demonual Studios is an endless-running game, whereas Whizzer (without an "S") is an old restroom-locating application from 2009. This review is for the game, not the toilet finder.� Although if you're busting and need some entertainment, you may decide to get both.

The goal of Whizzers is to reach the end of each side-scrolling level, by running, climbing, jumping and dropping. That sounds pretty standard and reasonably easy, until you realize the platforms you're standing on are actually sinking into molten hot lava. The lava eventually floods the platforms, leaving you with fewer and fewer things to stand on, or perhaps nothing to stand on. Therefore, it's advisable to run for your life and to seek higher ground.

This game mixes the platforming and endless-running genres, as you run and jump across multiple levels of dis-jointed platforms, choosing your own pathway. But, there are other options available: Teleportation portals will beam you nearby, which could provide a handy short-cut, but might take you backwards costing precious time. There's power orbs for speed, quick rocket flights, and bubbles to float you up to higher levels. These items all appear frequently, so there's always something to aim for next.

Some platforms are covered in sticky oil which slows you down, slippery ice which is difficult to jump from, scorching lava pools which deplete your health or spikes to impale yourself on. There's also monsters to jump on before they eat you and crushers to avoid. But if you can successfully navigate through all these obstacles and reach the end of the level, hot gusts of wind will lift you up and carry you off to the next "land".

My favorite feature of Whizzers is that occasionally a little arrow appears, advising that a kidnapper is nearby.� This creates a little dilemma: You could wait for the kidnapper if it's behind you, but this may result in the lava catching up with you and burning you to death, so it's a gamble. Once you reach the kidnapper, the captive whizzer is rescued - and is unlocked as a playable character. This provides a little chasing game within the levels, which is made trickier by the fact you can't move to the left.

You can also collect twelve little flying companions, named "Followers", who fly alongside your whizzer, providing you with special abilities, like increased running, shield, jumping and/or climbing abilities. You choose which unlocked follower to accompany you at the start of the game.� You can also find little fairies, which heal you, give points and temporarily stop the lava from rising.

At the start of each game, you can customize your own whizzer character, by choosing it's gender, shape, color and masks. But you have to unlock the items by reaching certain levels first, or via In-App Purchases (IAP). A handful of the whizzer customization items can only be obtained via IAP, but this doesn't affect the actual gameplay. You might end up with a whizzer with an elaborate mask, or wearing a paint bucket on his head.

The controls seem a little complicated when first explained, as they double-up. The left side of the screen is used for both braking or dropping, while the right side does jumps, double jumps and climbing. However, most of the time you're only pressing or holding the right side of the screen to jump or climb, with only an occasional need to tap the left side of the screen, so it's actually a very easy and responsive game to play.

A multiplayer mode is provided via Game Center. You can race up to three other online players across a randomly generated (procedural) level, to the finish-line. There's no combat during this race, but you're sharing the same track, so it also becomes a race to collect and use items, such as the bubbles or health-boosting fairy's.� Unfortunately, there's not many people playing online, so it can be difficult to get a random match-up. In fact, I wasn't able to make a random match successfully despite multiple attempts on different days. Perhaps the developer should add an AI opponent to race against instead.

Whizzers is a well-designed game with plenty going on in the levels and 21 achievements to complete. The rising lava works well as a "ticking clock" and encourages you to keep moving, to avoid incineration. The multiple layers of platform provide a depth that's missing from many other single-layer running games. It's just a shame more people aren't playing the multiplayer mode, although that's a problem faced by many good, but lesser known games. The single player mode is worth the dollar though, and if you manage to get some multiplayer action consider it a bonus!

Back in 2004, CAVE released the manic shooter Mushihimesama (Bug Princess translated) into arcades to a warm reception from shmup fans, and two years later released a sequel called Mushihimesama Futari, which was also ported to Xbox 360 in 2009. Then, as most of you probably know, an iOS spinoff based on the Mushihimesama series called Mushihimesama Bug Panic [$6.99/Lite] was released late last year to critical acclaim. It wasn't the typical CAVE scrolling shooter, and instead was more of a dual-stick action game with similar bullet hell craziness and over-the-top enemies.

Today, CAVE has released a teaser video for their new forthcoming iOS game, and it looks like they're going back to that original title from 2004 Mushihimesama and bringing it to the App Store as Bug Princess this winter.

We don't have many solid details on Bug Princess just yet, but based on CAVE's previous iOS efforts you can bet that there will be all sorts of additional functionality over the original game, like the retooled "smartphone" modes in their other shooters. What we do know is that the game will require at least 3rd generation hardware, which is expected by now from a CAVE release, and that the game is scheduled to launch "winter 2011". While winter is a vague timeframe, the good news is that there's really only about a month and a half left in 2011, so as long as they stay on schedule we should be playing Bug Princess on our iPhones and iPod touches in the next several weeks.

Ninja Throw [$0.99 / HD], the latest casual game from Chillingo's Clickgamer brand, is a physics-based puzzler with a decent implementation of some interesting ideas for the puzzle genre. Unfortunately, like so many puzzle titles before it, Ninja Throw fails to strike that balance between difficulty and longevity, leading to a game that is simply too easy and too short. However, despite these concerns, Ninja Throw is still worth a play through for gamers that aren't too caught up on challenges.

Taking control of a ninja that encounters way too many obstructions, your goal is to toss shurikens and hit the gong on the other side of the level. Various barriers, such as poles and boxes of TNT impede your shuriken's path. Thankfully, there's a variety of environmental aids to help you get past those barriers and hit that gong. Premise wise, Ninja Throw really doesn't offer anything new to the genre, as fans of similar physics-based puzzlers are going to be familiar with the general gameplay. However, some of its environmental supports bring a twist to the gameplay.

There are two kinds of tools available to the ninja: clouds which change the direction of your shrunken, and sensei that use their telekinetic powers that either pull your shuriken towards them or push them away. The sensei are the crux of all the strategic gameplay in Ninja Throw, and are my favorite element in the game. Basically, each sensei has a telekinetic aura around them which alters the path of the shuriken depending on how deep into the aura you throw it. Later levels allow you to manually place your sensei which let you nail otherwise impossible shots. Placement of sensei actually requires a basic understanding of gravitation push/pull and is the hardest concept to master (but is also the most fun).

Folks that feel like some of the concepts may be too hard need not worry as Ninja Throw has a lot of game decisions that make it pretty easy. For one, each level has a ton of shurikens to experiment with. In addition, each shuriken's path is telegraphed on the screen with a dotted line, making it very easy to fine-tune throws and cloud/sensei placement. Also, Ninja Throw has a lot of tutorial-esque levels that do a good job introducing each concept, meaning that players will have a lot of practice before they have to complete the hard levels.

Unfortunately, my primary complaint with Ninja Throw is that there just aren't enough hard levels. Once you get past the gaggle of tutorial levels, there are not that many missions that are actually challenging (with the exception of the last tier). Considering there's only a total of 60-70 missions (depending on the amount of bonus ones you unlock), Ninja Throw has an extremely short gameplay experience. Sure, the three-star scoring system provides some replayability, but it's still relatively simple to three star most missions and move on.

It really is a shame, because I think a lot of Ninja Throw's worth is in those difficult missions. I understand the need for a good tutorial system, but there's no reason why the developer couldn't have taken the extra time to add a few more sets of missions for folks that speed through the introductory missions. Regardless of the relative lack of content, I still think Ninja Throw tosses out enough interesting ideas to be worth a playthrough, even with the current oversaturation of physics-based puzzlers. However, don't expect much of a challenge for the most part.