Apple has been doing a variety of crazy promotions on iTunes for, well, basically forever. Free songs given away in all kinds of ways, free apps through Starbucks, and now, apparently, promo code generation through Facebook? I don't understand the dark rituals taking place behind the scenes to extract promo codes from the ether, but here's what I do know:

Following this link and mashing a few buttons on Facebook will get you a promo code to download Halfbrick's Jetpack Joyride [99�] for free. It's the first of a new promotion process courtesy of Apple, and I can't wait to see what else they end up giving away for free. Now, I've got no idea either how long this promotion is going to last, when it's going to rotate to something else, and how many promo codes there are to give away. This news is so hot off the press I burnt my hands.

Seriously, we love Jetpack Joyride and there is absolutely no reason to not take advantage of this offer. Also, it seems you can even generate a code if you already own the game, and then give that code to someone else.

Exciting times we live in.

Hey it's Wednesday again, and time for another onslaught of iOS releases. If you're looking for something to do while you inevitably wait for the Battlefield 3 servers to come back up (if tonight is anything like last night), here are a ton of games to keep you occupied. Also, speaking of Battlefield 3, we've seen no sign of the Battlefield 3 Aftershock iOS title that EA has been teasing. I would have bet on that launching along side the PC and console versions of the game… But, I suppose that's why I don't gamble. If you want to get in on the iOS Battlefield 3 anticipation, head on over to this thread which seems like it has been going for an eternity in App Store time.

Anyway, it's the same old song and dance as last week, the week before that, and basically every Wednesday night. All of these games will be available on the US App Store at 11:00 PM Eastern. Although, if you live east of us, chances are they're available now, or will be very soon.

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Blosics, 99� / HD - Forum Thread - Another popular Flash game ported to the App Store! But, the real question is, is there room on your device for another object flinging physics game? There always is on mine.

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Candy Town, 99� - Forum Thread - Finally the age old question of what do you get when you combine a match three with line drawing mechanics and cup cakes has been answered. Ultra-casual match three titles often seem to do pretty well, and it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case with Candy Town.

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Chicken Coup Remix, 99� / HD - Forum Thread - I'm not entirely sure what is different about this remix other than a change in publishers from the original Chicken Coup [$1.99], but if you're crazy about sorting games and liked Chicken Coup, I guess Remix is worth a try.

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Dawn of Magic, Free - Forum Thread - Cool trailer, check. Classic RPG gameplay, check? Price… Free? I'm anxious to give this game a try, and I've really got my fingers crossed that the IAP is actually optional, because there's nothing worse than getting invested in a cool RPG and hitting a freemium pay wall.

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Flick Tennis: College Wars, $1.99 - Forum Thread - Now this is a curious game. I'd be onboard for the tennis alone, but they've thrown in RPG elements and a story told via an in-game comic book of sorts… And multiplayer? Alright, I'm in.

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Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation, $9.99 - Forum Thread - The latest modern military shooter from Gameloft. 13 levels including "AAA scenario-scripting," and 12 player online multiplayer with 6 maps and 7 different game modes.

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Ninja Pong, 99� / HD - Forum Thread - I've always said the #1 thing missing from the game of Pong is ninjas, so thankfully we finally got that all straightened out. Gameplay amounts to moving a platform around to help ninjas jump around, and "Tiny Ninjas" is even on the feature list.

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Peak Gold, 99� / HD - Forum Thread - This hooking game puts you to the task of collecting tons and tons of gold, which seems like as good of a task as any given the skyrocketing price of gold.

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Riptide GP, $4.99 - Forum Thread - I've been really looking forward to this turbo-charged jet ski game. There's 12 tracks, 6 jet skis, 3 game modes, and stunts- Lots and lots of stunts.

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Saving Moo, 99� / HD - Forum Thread - The iTunes description of this game is remarkably vague, but what I can tell you is that the gameplay somehow involves cows defending Earth from aliens. Seems reasonable.

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Shantae: Risky's Revenge, Free - Forum Thread - This game blew the doors off game critics on the Nintendo DS last year, and now it's available on the App Store. Better yet, it's free with a $2.99 unlock to get to the rest of the game so you can see if the controls jive with you.

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SpinTrip, 99� - Forum Thread - This platforming adventure game focuses on rolling around the world utilizing power-ups called "Chibs." Check out the trailer to see all the different abilities you can have.

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Tiny Token Empires, 99� - Forum Thread - A match three combined with a turn-based strategy game sounds absolutely crazy. So crazy it might just be totally awesome.

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World Mosaics, $1.99 - Forum Thread - Like picross games and wish you had more of them on your phone? Well, you're in luck, because this is exactly what you require.

We're taking a break from our regularly scheduled iOS game programming to get the word out about a really sweet rapid prototyping tool for the iPad released by Two Lives Left, creators of Wheeler's Treasure [$2.99] and Pilot Winds [Free]. It's called Codify [$7.99], and utilizing the Lua programming language along with a ton of clever touch-based interface elements lets you quickly and easily throw together whatever game prototype you might be dreaming of.

I've heard more than a few developers attempting to create similar tools for the iPad, but all of them have hit various roadblocks in the Apple approval process because they all (in one way or another) allowed you to get code and assets onto the device and execute it. Codify sidesteps this by coming with a wide variety of assets, but unfortunately all of your creations will be trapped on your own device. Right now, there's no way to export (or import) anything, although Two Lives Left have told us they've submitted an update to Apple that has this functionality and they're planning on working with the approval teams to come to some kind of solution.

Either way, Lua is easy to learn and even with your prototypes stuck on your own iPad Codify can be an incredibly useful tool. If you come up with a game idea, you can quickly toss it together and see if it's worth pursuing. In fact, I'd almost say keeping these prototypes trapped on your device is a good thing as it serves as a fantastic rough draft to then redo in a more serious development environment.

Last week ustwo™'s Whale Trail [99�] hit the App Store. It was quickly featured as game of the week, and was met with tons of critical acclaim. We thought it was great in our review, and most other reviews online that I've seen mention similar feelings. Sure, the gameplay is a little on the basic side but Whale Trail's production values are absolutely through the roof.

A behind the scenes video from ustwo™ recently was released, and aside from the game's producers and designers providing their thoughts on the game, ustwo™ also revealed the staggering amounts of time, energy, and money that went into the project. "Chief Wonka" Mills also discusses the concept of a "succailure," citing previous apps Papercut [$5.99] and Nursery Rhymes with StoryTime [$3.99]. Both well received, with tons of support from Apple, but neither turning a profit.

Take a look:

Another interesting point raised in the video is the significant advantage that indie developers can have. Running a design firm like ustwo™ is expensive, and investing in the App Store is risky business when you've got a full office, staff of employees, and all the other expenses that come with that. The App Store is a curious place, as it really makes no difference to the end user if you're working out of your bedroom or releasing projects from a design firm that have invested over �500,000 into them. Every iOS developer has equal chances of discovery, visibility, and success� Assuming of course that they put out a good product.

We're anxious to see what ustwo™'s next move is going to be. Whale Trail is going to need to be downloaded a ton to break even, especially at a 99� price point. I'd love to say "hopefully this doesn't discourage them from iOS development," as I think it's outfits like ustwo™ that seem the most likely to push the platform forward, but how much of a financial hole can they dig themselves keeping their fingers crossed that critical acclaim and love from Apple eventually turns into the hundreds of thousands of downloads they need?