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Earlier this month we posted about Gamevil's next sports RPG, Soccer Superstars. Much like Baseball Superstars 2010 [$4.99 / Free], Soccer Superstars comes packed with the same fantastic anime-styled sprites, multiple game modes, and best of all, the ability to train up your own super players which adds an insane amount of depth to the game.

The controls in Soccer Superstars work quite well, what Gamevil did with the controls that I particularly enjoyed was the way you didn't always have to have your finger on the virtual joystick. Instead, you only need to move the joystick in the direction you want your player to move, and they just keep on running. Holding a direction causes your currently selected player to dash momentarily. A the series of on-screen buttons work exactly how you would expect them to if you've ever played any soccer video game.

In the games I've played, the AI seemed competent enough to provide a decent challenge and overall Soccer Superstars has an arcade sports feel to it, focusing more on fun than any kind of realistic simulation. Of course, realistic simulation goes right out the door as soon as you get involved in training up your super players as they're all capable of different super moves. My favorite one turns the soccer ball in to a giant fireball and sends it careening towards the goal.

If you're the kind of person who can get entirely too sucked in to any game where you're filling experience bars, much like Baseball Superstars, Soccer Superstars will likely suck you in in the worst way. Just like how I'd grind through baseball games for the next player upgrade, I've found myself playing game after game of soccer to improve my super players.

Soccer Superstars should be hitting the App Store very soon, and when it does, we'll be taking a much closer look at the game.

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The incredible hype surrounding Pixelbite's upcoming Reckless Racing (formerly Deliverace) has been growing fervidly since we previewed the game back in March. But disappointingly, the game's release keeps getting pushed back, and when we'll actually be able to have the complete game in our hands remains uncertain.  This delay has allowed a competitor to steal much of that thunder, and for gamers who are looking for something similar that's available right now, LilRacerz [99¢] is a new top-down racing game from developer Blast One.

While not quite as ambitious as Reckless Racing, LilRacerz is a fun arcade-like experience with excellent graphics, a ton of tracks, and plenty of upgradeable vehicles to unlock. If you were ever a fan of Super Sprint or Micro Machines games on systems past, then this is as close as you can currently get to those classics on your iPhone. There are a couple of minor issues with the game, but any negatives are quickly forgotten as the core racing gameplay is so incredibly enjoyable.

There are 17 different tracks in Lilracerz, spread across 9 cups in 3 difficulty leagues. You'll race on desert, ice, dirt, and tarmac courses, and each surface handles as you would expect. The purposely floaty physics and handling of the vehicles can cause some miscues while racing, but is also what makes it such a blast to play. Some races you'll beat your very first try, blowing away the AI racers, and some races will take multiple retries before completing. One wrong move can spell the end for a race, but this inconsistent difficulty doesn't really diminish the overall enjoyment of the game. The nicely detailed 2.5D graphics give a firm nod to the 16-bit and arcade eras while still being impressive in a modern sense. An awesome chiptune soundtrack accompanies the action, adding to the retro-feeling vibe.

The weakest aspect of the game is the somewhat flimsy upgrade system for your vehicles. You'll collect money spread across the track as well as by completing races which can be used to purchase upgrades in grip, acceleration, speed, or steering. I seemed to be able to play a huge portion of the game with the very first stock vehicle, thus collecting an enormous sum of money and fully upgrading my later unlocked vehicles in one shot, rendering the whole thing kind of pointless. It's not really a huge issue, and could easily be tweaked in a future update.

Speaking of updates, the dev has been actively discussing ideas in our forums such as a hard mode, reversed tracks, night time racing, and new vehicles. There's even talk of some kind of multiplayer functionality, which would indeed be a very exciting addition to this fun single player game.  One nice addition already included is Crystal implementation, with many achievements to unlock and a leaderboard for every track.  Once you've beaten the single player campaign, going back to compete for times online is a great way to extend your play time.  If you're looking for some fast-paced arcade style racing, you can give LilRacerz a test drive for it's current sale price of 99¢.

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Deadly Dungeon is a new 3D dungeon-crawling hack 'n' slash game for the iPhone and iPod touch. It seems to be somewhat Diablo-esque in the way the dungeon is presented, the real-time enemy combat, and loot collecting. It doesn't appear that there's much in the way of weapons or gear to equip on your warrior, but there are two playable main characters with a female warrior able to be purchased with in-game gold. The graphics and animation shown in the video are really impressive, with huge enemies and nice lighting and magical attacks.

Details from the developer:

• 8 levels
• 3 enemy types: Skeletons, Ogres and Goblins
• Collect gold to unlock extra playable Female Warrior and extra swords
• 4 magic spells per playable character
• Great 3d art/animations, music and sound effects
• OpenFeint achievements and leaderboards integration

While we're certainly impressed with the visuals portrayed in the video, we do have some reservations about the game. First, it doesn't appear that there's much variety in the dark dungeon setting. Playing through 8 levels of the same environment may get monotonous. On that same note, only having 3 different enemies seems a bit lacking, although those huge ogres are pretty cool. It may just be a bit too basic for gamers who are normally into this type of game, although that remains to be seen until we've actually played it. Still, it has a great look to it and a lot of potential. The magic attacks seem interesting and the ability to play as a female character is a nice addition.

Deadly Dungeon was submitted on Sunday for review from Apple. Barring any unforeseen complications, we should be seeing the game arrive in the next week or so. The price is said to be at 99¢ or $1.99, with the possiblility of being free at first release for early adopters. Due to the graphical intensity, it's recommended for newer hardware (2^nd generation iPod touch and above). We'll be taking a closer look at the final version when it's available.

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We are going to be attending both WWDC in San Francisco as well as E3 this month. WWDC runs from the 7th to the 11th at the Moscone Convention Center, and E3 goes from the 15th to the 17th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Readers can look forward to an avalanche of news, game previews, and other interesting things from both events.

Coverage from these events in 2009 is viewable either by taking a look at the E3 Expo 2009 or WWDC 2009 categories.

WWDC will likely bring about the official announcement of the new iPhone, even more iPhone OS 4.0 details, and potentially several other things floating around the Apple rumor mill during the keynote on the morning of the 7th. While game coverage from WWDC will likely focus on games by the various indie developers in attendance, the big players of the gaming industry will be in full force at E3. We're expecting a Sonic 4 hands on, and many other exciting developments from well known console game developers/publishers throwing their hats in to the iPhone ring.

If you're a developer or publisher and would like to meet up at either WWDC or E3, send us an email at tips@toucharcade.com or send me a message via AIM to schedule an appointment. Our event schedules usually fill up very quickly, so don't wait to long if you have something you'd like to show us.

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There have been tons of great top-down racers inspired by games like Super Offroad or Micro Machines for the iPhone, but so far the genre is fairly barren on the iPad. Racing Mania [99¢ / $3.99 HD] changes all that, bringing a real top-down racer with car upgrades, local multiplayer, 15 different tracks, and 10 cars to both devices.

On the iPhone, Racing Mania isn't much to write home about. There are other games (such as the recently released LilRacerz [99¢]) that offer more variety and a better racing feel. However, on the iPad, the claustrophobic viewpoint of Racing Mania (and other similar games) is pulled far back allowing you to see an amazing amount of the track at once which really changes the whole feel of the game.

iPhone left, iPad right.

On the iPhone, once you purchase a few top speed upgrades for your car, successfully navigating around the tracks seems to require more memorization than anything else as you will be going too fast to really be able to prepare for upcoming turns without bouncing off of them otherwise. On the iPad, you have enough screen real estate to plan out really precise racing lines and burn around the track with ease.

Racing Mania is a little hard to recommend for the iPhone, but is really worth checking out just for a taste of how well games like this work on the iPad. The upgrade system is a little basic, and the controls aren't ideal, but you don't have to play Racing Mania HD for long as all to realize the potential the genre has on the device.

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Chinese developer UltiZen Games is on the verge of releasing Princess Fury, an arcade style beat 'em up with additional gameplay elements that could add quite a bit of depth to the game. In Princess Fury, the standard "save the princess" theme is turned on its head, as in this game the princess is the one responsible for saving the land from evil.

Princess Fury not only has an impressive art style, but also an equally impressive feature list. 20 different levels are included in locales ranging from forests to castles, along with 5 different objectives for completing the various levels such as killing everything, escorting someone, or slaying a boss. 100 enemies can be on screen at once, and mowing them down will require a balance of sword fighting, magical spells, and commanding servants in real time.

According to the UltiZen, intelligent management of your magic spells, as well as how you command your servants will be vital to completing levels. There is an experience system in place to both increase the strength of your princess as well as your servants. If you get stuck on a level, you'll be able to go back and grind through already completed ones for additional experience before moving on.

The developers have posted an official thread in our forums, and mentioned the release date as June 3rd. This is definitely a game we're looking forward to.

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One of our most highly rated games on the App Store, Meteor Blitz [$2.99 / Free] by Alley Labs, is getting an iPad specific HD version. If you have some how missed this game completely since its September release last year, here is a recap of a few of it's succeses:

• Apple's Best of 2009
• TouchArcade's Best of 2009
• Our Monthly 5/5 Star Rating
• TouchArcade's Review

And if that is not enough to convince you on how good of a game this is, we highly recommend trying the 3 level Lite version of Meteor Blitz [Free] to see for yourself.

There is a lot about the game that we liked from the iPhone version like near-instant load times, auto-save, real-time high score rankings, and great controls that we look forward to playing on the larger screen.

Meteor Blitz HD includes new features such as an extended remix soundtrack, separate high score leaderboards from the iPhone version, a larger playing field, new effects, including slow-motion blur, and more intense particle systems, an option to enable or disable the automatic gravity gun, and all the features from the original, including auto-pause, auto-save/resume, smooth gameplay and controls.

Here is a gameplay video from the developers of the iPad version of Meteor Blitz:

Meteor Blitz HD will be $4.99 and has already been submitted to Apple, so we should expect to see it soon on the App Store. Our impressions on the HD version should be out shortly after this hits the store. We haven't been huge fans of dual-stick controls on the iPad with previous titles, so we'll have to see how one of our iPhone favorites makes the transition.

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FDG Entertainment, the developers of the Bobby Carrot series, Parachute Panic [$1.99 / Free], and more recently, Across Age [$5.99 / Free] tipped us off to their next game in the works, Physics Gamebox. Scheduled for release in June for $2.99, Physics Gamebox will come loaded with iPhone ports of two flash games from NewGrounds veteran Johnny-K.

The first game, Roly-Poly Cannon, is highly reminiscent of so many physics games on the App Store currently. Playing the game amounts to shooting a cannon to bust up bases and blow up enemies much like Angry Birds [99¢ / Free]. Roly-Poly Cannon as well as the various sequels and additional level packs are all playable for free on NewGrounds, all you have to do is sit through some ads.

Ragdoll Cannon is the other half of Physics Gamebox. Using a similar cannon shooting mechanic as Roly-Poly Cannon, players fire ragdolls at targets just like the iPhone game Ragdoll Blaster [$1.99 / Free]. Also, just like Roly-Poly Cannon, if you can deal with some advertising you can play Physics Gamebox for free on NewGrounds as well.

The interesting thing about these games is that while your knee-jerk reaction might be to roll your eyes at yet another App Store copycat of existing games, both parts of Physics Gamebox have been out for quite a long time, with the flash version of Ragdoll Cannon predating Ragdoll Blaster by nearly a year.

As mentioned before, Physics Gamebox should be available in June for $2.99, with an iPad version slated for July. Between both games, 300 levels will be included.

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Back in March we posted early details of ChronoSoft's upcoming roguelike / dungeon crawler (with a dash of Zelda) Spirit Hunter Mineko: Demon's Reach. As the title is coming from the developer of the excellent Rogue Touch [App Store], we've been quite anxious to get our hands on the game.

Author Kevin Hill has just posted a new gameplay video along with further details surrounding Spirit Hunter Mineko, which has been in development for six months, now. Says, Kevin:

This video gives a brief highlight of areas that Mineko will travel through in her journey to find out the mystery of the castle "Demon's Reach". Starting from her house, part of a small village on a mountian, she sneaks out of her room through a trap door, she traverses the village "cellars". From there she continues making her way down into caves in the mountain until she reaches the exit to the valley floor and daylight! Mineko will make her way through the forests on the valley floor, experiencing a variety of environmental effects, including a day/night cycle, until she reaches the castle. Finally you must explore the castle, working your way up to the top!

New details from the author:

• At least the 4 major environments will be seen in your primary game. There are a few secret bonus lands I have ideas for that may or may not make the initial cut. Each of the major environments has its own random generator for unique look and feel. Most importantly, each environment provides new exploration tactics, new combat tactics, and new room features to interact with, in addition to looking pretty!
• At least 30 types of monster will be found in the game, each monster species is fully animated and has unique attributes and special abilities to keep you on your toes!
• Lots of varied equipment and items. I'm going to remain hushed about this and the magic system for a while longer
• The "main" game will be between 30 and 40 levels long, depending on how the gameplay balance feels. A "post-game" scenario is planned for people who need more Mineko while awaiting a sequel

Stay tuned for further coverage of ChronoSoft's Spirit Hunter Mineko: Demon's Reach as additional details emerge.

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Nearly two years ago now , Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D by developer Polarbit was amongst the first batch of games released onto Apple's fledgling App Store. At the time, it was an impressive example of what could be achieved on a mobile phone, and glimpsed at a bright future for iPhone gaming. Looking back on it today, however, the decidedly lackluster graphics, stuttering framerate, and deplorably short draw distance mar the otherwise very enjoyable gameplay. It's still a good game, but in the time since its release a number of competing kart racers like Shrek Kart and Cocoto Kart have raised the bar considerably in terms of graphics and notable features like online multiplayer. Now, Polarbit has reentered the fray with a sequel that – for the most part – addresses the downfalls of the original, delivering a largely familiar but wholly expanded upon experience with Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2.

The most immediately noticeable improvement in Crash 2 is the visuals. The scenery is detailed and brightly colored, and thankfully the dreadful draw distance of the first game is nonexistent. The levels are cleverly designed with multiple pathways, varying track elevations, and many different shortcuts waiting to be discovered. The character and kart models are notably better this time around, consisting of a higher polygon count and much more detail and personality. The framerate can still get choppy when there is a lot of action onscreen at once, but it's hardly ever bothersome and is significantly better than the original's. The load times are a bit long, and the audio can stutter while loading on occasion. Some users are reporting the game crashing, although this was infrequent in our time with the game. Also of note is the excellent music and sound effects throughout that bring the game to life without ever feeling overbearing.

Gameplay-wise Crash 2 features the familiar drift-heavy, combat-intensive racing found in it's previous iteration, as well as most every other kart racing game since the inception of Super Mario Kart. It's a proven formula that's executed quite well here, but can be highly unforgiving. One wrong turn or attack from an opponent can cost you an entire race, but this can work to your benefit too, allowing you to come from behind and still win. It can end up being frustrating to race near perfectly only to lose at the very last stretch of track because someone launched a missile into your backside. This is par for the course in games like this, however, and the frenetic fun outweighs the frustration. Touch or tilt controls are available, and while the tilt felt a little more comfortable I found the touch option allowed for more finesse while turning. The controls are really responsive, and either option should be suitable for most people.

The number of different game modes in Crash 2 is quite impressive. The standards are here, such as Arcade, Time Attack, Cup races and more, but some others that offer more non-traditional racing. For example, Mission Mode presents one specific objective for each of the 12 courses. You may need to accumulate a certain amount of points by drifting, or collect a number of different items, all while still placing 3^rd or better in the race. These different modes offer a fun way to play through the game's content while staying fresh and engaging, although sometimes the requirements to complete them can be brutally difficult. There's a total of 10 characters, 12 courses, and 8 modes in Crash 2, the majority of which are unlocked as you progress through the game.

One standout feature is the ability to race online against players from all over the world. It works incredibly easily, as you just type in a username and connect to a lobby showing available rooms to join. You can create your own room as well, and as host can pick which mode and track to play. The types of online games are standard races, knockout-style Eliminator mode, and Collection where the goal is to be the racer who collects the most crystals by the end of the race. Our experience racing online worked well and was relatively lag-free, and adds a tremendous amount of replayability to the title.

In the end, Crash 2 is just what you would expect out of a sequel. They've taken all of the great elements of the first game, refined them, and added a ton more content on top. If you were a fan of the original game, then you should no doubt enjoy this one even more. If you have yet to pick up one of the many kart racers on the App Store, then Crash 2 is likely your best option. It feels as close as you can get to something like Mario Kart DS on this platform. The overly difficult challenges and somewhat cheap combat mechanics will likely frustrate some more than others, but overall the game is a lot of fun. With a ton of content, beautiful graphics and presentation, excellent online play, and the pedigree of one of the App Store's first classics, Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 is definitely recommended.

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