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As part of today's keynote, Epic Games showed a brief tech demo of the Unreal Engine 3 running on an iPhone. In a surprise twist of events, this very same tech demo just appeared on the App Store mere moments ago as a free universal app. If you've got an iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, 3rd Generation iPod touch, or iPad, feast your eyes on Epic Citadel [Free].

The 82.2MB tech demo includes a medieval town to explore, complete with a bizarre and a "mysterious cathedral". If you've been waiting to see just what the latest-generation iOS lineup of devices is capable of, you really need to check this out. Epic Citadel is a fantastic display of the potential of future gaming on the platform, as it has been developed using the exact same tools and technology that developers are using now to create high-end console games.

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Earlier this month we brought you a preview of Dodonpachi Resurrection, the newest bullet hell shooter for the iPhone from developer Cave, who have previously brought Espgaluda II [$8.99/Lite] to the App Store. Dodonpachi Resurrection is a reimagined version of the arcade game Dodonpachi DaiFukkatsu, the fifth game in the Dodonpachi series. Resurrection will feature a mode faithful to the arcade game as well as an entire mode unique to the iPhone version. Due to all of the action that can take place onscreen at any given time, the game is restricted to owners of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3Gs, 32 and 64 gig 3^rd gen iPod touches, and the iPad.

Cave has sent word via press release and their official Twitter that the release date for Dodonpachi Resurrection is August 26^th and that it will be launching for a special introductory price of $4.99. This introductory price will last for the first four days after release and then rise to the regular price of $8.99.  Additionally, a lite version will follow after the full game is released, although no date for the lite has been specified.

Here is another look at the latest trailer:

We're eager to get our hands on Dodonpachi Resurrection, as I'm sure many other players are as well. You can pass the time until then by joining the discussion thread in our forums where you can find additional screens of the game. We'll have more on Dodonpachi Resurrection when it goes live on the App Store this Thursday.

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Back in June, we reviewed the follow up release to last years successful Battle Bears: Zombies! [99¢], titled Battle Bears -1 [99¢]. While this new prequel to the original game contained the same humor and silly antics that we love about the series, it fell short in a few areas, which kept it from being an entirely enjoyable gaming experience. It was still a fair amount of fun, but the awkward control scheme, repetitive levels, and overall difficulty and brevity of the main campaign ultimately sucked a lot of the joy out of Battle Bears -1.

Now, nearly two months since release and two updates later, pretty much all of these issues have been addressed and then some, and Battle Bears -1 has evolved into a much more competent game than it started out as. For starters, the game is now universal and contains higher quality graphics for the iPad, iPhone 3Gs, and iPhone 4. Both of the campaigns (the included Oliver campaign and the 99¢ IAP Riggs campaign) have been doubled in length, and where you would originally fight the final boss of the game you now receive a new weapon for each character before continuing on.

Oliver's new weapon is a deadly katana, and Riggs gets a huggable head-powered laser gun. The katana is especially fun as it delivers one hit kills to any huggable that gets in the way of Oliver's wild swinging. In addition, the game now allows you to switch weapons at will by tapping an icon in the upper corner (or a button by the right analog stick on the iPad), and carry up to three clips of ammo for each one. The 1.1 update that came out early July let you aim by swiping the screen, allowing you to look around without wasting any ammo, as well as a slider to adjust sensitivity. These changes have really done away with the control issues that plagued the initial version of Battle Bears -1.

The added campaigns for each character take place in different settings as well, alleviating the repetitiveness of the scenery from version 1.0. New cutscenes and voice samples were also added into the game with this new update, and the game has been optimized to run smoother on older devices. And the updates won't stop here either, as developer SkyVu is already planning on adding more weapons, new bosses and enemies, multiplayer support, more cutscenes, and a new downloadable third character with their own unique storyline and campaign.

I'm already much more satisfied with Battle Bears -1 after these last two updates, and it's really become one of my favorite games to play. Further additions can only make it even better, but if any of these previous issues held you back from checking out the game, now is a good time to give it a second look.

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Last month we reported the announcement that DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu is coming to the iPhone this summer from legendary shmup developer Cave, who have already released one of their classic arcade shooters to the App Store, the excellent Espgaluda II [$8.99/Lite]. Fans of bullet hell shooters were frothing at the mouth over the news, but unfortunately the trailer that came along with the announcement served as only a tease, and didn't expose much in the way of gameplay or information.

Now a few weeks later, Cave has released a brand new gameplay trailer for the game, now called Dodonpachi Resurrection, along with some screenshots and info about the enhancements to this iPhone port. Much like Espgaluda II, Dodonpachi Resurrection will feature a mode that is practically identical to its arcade counterpart as well as an iPhone specific mode. This new iPhone mode features a new scoring system and is tailored to gaming on the go. In addition to these two modes a third practice mode will be included.

The screen on the left is from Arcade mode, and the one on the right is from iPhone Mode and shows the Hyper Cannon at work (click to enlarge):

Based on the trailer for Dodonpachi Resurrection, fans of the genre should be in for the same frantic gameplay that Cave games are known for – hundreds of bullets flying onscreen, humongous enemies, and devastating super weapons. As such, just like Espgaluda II, the game will be exclusive to 3^rd generation iPod touches (32 and 64 gig), iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, and iPad. Also, brand new music has been composed exclusively for this iPhone release by notable Japanese composers Kenichi Maeyamata and Shoichiro Hirata.

Another noteworthy aspect to Dodonpachi Resurrection is that the iPhone version will mark the first time the game will have appeared anywhere other than the arcade. Espgaluda II was ported from arcade to the Xbox 360 prior to coming to the iPhone, and it says a lot to the overwhelming popularity of the iOS platform and how well suited a game like this is to the touch screen that it is appearing here first. Espgaluda II absolutely nailed the controls, and set the benchmark for every shmup to come out for the iPhone since. If they can pull off those same tight controls for Dodonpachi Resurrection, which hardcore Cave fans consider a superior series to Espgaluda, then we should be in for quite a treat when the game is finally released.

The price for Dodonpachi Resurrection has not been set, and Cave still hasn't narrowed down the release past “Summer 2010”, but rest assured that as soon as we hear anything more we'll be the first to let you know. In the meantime, drop by the thread in our upcoming games section and join in on the discussion.

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Shortly after the iPad arrived, Gameprom treated iPad gamers to Pinball HD [App Store], a collection of their excellent stand-alone iPhone pinball titles — Wild West Pinball [$.99], The Deep Pinball [$.99], and Jungle Style Pinball [$.99] — all in one high resolution, iPad application. We found the title easy to recommend, and we weren't the only ones; Pinball HD was a WWDC 2010 Apple Design Award winner.

When the iPhone 4 was unveiled, sporting its high resolution Retina display, we hoped to see the same fine collection adapted to suit Apple's new iOS flagship. And, today, we're happy to report that Pinball HD 4 iPhone [link] has arrived and is now available for download in the App Store.

Pinball HD 4 iPhone delivers everything that the iPad's Pinball HD does, beautifully rendered on the iPhone 4's Retina display with a sharpness that almost makes your eyes bleed. (Though, the iPhone 3GS and 3G iPod touch are supported at their native resolution, as well.) And we're happy to see that Gameprom added the fixed, portrait table view mode that we requested in our April look at the iPad version. (This mode sits in addition to the floating, portrait view mode and the fixed, landscape mode.)

Like its forerunner, Pinball HD features split-screen, tap paddle controls, WiFi and Bluetooth multiplayer, online score tracking, and support for 3D anaglyph (red/blue, etc.) glasses rendering. And you get all that for  buck less than the iPad version. Any pinball fan with an iPhone 4 (or a 3GS if you're new to the series) needs to get this game on their device.

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Developer MadFinger Games has just announced a followup to the popular hack 'n slash title Samurai: Way of the Warrior. We reviewed the game when it was released in September of last year and found it to be an incredibly stylish (and incredibly difficult) action game with intuitive swipe controls. With plenty of awards and high review marks from around the web, as well as three quarter of a million copies downloaded, a sequel to Samurai seems like a no-brainer.

Yesterday MadFinger started a thread in our upcoming games forum to dish out some new info and screens from the upcoming sequel, titled Samurai II: Vengeance. Here is the info straight from the developer, along with some work-in-progress screens from the iPad version (click for full size):

Samurai II: Vengeance boasts twice the gameplay of the first release and features larger levels

many new combo attacks and violent deaths

Samurai II also supports a virtual joystick for fans uncomfortable with the gesture control scheme.

Realistic violent battle sequences, more enemies equipped with new weapons including Samurai Musketeer or Archer, and epic battles with unique Bosses.

Improved gameplay and new features: solve puzzles, avoid dangerous traps, use discovered objects, and more.

Daisuke Shimada returns on a mission to avenge Kasumi's death. Follow his story through unique comic storytelling!

Samurai II also enhances its gameplay through new survival modes.

Samurai II is developed on the award-winning Unity 3D 3.0 engine supporting the latest technology.

Original soundtrack.

Samurai II: Vengeance is slated to be released this September for 2^nd and 3^rd generation iPod touch, iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, and iPad. If this is the first you've heard of the Samurai series, you can check out the original Samurai: Way of the Warrior for your iPhone or iPad in anticipation of this upcoming sequel.

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If you're one of the many people who always loved the Super Monkey Ball games on consoles, but never could really get in to the iPhone and iPad iterations because of control issues (I'm definitely one of those people), Aerox [$1.99] by Synoptical Studios is worth checking out. Aerox features extremely clean looking graphics, almost as if the game itself was designed as some part of a Aperture Science training program. This graphical style is paired with soothing music which creates an oddly relaxing experience– A phrase I never really thought I'd use to describe a ball rolling puzzle game.

Much like Super Monkey Ball, the object of Aerox is to roll your ball to the end of each level. In between the beginning and the pillar of light you must reach are all kinds of crazy obstacles ranging from simple ramps, moving platforms, and narrow platforms. It doesn't take long for the difficulty of the game to ramp up and throw other physics-based obstacles at you. For instance, you'll need to bump in to tall skinny blocks to get them to fall over to make a bridge to cross, other times there will be objects you need to move around to pass, or even move out of the way so a ramp can drop down to climb up.

The ball is controlled by tilting, and tilting your device back and forth controls rolling while tilting right or left controls the camera. For additional precision, you can touch and hold the screen and the camera will lock behind your ball at which point tilting right or left causes you to roll that direction. It's a pretty decent setup, although I have found myself rolling out of control by tilting too much and having the camera skew to an unexpected angle. A sensitivity slider in the options would likely solve this problem, which the developer has mentioned is coming in an update in the Aerox thread on our forums.

Aerox utilizes the graphical power of the iPhone 3GS, 3rd generation iPod touch, and iPhone 4 to do realtime reflections on the ball along with some fancy shadow generation not available on other devices. Currently the game runs at the typical 480×320 iOS game resolution, but in the not too distant future is getting updated with complete Retina Display support along with universal iPad compatibility.

With 30 levels to go through, online leader boards (although they haven't been working for me), and updates on the horizon to make the game take advantage of the increased resolution of iPad and iPhone 4, there's a lot to like about Aerox. The game isn't perfect, as I'd love to see some mid-level checkpoints added, but people on our forums are enjoying it, and it's easy to get behind any game with developers actively participating in the forums with plans to implement user suggestions in future updates.

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We got word this afternoon that the Parrot AR.Drone Quadricopter is going to be sold exclusively through Brookstone and is available for pre-order right now for $299.99. Brookstone plans on shipping orders on September 3rd, and the first 300 orders get a free flight bag. (Tempting, I know.) Currently, Brookstone is only willing to ship the Parrot AR.Drone to customers inside of the USA, and optionally available is a $49.95 bundle which includes a additional hull, battery, and an iPhone 3G/3GS case. They're also selling two and three year service plans for $39.99 or $49.99, although it's unclear whether or not breaking your AR.Drone by crashing it in to something is considered "normal wear and tear."

We got our first hands-on at CES 2010 earlier this year and thought it was incredibly cool-

The device is currently controlled using an iPhone/iPod Touch app which communicates through Wi-Fi to the AR.Drone itself. Simply tap on Launch and the AR.Drone takes off and hovers over a stationary spot. On screen controls are easy and effective.

Left/right buttons allow you to rotate 360 degrees in one spot, while up/down buttons control altitude. Pressing on a special button activates tilt-control on the iPhone/iPod Touch itself. This allow you to fly the device by naturally tilting the iPhone itself. Meanwhile, the on screen controls are overlayed with live video coming from the front-facing camera of the Drone itself.

In picking it up for the first time, I found it very easy to maneuver. The main thing I had to get used to was using the drone's point of view to steer, rather than my own. Check out our video:

The Parrot AR.Drone has some serious technology built in to it with its ability to auto-level itself, and pilot itself if it loses the connection with the device you're controlling it with. Remote control helicopters (which require much more skill to fly) sell for upwards of $1,000, making the $299.99 they're asking for everything the AR.Drone is capable of doing seem surprisingly appealing. For more information on the Parrot AR.Drone check out the web site and make sure to take a peek at their gallery of augmented reality games that you can play for the device.

I can't wait to get my hands on one.

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Sega has released a number of classic Genesis games on the App Store- Sonic the Hedgehog [$5.99], Sonic the Hedgehog 2 [$5.99], Golden Axe [$2.99], Streets of Rage [$2.99], and as of last night, Ecco the Dolphin [$2.99] and Space Harrier II [99¢]. In the past we've been increasingly critical of Sega releasing these emulated games, as while the games wrapped in the emulator are undoubtedly classics, the emulator itself leaves much to be desired.

Revisiting these games with my iPhone 4 has revealed that Apple has finally released hardware that is fast enough to properly run Sega's emulator (although I have had weird crashing issues with Sonic 2). If you've got an iPhone 4, the games run substantially better than the 3GS/3rd generation iPod touch, leaving the touch controls as the only issue. If you're stuck in the world of the iPhone 3G or 2nd Generation iPod touch, you're still better off skipping all of these because the performance really isn't that great. The games are playable, yes, but not a good experience by any means.

Anyway, Ecco the Dolphin is an action adventure side scroller released on the Sega Genesis in 1992. In the game you play as a dolphin, ramming in to things and using your sonar to both talk to other friendly sea creatures and interact with various objects in the game world. When I played the game the first time around on my Genesis, I thought it was surprisingly difficult as you need to manage Ecco's air supply while navigating vast underwater mazes. Drowning over and over was not something I was expecting to get myself in to when I first saw the cute box art.

There's a fairly extensive library of clips on YouTube of people playing the game in various emulators:

Ecco the Dolphin is just as much of a classic as the other games Sega has released, and really should be played by anyone who considers themselves a gamer who hasn't yet. If you want to go back in time even further, Space Harrier II was a launch title for the Genesis and debuted with the system in mid-August of 1989. Like most games of the time, Space Harrier II came packed with a nonsensical story where you're searching out a distress call from the 214th sector in the year 6236. You run around on a pseudo-3D checkerboard landscape shooting your laser at anything that crosses your path.

Like Ecco, there are no shortage of Space Harrier II gameplay videos captured from various emulators on YouTube:

Space Harrier II hasn't aged as well as the other classics Sega has released, but it's still pretty cool to take a look at what was considered cutting-edge mind blowing graphics over 20 years ago. But like all these games, the touch controls of the Genesis emulator on the iPhone aren't ideal and the framerate is low on older devices. Because of this, they're all hard to really recommend, but at least they exist in some form on the App Store if you're determined to revisit these classics on your iPhone.

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Last week we posted about Secret Exit dropping the price of Zen Bound 2 [$2.99] and submitting an update to add universal compatibility along with all kinds of new visual effects and other tweaks. Zen Bound 2 now uses full OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics on 3rd generation devices and newer which means even better shadows and lighting effects as well as even more detailed paint spread. When playing on the iPad, the random framerate drops have been completely fixed, and the game even performs a little better too. Also, third generation iPod touch and iPhone 3GS users will see incredibly smooth visuals with full anti-aliasing, and Zen Bound 2 looks simply incredible on the Retina Display of the iPhone 4.

If you were waiting for any reason, now is an absolutely fantastic time to pick up Zen Bound 2. It is filled with relaxing gameplay supplemented by one of the best (if not the best) soundtrack I've heard in an iPhone game, and the gameplay mechanic of rotating string around a 3D object to cover it in paint works phenomenally with the multi-touch controls of iOS devices– and even more so when you throw the gyroscope of the iPhone 4 in to the mix. Zen Bound 2 is the best looking game I've played on my iPhone 4, as Secret Exit's knack for creating lifelike textures and lighting effects is perfectly paired with the Retina Display to create an experience that looks nearly photorealistic, a term I never thought I'd ever use to describe an iPhone game.

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