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2XL Games have made a fantastic name for themselves on the App Store with a series of games based on extreme motor sports. These include 2XL Supercross [99¢ / Lite / HD], 2XL ATV Offroad [$4.99 / Lite], 2XL Trophylite Rally [99¢ / HD], and as of this coming January, Ricky Carmichael’s Motocross Matchup. As the title hints, Ricky Carmichael is the front man for this game, and boasts an impressive resume of various trophies, medals, and other awards from all kinds of different Motocross events.

According to 2XL, the upcoming game is going to feature five supercross tracks (odd, considering this is a motocross game), two outdoor tracks, a race shop, and "an exciting line-up of super-charged Suzuki bikes". We're still waiting for additional clarification on how it will work, but the game also includes a "match-up mode" which will allow players to compete head to head online for positioning on leaderboards. It isn't entirely clear if this is realtime, or merely racing other people's ghosts, but we hope to find out soon.

We thought 2XL Supercross was a really cool game, but a bit shallow in our review. If they take similar gameplay, and add some additional depth through more tracks, a bike upgrade system, or even this new match-up mode, they're going to have a great game on their hands (and in our hands).

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Last month, CAVE released Mushihimesama Bug Panic [$4.99/Lite] to the App Store. Like their previous offerings Espgaluda II [$8.99/Lite] and Dodonpachi Resurrection [$8.99/Lite], Bug Panic offered frantic bullet-hell style gameplay, intense explosions, and attractive pixel graphics. But instead of their trademark vertically scrolling shooter, Bug Panic was a dual-stick affair. We really enjoyed the game in our review, noting that it was a satisfying and unique take on the typical dual-stick shooter formula. However, Bug Panic contained a high level of difficulty, and many players felt frustrated as they got stuck at the harder levels later in the game.

CAVE has addressed this pretty effectively with the latest 1.0.1 update for Bug Panic that hit a few days ago. They have tweaked the difficulty across the board to make things more balanced, and added an auto-bomb mechanic to help prevent cheap deaths. If you have at least one explosion seed saved up (the red seeds above the charging meter that build up as you collect sap bottles), upon getting hit by an enemy or stray bullet the explosion seed will automatically detonate, creating a large blast around your character that destroys any enemies or bullets within its radius. The tradeoff is that this will wipe away any explosion seeds or collected sap bottles, but it does prevent you from losing a life and is a welcome change. The auto-bomb only works in Adventure mode, and isn't a part of the survival-like Score Trials modes.

This video explains the new auto-bomb feature, as well as gives some hints for finding the hidden Kabutans in the game:

Also worth mentioning is that since our original review a free version of Bug Panic has been made available for those who want to give the game a spin before plunking down the cash for the full version. Mushihimesama Bug Panic Lite [Free] only features the first two stages from the first world, and no Score Trial modes, but should give players an adequate taste of what to expect from the full version. In related but significantly stranger news, CAVE has also released Mushihimesama Bug Timer [Free], a kitchen timer app featuring Reco from Bug Panic. It seems like an odd thing to come from CAVE, but it's free to download and useful if you need a timer for whatever reason.

If you thought Bug Panic was a bit too hard before, check out this newest update and give the game another try. It's still a difficult game, but it feels a lot more fair with the changes that have been made. Also, make sure to give the lite version a try as Mushihimesama Bug Panic is still one of my favorite takes on the dual-stick shooter.

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Over the last two months, Elite has brought ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection Vols. 1 & 2 [App Store] to the iPhone and iPad. An assortment of '80s ZX Spectrum classics wrapped in an emulation and touchscreen control system, Elite Collection offers iOS gamers a fun taste of the early UK home computing scene.

The studio has recently updated the collection, making Vols. 3 – 6 available as in-app purchases at $.99 for each six-game pack.  The new collections consist of:

Gremlin Collection Vol. #1

• Skate Crazy
• Moley Christmas
• North Star
• Monty on the Run
• Wanted! Monty Mole
• Auf Wiedersehen Monty

Gremlin Collection Vol. #2

• Super Scramble Simulator
• Switch Blade
• Avenger
• Krakout
• Jack the Nipper
• Jack the Nipper II

Vortex Collection Vol. #1

• Android One
• Tornado Low Level
• Highway Encounter
• Deflektor
• H.A.T.E.
• Scuba Dive

Software Projects Collection Vol. #1

• Astronut
• Manic Miner
• Ometron
• Orion
• Thrusta
• Tribble Trubble

As of the previous update (mid-November), the system features what Elite calls iDaptive controls. A user-definable controls system, iDaptive controls allow the size and placement of each game's control buttons and/or sticks to be customized as per the user's preference.

Elite indicates that an additional four six-game collections (Vols. 7 – 10) will be available for ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection as in-app purchases, within a month.

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Looking back at our review of the original Real Racing [$4.99 / Lite / HD], we had a few disappointments, but overall had no issue calling it an "unrivaled racing experience." While EA has released a few great racers from the Need For Speed series, Real Racing was always my racing game of choice… Making me wonder what game was going to boot Real Racing off my personal throne of favorite racer on the platform. Unsurprisingly, Real Racing 2 [$9.99] was the game to do it.

The original Real Racing received universal acclaim from the gaming media, and even went on to take home an Apple Design Award at WWDC this year. Real Racing 2 is everything a good sequel should be in that it builds on top of the excellent foundation set by Real Racing, adding often requested features and other surprises we weren't expecting all while improving nearly everything that was retained from the first.

Just like Real Racing, the sequel is host to a variety of control options that mix and match touch and tilt, along with various automatic systems that can be enabled or disabled depending on your skill level. By default, Real Racing 2 is incredibly easy to play. Steering assist and anti-skid default to on, and the brake assist is cranked up as high as it can go. Controlling this way, the games handles almost everything for you, and all you need to do is tilt your phone right or left to steer. Alternatively, you can turn everything off and drive completely manually, controlling both the brake and the gas while either steering with touch or tilt, along with many options in between. Unfortunately, it seems that there isn't any way to manually change gears.

The graphics in Real Racing 2 are substantially improved. Both the tracks and the cars themselves seem much more detailed, and while you can change the camera to several positions, the most awe-inspiring is the cockpit view where each car's interior is modeled with extreme precision. Speaking of cars, one of the most surprising reveals before the game was released was the inclusion of 30 different fully licensed real cars. Brands range from VW to BMW to Ford and much more.

The number of cars in each race has been cranked up to 16, which I think is one of the most substantial improvements. Previously, iOS racers all felt pocket sized in one way or another. You never really got the full experience of a console racer because in most racing games you were only ever competing in 8 car races. Doubling this makes for races that are just crazy, especially on higher difficulty settings where the AI racers seem to actively try to prevent you from passing them– Often creating epic battles between cars as you attempt to slowly climb to first place.

These 16 player races aren't limited to single player either, for the first time on the App Store you can play up against 16 players online. These huge online races are absolutely awesome, and work effortlessly. You tap the online multiplayer icon, and seconds later you're tossed in to a lobby with other players. Following a short countdown you're at the starting line of an online race. Real Racing 2 seems to prioritize quick matching to full races, so if you're playing at an off time you likely will get matched with fewer players. One thing I'd like to see in the future is if there was some kind of slider that you could set whether you prefer shorter wait times or larger races. Often times I wouldn't mind waiting a little bit longer to play with more people.

Also added is a new career mode, which Firemint is claiming should keep you busy for around ten hours. Playing through career mode will have you making your way through various events, earning money, buying cars, and upgrading them. The career mode also serves as a bit of a tutorial, as the early events require you to do things like upgrade your car to a certain performance threshold, win a certain number of popularity points, or even paint your car a different color. One minor complaint I do have about this is that at the start of the game you're given a small amount of cash to buy your first car. This requires you to go through all the different cars searching for one you can actually afford. While I suppose this initially gives you a good idea of just how many cars there are, I would have much preferred to just have the option to select an available starter car instead of needing to search through everything else.

Though Real Racing 2 may have a few things I'd like to see changed, it's without a doubt the current king of iOS racing games. I'd go as far as calling it the perfect iPhone game. The controls are perfectly suited to the platform, the graphics are fantastic, and Real Racing 2 is compatible with every iOS device, even the ancient 1st generation iPod touch. The online component is fantastic, the career mode is a welcome addition, and there's even a new car damage system that reflects just how much you've been bumping in to things. There aren't many other games that showcase what the iOS platform is capable of more than Real Racing 2, so much so, that Apple should just be bundling it with their devices. Do not miss this game.

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In 2009, Telltale Games resurrected the Monkey Island series with the first Tales of Monkey Island, a classic point-and-click adventure game. Since then, original Monkey Island creator LucasArts has started rereleasing Monkey Island classics and Telltale has finished its series based on the highly-regarded IP. Both series' (including the rereleases) are successes, so it's only natural that we're seeing them on the iOS.

The first Tales game, Launch of the Screaming Narwhale [$6.99], just hit the App Store for the iPad yesterday, actually. And like its' PC and Mac brethren, it successfully combines all the wit, the character, whimsy, and braininess of its SCUMM forerunners.

But I often think that Telltale's greatest accomplishment in Launch of the Screaming Narwhal specifically is that it manages to make you feel like the franchise never died. It starts at the end of a game that was never made with an inventory filled with exotic items and dialogue that references adventures that we'll never see. Telltale pulls this off smoothly with reverence and an informed idea of what the MI series is.

There's a careful balancing act going on in Narwhal. On one side of the proverbial scale are character and the accoutrements of the MI franchise. On the other end of the scale are the game mechanics and systems — all of the stuff that makes the game spring to life, work, and operate as a logic-focused puzzle game.

To Telltale's credit, it manages to balance this stuff pretty well. The puzzles are fun and original and the logic fueling them are often bursting with MI-typical absurdity and wit. Of course, there are problems with this puzzle formula inherently; game-side logic is often frustrating because it's not conventional. Take, for example, the lighting of a bomb, which requires not a match, but an actual full-on open flame. Ridiculous. However, once you get a handle on how the game wants you to think about combining items or flat-out using them, you'll do just fine within the its confines and have a good time — at least, you'll never look at a flower pot in the same way, that's for sure. And as far as the game world and systems are concerned, they mesh well with all of this, complimenting the absurd puzzles and providing few hindrances to the experience, which overall, is pretty damn well-written and goofy.

In Narhwhal, You control loveable buffoon Guybrush Threepwood, a man who thinks he's a pirate and often stumbles into situations that make him seem like he's an actual pirate. In this iOS version of the game, you scoot him around by pressing onto the screen and activating a virtual joystick that allows for three-dimensional movement. You can also click an interactive object and he'll automatically move to it.

Item combination and item management are bigger deals than movement, and these key components translate well to a touch screen. On the right-hand side a giant bit of UI activates an item screen where you can click and drag to combine, equip, and examine your loot.

This all works well for the most part, but there's a couple of catches. The Jungle Puzzle, for example, will make you want for more precision as you crawl to maze exits in an attempt to pick the right one. While timed puzzles, like the Boarding Puzzle, will undoubtedly have you desiring a snappier interface. I want to be real clear here and note that these puzzles are do-able. My point is that the UI is sluggish and movement wasn't made a priority. And for further clarification, I've yet to spot problems on the scale of Sam & Max Episode 1: The Penal Zone for iPad [$4.99] yet.

On the technical side, Narwhal for iOS looks like a medium resolution port of the other versions of the game. Textures are rich, vibrant and as detailed as the game's aging engine allows. This isn't blow-your-mind quality stuff, and really, it doesn't need to be. The game's bubbly art style reflects the tone and captures the spirit of the game so well that you won't be desiring more. I'll note that you'll encounter a few visual oddities here and there, as well as some slow down, but I think you can suffer through it.

In large part, you can deal with this stuff because the world is so rich. Characters don't have real depth, sure, but each dweller you'll meet has a quirk and a touch of wit and absurdity that mirrors the game's vibrant, offbeat world. The dialogue in particular (voiced) is great. There are obvious references to past games in the series within it, as well as neat culture references, jokes, and the unusual buffoonery.

End of the day: I've always felt like Narwhal was a great start to a new MI series and it still is on iOS platforms. Ticky-tacky problems aside, I can't recommend this game enough to adventure game fans or logic puzzle lovers. This game is good and deep. Also, the ghosts of the series' past are alive in this recreation, making it an easy pick-up for anyone who grew up with MI (or, strangely, are just now getting their start via rereleases). Check it out.

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It seems like whenever a holiday rolls around in the US, all of the major developers put their catalog of iOS games on sale in an effort to ride a wave of publicity into the top app charts. Electronic Arts is no stranger to this practice, and in observance of a very special holiday this Winter they have dropped a huge number of their games down to 99¢. Yes, that's right, EA is having a sale to celebrate forum moderator ImNoSuperMan's birthday. Just kidding. It's a Christmas sale. Or rather, a "Holiday" sale.

Whatever the politically correct reason for this event is, the bottom line is that you can get a ton of EA games for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad for just a dollar each right now. (Note that some of these titles actually launched at 99¢, or have been that price for a while, but have been added to the list anyway):

iPhone/iPod touch Games:

• Battlefield: Bad Company 2, 99¢
• Cause of Death: Can You Catch The Killer?, 99¢
• Heroes Lore III, $1.99 → 99¢
• High Caliber Hunting, $2.99 → 99¢
• Pictureka!, $1.99 → 99¢
• Reckless Racing, 99¢
• Mirror's Edge, $4.99 → 99

• Need For Speed Hot Pursuit, $4.99 → 99¢
• Need For Speed Shift, $4.99 → 99¢
• Need For Speed Undercover, $4.99 → 99¢

• NBA Elite 11 By EA Sports, $4.99 → 99¢
• MMA By EA Sports, $4.99 → 99¢
• Fifa 11 By EA Sports, $4.99 → 99¢
• Fifa 10 By EA Sports, $4.99 → 99¢
• Madden NFL 11 By EA Sports, $4.99 → 99¢
• NCAA Football By EA Sports, $4.99 → 99¢
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour By EA Sports, 99¢

• The Sims 3, $6.99 → 99¢
• The Sims 3 Ambitions, $4.99 → 99¢
• The Sims 3 World Adventures, $2.99 → 99¢
• SimCity Deluxe, $2.99 → 99¢
• Spore Creatures, 99¢
• Spore Origins, 99¢
• Lemonade Tycoon, 99¢

• Monopoly, $2.99 → 99¢
• Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition, $2.99 → 99¢
• Risk: The Official Game, $4.99 → 99¢
• Battleship, 99¢
• Connect 4, 99¢
• Boggle, 99¢
• The Game Of Life Classic Edition, $2.99 → 99¢
• Clue, 99¢
• Trivial Pursuit, 99¢
• Yahtzee Adventures, 99¢
• Scrabble, $2.99 → 99¢

• R Type, $1.99 → 99¢
• Star Trek, 99¢
• Skate It, 99¢
• The Simpsons Arcade, $2.99 → 99¢
• Dragon's Lair, 99¢
• Surviving High School, 99¢
• Command & Conquer: Red Alert, 99¢
• Zombies & Me, $1.99 → 99¢
• Mass Effect Galaxy, $1.99 → 99¢
• Wolfenstein RPG, $1.99 → 99¢
• Anytime Pool, $1.99 → 99¢

• Tetris, $2.99 → 99¢
• Sudoku, 99¢
• American Idol: The Game, $1.99 → 99¢
• Littlest Pet Shop, $2.99 → 99¢
• Pandemonium, 99¢
• Snood, 99¢
• Mystery Mania, $1.99 → 99¢
• Jewel Quest Mysteries, 99¢

iPad Games:

• SimCity Deluxe for iPad, $6.99 → 99¢
• Need For Speed Hot Pursuit for iPad, $9.99 → 99¢
• Need For Speed Shift for iPad, $9.99 → 99¢
• Madden NFL 11 By EA Sports for iPad, $12.99 → 99¢
• Mirror's Edge for iPad, $9.99 → 99¢
• Reckless Racing HD, $4.99 → 99¢
• Pictureka! for iPad, $4.99 → 99¢
• Tetris for iPad, $7.99 → 99¢
• Yahtzee HD, $4.99 → 99¢
• Boggle for iPad, 99¢
• Scrabble for iPad, $9.99 → 99¢
• Command & Conquer Red Alert for iPad, $4.99 → 99¢
• Clue: Secrets & Spies – A Hidden Object Game, $4.99 → 99¢
• Snood for iPad, $4.99 → 99¢

Whew, that's some list. If you still have a few dollars left over after the absolutely ridiculous amount of new releases this week, there are definitely some gems to pick up out of this selection of games for 99¢, especially for iPad gamers where some of these games have been drastically reduced. You could practically buy every iPad game listed here for the regular price of Madden 11. That's just insane. Also, don't forget that you can peruse our brand new price drops forum for all of the latest deals, and can also pick up the universal Appshopper app [Link] which was recently updated with push notifications letting you know when price drops and updates hit while you're on the go.

Note: These links are for the US App Store only, but the EA sale is worldwide. If you happen to be outside the US market, then these links will not work for you but you can find these games by searching in your country's App Store.

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Today is the eve of the final Thursday in December before the pre-holiday iTunes Connect freeze. Starting on December 23rd and running until the 28th, developers won't be able to release new games or updates, or change any of the prices of their games. Last year the top sales charts also got frozen, and no one knows if that's going to be the case again this year or not. What we're seeing now is the mad rush to get everyone's games released before the freeze. If you were looking forward to a game with a holiday release date that isn't in this list, it's still possible that it will get released, but it's looking more and more unlikely as we get closer to the 23rd.

All of these games should now be available worldwide. Get mashin' that buy now button-

Aralon: Sword and Shadow HD, $6.99 – [Forum Thread] – The highly anticipated collaboration between Crescent Moon Games and Galoobeth Games is almost upon us. We were impressed with the depth of the game in our preview last week, and the excitement for Aralon couldn't possibly be higher in its massive thread in our upcoming games forum.

Real Racing 2, $9.99 – [Forum Thread] – Last week Firemint revealed the full details on just what to expect in Real Racing 2. A career mode, licensed cars, and tons of track are all some of the goodies that we're going to be in store for. Oh, yeah, and there's also 16 player online multiplayer that basically rewrites what to expect of iPhone online multiplayer gaming.

World of Goo for iPad, $9.99 – [Forum Thread] – As mentioned in our recent review, World of Goo on the iPad is simply incredible. It was a remarkable game before it hit the App Store, winning buckets full of awards and scoring many 10/10 reviews… and the touch interface only serves to make the game even better. I've been unable to put this game down since we scored our preview copy. If you have an iPad, you need this game.

Dungeon Defenders: First Wave, $2.99 – [Forum Thread] – This is the second game available on the App Store that utilizes Unreal Engine 3, but the graphics aren't what's impressive about Dungeon Defenders. What's truly awesome about it is the Game Center-powered multiplayer that allows four players to play together in a cooperative mix of tower defense-like gameplay mixed with an action RPG. It's even universal.

N.O.V.A. 2 – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, $6.99 – [Forum Thread] – Gameloft is back again with a second installment in the N.O.V.A. series. This one will have you battling through 12 chapters in the singleplayer campaign, which I have a feeling will take a back seat to the 10 player online multiplayer. 10 maps are included for online play with 5 different game modes which include standard and team based deathmatch, capture the flag, freeze tag, and instagib.

Geared 2, 99¢ – [Forum Thread] – We loved the original Geared, and its sequel seems better in every way. Gameplay amounts to figuring out how to place gears to make the target gears spin, and unlike other gear-based games there isn't any kind of grid for the gears to lock on to, allowing you to place them wherever you like. Oh, and to make things better, it's launching at a buck and is universal.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2, 99¢ – 15 missions are included as well as 4 player online multiplayer. In comparison to other games being released today, that doesn't sound like a whole lot, but it's a game from a popular franchise that's also launching at 99¢– A price I'm not sure many expected.

Shadow Guardian, $6.99 – [Forum Thread] – Gameloft's take on the Uncharted series. Gameplay involves lots of running, gunning, jumping, climbing, and of course, treasure hunting.

Hook Worlds, 99¢ – [Forum Thread] – Evolving the Hook Champ and Super QuickHook world even further is Hook Worlds, a swinging game that Rocketcat Games is calling four games in one. Four game worlds are included, and while they all rely on swinging of some sort, each world looks and plays different thanks to four different characters with their own abilities.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, $6.99 – [Forum Thread] – An incredibly unexpected release by Square Enix, especially as I (and I doubt I'm alone on this) were expecting their next games to be their classic ports of RPG's they've been talking about forever now. Sadly, the port leaves much to be desired as mentioned in our first impressions post. Definitely wait for an update to fix critical issues before buying.

Altered Beast, $2.99 – [Forum Thread] – My mother would literally murder me if she had any idea just how many quarters I pumped in to the local Altered Beast machine. I'm surprised it took Sega this long to release this game, as in my eyes it's just as classic as Sonic. Either way, it comes loaded with their new bluetooth multiplayer compatibility for two player beasting.

Broken Sword – The Smoking Mirror: Remastered, $6.99 – [Forum Thread] – The continuation of the Broken Sword series, in a universal app. We loved the first installment, and are expecting great things from its sequel.

The Game of Life for iPad, $6.99 – [Forum Thread] – While The Game of Life is nowhere close to as near and dear to my heart as Monopoly is, I love board games on the iPad. This version has a few exclusive features such as being able to view the whole board and local multiplayer with up to 6 players at once. I'm still waiting for my iPad version of Mouse Trap!

Pix'n Love Rush DX, $3.99 – [Forum Thread] – I still can't get enough of the original Pix'n Love Rush for the iPhone, and the iPad version seems to be dripping with even more high scoring retro charm.

ZombieSmash HD, $2.99 – [Forum Thread] – We thought the original was great in our review, and from the looks of it, the iPad version provides even more zombie punishing action. The HD version adds multitouch controls for even more zombie mayhem.

Pocket God: Journey To Uranus, $4.99 – [Forum Thread] – This not-so pocketable version of Pocket God comes with an awesome new space interface, two new minigames, and other fun things. And of course, Bolt Creative is promising tons of updates.

Space Miner HD, $2.99 – [Forum Thread] – We absolutely adored the original Space Miner in our review, and while it would be cool if the game was universal, this is one HD we don't mind re-buying.

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, $6.99 – [Forum Thread] – Mortal Kombat with Retina Display graphics? Street Fighter proved that a fighter could work well on the iPhone, and hopefully Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 continues that tradition.

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Riven: The Sequel to Myst [$5.99] might have just been ported for the last time. (Eh, who are we kidding.) Developed in 1997 for the PC, Riven has seen releases on the Mac OS, Pocket PC, the original PlayStation, and even the Sega Saturn. This morning, Riven was released for the iOS a little more than a decade after its original creation.

As its name outright says, Riven is a continuation of the Myst series. It's a point-and-click adventure locked in a first-person perspective, much like its forerunner. And it features a similar approach to puzzle design and basic world navigation. Essentially, you're a walking monkey wrench that can fuss with levers and various other mechanical devices in addition to being able to decipher codes and symbols.

If you've played Myst proper or Myst [$4.99] iOS, in other words, you'll probably feel right at home with Riven.

Our forum members have been pretty excited for this port and seem happy with it thus far, which is to be expected. Cyan Worlds, the original developer of Riven and Myst, are the dudes making Riven iOS possible. They kind of know what they're doing at this point, you know?

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