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Any truly diehard arcade shooter fan will have heard of Cave. Founded in 1994, the Japanese gamemaker is responsible for some of the most highly acclaimed scrolling shooters to have ever appeared in an arcade. With their 1995 release of DonPachi, the company created a new, intense genre of shooter known commonly as the "manic shooter" or "bullet hell" shooter, in which the screen is almost entirely filled with enemy fire, and successfully evading said fire requires extreme control precision and skill. It's a prevalent genre in Japan that is far less-represented in the West. (Some such titles readers may be familiar with include Ikaruga (Xbox 360, Gamecube), Triggerheart Exelica (Xbox 360, PS2, Dreamcast)  and Noiz2sa [App Store].)

In a move that should have iPhone shooter fans standing up and cheering, Cave has just thrown their hat into the iPhone gaming ring with their port of the 2005 Japanese Arcade / Xbox 360 release Espgaluda II [App Store]. A sequel to the original Japanese arcade and PS2 release, Espgaluda II is a bullet hell-style shooter that was released in 2005. The iPhone version seeks to bring a fast-action, arcade quality shooter experience to our favorite mobile platform.

The first thing I said to myself upon jumping into a game of Espgaluda II was, "finally!" I've long lamented the fact that the iPhone 2D scrolling shooter experience was, across the board, pretty much a slow-motion affair as compared to that of even much older consoles such as the Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation. Cave's first iPhone shooter throws an x/y scrolling backdrop along with an incredible number of moving objects onscreen at once, and the whole thing just flies. Fast action at a super-smooth framerate. (There's a settings option to set the screen size, if you want to tweak performance a bit.) It's certainly the most impressive iPhone shooter to date from a technical standpoint. But all this pixellated magic didn't come without a price; Espgaluda II presently only runs on the iPhone 3GS and the iPad (with 3G iPod touch support coming soon in an update). Older devices just can't push this scale of pixels, it seems.

Gameplay involves using touch controls to maneuver your craft about the playfield, destroying enemies, dodging their fire, and collecting Spirit Stones and power-ups. Along the left or right of the screen (user's choice) are special function buttons that trigger a Guard shield / attack mode, Awakening mode (more on this later), auto-fire on / off, and weapons mode select — some of which may not be presented depending on the control mode you've chosen, among Simplified, Normal, and Expert. The touch controls work quite well and offer better control than either the stick or D-pad of the earlier arcade and Xbox 360 versions. Thankfully, you can tap and hold some distance from your onscreen craft to control it without obscuring your view of it.

Each level is concluded by a boss battle, some quite lengthy, that really puts your control savvy to the test. Keep a finger hovering over that shield trigger when a boss comes out to play…

From an artistic standpoint, the game really stands out. The backdrops are very well done and the enemy craft objects are highly detailed. There's so much color and graphical complexity onscreen — and zipping around at a breakneck clip — that it probably takes the smallest hit in running pixel-doubled on an iPad than any iPhone game I've seen. In fact, the larger screen image makes dodging enemy fire a bit easier than on the iPhone. The iPad is my personal platform of choice for this one.

A lively soundtrack featuring audio similar to other such Japanese shooters accompanies gameplay and adds to the overall feeling of intensity. (Cave released the game's soundtrack on CD back in 2006.)

The iPhone version of Epsgaluda II features two modes of play. There's the Arcade Mode, which stays close to the arcade original and the Xbox 360 version — but in the case of the latter, this has been a source of complaint for some, as far as the somewhat unclear scoring system. Cave addressed this by adding an iPhone Mode, which features a scoring system that the developers feel makes more sense for mobile play. As well, the iPhone Mode features a new Awakening Pulse attack where you can turn enemy fire into the green Spirit Stones that you want to collect, increasing your multiplier and protecting your ship at the same time. Across both of these modes are Novice, Normal, and Hard difficulty levels.

The game utilizes OpenFeint for various in-game achievements and leaderboard tracking to keep things nice and competitive.

I am a particular shooter fan, but the bullet hell variety is not my very favorite flavor. Despite that, I fell quick and hard in love with Espgaluda II. It is easily the best 2D shooter experience in the App Store. I spent most of the day plowing through wave after wave of some of the most dense bullet swarms I've ever encountered and found it quite difficult to put down in order to start this review. I moved frequently between the iPhone 3GS and iPad to get a good feel for gameplay on both devices and it was fast-paced and frenetic fun, whichever device I used.

If you own an iPhone 3GS and are a fan of the manic shooter — go buy this game right now. If you are a general shooter fan and feel that you're up to facing the dense and constant volleys of enemy fire that this type of shooter brings — go buy this game right now. At present, Espgaluda II has no peer in the App Store.

The game is currently listed at an introductory price of $4.99, down from the standard price of $8.99.

App Store Link: Espgaluda II, $4.99 (limited time)

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Cave's Espgaluda II appeared in the App Store tonight. This vertical shooter falls in the "bullet hell" subgenre where your job includes dodging waves of endless projectiles. Espgaluda II was originally released as an Xbox 360 game earlier this year and is now making its way to the iPhone.

Due to the number of projectiles in the game, Espgaluda II requires a 3rd generation device. This includes the iPhone 3GS, 3rd Generation iPod Touch and even the iPad. In fact, the game plays pretty will on the iPad with pixel doubling as the added screen size seems to make navigation a little more precise. That's not to say the iPhone 3GS version is lacking. In our brief time with the game, it seems to deliver on the promise of "bullet hell" with smooth visuals and solid controls.

The video shows the manic action involved in the iPhone release:

While you can touch anywhere on the screen, the play field is inset a bit to allow you a bit of room to swipe your finger. It works well prevents any obscuration of your ship with your finger.

The game has 3 levels of difficulty, multiple control setting options, and both iPhone and Arcade modes. The embedded video gives a great walk through of the game and the intense action.

App Store Link: Espgaluda II, $4.99 (3GS, 3rd Gen iPod Touch or Pixel-Doubled on iPad only)

Note: The game will reportedly not install on iPod Touches (even 3rd gen) at this time. This should be easily fixable by the developer in time.

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The use of a movie license, particularly one as huge as Star Wars, usually brings with it the gloom and doom of expectation– and more often than not– subsequent frustration too. It is fortunate then that no one expected THQ Wireless' latest release, Star Wars: Cantina [App Store], a surprisingly well rounded, if light-hearted time management game.

Time management games invariably adopt a similar formula– impatient, fussy patrons, frantic table-to-table action and an upgrade system that assists you in serving even more impatient and fussy patrons. Though Star Wars: Cantina doesn't deviate far from this mould, when the subject matter concerns a spark from Lucas' brain matter, you just know you're in for something special. In this case a humorous back-story of an indebted bartender ties the gameplay together with an intermittent comic strip filling in the details.

The stars of this Star Wars saga are undoubtedly the customers though, who start off as mere moisture farmers, but progress over the 16 levels of the Campaign to introduce Jawas, Bounty Hunters, Gamorreans, Twi'lek Smugglers, Stormtroopers and even Hutts! Each of these archetypes have different personalities, framed in terms of levels of patience and their generosity. It wouldn't be a Star Wars Cantina without a bar brawl either, an event that easily results if you leave some of the more volatile patrons waiting– much to the chagrin of your property.

As each level is completed you are able to retrofit your bar with equipment that helps soothe your clientele, and assist you in preparing drinks all the more promptly. Controlling Nia (our hero) is effortless, and despite the the initial tutorial being somewhat confusing, you will quickly be zipping around the bar sending patrons to their tables, taking their orders, and cleaning up after them too. The challenge comes in taking the right drinks to the right patrons and ensuring you manage their moods– for example, moisture farmers can wait all day but Stormtroopers had better be served pronto. The gameplay isn't all that complex– you don't have to manage prices or supplies of drinks — but we think Star Wars: Cantina actually benefits from adopting a more light-hearted approach; placing the difficulty on the customer types and numbers instead.

Star Wars: Cantina has an enormous amount of personality instilled in it by its excellent artwork and the hallmark (and very familiar) Star Wars tunes pumping through the bar. A particularly nice touch was how all our favorite Star Wars tracks have been jazzed up to suite the bar environment. With a Career mode and an Endless Shift mode, where your current upgrades can be put to use to see how long you last before any patrons up and leave, there's also quite a bit to do in Star Wars: Cantina too. For high score seekers, both modes have leaderboards that can potentially add even more replayability to what is already a game of reasonable length.

Without a doubt, the biggest thing that Star Wars: Cantina has going for it is how successfully it captures that Star Wars charm– from the music to the background art and the notorious characters you encounter– you almost expect Luke and Han to walk through the door next. So if you're a Star Wars fan and have even a remote interest in time management games then Star Wars: Cantina is very easily recommended. Hardcore fans of the genre though may feel it skimps on the traditional micro-management of products due to its simplistic formula. We understand too that this is a niche genre and not even the Star Wars licence will change people's opinions of a play style that has remained largely unchanged since Lemonade Tycoon.

App Store Link: Star Wars: Cantina, $4.99.

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Apple's devices almost seem built for pinball. It just feels right seeing a pinball table running below the elongated glass touch screen. It's a well represented genre on the App Store with many quality options available. Recently, there's been a brand new game released, a significant update to an existing game, and a new app that gives you a truly unique experience while playing pinball on your Mac (and PC soon too), all of which are worth a mention.

Multiball Pinball ($1.99)

The newest game from Matmi, makers of Monster Pinball, is another blisteringly fast game with a focus on multiple balls in play. Unlike more traditional tables, this game makes it easy to unlock multiball modes and ensures that you're almost always playing with at least 2 balls concurrently. It features the same fantastic graphics and art designs that are a hallmark of Matmi games.

The only downfall here is that there is just this one table when their other games feature at least three, however this one table is well designed and extremely fun to play. If you liked Matmi's previous pinball offerings, you will most certainly like this.

Pinball Ride ($4.99) and Pinball Ride (Free)

Although released last November, Pinball Ride never gained much notoriety due to a difficult table design and a relatively higher price. Well, Massive Finger has been hard at work since then and have released a 1.1 update that really improves the game greatly. Certain aspects of the table have been reworked to be more forgiving, and in turn the game is overall much more fun. It's a completely 3D table which looks impressive, and the pinball action is fast and smooth.

The $4.99 price still may be a bit high if you're not a pinball fanatic, as there's only the one table. A lite is available to try so you can determine for yourself if you want to plunk down the cash. The lite features a Burst Mode that puts 45 seconds on the clock to play and achieve a high score. This isn't nearly enough time to get a good feel for the game. Fortunately, the developer has created a TouchArcade exclusive link to get 5 free credits of unlimited play in the lite. Each game lasts a long time, and 5 credits should be more than enough to help you decide if you're into it or not. Definitely worth trying out.

Pinball Remote App (Free)

Gameprom is known for bringing out high quality pinball games at extremely low prices. Their Wild West, The Deep, and Jungle Style games have all seen a lot of success. Now, all three of them are available on your Mac. The Pinball can be downloaded from Gameprom's website for free with Wild West already included. For $2.99 each, you can download The Deep and Jungle Style as well.

The interesting thing is that the only way you can purchase these additional tables is as DLC through the Pinball Remote App itself. Besides acting as the online store for The Pinball, the remote can also control the game on your Mac via Wi-Fi. Sit back and relax as you control the flippers, plunger, and tilt on your computer screen using your iPhone or iPod touch. It works well for the most part, although I encountered occasional lag with my screen taps on the remote triggering the flippers in the game. Still, it's a really fun concept to use and since The Pinball and Pinball Remote are both free, you can try it out without risk. The Pinball is currently Mac only, but Windows users can join in on the fun in the next month or so.

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After starting on the Amiga 17 years ago, Babylonian Twins has finally been released — but on the iPhone platform. Babylonian Twins was started in 1993 by Iraqi developer Rabah Shihab.

Babylonian Twins is s a puzzle-platformer with two-character tag-team type play. The game has been entirely revamped since the original Amiga version and includes all new graphics and audio.

First impressions of the game are very positive. You control two characters, Nasir and Blasir, in order to solve each levels. Each character has some special abilities, but only one can be active at once. Switching between the two is as simple as tapping on a button — leaving the unplayed character as a statue. You'll find you need to tag team to make your way past puzzles and obstacles, and even use the other character as a springboard to jump higher. Blasir can jump higher, and dash into walls, while Nasir spin to break through weakened floors. The game is a collaborative effort between the two characters.

As all virtual control systems, the d-pad suffers some from a lack of tactile feedback, though not sure if that is avoidable. We'll spend some more time with the game for a more formal review. The game is available for both iPad and iPhone.

App Store Links: Babylonian Twins (iPhone/iPod Touch), $2.99, Babylonian Twins for iPad, $4.99

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Here's Part 2 of our iPad Game upgrade guide. Again, to be clear, most of the games we are discussing are great iPhone games. The question is whether the sold-separately iPad versions are worth paying for if you already own the iPhone version. If you've never played any of these games and own an iPad, the HD version is the one to get.

Here's our general rule of thumb:

• Don't own it yet? – You need the iPad version if there is one.
• Hated it on iPhone? – With few exceptions, an iPad version isn't going to magically turn your opinion on a game. Most games are very familiar to the originals with only a few visual tweaks and controls.
• Loved it on iPhone? – If you absolutely loved a game on iPhone, it's worth upgrading. Practically all games gain some benefit from an increased sense of immersion that hardcore fans of a given game are going to appreciate. But, if you've already finished a game on iPhone, the incentive is less to upgrade depending on what's the developer might have included in the iPad version.

Here's our Part 2 list of recommendations on upgrading.

Recommended Upgrades

Labyrinth 2 HD ($7.99)
iPad Features: iPad specific levels
With a bigger screen, Labyrinth 2 HD allows for even more elaborate levels filled with tons more obstacles than would ever fit on the iPhone screen. Just like the non-HD version, there is a seemingly endless supply of level packs to download and the top down tilting control method works very well with the iPad. Labyrinth 2 HD is also a great game to load up when showing other people your iPad, as it is not only visually impressive, but playing the game itself requires almost no explanation.

Scrabble for iPad ($9.99)
iPad Features: Play up to 25 multiplayer games and new "Party Play" game mode.
The increased display resolution allows players to view and interact with the entire board at once, but the coolest feature of this new version of Scrabble is party play. In this game mode, the iPad acts as the host for the game and displays the game board. Players then use the free Scrabble Tile Rack [App Store] running on an iPhone or iPod touch (or even their own iPad, I suppose) to see their rack of letters. Playing Scrabble this way with over $1000 of electronics for a four person game might be overkill when you can pick up a copy of the board game for under $20… But that isn't anywhere near as cool.

Need for Speed Shift for iPad ($14.99)
iPad Features: 8 New Cars, Physics-based acceleration, improved manual controls
Racing games are surprisingly good on the iPad. Being such visual games, the improved graphics add to the immersion. Despite concerns about the heft of the iPad, you can easily position yourself in a way where it hasn't been an issue. Depending on your taste in racing games, you should pick up this one or Real Racing.

Real Racing HD ($9.99)
iPad Features: Apply images to your car, ghost racing and new controls
As mentioned, something about these high quality racing games just pop on the iPad. Real Racing is more of a sim-racer than Shift. Depending on your taste in racing games, you should pick up this one or Need for Speed.

Civilization Revolution for iPad ($12.99)
iPad Features: World/Scenario Creator
Because of how Civilization Revolution was developed, all ports of the game from the PC, to the iPhone, to the XBOX 360 are very similar with only graphical and user interface differences. It's nicer to play on the iPad because of the extra screen space, and unlike the iPhone version, when you pan around the map the terrain doesn't constantly disappear and redraw. The maximum zoom in the iPad version is more expansive so if you plan on spending any time in the game, you should get the iPad version. Screenshots of Max zoom: iPad, Pixel Doubled

Words With Friends HD ($4.99->$1.99)
iPad Features: Redesigned user interface.
Gameplay is identical to the free version of Words With Friends [App Store] which looks pretty good scaled up. If you're a heavy player, however, the UI changes are nice. We were actually torn on this one, but the price drop to $1.99 pushed us over the edge to recommending it.

Maybe

Plants vs. Zombies HD ($9.99)
iPad Features: Survival mode, New Mini Game, New Achievements.
Survival mode implemented, also, graphics look absolutely amazing at 1024×768. Other than that, gameplay and controls were fine on iPhone but both the native and pixel-doubled versions seem slightly easier on iPad since everything is bigger. If you need/want a survival mode, however, only the iPad version has it (so far).

Not Recommended

Dungeon Hunter HD ($6.99)
iPad Features: On screen mini-map
Graphics look great and plays surprisingly well on the iPad's screen. Also includes a transparent mini-map which isn't there on the iPad version. I do like the button arrangement better on the iPad version than the iPhone version, so if I were to play through it all, I'd go with iPad. But if you're already played it, there's no new content.

Modern Combat ($6.99)
iPad Features: On screen mini-map.
Actually feel the higher resolution screen comes in handy in this as you are often trying to pick off distant targets with your scope. The first person controls on the iPad are passable, but not as tight as on the iPhone. Again, no new content here so unless you are looking to play the game over again or are a big time online player, it's a pass.

Command & Conquer Red Alert ($12.99)
iPad Features: Includes 6 Skirmish Maps that were DLC on iPhone version
One of the biggest disappointments given the excitement regarding the potential for desktop-like RTS games on the iPad is how little effort went in to the iPad version of Command & Conquer Red Alert. The game is identical to the iPhone version (+DLC), rendered at 1024×768, and significantly marked up in price. Screenshots: iPad, Pixel Doubled

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It seems like I just wrote about this game a few days ago but we have some more information to share with you. Just in case you don’t remember, ESPGALUDA II is a bullet hell shooter from Cave, the leader in creating games of this type. Our forums have been buzzing about this game since it was first announced. If you watch the new game play video we have below you will see why.

The official word on the release date is April 10th, 2010 with an introductory sale price of $4.99. The normal price is going to be set at $8.99. There will also be a lite version so you can see if you can handle bullet hell games before you buy. Also worth mentioning is, the game will only run on the iPhone 3GS and the 3rd generation iPod Touch. I can't wait for this one to come out.

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On Saturday, Apple released their latest device that runs iPhone OS — the iPad. The iPad joins the iPhone and iPod Touch in Apple's lineup of mobile touch-screen devices. As expected, the first thing that many iPhone/iPod Touch developers have ported their games over to the new device to take advantage of the higher resolution graphics and larger screen size of the device. For brand new iPad device owners, the question becomes — is there any reason to upgrade my existing game to the iPad-specific "HD" versions.

Eli, Blake and I have been trying out nearly all of the HD versions of existing iPhone games over the weekend to see how they fared on the iPad. Overall, I'd say we were very impressed with iPad gaming as an experience. The larger screen size really does add a lot of immersion to practically every game we've tried. Enough that if you are an iPad owner, as a rule, you are going to want to buy the HD version of new games going forward. While pixel-doubling of existing games works reasonably well, they simply don't live up to the experience of playing a native full-resolution version. Beyond the obvious graphical improvements, in many instances, developers have made adjustments to on-screen controls to accommodate usage patterns on the iPad.

For those iPad owners who already have an extensive backlog of iPhone/iPod Touch games, however, the upgrade decisions tend to be more difficult. Is it worth spending money on upgraded versions of your favorite iPhone games? That's what we're hoping to answer here. Here's our general rule of thumb though:

• Don't own it yet? – You need the iPad version if there is one.
• Hated it on iPhone? – With few exceptions, an iPad version isn't going to magically turn your opinion on a game. Most games are very familiar to the originals with only a few visual tweaks and controls.
• Loved it on iPhone? – If you absolutely loved a game on iPhone, it's worth upgrading. Practically all games gain some benefit from an increased sense of immersion that hardcore fans of a given game are going to appreciate. But, if you've already finished a game on iPhone, the incentive is less to upgrade depending on what's the developer might have included in the iPad version.

Fall somewhere in the middle? Here's our Part 1 list of recommendations on upgrading.

Recommended Upgrades

Creeps HD ($3.99)
iPad Features: All new Maps.
Tower defense games really benefit from the larger screensize. Everything is easier to see, tower placement is easier and more accurate, and for Creeps HD, you also get brand new maps. So even if you've played through the original, there's more to enjoy in this sort-of-sequel.

Flight Control HD ($4.99)
iPad Features: Three new HD airfields, Co-operative multiplayer on single device, Split-screen vs mode, 3D (magenta/cyan) mode.
A larger screen isn't just a pretty picture for Flight Control, it really changes the gaming experience. Full-size maps add new dimensions to the game, while it also comes with existing levels. This is more than just a simple upscale.

Zen Bound 2 ($7.99)
iPad Features: New levels, new gameplay mode (paint bombs)
For such a visual game to begin with, the iPad version of Zen Bound 2 benefits greatly from the larger form factor of the iPad. The graphics and effects are much enhanced making the experience nicer. Note, however, there are a few performance and control glitches in the game in the initial release. This is a side-effect of developers not having units in hand until now. We've heard from Secret Exit that iPads being Fedexed to them as we speak to address these issues. So, we have confidence updates will come.

Not Recommended

Sword of Fargoal Legends ($7.99)
iPad Features: None
Sword of Fargoal plays much nicer on the iPad's screen given the extra real estate, but given the zoomability, you can replicate the views on the pixel-doubled version. If you're a Fargoal addict, it's going to be worth it, but for everyone else the gameplay of the pixel-doubled version seems pretty identical. Screenshots: iPad, Pixel Doubled

iBlast Moki HD ($4.99)
iPad Features: None
Despite the larger screen, the game doesn't play very differently between the iPhone version. Perhaps a testament to the good zooming mechanism in the original. In fact, aside from a few jaggies, the game plays quite well in pixel-doubling.

Fieldrunners for iPad ($7.99)
iPad Features: None
Without new features, it's hard to recommend upgrading this one, even though the larger screen size makes it feel nice. But here's a tip: you can play with the same size/perspective using the pixel doubled version.

Angry Birds ($4.99)
iPad Features: None
iPad resolution allows you to more precisely line up your shots and everything still looks nice when zoomed out, but without new levels, you're just playing the same levels again.

Soosiz HD ($4.99)
iPad Features: None.
While we absolutely adored the original Soosiz, the iPad version of Soosiz HD doesn't bring much new to the table. The gameplay is identical and the levels are the same, so beyond the novelty of playing on the iPad screen, there's not a whole lot of reason to come back. Video: iPad, Screenshots: iPad, Pixel Doubled

Glyder 2 for iPad ($4.99)
iPad Features: Touch controls, enhanced map / navigation system, 3D world viewer.
Glyder 2 benefits from the iPad's larger screen in helping to convey a more immersive sense of flight than the iPhone version, but again, unless you were absolutely gaga over the first, there's not a lot new to see.

Minigore HD ($4.99)
iPad Features: Premium (iPhone in-app purchase) characters included, Touch controls
Upscaled graphics look great, but the controls actually take a hit on the larger form factor of the iPad. The developers have added touch screen controls as an alternative, but we still prefer playing this one on our iPhones. Video: iPad

Part 2 coming soon.

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On April 10th Cave, the world leader in bullet hell shooters, are releasing ESPGALUDA II on the iPhone and iPod Touch. You might of played or seen this game already on the Xbox and you should be happy to know this is pretty much a direct port, other than the new iPhone game mode.

ESPGALUDA II will have two modes of play, iPhone and Arcade. The Arcade version is just like the Xbox/Arcade version with the controls obviously modified for a touch interface. The iPhone version adds new game play with the “Awakening Pulse” system. This is where you tap the screen to send out an energy blast that changes enemy bullets in to spirit stones. Spirit stones are used to protect your character, which is great since everything else on the screen is trying to kill you.

With shooter games, the controls are obviously very important and you don’t want them to hinder your view of the action. Cave feels they solved this with track pad like controls at the bottom of the screen. I have played other games that used this method and found it a dream to use once you get the hang of it.

It’s rumored that the game will only run on the 3GS and 3rd gen Touches. This is expected with the about of sprits that are on the screen at the same time. Older models will probably have unplayable frame rates for this kind of game.

ESPGALUDA II is expected to be released April 10th for $4.99. The response in our forums has been very positive and expectations are high for this game.

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Alright, so here's the deal- The amount of iPad games out there on day one is beyond overwhelming. In the interest of getting something up on the site, here's some brief first impressions of the games we're going through as quickly as possible. Right now we kind of feel like kids in a candy store with hundreds of different kinds of candy while thousands of people stand outside with their face plastered against the window yelling "How does it taste?!"

We'll likely do in-depth coverage of most of the games that stand out, but for the time being, if you just got home with an iPad and are totally lost with where to start you can follow along with us going through these games. These aren't in any kind of order, rather, these are just the games that jumped out at us first.

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Real Racing HD, $9.99 – One of the biggest surprises for me with the iPad is how immersive racing games are, especially when in cockpit mode. The iPad feels a little on the heavy side until you get used to using it as a steering wheel, but a 1024×768 screen so close to your face really makes for a cool gameplay experience. For more details on Real Racing, check out our review. The game itself is very similar to the iPhone version, but with much better graphics and a hefty heap of immersion.

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Need For Speed Shift for iPad, $14.99 – Much like how we mentioned in our in-depth preview of the iPhone version, it's really a toss up as to which game is better between Need For Speed and Real Racing. Much like Real Racing, the game looks great on the iPad and I absolutely love the in-car view with the feel that comes with using the iPad as a steering wheel. Currently, Need For Speed costs an extra $5 over Real Racing, but if you prefer the arcade style of racing in the Need For Speed series, don't let the higher price tag scare you away.

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Touchgrind HD, $7.99 – If you're at all in to finger boarding, or liked the iPhone version of the game, you need Touchgrind HD for your iPad. The extra screen real estate of the iPad really improves gameplay, as you can see so much more and can actually plan out lines to skate instead of just bumping along looking for ramps and rails. The two player mode is super cool, and the amount of customization in the game between different skateboards rocks. Something to keep in mind is that this game controls like you're using an actual finger board just like the original, so there can be a somewhat sizable learning curve as you learn how to handle your board.

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Labyrinth 2 HD, $7.99 & Labyrinth 2 HD Lite, Free – Following the previously mentioned racing games, Labyrinth 2 HD was yet another "Oh wow, this is really cool" experience on the iPad. We absolutely loved Labyrinth 2 when it was first released for the iPhone, so it's not much of a surprise that the game is even better on the big screen of the iPad. Seriously, download the lite version if nothing else. The pseudo-3D tilting effect looks even better on the iPad.

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Harbor Master HD, Free – Line drawing games work fantastic on the iPhone, and they're even better on the iPad. The control method feels completely natural, and the game gets even more hectic because of how much more you can have on screen at once. If you've got an iPad, you definitely need to grab Harbor Master HD while it's free. (Heck, grab it even if you don't have an iPad just in case they raise the price.) The main down side to the game is it only includes one map, but if you get bored of Harbor Master HD and are craving more line drawing chaos management there's…

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Flight Control HD, $4.99 – The original Flight Control for the iPhone was a runaway classic, and I expect the iPad version to see the same success. Along with the HD upgrade comes even more maps, two player mode, and other fun stuff. Honestly, Harbor Master HD and Flight Control HD are both worth owning, and each game serves as a fantastic example of how to do a great job in taking a solid gameplay concept for the iPhone and making it even better on the iPad. I can't say enough good things about both games.

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Azkend HD, $4.99 – The original Azkend I think is the only puzzle game for the iPhone that I completely beat. The control mechanic employed is this neat mixture of matching and line drawing, which you can read all about in the review of the iPhone version. I really, really liked Azkend, and am more than a little disappointed that it doesn't seem that the HD upgrade brings much new to the table. The art definitely looks amazing at 1024×768, but if you're like me and have already annihilated Azkend on the iPhone you can probably skip the iPad version. If this is the first you've heard of Azkend, then the iPad version is fantastic.

Dual Stick Shooters

We've tried both Geometry Wars ($9.99) and Mini Gore HD ($4.99) and so far, we're not crazy about the feel of dual stick shooters on the iPad. We're not sure if there's a learning curve that we have to master, but it comes as a surprise given how naturally suited they were on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Geometry Wars looks and sounds great, but I couldn't get out my mind the thought that I'd rather be playing it on my iPhone. We'll spend more time with these and more titles and let you know our final conclusion

Positioning

Perhaps related to the dual stick shooter feel is that with the iPad I'm far more aware of my position and how I'm holding the device. Whether in my lap, or on the couch or holding it up, I've had to consciously juggle it around more than my iPhone due to the increased heft. In the long run, this may affect the type of games I want to be playing on it.

Tower Defense Games

So far every tower defense game I've tried has seemed to be absolutely perfect for the iPad. The HD upgrades also look beautiful.

The Creeps HD, $3.99 and Fieldrunners for iPad, $7.99 have controls that work great with the device, and panning around the map is a thing of the past with the iPad.

…Stay tuned for even more game impressions

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