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This afternoon I chatted with Brian Howard, founder of InMotion Software, who explained that the next iteration of the I Dig It series was submitted to the App Store today. After downloading a preview build of the game and installing it on my iPad, I can say with utmost confidence that iPad-owning fans of the I Dig It games are going to be in for a treat.

If this is the first you've heard of these games, here's what you've been missing: Around the time of WWDC last year, the original I Dig It [99¢] hit the App Store, and if it wasn't for a surprising amount of people talking about the game at the event, it likely would have never even appeared on our radar at all. In the game, you pilot a retrofitted farm tractor turned subterranean digger in attempts to raise $100,000 to save the family farm. Luckily, the ground under said farm is absolutely chock full of valuable things to dig up, and gameplay amounts to drilling tunnels, collecting diggin's, and selling your spoils to purchase various upgrades for your digger.

I Dig It was a huge success, topping the iTunes sales charts in a number of countries including the United States, so a sequel was only natural. I Dig It Expeditions [$2.99 / Free came next, expanding on the original gameplay of I Dig It as you take your digger on the road and search for archeological treasures in exotic locations such as the Antarctic tundra, the South American Amazon, and even under the ocean.

We loved both games in our reviews (I Dig It, I Dig It Expeditions) and lite version of Expeditions is on my short list of games I automatically recommend to anyone with a new iPhone asking me what games to try. So what's new with the iPad HD edition? Well, first off like many iPad adaptations of iPhone games, you can see substantially more of the game's environment. Also, your digger's radar has been moved from a completely separate screen to a mini-map that is always in the top left corner. These two things alone really improve the game, as being able to see more of your elaborate tunnel system and not needing to page back and forth between the radar makes for a much better overall experience.

The content of I Dig It HD is similar to Expeditions, although not exactly; so even if you've made it all the way through Expeditions, the HD version should still be worth playing. Also, there are new iPad-only challenges not found in the other games. However, the absolute coolest addition to I Dig It HD is the included level editor which fully utilizes the iPad document handling system to allow you to create, share, and import custom levels made by other people.

According to InMotion Software, the editor is what they're calling a beta, and is a little rough around the edges. Regardless, it still works well enough. Much like the document handling of the iWork suite, you can import/export custom levels via iTunes or by either emailing or clicking a link to a .idigit file. Even in its current state, it seems like there is quite a bit of potential if the level sharing community takes off– Something InMotion Software is waiting on to determine how much more development effort to invest in the level sharing and creation system.

As mentioned previously, I Dig It HD has already been submitted to the App Store, and barring any unforeseen rejections or other issues, should be available very soon. As far as how many of these enhancements will make their way to the iPhone, according to Brian Howard, the ability to import community created levels is a "real possibility" but due to differences in screen size they don't see a level editor on the iPhone.

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Splinter Cell: Conviction on the X360 and the PC evoked mixed reactions from reviewers and consumers alike as it departed from the traditional stealth-centric Sam Fisher formula and opted for a more aggressive, guns-blazing approach. Gameloft's portable adaptation follows in the same vein, but also seems to introduce some of its own issues.

From the onset it is clear that Splinter Cell Conviction is one of the better looking games on the App Store. This can be attributed predominantly to its terrific looking and varied level themes, from grand historical Maltese buildings to dock-side marketplaces and even a trip to the middle east, Splinter Cell: Conviction does a great job keeping the eyes engaged. The storyline on the other hand is fairly disengaging; cycling through the usual cliches and predictable plot-turns as Sam seeks revenge for his daughter's murder.

As with most 3rd person games on the App Store, Splinter Cell Conviction is controlled with a virtual analogue stick and on-screen buttons. These buttons are context-sensitive, the action button changing between firing your weapon at range and grappling enemies when up close. Though the context-sensitive controls should work well, we felt that they haven't been executed as well as they could have.

The stick-to-cover button doubles as the multi-kill button, but often when the multi-kill option is present, Sam will instead opt to stick to cover (despite that button not even being visible at the time it was pressed). In fact, we found the cover system to be unresponsive in general, often impeded our control of Sam. Only designated objects can be used as cover (despite some looking blatantly like they are there solely for cover), and when in cover, even the slightest movement of the analogue stick can cause Sam to jump out in the open.

A similarly arbitrary feel permeates the shooting system in Splinter Cell Conviction, arguably the largest aspect of the revised not-so-stealthy gameplay. Rather than being able to shoot at whatever is under your cross-hair, it appears that Sam can only engage in enemies when the crosshair turns red. On many occasions, this is despite the enemy being in plain sight and well within range. In other situations, Sam can headshot an enemy at great range with a pistol– when the red crosshair permits of course.

The AI is another problematic area, but not to the degree that some readers have suggested in our forums. Enemies will sometimes run at Sam without restraint, gratuitously falling to his bullets, and at any difficulty level below the hardest, will take a very, very long time to take Sam down. Enemies seem to be a more than a little light sensitive too, often ignoring Sam despite him standing on their toes, so long as he remains out of the light. Despite this, enemies flow thick and fast and provide enough of an obstacle to keep the pace up and Sam constantly engaged.

As do the levels themselves, as though they are predominantly about taking cover and dispatching enemies, they are varied in both theme and substance too. Some levels force Sam to engage with the few gadgets at his disposal, such as peeking under doors or throwing camera grenades to get an edge over his enemies (though usually these are not at all required to actually complete a level). Another level has Sam aboard a speed-boat, a graciously on-rails sequence that lets you deviate from the ordinary pace of the game and mow down approaching enemies with a chain-gun. It's good fun that helps break up the 11 available levels.

Ultimately though, we think Splinter Cell Conviction's biggest problem is how successfully it recreates that Splinter Cell feel. If the game didn't look and sound so great, then its obvious mechanical and AI hitches wouldn't seem so glaring in contrast. While we may be holding the game to somewhat higher console-like standards as a result, that feeling is something that was inescapable and interfered with our overall enjoyment of the game.

App Store Link: Splinter Cell Conviction, $9.99.

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Daredevil Dave: Motorcycle Stuntman! is the inaugural release from developer M-Digital Media (aka schplurg, long time TouchArcade forum member). It places you in the role of a stuntman traveling the globe earning money by performing insanely dangerous motorcycle jumps, and looking stunningly handsome while doing so. The goal is to land each stunt in as few tries as possible, so as not to blow all your profits on expensive medical bills from crashing. It's an entertaining blend of strategy and action wrapped in a very humorous package, and is quite impressive for being the very first game from a new indie developer.

The game's main Tour mode consists of 18 different stunt levels, unlocked one after the other. Certain elements of each stunt are randomized each time you play, such as the length of the jump or height of objects like flaming hoops. Your job is to determine the appropriate angle of the launch ramp and proper speed you must travel to land safely intact on the other side. You would think that important details like these would have been carefully calculated before attempting such deadly feats, but Dave doesn't do things that way. He strongly believes in appearance first, safety and planning second. Thus, the task of properly negotiating him across each jump happily falls on you, the player.

Each level in Daredevil Dave is incredibly imaginative in design and objective. Sure you'll be jumping over busses, through rings of fire, and across canyons (you know, typical daredevil stuff), but there's also more exotic challenges like a lava jump inside a volcano and launching over a tank of man-eating sharks. Figuring out the best way to land each jump takes trial and error, and thankfully there's a Practice mode where you can try each one as many times as you wish. It's imperative that you do so, as each failed attempt in Tour mode can be costly, but is made slightly arduous by forcing you to back out to the menu each time you want to practice. Also, scrolling through each level one by one in this mode can be a pain. However these UI issues are only a minor annoyance, and could easily be more streamlined in an update.

Upon starting a level, you're shown a zoomed out side-view of the area where the stunt takes place. Here you can see what components make up the jump, the distance between the starting and ending ramps, and adjust the launch ramp angle. Once you've scoped out the scene to get an idea of what you're supposed to do, and have set your ramp incline, you exit this screen into a first-person view of Dave on his motorcycle, complete with handlebars and a speedometer. Dragging an onscreen throttle accelerates you towards the launching ramp, but no steering is required. There are also a couple of options if you prefer having a different angle on the action, but unfortunately there's no replay function for reliving particularly memorable moments.

Successfully landing a jump is a satisfying feeling, but at the same time it's even more satisfying to spectacularly crash and burn in a failed attempt. Luckily the developer realizes this, and once you've beaten all 18 levels of the Tour you unlock Injury mode. This is basically the opposite of Tour mode as you try to purposely crash Dave in the most elaborate way possible, with your score being based on how large of a hospital bill you can rack up. Dave can be lit on fire, chopped up in helicopter blades, run over by freeway traffic, attacked by sharks, and more. Put simply, crashing is a blast, and if you like games like Stair Dismount or Max Injury there's a lot of that same type appeal in Daredevil Dave.

The core of the game is a trial and error trajectory game, but there's so much personality and creativity in this game it's hard not to like it. Between the humorous dialogue, Dave's Duke Nuke'Em style one-liners, and the brutally painful looking bails, I was grinning the entire time I played. The gameplay is fun and well-suited to the iPhone, and there's a good amount of challenging content. There's a few rough-around the edges aspects to it but at it's $0.99 sale price, it's still a bargain for the amount of entertainment. Don't feel bad if you find yourself purposely steering Dave into the shark tank for your own sadistic pleasure – I do that too.

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Two big pieces of news just leaked out of the Sega HQ, and it's really a toss up as to which is the more substantial tidbit to gamers. Around these parts, most will likely be much more interested in the fact that Sonic 4 is officially coming to the iPhone, just as we suspected in early February of this year. We don't know much more than that currently, although it's likely safe to assume the game will be controlled like other platformers on the device and hopefully will perform much better than the emulated Sonic games previously released by Sega.

Secondly, the release of Sonic 4 has actually been pushed back by Sega to "ensure that Sonic 4: Episode I is a game worthy of bearing the weight of its name." This marks a substantial change of pace for Sega, as the entire Sonic series, arguably going all the way back to the Dreamcast, have been decidedly mediocre. As a proud console warrior who grew up in the heat of the battle between Sega and Nintendo, nothing makes me more happy than Sega actually giving a Sonic game the attention it badly deserves.

Stay tuned for more details on Sonic 4, and if you're really craving some Sonic action on the iPhone check out Sonic the Hedgehog [$5.99] and/or Sonic the Hedgehog 2 [$5.99]. They're both emulated games, and a little hard to recommend for reasons detailed in our Sonic 2 review, but if you really want a Sonic game on your iPhone, there is no substitute.

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Following on the heels of the recent rerelease of Edge [$2.99] comes Mobigame's next title, Truckers Delight: Episode 1 [$2.99], an episodic retro styled arcade racer. Based on an incredibly not work safe video filled with pixel art, cartoon nudity, and many other potentially offensive things by director Jérémie Périn, Truckers Delight: Episode 1 seems to be based on just the first segment of the video in all of its 8-bit glory. Presumably, the other portions of the video will be coming as their own episodes in the future.

In Episode 1, you play as a truck driver chasing a girl in a sports car down the highway. The iTunes description mentions similarities to the classic Sega arcade game OutRun, which couldn't possibly serve as a better comparison. Tilting the phone controls your truck, and all you do is chase the girl, ramming her car whenever possible for points. A countdown timer is constantly ticking away which is refreshed by passing checkpoints, and during your pursuit you will need to fend off angry police, bikers, and avoid a constant onslaught of traffic that will slow you down.

Several power ups can be picked up during your adventure. So far I've come across three: A set of horns that allow you to ram other cars off the road easily, a rocket booster that sends you flying towards the next checkpoint, and a tongue attack point multiplier. You can also honk the horn of your truck, this doesn't seem to do anything, but I can't seem to help myself from doing it almost constantly.

Truckers Delight: Episode 1 includes an odd amount of cartoon nudity for a game on the App Store. Not only does it include the first portion of the original video, but when you pick up the power up to let your tongue fly, it quite literally results in an on-screen explosion of naked women.

I've actually had a surprising amount of fun with Truckers Delight. Mobigame did a great job of nailing the feel of endless retro racing games, and the difficulty ramps up nicely requiring quite a bit of concentration as you dart between oncoming cars in your 18 wheeler. Truckers Delight features online leaderboards which are already loaded with scores that are about twice as high as my best score, and it's hard to not get in to the catchy soundtrack included with the game.

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The sequel to arguably the best soccer game on the iPhone is now available, and it's even better. X2 Soccer 2010 [$6.99] brings improvements to graphics, controls, computer AI, new game modes and more teams.

X2 Soccer 2010 has over 150 club teams to choose from in 10 different leagues, plus international teams from all over the world. This includes U.S. Major League Soccer, Spanish, English, French, Italian, German leagues and more. There are a vast amount of more teams than last years version to play with.

The six game modes are Quick Match, Penalty Shootout, Training, Tournament, Dream Team, and Multiplayer. In Tournament mode, there are 30 tournaments to compete in to win and collect the cups to keep in your trophy room. In the all new Dream Team mode, players must use their skills to create the ultimate team of their own. You start out with poor quality players and work at improving them by competing in Multiplayer, Tournament and Quick Match modes for tokens. These tokens can then be used to scout and recruit quality players from across the globe, to help create the ultimate Dream Team. And Multiplayer mode is where you can play against a friend on local wifi, bluetooth connection, or in a new online option to play against people all over the world. The online option works surprisingly well, but obviously depends on your internet connect for best results. Playing online does not work over 3G or EDGE networks, so you must be connected to a wifi network to play.

The control layout is essentially the same as X2's previous game, with a little refinement. You'll find the virtual floating joystick on the left and the three 'X2 S.M.A.R.T.' buttons in the bottom right corner. The three buttons are slightly adjusted and re-positioned, but offer the same great control system. Of all the soccer games, this layout is my favorite, rather than the traditional "A" and "B" buttons offered in the others. Each button has its own ability depending on if your attacking or defending, with options of pass, lob, cross, one-two, through ball, and shoot on attack and pressure, slide tackle, switch player, and goal keeper charge on defense. The buttons can be tapped, double tapped, or held down for the more advanced controls. When a button is pressed, a power bar appears above the player signifying the level of strength to be used. I don't find the controls to be confusing at all. They are both easy to use for beginners yet fully functional for skilled players.

The game also has enhanced defensive and offensive AI players. The AI players are much smarter now, forcing you to play smarter. If you are finding the game a little easy as you get better, you can ramp up the difficulty in the settings to easy, good, hard, or expert. You have full customization on the settings from what is displayed on the screen while playing, weather, rules, stadium, commentary, replays, favorite team, team/player names and more. There is also a crawl on the bottom of the screen with real life information coming from an RSS feed that you can edit, the default one gives you lots of great soccer information that is going on in the world.

The full 3D graphics are much improved and even more impressive than X2 Soccer 2009, which were already top notch. X2 Soccer 2010 runs super smooth while playing on my iPhone 3GS and there are also 3GS-specific optimizations that were made to accommodate the faster hardware. Some 3GS users are reporting that they are experiencing some lag in their games, but I haven't experienced any. Meanwhile, reports from other device users seem to be fine.

Overall, X2 Soccer 2010 is one of the top soccer game experiences right now on the App Store. Konami will have a tough time out doing X2 with their upcoming Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 game. You will not be disappointed with X2 Soccer 2010, if you are holding out for an enjoyable soccer game, look no further.

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There's been a host of high profile vertical shooters released on the App Store, from the hardcore Espgaluda II [$8.99 / Free] to the whimsical Doodle Flight [99¢, but one game that's quietly flown under the radar is Gamelab's Roswell Fighter [99¢ / Free / $1.99 (HD)]. Released last October, it offered solid shooting action, exceptional graphics, and a charming theme thick with 1950's UFO paranoia that managed to win over a modest group of fans despite not getting much exposure. With a recent update adding two brand new levels and a native iPad version released last week, now is a great time to give Roswell Fighter a look.

The action in Roswell Fighter is above average, although nothing groundbreaking. Using either touch or tilt controls, you'll pilot your plane across 11 different levels, doing your best to blast down an onslaught of aliens who are invading Earth. Your main cannon can be upgraded multiple times, and a few special weapons can be collected throughout the game to further enhance your offense. One such weapon uses collected orange stars dropped by defeated enemies to fill a gauge that unleashes a devastating laser. Another brings two wingmen to your aid for a short time, increasing your firepower to nearly the whole width of the screen. And of course, there's a screen clearing bomb you can collect and use. It's pretty standard stuff, but enjoyable nonetheless.

The developer does throw in some elements to break up the more traditional gameplay, with mixed results. At times, a short “quick time event” will pop up and task you with appropriately pressing a series of buttons in order to continue on. It's a nice idea, but ultimately feels too simplistic to really add much to the gameplay besides a brief break in the shooting. Other times you'll be avoiding environmental hazards, such as giant saws and gears, or a maze-like path of mines. These sequences actually test your ability to fly precisely, and feel a bit more successful than the QTE portions. At the very least it's nice to see a developer trying some new ideas while treading such familiar territory.

While the gameplay itself is certainly engaging enough, it's the look and style that really sets Roswell Fighter apart from other shooters. The backgrounds are beautifully detailed, and look especially crisp on the iPad. The enemies are all rendered in 3D, and despite some slightly jagged edges, have a nice colorful look and good variation in design and attacks. There's a few boss fights throughout the game that feature huge enemies with multiple hit points that must be destroyed. The bosses tend to be rather easy, but are pretty impressive to look at.

The first 6 levels take place on a war torn Earth, but midway through level 7 your craft comes upon a mysterious hangar in Area 51. After flying through the hangar, and a short QTE, your plane emerges as an alien infused fighter jet. The Earth is then promptly blasted into two by the aliens, and you take your fight into orbit. The rest of the game has you battling through space, adding new enemies and attack patterns, with the final level taking place on the alien's home planet.

It's these changes in scenery and gameplay that make Roswell Fighter fun to play. The space portions have a high level of action, and the final level in particular is both challenging and graphically breathtaking. The first portion of the game on Earth is fun as well, but maybe lasts a bit longer than it should. If anything, these last levels serve as a reward for those who play through the whole game, and I would love to see some more levels based on the alien's home planet in future updates or a sequel.

When played on the iPad, Roswell Fighter really shines. The game is fun on the iPhone, but like any game that is controlled with your finger, a sizable portion of the screen can be obstructed at times. This issue is completely eliminated on the large screen of the iPad, as even with your finger all over the screen, it never seems like you're covering much of the action. The HD version only has a $1 premium over the iPhone version, and is recommended if you own an iPad.

Overall, Roswell Fighter does everything extremely well and is one of the better shooters available. It really is a beautiful game, and we were surprised at how fun the game was to play on the iPad. If you stick through the slightly sluggish first half of the game you'll be treated to a highly satisfying second half. My strongest point of contention is with the game's music, which sounds era-appropriate but doesn't fit in well with the onscreen action at all. Luckily, this can be disabled in the options. Besides that there's really not much to dislike about Roswell Fighter, and at 99¢ and $1.99 for the iPhone and iPad versions respectively (as well as a lite version), it's a real bargain for such quality content.

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Less of a game and more of a demonstration of each and every working part in 5 different handguns, Gun Disassembly is a technical app with an extraordinary amount of detail in both the included weapon models and their many animated parts.

To begin, there are two handguns to choose from, the Colt 1911 and Glock 17. Selecting one of these enables you to view a complete demonstration of the gun being completely disassembled and then re-assembled. The demonstration and the game component itself is set around a 3D model of the weapon, with the camera able to zoom and pan around various components. The demo runs through the correct steps (complete with full animation of even the smallest screws being removed) and the game mode then has you replicating these steps to achieve the best time score possible.

The controls are straightforward– you merely need to select the correct component on the gun, and then press an on-screen button to remove it automatically. It sounds easy, but when there are excess of 50 steps to take in the correct order, it gets quite challenging; particularly if, like us, you have very little knowledge of how these things work in the first place. The camera is controlled by the traditional swipe to pan and pinch to zoom gestures.

High scores are recorded on the OpenFeint platform, and an additional 3 handguns (the Desert Eagle .44, Sig P228 and Baretta 92 FS) can be purchased for $0.99 each to further your high scores. There are also 5 OpenFeint achievements awarded for completing any of the games without using the in-game hint system.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1wp192D8j0

Though it is promoted as a game, Gun Disassembly 3D is nonetheless a technical app with very limited appeal. That didn't stop it from piquing at our curiosity however, as it can be quite a singular experience to see a firearm like this being taken apart before your very eyes, let alone being able to go about it yourself.

App Store Link: Gun Disassembly 3D, $0.99 (With In-App Purchases of $0.99 each).

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The multi-award winning game Edge [$.99] by Mobigame returns to the App Store again, in the U.S. and United Kingdom. If you haven't heard by now, there has been an ongoing legal battle over a trademark dispute on the name "Edge". Resulting in the game being pulled off the App Store multiple times and being resubmitted with different names like EDGE, EDGY, and Edge by Mobigame. Well it looks like the battle is over, as the game has reappeared and Mobigame says:

Thanks to us the word "edge" is now free to exist on the App Store like on any other marketplace, and games like Mirror's Edge, Shadow Edge, Killer Edge Racing or Edge by Mobigame can live on our iDevices.

Edge is a game where you are in control of a colorful cube that you must guide through multiple 3D isometric mazes, packed with puzzles to solve and challenges to overcome. With the choice of touch or accelerometer controls, as you can see in the video, the game requires quick thinking and skill to make your way through all the mazes.

Overall, Edge is a great game that we thoroughly enjoyed playing and recommend that you pick it up. Especially since, the game is on sale this weekend to celebrate its return to the App Store once again. Normally $4.99, the game is currently only $.99, so now is a better time than ever to pick up this excellent game. And hopefully Edge is here to stay for good.

App Store Link: Edge, $.99

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