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Gameloft's Real Soccer 10 [$6.99 / Free] successfully launched last year on the back of realtime online multiplayer, being the first iOS soccer sim to offer across the globe head-to-head. Competitors quickly took note, so that this year the focus was supposed to be on improving laggy online multiplayer and pushing the boundaries of the iOS hardware. With PES 11 just launched internationally (coming to the US soon) and the better-funded Fifa 11 [$4.99] launching last week (with Fifa 11 receiving a tentative thumbs up from us) is Gameloft's claim on the virtual soccer market dwindling? We take it for a run to find out.

Of all the soccer sims released last year, with X2 Soccer 2009 [$4.99] being the only one not already mentioned, Real Soccer 10 sadly took the back-seat in the graphics department. Things seem to have notably improved this year, with the addition of high definition Retina Display support and much more attention spent detailing each player and arena. That's not to say that you'll be able to identify any real likenesses, as in Fifa 11, as models remain largely generic. This is worsened by the fact that Gameloft lack of official licensing– many teams suffer from having randomly populated player names. Stadiums and crowds do look better this year, though again Gameloft doesn't have the licences required to emulate the former, and the latter suffer from blocky models and ugly texture work when shown up close.

One of the things Gameloft did deliver on last year, was a very fluid style of football, with an almost arcade spin on it. That's continued through in Real Soccer 2011, with performance being a real winner, particularly when compared with Fifa 11 which we struggled with in its as-yet unfixed, laggy state. Unfortunately, with all the improvements the other franchises have made to address realism and to take an accurate account of player skill, we're not confident that Real Soccer 2011's instant passes and exaggerated accuracy in front of goals will be appreciated. The AI certainly doesn't do this any favors either, often gifting the game to you (even on highest difficulty levels) through silly mistakes such as pausing when intercepting the ball, or failing to track their runners entirely.

Where Real Soccer 2011 does lead the pack, is in its approach to the control system, with an integration of on-screen gestures and sensible button combinations, and a much-needed sprint button (addressing my persistant woes with the virtual stick). Only an A and B button is present on-screen, and these two buttons handle all the inputs that other games struggle with just fine. Through balls are simply made by holding the B (pass) button, while crosses require the B button to be dragged up slightly. One-Twos are intuitive too, with a simple double tap of the B button getting the job done. Complex dribbling moves like the Marseille Roulette and flip-flop are cake in Real Soccer 2011, with just a quick circle or double tap anywhere on the screen needed

Real Soccer 2011 also boasts a ton of game modes, though very surprisingly, online multiplayer is entirely omitted. Still, you'd be hard pressed to top Gameloft's efforts here, as they've included Seasons, Leagues, Cups (Yes, there's a Champions-league-alike too, in the Euro Cup), Historic Games, Training, Penalty Shoot-Outs, and even an RS League, where your winnings contribute to an overall online ranked leaderboard. Additionally, there's an 'Enter the Legend' mode, Gameloft's take on EA's "Be a Pro" mode in past games, where you are given control of a single player in a selected team and the AI plays around you. Our time with this mode led to more frustration than anything else though, as you're left at the mercy of the sub-standard AI (even randomly subbing us off) and the on-screen controls do nothing to help your situation. We ended up giving Enter the Legend a wide berth in the end.

Though there were things I loved in Real Soccer 2011, I can't help but feel that although Gameloft have taken 3 steps forward from last year, it hasn't been enough to keep up with the improvements we've seen in Fifa 11 and X2 Football 2010 [$6.99 / Free] this year. With an emphasis amongst the big names on bringing console-quality football to the iOS, Real Soccer 2011's notable lack of licenses, average, repetitive commentating and just plain awful AI only serve to underline Gameloft's flailing grasp on the market. What Real Soccer 2011 does have going for it however, is a successful implementation of Retina support, as Fifa 11's iPhone 4 support is dismal at this stage pending a critical fix, and PES 11 seems to have foregone Retina support altogether. As far as the gameplay goes however, particularly with the lack of online multiplayer from last year that made it a hopeful contestant, Real Soccer 2011 will likely appease only the casual soccer fan, once again playing second fiddle to the big guns.

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Gameloft's Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus [$6.99] hit the US App Store mere moments ago. I spent most of the day today playing through the single player game, but need to wait for the multiplayer community to pick up a little bit to get a feel for the seemingly extensive online multiplayer before posting our full review. What I can say right now is that if you're willing to disregard the fact that Modern Combat 2 plays like every other modern military-centric first person shooter, you're going to be in for a treat. Much like Modern Warfare 2, Modern Combat 2 hops around between characters and combat scenarios, and while it all feels a little disjointed, it is a lot of fun. Quick time events have been implemented, you often play with AI-controlled team mates, and the Retina Display-friendly graphics look great in action.

As far as online play is concerned, you'll be able to play in 10 player multiplayer games both locally and over the internet. Four multiplayer modes are included: Deathmatch, team deathmatch, defuse the bomb, and capture the flag. As you play online, again much like Modern Warfare 2, you gain experience for nearly every action you do, and then rank up through 72 different ranks each with their own associated rewards and weapon unlocks. The few games I've been able to play have been largely lag free, and a great time.

Stay tuned for our full review which will be up ASAP, but in the meantime, if you're looking for people to play online with or want to check out reader impressions stop by the thread on our forums.

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As someone who was completely engrossed in the console wars of the 16 bit era, I took great pride in boasting about all the things Sega did that Nintendon't. (Of course as soon as I discovered RPG's on the SNES I flip flopped, but I digress.) The original Sonic the Hedgehog was an amazing game, and the rest of the series on the Genesis was just as good, if not better as they introduced both Tails and Knuckles. Unfortunately, with the advent of 3D gaming came 3D Sonic, and since then Sonic games haven't really been the same. Sure, there have been some fantastic 2D Sonic games for handhelds (the Gameboy Advance ones were particularly good), but the flagship Sonic games have been bad for years. That is, until today.

Sonic 4 [$9.99] has likely been in development for quite some time now, but was only first announced in late 2009 as the cryptic "Project Needlemouse" which was later revealed to be a return to classic 2D Sonic gameplay. Since then, the Sega hype machine has been in full force releasing various mysterious updates to the Sonic 4 web site, teaser trailers, screenshots, and development delays. In other words, Sonic 4 has a lot to live up to.

Sonic 4 is being released in episodes, with today's release as the first installment. Episode 1 comes packed with four zones: Splash Hill Zone, Lost Labyrinth Zone, Casino Street Zone, and Mad Gear Zone. Each of these zones are flavored with themes from classic levels of Sonic's past, with Splash Hill and Casino Street by far being the most memorable. Each zone is host to three acts and a boss fight. After beating the zone's boss, you unlock Time Attack mode which switches the game in to what Sonic games are best at: Going as fast as possible. Also worth mentioning are the two levels that are exclusive to the iPhone, but until the other versions of the game come out it remains to be seen how much different these exclusive portions are.

Controls are surprisingly decent for a game series originally designed with a physical controller in mind. By default you use a virtual joystick of sorts and a single button which handles everything else. Alternatively, a tilt control mode is included, but I found touch controls to feel far more natural. Like previous Sonic games, you can spin dash, and Sonic 4 implements a new lock on system of sorts which targets enemies and obstacles you can jump on to. When the game targets something, tapping jump sends Sonic shooting that direction, allowing you to precisely bounce off multiple enemies with ease.

Since Sonic games are all about speed, performance is arguably just as important as gameplay. Because of this, I busted out my entire library of iOS devices to see just how good of a job Sega did at optimizing Sonic 4 for the iPhone. After syncing the device to everything from the original iPhone to the iPad and iPhone 4, I'm more than a little surprised by the results. Performance obviously suffers with older devices, but Sonic 4 is completely playable even on the original iPhone. Oddly enough, the 3rd generation iPod touch seems to boast the highest frame rate, followed by the iPad pixel doubled, then the iPhone 4.

The level design is classic Sonic, with tons of loops, corkscrews, rings, recognizable power ups, and bonus stages. While Sega seems to have succeeded in bringing back the classic Sonic feel, the content included in the first episode seems like a tease after so much waiting. Sonic 4 is a ton of fun, but it's over before you know it, and without online leaderboards of any kind, I'm not sure how much appeal there will be in replaying levels for higher scores or lower times.

While the performance is certainly good enough to be fun, it's nowhere near the solid 60 FPS I had hoped for– even on newer devices and to make things worse, Retina Display support is nowhere to be found. The first episode of Sonic 4 will also be available on the Wii via WiiWare, the Xbox 360 via XBOX Live Arcade, and the PS3 via PSN in the next couple days. So, if you own any of those systems, you can consider waiting to see how those versions of the game are reviewed, especially considering the fact that Sonic 4 will be in 1080p on both the PS3 and 360. Otherwise, if you're looking for a very fun taste of what a Sonic game should be like on the iPhone, we recommend Sonic 4… Just be fully aware that it will likely leave you unsatisfied with an intense longing for the release of the next episode, and I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing or not.

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During a Capcom Media Tour event yesterday, I had a chance to take a look at a new app they are developing called Capcom Arcade. More than just a collection of arcade titles, the idea behind Capcom Arcade is to give players the same warm and fuzzy feelings of visiting an actual arcade during the golden age that was the 80s and 90s. Bouncing in and out of different games, deciding which ones to spend your tokens on, and achieving unique goals for a particular game are all components of the arcade experience. These themes are what make up the Capcom Arcade shell that will house their classic titles.

Capcom Arcade will be free to download and initially contain four games: Street Fighter II, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Commando, and 1942. The plan is to add at least one new game every month to fill up the arcade, and there are several different ways to go about playing the games contained within. Every day you'll receive a ticket that is good for a limited number of free plays for whatever games you choose. The final number has yet to be finalized, but will likely be between 3 and 5 free plays per day, though the unused ones won't carry over to the next day. If you run out of free plays but would like to continue playing, you can visit a young lady at the cashier counter and buy tokens as in-app purchases. Finally, you can also choose to flat out purchase any of the arcade games for unlimited play.

Aside from buying play time for the games you'll also have the ability to purchase special in-game items, which are essentially cheats. For example, in games like Commando or Ghouls 'n Ghosts you'll be able to buy additional bodily protection that allows your character to absorb more hits before dying, rather than the one or two hits that would kill them normally. Also, since many of these classic arcade games have such a brutal degree of difficulty, you can choose to play a special iPhone-specific version from the options. This version will be more forgiving than the original, taking into account that virtual controls are not always ideal for certain games. This currently only applies to Ghouls 'n Ghosts but may be a feature in future games down the line as well.

I had a lot of fun in the time I played Capcom Arcade, and it definitely has a ton of potential given Capcom's huge library of classic games. The controls and performance were really impressive for each of the respective games, and Capcom was quick to point out that they aren't technically being emulated but rather are the original games reworked for the iOS platform. I really like the novelty of being able to buy tokens to play games, or just outright purchase the ones that I'll want to play a lot of. Plus, having a new game release every month will always give gamers something to look forward to as the arcade fills up with machines. One big part of the arcade experience that is missing here is some form of multiplayer, but Capcom assured me that it's something they are definitely interested in adding down the line but would most likely not make the initial release.

Be sure to stop by the upcoming games thread in our forums to discuss Capcom Arcade and check out screenshots of the individual games, and be looking for Capcom Arcade to release in the App Store early next month.

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There are few things I like more than a good Viking game, especially one that is centered around a unique idea and colors it up with plenty of Viking humor. Two of my favorites that come to mind are Axe in Face [99¢] and The Horrible Vikings [$2.99], and now I can safely add I-play's Vikings Row! [99¢] to that list as well. In Vikings Row! you'll control a viking ship by rowing through twisting and turning levels, all the while collecting loot and avoiding hazards in an effort to get to the finish line before time expires. It uses a really clever control mechanic, has a wonderful art style, and a ton of content to play through including earning medals for each level and unlocking achievements. Every once in a while a game comes along that just feels right on this platform, and Vikings Row! is one of those games.

Controlling your ship in Vikings Row! is akin to controlling a tank. You'll swipe upwards on both sides of the screen in unison to move forward, and swipe downwards to slow down or move backwards. Swiping either the left or right side turns the ship, and swiping up on one side and down on the other causes you to turn more drastically. If you've played Vector Tanks Classic [99¢] or Extreme [$1.99], then you'll recognize the controls in Vikings Row! as being really similar, though from a top-down perspective rather than a first-person one. It just feels natural, like each swipe of your thumb is acting as one side of the ship's oars. A very nice tutorial level eases you into things, and with a little practice you'll be pulling off all kinds of maneuvers in your Viking ship.

The levels in Vikings Row! are twisting waterways laden with hazards and coins. The goal is to complete the level before time runs out while collecting a target number of coins and avoiding sharp rocks and wooden spikes in the water. Each time you hit one of these hazards you'll lose one of your Viking comrades, and if you lose all five then you fail that level. Each of the 48 levels are cleverly designed with hidden nooks and crannies that will reward the curious with extra coins. A minimum number of coins must be collected to earn a bronze shield and pass the level, with silver and gold shields attainable if you can collect enough loot.

Cruising around in my ship and beating the levels in Vikings Row! is a ton of fun, but there are a couple issues that bugged me. For one, the game can be really difficult. Just beating some levels with the minimum coins required is a challenge, and going back for silver or gold can be downright brutal. It's a satisfying feeling obtaining gold for a level, but it can come with some frustration. Another thing is when starting a level the camera quickly pans over the whole area, but when you're actually playing it can be difficult to tell where you're going. With so many branching paths that lead to dead ends an overhead minimap would be useful, though this is also part of the game's challenge. Also, while you must beat a level within a certain time limit, it doesn't keep track of how fast you do so. Online leaderboards would add even more replayability to each level and allow you to compete with friends for best times.

Even with these minor complaints, there is a lot to like about Vikings Row! The cartoony graphics look great and are Retina Display-ready, and in-game cutscenes and dialogue are really humorous. Just controlling the ship through the waterways is a lot of fun, and attaining medals on each level is a real test of your skills. The game does get pretty hard, but in an inviting sort of way that begs you to keep retrying until you finally have that one flawless run. If you have a penchant for pillaging, swilling brew, beards, collecting loot, and cruising around in your mighty Viking ship, then take a look at Vikings Row!

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Fishing games are a niche genre, little heard of before the popularity of the iOS touch and tilt interface. Games like Flick Fishing and Fishing Kings have introduced many newcomers to the sport in a more arcade-like way that has proven quite successful. So much so in fact that mega-publisher Activision have ported their take on angling to iOS, in Rapala Pro Bass Fishing [App Store], a universal app for the iPad and its smaller siblings.

Rapala Pro Bass Fishing starts off with a gutsy speedboat cutscene, in typical Activision flair. The intro movie kicks off what becomes a trend in your fishing career, as each victory is met with an over-the-top cutscene looking more like an MTV award night. Fortunately, everything in Rapala Pro Bass Fishing looks as great as these movies do, particularly the in-game environments which are fully fleshed out landscapes across many fishing hotspots.

In this respect, Rapala Pro Bass Fishing has addressed the crticisms of similar games that have come before it, and ensured a wide variety of locations that are completely explorable in your trusty speedboat. There aren't just several static fishing locations to cast your line at, but instead at each locale you unlock, there are a number of potential fishing spots to set your anchor at, necessitating your use of a trusty map to find the exact one with the species you're currently looking for.

There are two modes in Rapala Pro Bass Fishing, a Seasons mode and a Free Fishing mode. The latter is self-explanatory, but the Seasons Mode is ultimately where the majority of your fishing time will be spent. You start Seasons mode at the rookie level, where you are given 6 tasks to complete before being able to take on tougher challenges at other locations. Tasks include things like finding a particular type of fish, or catching a fish above a certain score grade, or even full blown fishing tournaments against several computer controlled opponents. Tasks are usually timed, with tournaments extending to 15 minutes at times. With as many of these as there are in Rapala Pro Bass Fishing, expect to be in for the long haul, as this is one heavy tackle box of goodies.

The actual fishing technique varies slightly between these games, but I was disappointed that Rapala Pro Bass Fishing opted for a much more casual, arcade heavy approach to the more technical fishing mechanics. This translates to a monotonous, toned down process of steering your boat via accelerometer to a large beacon of light (selected on your GPS map), casting your line by flicking your device forwards, then engaging in a series of gestures to hook your fish. Gestures change depending on the lure you have selected, but all are a simple combination of device tilts that help to pad out the fishing process.

Once your bait has been taken, you must tilt your device again to hook the fish (a bar will appear to show you the best time to do so) and then start reeling by circling the on-screen reel. Then the fun should begin, for as any salty sea dog will tell you– it's the thrill of the fight that counts. And in Rapala Pro Bass Fishing, this process is simplified so much that we may as well be playing kindergarten fish magnet games. Reeling in your fish is as simple as staring at the tension meter, waiting for it to rise, then tilting your device to one side. Your rod is always centred on your screen, and the only movement possible is left and right movement. Dipping your rod, lifting it to pull taut your line, pulling it from side to side to tire the fish…none of that is emulated here, which is disappointing.

If it weren't for the huge number of unlockables available; from rods, lures, fishing spots and new locations (that you buy through money earned in Seasons mode), that fact alone would steer us away from Rapala Fishing. iPad users are at least treated to a special local multiplayer fish-off that we can only hope makes its way in some form to all the devices. That aside, the fishing never seems to get truly challenging; and unlike some of the better fishing games, the whole process here does get repetitive. Still, you do have to appreciate the efforts put into Rapala Pro Bass Fishing. With 60 individual events, voiced commentary and multiple explorable locations, Rapala Pro Bass Fishing high production quality could still appeal to the more casual fishermen.

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One of my real iPhone favorites — a game that I actually play for fun (a rare thing, given the number of titles we move through to find the gems among the chaff out there) — is Imangi's Harbor Master [link], which The Independent recently dubbed the third best app in the App Store. And the iPad version, Harbor Master HD [link] is the best Harbor Master experience to be had, thanks to the device's large display. Happily, Imangi's v2.0 Harbor Master update, which went live just a few hours ago, brings some of that big-screen detail to the iPhone 4's Retina display.

Imangi lists the enhancements in this update:

• Completely remastered high resolution graphics for the iPhone 4.
• New level! We adapted Cargo City, our most popular map from the iPad version, for the iPhone screen. It has 3 cargo types, so it takes "multitasking" to a whole new level.
• iOS4 multitasking support.
• Fixed twitter support so you can tweet your scores again.
• Rotation support, so you can hold your device however you want!
• A ton of bug fixes.

Imangi's current graphics guy, Kiril Tchangov, reworked all of the game's original art from scratch, putting his own, more "painterly" spin on the design, the studio tells us.

I think most people will be most excited about the new level, Cargo City. Cargo City is our most popular map from the iPad version, so we really wanted to bring a version of it over to the iPhone. It works really great on iPhone. With 3 cargo types, you have to turn on another part of your brain to control all those boats. You'll really like it. Here is the iPad version right next to the iPhone version, so you can see how we had to change it around to adapt it to the smaller screen.

The Harbor Master v2.0 update is a free download for current owners of the game.

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There are a ridiculous amount of these see how far you can go vertical climbing games on the App Store, and much like the match three genre, classics like Doodle Jump [99¢], Mega Jump [Free] and others overshadow most new releases. Argentinian iPhone developers Hungry Game, creators of Fly Kiwi Fly decided to throw their hat in to this overcrowded ring, and wound up with Sir Lovalot [99¢]– A jumping game that manages to set itself apart with cute graphics, a fun premise, and loads of collectable loot.

Sir Lovalot plays a lot like similar games in that you're tilting your device to the right or left to control your character who is constantly jumping whenever he has solid footing on a platform. The first thing you notice while playing is that instead of jumping on a 2D plane, Sir Lovalot climbs a Rapunzel-like never-ending 3D tower. Tilting causes your knight to spin around the outside of the tower, which will have platforms on all sides of it. Platform types include standard stone platforms, breakaway wooden platforms, spring-loaded platforms, platforms that turn in to spikes, spikes themselves, and others. Not being to see all sides of the tower provides a considerable challenge as you get farther in the game, as often times the path upward isn't as clear as similar games where you can see all of your options at once.

The difficulty of Sir Lovalot is defrayed a bit in a number of ways. First off, you're able to fall back down a few platforms without penalty, and you start the game with three hearts which get spent each time you hit a set of spikes. To balance this, you're constantly under the pressure of a timer that is refreshed at checkpoints along the way up the tower. While being able to miss a jump or land in spikes a few times makes the game feel more forgiving than most, goof up too much and you'll run out of time before reaching the next checkpoint.

As you make your way up the tower you'll find various pieces of loot to collect which also add to your total score. Sir Lovalot has OpenFeint integration for online leaderboards, which undoubtedly will soon be dominated by people far better at the game than me. To see what Sir Lovalot looks like in action, check out the following video:

I totally dig the theme of Sir Lovalot, and really can't help but smile as he performs various acrobatics while twirling his sword around in the air ascending the tower. The only thing that really sticks out as an annoyance is that the game uses a single fairly obnoxious spring sound each time you jump. This quickly gets incredibly tiring, but thankfully, sound effects can be turned off in the game's options. If you're looking for a new game to satiate your need to jump forever, give Sir Lovalot a try.

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Classic arcade game fans were extremely excited when developer Taito announced at E3 2010 that a Bubble Bobble game would be coming to the App Store. They then revealed at this year's Tokyo Game Show that the game would be called Bubble Bobble Double, and would feature an authentic port of the original arcade game as well as a new style game based on the Bubble Bobble universe. Just a couple of days ago, Taito tweeted a short gameplay video of this new mode, and later tweeted another video of the classic mode in action. Earlier today, Bubble Bobble Double [$4.99] went live in the App Store. After giving both game modes a thorough spin, I'm definitely left with mixed feelings.

On one hand, it's incredible to have the original Bubble Bobble arcade game with me at any time on my device. All one hundred of the original levels are here, with the original music and sound effects that are so near and dear to many gamers' hearts. The problem is that all this nostalgia is represented on a tiny game screen with virtual controls that leave a lot to be desired. I understand Taito's dilemma though, as thumbs would just block too much of the gameplay if they had the game running on a larger portion of the screen. There is a zoom option but it really only makes the screen marginally bigger, and while the game is still very playable it's harder to enjoy on the small screen.

The virtual controls themselves work alright, it's just that Bubble Bobble is a game that really requires tactile feedback while playing. It can be really frustrating trying to focus on the onscreen action and end up losing a life because my finger slipped off of the virtual d-pad, or that I accidentally hit jump instead of shooting a bubble. Again, it's not unplayable by any means, just not ideal. One cool aspect of the classic mode is that you can choose to bring the second player into the game at any time. This player is controlled by AI and helps you defeat the enemies on each level. For a game that was really at its best with two players in the arcade, this is a neat addition, although I'd love to see an actual two-player mode via WiFi or Bluetooth.

The new mode found in Bubble Bobble Double is where the package kind of falls flat. Here, your character sits in a fixed position as enemies attack in various formations from every angle. Tapping an enemy puts them in a bubble, and tapping them again pops that bubble thus defeating the enemy and giving you a fruit bonus. The blast from the bubble popping can destroy other enemies near it, similar to how chain reactions are caused in games like Splode [$1.99] or Sneezies [99¢/Lite]. Enemies trapped in bubbles can also be flicked around the screen to get them near other enemies to set up combos, or combine with others trapped in bubbles to create an even bigger bubble to pop.

The new mode has plenty of levels, collectable items, and online leaderboards through OpenFeint. The problem is that it's just not very much fun. Gameplay consists of mostly mindless tapping, and enemies enter the screen too quickly to really utilize any kind of strategy by flicking them around and creating combos. Most levels can be completed easily by just frantically double tapping every enemy, and you're really only ever in danger if you do try to go for elaborate scoring opportunities. After playing through some of the zones in this new mode, I honestly just wasn't compelled to keep going.

The classic mode in Bubble Bobble Double can still be a lot of fun despite its shortcomings. The ability to continue as many times as you want or start a new game from any previously beaten level are nice touches, and the pseudo two-player aspect actually adds to the experience. As for the new mode, it's just plain underwhelming compared to the timeless gameplay and design found in the original game. Depending on how big a fan of Bubble Bobble you are, you may find Bubble Bobble Double a solid purchase. I've easily spent much more than the price of this game both in arcades and on home console versions over the years, and I'll make do with the less than ideal screen size and controls just to enjoy the game over again. But if you were looking for an innovative twist on a classic game like what was found in Taito's Space Invaders Infinity Gene [$4.99/Lite], then you'll most likely be left disappointed.

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It's been a while since we've posted a whole mess of HD games for our iPad readers to sink their teeth in to. We've taken a look at the iPhone counterpart of all of these games before, and while most of them only have a few features with mentioning that are exclusive to the iPad (aside from high-resolution graphics), the wait is over if you've been holding out for a HD release.

Ninjatown: Trees Of Doom! HD!, $2.99 We had a great time with the iPhone version of this game when we reviewed it, and the iPad game comes with the same great ninja jumping gameplay that any fan of see how far you can climb games like Doodle Jump will love. One thing that made Ninjatown awesome on the iPhone was its crisp cartoony graphics which turn in to a blurry mess when run at 2x mode on the iPad, a problem that has since been solved by this HD release.

Cubed Rally Racer HD, $1.99 I still play Cubed Rally Racer a ton after our overwhelmingly positive review of the game, and since the tracks in the game are completely randomized, it really never gets old. Cubed Rally Racer HD is the same game with one major difference: Split screen multiplayer. The non-HD version looks OK running at 2x mode, but if you’ve found yourself enjoying single device multiplayer as much as I have on the iPad, you’ll have a ton of fun playing split screen.

Skee-Ball HD, $1.99 Apply the incredibly recognizable brand name of Skee-Ball to Gravek’s 10 Balls 7 Cups, and you’ve got a game that has spent nearly as much time on the best selling lists as Doodle Jump, Pocket God, and other classics. The HD release comes with the same ball rolling gameplay along with four optional DLC packs to customize the lanes and balls.

Zentomino HD, Free Little White Bear Studios’ released the iPhone version of Zentomino early last year, and the HD version plays identical with one major difference- It’s totally free with optional level packs available via in-app purchase if you find yourself wanting more after playing through the included levels. Definitely grab this one, especially if you share your iPad with kids, since the game is simple enough for everyone to enjoy.

Land Air Sea Warfare HD, $9.99 It’s extremely rare to find a realtime strategy game on the iPhone that’s fun to play due to just how much is going on in your typical RTS which doesn’t really lend itself to the limitations of a small touchscreen to control the battle. Land Air Sea Warfare blew us away in our review, providing an excellent pocketable RTS experience. The HD version is even better, and it works so well that playing it will really make you crave ports of RTS classics like StarCraft or the Warcraft series on the iPad more than ever.

Highborn HD, $2.99 There’s quite a few good turn-based strategy games on the App Store, but Highborne is one of the great ones. We really liked the gameplay, graphics, and everything else in our initial review of the iPhone version. Much like Land Air Sea Warfare, Highborne HD is a little bit easier to control on the large screen of the iPad and looks great in high resolution.

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