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Back in the Summer of 2009, Flight Control [99¢/Lite/HD] had just sparked off the line drawing craze in the App Store. But before the market was completely flooded with “me too” clones that brought nothing new to the formula, Imangi Studios had released Harbor Master [Free/HD], a line drawing game very similar to Flight Control but with its own unique twists.

Obviously, the premise in Harbor Master differed by having the player direct boats into docks rather than planes onto landing strips, but it went a bit deeper than that. Boats that were destined for particular docks came in various sizes and speeds, and you’d need to wait for the ship to unload its cargo before directing it out of the dock to make room for a new ship. This small change added a whole new level of strategy and frantic gameplay, and Harbor Master has remained a favorite in the line drawing genre around the TouchArcade headquarters since its release.

Over the past couple of years, Harbor Master has received a good amount of update love from the developers, adding in Retina Display graphics, a separate iPad version, Game Center integration, and a novel rewind feature that let you back things up if you made a mistake.

Now, for the first time ever, the price of Harbor Master has dropped to free for the day. If you’ve somehow managed never to pick up the title yet, now is your chance to jump on it for zero dollars. There’s also the iPad version Harbor Master HD which has always been initially free and is supported with additional premium features through in-app purchase. No matter which version you end up with, make sure not to miss out on one of the best line drawing games in the App Store during this limited free promotion of Harbor Master.

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One of my most favorite puzzle games that I played while growing up was Lemmings. Sure, there were plenty of games before that required thinking and coordination, but there was something about being in charge of a group of characters and having to lead them across maps of perilous obstacles that I loved.

BridgeTheGap [$0.99], a pirate-themed puzzle game, attempts to recreate a portion of the classic Lemmings formula while infusing it with even more strategy and precision than its spiritual predecessor. While BridgeTheGap certainly brings some good ideas to the mix through its bridge building mechanics, atrocious controls and poor execution prevent it from being little more than a subpar puzzler.

Your mission in BridgeTheGap is simple: a group of pirates need to get from one end of the level to the other. In your way are a variety of gaping chasms that require bridges to be built over them. The only tools you have at your disposal to build said bridges are barrels, which act as your weights, and bamboo rods, which allow your pirate buddies to cross those gaps. In addition, littered throughout each level are gold coins which can be collected by your pirate crew and typically require more complicated bridges in order to reach them. As you get towards later levels, you will also encounter ‘natives’ which will attack your pirate companions unless you take them out first with your pistols.

BridgeTheGap can be separated into two different phases. In the building phase, you have twenty building supplies (either rods or barrels) to work with. Once you feel you have a legitimate path to the end goal, you activate the movement phase which has your pirates start moving forward indiscriminately (a la Lemmings). The only commands you can give them are to jump or shoot their pistol. Otherwise, they’re going to keep moving forward. I would have really preferred the option to continue building during the movement phase, as it would allow players to make on the fly adjustments and possibly bring more excitement to the overall game.

Initially, levels are extremely easy to get through. However, they quickly become harder and more complicated, especially if you’re trying to get to the gold coins. Considering that those gold coins are necessary in order to unlock future levels, you quickly learn that they’re less of an optional quest and more of something you have to take into consideration if you want to be able to play through the whole game.

Overall, BridgeTheGap manages to create a decent bridge building game. The later levels require some pretty complicated designs in order to collect all the coins. Thankfully, there’s an adequate tutorial, along with some instructional screens showing some recommended bridge designs (although I hate the fact that you can’t access these designs in-game). There’s definitely a feeling of accomplishment once you manage to get all your pirates safely across all obstacles in a level.

Unfortunately, what little enjoyment BridgeTheGap provides is outweighed by a multitude of design blunders throughout the game. First off is the use of a virtual gamepad for moving about the level during the build phase. I would have much rather have seen a two-finger scroll or some other multi-touch gesture, as the virtual pad definitely gets in the way when you’re trying to do some precise bridge placement. Relatedly, the button placements during the build phase just seem to get in the way of the action. I can’t count how many times I was trying to place a bridge and then I accidentally hit the ‘Ready’ button in the bottom corner. Since there’s no confirmation dialog, my pirates would just start moving and I’d have no choice but to reset the entire level and try again, which becomes increasingly annoying due to load times that really shouldn’t exist in a game like this.

There are also a few other annoying minor issues, such as the main menu being a blob of selection choices without much organization and the fact that the game won’t even automatically reset once all your pirates are physically unable to reach the finish line.

These design issues are really a shame, considering how much potential the underlying game actually has. Unfortunately, in its current state, I can’t recommend BridgeTheGap for anyone other than the most diehard of puzzle fans that are willing to look past all the problems. For everyone else, it’s best you steer clear.

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Our ratings for games we reviewed in August are now in place, and we now present to you the ones that are on the top of the heap. Each game reviewed receives a 1-5 star rating relative to the other games from that month. Generally, a 3 or higher is considered a "good" rating.

Our final scores are not the product of any traditionally objective measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others.

5 Stars

Jetpack Joyride, $0.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – This is our favorite game of the month, as this endless power-up packed single-button flying game is responsible for sapping days of productivity across the entire TouchArcade staff. There are so many hooks to keep you playing that you can do "one more game" for hours through achievements, missions, unlockables, and all sorts of cosmetic customizations.

SPY mouse, $0.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Firemint has managed to de-throne Angry Birds from the #1 position on the App Store with this line-drawing-powered stealth game. Collect cheese, evade cats, use various tricks, and even fight bosses. All the gameplay elements go together incredibly well, and Firemint even managed to remove a lot of things that have historically annoyed us about stealth games in the process.

EDGE Extended, $0.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – We thought the original Edge was incredible, and Extended somehow takes that same game formula, applies a substantial layer of awesome, then knocks it out of the park. Clever platforming mechanics combined with fantastic music really just create an experience that you can't miss.

iBlast Moki 2, $0.99 / Universal HD – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – This game sets the standard of what gamers should expect of sequels. It's got familiar puzzle-centric physics mechanics of the original with tons of new features that add complexity and all kinds of new ways to solve puzzles. Additionally, a perfectly integrated solution system can show you how your friends completed a level if you get stuck.

The Last Rocket, $2.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Retro-inspired games are fairly common on the App Store, but The Last Rocket is one of the best examples we've seen of a modern-day title that could have easily passed as an absolutely fabulous NES game. The Graphics and music are all delightfully 8-bit, but even without all these retro trimmings the gameplay could stand on its own.

Anomaly Warzone Earth, $1.99 / HD – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Who knew that turning tower defense in reverse would make for such an incredible game? If you're even vaguely interested in anything to do to tower defense, Anomaly: Warzone Earth needs to be on your iOS device. The mechanics are solid, the atmosphere is cool, and it'll leave you wanting for a sequel.

4.5 Stars

Contre Jour, $0.99 / Universal HD – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – If you take the environmental modification mechanic found in Bumpy Road and combine it with a stupidly cool amount of style, you've got Contre Jour. Chillingo is on a serious streak of releasing incredible games, and Contre Jour fits that description in every way.

Sprinkle: Water splashing fire fighting fun!, $0.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Who knew that putting out fires could be so much fun? In Sprinkle, you've got to control a crazy fire hose to complete various physics-centric water puzzles. As an added bonus, the water looks and behaves beautifully and how well this mechanic is done makes Sprinkle worth picking up even if you're not normally that crazy about physics games.

Rogue Sky, $0.99 / HD – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – This balloon flying and fighting game has fantastically simple controls, both for flying as well as firing your cannons. Great graphics and a cool mood greatly add to the overall experience, and collectable in-game coins do a good job of making the game as difficult as you want it to be. Collectables can be ignored, or hunted down for an additional challenge.

Fractal: Make Blooms Not War, $1.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – It seems that the best puzzle games evoke an argument amongst our community as to whether the game is fun or frustrating, and Fractal certainly has spurred that kind of discussion. We had a great time with it, and loved the ambient soundtrack. This is definitely one game you'll want to play with the sound on.

Mega Mall Story, $3.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Kairosoft's winning simulation formula, this time applied to a crazy multi-level shopping mall. This both seems significantly deeper, and comes packed with a building mechanic that seems to make significantly more sense to us Americans than previous offerings.

Silverfish MAX, $2.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – We had a great time with the pocket-sized iPhone version of Silverfish in our review, but the game really comes alive on the iPad especially when paired with the iCade. A real joystick turns this game into an action-packed arcade experience that makes us glad that the coin slot on our iCades doesn't actually require quarters.

Kickin Momma, $1.99 / Universal HD – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Many developers have tried to duplicate the Peggle formula, but it seems like few if any have had much success. Somehow Hothead Games seems to have broken this trend, and created a game that feels just Peggle-y enough to seem familiar, but different enough to be totally enjoyable on its own.

Special Mention

Pocket RPG iPhone Edition, $0.99 / HD – [iPad Review] – [Forum Thread] – Launching last month as an iPad exclusive that we had a great time with, Pocket RPG iPhone Edition brings the same entirely randomized dungeon-crawling gameplay to the smaller screen of the iPhone and iPod touch.

FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS, $15.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – After a wait that felt like an eternity with how fast the App Store moves, Final Fantasy Tactics landed with a bang. Hardcore fans will likely overlook all of the game's shortcomings, but the fact remains that this is an incredibly lackluster port with many technical issues that prevented us from having anywhere near as much fun as we wanted to with it.

Full Deck Hold’Em, $0.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – While it's a little difficult to get excited for another poker game, Full Deck Hold'Em feels like a game that should come pre-loaded on every iPad 2. Sporting in-game video chat with up to four friends in real-time multiplayer, it makes playing games without video feel archaic in comparison. Alternatively, if you don't have an iPad 2, you can give Word Chat [99¢] a spin with any iPhone 4 or 4th generation iPod touch to see similar video chat magic.

The rest of the game ratings can be seen in their respective rating categories (also found in the sidebar navigation): 5 Stars, 4.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 3 Stars, and 2 Stars.

As always, we expect there will be some debate about relative scores, but keep in mind that everyone's personal ratings may vary based on individual tastes.

For more of our favorite iOS games, check out our "Best iPhone Games" category which includes all of these monthly posts as well as other special compilations of the greatest games the App Store has to offer:

• So You Just Got a Verizon iPhone… Let's Get You Up To Speed!
• So You Just Got an iPhone 4 – An App Store Gaming Guide
• Best iPod Touch and iPhone Games: 2010 Buyer's Guide
• 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Eli
• 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Blake
• 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Brad
• 2010: TouchArcade Staff Favorites – Jared
• Best iPod Touch and iPhone Games: 2009 Buyer's Guide

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This week’s TouchArcade Show is the longest we’ve ever produced. Coincidentally, it has the most Frogger discussion we’ve ever had, too. As bad as it sounds on the surface, don’t let the latter stop you from lending us your earholes this week. We get into a lot of interesting discussion. At the top — beyond the Frogger junk — we chat about the bevy of fabulous releases that came down this week. Following the break, we talk up even more new releases until finally moving onto topics such as censorship and awards shows.

This is probably our most off-beat shows, but it's also one of our more fun ones. To give us a listen, just download the file directly or stream it via the links below. If you’d like to subscribe to our audio awesomeness, feel free to do so via the iTunes or the Zune Marketplace.

iTunes Link: The TouchArcade Show
Zune Marketplace: TouchArcade.com Podcasts
RSS Feed: The TouchArcade Show
Direct Link: TouchArcadeShow-015.mp3, 44MB

Here are your show notes:

GAMES

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There's oodles of sales this weekend, and we've cherry picked some of the noteworthy ones, but there's tons more out there. I figure this is as good of a time as any to post a little guide on how to find good deals on the App Store.

First off, you could stop by our Price Drops, Must-Have Freebies, and Deals Forum where we've got an army of dudes combing the App Store to find cool games on the cheap (or free). If you want to get a little more proactive, you can go scoping for deals yourself. How we do this when we post about sales is by utilizing our sister site, AppShopper.

Here are some handy links:

• All games with price drops.
• Popular games with price drops.
• All previously paid games that have been made free.
• Popular games that were previously paid that are now free

Watching the previous two freebie links can yield some particularly great results, as you can often find games that go free before whatever freebie promotions those particular games might be doing even technically start. Similarly, I've heard tales of some people being able to snag great games that were accidentally marked to free.

As far as the differences between "all" games and "popular" games, that all has to do with a top secret algorithm that attempts to determine what kind of games people are interested in. Personally, I tend to lean towards just wading through all games as sometimes you find some really crazy stuff in there.

Alternatively, you could just download the AppShopper App [Free] which also is pretty great for finding deals.

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In the interest of keeping our Labor Day sales coverage coherent, we’ve split it into as many studio-centric categories as possible. With any bargain big, though, you’re going to come up with titles that don’t quite sync up to each other. That’s what this post is all about — it’s the catch-all for the various independent studios out there with a notable game on sale. As you’ll see, some of these might not be celebrating Labor Day specifically, so it’s in your own interests to move double time and gobble these up.

In no specific order outside of alphabetical, here’s another list of hot deals:

• Destructopus: Total Rampage – $.99 → Free
• Geared – $.99 → Free
• Geared 2 – $.99 → Free [Universal]
• Geared for iPad – $2.99 → Free
• iDaTank – $1.99 → Free [Universal]
• Reckless Getaway – $2.99 → $.99 [Universal]
• TITUS – politics is not a game – $1.99 → $.99 [Universal]
• The Secret of Chateau de Moreau – $4.99 → $.99
• Polar Coaster – $.99 → Free
• Papercut – $.99 → Free
• Zombie Highway – $.99 → Free [Universal]

A notable mention here goes to Big Fish Games, which is having a ridiculously HUGE sale. All of its catalogue is being offered up at $.99. We’re talking well over 40 games for pennies on the dollar, so feel free to browse that listing here.

Undoubtedly, there are more sales out there, so we highly advise you bargain hunters of the world to check out our deals forum. Otherwise, go grab the entire Geared franchise for the generous price of $0. These are amazing games that you shouldn’t miss.

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Is Gameloft holding a sale in honor of Labor Day, too? Of course! I suppose you didn’t need to lick a frog or contact your local Magic 8-Ball agent to predict this, but I really, really wanted to open up this post about the sale with a question. So, here we are.

I can’t really figure out Gameloft’s price-cutting angle aside from “we should probably sell more copies of these,” and I suppose that’s a good enough reason. Until the end of this Labor Day celebration, you can download a variety of shooters and action games from the studio at just $.99. Take note that a good portion of these are based on actual properties. Take a look:

• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard – $6.99 → $.99
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard HD – $6.99 → $.99
• Shadow Guardian – $5.99 → $.99
• Shadow Guardian HD – $6.99 → $.99
• Prince of Persia: Warrior Within – $2.99 → $.99
• Prince of Persia: Warrior Within HD – $4.99 → $.99
• Zombie Infection – $4.99 → $.99
• Zombie Infection HD – $4.99 → $.99
• James Cameron's Avatar – $4.99 → $.99
• James Cameron's Avatar for iPad – $4.99 → $.99
• Rogue Planet – $4.99 → $.99
• Gameloft Action Pack – $4.99 → $.99
• Gameloft Sports Pack – $4.99 → $.99

The packs at the bottom of the list are really brilliant for new owners of iOS devices, so if yours still smells like the packaging, you might want to scope those. Shadow Guardian, the Uncharted knock-off, is a good grab, too, if you’re in the mood for climbing things.

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Capcom is in the middle of throwing a wave-based sale. Did you know that? I didn’t either until I took a gander at our deals message board earlier this afternoon. With that thread’s help I discovered that the second wave, which ends this September and starts this Friday alongside everyone else’s sales, boasts a stunning total of two games. The catch is that both of which demand your attention if you’re a Resident Evil freak:

• Resident Evil Mercenaries VS – $4.99 → $.99
• Resident Evil 4: Platinum – $4.99 → $.99

Straight-up, Mercenaries VS isn’t that great of a multiplayer shooter. The touch controls are pretty good, but the visual quality and the franchise’s meat turret controls don’t bode well for a competitive romp. With that said, I can see fans of the series really getting into the action, the same as they probably would with the iOS version of Resident Evil 4, which in my opinion, is a’ight — especially at a buck.

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Hey, more sales! We’re not too sure if SEGA is celebrating Labor Day with its Sonic the Hedgehog sale or just cutting the price because it can, but it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, the games are a hair or two cheaper for a limited time, which means you can walk away with a heavier wallet if this is the first time you’ve bothered looking at the games. And, really, at these prices you should.

Here’s the short list, and just in case anything else comes up, we’ll update accordingly:

• Sonic the Hedgehog – $4.99 → $3.99
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – $4.99 → $3.99
• Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I – $6.99 → $4.99

Sonic fans give Sonic the Hedgehog 4 a lot of grief — if you’ve ever read the Internet or Googled the game's name, you probably already know this. This is why I feel like I need to add that we loved it and think it feels exactly how Sonic should on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Check it out.

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Like EA, Namco is missing out on the brilliant opportunity to hack and slash at the prices of its App Store games in time with the impending Labor Day weekend. Until the end of this very, very important and glorious holiday window, the studio is offering multitudes of its titles for fairly generous price points. The Pac-Man franchise in particular sees the most cuts, but I suppose it’d have to with a big sale considering it composes the majority of its portfolio.

Regardless, there are sales to be taken advantage of and we’re bringing you that information. Here’s a handy list:

• Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion – $4.99 → $2.99
• Buccaneer Blitz – $2.99 → $.99 [Universal]
• Dig Dug Remix – $2.99 → $.99
• Galaga Remix – $2.99 → $.99
• Mr. Driller – $1.99 → $.99
• Ms. Pac-Man – $4.99 → $.99
• Pac-Attack - $2.99 → $.99
• Ms. Pac-Man for iPad – $4.99 → $1.99
• Pac-Chain Compact – $2.99 → $.99
• Pac-Chain – $2.99 → $.99
• Pac-Man Championship Edition – $4.99 → $.99
• Pac-Man Remix – $2.99 → $.99
• Pac-Mania - $1.99 → $.99
• Pole Position Remix – $2.99 → $.99
• Ridge Racer Accelerated – $6.99 → $2.99
• Splatterhouse – $2.99 → $.99
• Star Trigon – $1.99 → $.99
• Time Crisis 2nd Strike – $6.99 → $2.99

Pac-Man Championship for $.99? On it like a fat kid on buttery bread.

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