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It's crazy to think that Pocket Legends [Free] came out a year ago. I've heard that one year equals seven in dog years, but with how fast the App Store moves, I'm not even sure what one App Store year would equate to. Lots more. Anyway, Pocket Legends is a free to play MMO of sorts that works quite a bit like Guild Wars both in actual gameplay and with the amount of expansion content they have for sale.

Well, to celebrate the game's anniversary, all of that expansion content is free for a limited time. Better yet, all of this is entirely cross platform and universal, so you can play with friends online regardless of whether they own an iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or even an Android device. We reviewed the game last year, but honestly, so much has changed that you're probably better off spending some time on the official quick start guide to get an idea of what the game is all about now.

This promotion will persist for the next two weeks and allows complete access to Balefort Castle, Fathom Crypts, The Lost Expedition, The Ancient Swamps, Balefort Sewers, and The Alien Oasis Trilogy areas. In other words, you'll be able to play through the entire game from start to finish for free. These areas get switched back to their previously paid status on May 4th, so if you actually want to blow through the game for free, you better do it before then.

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Remember all the fuss in the various discussions both on our forums and in the comments thread of virtually every Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP [$4.99] regarding it being iPad only? It's totally understandable, especially considering the early previews were all on iPhones, but somewhere along the development the team switched gears to the iPad, which obviously resulted in the iPad game hitting the App Store first.

Well, we just got word that all the iPhone version of the game will be launching this Thursday for $2.99. In addition, much like World of Goo [$2.99 / HD], the existing iPad app will be updated to be universal. And if all goes as planned with this week's release, the universal update and the new iPhone app will hit at the same time. I for one would really love it if this recent trend in making "HD" versions universal catches on like it seems like it might be.

If you haven't yet, check out our Sword & Sworcery review for more information on the game. We loved playing through it on our iPads, and expect the iPhone version to be just as awesome.

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This past September, FDG Entertainment released Beyond Ynth [Free/HD], a puzzle platforming game starring an adorable bug named Kribl. In Beyond Ynth, the goal is to get Kribl to the end of each level by way of various types of boxes which he could enter and move from within. Rolling boxes from the inside allowed Kribl to negotiate the terrain in each level, but there was a heavy puzzle element too, as you had to think ahead as to how each box would match up in order to make your way to each new one.

Beyond Ynth has a wonderful art style and tons of cleverly designed levels, and while we really enjoyed it in our review we did note that it could be frustrating since dying caused you to have to replay a level over from the beginning. FDG went ahead and fixed that though by offering a fantastic rewind feature in an update a couple of months after release. With the rewind feature in place, the frustration levels were minimized and I was able to enjoy the great content in the game.

Now you can grab all that great content in Beyond Ynth for free for the next few days. Both the iPhone/iPod touch version and the iPad native version prices have been slashed to free for the next 72 hours. While I have pretty much nothing but praise for Beyond Ynth, don’t just take my word for it, as the game recently won the IMGA awards for Excellence in Gameplay and for the overall Game of the Year. For zero dollars, it really is recommended that you download Beyond Ynth for your iOS device of choice during this free promotion.

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Hey, have you heard the one about the dolphin with a laser beam attached to its head who must battle enemies on his way into space in an effort to save the Prime Minister who has been abducted by aliens? Oh, you haven’t? Well, neither have I, but that is the awesomely absurd premise in Dingo Games’ appropriately titled Laser Dolphin, which appeared on Mac and PC a few years back and is now making its way to iOS. I’ve had a preview copy of the game for the past few days and have been enjoying it a lot so far, not just for the crazy story but for the solid underwater action and fun variety of modes it contains.

At first blush, Laser Dolphin may look like Ecco the Dolphin with guns, and that description wouldn’t be totally far off. The game is presented in a 2D side view with levels filled with corridors to explore. You can also launch above the surface of the water to leap over barriers and gain access to new areas, or even perform tricks in the air. On the most basic levels, Laser Dolphin definitely has a few things in common with Ecco the Dolphin.

The big difference is the various weapons your dolphin can equip that turn him into a one-mammal army. You start with a standard laser which is fired by tapping directly on enemies. You can also hold down on the screen to charge the laser and unleash a much stronger blast. As you progress in the game, you’ll come across several other weapons, like homing missiles, a rapid fire gun, and an awesome lightsaber-esque Laser Sword which attaches to the dolphin’s head and cuts through enemies like butter while also deflecting incoming fire.

Laser Dolphin will come equipped with a 50 level campaign that takes place across 4 planets as you attempt to rescue the kidnapped Prime Minister. There is also a 10 level Stunt mode where you can earn medals by performing tricks in the air for points within a given time limit. Then there is a 10 level Race mode where you attempt to pass through every ring laid out in a level as quickly as possible in order to earn medals. The Campaign has been a blast to play through, but I was surprised by how much fun the Race and Stunt modes are as well. Game Center will also be included with leaderboards and achievements.

One problem I’ve always had with Ecco (and especially with the sub-par iOS port), is that it can be a tricky game to control. Laser Dolphin doesn’t suffer from this problem, as the virtual control stick works very well for maneuvering your dolphin and tapping enemies to shoot is a breeze to pull off. In fact, the tap-to-shoot might be a bit too easy, and I’d like to see some sort of alternate control scheme where you actually have to aim you shots to add a bit of skill to the combat. A dual-stick method would seem perfect for this, but the default scheme is still totally serviceable.

Besides that small quibble, I’ve been enjoying my time with Laser Dolphin. Dingo Games will be releasing the game for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad and are hoping to have the games available in early May depending on Apple’s approval. We’ll take another look at Laser Dolphin when it launches in a couple of weeks, and in the meantime you can download the free demo of the game for Mac or PC for a taste of what's to come.

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Just about a month ago we saw the release of Final Fantasy III [$15.99] in the App Store, Square Enix’s 3D remake of their 1990 NES role-playing game and an enhanced port of the 2006 Nintendo DS release. The iOS version is the definitive version of the game, featuring Retina Display graphics and an intuitive touch interface, and despite some archaic gameplay design as a result of being based on a game from 20 years ago, we thoroughly enjoyed Final Fantasy III in our review.

While Final Fantasy III was released for iPhone and iPod touch devices, many players in our forums noted that the game played extremely well on the larger screen of the iPad in 2x mode. Yesterday, however, Square Enix revealed on their Facebook page that they will be bringing a native iPad version of Final Fantasy III to the App Store this Thursday. It isn’t clear whether there will be any further enhancements to the iPad version beyond a native resolution and screen size, but it should be a better experience than pixel-doubled mode for iPad gamers wanting to get in on some Final Fantasy III. Here’s a single teaser shot from the iPad version:

In other Square Enix news, the developer has updated the teaser page for Chrono Trigger that we stumbled across last December to include a date of April 25th. Unfortunately, it appears that the date mentioned is in regards to a mobile version of Chrono Trigger for feature phones, and not the iOS iteration that we’ve been patiently anticipating. Since their recently announced new game specifically mentions smartphone devices, we would expect the same from the Chrono Trigger teaser page if it had anything to do with an iOS version of the game.

There’s still no further word about the release date for the long, long awaited port of Final Fantasy Tactics on iOS either, but we’ll keep digging around for more information on this and anything new with Chrono Trigger coming to iOS. Also, we’ll take a look at the iPad version of Final Fantasy III when it hits the App Store this Thursday.

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Last December, MacRumors reported on survey results showing that users of portable games are increasingly defecting from dedicated devices such as the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP to smartphones such as the iPhone.

New data from analytics firm Flurry comparing overall video game market share in 2009 and 2010 reveals a similar trend, with iOS and Android combining to take 8% of the overall market and a full 34% of the portable gaming market as measure by revenue. In the overall market, console games continue to dominate, growing from 71% to 76% on only a slight increase in total video game revenue.

From 2009 to 2010, iOS and Android game sales increased from 5% to 8% market share within the U.S. video game market. Specifically, we estimate that iOS and Android game revenue increased from $500 million in 2009 to more $800 million in 2010. Of this, the significant majority of revenue was generated by iPhone games.

But setting aside the console market, the success of iOS and Android (primarily iOS according to Flurry's data) as gaming platforms is more obvious in the portable market, where the smartphone platforms have increased their share of revenue from 19% in 2009 to 34% in 2010 at the expense of Nintendo's and Sony's offerings.

From 2009 to 2010, iOS and Android game sales have spiked significantly, resulting in nearly a doubling of their market share. With both Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable shrinking in sales, while smart-device game sales simultaneously grew by more than 60%, iOS and Android games now represent more than one third of the portable game category.

It is also important to note that the surge in revenue share for smartphone platforms comes at a significantly lower average price point than for dedicated devices, meaning that even the strong growth from those platforms has eaten into the total portable gaming market, which dropped from $2.7 billion in 2009 to $2.4 billion in 2010. The "race to the bottom" has long been one of the main concerns for smartphone application developers, particularly traditional game developers who have been accustomed to the pricing model for dedicated gaming devices. But users are clearly shifting toward more casual gaming at lower price points on their smartphones, and developers that have embraced that market are in many cases seeing solid results.

Originally posted on our sister site MacRumors!

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Early this morning Gizmodo spotted what might be the craziest iPhone accessory I've seen yet. Creating steering-wheel attachments for iOS devices is nothing new, in fact, we reviewed one a while back and found that it basically added nothing to the experience aside from a piece of plastic to lug around. For ¥1,599 (roughly $19 USD) you can now get a steering wheel with with speakers that are actually powered by a Nokia battery (sold separately, oddly enough).

Even though the whole steering wheel attachment thing might not add that much to the game, I can't help but think a (comparatively) huge set of powered speakers hooked up to your iPhone 4 while playing a game like Real Racing 2 [$6.99] might do something for you. Although that "something" might just amount to annoying everyone nearby.

[Gizmodo via IT Media]

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This morning beloved developed Square Enix announced another iOS title via a cryptic teaser page:

What you're looking at is all we know about the game, we don't even know the title. I figured that potentially looking up Shinji Hashimoto or Motomu Toriyama might at least yield some clues as to what type of game this might be judging by their past work history. Unfortunately, they've both worked on a wide array of Square Enix titles, so even that isn't much help.

The French wording doesn't give off any clues either, which according to my wonderful in-house translator means, "The world is fake, dreams of the night are truth." I've got my fingers crossed for an iOS version of something similar to The World Ends With You, but I'm basing that off nothing more than I really want an iOS version of The World Ends With You.

In other news, still no word on either Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy Tactics!

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The popular “irreverent trivia” game You Don’t Know Jack is now available on the App Store for your iPhone/iPod touch [$2.99/Lite] or iPad [$4.99/Lite]. The series began back in 1995 on PC and has since seen a multitude of iterations across computers, game consoles, the web, physical board games, and even a short lived television show. The iOS version of You Don’t Know Jack is based on the 2011 franchise reboot that hit major gaming consoles earlier this year.

If you’re familiar with that version then you’ll be instantly familiar with the game on iOS, and aside from a few missing features and no multiplayer mode it’s a very competent mobile version of the console game. Even if you’re completely unfamiliar with the series, You Don’t Know Jack is a fun and intellectual trivia game mixed with silly pop culture references and humor.

Unlike previous games in the series that presented a random selection of questions, this version of You Don’t Know Jack contains 20 different episodes each filled with 10 questions in a predetermined order. The first 5 questions in an episode are considered Round 1 and are worth face value. The next 5 are Round 2 and are worth double the points. After the 10 questions are completed, Round 3 consists of a special Jack Attack game before giving you your final score for the episode.

The majority of the questions in an episode are multiple choice with 1 correct answer and 3 that are incorrect, and the game has no problem using clever word play or trick questions in an effort to throw you off. You’re given 20 seconds to pick an answer and are awarded cash based on how quickly you answer correctly, with a similar amount deducted for a wrong answer. There is no penalty for not answering at all.

During each episode, one of the questions takes the form of a “DisOrDat”, where you’re given 7 titles or phrases and must determine which of 2 completely different categories they belong in. For example, in one episode you’re given 7 fancy sounding names and are asked to determine whether each one is the name of a luxury sports car or the name of a cajun cuisine. There’s 30 seconds to complete all 7, where right answers earn you cash and wrong answers take some away, and any extra time on the clock gives you bonus money.

The final round of an episode consists of a Jack Attack. It starts by giving you a common theme for the round, then presents a word or phrase in the middle of the screen while other phrases zoom by above and below it. Your job is to tap the word or phrase that relates to the one in the middle as it zooms by. This round rewards you with huge payouts for correct answers as well as penalizes you heavily for wrong ones, and can really make or break your final score for an episode.

So up to this point, You Don’t Know Jack is a fairly typical trivia game, albeit with pretty cleverly written questions. What really makes it stand out though is the excellent presentation. The “host” of the game Cookie Masterson, who has appeared in many of the previous games, has a great personality and makes a ton of hilarious (and often crude) jokes as well as pokes fun at you when you get a question wrong. There’s also some silly intro animations for every question and a few other funny surprises, but the running dialogue from Cookie is what really makes the game what it is. This isn’t a game you’ll want to play with the sound off, as you’d be missing out on 90% of the enjoyment.

The 20 included episodes are far less than the console versions, and due to their linear nature there’s not really much reason to replay them multiple times, but the developer seems keen on adding additional episodes and features in updates. There’s also Game Center integration for unlocking achievements and tracking your scores for the initial play through of an episode, which adds a bit of replay value to the game. Hopefully multiplayer can be added at some point too, since playing trivia with friends is when a game like this is at its best, though it’s still a really fun solo experience.

If you’re already a fan of You Don’t Know Jack, then chances are you bought and downloaded the iOS version the second you heard about it, and for the most part I think you’ll be satisfied. It features completely new questions from the console versions and is surprisingly up to date with its references to current events, with questions involving Charlie Sheen, Liz Taylor, and everybody's favorite pop star Rebecca Black. If you aren’t really familiar with the series but like trivia games, there’s a lite version with 2 full episodes to check out first to see if it’s up your alley. Players in our forums have been digging this one quite a bit, and for irreverent trivia on the go You Don’t Know Jack is a solid pick up.

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It was nearly a year and a half ago that 2D Boy announced that their critically acclaimed indie title World of Goo would be coming to the iPhone. After more than a year of waiting, Word of Goo finally did hit the App Store, but for the iPad rather than the iPhone or iPod touch. The game was absolutely fantastic on the iPad though, earning 5 stars in our review and garnering our iPad Game of the Year award for 2010. World of Goo was a great success on the iPad too, but despite this 2D Boy still wasn’t sure that the game would ever reach its originally intended platform of the iPhone.

In late February, 2D Boy confirmed that World of Goo was indeed officially coming to the iPhone and iPod touch. Today this long-awaited version of World of Goo is finally available in the App Store at a special introductory price of 99¢ for the first 24 hours. What’s more is that owners of the iPad version World of Goo HD will get a free update that makes the game universal, so if you own an iPhone or iPod touch you’ll already be able to play it on those devices in addition to your iPad.

One thing to note is that World of Goo requires a 3rd generation device or higher, so make sure you have the proper equipment to handle the game before downloading. Both versions of the game are supposed to support Retina Display devices, but due to an apparent bug it currently does not. 2D Boy is looking into the issue and will issue a fix to the problem as soon as possible. Also, after the introductory price of 99¢, the game will jump up to its regular price of $2.99, with the universal HD version staying priced at $4.99.

Despite the smaller screen of the iPhone and iPod touch, World of Goo still plays wonderfully and contains all the same content that appeared on the iPad last December. The biggest difference is that you can pinch to zoom on the iPhone version, which can be helpful in certain situations. Players in our forums are really enjoying World of Goo on the iPhone and iPod touch, and if you’ve ever been interested in the game but didn’t own an iPad then now is the time to get in on the fun.

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