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This afternoon I met with the guys from Taito outside of the west hall of E3. Unsurprisingly, they have quite a bit on their plate right now both between updating their existing games, releasing new ones, and promoting an odd array of Space Invader themed utilities. Originally I was rather confused, both wondering why Taito would release these utilities and who would download them… Then I realized exactly who would download them– The army of people with severe Space Invader fetishes like our own Blake Patterson.

These utilities all have been done before, but never with a Space Invaders theme. They're all free, and the calculator is actually pretty cool with various easter eggs if whatever you're calculating results in certain special numbers such as 1978, 41, and 10 others. They all include various advertisements for Taito games, and there is a 99¢ version of the calculator that strips these ads.

• Space Invaders Clock
• Space Invaders Battery Meter
• Space Invaders Business Card
• Space Invaders Calculator (Ad-Free Calculator, 99¢)
• Space Invaders Timer
• Space Invaders Flashlight
• Space Invaders Timer

Gardening Mama is in the works, an iPhone port of an existing Nintendo DS game. Just like Cooking Mama [$6.99 / Free], Gardening Mama will use the touch and tilt interfaces of the device to plant and cultivate various plant life instead of cooking. All we need now is a way to hook the two games together so you can cook in Cooking Mama with the ingredients you grow in Gardening Mama. Gardening Mama is still in development, but they expect it to be released later this summer.

Space Invaders HD is scheduled for release in July, and is going to be the classic game of Space Invaders redone for the iPad. It's a little hard to not roll your eyes at a "HD" version of a retro game like this, but they've actually done quite a bit to make the game really cool. Most notably is a single device two-player mode that works just like the cocktail table arcade machines, with players taking turns and the screen orientation switching just like back in the day.

Taito is using Space Invaders HD to test the waters before determining what else to do with the iPad, but not having "HD" versions of their existing games shouldn't dissuade you from checking them out on your iPad. The pixel art used in their iPhone games all look great with the iPad's scaling.

The next retro classic Taito is bringing to the App Store is Bubble Bobble, and I doubt I'm alone in hoping this game gets the same amazing treatment as Space Invaders did in Space Invaders Infinity Gene [$4.99]. Today all they were able to show is a basic demo of the game running with touch controls, but they assured me that Bubble Bobble for the iPhone would feature both a "retro" mode, and a new game mode they weren't willing to talk any specifics beyond telling me to not "expect something just like the original."

Moving on to game updates, Taito is committed to updating their popular games, both either through free updates or via in-app purchases. Cooking Mama has already had a few updates with new recipes, and there are even more coming. Taito is even debating recipe packs, potentially with seasonal or holiday themes.

Space Invaders Infinity Gene is getting a huge update, with both free and paid components. Everyone who owns the game will get access to a new ship, and the ability to turn the game sideways to shift the perspective in to a horizontal shooter. In-app purchases will be available to unlock different themes for the game.

These themes include Darius, Metal Black, and Night Striker. Each theme comes with their own unique ships, bosses, and remixed music that any fans of the original games should instantly recognize. Taito hopes the update will land on the App Store sometime next month.

As I mentioned before, they've got quite a bit in the works at Taito, and it's hard to not look forward to their future efforts on the platform especially with how great some of their recent releases have been– Especially Space Invaders Infinity Gene.

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Announced at GDC in 2009, OnLive takes the concept of cloud computing to the next level in providing high-end video games running at HD resolution streamed in realtime over the internet playable on any device capable of running the OnLive client connected to an internet connection with a downstream of at least 5 megabit. Following its announcement, speculation ran wild regarding whether or not this sort of remote technology could even possibly exist and provide the same lag-free experience as a home console.

OnLive had an impressive presence at E3 this year, with playable clients running on the OnLive set-top box, Macs, PC's, and we even got a peek at the games running on the iPad. On a computer or the actual OnLive device, the experience was flawless. According to the people I spoke with at the event, everything we were seeing was being rendered and streamed live from their datacenter hundreds of miles away to the E3 show floor. I'm still skeptical, as the technology as it was presented to me today just seems too good to be true. If a simple set-top box or a client running on a low-end computer can in fact easily stream high-end HD video games for a low monthly fee it really does have the potential to change the face of gaming forever.

If this is the first you've heard of OnLive, stop by the Wikipedia article and read about it. They cover all the origins of the service, the skepticism, as well as the sheer clout of the executive team behind the company. You can also see the featured OnLive games on the OnLive web site.

Today I got a peek at the iPad client for OnLive, something they stressed over and over was not representative of any final product, but rather just exists to serve as an example of how ubiquitous the OnLive service truly is. When a new platform comes along, all they have to do is write a client for it and you will be able to play all of your games live and in the cloud just like you presumably already have been on your TV or computer easily and seamlessly over the internet.

Because of its raw tech demo state, the controls are less than ideal. The client uses a weird virtual joystick button layout that I don't really think would be very useful for anything outside of just demonstrating what is possible. The following video walks through the OnLive iPad client, and shows Borderlands running, an XBOX and PC game. Also, after that, we load up Dragon Age: Origins, which didn't work because it didn't have gamepad controls, and finally we spectated on some games in session by other OnLive members.

If you watch to the end, you can see a side by side of someone playing a game on the OnLive unit hooked up to an HDTV, that same game is then instantly streamed to both that TV as well as the iPad. The video stream is identical. It really is amazing to see. As explained in the video, they're not sure when or if the iPad client will even ever be available, but needless to say, we've got our fingers crossed.

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Back in the prepubescent days of console gaming, the leap from the 8-bit to the 16-bit generation was monumental. More colors, scrolling backgrounds, gimmicks such as Mode 7 and Blast Processing… and twice as many bits. What were bits? I didn't know, I was just a kid, but it didn't matter. I now had twice as many of them, and they made my video games look better and do things that I could have never imagined. Since those days, I've been just as devout a gamer as I was back then, but have yet to ever really feel that same magic of entering into the 16-bit generation. Little did I know that nearly two decades later I would capture that feeling again with Super QuickHook. The followup to developer Rocketcat's inaugural game Hook Champ, Super QuickHook takes everything great about the first game and expands upon it in every way. If you were a fan of Hook Champ already, then you most likely instantly purchased this game. But if you were like some people who never quite got into it, Super QuickHook makes some smart changes that may just win you over this time around.

Hook Champ was said to be inspired by 8-bit graphics, and Super QuickHook takes it a step further and adopts a beautiful 16-bit style. But it truly is merely “inspired by”, as the game produces graphics that would have never been possible on the 16-bit machines of the 90's. It looks simply stunning in motion. There's so much life in the little details of this game that even if you aren't a fan of 8 or 16-bit graphics you'll find it hard not to be impressed with Super QuickHook. It's bright and colorful, and the levels are nicely varied. Small touches like a flock of birds scattering from a tree as you pass by, or objects on the ground getting kicked up as you trot over them contribute to make the game come to life. The characters are all interesting and well designed, with no shortage of hats to adorn upon them. There's even a couple of extra playable characters you can unlock, with more coming down the line via updates. The music is also superb, fitting with the retro style of the game, and thankfully there's much more variety in music and sound effects than there was in Hook Champ.

Gameplay-wise, the same general concept from Hook Champ is carried over to Super QuickHook. You'll swing your character from left to right using a grappling hook, collecting coins along the way to spend in the game's shop on upgraded equipment and fabulous hats. While it seems mostly the same on the surface, two very important changes have been made to cater the game to a more casual audience. First and foremost, there is nothing chasing you through the levels (at least in the story mode) that forces you to either keep moving or suffer instant death. You're free to explore the levels at will and take as much time as you need to complete them. The other big change is the addition of checkpoints throughout the levels, so if you have a fatal mishap you don't have to start all the way over from the beginning as long as you've crossed one of these checkpoints.

These were the two biggest complaints from people that didn't end up liking Hook Champ, and it's great to see them rectified here. But it thankfully doesn't dilute the experience for the hardcore players either, since your final score for each level is based on time and coins collected. There's still plenty of incentive to find the perfect line through the level in order to net every coin, or figure out a new trick that can shave off a fraction of a second from your time. Another complaint you'd hear about Hook Champ was the brutal difficulty of some of the later levels, requiring pinpoint accuracy with the grappling hook to complete. Well, those type of levels are still here but are infinitely more tolerable thanks to the changes made. There's also reason to go back and replay each level, as you'll earn medals based on collecting all the coins, beating a developer's score, and finding the secrets stashed in each one.

And then there's Avalanche Mode. In addition to the 18 freestanding levels that are included, Avalanche Mode is an endless high score level that's randomly generated from over 60 different smaller set pieces each time you play. Unlike the normal levels, you have the constant threat of the avalanche chasing you as you go, much like the ghost from Hook Champ. You can also collect coins in this mode, making it a nice way to earn some extra cash for the shop. Avalanche Mode could easily sell as a completely separate game by itself, and has just as much depth and replayability as similar high score games like Canabalt or Robot Unicorn Attack. Rocketcat has also hinted that a second, harder Avalanche mode will be added to the game in the coming weeks. This mode will likely get the most play time from gamers, as it offers near-infinite replay value.

I haven't been this impressed with the evolution of a game of this nature since the original Metroid spawned the phenomenally brilliant Super Metroid. It won't alienate previous fans with the changes it's made, as it still retains the great feel of Hook Champ, but also intelligently caters to casual and hardcore gamers, offering the best of both worlds. The graphics are gorgeous, and despite the retro inspiration Super QuickHook is visually impressive even by today's standards. It offers so much content and such high production values, it's as near-perfect as any iPhone game I've played thus far, and is bound to be an even greater cult-classic than even Hook Champ was. It's a shining example of how a sequel should be done, and will live a long happy life on my device forever.

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Sometimes a game ends up being immediately appealing based on premise alone. Take Enviro-Bear 2010 for example. A bear driving a car through the woods coupled with MS Paint quality graphics creates an experience just absurd and hilarious enough to draw the attention of many players. Or more recently, Robot Unicorn Attack – the name alone says it all. Released last week, Puppet War FPS (first 'puppet' shooter) is built on a fairly awesome premise of it's own. You're a lone janitor, trapped on the set of the most popular kids program The Friendly Puppet Show. The puppets have decided to turn on humanity, and it's up to you to stop ever increasing waves of these fuzzy little guys before they take over the world. The concept alone is enough to garner a few curious downloads, but thankfully Puppet War also delivers satisfying arena-style first-person shooter gameplay, with excellent presentation and an assortment of clever weaponry to literally beat the stuffing out of your enemies with.

Right away you'll notice that this is a very attractive game. The bright, colorful studio set and sugary sweet music really make you feel like you're inside a kids TV show. The puppets all have the same general look (think Grover from Sesame Street) but come in a variety of sizes and arsenals. Smaller puppets bounce at you wildly making for a difficult target to hit, and larger puppets keep their distance and attack you from afar. There's even a kamikaze puppet with dynamite strapped to his chest that explodes when you get near. The puppets are all shaded nicely and look extremely authentic, and the big silly grins on their faces are just begging to get blasted as they happily trot in your direction. The janitor's onscreen arms and weaponry are also well done and look very realistic. The game just has a crisp, colorful look to it that's really appealing.

Speaking of weapons, the variety and inventiveness that's gone into creating your arsenal is a high point of Puppet War. You can choose one firearm and one melee weapon while playing, and new weapons of each kind can be unlocked and purchased as you progress farther into the game. There are standards like a baseball bat, machine gun, or shotgun, but the real fun comes with some of the more unusual weaponry. One example is the plunger crossbow, which lets you shoot plungers one at a time, giving you a one shot kill if you land one right on their kisser. Even better is an industrial sized set of pliers that pinches the nose off the puppet's face, causing their head to explode (naturally). The chainsaw and katana are also really satisfying with their sheer brutality. In short, popping caps into puppets is some of the most fun I've had in a long time.

As much fun as the game is, there are certainly a few downsides to Puppet Wars. The most glaring is the fact that there's only the one map. Battling puppets in some different environments would be nice, and the app description alludes to this happening sometime in the future. But right now, the one location gets a bit old after a while. The game can also get pretty difficult around the 15^th level, and the amount of money you earn as you go isn't quite enough to be able to purchase all the unlocked weapons you'd like to. Since you can't replay levels to earn more money, you will have to make do with the weapons you have through some of the tougher levels until you earn enough to buy some heavier firepower. The controls work pretty well, with an analog stick in the lower left corner and a fire button in the lower right, and dragging on the screen for aiming. It's a great setup, but it's the only one available, so if you need inverted controls or a left-handed option you're out of luck. Also, the fire button wasn't as responsive as it should be at times, which doesn't happen often but can be frustrating with enemies swarming around you. The collision detection seems a bit off too, with plungers sometimes going right through a puppet.

These issues don't really detract from the overall enjoyment of Puppet Wars though, and it has surprisingly become one of my current favorite games. It may not strike a chord as much if you're not into the ironic humor of destroying wholesome children's entertainment with fearsome weaponry, but for those that like that type of thing you'll not only be laughing out loud frequently but you'll really be testing your FPS skills as well. There's actually a really great game under this graphical coating.

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French development studio Coladia first crossed our radar back in December 2008 when they announced that they were developing an iPhone port of their Mac prehistoric point-and-click adventure Secret of the Lost Cavern [App Store]. The game went live last year, as did their iPhone port of point-and-click adventure Return to Mysterious Island [App Store].

We had a chance to meet up with Coladia here at WWDC and to hear about a few iPad titles they've got in the works.

The existing iPhone versions of Return to Mysterious Island and Secret of the Lost Cavern are rather abbreviated titles as compared to the PC originals (or Mac ports). CEO Frédéric Aloe informed us that his studio is currently readying iPad ports of both titles that deliver the complete original game experience to Apple's largest touchscreen device. Both iPad titles clock in at around 800MB in size.

Additionally, Coladia is bringing a feature-complete iPad port of Destination Treasure Island to the App Store. As the studio sets up the title,

Four years have passed since the end of the adventure recounted in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel. Jim Hawkins has become an upstanding adventurous young man, attentive to those around him. Imagine his surprise when, one morning, he sees a parrot enter his bedroom window : none other than Captain Flint, Long John's own companion. The bird brings him a message from his master. In the message the old pirate announces that he has buried a marvelous treasure on the secret isle where he retired : Emerald Island. Jim is going to have to hurry though. Pirates, old enemies of Long John, are on his trail.

The iPad version of Return to Mysterious Island should be appearing in the App Store any day now. Destination Treasure Island is set for a release late this month, while Secret of the Lost Cavern is slated for release in September. All titles are expected to launch at an App Store price of $9.99.

Coladia plans, in time, to bring most of the adventures of PC studio Cheops', responsible for the original aforementioned titles, to the iPad with full PC assets and a touchscreen interface.

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Illusion Labs' latest iPad game Foosball HD just went live on the App Store after a quick approval process. We previewed the game earlier this week at WWDC.

Focused around a multi-touch interface, the Foosball HD allows two players to compete with each other on a virtual foosball table.

Each player has control of their respective players and can move their men using simple swipe controls. Forward and Back move the players horizontally on the field while Left and Right spin them in the appropriate direction.

We had a great time playing Foosball HD at WWDC as did many others. Illusion Labs' Anders Mårtensson had the game in tow at our TouchArcade developer mixer last night and the game had a constant crowd around it, yelling and cheering for goals. While the game comes with a single player mode, the multi-player is where the game shines.

With familiar gameplay, solid controls and a great implementation, Foosball HD delivers on one of the early promises of the iPad, in-person social gaming. Early adopters are also enjoying it in our forums.

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At WWDC 2010, we got a chance to meet up with New Zealand developer David Frampton who had his latest creation in hand to show off. Frampton was a long time Mac developer turned fulltime iPhone developer after the success of his original App Store launch title Chopper. Reminiscent of Choplifter, Chopper put you in tilt-control of a chopper with missions to save your comrades while taking on enemy forces.

After a year in development, Chopper 2 hopes to add a number of improvements to the game. Frampton has worked hard on improving the graphical engine for the game. The sequel offers a 3d terrain over which to fly as well as offering both iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch support. The level designs have also been tweaked by adding a variety of goals. Goals can include saving your men, pick up and drop off goals, as well as defending a structure from spawning enemies. The game comes with 4 different terrains each with 3 different missions. Meanwhile, these 12 missions come in 3 different difficulties offering 36 total distinct levels.

One eye-catching feature that Frampton will be adding to the final version is the inclusion of the Bluetooth remote control that allows the iPhone to act as a controlled for the iPad version.

The game will come in a single universal binary that can be used on either device and includes the remote functionality within. So, a single purchase can be used for both devices.

We shot some video of the current version of Chopper 2 at WWDC. This shows a couple of terrains as well as the Bluetooth iPhone/iPad interaction.

Chopper 2 is expected to be complete in the next couple of months and the base price is going to be $4.99 (Universal) but with an introductory sale.

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WWDC 2010 is about to kick off. We are on the scene to cover new Apple announcements as well as meet with game developers about their latest creations. Apple is widely expected to launch the new iPhone as well as provide more details on iPhone OS 4. As always, there will likely also be a few surprises. Live coverage available at MacRumors amongst other sites.

Developers attending the conference should contact us by email to arrange meetings. Stay tuned.

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There are quite a few options for RTS fans available on the App Store, all of varying degrees of quality. Typically they suffer from one of two different problems. Either the complex nature of the game is too convoluted to be effective with a touch screen interface, or the entire experience is too stripped down and lacks any substance in order to accommodate accessible controls. Although there has been some strong entries in the genre, it doesn't really feel like anyone has got it “just right” yet.

That all changed last month with the release of Land Air Sea Warfare [$4.99] by developer Isotope 244. LASW gets it “just right”, offering a full console-like RTS experience with brilliantly executed, easy to use touch screen controls. The only features lacking in LASW are a proper single player campaign and multiplayer. That first issue is somewhat of a non-issue actually, as the amount of options available for play is just ridiculous. There is endless replayability due to the randomized maps and the amount of customization available in this game. In saying that it lacks a campaign, all that really means is it lacks a cohesive storyline to play through. If this is something that you look for in an RTS, then you may feel disappointed with LASW. If all you need is solid, highly configurable battles against an intelligent and scalable AI, then LASW will more than fit that bill.

As for multiplayer, it's not included in this current release but remains an option for the future. If you're looking to get your battle on against real life human opponents, you may look to the multiplayer-focused Armada: Galactic War which we previously reviewed and found to be excellent. It's conceivable that owning each title will fulfill all your offline and online RTS needs for a long time to come. A list of ideas for future updates to LASW has been posted by the developer in our forums, and includes a bevy of balance tweaks and performance optimizations. The game is really solid right now though, and only stands to get better through updates.

While it's tough to detail every last element of a game as robust as LASW, if you're already a big RTS fan, I'll offer you this advice – go buy this game right now. You need it. You'll love it. It's a truly excellent single player RTS affair. If you're on the fence, you can download a demo of the game on your Windows/Mac computer from the Isotope 244 website to get an idea of what it's like. Also, the game's forum thread has been overflowing with positive remarks since release. Forum member steelfires nicely summarizes the game with a review in our User Review section as well. Or, you can do like so many of us have done at times, and just click that Buy Now button with reckless abandon. I don't think you'll be disappointed. A game the caliber of Land Air Sea Warfare doesn't come around all that often on our devices, and surely should not be missed.

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The incredible hype surrounding Pixelbite's upcoming Reckless Racing (formerly Deliverace) has been growing fervidly since we previewed the game back in March. But disappointingly, the game's release keeps getting pushed back, and when we'll actually be able to have the complete game in our hands remains uncertain.  This delay has allowed a competitor to steal much of that thunder, and for gamers who are looking for something similar that's available right now, LilRacerz [99¢] is a new top-down racing game from developer Blast One.

While not quite as ambitious as Reckless Racing, LilRacerz is a fun arcade-like experience with excellent graphics, a ton of tracks, and plenty of upgradeable vehicles to unlock. If you were ever a fan of Super Sprint or Micro Machines games on systems past, then this is as close as you can currently get to those classics on your iPhone. There are a couple of minor issues with the game, but any negatives are quickly forgotten as the core racing gameplay is so incredibly enjoyable.

There are 17 different tracks in Lilracerz, spread across 9 cups in 3 difficulty leagues. You'll race on desert, ice, dirt, and tarmac courses, and each surface handles as you would expect. The purposely floaty physics and handling of the vehicles can cause some miscues while racing, but is also what makes it such a blast to play. Some races you'll beat your very first try, blowing away the AI racers, and some races will take multiple retries before completing. One wrong move can spell the end for a race, but this inconsistent difficulty doesn't really diminish the overall enjoyment of the game. The nicely detailed 2.5D graphics give a firm nod to the 16-bit and arcade eras while still being impressive in a modern sense. An awesome chiptune soundtrack accompanies the action, adding to the retro-feeling vibe.

The weakest aspect of the game is the somewhat flimsy upgrade system for your vehicles. You'll collect money spread across the track as well as by completing races which can be used to purchase upgrades in grip, acceleration, speed, or steering. I seemed to be able to play a huge portion of the game with the very first stock vehicle, thus collecting an enormous sum of money and fully upgrading my later unlocked vehicles in one shot, rendering the whole thing kind of pointless. It's not really a huge issue, and could easily be tweaked in a future update.

Speaking of updates, the dev has been actively discussing ideas in our forums such as a hard mode, reversed tracks, night time racing, and new vehicles. There's even talk of some kind of multiplayer functionality, which would indeed be a very exciting addition to this fun single player game.  One nice addition already included is Crystal implementation, with many achievements to unlock and a leaderboard for every track.  Once you've beaten the single player campaign, going back to compete for times online is a great way to extend your play time.  If you're looking for some fast-paced arcade style racing, you can give LilRacerz a test drive for it's current sale price of 99¢.

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