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About two weeks ago we posted about a promising looking match-3 game called Sigma [$.99]. As a fan of the match-3 genre, I have been very much looking forward to playing Sigma after seeing the initial gameplay video. After a few weeks of waiting, I'm glad to say that Sigma does not disappoint and is truly unique. With the number of great match-3 games already in the App Store, it's amazing that one can still surprise you.

In Sigma, you have two independently rotating columns of square blocks on either side of the screen with a barrier in the middle. Tapping either side of the screen sends blocks back and forth across the screen and you can rotate each column freely for complete control over the blocks. The controls are very simple and smooth, and unlike other similarly structured games, it never feels tedious to reach any piece in the game. Your goal is to create vertical or horizontal matches of 3 or more blocks to score as many points as you can before completing the level. One cool feature is that after creating a match, you have a few seconds to add additional blocks to your shape in order to increase the score and earn more power ups.

There are three modes in Sigma. In Sector mode, you want to fill up the progress bar by scoring and unlock the next Sector. Each difficulty mode includes up to ten different sectors, which are essentially different themes of the game each with its own music track. In Time Attack mode, you have either 1, 5, or 10 minutes to score as many points as possible before the timer runs out. Finally, in Versus mode, you play in a local multiplayer match over WiFi or Bluetooth.

Sigma is suitable for all skill levels as you can set your own pace. You are not under constant pressure to create a match, nor do you need to be lighting fast to do well at this game. There is always plenty of time on the clock to complete a level. However, for the hardcore players, Sigma also offers quite a bit of strategy if you choose to delve deep into it. The game awards different power ups for larger matches, so it's rewarding to take the time to create the 5+ sized matches.  Since you are not penalized for each move you make, you can setup elaborate and thought provoking situations. There are also multiplier combos awarded for creating multiple matches of the same color before the combo meter runs out. I believe I've only scratched the surface on the potential of strategy that can be involved in this game and I'm sure many players will rise to the challenge.

The leader boards and awards are provided by Plus+ to compete against the world. The leader boards rank you by the sum of all the sectors in a given difficulty level. This layout offers an advantage to the players who complete all the sectors and I feel provides a good averaged representation of the skill of the players on the rankings. Achievements are given for completing sectors, playing the different modes, and creating large matches/combos.

Sigma is a brilliant looking match 3 game of top notch quality. The developer says the $.99 price point is a limited introductory price and will rise to $2.99 soon. If you are interested in Sigma, it's a good time to get it, as this match-3 is very much worth it.

App Store Link: Sigma, $.99

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Last week we posted a preview of Adult Swim's Robot Unicorn Attack [$2.99] and really said everything there was to say about the game. Basically, here's the gist- Adult Swim has a free Flash game portal which contains many different games ranging from a suicide simulator to a Hook Champ-like swinging game. Robot Unicorn Attack is one of the more popular games on the flash portal, and as of this writing has been played close to 23 million times.

Set to Erasure's Always, you play as a robot unicorn and simply see how long you can survive. Much like Canabalt, gameplay consists of running to the right, jumping from platform to platform, and dashing through stars. I could go on explaining it, or you can just play the game in its entirety for free online.

Robot Unicorn Attack translates well to the iPhone, as most games will rarely last any more than a few minutes and both jumping and dashing is handled by default with buttons on either side of the screen or with optional gestures. Everything including the fantastic background music is preserved in the iPhone port, although the graphics have been scaled down to fit the resolution of the iPhone screen.

This is a game that is so ridiculous, you can't help but to love it. Between the silly soundtrack, rainbows everywhere, and both dolphins and sparkles popping up all over the screen when you're doing well, it's hard to not smile while playing Robot Unicorn Attack. Give the free flash game a spin, if you like what you see, $2.99 for the iPhone version shouldn't be too hard to swallow.

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Deadly Dungeon is a new 3D dungeon-crawling hack 'n' slash game for the iPhone and iPod touch. It seems to be somewhat Diablo-esque in the way the dungeon is presented, the real-time enemy combat, and loot collecting. It doesn't appear that there's much in the way of weapons or gear to equip on your warrior, but there are two playable main characters with a female warrior able to be purchased with in-game gold. The graphics and animation shown in the video are really impressive, with huge enemies and nice lighting and magical attacks.

Details from the developer:

• 8 levels
• 3 enemy types: Skeletons, Ogres and Goblins
• Collect gold to unlock extra playable Female Warrior and extra swords
• 4 magic spells per playable character
• Great 3d art/animations, music and sound effects
• OpenFeint achievements and leaderboards integration

While we're certainly impressed with the visuals portrayed in the video, we do have some reservations about the game. First, it doesn't appear that there's much variety in the dark dungeon setting. Playing through 8 levels of the same environment may get monotonous. On that same note, only having 3 different enemies seems a bit lacking, although those huge ogres are pretty cool. It may just be a bit too basic for gamers who are normally into this type of game, although that remains to be seen until we've actually played it. Still, it has a great look to it and a lot of potential. The magic attacks seem interesting and the ability to play as a female character is a nice addition.

Deadly Dungeon was submitted on Sunday for review from Apple. Barring any unforeseen complications, we should be seeing the game arrive in the next week or so. The price is said to be at 99¢ or $1.99, with the possiblility of being free at first release for early adopters. Due to the graphical intensity, it's recommended for newer hardware (2^nd generation iPod touch and above). We'll be taking a closer look at the final version when it's available.

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Nearly two years ago now , Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D by developer Polarbit was amongst the first batch of games released onto Apple's fledgling App Store. At the time, it was an impressive example of what could be achieved on a mobile phone, and glimpsed at a bright future for iPhone gaming. Looking back on it today, however, the decidedly lackluster graphics, stuttering framerate, and deplorably short draw distance mar the otherwise very enjoyable gameplay. It's still a good game, but in the time since its release a number of competing kart racers like Shrek Kart and Cocoto Kart have raised the bar considerably in terms of graphics and notable features like online multiplayer. Now, Polarbit has reentered the fray with a sequel that – for the most part – addresses the downfalls of the original, delivering a largely familiar but wholly expanded upon experience with Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2.

The most immediately noticeable improvement in Crash 2 is the visuals. The scenery is detailed and brightly colored, and thankfully the dreadful draw distance of the first game is nonexistent. The levels are cleverly designed with multiple pathways, varying track elevations, and many different shortcuts waiting to be discovered. The character and kart models are notably better this time around, consisting of a higher polygon count and much more detail and personality. The framerate can still get choppy when there is a lot of action onscreen at once, but it's hardly ever bothersome and is significantly better than the original's. The load times are a bit long, and the audio can stutter while loading on occasion. Some users are reporting the game crashing, although this was infrequent in our time with the game. Also of note is the excellent music and sound effects throughout that bring the game to life without ever feeling overbearing.

Gameplay-wise Crash 2 features the familiar drift-heavy, combat-intensive racing found in it's previous iteration, as well as most every other kart racing game since the inception of Super Mario Kart. It's a proven formula that's executed quite well here, but can be highly unforgiving. One wrong turn or attack from an opponent can cost you an entire race, but this can work to your benefit too, allowing you to come from behind and still win. It can end up being frustrating to race near perfectly only to lose at the very last stretch of track because someone launched a missile into your backside. This is par for the course in games like this, however, and the frenetic fun outweighs the frustration. Touch or tilt controls are available, and while the tilt felt a little more comfortable I found the touch option allowed for more finesse while turning. The controls are really responsive, and either option should be suitable for most people.

The number of different game modes in Crash 2 is quite impressive. The standards are here, such as Arcade, Time Attack, Cup races and more, but some others that offer more non-traditional racing. For example, Mission Mode presents one specific objective for each of the 12 courses. You may need to accumulate a certain amount of points by drifting, or collect a number of different items, all while still placing 3^rd or better in the race. These different modes offer a fun way to play through the game's content while staying fresh and engaging, although sometimes the requirements to complete them can be brutally difficult. There's a total of 10 characters, 12 courses, and 8 modes in Crash 2, the majority of which are unlocked as you progress through the game.

One standout feature is the ability to race online against players from all over the world. It works incredibly easily, as you just type in a username and connect to a lobby showing available rooms to join. You can create your own room as well, and as host can pick which mode and track to play. The types of online games are standard races, knockout-style Eliminator mode, and Collection where the goal is to be the racer who collects the most crystals by the end of the race. Our experience racing online worked well and was relatively lag-free, and adds a tremendous amount of replayability to the title.

In the end, Crash 2 is just what you would expect out of a sequel. They've taken all of the great elements of the first game, refined them, and added a ton more content on top. If you were a fan of the original game, then you should no doubt enjoy this one even more. If you have yet to pick up one of the many kart racers on the App Store, then Crash 2 is likely your best option. It feels as close as you can get to something like Mario Kart DS on this platform. The overly difficult challenges and somewhat cheap combat mechanics will likely frustrate some more than others, but overall the game is a lot of fun. With a ton of content, beautiful graphics and presentation, excellent online play, and the pedigree of one of the App Store's first classics, Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 is definitely recommended.

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The developers of Sally's Spa [$2.99] and Hottie Hookups [$.99] are about to release their newest game, Sigma. Entering a new category of games, BigStack Studios has created a marvelous looking match-3 game.

Using multi-touch, you can independently spin two columns of blocks on either side of the screen. Tapping either side of the screen sends blocks back and forth across the screen. Once a match has been created, you'll have a couple of seconds to tag additional blocks on to the cluster before the whole thing explodes. Overall, it reminds us of an enhanced version of Unify.

The goal is to create huge blocks of the same color to earn the most points, get power ups, and increase the point multipliers. There will be three different modes in Sigma; Sectors, Time Attack, and Multiplayer. Playing in Sector mode allows you to unlock up to 10 different themes, each with their own music track. Time Attack mode has three time lengths to score as many points as possible before the time runs out. And go head-to-head in Multiplayer mode to compete against your friends over local wifi or bluetooth connection. Sigma will also have the online social network Plus+ included in their game with awards to unlock and leader boards to submit your high scores and compete against the world.

Sigma should be available soon, look for it on the App Store in the near future. And to better see how Sigma will be played, check out this gameplay video:

We'll take a closer look when it arrives. The developers plan on submitting the game to Apple as early as today.

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Back in 1989 now-veteran UK game developer Jamie Woodhouse released a lively little puzzle / platformer called Qwak for the 8-bit BBC Micro home computer.  Not long after, he joined forces with Team17 to develop an enhanhced, two-player Amiga version of the game, which was released in 1993 and featured faster action and more frantic gameplay. The rather well-reviewed title (Amiga Computing magazine gave it a "Gamer Gold" 92% rating) later made its way to the Gameboy Advance as well as the Mac and PC.

We're pleased to report that Jamie recently got in touch to let us know that he has developed an iPhone version of Qwak and will shortly be launching it through the App Store.

In Qwak, you control a duck (get it?). Your objective is to guide this green duck through level after level of platforms, fruits and gems (worth points), bouncing enemies, power-ups to help demolish said enemies, and keys to unlock goodies as well as the level's exit gate. Your duck can run, jump, and fire volleys of egg projectiles to knock out the baddies. Grab a bonus item and watch a hale of colorful fruit rain down upon you. Take too long on a level and meet a hale of spikeballs. In a nutshell, I call it frenetic, fun, and rather fruity (to be alliteratively wanton).

I've spent some time with the exclusive prerelease build of the game Jamie provided us and it's been lovely to play. It's a touch-controlled affair with a left / right control in one corner and jump and egg-fire controls in the other. The vibrant visuals move about the screen as smooth as glass on the iPhone 3GS test device and a very Amiga-sounding score accompanies the action. It feels both retro and highly polished. It's a game platformer fans won't want to miss.

Additional details, I'll leave to the developer to provide (after the jump), as he was kind enough to grant us an interview along with the exclusive ad hoc build.

What were your inspirations for writing the original?  Are there any particular games you had in mind?

Well, there was a bunch of platform games on the Beeb I used to play; Blagger, Monters, Space Panic, Frak etc. I also went in the arcades a lot back then (so much so that I got kicked out of college), and I undoubtedly played Bubble Bobble, which Qwak gets compared to a lot.

What language did you use to write the BBC Micro version?

100% 6502 Assembler. You could quite easily mix BBC basic and assembler, or have 100% assembler; which a lot of game developers did back then, and you needed to, to get the best performance out of the very limited and slow hardware. Fun times!

Is the BBC Micro version, in fact, the original?

Yep, it’s the original. It was released in 1989 by Superior on a 4 game compilation. I still have a review of the game from a 1989 A&B Computing magazine; “The best game of the bunch has to be Qwak! Designed and coded by Jamie Woodhouse it is very addictive and great fun..”.

I think that was the first time I’d ever seen one of my games reviewed and in print; felt pretty good as I stood there reading the mag in the newsagents!

The '93 Amiga rework is a bit more fast paced / arcadey than the original. GBA and PC / Mac versions followed. It seems the iPhone ver is really an adaptation of the later versions, is that true?

Yeah, I guess it’s confusing with all the different versions all sharing the same name; but with different graphics and various gameplay mechanics…

The Beeb version came first, and the Amiga version was a good deal different to the Beeb version.

The GBA version came next, which was a port of the Amiga version, I used all the same graphics and levels etc; and just added in some scrolling to accommodate the GBA’s smaller screen resolution.

Actually, I couldn’t find a publisher for the GBA version so I had a load of carts shipped over from China and self-published a small limited run of carts. All sold out now!

Next came the PC version, which had completely new levels, more tricks and traps, different power-ups and secret bonuses; and a lot more going on visually to! The Mac version was a port of the PC version.

For the iPhone version of Qwak, I’ve managed to retain pretty much everything that’s going on with the PC version. It’s based on the PC version; but there’s a little scrolling, to squeeze the levels in to the smaller iPhone screen resolution. I don’t think it hurts the game-play too much.

How are you liking iPhone game development as opposed to what you've done on the Amiga, GBA and other platforms?

I’m absolutely loving it so far!

There’s a bit of a learning curve, with this being my first iPhone game; but I feel as if I’m making good progress and getting a good technical understanding of the platform.

The Amiga and GBA were also fun platforms to make games for; and as with the iPhone, you have a pretty solid idea of the minimum spec machine people will be playing your game on (which doesn’t happen with desktop game dev). Plus, it’s relatively a low powered device (compared to desktop PC’s), which is awesome! … because there’s more scope for programmer creativity in squeezing more performance from the device (game developers secretly love that kind of thing!).

The music track sounds very Amiga. Is the audio straight from that version?

Yep, it's got the same 10 tracks of music from the Amiga version (which used to be in .MOD format, was a little tricky converting them to .MP3s).

Can you comment at all on the controls of the iPhone ver, thoughts that went into them, etc?

Well, Qwak is quite a fast paced game, so I felt some kind of on-screen D-pad control mechanic would work a lot better than using the accelerometer.

There’s also an issue that your thumbs and fingers may obscure the in-game action; so what I’ve done is when the player is at the bottom of the screen; the screen kinda shifts up a little bit, so you can still see yourself.

I also have the fire (throw egg) button on the right hand side, so it’s easy to waddle your wrist and throw eggs really quickly, one after the other (which is handy as the bigger baddies need multiple hits to ‘dispatch’ them).

The controls work for me; but it’ll be interesting to see how people respond when they’ve tried the game for themselves. I’m wondering too, how left-handed players with cope with the controls. I just hope I get feedback and people let me know, it’s always great to hear what’s working and what needs changing or improvement (and it’s always possible to do an update).

Is there anything down the road you can speak of?

There’s quite a few ideas I have; and it’s funny you should say ‘road’ … as I’m half tempted to do a re-envisioned version of Nitro or ATR. There doesn’t seem to be many top-down perspective racers on the App Store.

I’m also thinking ‘Qwak spin-off’ … I often worry that Qwak may be TOO frantic and fast-paced for a lot of people (although I personally love that kind of thing), so the spin-off game would be slightly slower paced, with more exploration and puzzle solving (and tricks and traps, hehe).

What are your thoughts on the iPhone as a game platform, and the overall situation that is the App Store?

I really like it, it’s a lot of fun to make games for, and I feel genuinely excited at the prospect of making more games for it.

I’m still pretty new to the App Store; but my first impressions, I guess there seems to be a lot of variation in the quality of games on there; from really poor, to really awesome.

I really like the fact that it’s possible for small indie game developers, to make the kind of games they want to make, and share them with other people through the App Store. There’s not so much need for any middle-man or publisher or anything like that. So it’s a lot more accessible to developers that a lot of platforms.

Qwak should be landing in the App Store shortly. We'll give folks a heads-up when it lands. This is a good one, folks.

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Little White Bear Studios have released their newest game today, Compression HD [Free] — an all new iPad version of their popular iPhone game Compression [$1.99 / Lite] that we reviewed and gave 4 stars.

In Compression HD, the object is to remove all the hollowed out blocks from each level to move on. Making a match of 3 or more of the same colored block will remove those pieces from the board. You control new pieces falling down from the top with swipes and taps of your finger to move and rotate the pieces as they come down. The controls are very natural and easy to get the hang of, and you'll immediately understand how to control the pieces once you start playing.

A unique feature in Compression HD compared to similar matching games is that the walls will move inwards throughout the level compressing the board, hence the name of the game. For every three pieces that drop, a wall will come in (either the left, right or bottom wall), adding to the strategy involved with making combos in the game. You must complete the level before the board is too small and there's no room left for any new pieces. As you complete levels, the game gets faster and faster the farther you reach. You'll want to last as long as you can and score as many points as possible to compete in the online leader boards. Compression HD is OpenFeint enabled, offering achievements and multiple global scoreboards.

This game has been soaring up the charts today and it is easy to see why, with fun gameplay, cool graphics and great music that suits the game perfectly. You won't want to pass up this excellent iPad title, especially since it's free. The developer has said in our forums that a new mode may show up in Compression HD in the near future in an update.

App Store Link: Compression HD, Free

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Spearhead Entertainment's Phoenix Spirit [99¢] which we featured in our last upcoming games roundup hit the App Store recently. As mentioned in the previous post, Phoenix Spirit involves playing as a flying squirrel of sorts exploring the forest attempting to discover the cause of the illness that has infected the mother tree.

The entire game is controlled by tilting your iPhone, slowly gliding your squirrel around the screen. On-screen buttons appear that allow you to quickly dive to gain speed, as well as jump off to keep flying when you eventually land. This control mechanic has been a major point of discussion in the Phoenix Spirit thread on our forums. Currently, only tilt control is implemented. I didn't mind the controls as I played through the game, but there seems to be quite a few people who dislike being restricted to tilt input.

Properly controlling your squirrel involves managing your speed through careful dives, and not climbing up too quickly. It isn't immediately apparent that the game revolves around this gliding mechanic, but once you wrap your head around needing to always make sure you have enough speed to maneuver around things get a lot easier.

Progressing through the game works exactly like any Castlevania or Metroid game with new powers and abilities that allow you make your way through previously inaccessible areas. A mini-map that is always in the top right corner of the screen keeps you from ever really feeling lost, and three game save slots make it easy to share your device with other people playing the game. (Something I wish more games did.)

Combat is the one portion of the game that feels really weak, as there doesn't seem to be any benefit to fighting things compared to just avoiding them by careful flying. There isn't any kind of experience system, so it almost seems more fun to just evade enemies entirely. Check out the following gameplay trailer to see how the game looks in motion:

It would be nice if Phoenix Spirit had some other control options aside from tilting and I'd love to see the combat system fleshed out a little more so there's reason to fight instead of just flying by everything. However, at the current price of 99¢, it's hard to focus too much on the game's shortcomings because of how much you're actually getting for your dollar. Phoenix Spirit is a cool game of exploration, filled with well drawn pixel art, immersive music, and a neat game concept that any fan of Metroidvania side-scrollers shouldn't miss.

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Beat It!

Glu games has made their musical puzzler Beat It! free for a limited time. See our full review for details:

Beat It!, a music-based game from Glu Games Inc, is different from other music games, not only in the way that it presents its music for interactive play, but in the way that players' brains must function in order to be successful. Instead of playing along with a predetermined song, players are asked to recreate a short, looping beat that is played for them several times in quick succession before the beginning of each level.

We actually really enjoyed the this game and highly recommend every pick it up for free.

Aqua Forest 2 is also free but for today only.

This game challenges you to guide a drop of water from start to finish across a variety of beautiful photorealistic levels, including leaves, mossy rocks, flower petals, and more. Simply tilt your phone to make the water move, thanks to the technology of the "PHYZIOS Engine™ Casual" 2D multi-physics engine.

It's hard to say we highly recommend the game, but its worth a free download to see the water droplet physics effects.

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One of the greatest things about the App Store is the accessibility for indie developers, and as such, the iPhone is the target platform for an amazing amount of risky or artsy games that would likely never see the light of day on regular consoles. Sure, obscure indie games always had a home on the PC, but the visibility offered by the App Store has allowed these same developers to reach a remarkably wide audience.

Kometen [$2.99] is yet another example of an indie game that's hard to really define as a "game", and instead, is more of an interactive experience with fantastic art and music wrapped around a vaguely game-like wrapper.

In Kometen, all you do is play as a comet and explore the galaxy. You can't lose, you can't die. You navigate about by tapping on various planets to orbit them. Some planets have space junk also orbiting that you can munch up to briefly speed up. That's really all there is to it.

The game is the brain child of Erik Svedäng, the creator of the PC game Blueberry Garden, which won the Independent Games Festival Grand Prize 2009 and Niklas Åkerblad, a painter and art director of indie XBOX games. Reactions to the game on our forum have been mixed, with some loving the abstract nature of the game while others are looking for more from the gameplay side of things.

We think Kometen is an artsy game that does a great job of embodying the indie spirit of the App Store. With simple goals, remarkable art, and perfectly paired music, Kometen is a really cool experience that seems to elicit the same kind of feelings as Zen Bound and other games that hinge more on atmosphere and mood than high scores and boss fights.

It's hard to give the game a strong recommendation because at the end of the day, it isn't much of a game, but if the creativity that went in to the above trailer at all piqued your interest, give Kometen a try.

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