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We're not sure what has possessed the publishers of dozens of amazing iPhone games to decide that tonight was the night to hold a massive sale — but it's happened. And you can benefit from it.

A huge number of high profile games have dropped in price to all time lows. The number of high quality games you can pick up for $0.99 right now is amazing. We hand picked a few to highlight here, but below we've listed dozens more. Every game on this list is worth the sale price, so now's your chance.

A few notable games dropping to $0.99 include:

Osmos, $0.99 Osmos was originally released in late August of 2009 for the PC, and went on to win numerous awards. The multi-touch controls work wonderfully on the platform and it’s a natural fit for the iPhone. We highly recommend picking this one up. Review

Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, $0.99 We choose Tiger Style Games’ Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor for our 2009 Game of the Year. Spider is an original concept built specifically for the iPhone by a small self funded team. Review

2K Sports NHL 2K11, $0.99 It wouldn’t be hard for NHL 2K11 to claim the title of best ice hockey game on the iPhone, since the competition is sorely lacking. But it surprisingly goes above and beyond and offers a truly full-fledged NHL experience on a mobile platform. Review

Archetype, $0.99 Archetype delivers one of the most robust, beautiful, and most importantly fun first person shooter (FPS) experiences that can be had on the iPhone. Review

Here's the rest of the list, grouped by price. Unfortunately, this appears to be an iPhone / iPod Touch phenomenon mostly. Only two games (marked below) are iPad native.

$0.99

• Civilization Revolution ($6.99 -> $0.99)
• Soccer Superstars ($2.99 -> $0.99)
• 9 Innings: Pro Baseball 2011 ($4.99 -> $0.99)
• Baseball Superstars 2010 ($2.99 -> $0.99)
• Need for Speed Shift ($6.99 -> $0.99)
• Bookworm ($2.99 -> $0.99)
• Geometry Wars: Touch ($4.99 -> $0.99) Universal
• Puzzle Agent ($4.99 -> $0.99)
• Monkey Island 2 Special Edition ($2.99 -> $0.99)
• The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition ($2.99 -> $0.99)
• Doom II RPG ($3.99 -> $0.99)
• Assassin's Creed II ($5.99 -> $0.99)
• Zombie Infection ($2.99 -> $0.99)
• Peggle ($2.99 -> $0.99)

$1.99

• Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2 ($4.99 -> $1.99)
• Risk: The official Game ($4.99 -> $1.99)
• Hybrid 2: Saga of Nostalgia ($4.99 -> $1.99)
• Zenonia 2 ($4.99 -> $1.99)
• Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night ($4.99 -> $1.99)
• Mirror's Edge ($4.99 -> $1.99)
• ACE Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion ($4.99 -> $1.99)
• Myst ($4.99 -> $1.99)
• Doom Resurrection ($6.99 -> $1.99)
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ($5.99 -> $1.99)
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 ($4.99 -> $1.99)
• NCAA Football by EA Sports ($4.99 -> $1.99)
• Command & Conquer Red Alert ($4.99 -> $1.99)

$2.99+

• NFL 2011 ($4.99 -> $2.99)
• Real Racing ($4.99 -> $2.99)
• Call of Duty Zombies ($9.99 -> $4.99)
• Call of Duty Zomies HD ($9.99 -> $4.99) iPad Only
• FIFA 10 by EA Sports ($6.99 -> $4.99)

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We haven't done a roundup of recently released lite versions to try in quite some time now, which means there is more than a heaping helping of them to download. I'm only going back through the past month or so of releases, and cherry picking the more interesting lite versions of games we've already mentioned in one way or another, but to see everything that has come out that is free, swing on over to AppShopper. Anyway, here is an alphabetical list of lite versions that you should try as all of these games are pretty awesome:

A PHYSICS GAMEBOX FREE, Free We thought Physics Gamebox was a great fit for the iPhone in our review, and now not only is this pair of physics puzzlers free to play on NewGrounds, but there’s also a lite version on the App Store. If you liked Ragdoll Blaster at all, make sure you try Physics Gamebox.

Cubed Rally Racer Lite, Free The full version of Cubed Rally Racer is one of my favorite racing games, as it combines RC Pro-Am style retro racing with a fantastic random track generator and OpenFeint to send and receive ghost challenges between your friends. To see me gushing over the game even more, check out our review.

Daredevil Dave: Motorcycle Stuntman! FREE 2, Free There’s already one free version of Daredevil Dave, but this one adds another two jumps to try. This is basically a trial and error based trajectory game, but you hardly even notice because it has so much personality. Take a look at the trailer in our review to see exactly what kind of punishment is in store for poor ol’ Daredevil Dave.

Flick Fishing HD FREE, Free If you own an iPad and you’ve been looking to try Flick Fishing HD, here is your chance. The iPhone version has been downloaded millions of times and is almost constantly being featured in various “best of” and “most downloaded” listings on the App Store. The iPad version features high resolution graphics and slightly modified controls like most HD-ized games.

Giant Moto Lite, Free If you have fond memories of Excite Bike for the NES, you should give Giant Moto a try. It’s a little basic, and desperately needs some kind of randomized track and/or track builder mode since even the full version is a little light on content… But as we mentioned in our original post on the game, it’s hard to not see the potential for this game to be really rad with some updates.

iHook Lite, Free I thought the full iHook was cool when it was first released, but the unconventional control scheme was a little hard to describe, and since that’s such a main part of the game I’m glad they finally released a lite version. Gameplay involves shooting out grappling hooks, attaching to pylons of sorts, and releasing once your trajectory has been altered enough.

Infect Them All Lite, Free Previously known as Infection:Zombies, Infect Them All is a cool tilt based game where instead of killing zombies, you play as a zombie trying to convert as many humans as… humanly possible. I thought the premise of the game was neat when it first came out, but the lite version might just be enough for the novelty factor of turning humans to wear off.

Max Vector LITE, Free As mentioned in our mini-review, Max Vector is fairly basic like most Game Salad games, but the developers more than make up for this with heaps upon heaps of old school retro charm and fantastic chiptune music by 8 Bit Weapon. If huge pixels are your cup of tea, you should at least try the lite version of Max Vector.

Meowcenaries Lite, Free Yet another crazy game from Adult Swim, this time you play as a platoon of cats much like the classic game Cannon Fodder. Meowcenaries is loaded with tired memes and lolcat jokes, which will either amuse you or annoy you. We posted it when it first came out with a few other weird games if you like this one.

MrOnionsLite, Free If you’ve ever enjoyed one of the many physics-powered bike jumping games on the App Store (of which there are many), you really need to give Mr. Onions a try. The art is cute, the gameplay is fun, and the odd twist of needing to not only make it to the finish, but make it there with your basket full of groceries is awesome. For more details, read our review.

NAMCO GAMES PORTAL, Free Namco bundled up Pac-Man Lite, Ace Combat Lite, Galaxa Remix Lite, Dig Dug Remix Lite and Time Crisis Strike Lite in to one app. I guess the one download is convenient, but looking at these games side by side just kind of makes you realize how lackluster Namco’s efforts on the App Store have been so far.

Need for Speed Shift FREE, Free Both Need for Speed games on the App Store have been awesome, and believe it or not, Shift actually feels a lot like the console versions of the game. It doesn’t have all the content of the 360/PS3 game, but it’s just as much fun. Take a look at our preview for some gameplay video.

PREDATORS™ Lite, Free From the guys behind Guerilla Bob comes this fully licensed Predator game which bucks the trend of terrible movie games and actually is quite a bit of fun. We have a fairly in depth review, but if you like dual stick shooters or the Predator universe you can just skip straight to downloading this game.

Psychoban Lite, Free This clever twist on classic Sokoban drops you in a hospital ward where you’re forced to solve a series of puzzles after going through a “procedure”. The controls work well, although at times the camera perspective can get a little wonky. We liked it in our review, and if you like puzzle games you should totally snag this lite.

X2 Snowboarding Base, Free If you have even a vague interest in snowboarding games, you need to have X2 Snowboarding on your iPhone. We explained how awesome it is in our review, and this is a game I’m still playing months later.

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EA is holding a massive $0.99 sale on over a dozen titles. The sale will only last 48 hours, so you have to act quickly. The games have been nicely organized by niezam into games that have never been $0.99 before, and ones that have (U.S. Links):

$.99 for the first time

• COMMAND & CONQUER™ RED ALERT™ (was $6.99)
• FIFA 10 by EA SPORTS™ (was $4.99)
• MADDEN NFL 10 by EA SPORTS (was $6.99)
• Need for Speed Shift (was $6.99)
• Need For Speed™ Undercover (was $4.99)
• SimCity™ (was $2.99)
• Dragon's Lair (was $4.99)
• JEWEL QUEST MYSTERIES: CURSE OF THE EMERALD TEAR (was $2.99)
• Trivial Pursuit (was $4.99)

$.99 once or several time before

• NBA Live by EA Sports (was $2.99)
• Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® BY EA SPORTS™ (was $2.99)
• BATTLESHIP (was $1.99)
• CONNECT 4 (was $2.99)
• Surviving High School (was $2.99)
• THE GAME OF LIFE Classic Edition (was $1.99)
• CLUE (was $1.99)
• YAHTZEE™ Adventures (was $2.99)

While all the games are good values for only $0.99, we'd probably say Need for Speed: Shift is the "must get" game from the list. It has frequently been cited as one of the best racing games for the iPhone, so it's a good one to have.

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Disney Interactive's arcade racing collaboration with Black Rock Studios, Split/Second [$6.99], hit the App Store tonight and so far seems remarkably similar to the version we previewed last week:

Developed in house utilizing scaled down versions of the assets from the XBOX 360 and PS3 version of the game, Split/Second for the iPhone is a fun racing game with a great sense of speed and a cool gameplay mechanic that involves blowing up portions of the track to change the layout of the course and sabotage opponents.

In Split/Second, you compete in a fictional reality television show where you compete for fame and fortune. Included are three gameplay modes: Season mode where you play through the TV show, quick race where you can play any unlocked track, and multiplayer mode which not only can be played locally via bluetooth and WiFi but also online.

The main gimmick of Split/Second is the powerplay system. Racing through the game, a gauge near the back of your car slowly fills up in three segments. Doing things like drifting, drafting opponents, and just generally racing as aggressive as possible increases your powerplay meter. You can then spend this powerplay energy to initiate various explosions throughout the track to take out enemy racers as well as significantly altering the track itself. This can result in debris and track damage that you must dodge and avoid in subsequent laps. The game offers 3 types of modes throughout: Detonator, Elimination, and Race. Detonator pits you against the track itself in which all possible explosions occur during your run. You just need to finish in the time allotted. Elimination is an aggressive quick-elimination mode where the trailing car is eliminated at regular intervals. Finally, Race is self explanatory. Controls are limited to auto-acceleration, tilt control and manual braking with multiple button layout options.

As some commenters mentioned in the preview post, the powerplay gauge increased very slowly in the preview build. This seems to have been tweaked to be more in line with the console version of the game and it seems rare that I'm ever really starved for powerplays.

Unfortunately, the other issues mentioned in the preview still remain. While the game itself is a fast arcade racer with a neat gimmick, it almost seems like too much was sacrificed when compressing the game down from the XBOX 360 or PS3 to the iPhone. So many of the visual effects are missing, and even the biggest explosions aren't nearly as exciting.

In comparison, when playing the full console version of the game, you're constantly dodging explosions and other environmental obstacles launching themselves in the middle of the raceway. On the iPhone, this explosion mechanic isn't anywhere near as prevalent as it should be in a game that tries to be based around adrenaline-pumping explosions around every turn.

Split/Second for iPhone does come with online multiplayer, but since it just launched this evening, it's too early to say whether or not this will become popular enough to sustain itself.

While Split/Second for iPhone can be a fun arcade racer, App Store racing staples like Real Racing [$4.99 / Free] and Need for Speed Shift [$6.99] are just flat out better technical racers. As such, Split/Second isn't a must have but may appeal to those looking for a different and far more arcade-y racing experience.

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Here's Part 2 of our iPad Game upgrade guide. Again, to be clear, most of the games we are discussing are great iPhone games. The question is whether the sold-separately iPad versions are worth paying for if you already own the iPhone version. If you've never played any of these games and own an iPad, the HD version is the one to get.

Here's our general rule of thumb:

• Don't own it yet? – You need the iPad version if there is one.
• Hated it on iPhone? – With few exceptions, an iPad version isn't going to magically turn your opinion on a game. Most games are very familiar to the originals with only a few visual tweaks and controls.
• Loved it on iPhone? – If you absolutely loved a game on iPhone, it's worth upgrading. Practically all games gain some benefit from an increased sense of immersion that hardcore fans of a given game are going to appreciate. But, if you've already finished a game on iPhone, the incentive is less to upgrade depending on what's the developer might have included in the iPad version.

Here's our Part 2 list of recommendations on upgrading.

Recommended Upgrades

Labyrinth 2 HD ($7.99)
iPad Features: iPad specific levels
With a bigger screen, Labyrinth 2 HD allows for even more elaborate levels filled with tons more obstacles than would ever fit on the iPhone screen. Just like the non-HD version, there is a seemingly endless supply of level packs to download and the top down tilting control method works very well with the iPad. Labyrinth 2 HD is also a great game to load up when showing other people your iPad, as it is not only visually impressive, but playing the game itself requires almost no explanation.

Scrabble for iPad ($9.99)
iPad Features: Play up to 25 multiplayer games and new "Party Play" game mode.
The increased display resolution allows players to view and interact with the entire board at once, but the coolest feature of this new version of Scrabble is party play. In this game mode, the iPad acts as the host for the game and displays the game board. Players then use the free Scrabble Tile Rack [App Store] running on an iPhone or iPod touch (or even their own iPad, I suppose) to see their rack of letters. Playing Scrabble this way with over $1000 of electronics for a four person game might be overkill when you can pick up a copy of the board game for under $20… But that isn't anywhere near as cool.

Need for Speed Shift for iPad ($14.99)
iPad Features: 8 New Cars, Physics-based acceleration, improved manual controls
Racing games are surprisingly good on the iPad. Being such visual games, the improved graphics add to the immersion. Despite concerns about the heft of the iPad, you can easily position yourself in a way where it hasn't been an issue. Depending on your taste in racing games, you should pick up this one or Real Racing.

Real Racing HD ($9.99)
iPad Features: Apply images to your car, ghost racing and new controls
As mentioned, something about these high quality racing games just pop on the iPad. Real Racing is more of a sim-racer than Shift. Depending on your taste in racing games, you should pick up this one or Need for Speed.

Civilization Revolution for iPad ($12.99)
iPad Features: World/Scenario Creator
Because of how Civilization Revolution was developed, all ports of the game from the PC, to the iPhone, to the XBOX 360 are very similar with only graphical and user interface differences. It's nicer to play on the iPad because of the extra screen space, and unlike the iPhone version, when you pan around the map the terrain doesn't constantly disappear and redraw. The maximum zoom in the iPad version is more expansive so if you plan on spending any time in the game, you should get the iPad version. Screenshots of Max zoom: iPad, Pixel Doubled

Words With Friends HD ($4.99->$1.99)
iPad Features: Redesigned user interface.
Gameplay is identical to the free version of Words With Friends [App Store] which looks pretty good scaled up. If you're a heavy player, however, the UI changes are nice. We were actually torn on this one, but the price drop to $1.99 pushed us over the edge to recommending it.

Maybe

Plants vs. Zombies HD ($9.99)
iPad Features: Survival mode, New Mini Game, New Achievements.
Survival mode implemented, also, graphics look absolutely amazing at 1024×768. Other than that, gameplay and controls were fine on iPhone but both the native and pixel-doubled versions seem slightly easier on iPad since everything is bigger. If you need/want a survival mode, however, only the iPad version has it (so far).

Not Recommended

Dungeon Hunter HD ($6.99)
iPad Features: On screen mini-map
Graphics look great and plays surprisingly well on the iPad's screen. Also includes a transparent mini-map which isn't there on the iPad version. I do like the button arrangement better on the iPad version than the iPhone version, so if I were to play through it all, I'd go with iPad. But if you're already played it, there's no new content.

Modern Combat ($6.99)
iPad Features: On screen mini-map.
Actually feel the higher resolution screen comes in handy in this as you are often trying to pick off distant targets with your scope. The first person controls on the iPad are passable, but not as tight as on the iPhone. Again, no new content here so unless you are looking to play the game over again or are a big time online player, it's a pass.

Command & Conquer Red Alert ($12.99)
iPad Features: Includes 6 Skirmish Maps that were DLC on iPhone version
One of the biggest disappointments given the excitement regarding the potential for desktop-like RTS games on the iPad is how little effort went in to the iPad version of Command & Conquer Red Alert. The game is identical to the iPhone version (+DLC), rendered at 1024×768, and significantly marked up in price. Screenshots: iPad, Pixel Doubled

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Alright, so here's the deal- The amount of iPad games out there on day one is beyond overwhelming. In the interest of getting something up on the site, here's some brief first impressions of the games we're going through as quickly as possible. Right now we kind of feel like kids in a candy store with hundreds of different kinds of candy while thousands of people stand outside with their face plastered against the window yelling "How does it taste?!"

We'll likely do in-depth coverage of most of the games that stand out, but for the time being, if you just got home with an iPad and are totally lost with where to start you can follow along with us going through these games. These aren't in any kind of order, rather, these are just the games that jumped out at us first.

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Real Racing HD, $9.99 – One of the biggest surprises for me with the iPad is how immersive racing games are, especially when in cockpit mode. The iPad feels a little on the heavy side until you get used to using it as a steering wheel, but a 1024×768 screen so close to your face really makes for a cool gameplay experience. For more details on Real Racing, check out our review. The game itself is very similar to the iPhone version, but with much better graphics and a hefty heap of immersion.

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Need For Speed Shift for iPad, $14.99 – Much like how we mentioned in our in-depth preview of the iPhone version, it's really a toss up as to which game is better between Need For Speed and Real Racing. Much like Real Racing, the game looks great on the iPad and I absolutely love the in-car view with the feel that comes with using the iPad as a steering wheel. Currently, Need For Speed costs an extra $5 over Real Racing, but if you prefer the arcade style of racing in the Need For Speed series, don't let the higher price tag scare you away.

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Touchgrind HD, $7.99 – If you're at all in to finger boarding, or liked the iPhone version of the game, you need Touchgrind HD for your iPad. The extra screen real estate of the iPad really improves gameplay, as you can see so much more and can actually plan out lines to skate instead of just bumping along looking for ramps and rails. The two player mode is super cool, and the amount of customization in the game between different skateboards rocks. Something to keep in mind is that this game controls like you're using an actual finger board just like the original, so there can be a somewhat sizable learning curve as you learn how to handle your board.

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Labyrinth 2 HD, $7.99 & Labyrinth 2 HD Lite, Free – Following the previously mentioned racing games, Labyrinth 2 HD was yet another "Oh wow, this is really cool" experience on the iPad. We absolutely loved Labyrinth 2 when it was first released for the iPhone, so it's not much of a surprise that the game is even better on the big screen of the iPad. Seriously, download the lite version if nothing else. The pseudo-3D tilting effect looks even better on the iPad.

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Harbor Master HD, Free – Line drawing games work fantastic on the iPhone, and they're even better on the iPad. The control method feels completely natural, and the game gets even more hectic because of how much more you can have on screen at once. If you've got an iPad, you definitely need to grab Harbor Master HD while it's free. (Heck, grab it even if you don't have an iPad just in case they raise the price.) The main down side to the game is it only includes one map, but if you get bored of Harbor Master HD and are craving more line drawing chaos management there's…

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Flight Control HD, $4.99 – The original Flight Control for the iPhone was a runaway classic, and I expect the iPad version to see the same success. Along with the HD upgrade comes even more maps, two player mode, and other fun stuff. Honestly, Harbor Master HD and Flight Control HD are both worth owning, and each game serves as a fantastic example of how to do a great job in taking a solid gameplay concept for the iPhone and making it even better on the iPad. I can't say enough good things about both games.

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Azkend HD, $4.99 – The original Azkend I think is the only puzzle game for the iPhone that I completely beat. The control mechanic employed is this neat mixture of matching and line drawing, which you can read all about in the review of the iPhone version. I really, really liked Azkend, and am more than a little disappointed that it doesn't seem that the HD upgrade brings much new to the table. The art definitely looks amazing at 1024×768, but if you're like me and have already annihilated Azkend on the iPhone you can probably skip the iPad version. If this is the first you've heard of Azkend, then the iPad version is fantastic.

Dual Stick Shooters

We've tried both Geometry Wars ($9.99) and Mini Gore HD ($4.99) and so far, we're not crazy about the feel of dual stick shooters on the iPad. We're not sure if there's a learning curve that we have to master, but it comes as a surprise given how naturally suited they were on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Geometry Wars looks and sounds great, but I couldn't get out my mind the thought that I'd rather be playing it on my iPhone. We'll spend more time with these and more titles and let you know our final conclusion

Positioning

Perhaps related to the dual stick shooter feel is that with the iPad I'm far more aware of my position and how I'm holding the device. Whether in my lap, or on the couch or holding it up, I've had to consciously juggle it around more than my iPhone due to the increased heft. In the long run, this may affect the type of games I want to be playing on it.

Tower Defense Games

So far every tower defense game I've tried has seemed to be absolutely perfect for the iPad. The HD upgrades also look beautiful.

The Creeps HD, $3.99 and Fieldrunners for iPad, $7.99 have controls that work great with the device, and panning around the map is a thing of the past with the iPad.

…Stay tuned for even more game impressions

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Apple put up their full keynote today which can be streamed online or downloaded through iTunes by subscribing to the Apple events podcast. We clipped out the three games shown during the keynote:

• X Games SnoCross, $4.99
• N.O.V.A. – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, $6.99
• Need for Speed Shift, $6.99

SnoCross was demonstrated as an example of a, existing 3D game from the App Store running on the iPad, while both N.O.V.A. and Need for Speed were tweaked to show some iPad-specific functionality utilizing the additional screen real estate available on the larger and higher resolution screen:

Following the keynote, Joystiq got some hands-on time with the device where they played Need for Speed, N.O.V.A. and Scrabble:

Also, if you listened to our recent podcast and want to hear more of what developers think of the iPad, both Joystiq and Boing Boing have great articles worth reading.

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While the App Store had clearly been a huge success in 2008, the continued growth and explosion of iPhone game releases in 2009 was beyond everyone's expectations. The number of apps in the App Store soared past 100,000 with hundreds of new games being released every day.

We sat down trying to figure out the best iPhone games of 2009 and found the task of narrowing down the list to a select few to be near impossible. Instead, we've organized our year in review into categories with what we feel is an excellent cross section of games from 2009. If you just got an iPhone or iPod Touch for Christmas, this list is an excellent starting place to catch you up.

2009 iPhone Game of the Year

Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor – We choose Tiger Style Games' Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor for our 2009 Game of the Year first and foremost because it's a great game, but also because it perfectly represents the promise of iPhone gaming. Spider is an original concept built specifically for the iPhone by a small self funded team. It's this low barrier to entry which provides customers with a huge selection of games including unique and polished gems like Spider. You really should experience this one. (Review, App Store)

Classics

Doodle Jump – While we have to give props to PapiJump as the clear inspiration for Doodle Jump, Lima Sky has managed to take the game to a whole new level and succeeded in creating a true iPhone classic. Doodle Jump has sold over a million copies to date and even been casually referenced on primetime TV sitcoms. Every day we hear from up and coming developers who claim they have come up with "the next Doodle Jump" but so far Lima Sky's title hasn't truly been dethroned. (Review, App Store)

Flight Control – Another iPhone game that will go down in history as one of the classics for the platform. Firemint's CEO Rob Murray took some of his free time during last year's Christmas break to whip up a prototype of a game that eventually became Flight Control. The game has single handedly defined a genre on the iPhone of "line drawing" games and has been endlessly imitated throughout the year. (Review, App Store)

iDracula – iDracula was one of the original dual-stick survival shooters. It wasn't the first, but it's the one that popularized the concept and opened the doors to a ton of play-alikes. (Article, App Store)

Only on iPhone

Zen Bound – Ok, technically this started life as a PC Game, but Zen Bound didn't really come into its own until it became an iPhone game in 2009. The game just came to life on the iPhone with multi-touch and tilt controls along with mood and music to perfectly and completely engross you as a player. An experience as much as a game. (Review, App Store)

Eliss – A multi-touch masterpiece. Eliss delivers a unique, challenging and undeniably iPhone experience. Pinching and combining on-screen planets without letting them touch make for some frantic and riveting gameplay. (Review, App Store)

Sway – The unique multi-touch "swinging" controls of Sway may have ultimately been its downfall. If you can master the steep learning curve of the game's controls, an amazing iPhone platforming experience awaits. (Review, App Store)

Space Ninja – A great use of the iPhone's accelerometer that allows you to dodge enemy fire and invoke slow motion "bullet time". Unfortunately, a recent 3GS update adds some strange and distracting visual effects, though the developer is said to be working on making those optional in a future release. (Review, App Store)

Arcade

Meteor Blitz – This is the best space shooter we've seen for the iPhone. It delivers 6 unlockable worlds with a good variety of enemies, perfect dual stick controls, and a lot of fun. The art and animation are top notch with all the flourishes you'd expect. (Review, App Store)

Space Invaders Infinity Gene – A really fresh and amazing modernization of the classic Space Invaders formula. Great controls, plenty of unlockables, as well as a unique music-based level generator. (Review, App Store)

Pac Man CE – Developed by the original Pac-Man designer, Tōru Iwatani, Pac-Man Championship Edition succeeds in breathing new life in to this arcade classic. With great controls, colorful graphics, and fast-paced game modes, Pac-Man Championship Edition is by far the best Pac-Man game on the platform. (Review, App Store)

I Dig It / I Dig It Expeditions – Take your tractor turned subterranean digger underground to search for valuable diggins to save the family farm. In the sequel, you take your digger on the road and search for lost treasure in several different environments including the antarctic and even underwater. Both games in the series are worth owning, although Expeditions does offer improvements over the original. (Review, I Dig It / I Dig It Expeditions)

Platformer

Rolando 2 – Sequel to one of the iPhone's early original games, Rolando 2 did great justice to the series with 3D level effects, more great music and larger levels. (Review, App Store)

Soosiz – This game adopts the usual trappings of a traditional 2d platformer but perfectly mixes in a gravity defying mechanism that turns out to be a lot more than just a cute gimmick. Combine that with great controls and a ton of content, and you have one of our favorite iPhone games. (Review, App Store)

Hook Champ – Take the same swinging gameplay mechanics popularized by other games, add an RPG style equipment upgrade system, seamless online leaderboards, and fantastic pixelated retro graphics and you've got Hook Champ. (Review, App Store)

Retro Games

Saucelifter – A wonderful Choplifter-inspired action shooter with great controls that should appeal to both retro and modern gamers. (Review, App Store)

Rogue Touch – The definitive version of Rogue on the App Store. Consistently updated throughout the year based on community feedback, and enhanced for the iPhone. All the brutal difficulty of the original remains, and there's even online leaderboards tracking the wealthiest saviors of the Amulet of Yendor. (Review, App Store)

Sword of Fargoal – By far the most approachable roguelike, Sword of Fargoal is a classic dungeon crawler with randomly generated levels which provide nearly infinite replay value. Aside from being a fantastic game, Sword of Fargoal also serves as an excellent example of how retro ports should be done. The iPhone version preserves the look and feel of the original while adding new OpenGL effects and other modern graphical flare. If you've never played a roguelike before, Sword of Fargoal is a great introduction to the genre. (Review, App Store)

Beneath a Steel Sky – An iPhone adaptation of the classic point and click adventure. While we loved the compete overhaul of Secret of Monkey Island which is absent from this release, Beneath a Steel Sky delivered something even better: great iPhone controls. A classic adventure game that is worthy for both fans and newcomers to the series. (Review, App Store)

Racing

Real Racing – Perhaps we should have categorized this as a "classic", but Real Racing was the first iPhone racing game that really blew us away. The great graphics, perfect controls and AI all combined to make this one of the best iPhone racing games that still holds up today. (Review, App Store)

Need for Speed Shift – EA's latest entry in to the genre can easily stand next to the best racing games on the platform in terms of the amount of included licensed materials, different game modes, and overall fun-factor. With control settings and driving assist options that range from the game practically playing itself to a competent racing simulation complete with a manual transmission mode, Need For Speed: Shift is a must-have for any fan of racing games. (Review, App Store)

2XL ATV Offroad – We described this as a "console quality" iPhone racer. The game is technically impressive with beautiful graphics and manages to combine it with varied tracks, a proper career mode and Wi-Fi multiplayer to deliver one of the best racers in the App Store. (Review, App Store)

Jet Car Stunts – A remarkably fun jet car racer/platformer that had us coming back again and again due to its great controls, fresh visual style and mind boggling levels. The only real complaint we've seen voiced has been the relative difficulty of the game, but, honestly, that's what made it so addicting. (Review, App Store)

Puzzle

Toki Tori – A cute and challenging puzzle platformer that has been excellently adapted to the iPhone. Beautifully animated and ramps up nicely to provide plenty of gameplay. (Review, App Store)

Bobby Carrot Forever – Another excellent level-based puzzle game that requires you to navigate obstacles in order to collect all the carrots and reach the exit. 60 levels provide a refreshingly challenging puzzle game that offers well over 15 hours of gameplay. (Review, App Store)

Casual

Canabalt – This isn't a particularly deep game. In fact, the average gaming session is probably measured in seconds rather than minutes. But with its simplicity and style, it managed to keep us coming back again and again. You can try out the identical Flash version for free at Canabalt.com. (Review, App Store)

Boost 3D – We might not have been too over the top about the game when we first reviewed it, but over time we realized that Boost 3D is a game that we love to play. There's something hypnotic about this tunnel runner that had us coming back to play it again and again. (Review, App Store)

Harbor Master – Among the first of the avalanche of Flight Control inspired games, Harbor Master mixes things up by having the player dock cargo ships and send them back out to sea on a variety of different levels– Each with a different layout and some with additional gameplay elements such as pirate ships to shoot or sea monsters to fight off. (Review, App Store)

Labyrinth 2 – The sequel to the game that pioneered the marble rolling genre on the iPhone before the App Store even existed, Labyrinth 2 takes the standard wooden labyrinth game and adds even more obstacles, fantastic 3D graphics, and a full featured online level editor. The user created content community has already exploded and you can load up Labyrinth 2 every day and have a new batch of levels to play through, all of which download almost instantly inside of the game. (Review, App Store)

First Person Shooters

Eliminate Pro – We know some readers were unable to get past this game's pay model, but we've logged more hours in this game than almost every other… and we never paid a single penny for it. Online FPS deathmatch with our friends and quick sessions throughout the day kept us playing this regularly. (Review, App Store)

N.O.V.A. – Drawing inspiration from Sci-Fi console classics, NOVA is a surprisingly complete and full featured iPhone first person shooter. With an epic single player campaign that will take you several hours to complete, graphics which are among the best currently available on the platform, and four player online deathmatch modes, NOVA has successfully lived up to the insane amount of pre-release hype. (Review, App Store)

Word

Bookworm – A game that should need no introduction, Popcap's word searching classic fits great on the iPhone. The touch controls work effortlessly, and the gameplay is perfect for the casual play style of many iPhone gamers. (Review, App Store)

Words with Friends – Asynchronous online multiplayer not-quite-Scrabble that can either be played for free with in-game ads or without for a couple bucks. A recent update added push notifications to tell you when it's your turn and according to Newtoy, the average player spends 1.5 hours each day playing. (Review, App Store)

Weird/Funny Games

Enviro-Bear 2010 – The best bear driving a car simulator available on any platform. Aside from just being a really crazy game, Enviro-Bear 2010 features some really clever interactions between items and if you survive long enough you'll even earn yourself a slick coon skin cap. (Review, App Store)

Must Eat Birds – This simple slingshot-powered pastry defense game is delightfully Japanese, its ridiculous premise is rivaled only by "maximum bake" mode which must be experienced to truly appreciate. (Review, App Store)

Hi, How Are You – A wonderful tribute to the life, music, and art of Daniel Johnston– And a fun puzzle platformer game with great cell shaded graphics to boot. If you've never heard of Daniel Johnston, Hi, How Are You is a good place to start. (Review, App Store)

Battle Bears – The ridiculous premise of this survival shooter involving a bear commando mowing down swarms of pink bears that spew rainbows when they die is worth the price of admission alone. As if the game couldn't get more silly, a recent update added a Colbear boss, zombie bears, and even a rap theme song.
(Review, App Store)

Cult Classics

Minigore – This dual stick shooter isn't necessarily any better than other dual stick shooters on the platform, but the extent that it has managed to captivate our community is rivaled by very few games. Stricken by problems with Apple's approval process, MiniGore is only now beginning to see the features Mountain Sheep intended on implementing long ago. (Review, App Store)

Pocket God – It's hard to even categorize or summarize Pocket God. Existing somewhere in between a entertainment app and a collection of mini games, Bolt Creative has managed to amass an army of millions of fans worldwide by consistently releasing free content updates and making players feel like they're a part of the project by constantly interacting with and implementing ideas generated by the community. You KNOW you like Pocket God. (Review, App Store)

Strategy

geoDefense / geoDefense Swarm – Whether you prefer open field or fixed path tower defense games, the geoDefense series are among the best available on the platform. Featuring difficulty levels that range from difficult to really really difficult, geoDefense is balanced in a way which will always keep you on your toes. (Review, geoDefense / Swarm)

Defender Chronicles – This odd hybrid between a tower defense game and an RPG has seen an absolute ridiculous amount of content added to it since its initial release. 20 different types of units, hundreds of items, multiple difficulty levels and game modes along with online leaderboards and voiceovers make Defender Chronicles among the best in its genre. (Review, App Store)

Chess with Friends – The iPhone equivalent to snail mail correspondence chess– You can play the ad-based version for free, or upgrade to the premium version to play without ads. Recently added push notifications that alert you when its your turn and an endless supply of human opponents makes this the best chess game available on the platform. (Article, App Store)

Role Playing

Zenonia – While the amount of grinding to level up may have lessened the experience for some, Zenonia still seems to be the benchmark that most RPG's are compared to amongst our community. The game will take you around 40 hours to complete, and the five included character classes will tempt you to play through it multiple times. (Review, App Store)

Underworlds – A great dungeon crawler with tons of monsters to slay and loot to pick up. Underworlds was the first of its kind on the platform, and a recent content update made it even better.
(Review, App Store)

Inotia: A Wanderer of Luone – The sequel of The Chronicles of Inotia sports considerable improvements to nearly all aspects of the game. Multiple character classes, a well designed battle system, mercenaries that can be added to your party, and a surprisingly full featured online component combine in to a game that will be hard for fans of roleplaying games to pass up. (Review, App Store)

Ravensword – While this RPG may lack some gameplay elements which have become standard in modern games, it marks an amazing accomplishment in iPhone development. Created by a team of two, RavenSword features an expansive and beautiful open world filled with quests to complete, hidden areas to find, and countless monsters to slay. (Review, App Store)

Physics

Peggle – If you don't know what Peggle is by now, you must have spent the past few years on Mars with your eyes closed and fingers in your ears. Inspired by pachinko and loaded with style, gratuitous graphical effects, and the Ode To Joy, this may be the perfect casual game. (Review, App Store)

Ragdoll Blaster – Fire ragdolls out of a cannon to complete over 100 different levels. Frustrating at times, Ragdoll Blaster is fun enough to keep you coming back for more– Even after you've spent the last 15 minutes retrying the same level so many times that you lost count. (Review, App Store)

iBlast Moki – The goal is to get the Mokis from point A to point B through the use of bombs, ropes, balloons, wheels and more as you traverse through the 6 worlds and 70 levels. The overall quality of iBlast Moki as well as the inclusion of a level editor with sharable levels make this game really stand out. (Review, App Store)

Sports

Baseball Superstars 2010 – Not only a great baseball game, it is also packed with RPG elements that add an amazing amount of depth. Aside from playing standard games of baseball, both super batters and super pitchers can be leveled up in season modes. These characters can be customized in a number of ways, allowing for hours upon hours of gameplay with each character. (Review, App Store)

Homerun Battle 3D – This one will always be known as Baseball Slugger to us, but since changed its name to Homerun Battle 3D. If you're not a sports game fan, don't let the sports theme throw you off, Homerun Battle 3D is one of the best. It also represented the first massively successful online matchup system we've seen in the App Store allowing you to easily compete head-to-head against others around the world. (Review, App Store)

Backbreaker Football – While nowhere near as deep as the "full" football games on the platform, Backbreaker is probably more fun. The game is laid out in series of challenges where you guide your player to the end zone, hopefully scoring bonus points by "showboating". (Review, App Store)

Let's Golf – The closest thing available on the App Store to Hot Shots Golf. This arcade golf game features 63 holes, local multiplayer, and different control modes that appeal to both casual players and those looking for a slightly more technical game of golf. (Review, App Store)

Conclusion

We spent weeks sorting through the hundreds of games we've reviewed this year, and found excuse after excuse to keep adding to the list. Even so, there were still plenty of games we quite enjoyed that didn't make it to this list. Feel free to add your suggestions to the comments if we missed one of your favorites.

[source]

We've recently had some hands on time with EA's upcoming Need for Speed Shift which is expected soon. This game offers more of a sim experience than its iPhone predecessor Need for Speed Undercover with a lengthy list of real-life cars you can drive.

We'll have some full impressions soon, but in the meanwhile, here's our hands on video of the game:

A second video shows the menus and upgrade system. Need for Speed Shift is expected to be released soon.

[via]