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It’s been sort of a slow news day, so while we’re busy plugging away at busting out reviews from yesterday’s release onslaught, here’s two great deals you should be aware of. Actually, before you get either of these you should take a good long look at Ballistic SE [ $1.99 ] as I’ve been having a blast with it since it came out last night. But, anyway, on with the show.

Smash Cops, Free – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Normally $2.99 and free for a limited time, Smash Cops is a really cool driving game where you (get this) play a cop, and smash into other cars. It’s worth checking out for the controls alone, because the way you drive the car is by “pushing” it with your finger. It’s hard to explain, and feels a little weird as first, but once you get into it you’ll wonder why more top-down games don’t employ similar controls.

Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer, $0.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Normally $4.99 and recently slashed to 99¢, Ascension is a deck building fantasy-based card game. I had some small gripes with the mechanics of the actual game itself in my review, but as far as a paper card game to iOS port, Ascension is flawless and worth checking out just to see how well it translates. 99¢ is also a stupidly good deal considering the physical version retails for $39.99. An expansion with new cards is available in game for $2.99, which sells for $29.99 in the real-world paper version.

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Remember early last month when we posted a gameplay video for Cyan’s upcoming RealMyst? Well, they’ve since gone and released a second video, which is equally impressive.

Take a look:

RealMyst, in case this is the first time you’ve heard of it, is a remake of the original Myst. Only, instead of the whole game being pre rendered, it’s rendered in real time, and allows you to have complete control over where you go and what you look at. This is especially crazy when you consider back when Myst was originally released, streaming the pre-rendered video off your CDROM drive was considered cutting edge. Now we’re just rendering all that in real time on your phone.

We’ve still yet to get a release date more specific than “Spring 2012.”

Thanks, @Vragal!

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It looks like today is the day of really good updates for really good games that we really like a lot. Really? Yes, really. We were just treated to an update for our Game of the Year 2011 runner-up Anomaly Warzone Earth [ $1.99 ] that added support for the new iPad, and there was plenty of rejoicing.

Now, the rejoicing gets cranked up to 11 as our actual Game of the Year 2011, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP [ $4.99 ], has been given a similar treatment, bringing the visuals up to par for the beautiful Retina Display of the new iPad.

Sword & Sworcery has been on fire as of late, with a PC version of the game hitting Steam last week and then taking home no less than 5 awards against some stiff competition in the Canadian Video Game Awards show this past weekend. All this comes just about a month after the 1 year anniversary of the game’s release.

To celebrate the update, the developers have posted on their blog this awesome Sworcery wallpaper made specifically in high resolution for the new iPad (click for full size version).

If you’ve accidentally had your head buried in the sand for the past year and have no idea what Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is all about, be sure and read our full review of the game for the skinny. It’s one of the most imaginative and beautiful point and click adventure games around, and the soundtrack by Jim Guthrie is absolutely phenomenal.

It’s an essential experience for iOS gamers, and with today’s new update it’s the most gorgeous the game has ever looked. And much like Anomaly, if you aren’t an iPad owner but want to get in on the fun, you can check out the iPhone/iPod touch only version Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP Micro [ $2.99 ]

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One of the absolute finest games available on the App Store is 11 Bit Studios’ Anomaly Warzone Earth [ $1.99 ]. Don’t believe me? Well check out our glowing 5 star review of the game from when it launched on iPad last August, and then consider that we chose it as our runner up for Game of the Year 2011. It’s not just us, either, as Anomaly has received critical praise across the gaming universe as well as plenty of award consideration, including winning a prestigious Apple Design Award for the Mac version.

So yeah, Anomaly Warzone Earth is good. And today it gets even better, as 11 Bit has just released the latest update for the game which adds high resolution Retina Display support for the new iPad. Anomaly was a gorgeous game to begin with, and it held up pretty well even on the new iPad anyway, but the difference this update makes is quite dramatic. All the text and UI elements are razor sharp and the in-game visuals are as crisp as they’ve ever been, practically popping right off the screen.

Of course, while Anomaly Warzone Earth really sings on the iPad, it can also be played just as well on the smaller screens of the iPhone and iPod touch. The original iPad version became Universal late last year, and to celebrate the new update it is currently on sale for just $1.99. If iPads aren’t your thing, the iPhone/iPod touch only version is also on sale for 99¢ [Link]. Basically what I’m getting at is that no matter how you do it, you must experience Anomaly one way or the other, and with the new update and sale now is a fantastic time to dive in.

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Most puzzle games would have you believe that fun only lies under a pile of rigid rules. That doesn’t seem quite right, when kids have the most fun playing without any rules at all. Whitaker Trebella’s Polymer [ ] isn’t child’s play, but it only demands one thing: a shape can’t have unfinished edges, or it’s not a shape. Everything else is fair game, and that sure feels freeing.

To create shapes in Polymer, you slide rows of pieces back and forth, columns up and down. When you’ve found a stopping point and slid your last piece into place, tapping the shape destroys it. With that, poof, your hard work is gone. In its place you’ll find a fresh canvas and a big pile of points to soothe you.

Polymer’s first mode serves as a good introduction. Called “Two Minutes,” it gives you that much time to create anything you like. A hundred tiny shapes in a row, cascading into ever multiplying combos? Sure. A few carefully crafted behemoths? Go ahead. Quality generally scores over quantity, but your masterpiece won’t be worth much if you can’t finish it in time.

“One Polymer” mode does what you might expect: it gives you as long as you need to create the ultimate shape. Each piece that you manage to add to it rockets your final score to new heights, but there comes a moment when your shape is so large and complex that every move you make will damage the surrounding structure. The most important skill you can learn here is how best to delay that moment.

“Bombs,” the third and final mode, adds, well, bombs to the mix. These are pieces with timers and four unfinished edges. Working them into a shape doubles its score, but the game ends if a single timer runs down to zero. More and more bombs are introduced as the game progresses. Here you need to know your limitations—how complex of a shape can you make within each time limit?

You’ll begin playing Polymer with only the first mode and two kinds of pieces, a rounded corner piece with two free edges and another that caps ends. Reaching a certain accumulated score unlocks the next piece, and then the next mode. It’s a good system, ensuring that you fully understand how to play with what you have before things get more complicated.

Unfortunately, this same system might prove frustrating for some players. Since the scoring scales on a steep curve, players who can’t pull off large shapes will find themselves pecking away at unlocks for much longer than necessary. There are two ways out of that hole: improve, or pay your way out. Each unlockable can be bought if you don’t have the patience to earn it. It’s a little too easy to see this as a push to make extra purchases.

Better to put your wallet away, though. The game is more fun when you have something to work toward aside from achievements and leaderboards, and playing without pushing yourself won’t get you far. Not only that: it’s entirely possible to get ridiculously high scores without the unlockable pieces. At the highest tier of play, you’re probably going to need them. Before then, though, they can actually get in the way, making the board too complicated for beginners. If you find yourself in over your head, you can toggle the more complex pieces off for as long as you need.

As mentioned in our preview, music plays a big part in the Polymer experience. The mood of each mode is enhanced by its soundtrack, cheery, studious and tense in turn. The tones created when you destroy a shape are equally fitting. This is one of those games you’ll want to play with the sound on.

The visuals are somewhat less appealing, at least at first. The look is clean and minimalistic, but when the pieces are all strung together they start to look a little sausage-like. It’s not the most pleasant association. I forgot all about that slight distaste after making a few complex shapes. I’ve saved pictures of a few of my successes for later, and been tempted to tweet more than one. If waiting to acclimate to the look doesn’t work for you, try one of the unlockable color schemes. Some are quite striking.

The thing that keeps me coming back isn’t color or music, though. It’s not even the selection of game modes. The game draws me in because it lets me be creative. It’s freeing to play a puzzle game that lets the player decide when a piece is finished. It’s great to have the choice to create something pretty, or huge, or sophisticated. Polymer cuts away all but the most necessary of rules, and the game is all the better for that. Take a look, and share your best creations in our forum thread.

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Rovio’s Angry Birds Space [$0.99 / $2.99 (HD)] hit the App Store close to a month ago, and we loved it in our review. (Shocker, I know.) The sole sticking point for us, and quite a few other people, was Rovio’s implementation of a new IAP mechanic. Some levels were only available via a 99¢ unlock, which made us question whether or not Rovio would keep the free level updates gravy train rolling. Also, the Mighty Eagle shifted gears from a buy-once-use-a- bunch item like Angry Birds proper to a consumable IAP.

Well, an update just hit which addresses our suspicions. 10 new levels are now available for free, and the way the Mighty Eagle works has been slightly tweaked. Just by downloading the update you’ll get a pack of 20 Mighty Eagles for free, and each day you’ll earn one additional Mighty Eagle. This goes a long way in making buying the Mighty Eagle feel a lot more optional, but I still can’t help but miss the unlimited use of the Mighty Eagle in completed levels like previous Angry Birds games.

But, whatever, if you just ignore the Mighty Eagle, Angry Birds Space is still a ton of fun, and highly recommended. If you’ve cleared all the initial launch levels, give these ten new ones a spin.

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On paper, Radiant Defense [Free] doesn’t stack up when compared to other tower defense titles. It shouldn’t be as good as it is. I mean, it only has ten levels, and its free-to-play model gives you just a handful of towers to work with unless you want to pay more. But Hexage is full of surprises, and this free tower defense game is certainly one of them. It might not work on paper, but it sure works in practice.

All too often, freemium titles either lock all the fun behind a paywall or let you skip right over the gameplay if you put down your money. Radiant Defense does neither. I can’t say for sure that you can get through all ten levels without making a purchase. I couldn’t, because Radiant Defense is crazy hard. Buying any (or all) of the four optional tower packs gives you more room to strategize, but it just barely makes the game easier. Paid or free, you’re going to have to get your hands dirty.

Radiant Defense offers a mix between static path defense and the ability to create complex mazes. Players are often handed a few loose modules between waves. These can be used to build walls. Sometimes this is advantageous—drawing enemies out along long, winding paths is a good way to make sure they die well before reaching their goal. Other times it’s suicidal. Some enemies regenerate, so luring them away from your carefully crafted kill zone just means they’ll continue on, fresh and ready for more.

The tower selection adapts to any situation the game throws at you. You start out with the ability to build or research ballistic weapons for pure damage, energy weapons to take out shields, and the other usual suspects—towers that slow or weaken the enemies, and powerful area-of-effect towers. The purchasable packs add variety, with mines and blades to bar passage, weapons of mass destruction, and a few things that are just plain odd. Each has its own cost and drawbacks, though, making for a decently balanced experience no matter how many (or few) packs you own.

That balance falls on the side of intensely challenging throughout. Radiant Defense is unforgiving, with brutally long levels (making up for their limited selection) and increasingly aggressive waves. The game never lets up—every time you think you might have a handle on all the tricks you’ll need, it throws even more enemies at you in even more aggressive combinations. It can be aggravating, but it makes winning all the sweeter.

Not every part of the challenge is as sweet, unfortunately. The worst bit is dealing with frustrating tower AI. Towers will happily shoot the first thing that crosses their paths, blithely ignoring targets that are about to hit the goal. This behavior is consistent, so you can plan for it. It might even be intentional—it certainly gives players a reason not to use tight corridors to their advantage each and every time. But as difficulty goes, this isn’t the fun sort. It can leave you floundering moments after you’re sure you have everything under control.

There are concessions to this frustration, though. Each wave can be restarted as many times as you need without penalty, so you’re free to experiment with the best possible moves you can make with the resources you have. Anything you do before beginning the wave will stick, though, and while you can sell back unused towers at cost, upgrades can’t really be reversed. Your strategy may hinge on what seems like a simple decision: whether to spend your cash in the lull between waves or save it for the madness in the midst of combat. The latter is easier to revert but much harder to pull off.

That sort of decision-making drives the strategy of Radiant Defense. It’s rarely just a matter of this tower or that tower. Instead you’re balancing upgrades, positioning, and pathing, all while you decide if you should meet the current threat with force or save up for an unknown future.

If you’re comfortable with difficult games, Radiant Defense is easily worth the download. It’s a nice little package—decent art and music wrapped around generally excellent gameplay—and the price is more than right. It’s refreshing to find a game that respects your intelligence, money, and time. All the better that it’s good fun, too. Take a look, and stop by our discussion thread to share your thoughts.

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Earlier this month, Foursaken Media dropped their latest iOS title Sky Gnomes [ $0.99 ] into the App Store and we thought it was pretty great in our review. You play as a gnome hurtling straight down through the sky riding a homemade rocket collecting snowflakes, coins and items in an effort to reach a landing zone as quickly as possible.

While that’s an awesome enough premise on its own, what pushed Sky Gnomes to the next level was its fantastic daily tournaments that matched you against the ghost runs of like-skilled players in competition for the best race time. Throw in a ton of upgradeable items to trick out your rocket and Sky Gnomes came together to be one of my favorite recent releases.

Today, Foursaken is sweetening the pot with the first of many planned content updates for Sky Gnomes. The big addition in this update is two brand new characters to play as: Girly the female racer and Skinny the uh, skinny racer. Each come with their own set of unique stats for their rocket, offering a change of pace from the original racer Gnomey. These new racers don’t come cheap though, as each one will set you back 10,000 coins.

Speaking of coins, this update also lowers the costs of all first tier upgrades and trinkets for your rocket, making it easier and quicker for new players to start customizing their machine. There are also a myriad of tweaks and bug fixes, as well as an empty menu screen that serves as a teaser for another major addition coming to Sky Gnomes: 1 vs 1 battles. More new characters are also in the works for future updates.

If you haven’t checked out Sky Gnomes yet, now might be the time as today’s update adds even more cool features to an already great package, with more new stuff already on the horizon.

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Three upcoming games recently popped up on our radar, and while we don’t really have enough details on any of them yet, smashing all three games together sort of makes a story, so strap in for this.

Inotia 4: Assassin of Berkel – When it comes to Korean action RPGs, the App Store seems to have two main staples, Gamevil’s Zenonia, and Com2uS’s Inotia. Zenonia is up to four different games on the App Store, and this upcoming title will be the fourth installment in the Inotia family. The “party battle system” in Inotia 4 sounds pretty cool, and like previous entries in the series I’m sure we’ll see all sorts of incremental improvements that these yearly sequels always seem to have.

Alexandria Bloodshow – A strategic card-centric battle game from Sega. Gamezebo got a preview of it, and used games like Plants vs Zombies to describe how gameplay works. I’m not too familiar with the original Samurai Bloodshow, but I’m all about any strategic game with online multiplayer.

N.O.V.A. 3 – Gameloft is teasing quite a bit of their upcoming Halo-like first person shooter these days. We expect it to be pretty similar to the previous two installments in that it’ll likely come packed with an awesome online multiplayer component to compliment the single player campaign. If that is actual in-game footage we’re looking at in the above video, it should be pretty rad.

We’ll have more details on these games as soon as we get them. Unfortunately, the best we’ve got right now is they’re all coming to iOS devices, and they’re all coming “soon.”

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