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Any truly diehard arcade shooter fan will have heard of Cave. Founded in 1994, the Japanese gamemaker is responsible for some of the most highly acclaimed scrolling shooters to have ever appeared in an arcade. With their 1995 release of DonPachi, the company created a new, intense genre of shooter known commonly as the "manic shooter" or "bullet hell" shooter, in which the screen is almost entirely filled with enemy fire, and successfully evading said fire requires extreme control precision and skill. It's a prevalent genre in Japan that is far less-represented in the West. (Some such titles readers may be familiar with include Ikaruga (Xbox 360, Gamecube), Triggerheart Exelica (Xbox 360, PS2, Dreamcast)  and Noiz2sa [App Store].)

In a move that should have iPhone shooter fans standing up and cheering, Cave has just thrown their hat into the iPhone gaming ring with their port of the 2005 Japanese Arcade / Xbox 360 release Espgaluda II [App Store]. A sequel to the original Japanese arcade and PS2 release, Espgaluda II is a bullet hell-style shooter that was released in 2005. The iPhone version seeks to bring a fast-action, arcade quality shooter experience to our favorite mobile platform.

The first thing I said to myself upon jumping into a game of Espgaluda II was, "finally!" I've long lamented the fact that the iPhone 2D scrolling shooter experience was, across the board, pretty much a slow-motion affair as compared to that of even much older consoles such as the Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation. Cave's first iPhone shooter throws an x/y scrolling backdrop along with an incredible number of moving objects onscreen at once, and the whole thing just flies. Fast action at a super-smooth framerate. (There's a settings option to set the screen size, if you want to tweak performance a bit.) It's certainly the most impressive iPhone shooter to date from a technical standpoint. But all this pixellated magic didn't come without a price; Espgaluda II presently only runs on the iPhone 3GS and the iPad (with 3G iPod touch support coming soon in an update). Older devices just can't push this scale of pixels, it seems.

Gameplay involves using touch controls to maneuver your craft about the playfield, destroying enemies, dodging their fire, and collecting Spirit Stones and power-ups. Along the left or right of the screen (user's choice) are special function buttons that trigger a Guard shield / attack mode, Awakening mode (more on this later), auto-fire on / off, and weapons mode select — some of which may not be presented depending on the control mode you've chosen, among Simplified, Normal, and Expert. The touch controls work quite well and offer better control than either the stick or D-pad of the earlier arcade and Xbox 360 versions. Thankfully, you can tap and hold some distance from your onscreen craft to control it without obscuring your view of it.

Each level is concluded by a boss battle, some quite lengthy, that really puts your control savvy to the test. Keep a finger hovering over that shield trigger when a boss comes out to play…

From an artistic standpoint, the game really stands out. The backdrops are very well done and the enemy craft objects are highly detailed. There's so much color and graphical complexity onscreen — and zipping around at a breakneck clip — that it probably takes the smallest hit in running pixel-doubled on an iPad than any iPhone game I've seen. In fact, the larger screen image makes dodging enemy fire a bit easier than on the iPhone. The iPad is my personal platform of choice for this one.

A lively soundtrack featuring audio similar to other such Japanese shooters accompanies gameplay and adds to the overall feeling of intensity. (Cave released the game's soundtrack on CD back in 2006.)

The iPhone version of Epsgaluda II features two modes of play. There's the Arcade Mode, which stays close to the arcade original and the Xbox 360 version — but in the case of the latter, this has been a source of complaint for some, as far as the somewhat unclear scoring system. Cave addressed this by adding an iPhone Mode, which features a scoring system that the developers feel makes more sense for mobile play. As well, the iPhone Mode features a new Awakening Pulse attack where you can turn enemy fire into the green Spirit Stones that you want to collect, increasing your multiplier and protecting your ship at the same time. Across both of these modes are Novice, Normal, and Hard difficulty levels.

The game utilizes OpenFeint for various in-game achievements and leaderboard tracking to keep things nice and competitive.

I am a particular shooter fan, but the bullet hell variety is not my very favorite flavor. Despite that, I fell quick and hard in love with Espgaluda II. It is easily the best 2D shooter experience in the App Store. I spent most of the day plowing through wave after wave of some of the most dense bullet swarms I've ever encountered and found it quite difficult to put down in order to start this review. I moved frequently between the iPhone 3GS and iPad to get a good feel for gameplay on both devices and it was fast-paced and frenetic fun, whichever device I used.

If you own an iPhone 3GS and are a fan of the manic shooter — go buy this game right now. If you are a general shooter fan and feel that you're up to facing the dense and constant volleys of enemy fire that this type of shooter brings — go buy this game right now. At present, Espgaluda II has no peer in the App Store.

The game is currently listed at an introductory price of $4.99, down from the standard price of $8.99.

App Store Link: Espgaluda II, $4.99 (limited time)

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The use of a movie license, particularly one as huge as Star Wars, usually brings with it the gloom and doom of expectation– and more often than not– subsequent frustration too. It is fortunate then that no one expected THQ Wireless' latest release, Star Wars: Cantina [App Store], a surprisingly well rounded, if light-hearted time management game.

Time management games invariably adopt a similar formula– impatient, fussy patrons, frantic table-to-table action and an upgrade system that assists you in serving even more impatient and fussy patrons. Though Star Wars: Cantina doesn't deviate far from this mould, when the subject matter concerns a spark from Lucas' brain matter, you just know you're in for something special. In this case a humorous back-story of an indebted bartender ties the gameplay together with an intermittent comic strip filling in the details.

The stars of this Star Wars saga are undoubtedly the customers though, who start off as mere moisture farmers, but progress over the 16 levels of the Campaign to introduce Jawas, Bounty Hunters, Gamorreans, Twi'lek Smugglers, Stormtroopers and even Hutts! Each of these archetypes have different personalities, framed in terms of levels of patience and their generosity. It wouldn't be a Star Wars Cantina without a bar brawl either, an event that easily results if you leave some of the more volatile patrons waiting– much to the chagrin of your property.

As each level is completed you are able to retrofit your bar with equipment that helps soothe your clientele, and assist you in preparing drinks all the more promptly. Controlling Nia (our hero) is effortless, and despite the the initial tutorial being somewhat confusing, you will quickly be zipping around the bar sending patrons to their tables, taking their orders, and cleaning up after them too. The challenge comes in taking the right drinks to the right patrons and ensuring you manage their moods– for example, moisture farmers can wait all day but Stormtroopers had better be served pronto. The gameplay isn't all that complex– you don't have to manage prices or supplies of drinks — but we think Star Wars: Cantina actually benefits from adopting a more light-hearted approach; placing the difficulty on the customer types and numbers instead.

Star Wars: Cantina has an enormous amount of personality instilled in it by its excellent artwork and the hallmark (and very familiar) Star Wars tunes pumping through the bar. A particularly nice touch was how all our favorite Star Wars tracks have been jazzed up to suite the bar environment. With a Career mode and an Endless Shift mode, where your current upgrades can be put to use to see how long you last before any patrons up and leave, there's also quite a bit to do in Star Wars: Cantina too. For high score seekers, both modes have leaderboards that can potentially add even more replayability to what is already a game of reasonable length.

Without a doubt, the biggest thing that Star Wars: Cantina has going for it is how successfully it captures that Star Wars charm– from the music to the background art and the notorious characters you encounter– you almost expect Luke and Han to walk through the door next. So if you're a Star Wars fan and have even a remote interest in time management games then Star Wars: Cantina is very easily recommended. Hardcore fans of the genre though may feel it skimps on the traditional micro-management of products due to its simplistic formula. We understand too that this is a niche genre and not even the Star Wars licence will change people's opinions of a play style that has remained largely unchanged since Lemonade Tycoon.

App Store Link: Star Wars: Cantina, $4.99.

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Six months ago MoreGames/Chillingo released a free game called a Quest of Knights Onrush [free] to promote their castle defense game Knights Onrush [0.99]. What they didn’t expect was that free promotional game would turn out to be a big hit. It made it to the top-10 list in more than few countries and had over 2 million downloads. Well with stats like that they quickly made the decision to start working on a premium version called Knights Rush.

The game play of Knights Rush will be similar to the first game, but instead of just being an endless game were you see how know you will survive; there will be a campaign to play through. The campaign will feature 8 worlds explore each with different location, bosses, and enemies. There will also be 3 different heroes to play the game with each with different skills and abilities. The more I hear about this game, the more in reminds me of Castle Crashers on the Xbox, which is not a bad thing.

For those of you that liked the survival game play don’t worry, they kept that in too. There will be two different flavors of this in the game, a Endless mode and a Super Endless mode. Endless mode is where you play thought each world until you die. Super Endless mode is where levels are generated randomly each time and you can just walk on and on forever (or until you die).

At this time there are no details on a release date,price, or what devices it will be made for. Keep an eye on the thread in our forums for more details and screenshots as they become available. We will let you know as soon as we found out any thing more.

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Stickbound is a recently released take on platforming that uses a new type of mechanic to advance your character through the game. Imagine an upside down Hook Champ crossed with pole vaulting, and add a dash of pogo-sticking, and that gives you a rough idea of this game. It's clever and hasn't been done before, and provides a fun and compelling experience.

The gameplay involves propelling a tiny spaceman across hot dogs, plungers, piñatas, and other weird objects. Touching anywhere below your character extends a pole that launches him into the air. Where you touch the screen in relation to your character determines the trajectory. Touching right below him sends you straight in the air, and touching off to the side a bit sends him flying diagonally. The longer you touch, the more the pole extends, allowing you to control the force of your jumps. It takes some serious practice before the concept finally clicks, but once it does you'll be deftly bouncing along your merry way.

While this unique gameplay is really enjoyable, Stickbound does end up feeling a little shallow. The main draw is an endless mode, that has you seeing how far you can advance in the randomly generated terrain within your allotment of lives. There's the ability to earn more lives by collecting 50 of the stars spread around the level, and checkpoints in short intervals so if you fall into oblivion you can pick up near where you fell. A couple different power ups can float by occasionally. One rockets you a short distance and lands you safely and one that gives you wings that flap with taps of the screen. There is also a Timed mode that is exactly the same thing only you see how far you can get in 30 seconds. Both modes have separate online scoreboards you can submit to. Finally, three more characters can be unlocked by meeting certain criteria in the game.

Stickbound is a lot of fun to play. It has colorful graphics, really charming music, and a gameplay hook that had me obsessively trying over and over to top my best scores. At the same time, I'd love to see this new mechanic put to use with set level designs and much more content, similarly to something like the aforementioned Hook Champ. Still, at the introductory price of only 99¢ Stickbound is definitely worth taking a look at.

App Store Link: Stickbound, $0.99

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After starting on the Amiga 17 years ago, Babylonian Twins has finally been released — but on the iPhone platform. Babylonian Twins was started in 1993 by Iraqi developer Rabah Shihab.

Babylonian Twins is s a puzzle-platformer with two-character tag-team type play. The game has been entirely revamped since the original Amiga version and includes all new graphics and audio.

First impressions of the game are very positive. You control two characters, Nasir and Blasir, in order to solve each levels. Each character has some special abilities, but only one can be active at once. Switching between the two is as simple as tapping on a button — leaving the unplayed character as a statue. You'll find you need to tag team to make your way past puzzles and obstacles, and even use the other character as a springboard to jump higher. Blasir can jump higher, and dash into walls, while Nasir spin to break through weakened floors. The game is a collaborative effort between the two characters.

As all virtual control systems, the d-pad suffers some from a lack of tactile feedback, though not sure if that is avoidable. We'll spend some more time with the game for a more formal review. The game is available for both iPad and iPhone.

App Store Links: Babylonian Twins (iPhone/iPod Touch), $2.99, Babylonian Twins for iPad, $4.99

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There's quite a few iPhone games in the works with trailers or gameplay videos that have been released recently that all look fairly promising. All of these games are in different stages of development, but each trailer is totally worth watching, especially the Giant Moto video if you have fond memories of Excitebike.

100 Rogues
We've been keeping a close eye on 100 Rogues since it first showed up on our radar late last year. Recently we took a closer look at the game at GDC this year, and this new video shows how playing the game will work in even greater detail.

Giant Moto
According to the thread in our forums, Giant Moto is going to come with 6 tracks, 4 different bikes, and AI opponents with 3 difficulties. I can't wait to get my hands on this game, as I've been waiting for a truly excellent Excitebike-like game for the iPhone.

N.Y.Zombies
Sure, there are a ton of zombie games on the App Store already, but this one looks like it could be cool. The benefit N.Y.Zombies has over the competition is that it apparently is going to be able to have over 40 zombies on screen at once instead of just a small handful like other similar games. We'll see if it succeeds in breaking out of the stereotypical zombie game mold when it's finally released. For more information, check out the thread in our forums.

IMO: The World of Magic
Com2Us is working on a MMORPG that looks fairly impressive. It sports some pretty intense character customization, multiple classes, and other neat perks. They're also running contests in our forums for various prizes while they build up pre-launch hype.

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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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Engineous Games' Sketch Nation Shooter [AppStore] is not your typical game. In fact, it is arguable whether it is a game at all, featuring very little in terms of out-of-the-box content. Instead, Sketch Nation Shooter is a development platform for end users to explore the limits of their own imaginations, in a similar fashion to Sony's ludicrously popular Little Big Planet on the Playstation 3.

And, just like that title, Sketch Nation Shooter is designed from the ground up to facilitate the creation of an entire community of users who submit their creations and explore the work of others. It sounds like a sure-fire hit, but such an ambitious task is a first for the platform, and so we were anxious at first to see just how well the system is implemented.

When you first launch Sketch Nation Shooter you are presented with a depiction of a writing pad and a few menu options with very little fanfare. To start with, we'll look at the 'Play' option. A fresh install of Sketch Nation Shooter will have a few developer-created levels for you to mess around with. Launching any of these will reveal a rich-looking, colorful, themed setting, which ultimately showcase what can be done with the application. Your standard fare vertical scrolling shooter is there in the form of 'Zorx Attacks' and 'Air Support 1944' (which have some very cool comic-like artwork) but there are also a few surprises, in the side-scrolling 'Under the Sea' shooter, and a top-down 'against the traffic' avoidance game, Traffic. It is clear that a little creative thinking can go a long way in Sketch Nation Shooter.

And where that creativity will be best put to work is in the 'Create' menu. When you first go to create a game, you are presented with either 'Simple Mode' or 'Advanced Mode', dictating the extent of complexity you're aiming for with your creation. This is something we really appreciated, as showing off a game quickly to your mates isn't a protracted process; 'Simple Mode' lets you create a player, add enemies, and away you go. 'Advanced Mode' is where the big boys will go to play though, as it offers the full customization suite.

From here you can dictate player and enemy graphics, hit points, weapon effects, sizes, AI patterns and even rotation options. Graphics can be added either from your Photo Library, from a selection of pre-installed Art Packs, or by taking a photo of a page via the camera. We had a few issues where drawings with light-colored backgrounds imported from Sketch Book were not picked up (despite having thick, black borders) but overall our experience with the image recognization was a positive one. There is also a level editor, where backdrops can be imported and where obstacles, enemies and powerups can be hand-placed on each level segment (4 of which comprise an entire level). One especially neat feature is the inclusion of an 'Intro' page, which the developer levels show off as a cool way to give your levels some context through a storyboard.

All in all, whilst the creation mode is quite comprehensive, we felt it was lacking in some areas. To begin with, powerups and boss encounters are two elements set in stone that can't be toyed with as much as we'd like to. Bosses can have their HP and weapon effects changed, and can have their attack pattern selected from 8 pre-defined options. But that's it– we would have loved to have seen multi-stage boss encounters, or bosses with customizable weak-spots to make these encounters less repetitive. Similarly, powerups collected in game number only 10 and seem pretty stock-standard for the genre. Which leads to another criticism– that levels aren't really long enough to get a decent rhythm going, or to explore an interesting weapon or upgrade system to begin with. We expect to be blown away with what some users create with the platform, but it seems that user creations are largely restricted to a similarly sized and formulated level design.

Once created, levels are submitted via Facebook and are available for all to play under the 'Download' menu option. Unfortunately, Facebook is the only means of content distribution in Sketch Nation Shooter, a fact that introduces a number of issues. Firstly is the matter of privacy, where submitting a high score unwittingly splashes your full name across the Global ladders. As we speak, the developers have recognised this as a problem and are looking at introducing a pseudonym for high scores, a feature that cannot come soon enough. But we're still not convinced that using Facebook as the solitary delivery medium is wise, as it effectively excludes those that use Facebook solely for personal correspondence, and tend to keep their gaming separate. Granted, Sketch Nation Shooter does not spam your Facebook wall with activity, but instead neatly highlights it in a separate, in-game only News Feed.

If you can get passed the Facebook requirement (without Facebook you do not have access to any user-generated content), then there is already a wealth of very cool-looking content created by fans, and it seems to be growing by the minute. One particular favorite of ours is a TouchArcade themed level that simply must be played, created by forum user Tocarina (heads up: Arn and Eli feature prominently and hilariously). On that note, the developers are doing a great job of filtering out objectional and copyrighted material, and seem to be doing well in keeping up with submissions thus far.

Sketch Nation Shooter is easily recommended simply because it does something no other app can do– it allows you to design competent games and share them with your friends. Some creations have already shown hallmarks of genius, but the ultimate fun is in seeing what your peers are capable of creating. On the flipside, the underlying Sketch Nation Shooter model remains largely derivative, and could do with even more customization options to differentiate the gameplay and keep user-generated levels fresh and interesting.

We're already looking forward to not only Shooter enhancements, but to see what other plans and genres Engineous Games have in store for their very nifty Sketch Nation game development platform. Be sure to check out our forum thread too, where users are sharing their many designs, plans and submission approval notices.

App Store Link: Sketch Nation Shooter, $0.99.

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During the iPad rush, some developers have made a conscious decision to provide "Universal" support to their existing games. These games will run in native resolution on both the iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch. So, you simply buy it once, and use the same copy on both devices. The added advantage is that for anyone who has already purchased these games, the Universal updates are free.

Here are some notable universal titles that we've covered in the past:

• Strategery ($1.99) – See our Review, this simple strategy game generated a pretty dedicated following. The iPad screen can cause for some massive map sizes.
• Air Hockey ($0.99) – One of the iPhone staples – Air Hockey. Now available as a free upgrade to your iPad.
• Isotope ($1.99) – See our Review. A really wonderful dual-stick space shooter that we loved on the iPhone. Unfortunately, the first universal version doesn't seem to work properly on the iPad yet. Again, we expect these issues will be addressed quickly once developers get iPads in hand.
• Parcel Panic ($0.99) – See our Review. A Crazy Taxi-like driving/delivery game that's been updated for iPad.
• Metal Gear Solid Touch ($7.99) – See our Review. We actually weren't that happy with the game on launch, but it's worth the free upgrade to check out on the iPad if you already own it.
• 10 Pin Shuffle ($3.99) – A nice combination of bowling and shufflepuck which feels nice on the big screen.
• Parachute Panic HD ($1.99) – See our Review. A fun and frantic casual game where you guide parachuters to safety.
• Chopper, $2.99 – A side scrolling helicopter game where you need to rescue people and take out enemy targets.

IUGO

• Zombie Attack! Second Wave XL ($3.99) – A different take on tower defense.
• Cliffed XL ($1.99) – See our Review. A delightful take on "falldown".
• Implode XL – A fun demolition game where you take out buildings with precisely placed charges.

Igloo Games

• Igloo Games Arcade ($6.99) – This one's actually a bit of anomaly on the App Store, as it's a Universal game that's not an update to an existing title. Instead, Igloo Games has taken all of it's iPhone titles (Dizzy Bee, Dizzy Bee 2, Bed Bugs, Flipside) and packaged them together into one universal package.

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On Saturday, Apple released their latest device that runs iPhone OS — the iPad. The iPad joins the iPhone and iPod Touch in Apple's lineup of mobile touch-screen devices. As expected, the first thing that many iPhone/iPod Touch developers have ported their games over to the new device to take advantage of the higher resolution graphics and larger screen size of the device. For brand new iPad device owners, the question becomes — is there any reason to upgrade my existing game to the iPad-specific "HD" versions.

Eli, Blake and I have been trying out nearly all of the HD versions of existing iPhone games over the weekend to see how they fared on the iPad. Overall, I'd say we were very impressed with iPad gaming as an experience. The larger screen size really does add a lot of immersion to practically every game we've tried. Enough that if you are an iPad owner, as a rule, you are going to want to buy the HD version of new games going forward. While pixel-doubling of existing games works reasonably well, they simply don't live up to the experience of playing a native full-resolution version. Beyond the obvious graphical improvements, in many instances, developers have made adjustments to on-screen controls to accommodate usage patterns on the iPad.

For those iPad owners who already have an extensive backlog of iPhone/iPod Touch games, however, the upgrade decisions tend to be more difficult. Is it worth spending money on upgraded versions of your favorite iPhone games? That's what we're hoping to answer here. Here's our general rule of thumb though:

• 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.

Fall somewhere in the middle? Here's our Part 1 list of recommendations on upgrading.

Recommended Upgrades

Creeps HD ($3.99)
iPad Features: All new Maps.
Tower defense games really benefit from the larger screensize. Everything is easier to see, tower placement is easier and more accurate, and for Creeps HD, you also get brand new maps. So even if you've played through the original, there's more to enjoy in this sort-of-sequel.

Flight Control HD ($4.99)
iPad Features: Three new HD airfields, Co-operative multiplayer on single device, Split-screen vs mode, 3D (magenta/cyan) mode.
A larger screen isn't just a pretty picture for Flight Control, it really changes the gaming experience. Full-size maps add new dimensions to the game, while it also comes with existing levels. This is more than just a simple upscale.

Zen Bound 2 ($7.99)
iPad Features: New levels, new gameplay mode (paint bombs)
For such a visual game to begin with, the iPad version of Zen Bound 2 benefits greatly from the larger form factor of the iPad. The graphics and effects are much enhanced making the experience nicer. Note, however, there are a few performance and control glitches in the game in the initial release. This is a side-effect of developers not having units in hand until now. We've heard from Secret Exit that iPads being Fedexed to them as we speak to address these issues. So, we have confidence updates will come.

Not Recommended

Sword of Fargoal Legends ($7.99)
iPad Features: None
Sword of Fargoal plays much nicer on the iPad's screen given the extra real estate, but given the zoomability, you can replicate the views on the pixel-doubled version. If you're a Fargoal addict, it's going to be worth it, but for everyone else the gameplay of the pixel-doubled version seems pretty identical. Screenshots: iPad, Pixel Doubled

iBlast Moki HD ($4.99)
iPad Features: None
Despite the larger screen, the game doesn't play very differently between the iPhone version. Perhaps a testament to the good zooming mechanism in the original. In fact, aside from a few jaggies, the game plays quite well in pixel-doubling.

Fieldrunners for iPad ($7.99)
iPad Features: None
Without new features, it's hard to recommend upgrading this one, even though the larger screen size makes it feel nice. But here's a tip: you can play with the same size/perspective using the pixel doubled version.

Angry Birds ($4.99)
iPad Features: None
iPad resolution allows you to more precisely line up your shots and everything still looks nice when zoomed out, but without new levels, you're just playing the same levels again.

Soosiz HD ($4.99)
iPad Features: None.
While we absolutely adored the original Soosiz, the iPad version of Soosiz HD doesn't bring much new to the table. The gameplay is identical and the levels are the same, so beyond the novelty of playing on the iPad screen, there's not a whole lot of reason to come back. Video: iPad, Screenshots: iPad, Pixel Doubled

Glyder 2 for iPad ($4.99)
iPad Features: Touch controls, enhanced map / navigation system, 3D world viewer.
Glyder 2 benefits from the iPad's larger screen in helping to convey a more immersive sense of flight than the iPhone version, but again, unless you were absolutely gaga over the first, there's not a lot new to see.

Minigore HD ($4.99)
iPad Features: Premium (iPhone in-app purchase) characters included, Touch controls
Upscaled graphics look great, but the controls actually take a hit on the larger form factor of the iPad. The developers have added touch screen controls as an alternative, but we still prefer playing this one on our iPhones. Video: iPad

Part 2 coming soon.

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