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So, you got roped into hosting  Super Bowl XLV party today and you’re having one of those Edvard Munch “The Scream” moments as you realize the big game is only a few hours away. Serves you right for having that wicked huge studio, that 1080p high-definition TV, and the kind of personality that allows this sort of thing to happen to you. But, hey, I’ll help you help yourself by pointing out a few apps that’ll smooth out some of the party planning wrinkles, educate you on the Packers or Steelers, or just give you a sense of what the hell Super Bowl XLV is all about.

THE SEASON
The NFL doesn’t like to put its programming on the App Store until the season is over, so there’s no solid way to play catch-up on the regular NFL season without watching several ESPN or NFL Network pre-Bowl broadcasts. However, you can watch the 2010 NFL Playoffs up until the Super Bowl via the 2010 NFL Playoffs [$19.99] app.

There were some cool games this year. Definitely spare a few moments to see Aaron Rodgers go nuts on the Falcons — dude was almost perfect on the afternoon. Also, check out the Steelers and Ravens battle. It was a ridiculously physical match that I’m sure a handful of players from the Steelers are still reeling from this afternoon. Consider these… crash course games. You'll know whats up for the big game.

THE ROSTERS
But, oh-uh! You don’t know stat lines, roster details, and can’t tell me what Hines Ward or A.J. Hawk look like. There are a couple of cool apps that provide this level of detail. The Official Green Bay Packers [Free] is a winner, as it provides pictures, stats, and roster details like, for example, IR or other injury reports. The Steelers Gameday Plus [$1.99] does about the same, but it lacks the polish and the personal touch.

For an overview of the whole season, check out NFL.com Game Center [$1.99]. And to see what NFL players are saying about the big game today, NFL Pro Tweets [Free] won’t steer you wrong.

STADIUM, ALSO TOILETS
If you want a better sense of where the Super Bowl is, check Super Bowl XLV [Free]. It’s a game guide that provides a 3D map of the bowl where game is being played. In my experience, nothing says, “I know football” quite like being able to tell people where all the toilets are in the new Texas-based arena. Oh, and you can also get your hands on the game program via the Super Bowl XLV Official NFL Game Program [Free].

FOOD FOR YOUR PARTY
If you’re dead set on serving up the ridiculous, calorie-inflated chow that people like to eat on the biggest Sunday of the year, Apple has a monstrous list of recipe apps, such as The Chili Chef [$1.99], Dip Diva [.99], and Cheese Plate [$2.99]. I suggest downloading the Calorie Counter [$1.99] if you’re going this route because, man, you’re going to be putting some stupid stuff in your body over the weekend. Check out Apple’s list.

SIMULATIN' (BE THE SMART GUY)
Of course, you could be the smartest guy in the room if you start talking about the various ways the game played out in the simulations from Madden 11 [.99 / HD], the best football game app out there (check our review out). You could do the same with Gameloft’s NFL 2011 [.99 / HD] or Backbreaker 2: Vengeance [.99], but both feel secondary to Madden.

Have a great Super Bowl Sunday, everyone… And may the best team win!

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I have nothing but good things to say about both MovieCat! [Free] and MovieCat! HD [Free]. There are trivia games of all sorts on the App Store, as mentioned in my initial review of the game, but I've yet to come across one that has as much personality as MovieCat!. I'm not sure if it's the fact that every part of the game is absolutely loaded with cats, or that the questions included seem to span everything from questions everyone would know to extremely obscure factoids for movie buffs.

The included content in MovieCat! is incredible, and there's even an optional 99¢ DLC pack with even more. This add-on is by no means required though, as it took a considerable amount of playtime before I even started running across that many questions that I've seen before. If you like movies, and cats, it likely will only take you a few seconds with the game to see why I included it in my list of favorite games of 2010.

Don't miss this game while it's free, and even if you do, it's totally worth the asking price once this freebie promotion is over.

Note: This price change seems to have just gone in to effect. If you don't see it as free yet in your neck of the woods, give the App Store a bit to update its pricing.

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Just a quick heads up that my current favorite obsession Disc Drivin’ is having a 99¢ sale this weekend. Disc Drivin’ is a turn-based racing game that we reviewed back in December that uses an asynchronous online system to allow racing with people all over the world at your leisure. Take your turn, then the game sends that data along to the other players in the race, and when it’s time for your turn again a simple push notification lets you know.

It works wonderfully well, and just a few days ago we detailed the past updates for Disc Drivin’ which included random online matchmaking in the latest one. Players have also been discussing the game and trading usernames in the game’s official thread and the dedicated username swapping thread.

There has always been a fully-featured ad-supported version of Disc Drivin’ available, and the ad-free version usually sells for $2.99. If you’re one of those people who have been enjoying the ad-supported version but didn’t quite feel like ponying up the 3 bucks to upgrade, now’s your chance to do so for just 99¢. If you haven’t yet tried Disc Drivin’ then give the free version a spin, and if you like what you see make sure to grab the full version for a dollar before it jumps back up in price after the weekend is over.

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A little less than 20 years ago id Software turned every PC into a gateway to jaw-dropping FPS action with DOOM and DOOM II. These groundbreaking games had Mac owners pretty jealous of all that gory Cacodemon-crushing action. Oh, the Mac did get its ports, but with no low res, high framerate screenmodes, the DOOM experience on the Mac could also be called Tiny Window Carnage. That is, until a little studio called Bungie came along and released their own take on the FPS that took sweet advantage of all those high res pixels on the Mac's display. It was called Marathon, and just about every gamer with a Mac was hooked.

As Wikipedia describes the game's backstory,

Marathon takes place in the year 2794 aboard a large, multi-generational colony spacecraft called the UESC (United Earth Space Council) Marathon. The ship was converted from Deimos, one of Mars' two moons. The plot of the story sets the player as a security officer and focuses around an invasion of the ship and (to a much lesser extent) a colony on the nearby Tau Ceti by hostile extraterrestrials. The plot is primarily revealed through various computer interfaces called terminals, which relay crew logs, maintenance documents, historical accounts, and stories. It is through these terminals as well that the player receives mission information from Leela, the ship's artificial intelligence, as well as Tycho and Durandal, the science and utilities AI in Marathon respectively.

Well, we all know the Bungie story — Microsoft grabbed 'em, and the most promising Mac-focused game studio ended up on…The Other Side. But, not before releasing the Marathon game engine into the open source community. The engine, known as Aleph One, is based on the Marathon 2 source code and allows modern machines (Macs included) to play through those well-loved Bungie classics, with notable enhancements to boot.

In a thread started a few weeks back in our forums, Daniel Blezek ("vidmaster") revealed that he is working to bring an iPad version of Aleph One to the App Store.

Aleph One for the iPad will feature the following:

• All levels from Marathon, Marathon 2: Durandal, and Marathon Infinity
• HD graphics
• Smooth game play experience
• 9 unique weapons, fists, double shotguns, and the devastating SPNKR-X18 rocket launcher!
• Infinite saved games, film recording

The game is currently in beta testing, with a few issues to be worked out before it's ready for release.

The developer indicates that, if Aleph One for the iPad does well in the App Store, he will likely release an iPhone version of the game, as well.

UPDATE: The iPad version of Aleph One may face some difficulties that we've seen discussed in the Pfhorum.com Aleph One forums ("iGuy" = "vidmaster").

First, there is the issue of the distribution of the various Marathon level packs. That is being handled in this app by the download of the actual levels from a remote website on the first launch of the app, which is a technique we've seen used (successfully) in the App Store previously. The second issue is the fact that code under a GPL license is not "compatible" with the rights situation of an app that has been submitted to the App Store. We'll see how this pans out, but suffice it to say there may be rocky shoals ahead for this effort to bring the Marathon trilogy through Aleph One to the App Store.

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A little less than 20 years ago id Software turned every PC into a gateway to jaw-dropping FPS action with DOOM and DOOM II. These groundbreaking games had Mac owners pretty jealous of all that gory Cacodemon-crushing action. Oh, the Mac did get its ports, but with no low res, high framerate screenmodes, the DOOM experience on the Mac could also be called Tiny Window Carnage. That is, until a little studio called Bungie came along and released their own take on the FPS that took sweet advantage of all those high res pixels on the Mac's display. It was called Marathon, and just about every gamer with a Mac was hooked.

As Wikipedia describes the game's backstory,

Marathon takes place in the year 2794 aboard a large, multi-generational colony spacecraft called the UESC (United Earth Space Council) Marathon. The ship was converted from Deimos, one of Mars' two moons. The plot of the story sets the player as a security officer and focuses around an invasion of the ship and (to a much lesser extent) a colony on the nearby Tau Ceti by hostile extraterrestrials. The plot is primarily revealed through various computer interfaces called terminals, which relay crew logs, maintenance documents, historical accounts, and stories. It is through these terminals as well that the player receives mission information from Leela, the ship's artificial intelligence, as well as Tycho and Durandal, the science and utilities AI in Marathon respectively.

Well, we all know the Bungie story — Microsoft grabbed 'em, and the most promising Mac-focused game studio ended up on…The Other Side. But, not before releasing the Marathon game engine into the open source community. The engine, known as Aleph One, is based on the Marathon 2 source code and allows modern machines (Macs included) to play through those well-loved Bungie classics, with notable enhancements to boot.

In a thread started last month in our forums, Daniel Blezek ("vidmaster") revealed that he is working to bring an iPad version of Aleph One to the App Store.

Aleph One for the iPad will feature the following:

• All levels from Marathon, Marathon 2: Durandal, and Marathon Infinity
• HD graphics
• Smooth game play experience
• 9 unique weapons, fists, double shotguns, and the devastating SPNKR-X18 rocket launcher!
• Infinite saved games, film recording

The game is currently in beta testing, with a few issues to be worked out before it's ready for release.

The developer indicates that, if Aleph One for the iPad does well in the App Store, he will likely release an iPhone version of the game, as well.

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Just a quick heads up here on a major weekend sale that's underway on the highly popular Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episodes One [$0.99] and Two [$1.99], both down from $7.99 for 87% and 75% price reductions, respectively. Both titles are also available on XBLA, PSN, and Windows, but these are the lowest prices we've seen for them on any platform.

As described by creators Penny Arcade and Hothead Games,

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness is an RPG-Adventure game set in the comic-book-meets-pulp-horror-meets-H.P. Lovecraft deranged 1920s universe of New Arcadia, delivering mature and compelling entertainment to gamers via accessible episodic delivery. The creative collaboration between Penny Arcade creators Mike ‘Gabe’ Krahulik and Jerry ‘Tycho’ Holkins, legendary game designer Ron Gilbert and veteran producers Hothead Games results in a 100% authentic Penny Arcade experience that pushes bizarre characters, outrageous combat, and adult humor to the precipices of darkness.

Players join Gabe and Tycho, the crime-solving team of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, to combat savage enemies and solve mysteries hidden deep in the sinister heart of New Arcadia. The ominous 1920s landscape features distinct artwork and characters designed exclusively by Krahulik and brought to life by the Hothead team.

Gamespot called the adventures well worth the initial XBLA price of $20 USD for any Penny Arcade-loving gamer. Any Mac user who meets that description should find this weekend sale an absolute steal.

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Back in October we reported that, in what will surely be a dream-come-true for a sizable swath of oldschool iOS gamers, Tower Studios and Vivid Games, in association with The Bitmap Brothers, announced that future sports classic Speedball 2 would be making its way to the App Store in the form of Speedball 2: Evolution. We're happy to now be able to add a good bit of detail — along with screenshots and a trailer video — to this excellent news, thanks to a recent release by Tower Games.

The original Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, which was first released for the Atari ST back in 1990, was just awesome. It was a sequel to the original, superb Speedball, that was just better in every way. (Some readers with fewer years of gaming under their belts might be familiar with the 2007 XBLA release of the title.) Speedball 2: Evolution, as the name might suggest, takes the game even farther, bringing quick-play, league and cup tournaments, a detailed career mode, along with multiplayer support.

"This is the best version of Speedball 2 since the original and the best remake of any classic title available on the App Store," creative director and Tower Games CEO John Hare, who earlier brought us Sensible Soccer, assures us.

"Speedball 2: Evolution is the most comprehensive game in the series, and a real programming masterpiece thanks to the amazing efforts of Vivid Games. To existing fans this is a classic remake, to the new generation this is a fantastic modern game in it’s own right. It marks the first arrival of a Bitmap Brothers classic to the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad – expect to see many more classic titles re-mastered and updated by us in the future."

Some of the Speedball 2: Evolution features, as listed by Tower Games:

• 336 individual players
• 22 achievements
• 20 power-ups and pick-ups
• 16 classic Speedball teams
• 12 new intergalactic teams
• 10 season career mode
• 10 single player modes
• 6 arenas on four different planets
• Player transfer market and upgrades

Speedball 2: Evolution will be available in the App Store later this month (price not yet determined). And, this is only the beginning of the retro goodness. Tower Games intends to release a series of remakes of classic Bitmap Brothers games for iOS gamers.

The Bitmap Brothers, in years past, also brought us Xenon II, Gods, The Chaos Engine, Cadaver, and Magic Pockets.

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We don't really know anything about EA's upcoming NBA Jam other than its release is "right around the corner". Originally released in 1993 as one of the most awesome arcade games ever, NBA Jam sported four sets of controls for two on two basketball matches. As the title may hint, the name of the game in NBA Jam was ridiculous slam dunks that you could execute from the half court line under the right circumstances.

Here's some video from the original arcade version:

It's hard to say which version of NBA Jam EA will be bringing to the App Store, as there have been quite a few iterations over the years since the original arcade game. Hopefully it has some kind of multiplayer, as playing with friends was always the best part of NBA Jam. They're promising screenshots in the not too distant future, so if nothing else, part of the mystery of the upcoming NBA Jam release will be unmasked before long.

In other news, the gaming giant recently revealed some screenshots of Fight Night Champion, the latest entry in to the Fight Night series set to be released on home consoles on March 1st in North America. We haven't heard about the release date of the iOS version, but it's likely safe to assume that it will be around then as well. What's interesting about Fight Night Champion is the addition of a new "champion mode" where you follow the story of a boxer named Andre Bishop as he rises to greatness.

We hope to know more about both of these games soon. To follow along with EA Mobile, check out their Facebook which always seems to be loaded with information about their upcoming games.

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With a new year upon us, we're bringing back our monthly best game listings. Our ratings for games we reviewed in January are now in place, and we now present to you the ones that are on the top of the heap. Each game reviewed receives a 1-5 star rating relative to the other games from that month. Generally, a 3 or higher is considered a "good" rating.

Our final scores are not the product of any traditionally objective measures such as graphics or sound, but simply reflect the games we would most recommend to others.

5 Stars

Dead Space™, $6.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – "Console quality" is a phrase that's thrown around a lot to describe portable games, and really, it's a fitting title for this iOS-exclusive version of Dead Space. Sure, we're still irked that there aren't any control configuration options, but that shouldn't stop you from picking up this game, and it hasn't stopped us from playing through it multiple times. We tend to prefer Dead Space for iPad [$9.99] over its iPhone counterpart, but both are fantastic games that should be a part of your collection. EA started 2011 off with a bang by releasing Dead Space, and if this is setting the benchmark for the quality of games we're going to see out of them for the future, this is going to be one hell of a year.

Dungeon Raid, $2.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – As mentioned in our review of the game, with the number of fish in the match three sea, it takes a lot to make one that's just as fun (if not more so) than the match three staples like Bejeweled 2 and other classics. Dungeon Raid accomplishes this by distilling the Puzzle Quest formula down to its basics, and providing match three gameplay that retains its simple nature while offering a shocking amount of depth via random equipment and character upgrades. Also, there's much more to matching than just high scoring, clearing each type of block has a purpose, and the order you clear them in can mean life or death. This game has stolen hours of my time, I can't recommend it enough.

4.5 Stars

Pocket HalfPipe, $0.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – This incredibly awesome skateboarding game is highly reminiscent of the halfpipe in the classic NES series Skate or Die, but with much better graphics and crazy dual stick controls that allow you to pull off all kinds of moves. The game could easily be described as basic, but it's so much fun that we don't care. The tricks you'll be able to pull off after a bit of practice are cool, and stringing a massive chain together is hugely rewarding. We'd love to see some additional depth or customization thrown in, but as it is, Pocket Halfpipe is just so much fun to play that it doesn't seem to matter.

Bug Heroes, $1.99 – [Review] – [Forum Thread] – Much like how Dungeon Raid took typical match three gameplay and made it awesome, Bug Heroes takes the dual stick shooter to the next level. The core of the game is based around the typical dual stick shooter formula, but multiple playable characters (each with strengths and weaknesses) as well as elements of both castle and tower defense make this a game that everyone needs to check out. Just keep in mind, it will be very difficult to go back to your basic survival-mode dual stick shooter after this.

The rest of January game ratings can be seen in their respective rating categories (also found in the sidebar navigation): 5 Stars, 4.5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3.5 Stars, 3 Stars, and 2 Stars.

As always, we expect there will be some debate about relative scores, but keep in mind that everyone's personal ratings may vary based on individual tastes.

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