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Need something to look forward to next week? Then I've got good news for you: NimbleBit's Tiny Tower will be released next Wednesday, June 22nd Thursday June 23rd.

We've been anticipating this game since the Pocket Frogs [Free] developer first announced it, and I'm super excited that the wait is almost over. I had a chance to get hands on with it last month, and I really liked what I saw. Since then, the guys at NimbleBit have put their usual coat of polish all over this thing, and it's looking better than ever.

Looking at the game now, we've been given a lot more to do with our towers. You could already dress up your Bitizens to fit your mood, and now you can also paint your floors, so everyone's tower will be unique. And the Bitizens have picked up their own set of hopes and dreams that you can fulfill by placing them in their dream jobs. A happy populace is its own reward, but you'll also get a few Bux for taking care of your little guys.

We'll have a full review for you when the game comes out, but I think it's safe to say that this one's going to end up in a lot of pockets. While you're waiting, why not head to our forums to share the anticipation?

Update: NimbleBit pushed the launch back a day, sorry guys!

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A couple of weeks ago, we learned that Ten One Design was getting ready to release a smaller version of their wonderful Fling controllers for the iPad which would be suitable for use on iPhone and iPod touch devices. There was a lot of negative backlash to this announcement though, and I can sort of see why. The promo image for the Fling Mini showed that using 2 of the controllers at the same time really blocked much of the screen of the device, and it was hard to imagine how it could be practical to play games this way.

Last week at WWDC, Eli and myself both got our hands on an early pair of the Fling Minis and put them to the test. Surprisingly, the screen blockage is almost a complete non-issue when you’re actually using the Fling Minis. The plastic that the Fling Mini is comprised of is translucent and doesn’t really block any more of the screen than your own thumbs normally would. But, that’s not to say that they don’t come with some quirks and they won’t work on every game that you’d hope. For the games that they do work with they work exceptionally well, and just like the Flings on iPad they offer a smooth and tactile control option over using a touch screen alone.

Eli has put together this fantastic comparison video showing off the difference between the original Fling, which you can read our original review of, and the new Fling Mini:

In my own experience, I’ve found several games that work near perfectly with the Fling Mini. Both Bug Heroes [Free] and Max Adventure [99¢/Lite] are two of my favorite dual-stick shooters that don’t come with many compromises when using the Fling, which you can see in this second hands-on video. There will be times when accessing a UI element or menu option will be difficult because the Fling Mini is blocking that part of the screen, but it’s easy enough to detach a suction cup and swivel the controller out of the way to gain access to these. It would be cool if there were tiny hinges in the connector arms of the Fling Mini so you could quickly flip them up to access the entire screen. Perhaps in a Fling Mini version 2.0.

The Fling Mini is also well-suited to some games that use just a single analog stick or a d-pad for movement, and one interesting thing is how well it works with the Joypad Game Controller [Free] which we also covered at WWDC this year. Especially with the Joypad SDK now offering the ability to use analog sticks, one or two Fling Minis combined with an iPhone or iPod touch and the Joypad app could make for a really nice controller for playing an iPad or desktop game.

One example of a game that did not work so well is Age of Zombies [$2.99/Lite]. I had high hopes for this one as it employs a touch anywhere scheme for its set of dual-stick controls, which would mean precise placement of the Fling wouldn’t be necessary. Unfortunately there is no way to access the grenade button while using the Fling with this game, which is a pretty big problem. You can avoid this by using only one Fling on the left control stick, but this gives the game an inconsistent feel. Also, games that utilize buttons in the lower corners of the screen, like many first person shooters, are also basically unplayable due to the plastic spirals of the Fling Mini blocking those areas of the screen.

The thing I like most about the Flings is that they just “feel” good. The movement is solid and smooth, and for the games that they work well with they are definitely an enhancement. On the larger screen of the iPad, the original Fling works with a greater number of games and there are much fewer instances of inaccessible UI elements. These problems are amplified with the Fling Mini and the smaller iOS screens, but it isn’t a total deal breaker and for the select games that they do work well with they feel absolutely brilliant.

One of the first things I asked Ten One Design about the Fling Mini was whether they would also work on an iPad, thus negating needing two different styles of Flings. While there’s technically nothing preventing them from working on an iPad, almost all iPad virtual analog sticks require a larger range of motion than what is afforded by the smaller Fling Mini. You may be able to come up with a few games that work well on the iPad with a Fling Mini, but for the most part you are better off using the original Fling with that device.

Really the best thing to do is find a friend who owns a pair or head to an Apple store and try out the Fling for yourself. If you like the way they feel and can deal with limited game compatibility, then they are a great purchase. Hopefully more developers will incorporate special settings for using a Fling controller in their game, especially with them now being available on iPhones and iPod touches.

You can currently pre-order the Fling Mini in a 2-pack for $24.95, and they should be shipping sometime in mid-to-late July. The original Fling for iPad is available now in 3 colors at a price of $19.95 for a single controller or in a 2-pack for $29.95.

Product Pages:

• Fling Mini 2-Pack (Pre-Order)
• Fling for iPad

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Coming off the successful launch of Touchgrind BMX [$4.99], which we reviewed last month, I met with the folks from Illusion Labs here at WWDC 2011 to discuss their plans for the series moving forward. Speaking of that successful launch, Illusion Labs has revealed that Touchgrind BMX sold over 100,000 copies in just its first 10 days in the App Store, making it their fastest selling title to date. Combined with the original Touchgrind [$4.99/HD], the total sales for the series exceeds 1.5 million units. That’s no small potatoes!

As for the future of Touchgrind BMX, there are a few nice things in the works. Just last week, an update was released which added some much-needed Retina Display support for the game, but unfortunately it was at the expense of a smooth frame rate. Illusion Labs is furiously working the kinks out of this, and the new build I was able to play showed a vastly improved frame rate with Retina Display visuals enabled. They’ll continue to refine this and then plan to drop the optimization update in the next couple of weeks. Following the improved Retina Display update, the hinted at new level Polar Ridge will be released along with full Game Center support.

But it doesn’t stop there. Once all of these new features are finally launched, the next step will be adding a TV-Out feature to Touchgrind BMX that will allow the game to be played on a big screen while being controlled on your iOS device. They demonstrated this functionality to me by using a portable projector and projecting the game right onto the wall in front of me. It looks absolutely awesome, and plays just as good. The iOS screen takes the form of a bike silhouette and controls exactly as the game normally would. Here’s a developer video showcasing the functionality projected onto a big screen:

Pretty cool stuff, but that’s still not the end of the Touchgrind-related news. Way back in January of 2010, Illusion Labs demonstrated a proof-of-concept video that showed the original Touchgrind being played on a MacBook using the multitouch-enabled trackpad. They never actually released the game for Mac due to not really having a solid distribution channel, but when the Mac App Store was announced last October the Touchgrind MacBook demo was one of the first things that came to our minds.

Now, at long last, Illusion Labs is releasing the original Touchgrind on the Mac App Store. The best part? It will be launching for free. You heard that right, for free. Illusion Labs isn’t known dropping prices or giving away things for free, but this is something they wanted to do for their fans as a thank you for making Touchgrind such a success. You’ll be able to grab Touchgrind for your Mac sometime in July. The announced features for Touchgrind BMX will slowly release over the course of the next several weeks or so, and I can’t wait to see what else Illusion Labs has up their sleeve for the future.

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Man, that was fast. Just earlier this month, word spread that Monster Hunter was coming to the App Store. Tonight at 11PM EST, said game will hit in the US for the first time. It's available in New Zealand now.

As the proper name implies, Monster Hunter: Dynamic Hunting is a pared down experience, but not one that neglects the series’ roots. In a nutshell, Hunting is all about the sweet science of bringing down monsters — the bread and butter of the franchise. You’ll also be able to collect elements from these monsters that can be crafted into armor and weapons, which is another super important part of the Monster Hunter formula.

To be more specific on the latter note, Dynamic Hunting will feature three different types of weapons — ‘Sword and Shield,’ ‘Great Sword,’ and ‘Dual Sword’ — that can be turned on their heads in about 40 different ways. There are also 13 different types of armor that you can make or, possibly, customize further.

How the battles themselves feel I can’t speak to just yet — a review is forthcoming, when the game hits the US. But, Capcom has stated the basics. When faced with a foe, you’ll be able to ‘attack,’ flick to do a fast attack, evade, counter attack, and guard. Here's a video of it in action.

If you ask me, it sounds like Capcom took some notes from Chair Entertainment which is a welcome change from previous efforts of theirs.

Looking forward to Dynamic Hunting? We are, too. The cool thing is that the wait isn’t long, nor should the one be for our first impressions. Stay tuned, folks, and keep those claw fingers nimble just in case.

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Back in November of 2008, Illusion Labs’ Touchgrind [$4.99/HD] was a remarkable display of what was possible on iOS devices. It had fantastic 3D graphics, a great physics system, and excellent multi-touch controls that let you interact with a skateboard in a way unlike any game before it. Now Illusion Labs is back with a new entry in the series called Touchgrind BMX [$4.99] that takes the formula into the world of trick biking.

All of the major traits that made Touchgrind so good carry over to Touchgrind BMX, and it even comes with many welcome improvements. But it’s also missing a few features that I would expect in a game like this, and the multi-touch controls come with a steep learning curve much the same way Touchgrind’s did. Such is the cost of innovation though, and Touchgrind BMX is definitely innovative. It’s also a ton of fun once you get the hang of things, and those who persist in the ways of Touchgrind BMX will be rewarded with a truly unique experience.

Like Touchgrind before it, Touchgrind BMX only requires two fingers to play. One finger controls the handlebars of the bike, and the other controls the frame. Using an assortment of different gestures, you can get your bike to perform just about anything you can think of. The gesture control is really organic, and moves are pulled off just how you’d expect them to be, like flicking the handlebars to spin them around while you’re airborne.

A simple 3 part tutorial walks you through everything you need to know about controlling your bike, and it’s all incredibly easy to understand. The challenge comes when actually trying to perform tricks in practice. It takes fast reactions and precise finger coordination to pull off the elaborate tricks and combos that will earn you the most points. It took me a few hours to actually feel pretty comfortable and start performing some more complex tricks, but looking at the developer high score challenges I know I still have quite a ways to go. It’s a lot of fun though, and improving my skills is what keeps drawing me back into the game.

One major change from the original game is the perspective. Touchgrind was strictly top-down, whereas Touchgrind BMX is more of a third-person perspective. This works beautifully, and really opens up the environments in the game and allows you to actually see where you are going, which is nice because the background visuals are beautiful in Touchgrind BMX and are a huge step up from the sterile skatepark in the first Touchgrind.

The 5 courses in Touchgrind BMX are quite varied from one another, offering an assortment of terrain that runs the gamut from very realistic to borderline fantasy settings. There are some jagged edges in the graphics that could use a dose of anti-aliasing, but by and large Touchgrind BMX is gorgeous to look at and runs at an incredibly smooth frame rate.

Another huge change is rather than having a sandbox environment where you’re able to move about freely, the levels in Touchgrind BMX are linear courses with deliberately placed jumps and obstacles. You still have a small range of movement within the width of each track, and you control your forward movement, but you aren’t allowed to stray off course and explore or go back to specific obstacles.

I actually think this design decision is for the best, as there is always a defined finish line to work towards and you must learn to maximize the scoring potential of every object in a level before you reach it. It’s more goal-oriented in this way, and each level is filled with tasks to complete that will slowly unlock new features, like different bikes, paint jobs, and new levels.

The progression in Touchgrind BMX is balanced really well, and it seems like there’s always some new reward or challenge waiting for you. It feels very much like the old Tony Hawk Pro Skater games in this way, which is definitely a good thing. The scoring system is also done really well, with a nice multiplier that rewards you for landing high value tricks, mixing up your variety of tricks, and not bailing. One glaring omission though is Game Center integration to coincide with the in-game achievements and high scores, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see that added in the future.

While the linear nature of the game makes for a better overall experience, I definitely think there should be a sandbox level where you’re allowed to ride around as you please. Part of the fun of Touchgrind was jumping into a free skate session and experimenting to your heart’s content, and this aspect is missing from Touchgrind BMX.

One of the coolest features in Touchgrind BMX is the replay system. After crossing the finish line of any level, you have the ability to watch a replay of your entire run. The game automatically presents the replay from several different camera angles for maximum dramatic effect. You can also choose to save any replay to a list that's accessed from the main menu. From there you can choose to create a video file of that replay and either export it directly to YouTube from within the app or transfer it to your computer by way of the File Sharing option in iTunes when your device is connected. The whole process is simple and works extremely well.

While it’s easy to point out some of the minor flaws, it’s impossible to ignore just how excellent a game Touchgrind BMX is as a whole. Illusion Labs has taken the concept of multi-touch manipulation of an object to the next level, and has fleshed out a great gaming experience around it. It takes a lot of practice for the controls to click, but that process is also part of the fun. There is many hours worth of content to play through, with new levels already planned for updates, so it should keep you busy for a while.

Players in our forums are definitely loving this one, and whether you were a fan of the first game or you're just interested in a challenging and completely unique type of game, then Touchgrind BMX really delivers.

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Way back in October of last year, just before Halloween, we learned that an official Evil Dead game was in the works. For fans of the 1980s cult-classic horror flick, this was some pretty exciting news, especially with how faithfully the announcement trailer mimicked the original trailer for the actual movie. Unfortunately, since that announcement, the Evil Dead game has somewhat fallen off the radar, with very little new information being released for the title.

The project most certainly was not dead though, as developer Trigger Apps has been occasionally popping into our forums to let our members know that the game is taking longer than expected, but is still very much on the way. In fact, if plans go as expected, Evil Dead will be available sometime next month. There aren’t a ton of details just yet on exactly what the gameplay will entail, but we do know that you’ll be playing through all the major events of the movie plus some additional events unique to the game.

Trigger Apps has released a new batch of in-game screenshots for Evil Dead, which you can check out below (click to enlarge):

We expect that more information will slowly be revealed as Evil Dead nears its release next month. Be sure to follow along with the upcoming games thread in our forums for even more information and discussion of the game. Evil Dead will be launching for 3rd generation iPhone and iPod touch devices as well as both iPads, and we’ll have more details as we get closer to the release in the coming weeks.

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A couple of months ago, Illusion Labs revealed their new upcoming iOS title Touchgrind BMX by way of a very nice looking trailer. Touchgrind BMX is a follow-up of sorts to their  highly popular skateboarding title Touchgrind [$4.99/HD] that made waves on the App Store way back in November of 2008 for it’s fantastic graphics and excellent use of multitouch.

Touchgrind BMX is a similar title in that you’ll be using multitouch to pull off tricks in object-filled environments, though obviously using a bike rather than a skateboard. Also, the game uses a nice behind-the-bike view, rather than the strictly top-down view of Touchgrind, which is a welcome change and allows you to get a much better perspective on the action.

Another cool feature in Touchgrind BMX will be the ability to create HD replays of your runs and then export them to your computer or upload them to YouTube to share with the world. The developer has put together this little teaser video which shows an example of a replay from the game:

We have learned that Illusion Labs submitted Touchgrind BMX last week, and that the game will be available this Thursday the 26th for $4.99. It will run on all devices except the very first generation iPhone or iPod touch, but it is recommended for 3rd generation devices and up. No word yet on if an iPad version of the game is planned.

Touchgrind was one of the first iOS titles that really opened my eyes to how impressive multitouch technology is on my device, and as a huge fan of that game I’m really excited to check out Touchgrind BMX. There’s a discussion thread for the game going in our forums, and we’ll definitely be taking a look at Touchgrind BMX when it hits later this week.

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Over the years there have been tons of sports games released on the App Store, and as time goes on, each release seems to get better and better as developers refine their offerings. First Touch Soccer [99¢] follows this trend beautifully, with some great AI, awesome graphics, fantastic controls, and even online multiplayer. Released by X2 Games, First Touch Soccer is a continuation of the X2 Soccer series released in 2009 and 2010, which we had a great time with in previous years.

One of my favorite things about First Touch Soccer is how smooth the controls are. X2 Games has really refined their virtual controls, and every function in the game is easily accomplished using a set of three buttons and a virtual joystick. Switching between players is incredibly easy, and through screen tapping you can perform a variety of different maneuvers.

Games are fast paced and can be very challenging at times due to the new opponent AI. This new AI is not only among the best I've seen in a sports game, but at time, actually feels like you're playing against a human opponent. Thankfully, the AI that controls your teammates is also improved, which not only helps to even the odds, but also can result in some incredibly satisfying goals. Your teammates even go as far as to get in proper passing positions while maintaining proper field position. This makes the game feel like you're actually playing with a team instead of just cycling through available players to control like way too many sports games.

Since the AI is a force to be reckoned with, you might want to spend some time in the game's extensive practice mode. You'll be able to hone all your shots which not only will help you in single player, but is practically required to do well in the online multiplayer mode against actual real opponents. Matches are made via Game Center, and so far it seems like there's a decent online playerbase as I haven't had any difficulty finding people to play with. Games are smooth,and I've rarely encountered even minimal lag.

First Touch Soccer has tons of content. There are over 250 club teams, 30 competitions, and 7 different game modes. My favorite game mode is "Dream Team" mode where you play games to win coins which are then used to hire all of your favorite players to create a legendary team. You can even customize your team's uniforms along with practically everything else you'd ever want to tweak.

The graphics in First Touch Soccer are amazing. Character models are great, and the in-game camera does a great job of focusing on all of the action without ever getting in the way. There's even a full instant replay system that gives you complete control of the camera and even allows for YouTube uploads within the game. It's really cool, and perfect for bragging about insane plays you made during a game.

At this point in the life cycle of the App Store there are a ton of different soccer games available, but First Touch Soccer is both the latest and greatest. Even if you've got an existing favorite soccer game, First Touch Soccer is worth downloading because of the improved AI alone. It makes playing the game feel like actually playing a real game of soccer, with real players, which is an incredible achievement for a mobile game. Online multiplayer is the proverbial cherry on top of numerous other great features, making First Touch Soccer an effortless recommendation.

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If you didn't quite get your fill of wandering around in an empty game world powered by the Unreal Engine in Epic Citadel [Free], you're in luck. Codenrama just released Castlerama [Free], a remarkably similar tech demo that allows you to walk around and similarly look at just what the Unreal Engine is capable of on iOS devices.

Per the YouTube description of the above video, it seems like the developers are running into similar issues as the Dream:Scape developer last month with the memory limitations of older devices:

While developing Castlerama, we had to face the fact that newer devices such as iPhone4s and iPad2s are very different from their predecessors, iPhone3GSs and iPads, in that the former have twice as much memory. In order to have the app run on all devices, we had to compromise quite a bit, pushing the old devices to their limits (risking crash if other applications are left running) while keeping the new devices well behind their capabilities. In the future we believe we will have to develop two versions for each application.

Castlerama looks awesome, and if what they've released is a "compromise" to work with older devices, I seriously can't wait to see what the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 exclusive build is capable of. If you've got some spare time today and want to see another demonstration of the Unreal Engine, give Castlerama a try.

I'm still waiting for some major Unreal Engine-powered game releases, but I suppose tech demos are a good first start.

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There have been plenty of excellent retro platformers released for iOS over the years, and the upcoming 1-Bit Ninja is one that has really caught my attention. Developer Ben Hopkins and his studio Kode80 wanted to create a platforming game that was an homage to the Game & Watch and Game Boy platformers of his youth, and it’s immediately apparent that 1-Bit Ninja is just that. It features monochrome-style graphics and simple 1 pixel animations, but it’s also hiding a high tech secret under the hood.

Anytime during play, you can touch and drag the upper portion of the screen to reveal the world in 3D and get a new perspective on things. If you follow console gaming at all, the effect is somewhat similar to the upcoming title Fez (I highly suggest watching the gameplay video for that game) or even the Paper Mario series. Changing the perspective is not only very cool looking but also affects the gameplay by revealing hidden paths and giving you a broader perspective down the level so you can plan your actions better.

But talk is cheap, check out this developer gameplay video to see what 1-Bit Ninja is like for yourself:

In addition to this interesting gameplay mechanic, Kode80 is also dedicated to creating a game that controls really well on the touch screen. The game has been designed from the ground up for two button controls – touching the left side of the screen makes your character run and touching the right side makes him jump – and that’s it. Players in our forums who are fans of iOS platformers like League of Evil [$2.99/Lite] and Mos Speedrun [$1.99] are skeptical about not being able to move to the left, but I’ll keep an open mind about that until I’m actually able to try the game.

That won’t be too long of a wait either, as 1-Bit Ninja is scheduled to hit at the end of this month. We’ll definitely be taking a look at this interesting looking title then, and check out the forum thread for more information.

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