There have been some really crappy pool applications on the iPhone. In general, the screen real estate really limited what developers could do with the concept.

Enter Pro Pool Online 3, a great app for the iPad that really does its homework on how to make a digital version of pool work. Plus it’s got a great online mode which allows you to play against people across the globe.

Why does everybody play GTA? Isn’t it obvious? To run over prostitutes and throw people out of cars! Now Rock Star has brought this morally reprehensible and amazingly fun game to the iPhone. All the joy is there…but with a few serious kinks.

Of all of these problems, the driving controls stand out as the most egregious. They take some serious getting used-to, and it keeps the game from coming even close to the experience you can have on the PS3. It would also be nice to have a bit more of a ground-level view to help up the visceral experience of GTA. Check out the video review below.

You can buy it HERE

It’s a cliche headline, but dammit, some apps are just so much fun that you have to throw some hyperbole into the review to make it interesting.

NOVA is a lot like HALO…they’re both action shooter games, and they both have four letters to their names. What really stands out here, though, is the multiplayer mode, available via both wi-fi and bluetooth. Check the video review below for more.

You can buy N.O.V.A. HERE

This game is a novelty.  Luckily, it knows it and has a lot of fun.

iHurt is the kind of game that’s meant to be played a few times and then forgotten.  It’s all about the “Grand Theft Auto” generation blowing off some steam by torturing one-dimensional cartoon characters.

The goal of this game is to rack up the biggest hospital bill possible by throwing your main characters down a hill and making them hit trees and rocks and other scary things. Let’s face it: it’s not the most mature of games.  But if you have an extra couple of bucks to spare (yeah, it is a little pricey for what it is), you might want to invest in this stress-reliever.

You can buy iHurt HERE.

Squarerhino, the man behind everything TapCritic, pointed this app out to me. Was he blown away by the gameplay? Were the graphics mind-bendingly awesome? Nope, he was a big fan of the design.

A game’s design is often overlooked in some reviews, but I’d argue that a fun, cool design is almost as important as the gameplay, itself. Games like Plants vs. Zombies have made it into the top 25 because of their cute interfaces and fun stories. While Hippo High Dive doesn’t do much with its story, the gameplay is fun, and the design is outstanding.

Take a look.

You can buy Hippo High Dive HERE.

When the iPhone first hit the streets, it seemed like there was an awesome free game coming out every week.  These days, though, it’s hard to find these gems buried under the clutter of the iTunes store.  In fact, I’d almost given up hope.

Enter Traffic Rush, a great little free application that has found its way into the iTunes Store’s top 25 list.  It’s a simple game where you work to keep cars from colliding in an intersection by speeding them up and stopping them.  The interface won’t win any awards, but the gameplay is a blast and gets more challenging by the second.

You can buy Traffic Rush HERE.

I almost never review updates to games or apps in general.  With so many apps coming out every day, it seems silly to continue looking backward and devoting time to games and utilities that already had their moment to shine.

Skullpogo, though, is absolutely (and surprisingly) my personal favorite game on the iPhone.  I gave it a great review when it came out and listed some things that should be changed.  Guess what?  The developers listened, and this new version of the game adds a mode that takes just about every complaint I had into account and gives you a great new way to enjoy the game (without drastically changing the old version I’ve come to love).

You can buy Skullpogo HERE.

You know my love for retro gaming… So, you canunderstand how pumped I was when I heard Revolutionary Concepts was coming out with Cobra Command. I’m here to tell you, if you grew up in the LaserDisc arcade genre, this game is a must have. I know some of you younger guys and gals would classify this as just another rail game, but keep in mind this came out in 1984.

The reason why I loved Cobra Command over Dragon’s Lair or Space Ace, was the ability to actually “Target” enemy foes. You simply didn’t just move up, down, left or right. Cobra Command felt more interactive.

[Video Review by Mr. Pence]

Revolutionary Concepts has done an incredible job cleaning up the old film from the original LaserDisc and updating the overlay graphics. The gameplay is a ton of fun and I actually forgot how challenging Cobra Command was, at least I’m not pumping in a $1 every time I die.

Do yourself a favor, check out the best LaserDisc translated title for the iPhone, you wont regret it.

You can buy Cobra Command HERE.

If you’re a Spider-Man fan like me (and based on the grosses of the three movies, who isn’t?), you always had a kid-fantasy about swinging around from rooftop to rooftop.

Of course, in my fantasy I was a svelte costumed hero and not an overweight guy with a crude grappling hook, but all fantasies must change, right?

Rope Raider is a fantastically designed game that takes advantage of the iPhone’s touch-screen technology to let you quickly select points to shoot your rope. It’s gameplay that can really only be done on this kind of platform.

[Video Review by Johnny5]

I’m not going to argue that this game is a life-changer.  It would be great to get a change of scenery, multiple boards, or even villains that need to be caught and captured.  Still, I’m all about fun gameplay, and as a score-based time-waster, this one really can’t be beat.

Buy Rope Raider HERE.

So that’s what makes Alive 4 Ever a fun little iPhone shoot-em-up game. A correction to the video, though…the developers have spiked the price to a whopping $2.99. That’s still pretty fair, but purchasing this app is no longer a no-brainer like it was when the app was at the $0.99 price point.

[Video Review by Johnny5]

So there you have it. Lots of dead Zombies. Oh, the horror…

You can buy Alive 4 Ever HERE.

What’s so special about that? It’s the storyline believe it or not. The cut-scenes are clever and the animation is really funny. The rainbows leaving those bears when you kill them are quite funny.

[Video Review by Mr. Pence]

The storyline is dark, funny and downright original, things you don’t normally see in a 99¢ title. This game is definitely geared towards adults, you don’t want your 5 year-old playing this. Now, it’s no Modern Combat, but if you are looking for an addictive title on a 99¢ budget, this is the one to get. Cheers to SkuVu Pictures for getting the 99¢ game right.

You can buy Battle Bears HERE.

Most first person shooters on the iPhone have been really hard to control. You can tell Gameloft has matured in this genre with Modern Combat. The on screen controls are intuitive and easy to grasp. You don’t feel encumbered at all, as you do with most shooters on the iPhone.

[Video Review by Mr. Pence]

The graphics are probably the best you will see on a first person shooter on the iPhone. The frame rate is smooth and the smoke and lighting effects are truly amazing to see on such a small device. The graphics combined with amazing sound and character voices, really make you feel like you are playing this on a console.

The game itself reminds me a lot of Call of Duty : Modern Warfare, I can’t explain to you how polished and console-like this is. Right now Modern Combat has only a single player mode. However, Gameloft is promising a FREE multiplayer update soon, that would make this game complete. I’m truly anxious to see Modern Combat in a multiplayer setting, I got a feeling it’s gonna rock.

So do yourself a favor go out and grab the BEST first person shooter on the iPhone, you are gonna love it and the future multiplayer update is bound to be a blast!

You can buy Modern Combat: Sandstorm HERE.

[Video Review by Mr. Pence]

This game is an absolute joy to play. It’s fast paced, the weapons are awesome and I love the control scheme. Besides, who doesn’t like to kill bad aliens? I think it will be a matter of time before this is in the top ten on the App store.

I highly, highly, highly recommend Inkvaders. It will be the best .99¢ you’ve spent on the iTunes store in a while.

You can buy Inkvaders HERE.

So when I heard Doom Resurrection was coming out for the iPhone, I was happy I had gotten rid of my crappy Sprint account 2 years prior. Doom Resurrection for the iPhone and iPod Touch is an AMAZING App. I know there has been a lot of smack talk about this being a Rail Shooter and not a free moving game, but listen to me, this version of Doom is about as awesome and eerie as ALL of the PC counterparts.

[Video Review by Mr. Pence]

The graphics are amazing, the sound design is bone chilling and controls are VERY intuitive. Besides, isn’t it fun killing zombies? Id Software has done an INCREDIBLE job exporting their franchise game to the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The game has a great storyline and I have never once complained that this is ONLY a Rail Shooter. If it helps, I HATE Rail Shooters… For some reason this doesn’t feel like one. Id Software has done a great job re-creating the mood of the Doom series on the iPhone. Headphones are a must.

So do yourself a favor, grab Doom Resurrection for the iPhone… I know it’s $6.99, but it’s cheaper than a 1993 $1200 Packard Bell.

You can buy Doom Resurrection HERE.

[Video Preview by Mr. Pence]

We love the art direction, music and best of all alien killin’ gameplay. Inkvaders was submitted to the iTunes App store last saturday, so it should be available any day. I suggest you should get your hands on it.

You can find out more information about Inkvaders HERE.

Ask and you shall receive, right?  Well, not always, but it sure does look like we lucked out in this case.

Shortly after publishing a (mostly positive) review for Card Ninja, I got an email from the developer thanking me for my review and letting me know that they would take my suggestions into consideration.  ”Yeah, right,” I thought.  I’d heard that too many times before.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I was asked to take a look at the newest version of the app before its release. I, of course, agreed.  And sure enough, my biggest complaint about the app was fixed.

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen; Card Ninja now auto-saves your progress as you go along.  This means you don’t have to start from square one with each and every game–and thank God for that.  You can’t expect me to keep my mad ninja skills sharpened all the time.

In addition, the new version of the game uses Open Feint to save high scores and provides clues as to how one can successfully utilize the wild cards.  In other words, every problem I had with this app has been worked on.

It wouldn’t be a HAL9000 review if I didn’t offer some suggestion, though, so here goes.  Why not list the levels in a separate menu and let me access any of those I’ve beat at any time?  This way I can pick up at any point or sharpen those skills I might be lacking (because I suck at matching symbols and not colors).  Something to keep in mind for the next update.

Overall, though, this update is a vast improvement.  It should be hitting the iTunes store soon.  Check below for the original review….

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

Being a Ninja is one thing.  Anyone can manage that with years and years of training.  But being a card Ninja?  That takes a special kind of person.

Think you’ve got what it takes?  You’ll find out soon enough with Card Ninja by Pint Sized Mobile.

The premise of the game is very simple.  You start with a deck of cards.  Targets with different symbols and colors appear, and it is your responsibility (nay, dare I say it, your God-given destiny) to throw these cards at the targets (with a flick of the finger) with absolute skill and speed.  The goal is to hold on to a certain number of cards, completing the task quick enough to get a healthy number of bonus cards (you get one extra card for each second of time left on the clock).  If you succeed, you progress to the next level.  Fail, and you are forced to bow out in shame.

The challenges grow quickly, which is welcome in an iPhone world of easy-to-master apps.  At first, there are two different colors to sort through.  Soon its four, and just when you’ve mastered that feat, it’s time to match up symbols instead of colors.  Which is hard when they finally start throwing in moving targets.

The game design, overall, is great.  One thing that really stands out with this one is the sound design.  Cheesy ninja sounds abound, and over-the-top gong noises announce the next level.

There are, however, two very frustrating elements of this game–frustrating mostly because they could be solved very easily.

First off, there is no ability to pick up a lost game where you last left off.  While you can save a game in progress to come back to later, if you lose a game, a “game over” screen comes up, and you are forced to play from the beginning.  This means that no matter how far you have progressed, you have to keep spending time playing through the boring levels you’ve already mastered.  I hate this…there should be an option to pick up on any level you have conquered.  

Also, there are odd little “wild cards” that give you curses.  They don’t match up with any goals, and if you flick them into the ether of nothingness, you’re still penalized.  I’m not sure what to do with these cards.  I have no problem with having penalty wild cards–it would add to the fun of the game–but explain to me what their purpose is.  The game has no “how to,” which could easily solve this problem and help a person understand all the variables in the game more easily from the get-go.

So this one is quite flawed, but also very fun.  The gameplay works great with no lag, and it can get addictive…which makes it all the more frustrating when you lose.

But with all its flaws, Card Ninja is still a great buy for the low low price of $.99.  If the developers would fix these simple problems, it would be a steal.

If you have low self-esteem, though, avoid at all cost.  When you do poorly, a rather harsh statement pops up on screen.

“My grandma is more ninja than you.”

I cried for hours.

You can buy Card Ninja HERE.

I will say that G-Map worked like a champ during the trip and I’ve got a ton of video reviews in the works. The one game I HAD to play over vacation was Space Ace.

Why?

Because this was the second full-motion video game that Don Bluth and company made way back in 1983. The first full-motion game was Dragon’s Lair and let me tell you, when this hit the video arcade scene, people took notice. If I remember correctly both Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace cost a $1 to play at the time, which was honestly real expensive for a video game in 1983. I mean you could play any other video game for 25¢. But the other games didn’t have full-motion video OR Don Bluth animation.

[Video Review by Mr. Pence]

When I got the review code for Space Ace during vacation, I had to play it. I simply told Mrs. Pence that I had to make a few calls and I immediately launched Space Ace and started my mission to defeat Borf. What happens at the beach stays at the beach right?

Well, I’m here to tell you, if you grew up with Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace this app is a must have. Everything is there, including the kick ass attract sequence.

You younger pups are probably wondering why I’m so worked up over this title. This ain’t no Sega CD Sewer Shark. Ok?!

This game changed the way people produced games. Let real artist design and have creative control. Pretty bizarre thoughts for 1983. It’s standard operating procedure today.

Well, I’m a happy to say that Space Ace works GREAT on the iPhone and that even my 10 year old son LOVES playing it. So, take a peek at the video review and the game that changed the way games were made.

Let’s just hope Dragon’s Lair is next.

You can buy Space Ace HERE.

Last month we reviewed Metal Gear Solid Touch, and let’s just say that Mr. Pence was less than enthused with the game.  His biggest beef was that the game was little more than a point and shoot game while the original series was full of sneaking, puzzle solving etc.  This game is kind of a lite version of that one with worse graphics and fewer options.  Why, then, does Metal Gear get panned while this one gets a pass?

In a word, price.  While Metal Gear is a whopping $7.99, this one is a cool $.99 with a light version you can get for free.  At that price, it’s totally worth it.

The game is instantly familiar.  It’s a simple first-person shooter military game.  You stand in the middle of an intricate backdrop, and camouflaged “bad guys” leap out, guns aimed, and try to shoot you.  But you have to shoot them first.

In addition, you have to shoot first aid kits to heal yourself and ammo to help reload your gun (which is done with a shake of the wrist).

There are nine locations and four tiers of difficulty, allowing for a total of 36 unique levels…not too shabby for less than  a dollar.  

The game does get a little redundant–I mean, all you’re doing is clearing areas while shooting people.  iGuerilla never bothers with a plot; it’s about points.  You get more points for shooting faster, for shooting smaller targets, for getting headshots, and by accomplishing a list of achievements.  

Depending on where you shoot your enemy, it might take one shot (in the head), two shots (the torso area), or four shots (the extremities).  You learn to get good at head shots pretty fast.

Also, this isn’t a simple “tap the bad guy” game.  Instead, you are given a scope that you must slide across the screen and position on the bad guys.  This adds much more difficulty as it takes significantly more time to position your scope than it would to simply tap every time you see a bad guy.

The game does have two very big flaws.  The first is the aforementioned graphics.  This really looks like a flash game, with all the enemies looking like cardboard cutouts.  They slide onto the screen laterally and don’t move at all, standing there until either you shoot them or your screen goes red, indicating that they’ve shot you.  The backgrounds, too, are just simple images with no movement or interaction.  I’d really expect more…

Of course the tradeoff is that the load time for the game is almost instantaneous, making this a good one to pull out and play for just a couple of minutes while you wait for your Chinese takeout order.  In the end, though, I’d take better graphics, I think.  There has to be a better middle ground.

Also, the game is, truth be told, too easy.  I’ve played through three of the four levels of difficulty and haven’t been killed once–or even felt in danger of being killed.  The bullets come regularly, the first aid kits are abundant, and the bad guys are nice enough to take turns popping out, never really giving you that “oh crap” moment of having to take out three guys at once.  Maybe in the updates the developers could amp this one up a bit on the difficulty meter.

Still, the game is fun and enjoyable.  If it cost any more than $.99, I’d warn everyone away, but this is a really good dollar game.  There are a ton of these kinds of apps out there, though, so do your research.  Which one you pick is dependent on how much of a gamer you are, how much you value graphics, and how much you want to spend.  This one is for the casual gamer just trying to kill a few minutes.

Buy iGuerilla HERE.

In the back of my mind, I had this fear that it would be a disappointment like Metal Gear Solid was. I’m glad I tried it out; it’s a full-blown game that fits right up there with the best of the Resident Evil titles.

This is no lite version and this game will freak you out like all of the other Resident Evil titles have. The 3D engine in this game continues to prove that the iPhone is a TRUE contender not only in the mobile gaming market, but in the handheld gaming market as well. Once again, I love games for the iPhone that have a console experience, and this one fits perfectly into that category. The sound is truly eerie and the cut-scenes are a major plus. This title is a steal at $6.99.  If you’re a Resident Evil fan, then it’s a must have.

[Video Review by Mr. Pence]

You can buy Resident Evil Degeneration HERE.

This game is SO impressive for an iPhone game, the sound, music and animation are so well-done for this handheld. The controls are really mature compared to Brothers In Arms and the storyline is great. While the few first levels are ok, the deeper you get into this title, the more you feel like you’re playing Halo or Gears of War.

Seriously.

Did I mention Gameloft lowered the price to $5.99?

So check out the updated review and do yourself a favor and go buy Terminator Salvation… It might be the only time in history that the game is better than the movie.

[Video Review by Mr. Pence]

You can buy Terminator Salvation HERE.