Ponk was featured in Apples New and Noteworthy games last week and has received very good ratings from users with a 5 star rating in the app store. The title is a nice twist on the match 3 formula and is a blast to play. Today the developers have made the game free for a limited time along with the release of their first update for the game. Match 3 fans and penny pinchers alike should make sure to grab this title while its hot!

Cave has announced that Dodonpachi Resurrection will be released for iPhone this summer. (compatible versions listed below) Hardcore Shooter fans might recognize this as the sequel to Dodonpachi Daioujou but the average iPhone gamer is likely to be more familiar with Cave’s first iPhone port, Espgaluda II.

For those not familiar with the series, DoDonpachi is another fast paced bullet hell shooter that began it’s life in the arcades eventually making it’s way to the Saturn, PS2, and even the 360. Unfortunately for most shooter fans here in the US, these games are notoriously difficult to come by outside of some serious importing. Thanks to the tremendous success of the app store shooter fans in the US now have an opportunity to play a DoDonpachi title without $400 worth of imported hardware and software.
We will keep you posted on this title as new details are released.

Compatible Formats:　 iPhone4/iPhone3GS/iPod touch (Late 2009, End 2009 32GB and 64GB)/iPad *Please note that the application is not compatible with iPhone3G, iPodtouch (2nd gen and Late 2009, End 2009 8GB models)
OS Compatibility:　　 iPhone OS 3.1.3 and up

Sword of Fargoal just got another free update, this time including retina display support and a high-res graphical upgrade for users with third generation iPods or an iPhone 3GS.
The developers are also promising a very large update, version 2.0 which will include plenty of brand new content.

The developers that brought us iBlast Moki recently released Star Dunk, a fast paced pick up and play arcade title.
The game has you shooting hoops in space, and racing against the clock with just two minutes to shoot for the high score. In addition to competition via online global leaderboards, an online mode pits your skills against seven to nine other players all competing for the #1 spot.
Earned power-ups, unlock-able balls, (each with their own unique bonuses) and a combo system add multiple layers of strategy behind the fast paced action.

Power-ups are earned by lighting up all four sections of the tiered backboard. Each section is lit by simply getting hit by the ball. With a little skill it is possible to light all four sections with one shot.

Developing a strategy that fits best with your own shooting style and skill set takes some experimentation and practice. Do you choose a ball that awards extra points for clean shots and take your time, aiming to rack up massive combos for the win? Or maybe you will go with a slower ball that with a little practice, can trigger a power-up with just one shot, allowing you to take full advantage of the three power-ups available.

One power-up widens the “net” allowing for easier extra clean shots (extra clean shots do not hit anything on the way into the basket and are worth more points) Another power-up allows you to shoot multiple balls at the same time. When used carefully it can be a great way to quickly combo multiple clean shots together for big points.
Before each online match begins you have a minute or two to practice your shots while a group of players is being matched for the next round. While I have heard some complain about the wait between matches; I never found the wait to be a problem as it provides an opportunity to get some practice before each new match. Getting in a few practice shots before a match certainly beats sitting around in a lobby.

Godzilab has managed to combine online multiplayer competition with the quick pick up and play convenience that fits so well with the platform. Competing for the top score against 9 other live players is much more entertaining then competing with a lifeless leaderboard with thousands of players.
At just $0.99 Star Dunk is an easy recommendation. While perfect for quick 5 minute play sessions, don’t be surprised if one game suddenly turns to twenty.

Ninjatown: Trees of Doom!

Venan Arcade and Shawnimals have combined forces to bring us an excellent new pick up and play title in the Ninjatown universe. Trees of Doom is a different take on the “jump as high as you can” genre made popular by titles like Doodle Jump. Instead of simply steering a constantly jumping charachter, you guide your ninja jumping back and forth between 2 trees. I was pleased to find that the mechanics work well and do the excellent art style justice. As a mobile pick-up-and-play title, Trees of Doom delivers addicting gameplay, and plenty of charm. The title comes packed with the Plus+ network, and also includes Facebook and Twitter integration. At $1.99 Ninjatown: Trees of Doom! is easy to recommend.

100 Rogues

The long awaited 100 Rogues is now available in the app store for $4.99 but not without some controversy. It seems a few small changes slipped into the final build just days before submission caused some fairly nasty bugs to come crawling out of the woodwork. The developers thankfully have been incredibly quick to resolve the issue, and have already sent a patch to Apple which is expected to become available for download as early as this Friday.

Now for the good news; For those of you who have been eagerly awaiting the release of this modern Rogue-like made from the ground up for the iPhone, I can safely say your waiting was well worth it. The gameplay mechanics are really fantastic and the game almost seems to be developed as a love letter to genre fans. Fans of titles like Shiren the Wanderer, Izuna, or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Series will not be disappointed. 100 Rogues features a fantastic retro-modern art style, tons of great animation, and all of the bells and whistles fans have come to expect form the genre such as randomly generated dungeons, tons of loot, turn-based gameplay, and insanely challenging levels. Beginners beware; You will die..you will die many times over, and when you dieits game over, all progress is lost, and you are sent packing back to the beginning of the game.

There are a few tweaks to the classic formula that do end up adding extra depth to the game, and ultimately more fun. In addition to the classic scrolls used for offensive and defensive combat, 100 Rogues also offers a sort of mini skill tree. There are currently 2 playable classes included in the game, and each has thier own unique play style and skill tree. The skills learned can vary like scrolls from offensive to defensive skills, and these skills become a very important part of surviving as you descend to the depths of the dungeon.

The developers have been very active in the iPhone gaming community and have already discussed plans for additional content including additional classes, additional dungeon levels and more. Even with the occasional crash ( and yes I have experienced them multiple times) I am still having a blast with this game and have no problem recommending it to genre fans. The developers have been incredibly open an honest about the issues surrounding the launch and have been very quick to get to work and find a solution.

The Impossible Game will drive you crazy; and you will love every minute of it. Taking traditional 2D platforming back to its roots, The Impossible Game is simple and insanely challenging at the same time.

In The Impossible Game, you control a small orange square that is contantly moving forward. Simply tap the screen to make the square jump. Tap and hold to keep the block jumping. Press forward and you will encounter increasingly difficult platforms, all consisting of either deadly spikes or floating platforms. Hit a spike or miss a platform once and you die instantly. Plan to die quite a bit in this game. Deaths or “tries” are tallied on the top of the screen and soon 10 tries becomes 100, then 200 and so on. The Impossible Game is not for the easily frustrated.

What really makes this little pick up and play title great is the music. The soundtrack seems to bounce and move with each jump and slowly increases in intensity as you approach the end of the game.

Currently The Impossible Game consists of one incredibly difficult level. A practice mode allows you to place your own checkpoints as you progress allowing you to master some of the more difficult sections of the game. While some may complain about the lack of content, at just $0.99 The Impossible Game is a perfect micro-gaming experience costing less then a cup of coffee.

Ultimately The Impossible Game is easy to recommend, and should not be missed by hardcore platforming fans who miss the “easy to learn, hard to master” days of 2D platforming.

March ended up being a big month for iPhone gaming. Just when we thought the pace at which good iPhone games appeared was starting to slow down, we got hit by a huge influx of top notch new titles. While choosing our favorite title for the month of March was not easy, in the end the choice was clear. Sketch Nation Shooter takes full advantage of the iPhones features, providing an experience that would be nearly impossible on any other mobile gaming platform on the market. Engineous Games Inc. has developed a game bursting at the seams with creativity.

Don’t buy Sketch Nation Shooter expecting an epic shooter right out of the box. Engineous Games had a better idea: You are going to make your own.

Sketch Nation Shooter is truly unique, but not because you create your own levels. By this point there are plenty of games with level creation and level sharing tools. What seperates this creation tool from the rest is the organic method in which you create. Grab a sketchbook, a pen and a pencil and draw your ship, the enemies, the obstacles, and even the bosses. Take a snapshot of each creation with the iPhones camera, tweak a few setting and suddenly your hand drawn art takes on a life of it’s own.

For those who are particularly picky about resolution, or for players that just want to give their level that extra graphical “pop”, Sketch Nation allows players to import images directly from their device photo album. This obviously allows for an even larger range of game props. Since there are no crop or cut out options. and the scanner technology is designed to identify and convert well defined drawings from a white background; do not expect for every single picture or image in your photo album to scan properly, or even at all. Before you complain, keep in mind what the technology is actually doing here. The device is not just scanning your image as an exact copy like your computer scanner at home. The engine then converts your image into a a game resource with its own proper hit detection. Now your in game asset can run into walls, crash into obstacles and explode into a fiery mess when shot down by opposing forces.

Engineous Games has gone above and beyond, providing so much more then a tech demo or proof of concept. The level creation tool is incredibly detailed, allowing for an impressive amount of fine tuning when building your creation. Just as impressive however is the accessibility of the tools, with options to suite just about anyone. The barrier to entry is the a common problem with most level editors and creation modes. The most common complaint I hear when discussing level editors is that is is just to time consuming and difficult for the average user to make something worth playing. Sketch Nation addresses this problem by providing both basic and advanced level creation kits. So if you just want to make a few quick drawings and see them almost instantly dropped into a basic shooter framework, you can have your own level in a few minutes flat. An advanced mode allows for more drawings as well as plenty of tweaks and adjustments for each individual set piece. So the user who wants to take the time and make something truly unique has everything they need to do so.

The amount of tweaks and variables available when creating a level is very impressive. You can choose from multiple bullet types when creating enemies and bosses, choose from multiple game music types and even program a separate music type for your boss battle. You can even include make your own story frame to appear before the level. Write a story in a few sentences, or draw out a story line comic book style. Choose how enemies move, how they react, and even choose how many shots they can withstand before dying. The incredible number of options means you can expect to see much more then just basic shooters appear in the level sharing server.

That brings me to the level sharing. The game actually uses Facebook for its social network allowing a for a relatively robust level sharing community. After logging into your Facebook account in game on your device, you are then able to download other users levels which are all ranked via a 5-star rating system. In addition you can browse the most recent uploads, or just browse your Facebook friends levels. You can even download updates for the levels you have loaded on your device as new versions of the levels are released by the levels creators. Each and every level you download and play has its own online leaderboards so that you can compare your scores with your Facebook friends, and the world at large. Sketch Nation is just full of little details like that, adding a level of polish rarely seen in iPhone games.

By combining solid and accessible level creation tools with the organic and natural fun of drawing Engineous Games has developed a whole new way to interact with our drawings, our devices, and our games. The integration feels seamless, and unlike many cutting edge iPhone apps featuring new mobile gaming technology; Sketch Nation Shooter feels like a complete package instead of just a tech demo. This title is the new killer app on the iPhone, and is sure to have a long and healthy life.

Japanese based developer, Cave has made the leap into the iPhone app world publishing it’s bullet hell sensation Espgaluda 2 for the iPhone. Unfortunetely the incredible visual intensity in this title means it only runs well on the 3GS and new generation iPod touch. For genre fans, Espgaluda 2 means an opportunity to play a top tier title without the inconvenience of importing.

Espgaluda II is available now.

A few months back we featured a preview article introducing you to GameDoctors debut title for the iDevice: Zombie Smash. Zombie Smash promised us a fresh take on the castle defender genre by integrating a unique ragdoll physics engine into the game. Described by the developers as Survival Comedy, Zombie Smash has you smashing, squashing, shooting, and sniping zombies as the lone survivor in an action filled undead apocalypse.

We are happy to report that Zombie Smash has hit the app store running, (full out fast zombie style) and turned out to be all we hoped for and more. It appears the iPhone community would agree as Zombie Smash has already skyrocketed into the top 50 paid apps in the app store sitting at this moment at number 26. As many indie iPhone game developers would tell you, this immediate jump in rank is no small feat, and that is why we decided to feature Zombie Smash as this weeks Video of the Week. Congratulations to GameDoctors on the monster success of their debut title.

Zombie Smash is available on the app store for $1.99 and is 24.4 MB

Developed and Published by GameDoctors

Zach Gage is the creator of the critically acclaimed title Unify, and he has recently released another unique title for the iPhone. Bit Pilot is a fast paced bullet dodging game with top notch music and retro stylized graphics. While Bit Pilot is lacking the depth that Unify presented, it is no less addicting and takes full advantage of the platforms casual pick up and play tendencies. The title has you guiding a small ship through asteroid infested space using the touch screen to control your direction. The touch screen controls quickly feel natural and are tuned perfectly for the intense onslaught of space debris.

The music provided by Saberpulse fits the retro theme brilliantly and is simply great music all on its own. Zach Gage integrated excellent tunes into his previous iPhone release, Unify, and he certainly did not disappoint here. As you play the game points earned gradually unlock new music tracks and a few other surprises. The package is wrapped up with achievements, and OpenFeint rankings.

At just $0.99 Bit Pilot is a premium title with quick pick up and play action perfect for its platform, and should absolutely not be missed.