This has been a slow week for new game releases, but as usual the App Store doesn't disappoint when it comes to games getting cheaper or going free entirely. The standard freebie/sale disclaimer is in place of course-- Most of these deals are only for a limited time and all prices are current as of this posting. If you see anything interesting in this listing, it's probably a good idea to grab it quick before it returns to its regular price.

Totemo, FREE - A clever puzzle game that we enjoyed in our review is free today on account of the Appvent Calendar. Gameplay involves strategic removal of spirits from the game board by selecting matching spirits in the same row of column. The game starts out easy, but it didn't take me long to get hopelessly stuck.

Vortex, FREE - A gravity-based puzzle game where you move different items around the game board to pilot a rocket back to Earth. 55 different puzzles are included as well as a level editor and level packs which can be downloaded inside of the game itself. I thought it was a little complicated, but it's hard to argue with a free game with this much content in it.

Flight Before Christmas, FREE - A line drawing game where you pilot Santa's sleigh around delivering presents and... avoiding fighter jets? I'm not sure what the military has against Santa delivering presents, but either way this is a surprisingly good Christmas themed game that might even still be worth playing after the holidays are over.

Holiday Smash, FREE - A block-breaking game with... lasers? Blocks are laid out in various holiday designs, and there's tons of particle effects as each block is smashed. It even has OpenFeint, so if you're looking to pad your OpenFeint gamer score, look no further.

Auditorium, 99¢ (Originally $2.99) - Also available in a free lite version, Auditorium is a musical puzzle game that is a perfect fit for the iPhone. We liked the game in our review, and ended up rating it four stars for the month of November. Recommended for all fans of puzzle games.

Robocalypse - Mobile Mayhem, 99¢ (Originally $4.99) - On sale yet again for 99¢, if you like real-time strategy games, it's hard to find a better one for the iPhone. Fun gameplay combined with online multiplayer, great graphics, and a decent dose of humor to go with it. If you need more convincing, take a look at our review.

Tiki Towers, 99¢ (Originally $1.99) - Still one of my favorite structure building physics games even though it came out last year, Tiki Towers involves building a bamboo bridge of sorts to get monkeys from point A to point B. There's also a free lite version to try. Recommended for all fans of physics games.

Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet, $1.99 (Originally $3.99) - An iPhone adaptation to the insanely popular PC game series. Part hidden object and part mystery game, Women's Murder Club seems to be scientifically engineered for maximum appeal to female casual gamers. While there's a free lite version if you want to see what all the fuss is about, the full version features 14 different murder scenes and 28 investigations to dig through.

Breakspin, 99¢ (Originally $2.99) - Disney's 360 degree block breaking game. Breakspin is a lot of fun, and controlling two different paddles at once adds a surprisingly hectic element to the game. Great graphics, sound, and power-ups all combine in to a must-have game if you're in to block breakers-- Give the free lite version a spin.

Of course this is only a small selection of recent sales and freebies. For a full listing head on over to AppShopper to see a listing of all games with recent price changes as well as only popular games with price changes.

While it's hard to say how surprising it is that Dragon's Lair is coming to the iPhone, especially given the popularity of both Space Ace [$4.99 / Free] and the recently released Cobra Command [$4.99], two other laserdisc games that have made the jump from arcades of the 80's to the iPhone. In true EA fashion, we have no information on this game aside from a set of screenshots and of course, "coming soon." The game looks exactly how we expect it to, and much like Space Ace seems to have the option for transparent on-screen controls.

Dragon's Lair was first released to arcades in 1983, and was so popular that many machines often flat out broke due to the strain of overuse. Dragon's Lair was by far the most successful of all the laserdisc-based games of the 80's, and is still sought after by collectors.

The following video of the original game running inside of the Daphne emulator goes over the premise of the game, as well as shows a bit of the gameplay. The audio seems to be a bit lagged, which likely is an emulation issue and almost assuredly won't be the case on the iPhone.

That's all we know right now, as someone who pumped an entire week's worth of my allowance in quarters in to this machine only to die in the first scene almost every time on multiple occasions... I can't wait for its impending release on the App Store.

We've all played music games before; Guitar Hero and Rock Band have eaten up a lot of my time cumulatively over the past couple of years, so reading and reacting to the scrolling note tracks in those games has almost become a purely mechanical muscle reaction at this point. Even if there was no music playing audibly I could probably score 90% or above on most songs on even the hardest difficulties because my brain is reacting to the note tracks on a visual level, not an audible one.

Beat It! [App Store], a music-based game from Glu Games Inc, is different from other music games, not only in the way that it presents its music for interactive play, but in the way that players' brains must function in order to be successful. Instead of playing along with a predetermined song, players are asked to recreate a short, looping beat that is played for them several times in quick succession before the beginning of each level.

Once engaged in a level, players are handed a grid of squares in which each horizontal line represents potential note locations for a given instrument, which is shown on the left of the grid at equal height to its corresponding track. Tapping any square in the grid will place one singular note played from the given instrument at that point in the beat sequence, and notes are played in order from left to right as a blue line sweeps across the note grid at a persistent rate and passes over them.

This all sounds very confusing, but it's actually pretty simple and easy to deal with right from the start, so long as you're listening to the beats carefully. The rate at which difficulty ramps up over the course of the game's 50 levels (which you'll play through chronologically in the career mode) is absolutely perfect. New concepts are dealt out at a quick but manageable pace so that your brain will be consistently stretching just enough to really get the juices flowing without the levels becoming frustratingly difficult.

At any point in a level, players can touch an icon at the bottom of the screen to hear the target beat track played for them again, and they'll receive slight visual cues from the previously mentioned blue line to help determine where exactly notes should go. This helps a lot, but doesn't make the game overly easy, as the meat of the game is all about improving your completion times in levels. There is no way to fail, but taking longer means that less points are earned at the end of each level so you'll have an incentive to go back and improve your time.

All of this beat-matching gameplay is made so very much sweeter by the retro pixel-art backgrounds and animations that differ from level to level. This isn't your dad's pixel art, as the camera showing various animated pixel-art locations is pulled way back, making for a view of an entire 16-bit city block. This is probably the best looking pixel-art that I've ever seen, and I say that as a huge fan of retro consoles.

New instruments are unlocked as the game progresses, making for a total of four complete instrument sets, each of which contains about six instruments. All of these instruments can be used in free play mode, where players are free to experiment with creating their own beats and note tracks. It's possible to save your note tracks, and while you're not all that likely to make anything especially awesome, free play mode is definitely a fun, worthy edition to the overall package, providing a lot of potential for players to squeeze some extra hours of fun out of their copy.

Having to mentally separate out each individual instrument and determine its tempo requires the firing of neurons that most people's brains never access, and the intense use of these neurons improves their effectiveness extremely quickly. Within about an hour of first picking the game up I was able to simultaneously pay full attention to two instrument tracks at once, immediately figuring out both of their full sets of note locations.

Even if it doesn't have the same brain-stimulating effect on other people that it had on me, the game is a game worth playing for everyone, not just those who are already fans of music games like Guitar Hero. Beat It! is a delight to play, and a true brain-teasing, unique experience.

App Store Link: Beat It!, $2.99

As promised, we're back with a review of Ace Combat Xi Skies of Incursion [App Store], the latest in Namco's Ace Combat flight action game series that has seen numerous sequels that take place all over the Ace Combat timeline in various aerial theaters of war since the original was first released in 1995 for the Sony PlayStation. Featuring all the same high flying action as previous Ace Combat games, Skies of Incursion brings the fight to the iPhone, although with disappointingly little content and a whole heap of included and planned downloadable content in the future.

There are a lot of things I like about this game. The plane models themselves are great, and the ground is covered with real satellite imagery which greatly adds to the realistic look of the game compared to many other titles that just use plain green and brown textures that vaguely resemble grass and dirt. I've found the tilt controls to work very well, and the various on-screen buttons that make up your weaponry and throttle controls to be easy to use.

Everything about the flight system itself in the game is phenomenal, and you can tell that they've drawn from the years of experience in making the Ace Combat games. There are two views, a first person cockpit view and a third person chase camera. I've found myself preferring the cockpit view, only because the additional interface elements look really cool-- Although it does seem much easier to get disoriented. There is a shell here for a really great game, but it quickly goes pear shaped as soon as the "wow" factor of the game wears off about half way through the first level.

The missions in the game involve listening to radio chatter for enemy jets to be called out, orienting your jet towards them, hitting the throttle, and taking them down either with your machine gun or missiles. There isn't anything really wrong with this, because flying around in the game is a lot of fun, the problem is the only difficulty in the game comes from each level's timer.

I often found myself playing the game, and having a great time flying around shooting down the other planes only to abruptly have my play session end by hitting the time limit-- Even though it felt like I was doing well, and engaging in some pretty impressive dogfighting maneuvers. Shooting down all of the enemy jets within the time limit can be frustratingly difficult, and require multiple attempts on each level, especially if you end up getting disoriented and wasting too much time getting your jet pointing in the right direction to take out the next squadron of fighters.

On top of this, there are only five levels included in the game. I don't think it's very likely you can breeze through the game in one-shot without needing to redo any levels, but if you can it will only take around a half hour to complete. More realistically, you can expect 1-2 hours of gameplay depending on your skill. There aren't any special missions or boss fights, and very little changes throughout the entire game. 10 jets are available, 3 from the start, 2 to unlock, and 5 via a 99¢ microtransaction for each plane.

Ace Combat Xi reminds me a lot of Command & Conquer Red Alert in that there is a framework for an absolutely amazing game here, but instead it is being used as a vessel for DLC sales. If you're in love with the Ace Combat series and don't mind a rather short campaign, then you may enjoy having a copy of the game with you at all times on your phone. If you don't have any particular ties to Ace Combat games, you're probably better off exploring the few other aerial combat games or waiting to see how Gameloft's HAWX turns out.

App Store Link: Ace Combat Xi Skies of Incursion, $4.99

Mika Mobile's followup title to Zombieville has finally arrived in the App Store. OMG Pirates! is described as a "silly, bloody, cartoony homage to the classic 2D games of yesterday" and wrapped with great art style and animation.

The game uses a simple two button attack system with different moves unlocked as you gain experience during the game. Campaign mode delivers discrete levels which introduce new enemies and boss battles.

We haven't made through the campaign mode quite yet, but the game is well put together with really wonderful art and animation. The additional unlockable combo moves also seem to add depth to the action, though it does seem to take a little practice. The normal campaign starts out (refreshingly) difficult, and I've had some genuine trouble making it through some of the levels. We heard that a "Hard" mode is unlocked once you do make it through, adding to the gameplay time.

More impressions are filtering in in the discussion thread. We'll post more thoughts after we are able to power through the game.

App Store Link: OMG Pirates!, $1.99

It's not a secret to any of our regulars that I've taken an unnatural liking to a lot of really crazy games on the App Store, and recently I've found five new ones. Keep in mind, these games aren't for everyone, as they range from strange to really strange-- But if you too enjoy games that have you shaking your head and saying to yourself, "Really? Someone made this game?" then these are all worth a look.

teh internets, 99¢ - A game that is absolutely at capacity when it comes to internet memes. Use a virtual joystick to pilot a roflcopter, collect lolcats, avoid pop ups, feed trolls, and break through firewalls. The gameplay isn't anything we haven't seen before, but the whole package is something that must be experienced if you're the kind of person who enjoys running memes in to the ground.

House M.D. - The Game, $2.99 - You might ask yourself, "How does a medical drama translate to a iPhone game?" Well, I'm still trying to figure that out myself. House M.D. is a logic game that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but if you follow the show, there are so many terrible inside jokes and I've been enjoying the game for that reason alone. Also, who would have ever expected Dr. Wilson to be shilling OpenFeint? There is a trailer of sorts for other mobile platforms on YouTube, and it looks like little has changed aside from the interface.

Ninja Honda Karate, $2.99 - If Enviro-Bear 2010 was a rhythm game, it would be Ninja Honda Karate. I have no idea what's going on in this game, but it somehow combines insane japanese pixel art with the feeling that I'm all the way back in 1985 again pounding out tunes on my light up single octave Casio keyboard. When you do well in the game, tanks, missiles, and fighter jets fly across the screen. And no, I can't explain why, but maybe that's part of the allure of Ninja Honda Karate.

Meowcenaries, $4.99 - This is what you get when you combine Freeverse's Warpack Grunts with lolcats and a pair of virtual joysticks. Much like teh internets, the game is filled with memes and lolspeak, but under all that there's actually a fairly decent little Cannon Fodder-inspired game. Like all Adult Swim games, it can be played for free online. Give the flash version a shot first to see if you like it enough to buy it for your iPhone.

Genius Defense Force, 99¢ - We previewed this game back in September, and since its released I've periodically loaded it up just to make myself feel dumb. Wrapped in a silly story about protecting Earth is a clever math game that requires you to solve simple problems in order to launch your weapons at the various malicious aliens that are attacking. There is even an option for reverse polish notation to appease the serious math nerds out there.

Wait, I don't object to that, at all actually. According to Famitsu (via andriasang), Capcom announced an iPhone game based on the popular Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney series at at talk held earlier today at the Apple Store in Ginza, Japan. We have very few details right now aside from a set of screenshots, usage of "flick" input methods, and mobile content head Takeshi Tezuka assured the crowd that the game would be more than just a port.

Phoenix Wright games are a strange mixture of a visual adventure game that play a lot like mixture of a hidden object game and a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book. The game is segmented in to two portions, the investigation and the trial. While investigating, you visit various location and gather evidence by looking around and interviewing anyone who is around. When you're finished with that, you go to court where you cross examine witnesses, present evidence, and object to the arguments presented by the prosecuting lawyer.

Here is a trailer for the DS version of the game:

While a Phoenix Wright game is a very welcome addition to Capcom's lineup of games on the iPhone, I hope Capcom designs the game with the play style of most iPhone gamers in mind. Cases in previous Phoenix Wright games have been fairly elaborate, and it's hard to say how well that will translate to this platform.

Our November game ratings are in place now, and here are the top of the heap. Our monthly "best of" round-up summarizes the top rated games that we looked at in the previous month. 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.

November was a great month for iPhone game releases, and our expanded list reflects that activity. November's "Best iPhone Games" are highlighted here:

5 Stars

Jet Car Stunts - A remarkably fun jet car racer/platformer that had us coming back again and again due to its great controls, fresh visual style and mind boggling levels. The only real complaint we've seen voiced has been the relative difficulty of the game, but, honestly, that's what made it so addicting. (Review, App Store)

Eliminate Pro - We know some readers were unable to get past this game's pay model, but we've logged more hours in this game than almost every other... and we never paid a single penny for it. Online deathmatch with our friends and quick sessions throughout the day kept us playing this regularly all month. (Review, App Store)

4.5 Stars

I Dig It Expeditions - A wonderful followup to the original with all the added maps and upgrades that you would have hoped for. Pilot your digger throughout several different locales searching for archeological treasures and other valuable things to be sold at your base camp. Money is used to buy upgrades that tweak every aspect of gameplay as well as consumables like all kinds of different explosives and power-ups. (Review, App Store)

Call of Duty Zombies - A surprisingly faithful rendition of the console version of this zombie survival shooter complete with online coop play. While the game itself only comes with a single map, it has consistently been one of the most talked about games on our forums since its release thanks to its surprisingly fun online component. (Review, App Store)

Asphalt 5 - A really fun arcade racer with a great sense of speed and online multiplayer. Obviously inspired by the Burnout series, Asphalt 5 is the next best thing on the iPhone. The difficulty of Cop Chase mode seems to be the major sticking point, but that's said to be addressed soon. (Review, App Store)

Honorable Mention (4 Stars)

Here are just a couple of several games that received 4 stars this month that we wanted to highlight:

Wheeler's Treasure - An original game with a surprising amount of depth, you keep trying to ride your wheel further with each play as you earn special items and powerups. The gameplay is so original, however, you really have to "get it" before you can really enjoy it. (Review, App Store)

Ravensword - We felt compelled to highlight this impressive action RPG in our round up for its technical achievements as well as its fun. A few components may have detracted from the "full RPG" experience, but is still a very worthy title. (Review, App Store)

The rest of November 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 2.5 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.

Namco's highly anticipated jet fighter game Ace Combat Xi Skies of Incursion [App Store] was released this evening, the most recent in a very long line of Ace Combat games that spans nearly all home and portable consoles.

The game itself doesn't have much of a tutorial, but the controls and gameplay are exactly what you would expect out of a game like this, and anyone who has played an Ace Combat game (or similar jet fighter game like F.A.S.T.) will feel right at home without instruction.

We will have a full review posted soon, but having only played the first few missions so far I'm happy with the game in it's exactly what I expected out of an Ace Combat game for the iPhone. The story seems decent, the gameplay is fast paced, and the graphics are phenomenal. I imagine for a lot of fans of the series, that's all you will need to hear before purchasing, otherwise check back tomorrow for an in-depth look at the game.

First impressions are being collected in our forums with some detailed notes from jmax99.

App Store Link: Ace Combat Xi, $4.99

Song Summoner Encore [App Store] is Square Enix's second release in as many weeks, following on the heels of Hills and Rivers Remain which we weren't overly impressed by. Fortunately, Song Summoner Encore has a bit more substance to its gameplay, touting an interesting twist that sees your music library integrated into the game as its major drawcard.

Song Summoner Encore was originally released as an iPod app utilising the click wheel control. It is a typical turn-based RPG in the same vein as Final Fantasy Tactics, where each battle sees you taking turns to face off against a number of foes with a limited number of your own troops. The iPhone version of the game carries over 20 hours of gameplay and represents both the content of the original Song Summoner as well as a never-published iPod sequel Song Summoner 2.

Song Summoner distinguishes itself by offering a meta game of sorts by integrating and keeping track of your favourite music. Song Summoner Encore automatically generates your troopers from songs in the library that you select; giving each song a class, stats and in-game likeness. The game presents music as a force to be reckoned with as part of the storyline, but continues this out-of-game too by remembering your iPod play counts for each song/trooper that you select. The more you listen to your chosen songs, the more you are awarded with moral boosts that strengthen your troopers in battle.

It is a novel idea that unfortunately is not as fleshed out as it could be. Other than the system outlined above, the songs you select play no further part in the game itself, making the entire integration feel more than a little lacklustre.

This continues through to the presentation of the game itself. The graphics in Song Summoner Encore are nothing to write home about, the only exception being the excellent cutscene artwork. When fully zoomed out, the in-game graphics look decent, and the animations and spell effects are respectable. As soon as you zoom in however, each pixel stands out in what can only be described as an eye sore. Unfortunately, the game cannot practicably be played at the prettier zoomed out level; as navigating the battlefield becomes hit and miss at this setting, particularly for those with larger fingers. Of course, the reason for this seems due to the fact that the game content was originally designed for the click-wheel iPods.

The controls in Song Summoner Encore have been adapted well from the click wheel. Each action is managed from an in-game scroll wheel with a considerate confirmation prompt ensuring that no order is given accidentally. Character and option menus are easy to navigate with the touch controls, and an automatic and manual save system minimizes frustration.

Each level consists of managing your army either by choosing existing forces or importing new units from your iPod library, then pitting those units against the various enemies that make up each level. From there Song Summoner is a standard turn-based strategy game where you kill all of the opposing forces before they kill your force, progress to the next level, and repeat.

Those new to the game however, will undoubtedly find mind boggling the sheer magnitude of stats and game mechanics to keep track of in Song Summoner Encore; something not alleviated by the less-than-helpful in-game assistance. For example, the effectiveness of each trooper in battle requires consideration of deployment points, play points, class ratings, rankings and morale levels.

Song Summoner Encore is ultimately a game that will only reward those with patience enough to learn its details. For those looking for a casual experience, Song Summoner Encore is difficult to recommend, even considering its unique iPod integration. Fortunately, a lite version is available for download and highly recommended for those remotely interested in the game or have been looking for a tactics game to really sink their teeth into.

App Store Link: Song Summoner Encore, $9.99, Lite Version, Free

Data East's Cobra Command [App Store] was originally released in arcades all the way back in 1984. At the time, its laserdisc-based graphics were nothing short of revolutionary and similar to games like Dragon's Lair, made other games in the arcade look primitive in comparison.

In the game, you play as a pilot in the world's most advanced helicopter, the LX-3 Super Cobra. Your enemies consist of an elite terrorist group, who also fly around in helicopters (although presumably nowhere near as advanced as yours). Gameplay involves an interactive movie playing behind a cockpit overlay with on-screen controls to move a crosshair around the screen to fire at enemies. There are also points in the game where you will need to follow the audio prompts of your commander and steer your helicopter, this is accomplished by tilting, or using the virtual joystick depending on what method you select in the game's options.

Like other laserdisc games (Notably Space Ace [$4.99 / Free] and Banjo The Woodpile Cat [$1.99] on the App Store.) actually getting through Cobra Command requires fast reflexes, a good deal of memorization, and lots of trial and error. These games were designed as arcade machines with one goal: sucking up as many quarters from your pocket as possible. Even on easy, Cobra Command can be irritatingly challenging, but that's all part of the charm of these retro games.

Cobra Command is completely remastered from the 1984 version, with fully restored video, a new cockpit and sound effects, as well as unlockables. There's even an online leaderboard and hardly any noticeable delay between the different animated clips that make up the game. Of the laserdisc games available on the iPhone, Cobra Command is by far the most impressive largely because of how much care Revolutionary Concepts not only put in to bringing the game to the platform, but also bringing the game up to today's standard instead of just doing a straight port of the original.

If you were around when laserdiscs games were the pinnacle of gaming technology and remember the people waiting in line to play Cobra Command and Dragon's Lair, it's going to be hard to resist this remastered version of the original arcade game. But if, however, these games are before your time, it's hard to say how much you will enjoy Cobra Command, especially with how much video games as a whole have moved away from the "one small mistake and you're dead" gameplay model in recent years.

Reactions in the thread on our forums have been positive so far, aside from issues with the tilt controls. This is easily remedied by just switching control of the helicopter to the virtual joystick instead of tilting. I've been having a great time with the game myself, but I've entirely lost count of how many times I've crashed my helicopter-- An occurrence that seems remarkably common when I play.

App Store Link: Cobra Command, $4.99

Com2us has released a trailer for their upcoming RPG Chronicles of Inotia: A Wanderer of Luone which is due out this month.

The RPG genre on the iPhone has really seen an explosion of titles -- both released and announced. This Chronicles of Inotia sequel appears to be one of the more promising ones.

Features listed by the developer include:

• Classic RPG: Over 200 Single player quests.
• Match up Mode: Endless online battles against other players on our server.
• Classes: Choose from 5 classes. Knight, Magician, Priest, Thief, Templar.
• Party System: Ally with up to 2 mercenaries which can be customized by the user.
• Look System: Change your character appearance with each new armor you equip.

The game is due in December 2009.

Normally we post about freebies on Friday, as "Freebie Friday" has such excellent alliteration-- I suppose in this case "Wild Wednesday" will have to do as these freebies won't last long. While Freeverse's Skee-Ball [99¢] may win when it comes to realism and actually licensing the real Skee-Ball machine, The Iconfactory's Ramp Champ [Free] takes the cake in the art style and originality department and has always been my ball-rolling game of choice. (Even though I agree with some of the criticisms of wonky ball physics.)

Ramp Champ takes the arcade game of skee ball, shrinks it down to the iPhone screen, and applies the same thick layer of highly stylized graphical work seen in all the other Iconfactory products. Included in the initial release of Ramp Champ are four different virtual skee ball machines. Clown Town has a carnival theme, Breakwater Bay is underwater, Space Swarm tips its hat at Space Invaders, and The Icon Garden pays homage to Iconfactory's roots in icon design.

For more information on the game, take a look at our in-depth review that we posted when it was first released. Along with the single DLC pack available at launch, three more have been rolled out for 99¢ each. Regardless of how you feel about the DLC packs, I still recommend at least giving Ramp Champ a shot especially while it's free.

Meanwhile, AppventCalendar's second free app today is TriDefense -- a different take on tower defense with modifiable terrain.

Get 'em while they last.

App Store Link: Ramp Champ, Free, TriDefense, Free

iPhone screenshot

EA revealed this morning that they will be bringing their action adventure game Mirror's Edge to the iPhone. The original Mirror's Edge was a first person action game that on the PC and home consoles featured an amazing amount of fluidity in the chains of acrobatics required to traverse the various buildings of the city the game takes place in.

Here's the trailer for the original PC version in case you missed it:

In Mirror's Edge, you play as Faith, a member of a secret group known as "Runners" who act as couriers for information that cannot be transmitted in other means due to the totalitarian regime that has taken over and implemented a policy of extremely intrusive surveillance across the game-world.

We don't have a whole lot about iPhone version of the game, but the original had an excellent sense of speed and immersion as you jump, climb, grab, and vault over things jumping from rooftop to rooftop. As seen in the new iPhone screenshots, the view has obviously shifted from first to third person on the iPhone, so it should be interesting to see how much of what made the PC and home console version of the game great translates to the App Store.

Flash screenshot

It should be noted that the game has already been successfully translated into a 2D side scrolling Flash game hosted at MirrorsEdge2d.com -- so this is not completely uncharted territory. The iPhone version does appear much more advanced than the Flash version with 3D graphics and "dynamic camera angles" as seen in the screenshots embedded below.

Here's the developer blurbs about the game which is said to be coming in January 2010:

• EXPERIENCE THE WORLD OF MIRROR’S EDGE - A place where information is heavily monitored and law is brutally enforced in an effort to create the 'perfect' society.
• YOUR MISSION -Take control of Faith Connors, a member of an underground messenger group known as Runners, as she races to stop a deadly threat that has grown from within their own ranks.
• SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST… AND FASTEST - Use Faith's incredible acrobatic moves to outmaneuver the enemy --run on walls, slide down precarious ramps, ride ziplines, and leap between rooftops. Leave the enemy in your dust.
• EDGE-OF-YOUR-SEAT EXCITEMENT - Burn through 14 levels of the fastest, most fluid action imaginable. Dynamic camera angles capture the intense action of this unique game.
• HEIGHTEN YOUR SENSES- Immerse yourself in a stylish, graphically rich 3D environment flooded with realistic sound effects and phenomenal music.

There have been a whole mess of game updates that have been released in the latest App Store refresh. I recommend checking for updates either in iTunes or on your device to see what's out there for the games you own, these happen to be my favorite three updates I downloaded tonight:

Hook Champ, $1.99 (On sale from $2.99) - We were given a preview of the update earlier this month, and all the new content and features the developer teased us with are finally here. Aside from a new playable character, and another set of levels, Hook Champ also features full OpenFeint integration with achievements and the ability to compete against your friends' times in any level of the game. Hook Champ Lite is also available (although obviously lacking the new content) if you haven't had the chance to give the game a try yet.

Doodle Jump, 99¢ - What may possibly be the best iPhone game ever created has been updated with yet another holiday theme pack. Entering the name "snow" when you submit your score turns the normal platforms and bad guys in to ice-covered platforms and demented (but cute) holiday-themed monsters. Also, instead of your normal projectiles you shoot snow balls, and the whole time you're playing it's also snowing.

Pocket God, 99¢ - Episode 29: The Pyg Chill includes a new DLC holiday themed skin pack as well as performance enhancements and an entirely new ice island. On this new island your pygmies will have access to an igloo as well as battle a new enemy... The giant ice monster. If you're a Pocket God fan, you likely have already updated. If you don't own the game yet, now is a good time to pick it up as the amount of content it comes with now is just downright ridiculous compared to the original versions of the game.