Our all-seeing eye is fond of artistically gifted games, and Catch the Princess is the latest to be caught in its steely gaze. Imagine, if you will, a side-scrolling puzzle game that tries to capture all the essence of rustic fairy tale imagery, and then pairs that with deliciously crafted Cut The Rope-style play. That's the pitch for Catch the Princess in brief, and we're thinking this is something you'll want to look out for, too.

As you'll see in the reveal trailer, Catch the Princess is dark and gloomy in all the right ways, and appears to have the mechanical might to match its inspired tone and art direction. The game launches next week for the iPhone and iPad and will boast around 60 levels filled with rusty chains, bellows, soft lighting, and princess-saving action. Get your eyeballs on these screens:

In case you wanted to know, this is being crafted by Robots and Pencils, an outfit based in Calgary. If you're big into Minecraft World Explorer [$.99], then you already know these guys. We've been told that we'll be hearing a lot more about this studio in the near future, and provided Catch the Princess rocks, we'll pair some ears with our eye. Somehow.

One of the coolest tactical turn-based games we've ever seen on iOS, Hunters: Episode One [$.99 / HD], is getting a sequel. Rodeo Games, the original creator of Hunters, have revealed with us that it is indeed working on Hunters 2. And guys, it sounds and looks radical.

Hunters 2, which is slated to hit Spring 2012, will build on the same combat that made the first game so popular, but it'll also throw in some notable new systems and weapons. For example, the team is dropping in a new mini-gun that fires blistering bursts of 10 rounds. That's especially hip, we're told, because it'll show off the game's new projectile system, which lets you see every round fired.

New enemies, environments, and mission types will naturally be part of the fresh package, but so will a fleshed out and scripted campaign mode featuring Rodeo's new hero character Caius Black. One of the promotional images we've received notes that he'll be "alone, wounded, and betrayed."

As if that wasn't enough, the game's engine has been scrapped in favor of a new one that'll integrate real-time dynamic lighting and "loads of customization options." Get a taste below:

Speaking of customization, that's something Rodeo is focusing on character-side, too. In Hunters 2, each Hunter will have a talent pool and you'll assign points in specific skill and build trees. Rodeo tells us that this system "really individualizes your Hunters and brings all sorts of new tactics" to the fold.

We'll be getting our hands on Hunters 2 in the coming weeks. If you'd like to try the original game, now is a great time -- both versions are on sale now at $.99 instead of their usual $4.99 and $6.99 price points.

Earlier this summer, we caught word that Frontier Developments's LostWinds was headed to iOS and Android. Now, we've got a great first-look at the iOS version title in action -- and, guys, it's silly gorgeous.

Once an acclaimed WiiWare title, Frontier has obviously pushed the visuals to the max for our phones and tablets. And if you look, you'll notice that it's a fairly HUD-free port with specific touch actions, which has us thinking that we're actually in for an all mobiled-out experience.

No solid date or price point have been announced, but we do know that LostWinds is coming to every iDevice this holiday as a Universal app. Also, it'll ship with a "new map feature" specific to touch devices. Our popcorn is ready, for sure.

UPDATE: Yay, technology! The trailer we originally posted was cut short for some... reason. This is the full thing.

Harmonix is giving the gift of VidRhythm [$1.99] away this holiday season. Soon, the crazy, but always hilarious audio and video mash-up app will go free indefinitely. Also, it'll receive one of its biggest updates at the same time -- twelve new tracks, including "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Halls, six new video styles, an all new pitch correction mechanic, and an iPad 2 and iPhone 4/4S-exclusive YouTube export upgrade to 720p are all a part of the new package.

We spent some time speaking with the man who spearheaded VidRhythm at Harmonix, Josh Randall, in this week's bonus edition podcast. Randall and I go deep on this update and many other things Harmonix, so check it out if you want to hear this news and other bits from one of the creators. And, hey, I also think you'll leave the conversation with a pretty good idea of how much music truly matters to the studio and how iThing stuff figures into its future. Later today!

Earlier this month we brought news of Elite Systems' initiative to expand on their ongoing retro rebirth efforts and bring a host of classics of old to iOS -- those that originated on platforms beyond the ZX Spectrum, which was their initial source platform. Studio co-founder Steve Wilcox was kind enough to provide us with builds of the first wave of titles that will soon arrive in the Elite Collection of 8-bit home computer games to share with our readers.

The first Elite Collection titles that will arrive in the App Store are Datasoft's 1987 magical platformer Black Magic, Image Works' lovely 1992 release First Samurai, and the frantic 1992 space shooter Enforcer from Manfred Trenz. Every one of these titles is very well implemented in iOS and is among the top tier of games to be found on the 8-bit platforms of decades past.

Let's have a look.

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The eternal question of what do you get when you combine inspiration from both Pan's Labyrinth and Infinity Blade with a team of iOS-centric Unreal Engine experts is getting dangerously close to being answered. Phosphor Game Studios' The Dark Meadow is an action-adventure monster slaying game set in a supremely creepy abandoned hospital.

The Dark Meadow is coming next month, and is boasting some incredibly compelling features such as gesture-based combat, "console-level" story and production, and a six-ish hour campaign that will need to be replayed multiple times if you want to see all the game has to offer.

Check out the full launch trailer:

For more information on the game, you can take a look at the initial teaser trailer, as well as additional details from the developers. We're ridiculously excited for this game, and for good reason too. There needs to be more projects like this on the App Store, as sometimes it feels like a waste to be playing simple 2D physics games on iOS devices when they're totally capable of this.

It's been about a year since decades-old studio Elite Systems brought their ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection [iPhone, iPad] and the first wave of its retro titles to the App Store. Since then 150 titles have become available through their Spectrum emulator, giving retro fans much old school gaming goodness to play with.

Since then, Elite has been hard at work engineering a completely new system through which to bring an even broader range of retro classic to iOS gamers. I recently had a conversation with Elite co-founder Steve Wilcox who filled me in on some of the titles that are on the way in the coming Elite Collection of 8-bit home computer games, as well as details surrounding their newly completed proprietary technology that went into it. The new system is a facilitator, of sorts, that was designed in such a way as to not incorporate, reference, or in any way rely upon third-party property and that is able to deliver, to iOS, games that originated on platforms other than just the ZX Spectrum in near-100% original form.

Elite has been busy licensing classics from a wide range of developers and it sounds like iOS gamers are in for a trove of titles to be delivered through the studio's new system. The first stage in the deployment consists of nine games developed across North America, the UK, and Germany.

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In June of last year, Revolutionary Concepts and Tangible Games brought us Banzai Rabbit [99¢/HD], a modern take on the Frogger formula with slick 3D graphics and a bunch of new gameplay elements. We thought they did great justice to the classic arcade game in our Banzai Rabbit review (and even more so after they nerfed the difficulty a bit), and put a fresh new perspective on the gameplay while keeping the core Frogger mechanics intact.

Fast forward to just this last month, and Revolutionary Concepts struck a partnership with Konami to bring Gesundheit! [99¢/HD] to the App Store, with the help of artist Matt Hammill offering his whimsical style to the graphics in the game. Now, Revolutionary Concepts has announced that they’re once again partnering up with Konami, Tangible Games, Matt Hammill, and even esteemed composer Alex Khaskin to honor this year’s 30th anniversary of Frogger with the upcoming Frogger Decades.

It’s somewhat ironic that Revolutionary Concepts is being handed the keys to the Frogger IP from Konami. In fact, Banzai Rabbit was originally known as Frogman, but due to concern about the possibility of infringing on the Frogger IP the main character in the game traded in his warts for floppy ears and a cotton tail. But, Konami was impressed with the studio’s ability to pay homage to classic franchises as they had with Karate Champ [99¢/HD], Road Blaster [$1.99/HD], and Cobra Command [99¢]. Now, more than a year later and Revolutionary Concepts is bringing yet another modern take on Frogger, this time with Konami’s full blessing.

Frogger Decades begins when Frogger heads out to catch a few flies for lunch, and while out and about his friends leave a note on his door with directions to a party they’re throwing for him in celebration of his big 30th birthday. But, the evil Doc Croc gets his hands on the map first and changes up the route to the party, forcing Frogger to traverse through 5 dangerous locations and 10 huge levels in order to finally end up at the party. The story is told in-between levels using fantastic cutscenes drawn by Matt Hammill which are just oozing with personality.

Like Banzai Rabbit, the core Frogger mechanics are kept intact in Frogger Decades, but expanded upon and taken in new directions. You’ll still be hopping around on a grid-like play field, but rather than the single screen of the original that had you continuously moving your frogs back and forth, the levels in Frogger Decades are lengthy vertical affairs, filled with all sorts of interesting terrain and plenty of enemies out to get you. Poor Frogger, if only he’d known about the safe and direct path his friends had originally laid out for him!

Controls are either swipe gestures or a virtual d-pad and buttons, and both work pretty well, though so far I’m preferring the swipe-based controls. In addition to just hopping around, Frogger has several special moves, like flicking out his tongue to collect flies or move objects and various kinds of jumps which help him make it through the challenging terrain in the game. If you’ve played Banzai Rabbit, many of Frogger’s moves will feel pretty familiar.

You’re also under time constraints in each level, so you’ll need to keep moving rather than just admiring the gorgeous 3D scenery. Thankfully there are plenty of checkpoints along the way, so dying at the hand of an enemy or hazard, or not moving quick enough before the level scrolls past your position isn’t too much of a hindrance as you’ll just get sent back to your checkpoint. Frogger Decades has been a difficult ride during my time with the game thus far, but it’s a nice kind of challenge that pushes you to keep at it and rewards you for thinking on your feet and acting quickly.

Update: Revolutionary Concepts has sent over the official trailer for Frogger Decades, posted below, and a discussion about the game has sparked up in our forums so be sure to stop by.

I’m really enjoying what I’ve played so far of Frogger Decades, and look forward to continuing on through the rest of the game. If you’re liking what you’re seeing and reading here as well, then you’ll be able to get your own hands on Frogger Decades when it launches as a Universal app this coming Thursday at an introductory price of $1.99.

We've recently been given an exclusive heads-up on two interesting looking upcoming titles from Digital Concepts, who brought us the early iOS pick-up RPG Loot Master [iPhone] as well as the space age tower defense title Starfall [iPhone, iPad].

The first bit of news Digital Concepts' Douglass Beck shared with us should be of interest to all the Minecraft junkies out there. Doug is working on a game that started out as something of a "pet project," but is now evolving nicely and should make it to both App Stores (Mac first, then iOS) sometime down the road. The as-yet-unnamed title is a single- and multi-player Minecraft-like game that is already quite functional in its early state of development.

That's about all we can share right now in the way of media and details on the studio's Minecraft-alike, but we'll bring more before the game goes live.
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When Mighty Fin [$0.99] first hit the App Store back in June, it was a fun but flawed experience. The levels were bleak and a bit samey, the music was repetitive and the endless levels were dull, dull dull (something that was fixed in the game's first big update). Still, we enjoyed what there was of it at the time, so learning that Launching Pad Games is releasing a major update this week that addresses literally every remaining concern we had is, well, pretty awesome.

The game is going Universal, so all you iPad owners can finally get in on the fun. Mighty Fin looks fantastic on the big screen, and its one-touch control works just as well on whichever device you choose. New music has been added for each area, all in keeping with the game's original sound. Oh, and I should probably mention that the game's level count will literally double when the update hits, and the new levels are super cool. Interest piqued?

Where the game's first eight areas were largely dark and gloomy, this new batch is exploding with color. I suspect Shady Sal slipped Fin some high-grade hallucinogens to brighten his vacation up, because the little dude ends up swimming through places with names like Candy County, Ninjaville and Tomorrow Town. Ninjaville looks like something right out of Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa. It's glorious. And no worries about the game being too easy -- these levels are vicious. Regular mode is tough enough, and Survival is downright killer.

Seriously, if you haven't picked Mighty Fin up yet, you should mark this Thursday, August 18 on your calendar. If you have it, pull it out again. If new levels alone aren't enough to reignite your interest, then think of the costumes -- 32 new ways to dress Fin up. Could we ask for anything more?

The third episode of Agharta Studios’ conceptually brilliant and artistically inspired adventure game series, 1112, has been submitted to Apple and if all goes as planned it should be available on the App Store this coming Tuesday the 23rd. Regardless, it’s out the door and essentially finished after a year or so in development, which is an incredible about of time for a touch game.

Agharta sends word that this episode, naturally, introduces new characters and locations to explore. More importantly, it features several fresh multi-touch “experiences” or puzzles, as well as an intense soundtrack. To get a taste of the latter, just watch this: (more...)

Do you know what Julius Styles: The International is? Don’t look at me because I don’t. My best guess is that it’s an isometric character-driven action game with a few puzzles and a few rote stealth sequences. But I suppose it could also be a hunting game that mixes in a dialogue tree here and there. I’m not joking. Look at this latest trailer, which shows the titular character with a dead mountain goat slung over his shoulder and a bow in his other arm. Also, take note of the comic book-inspired narrative underpinnings. It's silly and vague, but also awesome. I haven't been this confused and excited since those early middle school years.

One of the oddest things about this trailer (other than the goat bit) is that Julius Styles does not sound like Wesley Snipes. We were under the impression that the man would voice the character he’s based on, but perhaps that’s not the case? Maybe this is where the whole spy angle comes in. That would make sense, right?

Regardless, Julius Styles is definitely a game we’ll continue following as it hurdles to a mid-August release on iOS. If it’s any bit what we think it is, though, we’ll be surprised.

I'm not sure what it is about evil seafood from space. I thought Velocispider [99¢] did a great job addressing that danger with its deadly mecha-squiddies, but it looks like Two Lives Left is set to hammer the message home in the newly announced Crabitron -- you can't trust crustaceans. But you can play one, if you're patient.

Two Lives Left is the studio responsible for the excellent Wheeler's Treasure [$2.99] and Pilot Winds [Free] if you're trying to place the name. Here's what they have to say about the game:

Presenting CRABITRON, an iPad game where you take control of a Giant Space Crab. Use your humongous claws to terrorize the universe. Smash, crush and pull spaceships apart to eat their space captains! Deflect missiles, absorb lasers and even fight the devious Space Sharks of the Seafood Nebula. Find awesome and creative ways to use your claws to satisfy your ever increasing appetite... for destruction!

Sounds awesome, right? Ripping stuff apart -- I can get behind that.

I had a chance to get my hands on the game for a very brief preview, and I don't think we'll be disappointed. The controls are perfect - you pinch your finger and thumb together (like a claw, natch) to control each of the Giant Space Crab's claws. You drag your claws around the screen to grab ships that pass by, and pinch your fingers closed to crush them. Then you shovel them into your mouth, because Giant Space Crabs have giant appetites. You also need to deflect projectiles back at the pesky humans who are coming to kill you.

It's early days still, so while I'd love to be able to tell you a lot more, you're just going to have to wait. How long? Two Lives Left ain't telling. Hopefully the brand-spanking-new trailer will tide you over, and we'll be back with more details when we have them.

All of my two-wheel racing experience resides in that one Moto GP game that came on the Xbox Live demo disc. Because I couldn’t compete, I drove backwards around the tracks while making funny noises over the microphone. I’m not so sure that I’ll be able to rekindle those times in Polish developer Vivid Games’ Speedway GP 2011 for iOS, but it sure does look like a sharp title that strokes all the right notes of a proper simulation racing game.

That was all build-up to get to the point of telling you that Vivid shot us over some fresh images of the racing title. Also, I wanted to give you a release date: August 25th for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and the iPad.

As its namesake implies, Speedway GP 2011 is a BSI Speeday game, kinda like how Madden is an NFL game. It’ll launch with, as you see, some pretty hot visuals and, of course, realistic physics. The craziest thing I’ve learned so far while checking out the pre-release intel is that these racers don’t use brakes, nor will you be able to. Yeah, I know. Wild!

Speedway GP 2011 will also launch with 11 stadiums, a “full roster of statistics” and real-time stat-tracking of the Speedway Grand Prix. There’s another app on the App Store that appears to have your back on that, too, if you’re especially interested.

Stay tuned for some more in-depth coverage as the game races (huh, huh!?) to the App Store a little later next month.

If you'd told me that an iOS game about a pig with seasonal allergies and the monsters that love to eat his boogers would top my list of most charming games on the platform, I'd have laughed in your face. Then I had a chance to get hands-on with Gesundheit! just a few days before its release. Whaddya know, mucus can be charming after all.

I'm not a big fan of gross-out humor, but that's only a small part of what makes Gesundheit! stand out. For starters, it's completely gorgeous. The hand-drawn art style you can see in the screenshots is consistent throughout every level, cutscene and map. The game also sounds fantastic. The music might just rival Bumpy Road for twee charm, and I mean that in the best possible way.

Of course the gameplay is really where it's at. Gesundheit! is a top-down action puzzler. The goal is to lure all the booger-eating monsters into traps without getting caught -- and if they see you, they'll come for you. You move your hay-fever plagued pig around by tapping where you want to him go, and control his sneezes with a billiards-style pull and release. This launches a snot ball, which monsters just can't resist. The whole thing seems super precise, which is helpful when you're running for your little piggy life.

I've only had a chance to play a handful of levels, but the combination of game mechanics works very well so far. There are puzzle aspects, while you figure out how to get the monsters to the trap and how to collect all the starfruit on the way. You also need to be stealthy, keeping out of site of monsters, sneezing and darting quickly out of sight. And you'll need good aim to bounce your snot-balls precisely where you want them. New elements, like teleportation pads and mosquito monsters, are introduced regularly to keep things tricky. I can't wait to see the rest of it.

Gesundheit! has come nearly out of nowhere, being revealed by Konami behind closed doors just last week at San Diego Comic-Con. But it's not exactly brand new. Back in 2008, Gesundheit! emerged at the Independent Games Festival as a student showcase finalist. It went pretty viral as a PC demo, but a full release never made it out the door. When Revolutionary Concepts started working with artist Matt Hammill, they found out about his pet project and collaborated with him to bring it to iOS. Looks like the results are worth the wait -- this game feels right at home on a touch screen.

Gesundheit! will be released this Thursday for the introductory price of $0.99 on iPhone and iPod touch, and $1.99 on iPad (3rd gen devices and iOS 3.2 or higher). We'll bring you a full review of this sneezerific charmer once it's out. In the meantime you can join the anticipation in our discussion thread.