Note the word downloaded and not purchased. But it's still an incredibly impressive feat, and you can be assured that a substantial portion of those downloads came in the way of games.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs says the 3B number is "like nothing we've seen before" and points out that the App Store gives users an experience "unlike anything else available on other mobile devices, and we see no signs of the competition catching up anytime soon."

That competition, according to recent research, is most likely Google's own Android phone: The Nexus One. With Google holding a press conference later today, expect more news on that. And I wouldn't be surprised if the news included at least a mention of gaming on the upcoming device.

Which are you: iPhone or Android?

The Journal's report cites "people briefed by the company" who say the multimedia device will "let people watch movies and television shows, play games, surf the Internet and read electronic books and newspapers." That long-rumored, now apparently impending device is reported to be finally revealed on January 27 and ship as early as March, according to the WSJ.

Obviously, we're somewhat interested in the game-playing capabilities of such a device, given the popularity of Apple's App Store, currently bursting with games—admittedly of wildly varying quality—and the desire to acquire shiny new things with touchscreens and Apple branding.

Will the Slate—or iSlate, which I do not prefer—simply be a bigger iPhone, only bigger and of larger size? Will games and applications designed for the 3.5" screen of the iPhone work on the Slate? If so, how will 480-by-320-pixel resolution games look on the rumored 10" screen? Probably not very good.

But speculation that the Slate is simply an iPhone given the XL treatment probably aren't accurate. It has to do more—well, maybe with the exception of making phone calls. As Apple subject matter expert John Gruber of Daring Fireball notes, Apple's tablet likely falls somewhere in between the iPhone and MacBook lines, designed and marketed as a potential third pillar. Or a viable alternative for the MacBook.

"Like all Apple products," Gruber writes. "The Tablet will do less than we expect but the things it does do, it will do insanely well. It will offer a fraction of the functionality of a MacBook - but that fraction will be way more fun."

As far as the Slate's gaming capabilities, it may sit somewhere in the middle, capable of playing anything you'd find on an iPhone (or iPod Touch), but maybe not as powerful a gaming device as a MacBook or MacBook Pro.

And what of the meager library of Mac OS native PC games? Can it at the very least play a capable game of World of Warcraft? A completely non-competitive game of StarCraft II? The device is likely to support an on-screen keyboard and multi-touch gestures, making more complex, more traditionally controlled games a possibility. How awkward would it be?

What the Slate is almost guaranteed to have is at least one id Software port. Expect Doom in some form. Maybe a few PopCap games, specifically tailored for the device. And probably some good interactive fiction players. Homebrew emulators. And it may be a much better multiplayer portable device—it could be great for board games on-the-go—given its larger touchscreen.

It's actually starting to sound like we already need it.

We'll be keeping a close eye on the device—our cohorts at Gizmodo have been on the thing like white on rice—which analysts are pegging in the $800 to $1000 USD range, when it launches this year.

Apple to Ship Tablet Device in March [Wall Street Journal]

Here's the full rundown.

Which do you think should be the top game?

Check out all of our iPhone game reviews.

Position	Title	Price	Weeks	Last Week
1	Call of Duty: World at War Zombies (Activision)	$9.99	1	4
2	The Sims 3 (EA)	$6.99	17	4
3	Tetris (EA)	$2.99	17	5
4	N.O.V.A. - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance (Gameloft)	$6.99	3	2
5	Bejeweled 2 (PopCap Games)	$2.99	18	7
6	Need for Speed: SHIFT (EA)	$6.99	2	3
7	The Simpsons Arcade (EA)	$4.99	1	-
8	Skee-Ball (Freeverse)	$.99	1	-
9	Scrabble (EA)	$2.99	1	-
10	Rock Band (Electronic Arts)	$6.99	2	6

I've been playing both quite a bit and can see the draw for either game. Here's the full list.

Which do you think should be the top game?

Check out all of our iPhone game reviews.

Position	Title	Price	Weeks	Last Week
1	Call of Duty: World at War Zombies (Activision)	$9.99	6	3
2	N.O.V.A. - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance (Gameloft)	$6.99	2	1
3	Need for Speed: SHIFT (EA)	$6.99	1	-
4	The Sims 3 (EA)	$6.99	16	8
5	Tetris (EA)	$2.99	16	10
6	Rock Band (Electronic Arts)	$4.99	1	-
7	Bejeweled 2 (PopCap Games)	$2.99	17	6
8	Madden NFL 10 (Electronic Arts)	$5.99	1	-
9	James Cameron's Avatar (Gameloft)	$9.99	2	4
10	Touchgrind (Illusion Labs)	$4.99	1	-

After years of cop chases, arcadey controls, and Maggie Q, the NFS franchise took a more Forza-like path for its latest console iteration. The much needed overhaul was a hit with critics, and now SHIFT effectively duplicates that same success on Apple's gaming gadget.

Loved
Role-playing Racer:Like its console counterparts, SHIFT's iPhone debut forgoes the free-wheeling approach that established the franchise, in favor of a racer that plays much more like an RPG. Through a robust career mode, heavy-foot gamers unlock points and stars for performing a variety of tasks. These fall into "precision" and "aggression" categories, and level you up without necessarily requiring you to win races. As you gain levels, you'll unlock new events, earn cash to upgrade and buy vehicles, and pad out your profile with Achievement-like badges. The super addictive format sets you on a path that quickly becomes as engaging as any just-one-more-level RPG experience.

Power Steering: As a gamer yet to embrace accelerometer controls as a superior alternative to traditional navigation, I was nervous about SHIFT stubbornly forcing them on players. Thankfully, my concerns were washed away like roadkill in a rain storm, as SHIFT controls like a dream. Simply tilt the device left and right to steer, give it an aggressive twitch to drift, and touch anywhere on the screen to brake. Additionally, a variety of assists can be turned on to ensure even sim-haters and rookie racers reach the finish line.

Visual HorsepowerSHIFT steals the cup from Asphalt 5 as the prettiest racer on the platform. From the detail-drenched real-world rides to the beautifully rendered globe-spanning locales, SHIFT sports a late PS2 era-like presentation. Even cooler are immersion-amping effects that'll spike your adrenaline and have you checking if your seat belt's buckled; nitro-fueled flames, smoke-spitting tires, and scenery that whips by at 150+ MPHs all do an amazing job of selling a real sense of speed and control. I've played plenty of console racers that don't do this good a job of immersing you in the pedal-to-the-metal moment.

Given that SHIFT's multi-player options look pretty limited next to the brimming career mode, I was tempted to add a "Hated" bullet highlighting this shortcoming. However, the lengthy solo experience is so solid and so polished, it's easy to overlook-and even appreciate-the developers obvious dedication to the single-player experience.

Need For Speed: SHIFT was developed by IronMonkey Studios and published by EA for iPhone on December 18th. Retails for $9.99. A code to download the game was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Completed the game's career mode and participated in multi-player modes.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Gameloft's first-person shooter storms onto the charts, , with Battleship adding to the displacingment. Cartoon Wars-Gunner jumps into the fray as well, with last week's new entry Dragon's Lair nowhere to be seen.

Which do you think should be the top game?

Check out all of our iPhone game reviews.

Position	Title	Price	Weeks	Last Week
1<img src="" width="160" height="110" />	N.O.V.A. - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance (Gameloft)	$6.99	1	-
2	Battleship (Electronic Arts)	$2.99	1	-
3	Call of Duty: World at War Zombies (Activision)	$9.99	5	2
4	James Cameron's Avatar (Gameloft)	$9.99	1	-
5	Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey (Ludia)	$2.99	1	2
6	Bejeweled 2 (PopCap Games)	$2.99	16	7
7	Cartoon Wars-Gunner (Blue GNC)	$0.99	1	-
8	The Sims 3 (EA)	$6.99	15	8
9	Labyrinth 2 (Illusion Labs)	$4.99	2	4
10	Tetris (EA)	$4.99	15	7

A Monkey Ball vs. Waldo... who wins? One of them tops the Zombies. And Dragon's Lair, that oldie but goodie starts strong on a new platform.

Which do you think should be the top game?

Check out all of our iPhone game reviews.

Position	Title	Price	Weeks	Last Week
1	Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey (Ludia)	$2.99	1	-
2	Call of Duty: World at War Zombies (Activision)	$9.99	4	1
3	Dragon's Lair (Electronic Arts)	$4.99	1	-
4	Labyrinth 2 (Illusion Labs)	$4.99	1	-
5	Super Monkey Ball 2(Sega)	$4.99	1	-
6	Bejeweled 2 (PopCap Games)	$2.99	16	2
7	Tetris (EA)	$4.99	14	4
8	The Sims 3 (EA)	$6.99	14	5
9	Monopoly (EA)	$4.99	4	3
10	Need for Speed: Undercover (EA)	$4.99	3	9

The first has the ten top-selling games, and is dominated by established franchises and intellectual property. Indeed, only a single title - Firemint's Flight Control - crashing the party.

The other list highlights the ten games with the highest user ratings, and on this one, things are a little more interesting. Real Racing makes the cut, as does Zemonia, and even Canabalt warrants a mention.

Sadly, my pick for the year's best - Rolando 2 - was nowhere to be seen.

Now, on its own, that doesn't count for much. While a project involving such things could be for games, it could easily be for something else, like, say, an avatar-driven contacts list. After all, there's no specific mention of video games in there at all.

But then consider this: Apple's App Store is becoming almost unworkable as it grows in size. And games are the biggest thing on the store. Then factor in Apple's recent hiring of ex-Ensemble lead designer Graeme Devine, and suddenly, we're seeing a lot of seemingly unrelated things moving in the same general direction...

Fancy a shot in the dark? Here's my take: having taken a good look at how video game consoles operate (in terms of UI) over the past few years, Apple are working on a gaming "front" for the iPhone, complete with avatar mingling space (ala Home) and a marketplace for both games and add-ons, free of the current App Store.

Apple Wants Video Game Artist for 3D Characters and Environments [Gizmodo]

World at War's zombies managed to hang on to the top spot while a skate title hit the number ten.

Which do you think should be the top game?

Check out all of our iPhone game reviews.

Position	Title	Price	Weeks	Last Week
1	Call of Duty: World at War Zombies (Activision)	$9.99	3	1
2	Bejeweled 2 (PopCap Games)	$2.99	15	4
3	Monopoly (EA)	$4.99	3	2
4	Tetris (EA)	$4.99	13	3
5	The Sims 3 (EA)	$6.99	13	6
6	Scrabble (EA)	$4.99	16	5
7	Implode! (IUGO Mobile Entertainment)	$1.99	2	9
8	Madden NFL 10 (EA)	$6.99	2	8
9	Need for Speed: Undercover (EA)	$2.99	2	7
10	Skater Nation (Gameloft)	$6.99	1	-

Despite being a phone, the iPhone doesn't have a single cohesive online experience for playing games.

Where the DS, Playstation 3, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360 each have a single online services for gaming, Apple has left the creation of iPhone gaming networks to the game publishers. The result is a handful of disconnected services vying to be number one.

Publishers Gameloft, Ngmoco and Aurora Feint operate the three most popular services for the iPhone, each giving gamers the ability to connect with one another, share their gaming experiences, and play online.

Gameloft Live allows players to chat, message one another, earn game trophies and play mulitplayer matches live. Currently nine of Gameloft's titles are supported by the service with most of the publisher's future games slated to include Live support.

While Gameloft Live is only for Gameloft's titles, both Ngmoco's Plus+ network and Aurora Feint's OpenFeint are used by other developers to add online support to their games.

OpenFeint is being used in more than 300 games with another 800 in development, said Peter Relan, chairman of Aurora Feint.

The service includes game lobbies, social discovery, the ability to see what friends are playing and challenge them to games. Mulitplayer support is currently being tested, Relan said, with turn based multiplayer expected this holiday.

Ngmoco's Plus+ network allows players to create a profile, challenge friends, compete on leaderboards and find other games supported by the network.

While some gamers may feel it's inconvenient to have to sign up for multiple services to play online, the lack of any single gaming service doesn't seem like a bad thing to the three companies.

"We see it as an opportunity," said Simon Jeffery, Ngmoco's chief publishing officer. "Apple has provided a strong foundation for the development and publishing community to nurture into a rich gaming and social ecosystem. The Plus+ network was born out of consumer need, and its evolution and growth are fueled by the market."

Julien Fournials, Gameloft's senior vice president of production, agrees:

"At this point, I don't think it's that big of an issue," Fournials said. "What's happening now is that publishers are testing out and playing around with different gaming networks and customizing it to fit the needs of their games. It's good for the industry as a whole to offer consumers different gaming options."

But eventually the multiple networks could lead to problems, says Aurora Feint's Relan.

"In the long term it's a problem if the game networks are fractured," he said. "In the short term it's OK to have multiple because it creates innovation."

Eventually, Ngmoco's Jeffery say, the market will sort itself out if Apple doesn't step in with it's own network.

"We believe that there is certainly room for a couple of networks within the iPhone gaming ecosystem, possibly serving different segments of the overall market, but ultimately probably not more than that," he said. "Casual users in particular will get frustrated with multiple accounts and multiple login requests. We firmly believe that the market will rationalize into a couple of strong leaders very quickly now."

It could be a mistake to look at the current status quo of console gaming when considering the future of Apple's iPhone. Gameloft's Fournials says it might be better to compare iPhone gaming to other social networks like YouTube, Facebook or Twitter, rather than to gaming platforms.

"The whole DNA of the App Store is diversity, so to have multiple social networking sites fits in with that structure," he said.

In the future, Gameloft Live will include stronger integration of social networks like Facebook, something Ngmoco is already pushing.

Meanwhile, Aurora Feint's founder and CEO Jason Citron says that his service is working to provide a network similar to Xbox Live for their games with the introduction of OpenFeint 2.4.

"Players will know when their friends are online, what game they are playing, and be able to instant message or mail each other just like on Xbox Live," Citron said. "We've added in-game forums for players to share tips and tricks, level strategies, or whatever they want with each other. Developers will be able to have a direct conversation with their players from right inside their games too — in the forums, by sending in-app announcements, responding to player feedback, or via e-mail to players who opt-in."

While it may feel like a disservice to gamers now, the ability for publishers and developers to test the bounds of what works and doesn't work in terms of social play and online gaming could help the iPhone evolve its own online gaming personality.

Providing a consistent login for the basics of online gaming, like finding opponents and comparing scores, is a must, but pushing the envelope through social interactions and community building would in the long run help emphasize the iPhone's unique networking strengths.

The best solution would be for Apple to provide that core online experience and leave the experimentation and innovation to outside developers.

Well Played is a weekly news and opinion column about the big stories of the week in the gaming industry and its bigger impact on things to come. Feel free to join in the discussion.

In making the move to Apple's handheld, the game is now a side-scroller, though with 3D graphics and the full range of Faith's moves like slides, runs, wall-runs and jumps.

It'll be 14 levels long, and as of now, no word on price or a more exact release date.

Why buy 15 games when you can one game that contains 15 games? That must be the selling point for All-In-1 Gameboox which makes its debut this week, with 82 five-star reviews and 57 one-star reviews. Last week's Star Wars game is off the list. But can you explain the return of Brothers in Arms, which was released over a year ago?

New Intro: What follows is the correct list of top-grossing games as of today on the iTunes App Store. Kotaku's Brian Crecente usually compiles this list and, failing him instantly, I pulled from the wrong list earlier today. Please find the corrected list below, along with the original list — based on the top 10 paid gaming apps in the iTunes App Store — just so we all have something to laugh at me about.

So no Brothers in Arms resurgence. No Shrek Kart Racing. Sorry about that.

Which do you think should be the top game?

Check out all of our iPhone game reviews.

Position	Title	Price	Weeks	Last Week
1	Call of Duty: World at War Zombies (Activision)	$9.99	2	1
2	Monopoly (EA)	$4.99	2	5
3	Tetris (EA)	$4.99	12	4
4	Bejeweled 2 (PopCap Games)	$2.99	14	2
5	Scrabble (EA)	$4.99	15	8
6	The Sims 3 (EA)	$6.99	12	3
7	Need for Speed: Undercover (EA)	$2.99	1	-
8	Madden NFL 10 (EA)	$6.99	1* (returning to top 10)	-
9	Implode! (IUGO Mobile Entertainment)	$1.99	1	-
10	Rock Band (EA)	$6.99	1* (returning to top 10)	-
Position	Title	Price	Weeks	Last Week

Appearing on the comparatively underpowered iPhone, Ravensword packs a near console-quality presentation. Featuring a large 3D open-world, an awesome variety of mythical beasts to slay, and some fantastic visual and audio tricks, it often rivals a PS2-era production.

Loved
Epic App: Intuitively using the now-common touchscreen directional pad and controlling the camera by swiping anywhere on the screen, adventure-seeking gamers embark on a robust quest to regain the amnesia-stricken protagonist's memory, recover the titular ancient blade and, of course, smite the hell out of evil. Sure, it's standard high-fantasy fare, but the impressive presentation, addictive action, and engaging quests keep things more fresh than familiar. You'll begin by slaying rats the size of puppies, but soon your blade and bow will be introduced to goblins, imps, zombies, sword-swinging skeletons, and ogres whose menacing presence swallow up a good portion of the iPhone's modest display. Your senses will be similarly stung by the screen-stretching environments; vast, diverse areas such as forests, graveyards, dungeons, and lava worlds can be fully explored for treasure when you're not busy hacking your way through the evil-doing hordes. Smaller touches, such as shop signs swinging when you walk into them, show the level of detail at work. The audio presentation is also very good, as a surprisingly rich score is complemented by immersion-amping details like chirping birds, crashing waterfalls, and the satisfying death cries of your freshly slain enemies.

Fun-poking Fantasy:Ravensword's subject matter may be all too familiar, but its light-hearted approach and delivery keep things fresher than a just-poured stein of tavern mead. Similar Tolkien-esque tales get bogged down with self-important characters and yawn-inducing exposition, but Ravensword keeps it simple, to the point, and often funny. The over-sized rats you slay, for example, are part of a quest that sees you replenishing the stock of the village's "Rat Donald's" restaurant-you'll later speak with a clueless villager who can't quite place the taste of Donald's secret rodent recipe. Everything, from NPC interactions to text descriptions of weapons and gear, often sneak in similar tongue-in-cheek references that keep things entertaining without ever becoming so silly that they pull you from the experience.

Hated
RP...Gee, Really?: Despite being advertised as an RPG, Ravensword is actually lacking many of the key ingredients usually associated with the looting-and-leveling genre. While it nails the high-fantasy presentation and hack-happy combat, it doesn't allow for any character customization. When you level-up, attribute points are auto-assigned, there are no skill trees, weapons and gear are stat-less, and magic is all but non-existent. Aside from their prices, there's no way to identify which weapons are better than others; you're left to assume the battle hammer will spill more goblin blood than a sword simply because it siphons more gold coins from your satchel at the blacksmith's shop. The implementation of armor offers a perfect example of Ravensword's style-over-substance approach; while the protective gear is realistically reflected on your in-game character-a nice touch, indeed-it only comes in two varieties, and, like the weapons, offers no comparable stats. Similarly, combat looks and feels great, but essentially boils down to mashing on the "attack" button. Other iPhones titles, such as the recent Diablo-like Dungeon Hunter actually have more character-building depth than this so-called RPG.

Ravensword has a lot going for it, not the least of which is its fantastic audio and visual presentation. It's an easy recommendation for action/adventure fans looking for an involving romp through a richly realized fantasy world. But despite an appearance evocative of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, expect to do more hacking and slashing than character customizing and gear tweaking.

Ravensword was published by Chillingo and developed by Crescent Moon Games for the iPhone and iPod Touch on November 17th. Retails for $6.99. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Completed the game.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Not only have a slew of new, blockbuster titles come out for the emerging platform, Apple finally realized that maybe they should wake up and start touting the gaming benefits of their smartphone and media player.

This is by no means all of the iPhone and iPod Touch games we reviewed this year, but it's a quick look at some of the more memorable ones. Don't forget, just because they're download only, doesn't mean you can't present a list with the iTunes card you give someone.

Any we missed? Any you would suggest for a friend?

Asphalt 5

Price: $6.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: Racing
Subject Matter: Gameloft brings Burnout's adrenaline-amping crashes and Ridge Racer's wind-in-your-hair thrills to the iPhone with Asphalt 5.
Value: A strong competitor to the PSP's racing games, Asphalt 5 offers three modes-quick race, career, local and online multi-player, 33 cars, 12 tracks, vehicle customization, and unlockable stat-boosting babes.
Buy it for: Gamers ready to go vroom.
Read the Full Review

Command & Conquer: Red Alert

Price: $9.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: Real Time Strategy
Subject Matter: EA brings its over-the-top real-time strategy series to the iPhone, allowing on-the-go gamers to wage war wherever they please.
Value: While things like C&C's cheesy cinematics didn't make the leap to the iPhone, the platform's touch screen display is ideal for RTS style gaming.
Buy it for: RTS players looking for a mobile strategy game.
Read the Full Review

Doom Resurrection

Price: $6.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: First-person touchscreen shooter
Subject Matter: Loosely based on Doom 3, Resurrection is an impressive port of the demonic sci-fi FPS that's easily controlled with the iPhone's accelerometer.
Value: As iPhone games go, Doom Resurrection is priced almost right, offering a solid campaign, but not much more.
Buy it for: budding space marines who enjoy killing hellspawn between phone calls.
Read the Full Review

Dungeon Hunter

Price: $6.99
Rating: 9+
Genre: Diablo-esque action.
Subject Matter: Dungeon Hunter has gamers play as a fallen prince back from the dead to save the kingdom from his evil wife. Plenty of dungeon crawling, loot gathering and virtual button-mashing in this game.
Value: A single play-through of the game can take 25 hours, and there are three character classes to play with. This is probably the best value you'll find on the iPhone or iPod Touch.
Buy it for: fans of adventure games like Diablo and light role-playing titles.
Read the Full Review

Madden NFL
Price: $9.99
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: EA Sports delivers its bestselling Madden franchise to the iPhone for the first time.
Value: Fully licensed, with all of the teams, players and game modes from the console version of the definitive NFL video game title.
Buy it for: A great stocking stuffer for any football fan with an iPhone or iPod Touch.
Read the Full Review

Metal Gear Solid Touch

Price: $0.99 to $9.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: Third-person touchscreen shooter
Subject Matter: Metal Gear Solid Touch brings 20 stages lifted from Metal Gear Solid 4 but focuses more on arcade-style touchscreen shooting than the stealth gameplay that Solid Snake is famous for.
Value: Depending on how much you pay (the game was marked down to 99 cents recently) MGS Touch offers a decent amount of replayability and cool items to unlock.
Buy it for: the serious as a heart attack Metal Gear fan who doesn't have access to a PlayStation.
Read the Full Review

NBA Live
Price: $9.99
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The NBA goes mobile in EA Sports' first port of its popular pro basketball simulation.
Value: All teams, all players, plus season, playoffs, and pick-up-and-play modes, with customizable rosters.
Buy it for: Any hoophead with a gadget fixation will love having a full basketball sim in his or her pocket.
Read the Full Review

Resident Evil 4 Mobile Edition

Price: $6.99
Rating: 9+
Genre: Shooter
Subject Matter: Resident Evil 4 Mobile Edition is a screen-tapping, stop-and-pop, suspense shooter.
Value: With a dozen settings and two dozen timed stages, this iPhone title is worth the money.
Buy it for: Resident Evil fans, shooter fans, anyone interested in gaming on their phone or Touch.
Read the Full Review

Rock Band

Price: $9.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: Music
Subject Matter: It's Rock Band. It's on the iPhone. Yeah!
Value: Packed with 20 tracks, Rock Band has a set list that boasts the likes of Foo Fighters, the Pixies and Joan Jett. Players can jam on all four instruments. Multiplayer supports up to four.
Buy it for: Music game lovers on the go.
Read the Full Review

Rolando 2

Price: $4.99
Rating: 4+
Genre: A charming side-scrolling puzzler.
Subject Matter: This sequel to last-year's must-have iPhone game, Rolando 2 introduces more story, character development and challenges.
Value: This is the first time Luke has ever played an iPhone that felt truly substantial.
Buy it for: fans of LocoRoco, Rolando or cute, cleverly-crafted puzzle games..
Read the Full Review

Space Invaders Infinity Gene

Price: $4.99
Rating: 4+
Genre: Shoot em up
Subject Matter: Space Invaders Infinity Gene is a re-imagining of 70s classic arcade game Space Invaders.
Value: One of the most played games on my iPhone, Space Invaders Infinity Gene offers you 19 levels with a number of interesting new weapons. But almost more importantly, the game can create levels on the fly designed around music played from your iPhone or iPod Touch's music library.
Buy it for: fans of Space Invaders, fans of shoot-em ups, fans of fun.
Read the Full Review

Star Defense
Price: $.99
Rating: 9+
Genre: Tower defense
Subject Matter: Defend a planet outpost from an amazingly orderly bunch of aliens walking there way along the paths that lead from landing port to your base.
Value: It's just a buck, and it's a ton of fun.
Buy it for: Fans of tower defense and globes.
Read the Full Review

Streets of Rage

Price: $4.99
Rating: 12+
Genre: Genesis brawling side-scroller
Subject Matter: This is a straight-up emulation of the Sega classic for the Genesis with chop-socky music and over-the-top tiny graphics.
Value: Not much of a deal here even at $5. It's a straight, troubled port.
Buy it for: With a bad framerate and problematic controls, only hardcore fans of the game and nostalgia freaks should get this.
Read the Full Review

Waterways

Price: $.99
Rating: 4+
Genre: Puzzler
Subject Matter: Winner of the 2008 Japan GameGam Competition, Waterways is a puzzle game with cows, ducks and water.
Value: For a penny shy of a dollar you can't go wrong with this portable game.
Buy it for: Puzzle enthusiasts who want a some brain teasing on the go.
Read the Full Review

Zenonia

Price: $2.99
Rating: 9+
Genre: Adventure role-playing game.
Subject Matter: Zenonia follows a young man named Regret as he searches for answers to the mystery surrounding his birth after the sudden death of the man who raised him.
Value:With about 20 hours worth of play and the ability to choose good and evil paths, this is a no brainer.
Buy it for: fans of The Legend of Zelda.
Read the Full Review

Monopoly isn't just on the chart, it's on the chart twice.

Which do you think should be the top game?

Check out all of our iPhone game reviews.

Position	Title	Price	Weeks	Last Week
1	Call of Duty: World at War Zombies (Activision)	$9.99	1	-
2	Bejeweled 2 (PopCap Games)	$2.99	13	1
3	The Sims 3 (EA)	$6.99	11	6
4	Tetris (EA)	$4.99	11	5
5	Monopoly (EA)	$4.99	1	-
6	Surviving High School (Electronic Arts)	$2.99	1	-
7	JellyCar 2 (Walt Disney)	$.99	3	2
8	Scrabble (EA)	$4.99	14	10
9	Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition (EA)	$4.99	2	10
10	Star Wars: Trench Run (THQ)	$4.99	1	-

By tweaking and tuning the formula that made last year's entry such a rubber-burnin' blast, Asphalt 5, despite hitting one major bump in the road, positions itself as the platform's premier racer.

Loved
Garage Full of Features: A gorgeous, full-featured title, Asphalt 5 nearly rivals even the best PSP racers. Three modes-quick race, career, local and online multi-player, 33 cars, 12 tracks, vehicle customization, and unlockable stat-boosting babes-yes, you heard right!-combine for a robust arcade racing experience. Additionally, three intuitive control schemes complement gameplay that blends Burnout's adrenaline-amping crashes and Ridge Racer's wind-in-your-hair thrills. Matching the content-brimming package is a pop-off-the-screen presentation encompassing colorful environments and great details such as planes flying overhead, day/night races, and changing weather conditions.

Turn Up the Tunes: While racing to your own soundtrack is nothing new to the genre, it's damn cool to be able to lap the competition while your iPod library blasts in the background; the slick little Alpine stereo interface is also a very nice touch. My only regret is that I didn't have the Benny Hill Show theme loaded onto my play-list to accompany my more crash-tastic races. That said, listening to the Pixies' Surfer Rosa while hurtling towards the finish line at mach speed is super satisfying.

Hated
The Short Arm of the Law: While most of Asphalt 5's career challenges — Time Trial, Drift, Duel, Escape etc. — yield a well-balanced blast, Cop Chase, where you play the boys in blue and "eliminate" opponents by crashing into them at top speed or forcing them off the track, is about as entertaining as a snipped brake line. The event gets easier-and is often skippable — later in your career, but the very first one tasks you with tackling seven eliminations in three laps. I reached "Where is my mind", the last track on the aforementioned Pixie's 30+ minute debut album, four times — yup, two hours — before reaching this frustrating goal. Any game, no matter how good it is otherwise, is docked a few points if its gameplay can actually make me dread hearing one of my favorite bands. Hopefully Gameloft will alleviate this headache in a future patch.

Tons of content, fun-as-hell gameplay, great visuals, and the ability to rock your own tunes make this one the iPhone's top performer on the race circuit. That said, those who lack the patience to complete that very first, brutally difficult Cop Chase won't get to experience much of what the title offers. If you can get past that hurdle, though, this one's definitely worth buckling-up for.

Asphalt 5 was developed and published by Gameloft for iPhone on November 2nd. Retails for $6.99. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Completed the game's campaign and played online modes.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Despite being streamlined and stripped-down for portable play, Command & Conquer: Red Alert for the iPhone still manages to pack in much of the series' signature style and addictive strategy-driven gameplay.

Loved
Style to Spare: From its live action cutscenes to its crazy-ass battle units, the C&C series is famed for its intentionally cheesy excess. And while the silly cinematics didn't make it into the iPhone version, the title still retains much of the franchise's wacky trademark charm. Screen-swallowing Russian zeppelins rain death from the skies, armored war bears charge enemy strongholds, and the sexy-accented Natasha quips "You like my scope?" and "The pleasure's all mine." while laying waste to never-had-a-chance infantry. Impressive explosions also engulf the tiny display, and all units, despite their shrunken presentation, are drenched in eye-pleasing detail. Furthermore, a crunchy guitar score keeps the action-and your adrenaline-appropriately amped.

Tactile Warfare: While the RTS genre still struggles to find its sweet spot in terms of control schemes that match traditional mouse-and-keyboard set-ups, there's no question the iPhone's touch screen is a good fit. Like a general positioning pawns on a war map, you'll delight in the tactile satisfaction of fighting with your fingertips; simply touch units, then their target or destination, and watch them go to work. You can also draw a small box around multiple units to move them together, and save specific groups to tabs to easily access them again. Additionally, a swipe of your finger on a mini-map swings the camera to any desired location. Everything, from commanding and training units, to constructing buildings and navigating the map, is a simple intuitive touch away.

Hated
Minus the Multi-player: Given the platform's limitations we can totally forgive the omission of some units and even the Empire of the Rising Sun faction (only Russians and Allies are available.) However, the absence of multi-player is sorely missed considering the competitive nature of the genre. I generally think of any RTS's solo campaign as a warm-up to the online action, so, while C&C's handful of solo play chapters and two skirmish maps are a blast, they only feel like half the total package. Thankfully, EA is reporting that a future download will remedy this, adding the much-missed multi-player mode.

Despite the shrunken presentation, Command and Conquer: Red Alert retains much of the series signature style and charm. Additionally, the touch controls make for a satisfying tactile RTS experience. Give us some multi-player, and we'll happily jump back into this fight.

Command and Conquer: Red Alert was developed and published by EA Mobile for iPhone on November 1. Retails for $9.99. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Completed the game's campaign and played skirmish modes.

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Bejewled 2, on the charts for a dozen weeks in a row now, finally hit the top spot, supplanting a lot of newer, fancier titles to grab first place.

Which do you think should be the top game?

Check out all of our iPhone game reviews.

Position	Title	Price	Weeks	Last Week
1	Bejeweled 2 (PopCap Games)	$2.99	12	4
2	Asphalt 5 (Gameloft)	$6.99	1	-
3	JellyCar 2 (Walt Disney)	$.99	2	1
4	Rock Band (EA)	$6.99	4	2
5	Tetris (EA)	$4.99	10	6
6	The Sims 3 (EA)	$6.99	10	7
7	DOOM Classic (id Software)	$6.99	3	3
8	Scrabble (EA)	$4.99	13	9
9	Madden NFL 10 (EA)	$9.99	10	10
10	Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition (EA)	$4.99	1	-

R-Type, which is being ported by DotEmu, will be out "sometime in the next few months", while Ghosts N' Goblins was released in Japan on Sunday. So...take two games requiring fast, precise controls, then port them to a system capable of neither. What a great idea.

Exclusive: 'R-Type' Coming to the iPhone [touchArcade]
iPhoneについに『魔界村』、いまなら350円[税込] [Famitsu]