games

Hands-On Mobile has recently released Karnival [App Store, $5.99], a carnival-themed Tycoon game, and it looks really good. The game puts you in the shoes of a boy with the arm of a goat who's decided to view his curse as a gift and start his own Karnival. The goal of the game is to create a successful Karnival by offering entertainment from other "freaks," rides, and other similar attractions. Gameplay looks to be very similar to games like Roller Coaster Tycoon, so if you're a fan of such titles, this one may be right up your alley.

We haven't had a chance to check out Karnival yet, but our friends over at Touch Arcade had lots of good things to say. Video below!

Glenn Corpes today released a new racing game called Ground Effect [App Store, $3.99]. It puts you in the seat of a hovercraft that reminds me a lot of Star Fox 64. Races take place on a series of deserted islands with tons of obstacles, mountains, rocks, and checkpoints to fly through. Each level requires you to make it through the course as well as place 3rd or greater to move on to the next level. There are a total of 14 levels and 10 "ground effect" crafts to choose from.

I've already gotten my hands on this game and so far it's been very entertaining. Graphics are great and the tilt controls are nice and smooth. If you're a racing game fan, I definitely recommend checking out Ground Effect. Gameplay video below!

Orb Games has just released what may become my new game obsession for the iPhone. It's called Kamikaze Race [App Store, $0.99] and it puts you in the seat of an extremely fast car on a busy highway. But there's a catch: your brakes have stopped working and your accelerator is jammed! The goal is to simply survive as long as you can, unlocking achievements as you go.

I've had some time to play with Kamikaze and I have to say that it's addictive, fun, and totally intense. A trifecta of fun that makes it a winner, especially at just $0.99. If you're still not convinced, check out the gameplay video below!

Gameloft has released its highly anticipated racer, Asphalt 5 [App Store, $6.99], into the App Store. Weighing in at 245 MB, Asphalt 5 lets you race in over 30, including the Audi TT-RS, Mini Cooper S, Corvette ZR1, and the Lamborghini Gallardo. The game features tons of "elimination moves" which allow you to eliminate other racers from the race, online play with your friends, and even lets you listen to your own music, chosen in-game.

I've gotten my hands on Asphalt 5 and I must say that it's a solid racing game. The graphics rock, the controls are dead-on, and it's just plain fun. Our friends over at TouchArcade were very impressed, so be sure to check out their review!

Zottd, the developer behind GBA4iPhone (an emulator for Gameboy Advanced games) has announced work on a Nintendo 64 emulator for the iPhone and third generation iPod touch. He says that the new devices have finally become powerful enough to handle N64 games, though we won't really know how well they perform until we see for ourselves. Things like the controls and frame rate are still in question.

Endless Racing [App Store, Free], is a free multiplayer game that swaps the car from one phone to another over bluetooth if you get to the finish line in 60 seconds. One user posted a pretty neat video on Youtube of the game in action with several iPhones. Check it out after the break.

Ngmoco's incredibly cool online first-person shooter Eliminate [App Store, Free] has been released in the US App Store as well as most major markets in Europe and other regions. The game was released last Friday exclusively in Canada so that Ngmoco could test their server capacity in a small, controlled market. The game is completely free, with revenues coming in via (optional) the purchase of energy cells, a necessary component for earning credits.

Since its release on the 30th, we've had some time to play with the game, and we must say that it's well worth the (relatively large) download. There's never any requirement to purchase energy cells, especially since your energy is recharged every day. Check out some videos of the game in action below!

Touch Arcade is reporting that both of Ngmoco's highly anticipated titles, Eliminate and Touch Pets, have both been approved by Apple for release in the App Store. However, because Ngmoco wishes to test server capacity before launching these games worldwide, they have decided to launch them in the Canadian App Store first. For those of you in Canada (or with Canadian iTunes accounts), you can get Eliminate here and Touch Pets here.

Both games will be available for free and will instead rely on In App Purchases for revenue.

Videos of both games below!

Id Software's highly anticipated iPhone title, DOOM Classic [App Store, $6.99], is now available in the App Store. Ported from the original, DOOM Classic sports all three original episodes as well as the independently created fourth episode, Thy Flesh Consumed. Weighing in at 76.8MB, the game comes with a total of 36 levels from the original first person shooter. Additionally, DOOM Classic also supports wireless multiplayer (we presume over Bluetooth). Multiplayer comes in two flavors; co-op and deathmatch.

Just in time for Halloween, too!

Godzilab has announced a new contest that could leave you with $25 (USD). They are asking for contestants to create custom levels for their puzzle game, iBlast Moki [App Store, $1.99]. They will be choosing the 10 best levels submitted to be bundled as a new version of the game down the road. You can enter and win multiple times, and will get a $25 iTunes gift card for each winning level submitted.