The Gangstar series has gained a good following among iOS-using sandbox action gaming fans.  And the latest in the series, Gangstar Rio: City of Saints, doesn't disappoint, easily positioning itself as the best game of the lot.

While it still isn't perfect, the game is a definite step-up compared to its two predecessors.   The graphics are cleaner, the character system is fuller, and the overall world feels very vibrant.  On the downside, the voice overs remain weak, the story isn't the most compelling and cloud saving still isn't supported.  But those are things you should be able to look past, given how fun the rest of the game is.

Gangstar Rio's gameplay and controls remains similar to the previous incarnations, which means it's a heck of a fun action game. Plus, it's a meaty game with over 60 missions thrown into a pile with random events as sandbox games go, dozens of vehicles to run around in (including helicopters and tanks), and tons of weapons. The addition of a new clothing system based on experience and respect levels, which can enhance some attributes (e.g. some clothes make you luckier when it comes to looting enemies), is much welcome, as it adds an extra level of incentive for actually advancing your character.

The visuals still aren't on the same level as the best graphics in iOS, but it's a marked improvement.  Plus, they fixed a lot of issues with physics and building pop-ups, making games feel much smoother.   If you're using an iPhone 4S, by the way, this thing loads and play fast (not sure about older iPhones, though).

While I'm still waiting for Gangstar to truly live up to its potential, Gangstar Rio is a definite leap in the right direction.  It's a heck of a fun game, too, and is well worth the $6.99 price.

[iTunes]

Gameloft has released the latest installment in their first-person combat shooter. While Modern Combat: Fallen Nation doesn't feel as revolutionary as when Sandstorm  first came out for the iPhone, it easily stakes its claim as one of the best FPS titles on mobile today.

In the game, you find America under attack.  Korea, Pakistan and Russia have banded together to stage an invasion on American cities.   You're thrust right in the middle of quelling the attacking forces.

MC3's single player campaign has 13 missions spread across 13 countries that you can play at four levels of difficulty.   You get a variety of vehicles and weapons throughout the battles, with plenty of cut scenes between fights to move the storyline along.  The graphics are smooth with plenty of details at every level, easily eclipsing all the previous Modern Combat games on the iPhone.  While there are three preset control options, we recommend adjusting each one individually (both position and sensitivity can be changed).

Like other FPS titles, of course, the highlight remains in the multiplayer mode, which offers local play over WiFi or online through Gameloft Live (no more Bluetooth option).  Each game can support up to 12 participants battling in one of six large maps.  There are 7 multi-player games available: Battle, Team Battle, Capture the Flag, Defuse the Bomb, Manhunt, Zone Control and Destruction.   Each game has a list of challenges to complete (e.g. getting a certain number of headshots, a required numbers of kills, etc.) beyond the main objective, which gains you experience points that you'll need to attain a higher rank.

As expected, there's a diverse arsenal of weapons to choose from, along with equipment like sensors to detect enemy position, radar jammers to counteract those sensors and camouflage to avoid satellite scans.  There are also numerous attachments you can attach to your guns, like thermal scopes and red dot sights.  Weapons are unlocked according to your character's level, though, with in-game currency only good for buying ammo and attachments.

If you loved the previous installments, there's no reason you won't end up wasting days' worth of time on MC3: Fallen Nation.  It's easily the best of the series, especially with the expanded multiplayer option.  Price is $6.99.

[iTunes]

Looking for a visually-stimulating, action-heavy water-based racing game?  Look no further than Riptide GP, an exciting arcade racer that boasts some of the best water physics on the iPhone today.

Initially available on Android, this iOS port looks even better than the original.  That is, if you're playing on a 4S.  The graphics, backgrounds, animations and physics just aren't as detailed on previous-gen iPhones.  On the 4S, the water physics is downright enthralling.

In Riptide GP, the game world is a futuristic setting with tracks consisting of water bodies caved in on the sides, flanked by light displays and colorful background elements.  You race on jet skis, running through one of six water tracks closed down by corridors, each with plenty of sharp turns.

Only tilt controls are available for moving, so if you prefer racing with a virtual stick, you're out of luck.  There are tap controls for speed boosts and tricks.  Do note that the tricks are strictly for amusement -- you don't seem to get points for doing any of them.

Three types of races are available: 250cc, 500cc and 1000cc.  Chances are, you'll find 250cc to be too slow a pace, so it will probably be wise to stick with the faster jet skis.  Oddly enough, all the six tracks seem to be the exact same level in difficulty, so your game doesn't get progressively harder as you step up from one track to the next.  It's fun enough, but can feel repetitive over many plays.

Priced at $2.99, Riptide GP is a solid jet ski racer with good controls and excellent physics.  The lack of variation in the tracks makes it a bit stale over several plays, but it's fun enough all the same.

[VectorUnit]

Here’s something I never imagined the iPhone turning into: a multi-tool for performing a variety real-world measuring tasks.  That's why I'm pretty stoked to see an app like the PocketTools: All-In-One Utilities.

A literal digital multi-tool, it turns your iPhone into a flashlight, a plumb bob, a bubble level, a ruler, a protractor or a unit conversion calculator at the tap of an icon.  Just launch the app and choose which tool you want to use from the main menu.  While a flashlight and a conversion calculator are common enough on the App Store, the rest of the tools are quite amusing.

The plumb bob, for instance, gives you a digital plumb bob using crossed red lines for lining your target.  Tap the camera icon and you can see exactly what's behind the phone, allowing you to line up the bob with the real word item you'd like to straighten up.

Both the protractor and the ruler don't work with the camera, although you should be able to get what you're measuring with a little imagination.  The ruler, by the way, includes a caliper feature which you can use for even more precise measurements (if the new iPhone had edge-to-edge screen as previously rumored, this app would be perfect).

The bubble level is also fun, making use of the iPhone's various sensors to detect whether a surface is even.  It can be used both flat on its back and standing against a vertical surface.

While there's no way I'd trade in an actual plumb bob or a ruler if I was working a job for the PocketTools app, it is quite handy for those unexpected moments that you need one.  At 99 cents, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a ruler you'd use once and forget where you left after a month, too.

[iTunes]

There's no denying the influence of Castlevania and Metroid in Dark Incursion.  Everything from the gameplay to the classically-inspired pixel graphics to the music suggests it.  Good thing, too, since it's a sub-genre that's sorely lacking in the App Store.

At its core, the game is a 2D side scrolling semi-platformer that follow the "explore, find gear, backtrack, use gear, rinse, repeat" mechanics of Metroidvania.  You follow Anya, an underground resistance fighter working to infiltrate a secret military facility that produces super soldiers.  And she'll need to crush an entire army of enemies to make it happen.

Dark Incursion's main deviation from the classic formula is the "fuse" system, which gives Anya four different slots to be filled with enhancement fuses.  These fuses run a wide range: there's one to strengthen your defense, one to let you jumpstart electric devices, one to speed up your movement, and so on.   Each fuse can only be used a finite amount of time, so you need to exercise good management to make them last.  Not doing so can leave you frustrated, looking for new fuses once you realize you still need them to advance.

I've seen a lot of reviews that derided the game's control system.  Fortunately, developers Big Blue Bubble have released an update that brings a major overhaul to the control system.  It's actually playable now, removing the lag between pressing a button and having Anya perform the action, as well as fixing most of the accuracy problems.  Chances are, we'll see more fine-tuning down the line, but the new control tweaks are definitely most welcome.

With the updated controls, I have no qualms recommending Dark Incursion.  It's about time iOS got a Metroidvania formula game and this title does an enjoyable job at it.  You can download it from the App Store for $1.99.

[iTunes]

If you were expecting iOS 5 to bring a visual overhaul to the platform, you will be disappointed.  Despite minor changes, the general aesthetic remains the same iOS you've been using the past half decade.

Know what won't disappoint you, though?  The arrival of new features, most of which we summarize below.

Siri. A proper digital assistant, this feature takes voice commands and answers your requests for information.  The results are better than I expected, although it remains prone to mistakes the same way other AI efforts have been in the past.  Can't help but be optimistic about this app's prospects for the future, though, especially once full hands-free use and car integration is in place.

Notifications. This one borrows from Android's style of providing notifications, via a panel you can swipe down from the top of the screen.  Tapping on a line lets you jump directly to the related feature.  It ain't original, but it sure is useful.

Camera. The user experience for the camera app is almost the shame, although there are a few new options for shooting (HDR, gridlines) and editing that, more than ever, makes it feel like a proper point-and-shoot.

Newsstand. The concept is similar to iBooks, except for magazine subscriptions, automating the delivery for new issues in the background.

Messaging. The new iMessage app allows you to step around messaging fees if the recipient has a phone or email registered with Apple, sending it there via data lines instead.  Goodbye third-party apps.  Think BBM, except you don't have to use a Blackberry.  Tee-hee.

PC Free and iCloud. iPhone users can now get OTA updates via PC Free, instead of having to plug in to their computers.  iCloud is the free, revamped version of MobileMe, with beefed-up support for apps.  Basically, expect that cloud storage to be integrated in many future apps.  Free storage is just 5GB, though, so you might want to be picky about what you sync.

Safari. The mobile version of Apple's browser now features the Reader option, allowing you streamline multi-page content into a more reader-friendly view, so you can screw the websites trying to blow up their page views.  Yay.

Others. There are many other notable changes here, including Twitter integration, a better Mail app, Reminders, Find My Friends (viewing locations in a real-time map) and Dictations.

There are tons of aggregated chat messengers on the iPhone.  Among the lot, Talkroom is one of the newly-discovered gems I really liked.

Billed as a "7-in-1 instant messenger," the app lets you house your Facebook, MSN, Google Talk, AIM, YM, Jabber and ICQ accounts all under one roof.  As a result, you get a unified chat interface with full access to all of your contacts on each account.  You can even set custom status for each one, so you can be "happy" on AIM, "depressed" on Facebook, and "idle" on Google Talk.  Hey, that could be useful.

TalkRoom's chat interface is clean and uncluttered, making for a convenient messaging space.   Would have liked more emoticons, though, for those of us who prefer communicating in tiny yellow heads.  All ongoing conversations can be easily swiped through from the Chats section until you close them.  The big  feature for me, however, is the integration of a built-in web browser.  Having to leave the chat interface to open a browser window when someone sends a link (that ends up being a pointless waste of time) has always been one of my pet peeves.  With this app, I can quickly check without ever having to leave.

The app also has push and local notifications for all the seven services , although they'll only appear in the app itself.  Sadly, it doesn't take advantage of IOS 5's notification center, although that could be an easy addition for a future update.

While I haven't really scoured the lot of the App Store's chat messaging options, TalkRoom is likely going to stay as my go-to chat app for a while.  At least, until I chance upon something better that also has a decent built-in browser.  Price is a little steep, though, at $3.99.

[Talkroom]

While Songify is nowhere near being classified as a genuine music creation app, it does let you record your own somewhat original music.  Plus, it's fun and could make for hours of entertainment.

No musical talent?  Not a problem.  All you have to do is record yourself speaking and the app will take care of the rest, using some built-in algorithms that pitch-corrects and builds a melody around your voice recording.    Yep, your spoken word input goes out as a finished song.

To use Songify, you just tap the center circle and begin speaking into your iPhone.  Once you're done, select a music style and the app will take care of arranging your words into a backing track.  Results are mixed.  Some will be fairly listenable gems, while others are just plain bad.   While you aren't likely to come up with radio hits playing around with this thing, you're bound to have fun with what you turn up.

To give you an idea, the "songs" are, basically, your spoken track set to background music, with a few short clips cut off from the speech dropped in here or there.  You don't get any editing control, either, so you can't tweak anything if you come up with a brilliant idea for the ditty.   If you don't like a song, you can use the Re-Songify option which runs it through the algorithm once again.

Songify can be downloaded free, but only comes with three music styles included,  with other style packs available as in-app purchases.

[iTunes]

Unlike what the title initially suggests, Demolition Master 3D isn't a video game version of a Michael Bay daydream.  Instead, it's a thoughtful and meticulous puzzle game that requires some clever thinking.

Your goal in the game is simple: perform controlled demolition on various metal, stone and wooden structures, blasting debris into specified items while avoiding others.  Controlling how the debris will scatter isn’t quite so easy, requiring you to make precise preparations (e.g. choosing the right explosives) in order to clear levels.

The trick to games like Demolition Master 3D is to have an intuitive and predictable physics system that doesn't leave your results to chance.  It succeeds very well on that,  even allowing for multiple ways to solve the same puzzle, making the levels enjoyable to play.  Even as the levels got progressively harder, the physics engine held through, so you'll never be in a position where the puzzle seems ridiculously impossible to figure out.

You get over 60 levels to play through, so there's enough content here to hook you up for a while.  If you fail a level, you instantly go back to your last explosive set-up, too, which cuts out a lot of time in redoing the same things (a nice addition that a lot of puzzle games seem to ignore).  The only downside might be the controls, which aren't quite as intuitive as they could be.  Try to get the hang of it, though, since the game is really worth going through the tutorial.

Overall, Demolition Master 3D is a solid puzzle title that should make for an enjoyable pick-up game.  It's a great purchase for the 99-cent price.

[iTunes]

Being a big mark for third-person console action games, Gameloft's 9mm naturally appealed to me.  With the promise of GTA-style gameplay on the iPhone, even the steep price didn't deter me from scoring a copy.

First, the bad.  There's no free roaming, which kinds of kills the whole GTA-style buzz the game debuted with in the first place.    The writing tries to sell the whole "gangsta" business with a straight face, too, with none of the self-awareness that makes many similar games funny.  And, no, it doesn't come across as a serious and gritty action tale, either.

The single player campaign is quite substantial, although you'll spend most of your time doing the same things, which is shooting drug dealers and other tattooed bad guys.  There's no cover system at all, so you'll have to pray your enemies miss.  Fortunately, you can crouch the protagonist (John Kannon) behind a scenery to regenerate health.

Movement is done via an onscreen thumbstick, with your right hand allowing you to aim the crosshair.  There are various controls available on screen, too, most notably a slo-mo button (which lets you dive in cinematic slow motion across the screen) and a crouch/stand button.  A unique element here is the game's use of the gyroscope, which lets you move the phone around to play with camera angles.  While it looks good, it's a headache to use during play and actually ends up a wasted feature (more likely than not, you'll turn it off).

One impressive addition is the multiplayer, which lets you join up to 11 other people in some crazy action shootouts.  It's serviceable enough, although the mechanical weaknesses of the game gets even more prominent when you have a lot of people playing.

While I commend Gameloft for the effort on 9mm, it just isn't a good enough game, especially for $6.99.  It's too bad, since less unpredictable gunfights and a cover system could have made it much better.  And they could have left off that whole camera-moving thing to put those things in.

[iTunes]