Capcom's Street Fighter IV on the iPhone is easily one of the best fighting games the App Store has to offer.  And it gets even better with the Street Fighter IV Volt, which throws in online multiplayer over WiFi into the mix.

The new title is, essentially, the exact same game as  IV.  You get nearly identical graphics, sounds, move sets and controls, so it feels a little iffy having to buy it as a new title.  Still, the online multiplayer is a major selling point and will likely sell the title on its own accord.

SF IV Volt gets three additional characters to play with, namely Cody, Balrog and Vega.  There's also a Wandering Warrior feature that gets you an avatar for your multiplayer profile.  The avatar can be leveled up and upgraded like an RPG character, with points earned during multiplayer matches.  It creates a nice side-game that can keep you occupied (as if you needed more distractions).

The multiplayer, of course, is the star here.   When connected via WiFi, you can challenge any player who's also connected, so there's always a large pool of competitors to battle with.  You probably won't even have to go around looking for people to fight -- your screen will be popping with random challengers shortly after you launch the app (provided you have auto-acceptance switched on).

Actual online play, for now, still suffers from occasional lag and disconnections.   We're guessing they underestimated the load players will put on the system, so this isn't a surprise.  This is the type of problem that gets ironed out shortly as load becomes more predictable, though.  Despite the snags, matches are tons of fun (although that makes the issue a lot more frustrating).

Priced at $6.99 ($5.99 today only), Street Fighter IV Volt is quite the expensive purchase, especially if you already own SF IV.  Still, it's got online multiplayer and that makes it a no-brainer for fans of the franchise.

[iTunes]

Pro-wrestling games have been staples of my console gaming setups for as long as I can remember.  So far, though, mobile platforms haven't been kind to the genre and TNA Wrestling iMPACT really doesn't do much to change that situation.

There are plenty of good things here.  You get a cast well-rendered TNA superstars, including Samoa Joe, Hulk Hogan and AJ Styles, along with 21 others, complete with their costumes, entrances and signature moves.  There's a character creator, too, which lets you fashion some decent-looking wrestlers all on your own.  A generous collection of moves are available, all with good animations.  You can also pick up objects like chairs for going at it hardcore style.

Controls in TNA Wrestling iMPACT consist of a D-Pad for movement and separate buttons for attack, grapple and run.  Special buttons appear when you're in the position to pin an opponent, execute a finishing maneuver, climb stuff and a couple other situations.  There's not much complication when executing moves (think pre-SVR console games), so a lot of the gameplay is fairly basic.  If you like your wrestling games the old rock-em, sock-em style, this could be a regular on your playlist.  Career, exhibition and multi-player modes are all available.

On the downside, if you're looking for a little more gameplay depth, there's really none to be found here.  It's a little slow, too, compared to some of the fighting games on the iPhone.  There are also a lot of graphical glitches that hint at a rushed finished product.

Overall, I'd still recommend TNA Wrestling iMPACT if you're a hardcore fan of old-school, mindless pro-wrestling bash-a-thons.  There's potential here, but with too little variety in gameplay and an overall lack of polish, it's not worth a casual fan's $4.99.

[iTunes]

There's no shortage of retro games repackaged for mobile platforms.  This latest title to hit the App Store, Atari's Greatest Hits, could be the most significant single release to date.

You can download the app for free, although all you'll get is Atari's first game ever, the timeless classic Pong.  Since, let's face it, getting Pong is kind of pointless, you'll likely want to shell out to download a few of the 99 other classic games on offer (99 cents get you a four pack and $14.99 nets you the full lot).

If you find yourself drawn to the seemingly endless copycats of 70s and 80s Atari originals that litter Flash game sites, then this app will definitely keep you busy for a while.   The selection of games is wonderful, with amazing titles like Major Havoc, Yar's Revenge and Missile Command finding their way among the selection pool.  Sure, you get questionable additions like Basic Math, too, but the fun ones do outnumber them a good deal.

Being from an older era of gaming, the gameplay isn't all that sophisticated.  Then again, that's to be expected.  What's pleasantly surprising here are the control decisions, which work exceptionally well.  We also enjoyed the media galleries dedicated to each game, which feature original cabinet art and other bits of memorabilia that really capture the essence of the classic titles.  All the games allow a small amount of settings for gameplay and control customization, too, which is nice.

My favorite part of the whole deal?  Some of the games have been altered to allow multiplayer gaming over Bluetooth.  Personally, that's the part that made this set playable for me -- being rather disinterested in retro games for the most part.

[iTunes]

After skipping a release last year, a new Tiger Woods game just came out in the App Store.   The iOS version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12  was recently release, bringing more of the same mobile golfing action with a few new features that you might find enticing.

The main strength of the original Tiger Woods on the iPhone was its gameplay and that continues on through this iteration.  A few refinements have been thrown in here and there, but it remains primarily the same as the original.

The main part of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 remains the career mode, which has you competing in various tournaments for cash, which you can then use to both improve your skills and enter subsequent tournaments.  They also added a new Challenge mode, which has you competing in multiple mini-challenges that make for fun pickup games; a Closest to the Pin mode for competing with Facebook friends regarding which ones can get closest to a hole.  Multiplayer over Bluetooth and WiFi is supported for both the career and challenge modes.

Graphics are a definite step up from the original game, with marked improvements in appearance for almost every aspect of the visuals.   You also get more options in golf courses (8), more athletes to play with (8) and a character create mode.  The commentary is still better muted, though, but it's a small downside to an otherwise tremendous effort.

While the gameplay only marks a slight upgrade from the original;, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 still comes across as a big improvement to the mobile golfing franchise.  It's available from the App Store now, priced at $6.99.

[EA]

Games on the iPhone are getting better than ever.  Unfortunately, the amount of free time I have for enjoying them isn’t growing, so mindless arcade pick-up games remain my favorite App Store downloads.  And Lane Splitter is definitely a gem of the mindless bunch.

As the title suggests, the game is all about lane splitting.  You drive a speeding motorcycle in the highway -- zig-zagging between cars, leaving them behind and, generally, pissing off motorists on the road.  Basically, you play as that guy you sometimes imagine nudging while you're driving your car but never actually do since that's probably, at the very least, a manslaughter charge waiting to happen.

Lane Splitter uses the iPhone's tilt controls to let you steer your ride, with scores given based on how many cars you successfully pass before figuring in an accident.   You can also touch the screen to make the onscreen character do a wheelie, which will speed you up but should make managing the bike a lot more difficult.  Graphics are decent and the background changes when you hit new locales, but it's nothing special.

The game starts you out with just a few cars on the road, then gets progressively more difficult with heavy traffic and car drivers that seem to enjoy changing lanes a lot.   That is, until you finally crash and start over. There's really no depth at all beyond that, but isn't that the point of mindless pick-up arcade titles?

You can download Lane Splitter from the App Store, priced at 99 cents.

[Lane Splitter]

My expectations weren't that high for Angry Birds Rio.  Video games with movie tie-ins are traditionally rushed affairs looking to make a quick buck -- especially in the casual gaming space.

Gameplay remains faithful to the original game.  You fling wingless birds at a tower with the goal of bringing it down.  Instead of killing pigs, however, they modified it a little to add elements from the film: in the first world, you catapult your birds to break other birds out of their cages; in the second, you're trying to slay evil monkeys; at the last level, you fling the birds at Nigel, the main antagonist in the movie.

Angry Birds Rio has a total of 60 well-designed levels, all of which offer varying levels of challenge and enjoyment.  The game feels slightly upgraded from the previous one, with an improved interface, parallax scrolling and more collectible items.  Controls and physics remain solid as before.

While my expectations were low, Angry Birds Rio provided a nice surprise.  It isn't some rushed movie marketing designed for a quick buck -- some of the changes here can actually make the original game play a lot better, especially the boss level at the end.  You can get it from the App Store for 99 cents.

[iTunes]



If you own a DS, you've probably chanced upon Final Fantasy III for the platform, which was released around four years ago (based on the original FFIII from 20 years ago).  Well, an enhanced version is now available for iOS, giving iPhone gamers a chance to play the classic RPG title.

While drawn from the DS version, this new iteration actually looks a lot better -- the details are fuller, the textures are richer and the colors seem more vibrant.  While it's nowhere near as visually thrilling as some of the prettier iOS games we've seen, it works well.  The restyled controls feel great on the touchscreen, with a virtual analog stick for character movement and nearly every element in the game being available for tapping.

FFIII's gameplay is standard fare for RPGs, especially for those who grew up around modern games in the genre.  Do note that Square first designed this game twenty years ago, so most elements here are likely already familiar to you (some will even border on cliché and, others, downright expired in usefulness).  The random, pointless battles that don't do anything to move your forward, for instance, can be exhausting, as well as the stingy pre-defined save points.

The turn-based gameplay can feel slow to players used to more dynamic RPG action, especially with those self-same battle animations and victory sequences.  If you're willing to trudge through that, though, you can enjoy an earnestly challenging game that will require plenty of time and strategy to get right.

We're not sure how today's kids will take to a game like Final Fantasy III.  If you're up for a tough challenge and are willing to live with some old-school stylings, then this retro game should be right up your alley.  It's a bit too richly-priced, though, at $15.99.

[Square-Enix]

Double Dragon was one of my favorite games when I was young.  While it's not particularly a game that interests me today, I just can't pass up the opportunity to grab the latest series remake for the iPhone.

Staying faithful to the original gameplay, the game has you traveling from left to right, section by section.  There are six levels in all, with each one exposing you to countless waves of muscle-bound thugs and a boss waiting at the end.  It won't take that long to finish (yes, it felt much harder when I was young), with some replay value provided by 24 unlockable characters and a Time Attack mode.

Double Dragon's control system works well (buttons could be a little bigger, though), with few misfires even with the game's button-mashing nature.  The more irritating part about the control is that it puts a large overlay on the screen -- obscuring parts of the scene and, at times, enemy positions. Graphics have been updated a tad with just a hint of retro, so it won't look too much like a simple port from a decades-old game.  There's also some depth to the fighting system, with new moves unlocked after gaining experience points.

While I've only played solo so far, the game offers a cooperative two-player mode over Bluetooth, where you can have two spiky-haired characters beating up goons just like the original retro version.  I do wish they added in a versus mode, even if it does detract from the game's origins -- beating up virtual characters can only get you so much jollies.

You can get Double Dragon for iPhone now, with an introductory price of $3.99.  We suggest getting it early, since the $7.99 actual price doesn't sound too sweet a deal.

[BowMobile]

I didn't have high hopes for Fight Night Champion, the iPhone version of EA's hit Fight Night series on consoles.  The Xbox 360 titles I've played made for hours upon hours of entertainment and I can't imagine an iOS version really coming close to recreating that.

Fortunately, EA proved me wrong.  The boxing game turned out to be a mighty fun experience, even with the occasional hiccups (it crashed twice on me -- yikes) and the obvious limitations of the platform.

Fight Night Champion's overall gameplay shares many similarities to Fight Night 4, with fast and furious pugilistic action taking center stage round after round.  Controls can be a handful to learn, so make sure to take some time to learn it before giving up in frustration.  Once you get the hang of it, though, you'll realize it's actually pretty intuitive -- you tap to jab, swipe sideways for a cross, swipe up for an uppercut and so on.  The one really tough area is the movement: you need to tilt your phone to get the boxer to move and it feels like a chore even after 50 or so rounds.

As with all Fight Night games, there's a career mode with some depth to it, as well as quick play for short pick-up matches.  I'm really glad they managed to add multiplayer over WiFi and Bluetooth -- really ups replayability tenfold when you can bust heads with your friends.  Graphics are really good for an iPhone game and it comes with 20 big names in tow (both active and retired boxers), so there are no complaints on either end.

Overall, Fight Night Champion is a welcome download that will likely be a bestseller on the platform.  You can get it now for $4.99.

[EA]

Let me preface this with a disclaimer: I've stayed away from every NBA Jam game on every platform.  Being a big fan of the NBA 2K series, the comical gameplay of the title just didn't appeal to me.  With a lack of decent basketball games on the iPhone, however, I thought I might as well give NBA Jam a shot.

Visually, the game look stunning on the small display.  With the characters sporting 3D polygonal bodies and high-res photographs for heads, the effect is equally creepy and hilarious -- just the very things the developers are likely aiming for.  The animation is fluid and actual game performance is predominantly smooth (with a few hiccups here and there).

The old NBA Jam gameplay is recreated in the iOS version.  That means, a relatively free-for-all game of 2-on-2.  All the crazy things you can do on console versions are faithfully remade, so it's a lot of fun if you're into the on-court mayhem that's been the title's trademark all these years.

Control system works very well.  You get a virtual stick, a turbo button and another pair of buttons that changes functions, depending on whether you're on defense or offense.  It's simple, but accurate.  There's a training camp mode where you can pick up more advanced controls, such as making use of the turbo to turn regular moves into something spectacular (and, often, implausible).

All 30 NBA teams are represented, with 3 to 5 current players for each team available for use.   Each team has unlockable players, too, which range from retired legends to team mascots.  And, yes, it's a boatload of fun.

If there's anything missing in NBA Jam for iPhone, it's multiplayer.  Arcade games, especially action-packed sports ones, are just bundles more fun when played against people you can insult throughout the game.  As it is, though, this is a very fun sports title well worth the $4.99 price.

[EA]