Gameloft never tries to reinvent the wheel.  What they do, and they do it very well, is to bring inspired clones or ports of successful games from other platforms onto the Idevice.  In N.O.V.A. they deliver a striking Halo inspired FPS that should appeal to that large fan base.

Driver was brutally difficult back in 1999 even with a dual analog controller on a large screen and although Gameloft has lightened the difficulty with an easy mode for the Iphone, it’s still a rough ride especially with the super springy suspension and less than ideal controls you’re given.  But before you drive off the bridge or worse yet throw your Iphone across the room in frustration, here are some driving tips that might help you lose the heat.

In order to clean house at the end of the year I’ve decided to give quick reviews on two noteworthy games that were released in the last month amid the Christmas rush: Labyrinth 2 by Illusion Labs and Jet Car Stunts by True Axis.   Sometimes a quick play is just what you need to get you through the day and Labyrinth 2 fills that need perfectly.  Jet Car Stunts is a unique racer that pits you against some colorful block tracks in time trials and a stunt mode without making you contend with other racers, upgrades or involving you in a long career.

If you played Driver when  it came out for the Playstation and PC in 1999, your memories are probably bittersweet.  While the physics, pre-GTA open world driving and crazy cops-on-crank made for some fond memories, the difficulty was legendary and sent many a frustrated gamer in search of the latest cheat codes.  Gameloft has ported a complete version of this gaming classic to the Iphone with decreased difficulty and upgraded graphics to give mobile gamers the most fun you can have driving without getting busted.

Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. by Gameloft let’s Iphone flight jockeys take to the skies in an exciting high altitude thrill ride through 13 long and involving air/ground combat missions that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.  You’ll get to fly 26 advanced aircraft over real world GeoEye imaged locations from Rio to Washington while being challenged to use all the high-tech weaponry, targeting and flying skills at your disposal to succeed.  You won’t want to eject from this cockpit.

Call of Duty World at War - Zombies by Activision and Treyarch packs more intensity, gore, tension and body parts into one level than I’d ever thought I’d see on a mobile phone.  COD Zombies traps you in a thoroughly convincing 2-story Nazi bunker called Nacht der Untoten lifted directly from the zombie mode of the console blockbuster Call of Duty - World at War and lets you have at it with an onslaught of zombies on your handheld whenever and wherever the mood strikes.

2009 was a watershed year for 3D gaming on the Iphone.  After hinting at its capabilities in 2008, the Iphone exploded with brilliant and immersive 3D games in every category to establish itself as a legitimate gaming platform for on the go entertainment.  The Iphone demonstrated a remarkable ability to handle everything the best developers in the world could throw at it in terms of gorgeous 3D graphics, animation, open game worlds, multiplayer connectivity, tilt and touch controls and fast paced action.  Although I expect some huge releases in the final weeks of the year, these are my choices for the games that have set the bar for 3D gaming on the Iphone as we head into 2010.

Ravensword: The Fallen King by Human Powered Games and Crescent Moon is an action/role-playing game that creates an attractive, large and immersive medieval fantasy world for you to explore in either first person or third person on your Iphone.  That in itself is an achievement that deserves praise.  But does the action and the role playing measure up to the remarkable 3D environment?

If you’ve enjoyed the previous editions of Gameloft’s arcade racing Asphalt series you’ll be glad to know nothing has changed.  Lots of exotic cars and motorcycles to unlock from Lotus’ to Lamborghini’s and Ducati’s along with 12 good looking locations with 4 different types of races at each locale.  While some may wish for a little wrinkle in the formula, the motto “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” has served Gameloft well for 5 editions.  Unfortunately, they’ve added one new wrinkle that very well could of been left out.

EA Sports has brought some nice sports titles to the Iphone this year in Tiger Woods, Madden and FIFA.  Now they bring their game onto the hardwood with the fully licensed and well-presented NBA Live 10 where the mobile gamer can pick-up-and-play a single  game, season or playoff with any of the 30 NBA teams and their up-to-date rosters.