Resolution Interactive, the maker of the fine jet ski racer AquaMoto Racing, show they can do down and dirty as well as wet and wild with their new ATV racer DirtMoto Racing for the Iphone. Built upon the frame of their previous racer, they’ve taken the knowledge they’ve gained on the water to give us one of the longest, most comprehensive dirt racing blasts found on the Iphone.

Doom lover’s may well recoil in utter horror and disgust at the mere mention of their landmark classic being placed “on rails”. This seems to go against all that is holy and good in the gaming universe. Yet Doom Resurrection by Id is a product of the genius that is John Carmack and as such we all need to bow our head and pay him the respect that is due the Godfather of the first person shooter.

The Iphone continues to accelerate on the lead as the most prolific mobile gaming platform as each ground-breaking new app sets a pace that few handhelds can match. The latest pacesetter is the aptly named hardcore racing simulator Real Racing from Firemint. Although Iphone games are reasonably priced in comparison to games for other platforms, with so many titles being released, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to decide where to spend your hand-earned gaming buck.

3D mobile gaming is expanding by leaps and bounds thanks to the Iphone and its open SDK. The only problem with this is that some fine games from smaller developers may get buried in the avalanche of apps being released in the app store. Hopefully this won’t happen to TowerMadness from Limbic as this is a refreshing and innovative slant on the tower defense genre.

Some games are ported over to the Iphone virtually intact and simply fitted with new controls (Resident Evil Regeneration) while others come with slight tune-ups and updates

(Galaxy on Fire 2). Then there are some like Need for Speed Undercover by EA that are given major overhauls, virtually rebuilt to race the Iphone track. The end result, in this case, is a game that is bigger, bolder and many times better than it’s Java origins could of ever suggested.

My low regard for games with movie tie-in’s has been Terminated. Gameloft has taken the built in man ‘vs.’ machine appeal from the long-standing Terminator franchise and created a monster game for the Iphone in Terminator Salvation. With their cinematic flair and attention to detail, perhaps no other developer is better suited to bring John Conner to your Iphone than Gameloft.

Tiger is back on the prowl and looking to conquer the Iphone in the absorbing Tiger Woods PGA Tour by EA. Is he returning with his familiar “A” game or is there some rust in the swing? The competition has improved, so once again Tiger must elevate his game to assert his dominance over a new generation of mobile golfers.

 

From the swing mechanics to the hushed and reverent tone of the announcers who comment on every shot, this is a “serious” golf simulation and, like real golf, requires a learning curve. Discarding the 3-tap circular swing method, Tiger has once again reconstructed his swing in favor of a down-then-up swipe along a swing path on the right side of the screen. This gives you the ability to draw or fade the ball by curving your swipe to the inside edge or outside edge of the swing path or if you prefer swipe straight down for a straighter shot. 

Hot on the bumper of the Fast & Furious Pink Slip, Firemint and I-Play have fired up Fast & Furious 3D for the Iphone and Java to coincide with the movie release. While games that are released to capitalize on movies have a generally rotten egg smell to them perhaps Firemint, who delivered a nice ride in Pink Slip, can buck the trend. Still, this makes for some heavy traffic with fast and furious street racers crowding all the mobile lanes to await the green light.

The Iphone and Ipod touch with their accelerometers have a remarkable ability to impart near organic control to games. Nanosaur 2 by Pangea Software is a prime example of how tilt control can add a dimension that even consoles can’t match.

Don’t be fooled by the cartoon graphics or the fact that you play as a pint sized kid a la Hot Shots Golf, Let’s Golf by Gameloft for the Iphone is a beautiful golf simulation that out drives Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Vijay and Pro Series to provide the best golfing yet on a mobile phone.