Mobile gaming’s premier racing simulation, Real Racing 2 by Firemint, is available for a meager $2.99.  Real Racing 2 blurs the line between mobile and console gaming and in some ways surpasses the older platform.

If you’re driving down the road and see gas selling for $.99  you’d probably  swerve over, hop the curb and eagerly screech to a halt.  Such is the case with Race illegal - High Speed 3D by Chillingo and Apetrus, a $.99 cent racer that’s a no-brainer for most race fans regardless of whether they’re getting hi-octane or simply low grade soup.

Once you start your engine, you’ll find that High Speed 3D revs up quite nicely and is indeed a full-fledged racer complete with a career, a story, a garage, a wide range of races and no fuel sucking IAP’s.  While that may not qualify High Speed as hi-octane, since it does produce a few misfires, you certainly won’t feel ripped-off as you leave the station.

There’ve been a number of noteworthy 3D games released in the past month and foremost amongst these is the deeply strategic and exciting Anomaly Warzone Earth by Chillingo.  This reverse tower defense game is set in a smoke-filled and gorgeously  rendered 3D war zone where you build and lead an armored convoy through a minefield of deadly towers in a series of diverse and progressively difficult missions.  It’s a beautifully presented, unique and compelling war game.

I hate bugs. My first instinct is to swat or smash the vermin not to take them into battle as heroic warriors. But Bug Heroes has won me over and I look forward to my daily battles with my feisty little buggers as I try to level them up and make them stronger in their never ending struggle to find food and protect their stash. I’m starting to grow a certain fondness for Foursaken Media’s brave little bugs, a fondness that’s aided by the fact that Bug Heroes has recently gone free with IAP for those who get hopelessly bitten by the bug.

Toward the end of last year I was focused on writing reviews for an Android site and while I was aware of the great major releases like Real Racing 2, Black Pegasus and Nova 2, I missed some of the lesser known titles.  One of these is the horribly-titled Uber Racer 3D by Mad Processor.

This Mad Max inspired off-road racer is a great running mate to the track-based racing of RR2.  UR is a 3D racer with a real go-anywhere-do-anything feel to it.  The races take place in a desolate burnt-out future after the holocaust and the prize is oil.

Like a good game of chess, turn-based tactical combat can be one of the most strategically satisfying gaming genres. It forces you to plan out every move in order to succeed. Tactical Soldier by Full Control Software gets it right and delivers a tense, absorbing challenge for your strategic appetite.

After taking a year off, EA deems it safe to release Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12.  It looks better than the last release, at least Tiger looks like Tiger, but they’ve gone for the safe play too many times to make for an exciting or innovative release.

Even if you missed last weeks $.99 sale, if you’re in the mood for a long and absorbing action RPG you can’t go wrong with Gameloft’s Dungeon Hunter II even at $6.99. This epic game will have you exploring gorgeous dungeons, caves, swamps, sky islands and castles for weeks if not months as you build up your character with tons of weapons, armor and magic attacks.

$1.00 can buy some terrific games in the App Store and Star Battalion by Gameloft is one of them.  This space fighter will remind you of everything from Star Wars to Star Fox with nice evolving missions in beautifully diverse locations with explosive free-flight action that provides an awful lot of bang for your buck.

Next to being buried alive, abandonment in space is one of my greatest fears. Combine that with being stalked by some truly frightening alien abominations intent on slicing you up and you have the nightmare that is Dead Space. EA crystallizes these primal fears brilliantly to give iPhone gamers a terrifying yet truly compelling survival shooter.