The Download Blog

Let's just come right out and call this the Year of Resurrected PC Games. So far in 2009 we've seen iPhone recreations of Civilization, Command & Conquer, Doom, Myst, and even the ancient Lemonade Stand.

Earlier this month, Gameloft brought back one of my favorites: Driver. I know, I know, the game first appeared on the PlayStation, but it's the PC version I remember.

Set in the '70s (with a funk-a-licious soundtrack to match), Driver casts you as an undercover cop trying to expose a national crime ring.

That, of course, is simply an excuse to get you behind the wheel for madcap missions across four cities. Driver is like a playable version of the classic car-chase scene from "Bullitt"--and you're Steve McQueen.

Along with Beeker and Fozzie Bear, Animal ranks among my favorite Muppets characters. So it's great not only to see him starring in his own iPhone game, but to report that the game's a blast.

At first blush, The Muppets Animal Drummer from Disney looks like something out of Rock Band: you've got five drums that light up and change colors (and occasionally catch fire); combo bonuses and power-ups that appear as you progress; and Animal himself (itself?) banging away center-stage.

A little bit Rock Band, a little bit Simon, The Muppets Animal Drummer is all fun.

(Credit: Disney)

However, the gameplay's a bit different: Animal bangs out a series of beats using different parts of the drum set and different intervals. Your job is to play back the lick (by tapping the drums) using the exact same phrasing.

It starts off pretty easy, but quickly gets challenging (especially for rhythm-deprived individuals like myself). Even so, I find this a lot more fun than, say, Tap Tap Revenge or Rock Band, both of which reach a level of "impossible" that makes me lose all interest.

Here, you can improve your performance with practice--no superhuman levels of dexterity required.

There's also a Free Play mode that lets you drum along with any of the game's handful of songs (some of which must be unlocked by doing well in Classic mode) or songs in your iPod library. Younger kids in particular will have lots of fun with this, as it's really just noise on top of noise.

Whatever mode you choose, you'll enjoy snippets of Animal's voice along the way--icing on the cake.

And sweet cake it is. Animal Drummer may have built-in kid appeal (assuming kids these days even know who the Muppets are), but it's also plenty of fun for older players who enjoy music- and rhythm-centric games. At $1.99, I can highly recommend it.

(Credit: CNET)

As we close out another great year at Download.com, we've been putting together several end-of-year software collections. Just like last year, Jessica Dolcourt and I have split up the iPhone apps of the year into two groups. Jessica has put together the iPhone Starter Kit that's perfect for grabbing the best productivity apps to make your life more...productive. My job is quite the opposite. I went through my favorite games of 2009 (and quickly realized I had too many), and was able to narrow it down to 17 of my most played games. If you're looking to waste some time, this collection was made for you!

I tried to make a collection of games that would have something for everyone, so I included quick casual games along with strategy, tower defense, first-person shooters, word games, and more. Obviously, I recommend every game in this list, but hopefully you'll be able to find a genre you like so you have something to play over the holidays.

Without further ado, here are my favorite games for 2009.

The Simpsons Arcade is coming soon for iPhone and iPod Touch. What more is there to say?

(Credit: EA Mobile)

Remember the Simpsons coin-op arcade game? It's about to get the iPhone treatment.

EA Mobile is soon to release The Simpsons Arcade, which it calls "a throwback to the actual arcade game from the early 90s." How soon? EA swore us to secrecy for some reason, but let's just say you won't have long to wait.

Update: The game is now available in the App Store for $4.99.

The game casts you as Homer (woo-hoo!), who must race and battle his way through Springfield in his quest for, natch, a donut. (Mmmm...donut.) Oh, and there's something about a devious scheme that needs foiling (D'oh!).

Wait a sec: If this game's a 90s throwback, what's with the Matrix knockoff?

(Credit: EA Mobile)

Homer can punch, kick, dodge, belly-flop, and, my favorite, butt-slam his enemies. Along the way he'll earn "Family Frenzy" power-ups to summon help from other members of the Simpsons clan.

You'll also encounter various mini-games, including the very promising-sounding "Slap Homer," which uses touch and accelerometer controls to "slap" Homer back to life. Somehow, I can't imagine ever tiring of that.

"Ow! Stop hitting me! It really, really hurts!"

(Credit: EA Mobile)

Thankfully, all the characters' voices are supplied by the regular Simpsons cast.

I haven't seen the game firsthand yet, and I actually never played the coin-op original, but I'm dying to try it. How about you? Think you'll take this trip to the streets of Springfield?

Until now, Apple has held an odd place in the gaming industry. Many of the hottest games for the PC have never sold as well on the Mac, due not only to a smaller market share, but also Apple offering only a handful of hardware configurations that can run the latest, graphics card-melting titles.

But on the iPhone and iPod Touch things have been different.

Apple now markets the iPod Touch as a gaming device. Both it and the iPhone 3GS contain updated hardware that can run 3D (and 2D) games quite well. On top of that platform, developers have built thousands of games that cost a fraction of the price of titles found on handhelds from gaming heavyweights like Sony and Nintendo; most can be had for just a dollar, compared to the $20 to $40 that portable titles on physical media fetch.

Something that has been more interesting to watch though than the steady release of cheap games, is the rise of free, third-party social networks that come built into these titles. These provide developers with a simple way to incorporate social feature into their games, while letting players use the same profile from title to title.

Recognize these services? They're the ones that are being integrated into most of today's hottest iPhone games.

(Credit: CNET)

In 2009 six of these networks popped up (not counting Facebook or Gameloft live), and are now vying for the top spot, both from gamers and developers alike. But which one will end up being the most widely used service as the platform matures--the one everyone starts using? After all, users will eventually tire of having to deal with different networks from game to game. Right?

We looked at six of the biggest, compared features, user growth, and development cycles, and came to the conclusion that developers have already picked a winner. However, fierce competition, and refreshed hardware and software from Apple could quite easily bring us a new front-runner by this time next year.

The players

Right now the leader is a service called Open Feint, which was launched just nine months ago. It can be found in around 600 titles on the App Store, and has a following of 6 million users. It offers a handful of social features, including high-score leaderboards, Facebook and Twitter score publishing, friend challenging, live chat, achievements, and cross-promotion for other titles that use it. The easiest way to spot it is in application logos, which often feature the green and silver Open Feint symbol if it's built-in.

Despite its current dominance, Open Feint's reign could be short-lived. One of the most immediate threats is Facebook. The social network, which now sits at 350 million users strong, is already integrated into many of the social-gaming platforms (including Open Feint) as a sub-feature. Developers know it's where users are likely to have an existing log-in and friends list, and Facebook has made it incredibly simple to include within an app by making a lightweight, portable version of its Connect service.

Right now Connect for iPhone does two big things. One is to let you log-in to apps with your Facebook credentials. The other is to share information to your Facebook news feed, and additional users of that same iPhone app. Though currently missing from Facebook Connect for iPhone, but present on Facebook's main site, are many things that could make the tool more useful, for both users and developers, including:

• A live chat service
• A payment system that it could draw credit from for in-game purchases
• A social ad system

Currently, these are exactly the types of things these third-party social-gaming networks are trying to accomplish. Where Open Feint and others stand to get overtaken in the long run, would be a more advanced version of Connect for the iPhone. One that would bring more of Facebook's community and features into each app, bridging its utility outside of games and into other iPhone apps as well.

Facebook's latest numbers say its Connect service is being used by more than 60 million monthly users, who are accessing it across 800,000 Web sites and devices. That may be a fraction of its 350 million registered users, but is quite large compared to Open Feint's user and app penetration on iPhone alone. (Note: Facebook would not reveal to CNET how many of those users were on the iPhone, or how many iPhone apps were making use of the feature.)

There's also no discounting Apple itself, which could buy up any of these platforms and offer it as part of its own application SDK. That is assuming it does not come out with its own solution in a future platform update. Surely developers would want to include Apple's social-gaming system if it was a more streamlined part of the company's existing software development tools. Right?

It's not too late for such a feature either. Despite the fact that the company has made baby steps in changing the iPod and iPhone's hardware to appeal to gamers, it made big moves during the course of 2009 to make the software and business platforms more appealing for game developers. This included the launch of system software 3.0, which finally opened up Apple's hardware to peer-to-peer file transfers, Bluetooth multiplayer, in-app purchases, and the use of external hardware peripherals. Later in the year the company also changed its stance on in-app purchases to allow free apps to offer them.

The game

To put all this in perspective, let's take a look at how we got here in the first place. When iPhone game development really kicked off (shortly after the release of Apple's native application SDK in 2008), one thing that was immediately missing was any kind of central service to track player data and scores. As a result, many developers were stuck creating their own servers to save player records.

Aurora Feint was one of the first iPhone games to have social features.

(Credit: CNET)

The first title to come out with its own solution was Aurora Feint, a puzzle game that blended role-playing elements with falling, colored pieces users had to arrange to clear the board. Its crowning feature (besides being fun) was that it let users send their name and contact information to Aurora Feint's servers. The game would then scan for friends when they started using the game, and then challenge those friends to a score duel.

The only problem was that Apple didn't like this behavior. Not only was it being done without first asking for permission, it also violated the part of Apple's SDK agreement that said that a user's contact list could only be used within the app, but not shared with other users or stored on third-party servers. As a result, it was temporarily removed from the App Store.

Aurora Feint's creators worked it out with Apple and made it so that the app would first ask for permission before sending that information, as well as securing the information on its way back to the server. Following these changes, the app was re-released.

Five months after the release of the first Aurora Feint title, its developers, Danielle Cassley and Jason Citron, launched a sequel called Aurora Feint 2 (app store link) that added features like live chat and leaderboards. These features would go on to become the underpinnings of Open Feint, which would launch just three months later.

Open Feint was not the first to have its own platform, however. Competitor Geocade beat it to the punch by launching in January. Its big twist, compared to what Aurora Feint offered, was to let users see how their scores matched up compared to nearby gamers. To make it all work, the service would check for each user's location when they first launched the app. It also gave developers a chance to make a little money by hosting ads on the scoreboards, then splitting the revenue.

Geocade started out small with just two titles, and can now be found in 80. Unlike the others mentioned in this story, it also works on Google's Android, allowing developers to go cross-platform.

Geocade's big launch feature was that it would let players see how others around them were scoring. The service also offers a live view of the latest scores on its site.

(Credit: CNET)

After Geocade, came Facebook Connect for iPhone. While missing many of the features that would later be built by the independent networks, Facebook's offering was a very big step for social gaming on the iPhone. The popular social network was offering gamers a way to sign up to use applications with credentials to a service they were already using. For app developers, that meant that they didn't have to maintain a special user database. More importantly though, it would advertise their app out to that player's Facebook wall. Facebook Connect went on to become built-in to many of these third-party platforms, simply as a feature.

Facebook Connect for iPhone allowed gamers to publish scores to their Facebook walls, as well as slurp in friends lists.

(Credit: Facebook)

Just days after Facebook Connect was released for the iPhone, Open Feint became available to developers. Version 1.0 of its service launched with 30 titles. It offered chat and leaderboards, along with a way for users to join using their Facebook or Twitter credentials.

Open Feint was (and still is) free for developers as long as their apps were free. However, if an app cost money, Open Feint would charge based on how many users were using it each month. The service would also get a small cut out of any in-app purchases if they were suggested through its iPurchase system, which listed other apps using Open Feint.

A month after the launch of Facebook Connect and Open Feint came Scoreloop. Like the other networks, developers had to code it into their titles. In turn the players got their own profiles that stayed the same from game to game. They also got leaderboards and the capability to challenge other users on the service to score matches.

Where Scoreloop really stood out from some of the competitors was with its own built-in micro-purchase system. Unlike the other platforms, which were using in-app advertising, and cross-promotion, Scoreloop let developers build small charges into their apps using a virtual currency system. Players could win these coins by challenging other players (and winning), or by receiving them as a reward for completing certain parts of a game. The system is also set up to let users buy coins directly from Scoreloop, the revenue of which is then split with the developer.

Following Scoreloop came Agon, which is currently the second most widely used social gaming platform on the iPhone. Like Geocade, it came out the gates with leaderboards that could be geographically filtered, game achievements, and user profiles. However, Agon's big feature was that it took very little effort to stick into games; one line of code in fact.

Since release, Agon has put out two incremental updates that added a few more features to the mix. The first one added landscape orientation (so that players could use it with their device turned sideways), saved game data sync, and a way to publish high scores to Twitter and Facebook. This was followed up with the introduction of profiles, which would let multiple users share gaming profiles on the same device.

Right after Agon's release, Open Feint launched its second iteration. Released during Apple's World Wide Developer's conference, version 2.0 included a universal log-in--one that could be used across all Open Feint-enabled games, and across multiple devices. It also made it easier to discover other Open Feint-enabled titles that other users were playing, regardless of whether or not you were friends with them. This gave the service a social pulse, as you could see which games were getting the most attention at any given time.

Plus+ is one of the most exclusive iPhone game networks. Developers have to pitch their wares to get access to its SDK.

(Credit: CNET)

Following the release of Agon and Open Feint 2.0 was Plus+ (reads: plus plus) from publisher Ngmoco. Unlike all of the other networks mentioned thus far, Plus+ was introduced as a "premium" network, and one without an open SDK. This meant that developers would have to pitch their apps to get a crack at using the service. As a result of this, Plus+ remains one of the least-used services, but one with some very high-profile games.

For players, Plus+'s core features included a profile system, friend challenges, achievements, leaderboards, social score comparison, and social score publishing to Twitter and Facebook. It also had its own status message system that lets players post what they're doing for other Plus+ users to see. Developers, on the other hand, could get placement within other Plus+ apps, a way to push out notifications of game challenges, and a built-in analytics engine that could show them more information about the players who are using their game.

Ngmoco's approach with Plus+ would later lead other game publishers to launch their own systems. The latest is Crystal from Chillingo, which is currently in an invite-only beta. Like the others, it includes leaderboards, achievements, cross-promotion and social publishing to Facebook and Twitter. Chillingo is also letting developers completely re-skin it to match their apps.

Other publishers, however are keeping their tools to themselves. This includes Gameloft, which has what it calls "Gameloft Live," a service that includes a friends list, live chat, achievements, a mail network, and scoring system. It was originally launched last year for the company's mobile games, before being retooled for Gameloft's iPhone games in late 2009. Unlike the other solutions, the social service cannot be plugged into third-party titles--just Gameloft's latest releases.

Bigger is better

While competition has spawned better features among these services, the future brings a growing need for a more unified network. Even if all these networks begin to become impossible to differentiate, users are eventually going to want a less-disjointed platform when jumping from game to game, and app to app. Thus far Facebook, and even Twitter to some degree have provided that constant, just by giving users a way to log in to these platforms.

The unification can shake out in a number of ways though, the most likely of which is consolidation. Open Feint can continue to grow until it's snatched up by a larger company (like Apple). Or it can begin absorbing, or muscling out the other, less popular networks.

As mentioned before, Apple plays a big part in this: not only in how it changes the hardware, but also how it continues to evolve the business of the App Store and information sharing between applications. But that's not to say the company is in complete control. At the moment, developers--and not Apple--are calling the shots on which one of these mini-social networks is, and will continue to be, No. 1.

A glorious electronic makeover and new gameplay modes breath new life into the classic Battleship board game.

Free of messy pegs and full of clever touches, Battleship for iPhone and iPod Touch ($2.99) gives the classic board game a terrific 21st-century makeover.

In addition to Classic mode, the game offers two new options: Salvo and Superweapons. In Salvo, you get to select one target for each ship in your fleet--meaning for the first few rounds at least, you get to lob five shots instead of just one.

Suffice it to say, that makes the game go much faster than a traditional Battleship exercise, which can easily last 30-40 minutes.

In Superweapons mode, you get to choose four offensive or defensive weapons for your arsenal. Each one has a different "charge time," meaning you can use it only after a certain number of turns has elapsed.

Air Strike, for example, delivers a line of three bombs (for example, three shots for the price of one), while Decoy gives you a fake ship that registers hits just like a real one.

However, only a handful of superweapons are available at the start of the game. To unlock more, you have to sink ships over the course of many games.

I like the brief but lively cut scenes that appear when you fire a weapon, score a hit, and sink a ship. (You can even see aircraft sliding across the deck of the carrier as it capsizes--one of many nice little touches in the game.)

Because Battleship is best played against other humans, the game offers three multiplayer options: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and "pass & play." Missing, sadly, is Internet multiplayer, which would really be icing on the cake. How about it, EA?

Even without the online element, Battleship for iPhone ranks among my favorite board game adaptations to date. But fellow parents take note: When you play against your children and inevitably cry, "You sank my battleship!", be prepared for blank stares.

(Credit: CNET)

Looking at my iPhone yesterday, I noticed that there was a crack about a centimeter long right up the middle of the back of the handset coming straight from the charging area. It's hardly noticeable and I'm sure my iPhone will continue to work, but it definitely serves as a reminder that when my two-year contract is up in June, I'm going to be ready for a new iPhone.

Fortunately, a story over at AppleInsider points to a rumor that the next generation of iPhones are set to come out right about that time. Eldar Murtazin, an insider, said the next generation iPhone has recently been slated for production by Foxconn, Apple's Taiwanese iPhone manufacturer, putting the handset right in line for a June release. Some of the reworked features mentioned in the article include a new Apple-designed map replacement and the possibility for RFID swipe support (handy in checkout lines). Like any news related to Apple, almost everything revolves around rumors, but it does make me excited for when I can finally upgrade beyond the iPhone 3G.

This week's apps include a popular database app for movie buffs and a huge update for one of the first iPhone games.

The iPhone-friendly layout helps you get to info you want quickly

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

IMDb (free) is a new iPhone app that lets you access movie, TV, and celebrity information from the popular Internet Movie Database. Like the IMDb Web site, you'll be able to access just about any information you could want about movies, celebrities, TV shows, and photos, all on your iPhone. But even better than the Internet version, you'll also be able to browse movie and TV show times in your area once you give IMDb access to your location.

The interface for IMDb was clearly made for mobile, with a launch page that lets you access local movie and TV information so you can find a movie or schedule your evening viewing on the go. But at the very top of the interface is a searchbox for all those moments where you want to know a specific actor from some obscure movie. Simply type in the information you have, and IMDb gives you a huge list of results. When you drill down to actor and movie pages, you get an easy to browse layout with a filmography, actor bios, and much more. People who love movies or just like having a portable database to search for local movies, TV shows, and celebrities should definitely grab this app.

Navigating past those cannons and obstacles is going to be tricky

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

Labyrinth 2 ($4.99) is the sequel to one of the early games that showed off the accelerometer capabilities of the iPhone. But where the original was a straight-forward game where you tilt the phone to guide the metal ball to the goal, Labyrinth 2 adds several more maps, tons of features and obstacles, and breathes new life into an old game concept.

The first thing you'll notice about Labyrinth 2 is the enormous amount of playable map packs. Each map pack is rated so you can pick easy levels for more casual play, medium for a little more challenge, and hard levels when you're ready to dive in to a real challenge. What moves this iteration of the old game into modern times are new features to effect gameplay. Amidst the usual walls and holes you need to navigate around, there are now magnets and fans to knock you off track, cannons that shoot at your ball, and floor switches that open gates to get to the goal. Even if you manage to get past all the included map packs you can download free level packs to keep going. Overall, if you liked the original game for iPhone (and even if you didn't), Labyrinth 2 offers so much content and new concepts to the game that it's definitely worth checking out.

What's your favorite iPhone app? Are you happy to finally see the official IMDb on the iPhone? What do you think of Labyrinth 2? Let me know in the comments!

Call me a sucker for the holiday season, but at this time of year I just can't get into mowing down zombies and blasting TIE fighters. I need games that put me in a more, well, merry frame of mind.

Thankfully, the App Store has no shortage of holiday-themed entertainment. I've rounded up five festive games for players young and old.

Flight Before Christmas puts a cute, Santa-themed spin on Flight Control.

Christmas Match A holiday spin on the classic memory game, this one's designed for younger players. It has falling snow, jingle-bell sounds and music, and, of course, holiday-decorated cards to flip. Price: 99 cents.

Crazy Snowboard--Holiday Special I respect my bones too much to snowboard in real life, but I do love a good snowboarding sim. This one puts you in a Santa suit and sends you grinding down the slopes, where you'll smash past elves, candy canes, and, for some reason, zombies. Kooky, yes, but still great fun. Price: $2.99.

Flight Before Christmas It's Flight Control meets Christmas as you help Santa plot a flight path, delivering presents to all the houses while avoiding other air traffic: jets, helicopters, even UFOs. If you can hit multiple houses without altering your path, you score combo points. It's a great twist on an iPhone classic. Price: 99 cents.

Triazzle Holiday puts your puzzle-solving skills to the test--festively!

Santa's Run The game that Grinchmas should have been (and may yet be--updates are in the works), Santa's Run tasks you with flinging presents to various houses' chimneys and doorways. A power meter controls the strength of your toss, while wind speed and direction can affect the path. Plus, you play across four different backgrounds. Not a ton of replay value here, but it's fun while it lasts. Price: 99 cents.

Triazzle Holiday Remember Triazzle, the classic puzzle game that made a dazzling iPhone debut last summer? This four-level holiday edition adorns the puzzles with Christmas lights, ornaments, nutcrackers, and even dreidels for my fellow Red Sea pedestrians. Price: 99 cents.

Speaking of holiday apps, don't miss the cool Dr. Seuss Camera--Grinch Edition I mentioned a few days ago.

In the meantime, hit the comments and let me know what holiday-themed apps are visiting your iPhone or iPod Touch this year.

(Credit: CNET)

For a friend's birthday the other night, we all went down to his rehearsal space (he's in a band) and played music, often switching instruments to see what we could come up with. Not everyone there was a musician, but with drums, guitars, basses, a keyboard, percussion instruments, and microphones, everyone found a way to get in on the jam. To add to the fun later in the night, my friend also had a cord to connect an iPod or iPhone to the PA system which meant I could try out some of my music apps. Among the apps we tried--all to great success--were iDrum Hip Hop Edition, FingerBeat (reviewed below), and I Am T-Pain (auto-tuning our voices was a big hit).

If you want to create music on your iPhone, there are a ton of music apps in the iTunes app store to choose from, even if you don't have a fancy PA system to hook into. Consequently, Leslie Katz wrote an article today at CNET showcasing a group of University of Michigan students who took the iPhone-as-instrument concept to a whole new level. Using apps they designed themselves, they created an ensemble performance as a way to finish out the semester. Though it's much more serious than playing beats and auto-tuning your voice like my friends and I did the other night, their performance makes me wonder what new musical creations people will come up with in the future as more iPhone music apps are released.

Update: I guess music is in the air, because I just found out Brian Tong and the folks who make the Apple Byte included the I Am T-Pain app in their latest episode (about 3 minutes in). It's definitely worth checking out.

This week's apps include a music app to create your own music and a demolitions puzzle game that challenges you to raze buildings as efficiently as possible.

Play the drums manually or swipe to the left or right for more tools

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

FingerBeat ($3.99) is a music creation tool that helps you flesh out ideas, create multitrack songs, and make beats wherever you are. The primary screen (upon launch) is where the drum pads are where you can sample some of the sounds available by touching each of the pads. Once you've created a basic loop, get into the more serious song-creation tools by swiping your finger to the left. This brings up a visual editor where you can add or erase sounds from your loop and change the pitch of each of the tones. You also can create beats with separate patterns to play in sequence by touching the pattern buttons on the left side of the interface.

FingerBeat offers excellent sounds on its own, but you also can record short samples on the iPhone microphone and include them in your songs. Once you're happy with your song, you can even add a singing part to finish your project. The interface is not incredibly intuitive, requiring a certain amount of trial and error to get to some of the more advanced options and to figure out how to use each tool. Still, once you get used to the various screens and what each function does, you'll be able to create cool sounding beats and save them to your iPhone.

Place the bombs on key supports before hitting the plunger

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

Implode ($1.99) is a remake of an online flash game that translates extremely well to the iPhone interface. The object of the game is to demolish structures so that they fall below a designated height limit and within a certain amount of time. To start you can choose from 3 different skill levels and play through several building types for each level. Just like those buildings that you've probably seen demolished on the news, you're job is to place explosives in key points to blow up walls that compromise the structural integrity of the building. Drag bombs to the precise location you want them before you hit the plunger. You only get a limited number of bombs to place, so you need to make sure they will cause the building to topple before the time runs out.

Implode is surprisingly addictive, and the hand-drawn quality of the levels (like building drawings) makes it fun to move through each of the building types. As you start to get in to the more difficult levels, you'll be faced with huge structures and unique wall types that you can't blow up. As I was playing, I liked how each building presented a new set of problems I had to work out, and getting a large building to fall on the first try is especially satisfying. If you like puzzle games, Implode is a unique option that is really well done both in the way it looks and the intuitive interface.

What's you're favorite iPhone app? Do you have a favorite music app to share? What do you think of the FingerBeat interface? Do you like the unique challenges of Implode? Let me know in the comments!