The whole thing is quite interesting if you’re into user experience design, but the gist is that Angry Birds fits extremely well within our brains’ “mental model” of what the game should be. Not only is that bird-tossing physics engine easily calculated into our cranium, but the game’s bite-sized levels (which you can scroll across to re-check at any time) also play into our short-term memory programming as well.

And finally, Angry Birds nails down the visual experience by being both simple enough for almost anyone to understand, but just complicated enough to remember in an iconic way (so much so that the characters in the game have been turned into cakes, costumes, and even, um, bras. What Angry Birds did is no secret (and lots of other games have aped its look and aesthetics since — that “star rating on tons of levels” feature is now an iOS standby), but Mauro has done an excellent job really breaking down point by point why this game is so astoundingly successful on a cognitive level.

[via Slashdot]

Angry Birds Rio HD – $2.99

Angry Birds Rio HD!

What happens when everybody’s favourite fierce fowl get caged and shipped to Rio? They get very angry!

In Angry Birds Rio, the original Angry Birds are kidnapped and taken to the magical city of Rio de Janeiro, where they eventually escape their captors and set out to to save their friends, Blu and Jewel – two rare macaws and the stars of the hit motion picture, Rio. Angry Birds Rio will pair the physics-based gameplay of the original game with unique twists based on the film.

Angry Birds Rio features:
- Five fantastic episodes with 150 exciting levels!
- Completely new achievements!
- Special Hidden fruits – discover them all!
- Put your Angry Birds skills to the ultimate test in spectacular boss fights!

Cut The Rope HD

***Om Nom is jumping for joy with his new Toy Box! Now you can choose to feed him candy, donuts or cupcakes. And Om Nom has been making a special treat for you, too! He has drawn and colored some cute pictures for you to share with your friends, but he has been so busy catching candy he can’t remember where he left them! Will you be the first to find them all and get them back to his gallery?***

WWDC 2011 Apple Design Award Winner!

We’re proud to announce that Cut the Rope is the world’s first iOS game to win a BAFTA Award!

Best Handheld Game — BAFTA Awards 2011
Most Innovative Game— Pocket Gamer Awards 2011
Best Casual/Puzzle Game — Pocket Gamer Awards 2011
Best Handheld Game — Game Developers Choice Awards 2011
Best Puzzle Game — Best App Ever Awards 2010

A mysterious package has arrived, and the little monster inside has only one request…CANDY! Help get the candy to Om Nom, the lovable star of the game, in this highly innovative and addictive puzzle game. Combining outstanding physics, devilishly tricky levels, and bright colorful High Definition visuals, Cut the Rope is one of the most original and fun-filled games on the App Store.

Cut the Rope Highlights
• Combines realistic physics with simple, yet accurate, and precise touch control.
• An incredible 200 levels to complete and a whopping 600 stars to collect.
• Think before you slice and be sure to avoid the enemies and obstacles.
• Collect three golden stars in each stage. Some are easy, some are deviously difficult
• Dodge jagged spikes, look out for sneaky spiders, electrical fields and more.
• Use a variety of special tools in your effort to get Om Nom his candy.
• Find the hidden Om Nom drawings and show off on Facebook.
• Game Center and Crystal enabled with twitter and Facebook integration.

Real Racing 2 HD – $6.99

Are you ready for the ultimate racing experience for iOS? Optimized specifically for iPad and iPad 2, Real Racing 2 HD is a heart-pounding, visually astounding 3D racer that puts the steering wheel directly in your hands. The expansive, 10-plus hour career mode and extensive, one-of-a-kind multiplayer means the fight for first place is never over.

UNSURPASSED, CUTTING-EDGE 3D VISUALS

Relish exceptional, luscious graphics that push the iPad to its limits, and take full advantage of the iPad 2′s enhanced hardware.

BOUNDLESS, IMMERSIVE GAMEPLAY

30 licensed cars from real-world manufacturers. 15 stunning locations. Regular updates supply a stream of new events, improvements and features.

WORLD CLASS CAREER MODE

Over 10 hours of Cup, Head to Head, Championship, Time Trial and Elimination races await your expert skills.

INTUITIVE PRECISION CONTROLS

Take the wheel as your iPad becomes the ultimate racing implement. Come to grips with unerring handling on iPad 2, thanks to full gyroscope support.

THRILLING MULTIPLAYER

Compete over local Wi-Fi or online with players of Real Racing 2 HD and Real Racing 2, and experience pioneering 16-player online multiplayer.

TAKE THE RACE ONLINE

Track your progress against the world’s top racers using Game Center and Firemint’s Cloudcell technology. Record and upload videos of your best to YouTube for max kudos.

DRIVE ANYWHERE, ANYTIME

Upload and download your save games between Real Racing 2 HD and Real Racing so your progress is always synced.

N.O.V.A 2 – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance – $6.99

The ultimate sci-fi FPS is back! Get ready to step into a whole new level of gaming on your Apple device!

BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER!
- Meet new enemies with improved AI!
- Master a larger range of weapons & powers
- Much more diversified gameplay: run, shoot, fall, drive a motorbike, pilot a giant mech, and blast a laser
- The more, the merrier, now with up to 10 players in 10 multiplayer maps
- Build a career and rise through the multiplayer leaderboard
- Explore new locations, offering amazing graphics
- Enjoyed the first N.O.V.A. – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance? Be rewarded with extra bonuses.
———————————————
IGN: “Using your sci-fi boom-boom is made easier thanks to the gyro, which Gameloft used to great effect.”
Pocket Gamer: “N.O.V.A. 2 promises to be the complete iPhone and iPod touch shooter experience.”
TouchGen: “Fans of the original are unlikely to be disappointed.”
———————————————
6 years have passed since the events depicted in the first episode.
Humanity is now thrown into a bloody civil war fought on one side by the central government of the Terran Orbitals and the self-appointed Human-Alien Alliance; a new organization with a mysterious origin and agenda. Kal Wardin left active service in N.O.V.A. years ago and now lives among the colonists of the desert planet Scorpius.
But war never spares even the most peaceful places…

AN UNPARALLELED SINGLE-PLAYER CAMPAIGN:
- 12 chapters taking you through hostile, yet amazing environments of various Orbitals
- Over a dozen weapons including the Dual Hand Guns, Assault Rifle, Shotgun, Automatic Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, Rocket Launcher, Grenade Launcher, Alien Plasma Gun, Alien Lightning Gun, Alien Laser Gun, Turrets, Frag Grenades and Mines
- 3 special powers: Freeze, Slow Time and Disc for melee combat
- A wide range of enemies with improved AI, for even more intense combats

INTENSE MULTIPLAYER MODES:
- 1~10 players online or locally
- 5 modes: Free for All, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Freeze Tag, and InstaGib
- Ranking & Perk systems
- 10 maps on which to battle it out
- Play against your friends or the entire world through Gameloft LIVE!
- Worldwide leaderboards in the game & on the official website, www.near-orbit-vanguard-alliance.com

EXCLUSIVE REWARDS FOR VETERAN PLAYERS
If you played the first episode:
- Jump into multiplayer with bonus XP, allowing you access to advanced weaponry
- Unlock a special achievement on Gameloft LIVE!

World of Goo – $4.99

“iPad Game of the Year” – TouchArcade
“iPad Game of the Year” – MetaCritic

IMPORTANT: This is a big game and requires either an iPad, or iPhone 3GS or newer, or a 3rd gen iPod Touch or newer. It must be downloaded over a Wi-Fi connection.

Beautiful and surprising, the millions of Goo Balls who live in the World of Goo are curious to explore – but they don’t know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious.

This is the FULL award winning game, now on iPad. Drag and drop living, squirming, talking, globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins, and giant tongues.

Mysterious Levels – Each level is strange and dangerously beautiful, introducing new puzzles, areas, and the creatures that live in them.

World of Goo Balls – Along the way, undiscovered new species of Goo Ball, each with unique abilities, come together to ooze through reluctant tales of discovery, love, conspiracy, beauty, electric power, and the third dimension.

The Sign Painter – Someone is watching you.

World of Goo Corporation – Congratulations! World of Goo Corporation is the Global Leader in Goo and Goo Related Product, including World of Goo Corporation Trademark Brand Soft Drink Beverage and World of Goo Corporation Trademark Brand Facial Exfoliating Lotion. Succulent!

Massive Online Competition – Human players around the world compete in a living leaderboard to build the tallest towers of goo in World of Goo Corporation’s mysterious sandbox. World of Goo Corporation is contractually obligated to state that everyone is a winner and is enthusiastic to celebrate everyone’s tower building opportunities equally.

The current Real Racing, the second in the series, is set to get a brand new lick of paint to coincide with the release of Apple’s iPhone 4S, just in time to take advantage of the increased horsepower afforded by the move to the new dual core A5 chip.

Along with new and improved graphics, Real Racing 2′s upcoming update will also add AirPlay support, meaning players can use their devices as controllers, while the action is displayed on the big screen via the wonders of the Apple TV.

With Apple’s announcement of iOS 5 and AirPlay mirroring at WWDC 2011, Firemint is thrilled to report that, come the new OS, Real Racing 2 HD will be the first title to support full screen wireless gaming over AirPlay!

But wait, there’s more!

Firemint’s press release today adds an extra little bit of spice to proceedings, with Real Racing 2 set to becoming a truly multiplayer experience.

Not only will players be able to use an Apple TV to throw the game screen onto a television, but they will also be able to do the same thing with up to three of their friends’ displays shown on-screen simultaneously. Granted, that’s one expensive multiplayer set up right there, but chances are everyone would bring their own iDevice to the party.

Firemint calls this new mode ‘Party Play’ and if it looks anything like as good as the screenshots (above), they’re undoubtedly onto a winner!

Party Play takes AirPlay to the next level of iOS gaming, facilitating wireless local multiplayer for up to 4 players simultaneously in a split screen display output to your HD TV using an iPad 2 or iPhone 4S as the host. Play in the comfort of your own home and experience the joy of championship racing with iOS 5.

Firemint’s Real Racing 2 and Real Racing 2 HD are already hugely popular titles on the App Store, and moves like this will only bolster their positions as two of the most downloaded games on the platform.

This also shows just what is possible with a couple of iPhones, iPads or iPod touches and an Apple TV. Has Apple stumbled upon the next big thing in home console gaming, and if they have, how will the likes of Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony react?

Interesting times ahead for the gaming industry, it seems.

(via Firemint)

You’re probably going to read a lot of hyperbole about the game’s graphics, but in this case it’s well-deserved. Shadowgun presents a (comparatively) bright, colorful world with sharp details and character models that look a mix of Gears of War and Borderlands. Watch the video below; the game really looks like that.

The game’s a third-person shooter, and the controls are similar to Dead Space. Not to belittle EA’s contribution (which looks pretty damn good as well), but the well-lit backgrounds of Shadowgun make the visuals stand out that much more.

Beyond the visuals though, Shadowgun doesn’t have too much to offer. I’ve only played through the first handful of chapters and several boss fights, but it’s obvious that Shadowgun would make a terrible console game. The music is a constant, grating rock riff that’s annoying as soon as you start playing, the levels are laid out in mostly straighforward corridors, and the game’s plot and dialogue are painfully bad. Cover works OK, stand next to a wall or barrier to duck down, pull back to move away, press forward to jump over it. But I spent the majority of my play time moving from cover point to cover point, taking out enemies, then moving on to the next. No matter how awesome the visuals are, nothings going to make that feel less tedious.

We’ll have a full review up soon, and I’m eager to see what the game looks like running on an iPad 2. You can download and try out the game yourself right now from the App store, but if you’re stuck with an Android phone, you’ll have to wait a few more months for the game’s wide release.

As it stands, Shadowgun is visually on par with a C-tier 360 or PS3 game. Sure, you don’t have any character customization options, and everything is purposefully simple, but it’s plain impressive to look at. If you’re a Gears of War fan, this is the kind of mobile experience that will make you very, very happy. Ultimately, though, Shadowgun is less exciting for what it is, and more exciting for the future possibilities it teases.

BUILD YOUR DREAM COLLECTION
Discover 42 cars and bikes from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Ducati and other world-class manufacturers. Collect them in your own 3D garage that you can explore using the gyroscope.

RACE YOUR FRIENDS
You can even take on friends in Online and Local Multiplayer mode for up to 6 racers. Climb the online leaderboard to be the best in the world!

LEAVE THE WORLD IN YOUR DUST
These street races will have you tearing up city streets in L.A., Tokyo, the Bahamas and more. Each location is rendered in beautiful HD graphics that take full advantage of the Retina display.

CHALLENGE THE BEST
Don’t take your eyes off the road for a second, because you’ll be driving against tough opponents in 11 different leagues and 55 events.

TUNED TO PERFECTION
Take advantage of numerous tuning options to help your vehicles reach peak performance on any track. You can even customize your vehicles with decals to give them your own style.

 

Unfortunately though, the game doesn’t come in a universal binary for iPhone and iPad. What this means is that you will have to purchase it twice if you want to enjoy it both on your iPhone and iPad.

Set in a dystopic alternate future in the fictional town of Hammer’s Peak, the narrative follows William Glaston as he returns home after many years of war to find his home town has undergone nightmarish changes.

Check Offical Trailer Out:

LOVE FOOTBALL. PLAY FOOTBALL. Experience the action of your favorite sport like never before! Watch matches come to life with vibrant graphics, ultra realistic animations, and the most responsive controls ever delivered on iPhone. Now for the first time on iPhone, take your club to the top of the league table with Manager Mode.

BRING YOUR CLUB TO GLORY IN MANAGER MODE
Trade players, upgrade staff, and scout for talent. Develop players and choose the best tactics to make your squad the team to beat!

REAL PLAYERS, REAL TEAMS, REAL LEAGUES
Featuring over 22 officially licensed leagues, 500 licensed teams and more than 15,000 players. Take to the pitch with superstars like Kaka, Wayne Rooney, Gerard Piqué, Karim Benzema and more. From the English Premiership and La Liga, to the German Bundesliga and beyond – dominate your league and march toward glory in 32 authentic stadiums.

MATCH DAY MADNESS
Capture the passion and power of the world’s most popular sport with unprecedented authenticity. This is the deepest, most visually striking football title ever. Feel every thrill on the pitch with your heroes, anytime, anywhere.

FANCY FOOTWORK
New control schemes let you handle the ball with greater precision than ever before. Master free kicks and penalty shots with full touch control. Get in the game with realistic 360° player movement and gesture-driven skill moves. Pull off defense-splitting passes, rifling shots, penalty kicks, and pro-style tricks.

Football is life! Now live it to the fullest with the ONLY officially licensed FIFA game on the App Store.

Created by the same team behind the very successful JellyCar game, Where’s My Water will challenge you to guide a cartoon aligator through the canalisation drains under your city across 80 different levels. It’s apparently very addictive, and features great graphics as well as multi touch gestures so make sure to check it out.