The popular open-source shooter “rRootage” from Kenta Cho was ported to iPhone / iPod Touch already in 2008 by Lazrhog (but seems to be unavailable again). Today a new version of this game was released by another developer: Fraglab. The recent version is fully iOS4 compatible and takes full advantage of the simple multitouch-controls to steer the ship, got music, sound effects, online scoreboards and adds various new gameplay-modes. Get the free game here. (via)

This port of rRootage is once again a double-plus, because there still is really a lack of decent 2d-shooters on the iPhone (big hint to all developers!).

Scene from Gobber Assault

The Boing Boing competitions “Games inspired by music” closed and it holds some really nice results, worth to check out and vote for. Not only are the games inspired by music, but also by other factors: some contributions are realized in HTML5 and Innovation on general seemed to be some sore of driving force. I like for example the use of the keyboard-mapping at the tank-shooter Infiltration. Anyway, checking out this game is worth the time, especially if you are interested in inspiration, than long-lasting gameplay.

Looming is a strange and small atmospheric exploration game, that instantly reminds on – oh – very vintage Atari and Macintosh-games with its hard monochromatic style.

The player is left out in a wasted, empty space. He must find paths, collect items and solve riddles. The items belong to collections, depending on who to combine them, new stories evolve, resulting in nine different endings of the game. Looming is browser-play ready. (via)

Terry Cavanagh, you probably know him from the game VVVVVV released a casual flashgame: memrrtiks, suashem. The visuals are distracting like the title “memrrtiks, suashem”. The shooter is like every shooter about shooting at things, but the visual outcome, combined with the filtered soundeffects make the game a unique experience. Many would throw it in the box, labeled “art games“.

The game originated as a project of the TIGJam UK. Terry wrote in his blog, that he will release some of the productions one by one. Just if he finished each work.

And here is a little video footage from memrrtiks, suashem, but it can’t replace a play of the game. (via)

Manufactoria is a strange puzzle game, that is not that easy to access and understand. But somehow this makes the charm of this game, since robots (gone mad) are the topic of the game. The puzzles to solve are testing machines for the robots. Robots (in the real world) are a very unique topic of it’s own, that is not easy to access. That’s why I think, that the un-accessibilty of this game just perfectly match the mood. Rounded by the surreal Brasil-like soundtrack, I’ll bet, that Manufactoria will play into the heart of robotists in records time.

If you are into robot-games, please also check out Light-Bot and Little Wheel.

Enough Plumbers is obviously inspired by Super Mario and retro-games in general. But it features also innovative and experimental game-elements. Every time the Plumber collects a coin, he will ge cloned. In the end many, many Plumbers try to reach the flag to end the level. The player controls all player-sprites at once.

The game was build by Glen Forrester and Arthur Lee. And while outside heavy rain is going to start, I better have another play with Enough Plumbers…

Revolutions is a contribution for the Experimental Gameplay Project, and it is solid made with a clear visual style. The game is basically a platformer, with the twist, that the levels are build into a 360-degrees landscape. With your ball you have the reach the exit of each level – sometimes with the use of switches, that moves platforms in the level-scape. As you can image – levelspace is limited in a 360-degree-landscape. The rotation pleasure is heightend by very well made music and sound, smooth gameplay and the good-looking levels with rich colors. Don’t forget, that this is only a prototype. But I wonder, how this game would be played iPhone, with doing all this rotation all the time…