iPhone Games

Back in April, PocketGamer claimed Apple secretly met with developers at the annual Game Developers Conference to discuss production of an unnamed iOS "joypad". It was then discovered at the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, that Apple had added MFi (Made for iOS) game controller support to iOS 7. Apple followed up the MFi announcement by holding a 45-minute long session on Tuesday, where they showed developers app frameworks and hardware mock-ups for third-party iOS controllers, according to Apple Insider.

The event was entitled "Integrating with Game Controllers", and Apple revealed that both Logitech and Moga were already collaborating on some prototypes. Apple also showed two mock-ups of a "form-fitting" design, and a standalone device for both the iPhone and iPad. Both controllers featured the standard D-pad and dual analog sticks seen in most home console controllers these days. The form-fitting model turns the iPhone into a gamepad that and frees up space on its smaller display, and the standalone mock-up is a wireless device that does not need to connect to the iPhone or iPad to work. Both controller mock-ups featured a dedicated pause button, pressure-sensitive buttons and non-drifting D-pads.

Pretty soon iOS gamers will be able to play all their favorites full-sized on a real television screen. GamePop promises to bring this technology to couches everywhere, linking mobile gaming to bigger displays. The games be controlled with an iOS device (great for games that work by tilting the phone) or with GamePop's included video game controller.

The GamePop console uses new mobile-to-TV technology known as "Looking Glass" to play iOS games on different hardware. According to the company, the console is not an emulator. CNET quotes BlueStacks CEO Rosen Sharma, "Looking Glass works at the API-level... it embraces all aspects of running the [game] app and using the [GamePop] app as the controller." GamePop claims the games run just as fast if not faster than they run on top-tier smartphones.

There is nothing worse than waiting for the sequel to your favorite game, only to find out that the developer completely changed it. Kingdom Rush fans will be happy to know this is not the case with Kingdom Rush Frontiers. The sequel to the hit tower defense game features all the towers, monsters, power-ups and same gameplay as the original. Ironhide Game Studios delivered exactly what fans wanted, a bigger and badder version of Kingdom Rush. Fans of the original are going to want to download the sequel as soon as possible, and tower defense junkies are not going to want pass this one up. Kingdom Rush Frontiers is the best iOS tower defense game I have played this year.

Kingdom Rush Frontiers features all new levels, Easter eggs, side missions, monsters and tower upgrades. New features include the addition of heros that you can unlock and upgrade, and a shop for buying helpful items to aid you in battle. There are three free heros, who were previewed before the game's release, and five heros you can buy. It does kind of suck that you don't have access to all the heros after paying $3 for the game, but $3 is pretty cheap for a game of this caliber, and everything else is free.

Warner Bros. has released a trailer for Phosphor Games's upcoming Man of Steel mobile game. The game is a tie-in to Zack Snyder's highly anticipated Man of Steel movie hitting theaters on June 14. Players can recreate the events in the film via story mode, and do battle with the movie's main villain General Zod and his army while controlling Superman. Unfortunately, the trailer is highly disappointing for a $3 iPhone game. Which is odd, since Gameloft managed to release a very impressive free iOS game for Iron Man 3.

Greg Ballard, Senior Vice President of Mobile Gaming for Warner Bros, described Man of Steel as an "addictive brawler that lets players feel the power of being a Super Hero.”

The game also features survival mode which allows players the chance to compete against their friends for the highest score. Man of Steel the mobile game will hit Apple's App Store and Google Play on June 14. The iPhone version will be $2.99 and the iPad and iPad mini version will be $4.99. Check out the trailer below.

PopCap has finally announced the release date for the long awaited Plants vs. Zombies sequel. The game entitled Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time will be an iOS exclusive, and will hit the App Store on Thursday, July 18. PopCap, now a division of Electronic Arts Inc., previously released a teaser trailer in May, but did not give a specific release date. The developer also promised a newly designed game with new worlds, levels, plants, and zombies, but failed to mention that the game would not be available for PCs or Android devices.

PopCap also announced that the game will feature "all-new touch-screen power-ups that enable players to 'break the fourth wall' and interact with zombies directly, as well as via plant defenses".

“It’s about time!” said Allen Murray, Senior Producer for Plants vs. Zombies 2. “We’re confident that players will see the love and attention we’ve put into this game. We’ve created wild new ways to experience the plants and zombies you know and love as well as packing the game with tons of completely new content, and we’re still hard at work coming up with even more cool stuff that will keep Plants vs. Zombies 2 fresh and evolving in the months and years following launch.”