Stories By Grant Holzhauer

Final Fantasy XIII is just around the bend, which gives us all the more reason to revisit this series's heralded past. It probably came as a shock to Japanese gamers when a sequel to the final fantasy was originally released. The original did so well that it kept the endangered publisher Square afloat, allowing them to create one of gaming's most memorable franchises.

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From time to time, adventure game fans find true gems on the iPhone: Jules Verne's Return to Mysterious Island, Beneath a Steel Sky: Remastered, and The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition come to mind. Nevertheless, the platform has also become something of a dumping ground for old PC adventure games (of which there are many), and few of them stand the test of time. Dracula falls squarely into the latter camp.

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It's always a breath of fresh air when a new type of game comes to the iPhone. Since we are constantly inundated with puzzle games and shooters, it's rare that we see something completely different. Such a game is headed to the App Store next month: Gamevil's Vanquish: The Oath of Brothers. We recently got our hands on a preview build of the game, which solidified in our minds that this is one to keep an eye on.

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It's easy to see why deep-sea diving makes an attractive environment for video games. It's something that few people will ever experience, it's exciting, and the sea floor is a beautiful place. In recent years, games like Ecco the Dolphin (Dreamcast) and Endless Ocean (Wii) have brought the dazzling underwater ecosystem to our TV screens. Now Mission: Deep Sea delivers the experience on the iPhone, but in a new way. Thanks to its most recent update, it's a game worth getting excited about, even if it's not quite perfect.

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Ridge Racer has a long history of falling behind a number of much better racing games. Need for Speed, Burnout, Gran Turismo, and Forza have long entertained gearheads on the consoles, leaving Ridge Racer in the dust. Of these, only Need for Speed has hit the iPhone, and it already has two excellent entries on the platform (Undercover and Shift). Ridge Racer once again is stuck in second gear and underwhelms at every turn.

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How many flying games are you willing to dish out money for? SGN, the makers of F.A.S.T., are hoping that you're not willing to commit a cent. First F.A.S.T. went free, and now their latest game, Skies of Glory, has followed suit. But there's a big difference between these two games beyond the modern-day and WWII settings.

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Sherlock Holmes is one of those immortal characters who cannot be duplicated and is the permanent figurehead for his line of work. He's inspired many with his cleverness and keen ability to solve the most complex mysteries, and real-world detectives probably wish they had his impeccable intuition. The character's wit, pursuit of criminal masterminds, and charming old England setting all make for a fantastic setup for a game, and it's a well of material that has yet to be properly tapped in the gaming market. Too bad this game does such a lackluster job.

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Most kids probably went through the phase of wanting to be a wizard of some kind. Whether they read The Hobbit, watched Sword and the Stone, or more recently, grew up with the Harry Potter phenomenon, the ability to cast magical spells with devastating (or just plain cool) effects is something that kick-starts the imagination and can make for lots of fun, even if it's only imaginary. Now, there's an app for that.

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The appeal and success of Geometry Wars and its sequel on the Xbox 360 are undeniable. Geometry Wars single-handedly helped refine the twin-stick shooter and is easily recognized by its distinct visuals. The iPhone has also shown that it can pull off this type of game, with countless variations hitting the App Store and each doing quite well. In an interesting turnaround, geoSpark copies the look of Geometry Wars while changing the gameplay.

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There are really three types of games: those that create a new experience, those that imitate these games, and rereleases of memorable games of the past. Cobra Command clearly falls in the latter category, but in such a way that makes it stand out from the attack of the clones. Instead of merely pushing out a carbon copy of the Sega CD version (the only home version released until now), it went straight back to the source, the arcade original, and added fun new iPhone-specific gimmicks to make a game 25 years old feel new again.

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Gregory House is the kind of doctor that you love to hate. His arrogance and sarcasm is trumped only by his knowledge of medicine, and the Fox drama has been a hit because there really hasn't been anything so perversely enjoyable as watching a genius doctor with the bedside manner of a weasel.

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Years ago, when Eve Online for the PC was new to the MMO arena, we tried our hands at it. While the breadth of that game was impressive, its steep learning curve and lack of comprehensible tutorials made it a turn-off for those who didn't have time to learn its vast intricacies. After playing Flatspace, itself a PC port, we can't help but think of Eve Online. Unfortunately, while Eve has expanded into a game that is much more newbie friendly, Flatspace remains utterly mysterious to the uninitiated.

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Ever since Vans SK8: Pool Service was released, the race has been on to deliver a Tony Hawk-quality skateboarding game for the iPhone. That game mimicked the look and feel of the skating legend's signature game series, but with its tiny playing space and somewhat unrefined control scheme, it was bound to be overshadowed by a larger, full-fledged arcade skateboarding game. That game has finally come with the release of Skater Nation, the latest in Gameloft's seemingly endless portfolio of top-tier iPhone apps.

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They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that's so, then Gameloft must really enjoy flattery. The publisher has done well by taking game ideas implemented by others and polishing them until they shine. Castle Frenzy is the latest in a series of such releases, this time copying the instant iPhone classic, Knights Onrush, which we loved. If you've played that and are looking for more, you've come to the right place, but if you're expecting any substantial gameplay differences, you'll have to keep waiting.

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Released earlier this month, Chillingo's Ravensword has been living proof that a 3D role-playing game is not only possible on Apple's platform, but that it can raise our expectations for mobile gaming in general. It was not a game without its flaws, but for a first attempt, it has set the bar high, not only for other developers but for Ravensword's own team. Not resting on their laurels, the team is already hard at work on the game's first expansion. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to ask developer Josh Presseisen about what we can expect in the coming months, and snag some exclusive concept art.

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Ever feel like you paid too much for a game? We at Slide to Play go through so many games, we're frequently left feeling a bit ripped off by games that aren't quite worth their weight in gold.

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It's not every day that, when playing through a game, players are given a real choice. The bulk of story-driven games play out much more like interactive cinema, where the player is led down a predetermined path and their choices lack true moral weight. A few developers like Bioware have created a legacy by offering such choices in their games, but it's not easy to pull off. Now, let's be clear that Fantasy Warrior: Good and Evil is nowhere near as sophisticated as something like the recently released Dragon Age: Origins, but it is unique as far as iPhone games go.

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Do you like taking tests? Who doesn't, right? Have we got a deal for you. How would you like to pay money for the opportunity to further enrich your test-taking lifestyle? Now, keep in mind that these aren't just any tests. These are test with astonishing yellow backgrounds and occasionally an image. You heard us right! Images!

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At Slide to Play, we love adventure games. This is made obvious by the fact that, for instance, we declared Beneath a Steel Sky to be our October 2009 Game of the Month and that the original Return to Mysterious Island garnered our highest rating when it was released. Nevertheless, no adventure game gets a free pass, and each must be weighed according to its merits and faults. With that said, the second game in this series based on the classic Jules Verne novel fails to make the same impact as the original, but still manages to satisfy on a number of levels.

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And you thought Tim Burton was creepy. Alice in Bomberland takes the already nutty stories we're (mostly) fond of and adds an arsenal of heavy weapons to Wonderland's seemingly drugged-out citizens. Yes, you know something is amiss when the story opens with the white rabbit carrying a stack of dynamite, and we're sure your vivid imaginations can already conjure up what sort of dastardly destruction some of the other characters bring to the table (can you guess who uses the baz-hookah?).

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