Stories By Stuart Kershaw

It’s no secret that videogames offer catharsis. What could be more soothing for the soul than flinging a digital ragdoll into bowling pins, shooting it with a cannonball, and then dropping an anvil on its head?

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Pirates are fascinating. You needn’t look any further than the box office or your favorite amusement park for proof. But whether it’s the dangers of the open sea, or the lure of buried treasure that draws us to them, one thing remains clear: wherever pirates go, gruesome and bloody battles are sure to follow.

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Let's be frank: rollercoasters are freaky. They squeak and squeal, they sputter and clatter, all the while making the fear of untimely demise fun. Some of us try to avoid them at all costs.

Luckily, 3D Rollercoaster Rush gives even the most neurotic gamer a chance to loop-the-loop. But due to its high price and limited longevity, we're still not quite ready to climb aboard.

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Since the days of Atari, game makers have sought to recreate the simple excitement of a blistering rally, the masterful drop of a technical shot, and the epic tension of a hard-fought deuce. But while tennis may be a sport that’s perfectly suited for the medium, it’s also a game that brings subtle challenges for developers. Unfortunately, Gameloft’s Real Tennis 2009 makes a number of these challenges very apparent.

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With the launch of iPhone OS 3.0, ngmoco has released a version 1.2 update for Star Defense.

[more after the jump]

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If there's one thing we love, it's a pleasant surprise.

Take Flight of the Amazon Queen, a humorously entertaining point-and-click adventure released in 1995 for Amiga and DOS. A timeless piece of fun, FOTAQ is like a classic film, one with enough unique character, and a bit of light-hearted stereotyping, to transform wrinkles into nostalgia. Though understandably not for all, appreciative adventure fans may want to gear up for this daft and enjoyable trip.

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Graviton spends no time expounding upon accessory elements, such as story. What is a Graviton? How has the world become charred and broken? What is the significance of the metallic balls being hoisted around? For those who appreciate such elements, there are a few sentences of back-story in iTunes. But perhaps back-story isn’t relevant here –- Graviton is merely a simple game with a simple goal.

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The evolution of an iPhone game can be an incredible thing. Take Return to Mysterious Island, an adventure game based on the 1875 Jules Verne novel "The Mysterious Island." Initially released for the PC in 2004, this title's voyage to the iPhone has been more than 130 years in the making. Thankfully, the wait is over. RTMI has come to the iPhone, where it couldn't be more at home.

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BeatRider Touch is a music/rhythm game that seems to make a world of sense. Take the iPod--the leader in portable music accessibility--and build an app that liberates players to Tap Tap with the tracks from their own library. Brilliant!

But don't get too excited. The current iPhone OS puts up some daunting hurdles in implementing that kind of freedom. And although BeatRider is the first to attempt the jump, its legs are a tad short... and the track is made of quicksand.

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In a better world, we might already be traveling by ball.

Taxiball, the first game for the iPhone from Self Aware Games, puts players behind the accelerometer––steering wheel need not apply––for an enjoyable blend of labyrinth-style, beat-the-clock gameplay that's well worth a roll. There is much to like about Taxiball, and the game's charm easily outweighs its foibles.

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