Get your finger exercises in because Defiant Development, creators of Rocket Bunnies, has a new youtube video of their upcoming and stunning RPG title on the iPad and iPhone. The all touch-controlled dungeon game, which reminds me of Baulder’s Gate, uses no virtual sticks which I quite like as they just don’t work.  Check the video below:

Defiant Development’s Website

In Jailhouse Jack you are on a movie set complete with a Director and crew, you are Jack escaping from jail and the goal is to gather all the keys on any level in order to progress. You’re given a set number of switches that allow you to jump, travel up or down ladders and set bombs in order to win. The most prominent feature of the game though is the timeline scrubber that allows you to rewind or fast forward your movements if you make a mistake. This ties into the movie/film reel theme quite nicely. You’ll encounter other characters in the game that will assist you – like the bomb expert or characters that are trying to kill you like policemen or the attack dogs from Donut Games’ previous hit title Sunday Lawn.

There’s enough variety and challenge in this game, much similar to their other titles, to keep you going for quite some time – and it’s a universal app so you can play it on both the iPad and iPhone with level saving on both devices.

iTunes Link

Come along and ride on this fantastic Groove Coaster!  Okay, so not exactly a perfect match for the Lakeside lyrics from years ago, but the feelings evoked by the title Groove Coaster immediately makes me feel the vibe of that song.  Of course, that was the case until I actually saw the screens for the title which harkens more towards Space Invaders Infinity Gene and less 70′s Funk.

Groove Coaster has now arrived on iPad, iPhone and iTouch devices, putting together simple one touch controls where you guide a car down a 3D coaster track where you will jump turn and more, all to the beat of some infectious beats.  Coming from Taito, the graphics are very retro vector, and for lack of a better description, seem have come from the imagination of someone on a great LSD trip.

For the launch of Groove Coaster, you can pick up this title for $0.99 on the app store until August 7th, where it will increase to its normal price of $2.99.  Groove Coaster is also linked into Game Center, so you will also have achievements and more with this new title.

Check the jump for some more screens from Groove Coaster.

GROOVE COASTER Released for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

Next-Gen Groove Game Now Available from the App Store

LOS ANGELES (July 28, 2011) – TAITO Corporation (TAITO®), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd., today announced the worldwide release of GROOVE COASTER™ for iPhone®, iPod touch®, and iPad®. Celebrating the release, GROOVE COASTER will be available at a special $0.99 introductory price, a 67% discount from the standard $2.99 price. This introductory price will be effective until Sunday, August 7.

Available for download from the App Store℠, this next-gen groove game is the latest project by Reisuke Ishida, creator of the internationally award-winning SPACE INVADERS INFINITY GENE™. While GROOVE COASTER shares some of the core “DNA” with its predecessor, it adds intuitive one-finger controls and a rollercoaster-style sense of twisting, turning exhilaration.

A Rollercoaster with Groove!

In GROOVE COASTER, players follow their in-game avatar on a high-speed journey along a fantastical 3D rollercoaster track. Carefully timed taps, flicks, swipes, and other interactions with approaching targets unleash a variety of lush audiovisual effects, creating a layered symphony of sound. Bringing to mind the very best in music video graphics, each stage in GROOVE COASTER has been painstakingly designed to represent the feel of the song to the fullest extent possible, drawing the player into an involving world of synesthesia.

GROOVE COASTER also includes a number of elements that mature and develop as the player progresses through the game; new player avatars, in-game skin designs, and other items can all be acquired through extended play. The game also boasts a special stage—entitled “The Beginning”—that develops differently for each player.

Game Center Compatible! Social Interactions Enhance Play

GROOVE COASTER is Game Center compatible, with unlockable achievements and high score rankings that allow players to complete with rivals across the globe. Furthermore, adding GROOVE COASTER friends introduces changes into “The Beginning” special stage, rewarding interaction with others.

Crowd-Pleasing Sound!

Intended to suit the widest audience possible, the music included covers a wide spectrum, from rock and pop to hip-hop and techno. Released simultaneously with the game, the GROOVE COASTER Original Soundtrack is also available for download via the iTunes Store®.

TAITO will continue to release high-quality games that take full advantage of the iPhone and iPod touch’s individual characteristics.

Details

GROOVE COASTER

* Release Date:             July 28, 2011

* Region:                                  Worldwide

* Introductory Price:       $0.99

* Standard Price:                       $2.99

* Devices:                     iPhone 3GS / iPhone 4 / iPod touch (3^rd, 4^th generation) / iPad / iPad 2

* Operating System:      iOS 4.2 or later

* Copyright:                  ©TAITO CORP.1978,2011

* Game Designer:                      Reisuke Ishida

Original Soundtrack Details

GROOVE COASTER Original Soundtrack

* Distribution:                iTunes Store

* Release Date:             July 27, 2011

* Region:                                  Japan, North America, Europe (excluding some regions)

* Price:                         Per Track: US$0.99 / EUR0.99; Full Album: US$11.99 / EUR8.99

* Copyright:                  ©TAITO CORP.1978,2011

* Composers:                Koshio Hirokazu (ZUNTATA), Shohei Tsuchiya (ZUNTATA), etc.

Track List

1. The Beginning -Implantation-

2. Music Plot Type Zero

3. Play merrily

4. Streetwalker

5. Not get wish

6. Revenge Of Arkanoid (GC Edition)

7. Happy Smiling♪-More Happy Mix- (GC Edition)

8. Breach of faith

9. Invade You (GC Edition)

10. Neptune Diving (GC Edition)

11. You’ve Gatta Luv (GC Edition)

12. I CANNOT APE (GC Edition)

13. Fun-House

14. Geki (GC Edition)

15. Cardiac Rhythm

16. Spring to mind

17. Eurythmics Trip

18. The Beginning -Embryo-

19. Good-bye my earth (GC Edition)

20. Space Invaders Infinity Gene Medley

21. The Beginning -Birth-

Related Links

* GROOVE COASTER Official Homepage:                              http://groovecoaster.com/

* iPhone/iPod touch Official Homepage – touch! play! TAITO: http://tap.taito.com/

* TAITO Official Homepage:                                        http://www.taito.com/

* TAITO’s Official Facebook® Page:                http://www.facebook.com/TAITO.Eng
* Follow TAITO on Twitter®:                                        http://twitter.com/TaitoCorp

About TAITO Corporation

TAITO Corporation (TAITO) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. With headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, TAITO operates core businesses such as game arcade operations, coin-operated game machines, and mobile phone content services. A seminal part of gaming history, TAITO caused a worldwide sensation with its arcade legend, SPACE INVADERS®, and developed such fan favorites as PUZZLE BOBBLE® (BUST-A-MOVE®) and ARKANOID®. Today, TAITO continues to thrill game lovers of all generations by offering both classic and new family-oriented titles on the latest gaming platforms. TAITO delivers a wide range of entertainment experiences with the goal of providing consumers with fresh surprises and new discoveries.

More information on TAITO can be found on the Internet at http://www.taito.com/.

About Square Enix, Inc.

Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 58 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/na.

Sometimes, reviewing hardware at Aeropause Games gives me access to some fantastic hardware that I would never be able to afford on my own.  At other times, it gives me access to hardware that makes me scratch my head.  The WOW Keys Keyboard is one of those items that left me scratching my head when I opened the box, as it was a keyboard that works with a PC, but it also has a dock so you can use it for an iPod or iPhone.  While I thought it would be an interesting product to use, as I hate typing on any mobile device, it came with a few caveats that left me less than impressed.

The WOW Keys Keyboard is a standard layout keyboard with an extension to the right of the number pad that allows for you to dock either an iPhone or an iPod device.  A standard USB connector hooks the device up to a PC and allows for you to use the device as a full keyboard for your PC or Mac computer.  The keyboard can also be configured to use a docked device as a touchpad for a computer in place of a mouse or a button can toggle the device to be an input keyboard for the docked iPod or iPhone.

As keyboards go, it is a decent device, and it does handle most tasks as advertised.  Turning on the docked device as a touchpad also works well, and could be a great mobile replacement for those that do not want to use up extra space on their desk for both a mouse and keyboard system.  It was responsive and the keys had a good spring and weight for all the fingers.  Using the keyboard for games worked well enough, although using a touchpad input device was not an option as it was far too impractical for that application.  But for general navigation of a computer, it works great.

The big downside for me was the fact that in order to use the WOW Keys keyboard as an input device for my docked device, it still had to be hooked up to a computer, leaving me less than thrilled.  I assumed this was in order to power the device, but I would have been far happier using the device with batteries and being able to disconnect it over having to keep it tethered to a computer in order to use it with my iPhone.  It removes the most compelling feature to me, which is a mobile keyboard for my iPhone.  If I have to keep it connected to a USB power source, it loses that point of functionality for me.

At the end of the day, while this device will probably work for those that want to have a general use keyboard for their computer that will allow them from time to time to enter data on their iPhone or iPod device, it will work great.  But for most, they will find it to be more of a gimmick than a practical use component for those needs.  The WOW Keys Keyboard gets 3 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.

Somewhere, someone is screaming “I told you!” Well, that person who found the manual on Steam and combed through the legalese…besides having little or nothing going on in their life at that time, that person was correct. The Duke Nukem Forever Soundboard is live for iOS systems today….and it’s FREE!

So if you expected a pixel-perfect version of Duke Nukem Forever on your iPad2, based on teeny-tiny fine print in the back of the Steam manual, you’re no doubt disappointed.

On the other hand, if all you wanted was a free app that spouts the kind of puerile catchphrases Duke Nukem is known for, you might be having the Best Friday Ever.

2K Games and Gearbox Software Bring Duke Nukem Forever® Soundboard to iOS Systems Today and it’s Free!

New York, NY – May 26, 2011 – 2K Games and Gearbox Software are excited to announce that the Duke Nukem Forever® Soundboard app, the perfect antidote for those feverishly awaiting the return of the King next month, is now available for download at http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/duke-nukem-forever-soundboard/id438195496?mt=8 for iOS devices worldwide for the low, low cost of cost of zero U.S. dollars and zero U.S cents. “Hail to the King Baby!”

The Duke Nukem Forever Soundboard app allows fans to unleash a dizzying array of Duke-isms anywhere, anytime they want. Like Duke with his arsenal, fans can fire up and let loose an unfettered display of Duke’s most inappropriate one-liners, brazen insults and audaciously truthful claims that are sure to liven up boring midday meetings and upset quiet moviegoers.

The Duke Nukem Forever Soundboard app features over 25 classic Duke-isms, including silky smooth seduction lines sure to impress the ladies like “I’ve got balls of steel” and “Anybody mind if I take off my pants?” The App will also include monotony busters such as “I had eggs for breakfast, your mom had sausage” and stand-up-to bullies comebacks like “my job is to kick ass, not make small talk.”

On June 14, 2011, a date which will live in pop-culture history, Duke Nukem Forever will explode at retailers in North America like dynamite. Vaporware becomes reality, hell freezes over and pigs sprout wings and take flight. For die-hard Duke Nukem fans who want to die-harder there are still a number of Duke Nukem Forever Balls of Steel Edition available. The Duke Nukem Forever Balls of Steel Edition is power packed with legendary content, collectibles and highly sought after premium items, such as a Duke Nukem Bust and an art book that chronicles the development of Duke Nukem Forever. Check out www.dukenukemforever.com/preorder/ to see exactly how much stuff could be crammed into one box.

Duke Nukem Forever First Access Club members will get to grab their joysticks and unleash furious anger upon the lady-looting aliens and pig cops in the Duke Nukem Forever playable demo. To become a member of the exclusive First Access Club, fans can either pre-order the game from select retailers or purchase the Borderlands Game of the Year Edition on Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.

Duke Nukem Forever is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more information on the game, including where to pre-order, please visit www.dukenukemforever.com.

The free app comes with one free song, plus a built-in storefront to buy additional tracks (although it only contains a sparse selection of four songs priced at 99 cents each). The gameplay is along the lines of Rock Band and Elite Beat Agents, where you tap to music according to visual cues… both of which owe a hat tip to PaRappa in the first place.

But what should be most interesting to gaming old-timers is that WINtA added a second free song right before Christmas, “Funny Luv” by Matsuura himself. It is the song that was used during the end credits of PaRappa the Rapper, slightly technofied in this version. You can download WINtA for your iOS device here.

That deal applies to the following:

- Puzzle Agent (iPhone)
- Puzzle Agent HD (yeah, Puzzle Agent isn’t a combined app)
- Wallace & Gromit: The Last Resort
- Sam & Max Episode 1: The Penal Zone (yeah, the other four episodes never received iPad ports)

The sale pricing will last until January 3, so you have plenty of time to get blitzed on egg nog and make your purchase decision.

Meanwhile, Monkey Island Tales HD 1 sells for $6.99 on the App Store and was released December 15.

Naturally there’s no word about a North American release for the free app – and it does seem like SCEE is far hipper about this sort of thing than SCEA, if you’ll recall me getting called an Xbox fanboy for lamenting that Europe had an online sig badge for ages before SCEA debuted the same over here. So it would not totally surprise me to find out that SCEE will have the regional exclusive on this app for months, if not eternity.

Given the anti-iPhone marketing of the Marcus PSP ads, and the persistent rumors of the Sony Ericsson PlayStation Phone, this does seem like an unusual step… but, really, there are so many users of iPhones and Android devices that it is no longer tenable to pretend they do not matter to gamers. Going where the customers already are is just smart business, rather than continuing to hole up in the mothership and expect people to stand in line to gain entry.

Oh, and Blackberry users? F off.

The King is disappointed that you are not following development of his iPhone game.

If you were, you would no doubt be aware that i Love Katamari received a free update this week. Version 1.1.0 includes a new level (which brings the game’s tally to, like, six) and support for Apple’s new Game Center system.

i Love Katamari currently sells for $4.99 on the App Store. Since you can’t view Game Center Achievements unless you own the game (WTF), the King has placed a list of them here.

Roll up Milk Bottle, 50 pts
Roll up Glue, 50 pts
Roll up Strawberry Shortcake, 50 pts
Roll up Champion’s Belt, 60 pts
Roll up Seat Cushion, 60 pts
Roll up Base, 70 pts
Roll up Squash, 70 pts
Roll up Broadcast Van, 80 pts
Roll up Big Pyramid, 80 pts
Roll up Astro Jet, 90 pts
Roll up Pink Bull, 80 pts
Roll up Yellow Sub, 80 pts
Roll up Blue Truck, 80 pts
Completed exquisite collection, 100 pts

1.3 Includes a brand new mini game called “Bump Drop” where you have to guide 100 Bumps past 3 cunning Aliens in a game of skill, nerve and judgement. Bumps has been enjoyed by over 25,000 players worldwide and currently has a itunes review score of 4.5/5 stars for version 1.2. Additionally it has reached #29 Top Paid and #17 Games.

Bumps on the iTunes Store