Gameloft’s NOVA has just received one awesome update; high-res retina display support and the ability to use the gyroscope (looks like Gun Range proved useful after all) for iPhone 4. First let’s talk graphics…

This game looks absolutely amazing. Color. Crispness. It’s all there. No aliasing problems, things just look great. Now for the not so great news, the Gyroscope.

I have been playing with the NOVA update for the last couple of days and for the life of me, I can’t seem to feel comfortable using the gyroscope in conjunction with the traditional controls. Sure, the gyroscope is precise. Sure you can pivot in a circle and the game will rotate with you. But when it comes to playing in a firefight with aliens, it is hard to be using the traditional controls to pan while using the gyroscope to aim. Perhaps I just don’t have the reflexes of my youth, but I found the experience frustrating. Thankfully you can turn the gyroscope controls off.

This was just my experience, how are you liking the update? Let us know in the comments!

Video after the break.

[$4.99- iTunes link]

NOVA gets Retina Display and Gyroscope support is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Survival horror thriller Zombie Infection for iPhone has to be Gameloft’s highest production game to date. The graphics and voice acting are top notch and the cinematic style is engrossing.

Zombie Invasion starts off with you landing in a small town, that — wait for it — has been overrun by zombies! The first level is basically a tutorial showing you the moves for your character. You can shoot and stomp on crates to find goodies such as ammunition and medical supplies. You can move while aiming (albeit very slowly) and you can dismember the zombies by shooting their legs, arms and heads; what more can you ask for?

As you progress through the 12 levels in the game you unlock them to replay at any time. This is great since Zombie Infection has a trophy achievement system. You can go back though levels and practice/earn achievements. There are some fun ones too, for example if you shoot off both legs of a zombie, you get an achievement for that. It is this type of mechanic that makes me come back for more.

To add a little variety to the game, you can also play as one of two characters; Ex-soldier Damien Sharpe and reporter Alex Rayne. The names are cheesy, yes, but the gameplay and fun factor is not. I love this game and I am thankful that Gameloft is bringing these types of games to iPhone; it makes one really compelling alternative to other platforms for mobile gaming. Check the video and pictures after the break!

Pros

• Great graphics
• Good voice acting
• Solid controls
• Two different characters to play
• Compelling story
• Level select after you complete a level
• Trophies
• Online leaderboards
• 12 Levels
• Unlockable Survival mode

Cons

• No quick turn
• I can’t think of anything else… this game is HOT!!!

Zombie Infection for iPhone – app review is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Iron Man 2 for iPhone — based on the upcoming Marvel movie about the Golden Avenger — is now widely available in the iTunes App Store [$6.99 - iTunes link].

You can play as either Iron Man (fast and agile) proper or as War Machine (powerful), and there’s a variety of other armor to try out as well, including the Mark IV, Mark VI, Stealth, and underwater.

Gameloft Live is supported for achievements. Check out more screenshots after the break, and if you try it out let us know what you think!

Update: iPad version is out as well [$9.99 - iTunes link]

Iron Man 2 for iPhone [and iPad] now in App Store is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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UNO HD for iPad [$4.99 - iTunes link] by Gameloft brings the classic card game to bigger, bolder life on that 9.7″ screen. At first blush, UNO more so than something like NOVA feels like it could have been a universal binary, sparing existing owners of the iPhone version from having to buy it twice. However, Gameloft wisely upped the ante based on the iPad’s-size, offering a 4 player option that makes it eminently more suitable as a true board-game replacement — you can realistically sit 2 or 4 people around an iPad and start up the multiplayer version of the game, share the screen, and get your UNO on.

You can of course also use single-player mode, or multiplayer between devices either locally or online. The graphics look prerequisite-ly great on the iPad, though we did find the controls a tad challenging (choosing and playing cards weren’t quite as buttery smooth as we’d like).

A side effect of the game being run on an iPad instead of with real cards is that it’s almost impossible to make mistakes or (gasp) cheat. The game only allows you to play cards you’re allowed to play, when you’re allowed to play them. Whether that’s a good or bad thing we’ll leave up to you and your consciences to sort out.

If you like UNO and you want to bring a little bit of real world social interaction back to your family and friends, grab an iPad, fire it up, pass it around, and let us know what you think.

Video of me taking on a challenger, after the break!

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Quick Review: UNO HD for iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Asphalt 5 HD [$6.99 - iTunes Link] for iPad from Gameloft is a game that does not take the speed limit into consideration. Just the opposite. Nitro bursting, vehicle demolishing street racing combined with great graphics and smooth controls is what makes this game a joy to play.

Just hold the iPad in your hands as you would a steering wheel and turn it in the direction you want to move. I love using the accelerometer, but if for some reason you don’t, Asphalt 5 HD also offer a virtual steering wheel and touch screen controls. Nitro is a tap away and gives you a speed boost. Oh, and you can break (I think, never used it).

There are over 30 cars for you to enjoy including a Ferrari 599 XX, Lambourghini and Ducati, and there are also 12 locations to play. Gaming options include straight up races, or if you are one of the more aggressive drivers (can someone say road rage) you can try to eliminate the other drivers by side-swiping them off the road. If doing a regular race bores you, Gameloft has also added a whole bunch of different modes of play: drift, cop chase, time attack, duel mode, last man standing and escape. Want to play against your friends? Multiplayer modes can be accessed through bluetooth or online.

Stay with us after the break for picture and video proof of why you would never want me to drive your car!

YouTube link

Quick review: Asphalt 5 HD for iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Here we have NOVA HD [$9.99 - iTunes Link] for iPad, an action-packed first-person shooter (FPS) that should make any Halo fan feel right at home.

For video of me playing (kinda funny), pictures, and more — stay with us after the break!

The graphics on NOVA are smooth and beautifully rendered, and make full use of the iPads processors. The various levels are a lot of fun and increase in difficulty gradually, which should appeal to moderate and power gamers alike. There’s single player mode and multiplayer mode (my favorite), which allows you to play online against friends or random opponents. Nothing says stress relief more than being able to sneak up on a friend and and send them to bullet-ridden oblivion, or maybe thats just me…

The controls are much easier to get used to than I expected. Movement is controlled with a virtual d-pad on the left, direction by swiping the screen, and shooting, reloading and using grenades by virtual buttons on the right.

Gameloft has once again taken a popular game genre and made a beautiful, highly playable version for mobile. If you love FPS, pick up NOVA HD for iPad.

YouTube link

Quick Review: NOVA HD for iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Dungeon Hunter HD [$6.99 - iTunes Link] brings Gameloft’s popular iPhone game to the iPad in beautifully rendered, HD splendor.

The story unfolds as our hero uses the dark arts to resurrect his beloved wife only to have her turn against him and plunge a dagger into his heart (women!). You play the hero and get to choose between three classes, wizard, rogue and warrior. The inventory menu and manner of choosing skills is intuitive and enjoyable to navigate.

For more on Dungeon Hunter HD and screen shots continue with us after the break!

The main difference between the iPad and iPhone version is the crisp HD graphics and the absence of long load times between zones, which afflicted my iPhone 3G. Thanks Apple A4! The iPad version also allows you a choice between using the circle pad to control your characters movement or to place your finger where you want it to go.

If you enjoy real-time RPG games than this is a must-have for your collection.

Video and screenshots after the break!

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Quick Review: Dungeon Hunter HD for iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Gameloft knows how to take popular gaming genres, polish them to multitouch perfection, and release them faster than ought be possible, and the iPad release is no exception with N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance; Modern Combat: Sandstorm; Dungeon Hunter; Asphalt 5; UNO; NFL 2010; Let’s Golf!; and, Real Football 2010.

Check ‘em out after the break!

Here’s what Gameloft has to say about developing for the iPad:

The large, stunning screen brings a higher level of graphic detail to the games in addition to the optimization of textures and models. The screen size and depth perception ratio allows the player to feel completely immersed in the experience. For example, Real Football 2010 was re-mastered to include HD resolution grass surfaces, textures, characters and animations.

More direct and enriched controls allow for more intuitive thought and action response, as well as fully customizable buttons and mappings that fit the player’s preference. For instance, the N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance App for iPad includes more contextual controls in the environment: open an airlock door by rotating three fingers, slide the button upwards to make an elevator move upstairs, etc.

The larger screen means there will be more ambitious gameplay sequences such as increased field of depth, complex map layouts and more intense action sequences. In N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, the player can enable MTA – Multi Target Acquisition which is a new feature for iPad gaming. The player can trigger a new functionality from the regular rocket launcher, then directly draw a grid on the battlefield to kill all selected enemies on screen in one shot. In Real Football 2010, the larger surface allows for a more strategic overview of the playing field and gave the designers more space to create comfortable control schemes.

Multiplayer challenges will also be increased on iPad and cooperative gameplay will be easier and more attractive on the larger screen. Whether a spectator or participant, online challenges will become more fun and engaging. With UNO, the world famous card game, users can gather four friends and play on a single iPad using the new “One Device Multiplayer” mode. They can also connect with friends on iPad or iPhone devices for local and online Wi-Fi multiplayer gameplay.

Gameloft unleashes NOVA, Modern Combat, Dungeon Hunter, Asphalt, UNO, NFL 2010, Let’s Golf, and Real Football 2010 for iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Live from GDC 2010, Rene talks to Baudoin Corman and Sanette Chao from Gameloft about Nova [$4.99 - iTunes link], Rayman 2 [$6.99 - iTunes link], GT Racing [$4.99 - iTunes link], Avatar [$6.99 - iTunes link] and many more [iTunes link] for iPhone and iPod touch… and soon for iPad!

Gameloft really wants to offer highly polished games and the highest quality gaming experience in every genre and to every type of gamer. for 2010 they’re, already showing off Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction, Fisher Kings, Zombie Infection, and no doubt much more — including iPad specific versions of some of their titles that better make use of the bigger screen. (As seen during Apple’s iPad event).

For a large company, Gameloft has proven time and again they can react quickly to take advantage of new developments in the iPhone OS and whole new platforms like the iPad. It will be interesting to see what else they have planned for us in 2010. Fun too.

Watch along after the break!

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TiPb Apps 5.3: Gameloft (GDC 2010) is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Paris – Gameloft®, a world leader in the publishing and development of downloadable video games, plans to launch High Definition games on next generation Android phones like the Motorola Droid and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10.

“The arrival of this new generation of phones will allow the development of High Definition games that make the most of the technological capacity and the speed of execution offered by the new Android phones. Consumers will benefit from a top quality gaming experience,” says Gonzague de Vallois, vice-president of Publishing at Gameloft.

Gameloft also continues to support the current generation of Android phones and announces the imminent arrival of titles such as Assassin’s Creed. These titles will be accessible on the Android Marketplace and Gameloft internet sites and will further strengthen our catalogue of Android games already available.

As our buddy Casey over at Android Central points out, the reversal is stunning considering how Gameloft claimed they make 400x as much on iPhone apps as they do Android. (Casey also points out that persistent app size limit annoyance in Android land — fix that Google, would ya?)

We say — awesome. More competition for the handset makers and better games for everyone. Bring the fun!

What do you think, did Gameloft re-run the numbers, see a secret prototype, or did someone from Google use Maps Navigation to find France, pay them a visit, and show them search rankings before and after for their “re-consideration”?