The product that has been three years in the making is finally gearing up for its big debut to the public. Apple’s store went offline, as it usually does when they are bringing something new to the table, to later coming back on with the option to pre-order your preferred flavor of iPad goodness. Before the rather infamous iPad press conference that would shine a light on the latest apple product, the rumor mill was at fever pitch.

Many of the respective gadget websites began bantering about what the house of Mac would bring out of the bag this time. Would it be earth shattering or a disappointment to send the company crying in a corner like a camper on MW2 buzzkilled on the cusp of a tactical nuke. Well, impressions fell right in the middle much like Steve Job’s description of the product in portable entertainment/computing family. Many were underwhelmed, others optimistic of its future prospect and a fair majority absolutely livid at the ‘this is it’ feeling of the product.

An anonymous representative at Namco informed Pocket Gamer that Tekken will be heading to the iPhone and iPod Touch.

There aren’t many details available just yet and it’s unclear if this is a fresh build for the iPhone OS or a modified port. The development is reported to be near completion and expected to hit the app store in the very near future.

Namco also emphasized that there will be no previews or information related to the Tekken franchise at this year’s GDC – so, aside from the iPhone port, we will have to wait for future information on when we can re-enter the Iron Fist Tournament.

Short version: If you love casual iPhone games, tower defense and/or zombies then the low price of admission is totally worth it.

Game Rant’s Jon Lavallee reviews Plants vs. Zombies for the iPhone

My iPhone has become an unofficial appendage of mine. I use it daily for everything it offers – including the plethora of games the app store offers. I’m a sucker for them – usually a mere few bucks and way too attainable.

I also adore the zombie genre – fun, suspenseful and gory. Never gets old. So when you take these two subjects, combine them and put it at the top of the featured app page you can safely assume that it has become yet another irresistible app – at least for me.

Enter Plants vs. Zombies. You may have heard of this title from Pop Cap (the imaginative creators of Peggle) as it has been a popular Flash title of theirs for a bit. Due to the success of the web version, Pop Cap developed a port for the iPhone.

Short Version: Despite a little repetitiveness, Space Miner: Space Ore Blast is a great addition to any iPhone library and will keep you satisfied for hours.

Game Rant’s Jeff Schille reviews Space Miner: Space Ore Blast

Space Miner: Space Ore Bust is a blast!  Equal parts Asteroids and Diablo, this game will keep you grinning for hours.  Easy to pick up for a quick play, but hard to put down, Space Miner is a great addition to any iPhone game library.

You are young Joe (or Jade), helping your Uncle Jeb and his telepathic alien friend Galactus save the Gritstone Mining Company from the Mega Space Corporation.  The story, though not deep, is delivered with plenty of humor and moves the game along nicely.

In gaming there are three different types of news; the awesome, the mundane and the flat-out ridiculous. Unfortunately, the large majority falls into the center category (‘Imagine: Babies‘ is getting a sequel? Really? Wait here while I grab my wallet!) but occasionally, we find news that’s simply ridiculous.

This was the case earlier today, when Capcom unveiled the iPhone edition of Street Fighter IV – a port of the hugely successful arcade fighting game, shrunk to fit on Apple’s phone/media/gaming device.

Sitting here looking at my shelf, I count no less than 15 games I currently want to play. My collection edges over 100 games, but those 15 I’ve identified as to-play (and, in some cases, to-play-again). This isn’t even counting games coming out in the next couple of weeks. Is there an overabundance of video games? You bet there is.

I can’t count on one hand the games I’ve started but just haven’t had the time to finish; there’s just too many of them. The game industry continues to produce at a breakneck pace, and games are just getting better and better. Recently finishing stellar titles like Mass Effect 2, Assassin’s Creed 2, Dragon Age: Origins and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 showed me that.

Let’s look at some of the games I’m having a hard time finding time to play:

Windows Phone 7 was announced today at the Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona, Spain. The keynote was headlined by Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer. Check out the video below to see all the new features.

The big news lies with gaming. The new OS by Microsoft will have Xbox Live capabilities featuring the following:

Android phones are awesome, but finding good free games for the platform can sometimes be a little tough.  For that reason, I’ve been looking for and downloading handfuls of games, to narrow down which ones are fun, quality games.  Here are five that I have found to be just that!

As Apple introduced its iPad tablet device on Jan 27, analysts presented a variety of opinions about the product’s impact on the gaming space. In interviews with Industry Gamers, two analysts predicted (1) a slow progression from casual games to “PSP quality” games and (2) lagging support from big publishers.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter suggested that the iPad’s game titles would change over time. “I think the early offerings on the tablet will be a lot closer to iPod Touch/iPhone style games, and then probably morph into DS kind of games and then ultimately will morph into PSP quality games,” Pachter said. (See Game Rant’s initial overview of iPad gaming here.)

Originally released in 1987 for the NES, Final Fantasy has gone on to define Japanese RPGs and having spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs, chances are you’ve played at least one entry. Everyone has a favorite release (Final Fantasy VI represent) and you’ll find countless debates raging on almost every forum regarding plot lines and character battles.

Each installment has sold incredibly well and has been a great source of income for developer Square Enix, but what they realized a few years ago is that a great RPG never goes out of fashion. Growing demand for re-releases and availability of earlier titles has given Square a constant excuse to keep re-releasing the same games over and over. If you never caught the originals on the NES then you probably played them on the GBA or PSP, perhaps the PS1, or even given the first one a go on the Wii Virtual Console. Some of you might have even played the WonderSwan releases, but I doubt it.

Oh Sega, when I think about the amount of time I wasted playing on my Mega Drive (the European name for the Genesis) during my youth, it’s kinda disturbing. To this day I still get flashbacks from the sound-bite “SEGA” that accompanied most games on boot up. There it is, late at night, in my dreams.

Of course it used to be a case of hunting down long lost cartridges if you wanted to crack out the nostalgia back in the day (or trying to download ROMs on your 28.8kbps connection, tut tut) but thankfully companies like Sega have realized these old games still have a fan-base and that means, of course, they are an easy source of income. From Greatest Hits collections on every console going from the PS2 to the Xbox 360, as well as numerous entries on the Wii Virtual Console, Sega have now found a new home to make their own…

The iPhone App Store.

Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery, the game available on the Nintendo DS is coming out for the iTouch/iPhone and it found its way onto the Apple apps store a little bit early. Well, I supposed it’s actually late as it was expected to come out alongside the full console version of Assassin’s Creed 2 in November.

The folks at Touch Arcade picked up on this and bought it before it was taken down. They graciously took some footage of it and you can see what the game is like after the jump.

Despite a very disappointing 2009 for 3D-Realms, what with having to lay off most of its staff earlier this year and being sued by Take-Two for not completing Duke Nukem Forever as a result, CEO Scott Miller still has high hopes for his iconic action hero. According to Shacknews, the first issue of Gamesauce contains Miller’s upbeat outlook on Duke:

“The next few years should see a strong resurgence in Duke. There are numerous other Duke games in various stages of development, several due out this year. We are definitely looking to bring Duke into casual gaming spaces, plus there are other major Duke games in production.”

The Apple family of electronics will become a little bit cooler (and more vocal –ahem-) with the upcoming launch of the iSamJackson app for the iPhone and iPod touch. The app touts the first interactive Samuel L. Jackson experience which will feature original and authentic recordings from the outspoken actor himself.

The best feature of the app might be the “Ask Sam” feature, where the man himself behaves as your personal magic 8-ball, allowing users to “seek instantaneous advice from the king of cool.”

Even celebrities love their classic games.

On a recent episode of Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night, Robin Williams is questioned about his love of gaming. He says he is a big fan of Call of Duty and has been “playing for a long time.”

In the video, he talks about the age gap between himself and a 10-year-old, and how he gets the occasional foreign gamer. Two of his children, Cody and Zelda, are named after classic video games, the latter being quite clear. He does not specify on Cody’s namesake, but does make his love for the legend very obvious.

Ever wanted to check your Xbox Live messages or organize a late night gaming session from your iPhone? You can, now that the Xbox Live application (titled “360 Live”) has been released on the Apple Store. For a small price of $ 1.99 you can manage your Live account on the go with your iPhone.

Sounds interesting, but I am shocked it took this long to come fruition. I am also surprised Microsoft had nothing to do with it. Which brings me to a warning. Since Microsoft did not create this app, be weary of what type of personal information you are entering while using it. I should also mention that we could see the price tag eliminated, since Microsoft announced back in August 2008 that all Xbox Live related apps need to be free (which seems unusual for them).

The following features for the application are listed on get360live.com:

Okay, they didn’t actually say that word-for-word but they’re sure acting it out. Activision has recently added Sledgehammer Games to its family and have placed Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey in charge of the new studio.

You might recognize these names as the Executive Producer and Senior Development Director (respectively) of Dead Space. That’s right, Dead Space, the game made by Visceral Games which used to be EA Redwood Shores. Taking two veterans of the industry away from EA is a bold move and one that should prove fairly lucrative. Both Glen and Michael are said to be working on a new game for Activision.

That’s right ladies & gentlemen, now you can take Nazi Zombies wherever you go! Activision has recently released an iPhone game based on a popular multiplayer mode available in Call of Duty: World at War.

Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies can be played with either the tilt mechanics or the virtual analog sticks. It will include Leaderboard support as well as full support for future DLC . It will also have “a full list of Unique Achievements” and can play up to four players through Wi-Fi/Internet (2-players through Bluetooth).

Short version:  Indiana Jones returns to the tried and true Lego format, boasting fun gameplay and a humorous story adapted from all 4 movies.  A complex hub system, and rough play controls on vehicle levels might frustrate some, but ultimately Indy’s return to Lego land adventure are the building blocks for a great game.

Indiana Jones might not be as large a LucasFilm property as Star Wars, but it’s a widely popular classic nonetheless. I’m always excited for Indiana Jones news of any kind because when the man with the hat is back, adventure is always right around the corner. The character has seen a myriad of video game releases since 1982’s Raiders of the Lost Ark on the Atari 2600. While subsequent releases over the years have included new adventures of Dr. Jones, the latest title, LEGO Indiana Jones 2 proves that using the films as source material is still the best way to go.

I was surprised to find that the original Lego Indiana Jones would be receiving a sequel. The first game, which borrowed from the successful formula used in the great Lego Star Wars games, had already spanned all three of the archaeologist’s original movies. Beyond incorporating recent Kingdom of the Crystal Skull material, the developer would have to reinvent the original trilogy for the sequel’s new content. The answer for Traveller’s Tales was simple: if the first game was to be a Lego parody of the Indiana Jones movies, then the sequel would be a Lego adaptation. The differences are discreet, but effective when measured against the first game.

Electronics Arts has continued cutting off less-profitable portions of their company following their recent fiscal report which presented losses up 26% percent.

After laying off 1,500 employees yesterday, the company now slashed its projected game releases in 2010 down to “somewhere in the high 30s”. While this still sounds like a pretty solid amount of games, consider this: In this now-ending fiscal year, EA has released upwards of 60 games. In regards to if this was going to be a continuing trend, EA CEO John Riccitiello had this to say:

Ever been on the subway or waiting in a movie theater and wished that you could play Mario 64? According to well-known hacker, ZodTTD, the ability to play Nintendo 64 games on the iPhone and iPod Touch may be available soon. The famed hacker is set to release a working N64 emulator for the most recent generation of Apple hand-helds.

Posting on his personal forum, ZodTTD reported that he is “currently working on a port of N64 for the iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch 3rd Gen.”

EA Hasbro has released screenshots of Monopoly, Battleship, and Connect 4, another volley of board game apps soon to be launched into the App Store. EA has taken these big name boardgames and turned them into visually pleasing video games for your Apple handheld but there have been a few complaints about the current EA Hasbro games so you may want to look before you leap into these purchases.

App Store reviews suggest WiFi functionality seems to be either left out or working poorly for most of the current EA Hasbro releases. This leaves the user to either “pass-and-play” (do you really want to pass hand your $300+ iPhone around in a circle? “Oops, I cracked your screen.”) or play against computer-AI players.

Time to lay the Smackdown with Smackdown vs. Raw 2010! The Smackdown series has been around since the Playstation era, and has always been an alright series of games. I have put in quite a fair bit of time with SVR 2010 and have found some flaws, but these get buried by the games depth.

Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first. I absolutely hate the targeting system in this game. It is almost like somebody intentionally decided to piss people off by making it impossible to target your foe. You will have no problems if you are playing one-on-one though as the real trouble starts the second you play with 3 players, or even worse, a 4 player match. As an example, in a handicap match I knocked one character down and then attempted to whip the other out of the ring, but ended up picking up the computer character I just knocked down, which then lead to the other computer booting me in the face and allowing both of the computers to simultaneously pummel me while I lay defenselessly on the mat. Not a pretty sight for sure.

The iPhone has gained significant market share in the wireless industry and by doing this, Apple has put a wireless handheld gaming device in the hands of millions of people. Games are available to download directly onto the device from the App store for a buck or two for smaller non-brand name games and $5-10 dollars for a big name like Assassin’s Creed, Tiger Woods Golf or Madden. But like any other software, iPhone apps are prone to piracy and it looks like iPirates sure know how to steal some booty.

iPhone/iPod developer Smells Like Donkey and Fish Labs have had their gaming apps from the App Store fall victim to 80-95% piracy rates for their most recent releases. In order to pirate Apple App Store games, users must “jailbreak” their iPhone/iPod touch to allow for third party software to be installed. Once jailbroken the game install files can be downloaded from other users or websites and installed on the device. Even a non-computer savvy pirate with the right tutorial could be playing Rock Band, a $10 app store game, for free in less than 10 minutes.

The fun and light-heartedness is back for a sequel to the LEGO universe’s take on Indiana Jones. LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues is the latest in the series video game adaptations based on the lovable and ever-lasting toy blocks and their large portfolio of major brand licenses.

These games are great for the youngsters, easily accessible, co-operative (always important) and make for a good time for players of all audiences. That is also its only weakness as it can be overly simple to play at times. Check out the trailer after the jump.