Upcoming iPhone games - Mega Run, Zombie Carnaval, and more

Every Friday, we like to finish off the week by looking ahead and talking about the iPhone and iPad games that are just over the horizon.

This week, it's all about that rare mix of quantity and quality. A whole heap of big, impressive-looking games are set to hit the App Store next week: this is only a small selection of the goods.

We've got a follow-up to a 23-million-fan phenomenon, a new game from top publisher Crescent Moon Games, the latest from the studio that brought us Edge (and the App Store's most high-profile legal spat), and more.

Note: Dates, prices, and features are subject to change at the whim of the developer and Apple's approval team. Dates were correct at time of publication.

Mega Run
By Get Set Games - out on iPhone and iPad on May 30th (source)

Cutesy casual game Mega Jump is popular. At last count, it had snatched up 23 million players. But, for its follow-up, developer Get Set Games has decided to put a fresh twist on the series.

A 90-degree twist, to be precise. Mega Run is a horizontal auto-runner in the same vein as Canabalt, in which you can tap the screen to jump or dash. You'll bonk dopey enemies on their noggins, and collect all manner of coins and collectibles as you go.

But, while it shares Canabalt's control scheme, this isn't one of those typical endless-runners. Mega Run's story is split into distinct levels - three worlds, each containing 16 stages - with branching pathways, hidden areas, and randomised platforms.

It includes all the characters from Mega Jump, including Redford, Rosie, and Pon Pon (no, us neither), with graphics so cute you just want to leap inside your iPhone and cuddle everything in sight. It's out on May 30th, the developer has confirmed.

Zombie Carnaval
By Mobigame - out on iPhone and iPad on May 31st (source)

If the collective works of George A. Romero have taught us anything, it's that zombies make everything more exciting. Shopping mall? Better. Farmhouse? Way cooler. Drab underground bunker? About 200 per cent more fun.

Now, Mobigame, the French virtuoso behind Edge and Perfect Cell, reckons that even a week-long procession of music, dancing, and revelry could be improved upon with a few flesh-eating monsters.

In Zombie Carnaval, you control a swarm of gooey green zombies, who try to infect as many people as possible to add to their snaking undead stampede. You'll collect handy power-ups to momentarily hire the destructive services of a laser-spewing alien or a massive Chinese dragon.

The game features seven real-world locations, 60 missions, and a bunch of surprises for you to uncover. The firm's newsletter confirms that it will be out on May 31st.

Ring Fling
By mugathur - out on iPhone and iPad on May 31st (source)

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Ring Fling is basically air hockey, but splashed with the special effects of a gaudy '70s music video. In this neon-soaked arcader, you'll try to knock jagged-edge stars into your opponent's goal by bumping them with rings.

You can either spam your opponents with an onslaught of fast and ferocious flings, or you can wait patiently and charge up a powerful strike.

Up to four players can go head-to-head (to-head-to-head) on one device - just make sure you stick to your designated corner of the board. If you've got no pals, a smart and adaptive AI player will happily beat your puny human fingers into submission.

The game comes from the one-man team of Moo Yu, a storied developer who worked on Moshi Monsters, LittleBigPlanet, and Ratchet & Clank. It's his first foray into lone-wolf development: "It's only now starting to hit me that I'm actually going to have my own game out in the world," Yu says.

Razor: Salvation
By Blowfish Studios - out on iPhone and iPad on May 30th (source)

Indie publisher Crescent Moon Games just won't let up. One week after bringing Slingshot Racing to the App Store, the team is back - this time, helping Siegecraft studio Blowfish launch Razor: Salvation.

It might look like a typical FPS, but it contains one major gameplay element that differentiates it from the likes of N.O.V.A. 2: you can't move.

Your dropship is firmly rooted to the spot, so you'll have to swing the camera around 360 degrees to take out the pesky aliens on your tail. You've got an arsenal of destructive weapons for the task, including a grenade launcher, rocket launcher, and railgun.

You'll also have seriously dangerous specials, like the Redeemer, to turn the tide of war.

You'll earn a spot on the leaderboard if you can save enough civilians, or you can make a faction with some friends to pool your points together. Once you're finished, Blowfish has teased that this might not be the last you'll hear of Razor...