Upcoming iPhone games - Astronaut: Spacewalk, Hasta La Muerte

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.

In this feature, we try to focus on games that will hit the App Store next week, but that doesn't always work out. Two titles from last week's list - async strategy game Outwitters and tower defence sequel Fieldrunners 2 - missed their June 'deadline', and will be out next month instead.

Joining those games are two quirky titles that won't be everyone's cup of tea. A French Pac-Man-alike featuring the Grim Reaper, and a hardcore astronaut simulator that requires you to know the difference between pitch and yaw.

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.

Astronaut: Spacewalk
By Jorge Hernandez - out on iPhone in July (source)

If a job exists, there's probably a PC game that lets you simulate the experience. Dig deep enough in the bargain bin at your local Gamestation and you'll find such treats as Stone Quarry Simulator, London Underground Simulator, and Street Cleaning Simulator.

Seriously - none of those is made up.

Manning a mile-an-hour road duster doesn't sound very exciting, of course. But, astronaut spacewalks? Now that, we could get behind. Mostly because the punishment for failure is instant space death, not a dirty street and a written warning. The stakes are a little higher, you could say.

In each mission in Astronaut: Spacewalk, you disembark from the space shuttle, prepare to dock with other craft, fix broken equipment, and retrieve debris. The display is awash with virtual buttons, with practically every inch of screen space covered by toggles to move about or adjust yaw and pitch. The remaining screen real estate is filled with radars and dials.

The game probably has quite a niche audience. The sort of guys who know their Endeavours from their Hubbles, and would appreciate that the game is based on real NASA missions.

If the idea of waltzing about in the cosmos (with nothing but the gentle chatter of NASA Mission Control to keep you company) sounds like a good time, give it a go, though. You might be able to figure it out and have a blast - just watch your fuel gauge.

Hasta La Muerte
By Pohlm Studios - out on iPhone and iPad on July 5th (source)

You don't hear the phrase "Pac-Man clone" bandied about very often, do you? Few developers have sought direct inspiration from that walking gob and his neon maze of poltergeists. But, French studio Pohlm pegs Namco's arcader as an influence on Hasta La Muerte.

So, it's a maze game, and you're the emissary of Death looking to track down lost souls and the like. There are enemies to avoid and bosses to defeat, plus helpful Soulpets which boost your stats like speed, stealth, and protection.

You chase unwilling souls about scratchy hand-drawn mazes by tilting your iOS device. You've got about 30 levels to play, but your newly found Soulpets will grant you secrets and bonuses in previous stages.

Hasta La Muerte was exclusive to Windows Phone for a while. Now that Microsoft has relinquished its grasp on the game's soul, however, this quirky indie maze-'em-up is free to make the jump to other mobile app shops. It will hit iOS on July 5th.