Best of FingerGaming: From Burn the Rope to Earth Defense Force

[Every week, Gamasutra sums up sister iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad site FingerGaming's top news and reviews for Apple's nascent portable game platforms, as written by editor in chief Danny Cowan and authors Tucker Dean, Jason Johnson, and Ryan Hibbeler.] This week, FingerGaming covers Burn the Rope, Earth Defense Force, and Super Soviet Missile Mastar, among other notable titles. Also within are the lists for top-grossing, most-downloaded free and paid apps from Apple's store, along with a look at Verizon's upcoming iPhone 4. Here are the top stories from the last seven days: - Top-Grossing Game Apps: Tap Zoo, Burn the Rope Report Big Earnings "This week brings a surge in popularity for several microtransaction-supported free games, including Pocket Gems' zoo sim Tap Zoo, The PlayForge's FarmVille-like Zombie Farm, and Zynga's online gambling title Live Poker." - Verizon Confirms iPhone For February 10 "Verizon confirmed it would begin selling Apple's iPhone to U.S. consumers on February 10, ending AT&T's exclusive iPhone partnership and opening up opportunity for iOS game developers to reach many more users." - The Behemoth's Super Soviet Missile Mastar Coming Soon to iPhone "Super Soviet Missile Mastar -- previously seen as a minigame in Alien Hominid HD -- challenges players to guide a single missile past a gauntlet of obstacles and into the heart of an unnamed capitalist pig nation." - Top iPad Game Apps: World of Goo Returns After Price Drop "2D Boy's acclaimed physics puzzler World of Goo returns to the iPad charts after a brief absence, challenging reigning chart leader Angry Birds at second place following a drop in price from $9.99 to $4.99." - Dodonpachi, Espgaluda II Updated with Game Center Support "After recently updating a pair of its iOS bullet hell shooters, Cave has also released an unlock code for the hidden 'Hibachi' true last boss ship in Dodonpachi Resurrection." - DotEmu Reveals Second Title in Jaleco Arcade Series: Earth Defense Force "After kicking off the series with Avenging Spirit last month, DotEmu will soon continue its Jaleco Arcade retrogaming compilation with EDF: Earth Defense Force, a horizontally scrolling shooter originally released in arcades and on the Super NES in 1991." - Top iPhone Game Apps: Burn the Rope Storms Top Ten "Fruit Ninja and Doodle Jump remain popular picks among App Store shoppers, while Ludia's Family Feud, Gameloft's UNO, and Glu's Family Guy: Time Warped see renewed popularity after dropping in price to 99 cents each." - Burn the Rope Updated with Game Center Support, 16 New Levels "Following up on the surprise success of its recently released puzzler Burn the Rope, developer Big Blue Bubble has issued an update adding Game Center support, 16 additional levels, and three new flame types."