Best of FingerGaming: From Radio Flare Redux to Astro Ranch

[Every week, Gamasutra sums up sister iPhone site FingerGaming's top news and reviews for Apple's nascent -- and increasingly exciting -- portable games platform, as written by editor in chief Danny Cowan and authors Mathew Kumar and Jonathan Glover.] This week, FingerGaming covers the rhythm-based shooter Radio Flare Redux, the space-themed farming title Astro Ranch, and the closing of THQ's iPhone development studio Universomo. In addition, the top-grossing iPhone games of the week are detailed, as well as the top free and paid App Store game titles by download numbers, as well as a look at the IGF Mobile finalists being highlighted in Apple's iPhone/iPod Touch game store. Here are the top stories from the last seven days: - Top-Grossing Game Apps: Final Fantasy Debuts at First Place "Square Enix's port of Final Fantasy rises to the top of the charts in its first week of release, as EA's Monopoly climbs up to second place after recently being featured in an iPhone television advertisement." - Rhythm-Based Shooter Sequel Radio Flare Redux Premieres in App Store "Radio Flare Redux retains many of the gameplay concepts introduced in Radio Flare. Players use one thumb or finger to dodge incoming bullets, while another finger targets enemy craft. Chains of enemies can be locked on and destroyed with a single swipe." - Top Free Game App Downloads: Ground Effect Enters the Top Ten "A free points promotion for Storm8's online RPG iMobsters lands the top spot in today's chart. Donut Games' penguin platformer Icy Escort premieres at second place, as the stick figure strategy title iGraveDigger finishes third." - Road to the IGF Mobile: lilt line's Gordon Midwood "lilt line has recently seen great success, winning the IGF Mobile Audio Achievement. Heading into the festival, FingerGaming had the chance to speak to a cheeky Midwood about the evolution of lilt line and his recent good fortunes." - iTunes Spotlights IGF Mobile Finalists, Nominees "Apple has launched a new section in the iTunes App Store highlighting nominees and finalists in the third annual Independent Games Festival Mobile competition, including category winners Stair Dismount, Lilt Line, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, and Spider." - EA Announces Skateboarding Sim Skate It "EA announced today that it will bring its simulation-focused extreme sports title Skate It to the App Store in May, complete with an overhauled control scheme suited to the iPhone and iPod Touch." - Astro Ranch: A Blend of Animal Crossing and FarmVille "In Astro Ranch, players control a space-faring rancher marooned on an alien planet. Luckily, your farming skills allow you to earn an honest living by growing alien crops and maintaining a stable of freakish space animals." - THQ Liquidates Finnish Mobile Games Studio Universomo "THQ confirmed today that it has placed mobile games studio Universomo into liquidation, and announced that it will outsource development of its upcoming titles for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and other smartphone devices." - Top-Selling Paid Game Apps: iPhone Owners Want More Cupcakes! "Maverick Software's cupcake-making sim More Cupcakes! takes second place in its first week of release, while Doodle Jump moves up from fifth place to finish third in today's results." - Gameloft Ports Rayman 2 to iPhone "Rayman 2 was one of the better 3D platformers to follow in the wake of Super Mario 64, and its original release was well-received critically. Rayman 2 arrives on the iPhone with all features and content fully intact."