Best of FingerGaming: From Rock Band to Earthworm Jim

[Gamasutra rounds up the week's top news and reviews from sister iPhone site FingerGaming,, as written by editor in chief Danny Cowan and authors Louise Yang and Jonathan Glover.] This week, FingerGaming covers recent releases like EA's music simulation title Rock Band, the Volkswagen-sponsored Real Racing GTI, and Gameloft's remake of the 16-bit platformer classic Earthworm Jim. Here are the top stories from the last seven days: - EA Releases Rock Band for iPhone "iPhone Rock Band trades in the instrument-shaped peripherals of its console versions for a touch-based interface that allows a solo player to perform the guitar, bass, drums, or vocals portions of each song. The game also includes a four-person multiplayer mode." - Gameloft’s Remake of Earthworm Jim Premieres in App Store "Gameloft’s iPhone adaptation of Earthworm Jim features redrawn graphics, remastered sound (including rerecorded voice acting for Jim), and a modified control scheme that uses touch-based controls for the platforming levels and tilt controls for the wormhole bonus stages." - Top-Grossing Game Apps: Rock Band Takes Top Chart Spot in Premiere Week "Last week’s chart leader Tap Tap Revenge 3 is down to fifth place this week, with rival rhythm title Rock Band taking the top chart position in its first week of release." - Capcom Reveals Ghosts ‘N Goblins: Gold Knights for iPhone "Capcom has unveiled the latest sequel in its Ghosts ‘N Goblins franchise -- and it’s an iPhone exclusive. Ghosts ‘N Goblins: Gold Knights will be the first title in the series to offer two playable characters, and will feature all-new levels and enemies not seen in previous games." - Soul Trapper Author Inks Three-Book Publishing Deal "Soul Trapper’s future may remain uncertain on the iPhone, but Publishers Weekly reports that franchise author F.J. Lennon has signed a deal with Simon & Schuster to produce a series of three novels based on the Soul Trapper universe." - Top Free Game App Downloads for the Week "The color-matching puzzler Line Up Free finishes as the App Store’s most popular free game download for the second week in a row. Fling Free moves up a spot to finish second, while a free points promotion lands Storm8’s Kingdoms Live at third place." - Volkswagen Launches New 2010 GTI Through Firemint’s Real Racing "Firemint’s Real Racing GTI is more than just a free Lite demo of the developer’s popular sim-styled racer Real Racing. Car manufacturer Volkswagen is sponsoring its release, and the app marks the official introduction of the upcoming 2010 GTI automobile brand." - iPhone Oddities: Friskies’ Wonderland Quest "The iPhone's library is host to good games, bad games, and a select few oddities that could never be released on any other platform. Example: Wonderland Quest, a hidden-object game published by Friskies. Yes. The cat food brand." - Top-Selling Paid Game Apps for the Week "Skee-Ball moves up to take second place in today’s results, while Tap Tap Revenge 3 tops the charts for the second week running. Backbreaker Football also moves up a spot in this week’s chart, leaving Cartoon Wars at fourth place." - Com2uS Releases Online Multiplayer Sniper Sim Sniper vs. Sniper Online "Com2uS injects new life into the sniper genre with the release of Sniper vs. Sniper Online, adding a new element of suspense to a standard gameplay formula with an online multiplayer mode and in-game voice chat."