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Like Metroid games? Specifcially, the original Metroid? Then check out Astronot. This platformer kicks it real old school, and that may turn people off, or be extremely satisfying.

Astronot is an open-world platformer where players control a space garbage man, who gets knocked on to a strange planet after a spaceship explosion. The game drops players in the middle of a situation, and it basically is up to them to figure out what’s going on from there. Good luck, because Astronot ain’t sharing any hints! Players can jump and shoot, and can kill bosses to find powerups to help access other parts of the game. Stay away from the glowing lava, because it is deadly.

Astronot is old-school hard, and it is engrossing because it is this expansive world (the game will take a while to beat, let’s just say that), and it challenges the player to figure out what’s happening, and to survive. It is extremely difficult, and it revels in its difficulty.

So here’s the thing: there’s no map in this game. It is extremely easy to get lost here. There is a lot of idle wandering to be done before upgrades and anything to help progress through the game is really found. The game doesn’t say much about what’s going on either. It’s all about player discovery, and it is not meant to be fair, especially as there are spots where the player could jump blindly into lav, and save points are not commonplace. An update for Astronot has been submitted immediately after launch that clears up a couple of bugs, and in later updates a full-screen option and iCade controls will be supported.

I simultaneously find myself wishing that Astronot held my hand a bit more, that the bosses didn’t seem so impossible right at the beginning, and that there were a few more save points, but I can also appreciate what is going on here. This game could have been released in the 1980s and no one would have thought it was made in 2012. There’s a Lite version, and it’s worth checking out just to get a feel for what the game is. I’m simultaneously engrossed yet exceedingly frustrated.

In short, it means that Astronot nails the retro experience like no other game on the App Store ever has. That’s not always in the player’s best interest, but for those willing to deal with the challenge, it is rewarding.

I can’t count the number of times I have had the iCade – the retrofied arcade control cabinet with a real eight-point joystick and eight real buttons – in a physical or virtual shopping cart and put it back because the compatible games list just didn’t warrant the hundred dollar investment. Well, I’m still holding out for Ms. Pac Man, but thanks to Warner Bros Interactive, the next time I’m squandering money and tempted by the flashback accessory, I just may keep it. Why? Because Midway Arcade, with it’s catalog of killer classic games like Joust, Spy Hunter, Defender and a true favortie of mine, RootBeer Tapper, is now iCade compatible too.

The app was already treat for anyone who spent hours and rolls of quarters in arcades as a kid. Players wander through a virtual showroom with classic cabinet games - all played in portrait mode which is ideal for the original iCade with the groovy casing. There are also four table top games including air hockey and pool and even a juke box to complete the late 70’s -early 80’s vibe. In fact, Midway is my favorite of all the classic collections on iOS because of its immersive design. But like Atari’s Greatest Hits, the first iCade compatible classics collection, these iconic titles just beg for physical controls. Now they have them.

On top of the generous content that comes with the $.99 download, Midway Arcade offers two $.99 in-app purchases to unlock fantasy and action three-game packs. Midway Arcade’s realistic setting is ideally suited to the iCade’s original design, but of course the app also works with the newer iCade models like the iCade Core as well.

Remember Galcon? It was a pretty impressive space-themed strategy title that many of us at 148apps loved upon its release in 2009. Following that came Chickon, a fun chicken based spin-off of the title.

Creator Phil Hassey clearly fancied a change of genre with his next creation: Dynamite Jack. In it, players take the role of a Space Marine captured in battle and forced to work in a mine. This leads to what looks like a great combination of 2D gametypes with stealth elements included as well as Bomberman-style action.

Dynamite Jack isn't yet 100% confirmed for iOS (with the game set to launch initially on Mac and PC next month) but Phil Hassey let Touch Arcade know via Twitter that a port to iPad looks very likely and with iCade support, also.

Check out the gameplay trailer below and cross your fingers tightly for a speedy release. Dynamite Jack looks like it's going to be great fun.

[Source: Touch Arcade]