An iPod full of diverse games on this week's Mobile Monday. My personal favorite happens to be TonePad. Mostly because I like messing around with sound without, you know, actually accomplishing anything or learning real musical skills.

While I'm a big fan of retro games, developers have yet to convince me that a touch screen is an adequate replacement for a physical controller. With a touch screen you get no tactile feedback, and I feel that ruins many iPhone games. This week we have several titles whose controls are better without d-pads and buttons. And believe me, that's a tough fact for me to admit!

Big game developers continue to flock to the iTunes App Store to offer portable versions of some of their best-known games. Electronic Arts is no stranger to any gaming platform, and some very recognizable titles can now have a home on your system. The prices aren't always as friendly as they could be, but sometimes it's worth a little extra cash to get the glitz and glamor a large studio can provide.

Musical games dominate this edition of Mobile Monday, with two of our four features emphasizing rhythm and reflexes over any other gameplay mechanic. Also weighing in is the hefty game Zenonia, an RPG that claims a full 40 hours of 16-bit-style role playing!

Ooh, now here's something special! Six independent iPhone developers have joined together to offer seven word games for just 99¢ each! From speed-based spelling games to quirky word/picture combinations, there's no shortage of iPhone wordery to be had. The sale lasts through May 31, so get grabbin' while the grabbin's cheap.

A few old games made new populate this edition of Mobile Monday. Namco is releasing a choice few of its classic arcade games on the iTunes App Store, one of which is Galaga! EA is also jumping on the retro bandwagon with Lemonade Tycoon, a mobile port of the original Shockwave game that made mixing lemonade the cool thing to do.

New from Myth People, creator of Miriel the Magical Merchant and Azkend, comes another matching-based puzzle game with a new take on an old mechanic: Dragon Portals. The friendly dragons have been bound to earth with dark magic. Young Mila is called in to save them by dropping orbs from one dragon to another, matching groups of like-colored ones to keep the dragons aloft. It's a nice departure from most matching games, and combined with Myth People's signature art direction and epic power-ups, makes a game well worth trying out.

Monkeys with balloons, kids with slingshots fighting off zombies, an ultra-powerful hero who runs around blasting giant bugs and making dents in the earth, and, erm, a number-linking puzzle. This, ladies and gentlemen, is your typical Mobile Monday.

It's a huge dose of nostalgia this week on Mobile Monday. Developers have been porting classic games to the iPhone/iPod Touch for some months now, and two of the latest to hit — Myst and Wolfenstein 3D — practically gave birth to their respective genres. I remember when running either of these games required a top-of-the-line computer. Now my music player can run them!

Wanna know what I did this past week? I grew flowers. I slithered around tiny planetoids. And I hurt my head messing with number puzzles. Oh, and I made a pie, but that has nothing to do with the games below.

If you're a fan of strategy games, we've got a real treat for you this Monday. Both KDice Trainer and UniWar tackle the genre from different angles, the former adopting a casual-friendly stance while the latter isn't afraid to get serious with unit management and tactics.

Several major casual gaming franchises are still making their way to the iTunes App Store, including the fan-favorite Virtual Villagers series! I'm pleased to report the miniaturization has gone surprisingly well, so if you had a hard time tearing yourself away from Virtual Villagers before, good luck resisting the temptation to pull your iPhone out of your pocket...

We're back with more iTunes App Store gamery! Two of today's titles are iPhone ports of their bigger casual cousins, one a full-fledged downloadable game, and the other a browser-based adventure. Each one adapts extraordinarily well to the small screen and touch-only interface, and it's surprisingly handy to have them in portable form.

The 11th annual Independent Games Festival awards were announced just a few days ago, and you'll be happy to know the Mobile category was filled with excellent iPhone games. Even better, we've already featured most of them on previous Mobile Monday articles! Check out the iTunes IGF Mobile page to see where the spotlight is currently shining.

Pirates, crayons, galaxies and picross grids populate this edition of Mobile Monday! If only they were used together in a single game. A space-themed picross puzzle where you make pictures of pirates using a crayon? I'd play it, that's for sure...

A collection of simple but absolutely captivating games for this week's Mobile Monday. I've spent more time than I'd like to admit with each of these titles. Shouldn't I be off learning Japanese or trying to cure diseases or something? Maybe after just one more level...

Art meets history meets puzzles meets airports in this edition of Mobile Monday! We're still giving away iTunes gift certificates for the cost of every game featured in the current Mobile Monday article. Simply sign-in with a Casual Gameplay account, leave a comment giving feedback about one of the games, then check back the week after to see if you've won. Simple!

Don't Look Back is a modern retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, although there are subtle differences. For one, the mythical greek poet favored a harp over a handgun, and for another, he didn't need your platforming skills to guide him on his journey.

This week's Mobile Monday highlights one of the most disturbing trends of the 21st century: adding a lowercase "i" to the front of words. Our example: iDracula. Why on earth does the name Dracula need an "i" in front of it? Unfortunately, playing the game doesn't offer any clues, so I suppose we'll just have to deal with it. Or should that be, iSuppose?

A few seriously impressive games on this week's Mobile Monday, with Zombieville USA and Rolando delivering some high-quality visuals to brighten up that tiny screen. And just for contrast, we have Falling Balls... But who says black on white graphics aren't fun to look at?

Greetings! Your iTunes App Store-based lesson this week: "simple" doesn't necessarily mean "not fun". All of the games featured this week are rather simple, but thanks to some snazzy design choices, they're extraordinarily fun.

An impressive list of games to start of your iTunes gaming week, and each one does something special in the artwork category, giving you some gorgeous eye candy to stare at while you play. And don't forget: each week on Mobile Monday we offer you the chance to win an iTunes gift certificate that will cover the cost of every game featured in the article!

More games, yay! We're still touching and tapping our way through the iTunes App Store each week, digging up games that are worth getting into. This time around we have a port of a favorite Flash game along with some puzzle action, fast-reflex tilting, and an Egyptian-themed dice-based poker game! Be sure to comment and check back next week for a chance to win an iTunes gift certificate!

Another Monday, another wide range of iTunes App Store games for your amusement! From the frantic shooter to the calm and collected poker table with a little critter munching and physics toppling in-between, you won't have any trouble passing the time on train rides, car trips, or the annoying space in-between breakfast and lunch most people call the "workday". Check back weekly for a chance to win an iTunes gift certificate!

Greetings mobile gamers! Did last week's article help you sufficiently smudge your iPhone/iPod Touch? Good, because here are four more games to help rid your hands of that pesky finger grease. We also have a fun announcement to celebrate our new column: Each week we'll be giving away one iTunes gift certificate you can use to purchase every game on a Mobile Monday article! All you have to do is sign in with a Casual Gameplay account and leave a comment on the article telling us something you liked/disliked about one of the games. A random winner will be chosen and announced the following Mobile Monday, so be sure to check back to see if you scored some free games!

Welcome to a brand new feature here on JayIsGames: Mobile Monday! Since the launch of the iPhone and iPod Touch App Store this previous summer, mobile games have not only been easier to come by, but far more plentiful. An explosion of content has flooded our way, drenching us poor gamers in a cornucopia of gaming choices. So, rather than buying all 80 bajillion iPhone games yourself, we'll cover the biggest and the best releases so you can spend your gaming budget wisely.

Virtual Villagers is back, and we're so excited we couldn't wait until the weekend to tell you! With Virtual Villagers 3: The Secret City, the surprisingly addictive real-time simulation game sticks with its proven formula and makes a few minor tweaks to freshen up gameplay. With new secrets to uncover, new technologies, real-time weather effects and a whole new island to explore, Virtual Villagers 3 has all the ingredients that made the first games so compelling, plus more.

Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate is the fourth hidden object game in the Mystery Case Files series. This installment drops you off in an old fashioned carnival where the fortune teller Madame Fate has seen something troubling in her crystal ball. At the stroke of midnight she will be killed, but which carnival character will commit the act? Gather clues about the carnies by finding hidden items and solving puzzles throughout the dark and mysterious carnival.

Matt Hammill's Gesundheit! is a beautifully hand-drawn, action puzzle game with a soothing toy-instrument soundtrack (you'll need it) and adorable sound effects. You play an allergic pig chafing under the invasion of hungry monsters from the mountains.The monsters can hear your footsteps, and if they see you, they'll eat you. But you have a secret weapon - your yummy snot!

Matt Hammill's Gesundheit! is a beautifully hand-drawn, action puzzle game with a soothing toy-instrument soundtrack (you'll need it) and adorable sound effects. You play an allergic pig chafing under the invasion of hungry monsters from the mountains.The monsters can hear your footsteps, and if they see you, they'll eat you. But you have a secret weapon - your yummy snot!

It's here! The next chapter in the captivating virtual island village sim is available to download. The follow-up to the monumentally successful Virtual Villagers game keeps the same formula as the original but adds all new puzzles, events, collectibles and more. It's the perfect follow-up to one of the most amazing casual games ever released.

Dr. Stanley's House was created by James Li and is a point-and-click adventure game. It has a mysterious plot with some twists and turns that is very creepy at times. The lush colored graphics provide a striking contrast to the moody atmospheric soundtrack, with several cut scenes that develop the story as you play.