Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney: Although the series originated on the Game Boy Advance, it wasn’t until Mr. Wright stepped foot onto the DS that his popularity exploded. Capcom’s series became a fan favourite thanks to it’s quirky humour and off-the-wall take on courtroom drama. Utilizing the DS’s touch screen, the entire game was playable without ever using the handheld’s traditional face buttons, which is great news considering the iPod touch is lacking in the buttons department. The Ace Attorney spotlight has since shifted from Phoenix Wright to Apollo Justice, but I’m sure fans of this fantastic series would be ecstatic to have either of the power players land on their platform.

DOOM: Many developers have already given the FPS genre a whirl on the platform, but the struggle to find the balance between graphics and gameplay always seems to be a big issue. XBLA has shown that there’s plenty of room for nostalgia when it comes to games like Duke Nukem 3D and Doom, especially to those who spent hours plunked down in front of their computers trudging through these classics. Since the game was controlled with the four arrow buttons it shouldn’t be a problem to map the movement to the accelerometer while keeping the firing to onscreen taps. Keep the title at a reasonable price and I see no reason why people wouldn’t mind taking a trip to Phobos.

Tap Tap Revenge – Last Gang Edition: A Tap Tap Revenge entry based on a little known Toronto record label is a huge stretch to ask for, but as long as I’m throwing out my dream ideas I might as well include this one. With a roster of musical acts like Crystal Castles, MSTRKRFT, Boys Noize and Let’s Go to War this little bit of heaven would be a dream for lovers of Electronic music. Last Gang has already licensed out a few songs to various games and with the company being on the indie level just like TTR developers Tapulous, it’s always possible something can be worked out. With many of the artists having their own distinct design style, it would be interesting to see what kind of skin would be conceived for this edition.

Trauma Center: I might be cheating by including another DS game on the list, but Trauma Center is another one of those odd concept games that seems absurd until you jump head first into it. The story of Dr. Stiles and his staff at Hope Hospital is actually decent and there’s not enough games that require you to cut open someones stomach to remove tumors. I’d even be open to a developer like Gameloft or Freeverse stepping up to fill the void, just as long as it’s not call iSurgeon or iSave Lives.

—–

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the gaming prowess of Apple’s iPod touch. With close to 2,000 games available for the platform through the AppStore, there’s something for everyone wether you’re looking for a kart racer or a card game. At the moment there are more duds than gems, but with the freedom of development it was bound to happen. Still though, there’s a handful of games I’m dying to see on the system. Here’s a little wishful thinking these will show up some day.

VIDEO Chikara’s Podcast a-Go-Go
Why you should watch: Mike Quackenbush and Twiggy bring you the latest on Chikara, a wacky indy-wrestling fed the likes of which most people have never seen. Each episode showcases various shows from Chikara’s four year history, along with promos by members of the fed’s peculiar roster of insects, doctors, dragons, small woodland creatures and other oddities. The shows may be a little on the short side, but with weekly updates and a cost of zip, the podcast is definitely worth checking out for fans of the squared circle.
Cream of the casts: Any episode co-hosted by Fire Ant is sure to be hilarious, but Episode 23 takes the cake. With Milano Collection AT vs. Larry Sweeney and Kaientai Dojo vs. Kings of Wrestling from the Episilon Delta show, this episode is a great starting point.

AUDIO Official Xbox Magazine Podcast
Why you should listen: OXM does a great job covering the Xbox 360 as well as the Original Xbox, so it’s expected that their podcast would be just as good. Although the hosts voices are not as docile as our own Lloyd Hanneson’s [they sound extremely nerdy], Ryan and Dan’s enthusiasim for all things Xbox definitely shines through. Episodes come in at a meaty 50 minutes or so and are chocked full of news, reviews and interviews with industry insiders. The Xbox 360 is hitting it’s stride and OXM is doing a great job covering it on all fronts.
Cream of the casts: Most OXM Podcasts center around a game or a theme, and although the Gears of War podcast is excellent, the cream is definitely Episode 39, the Halo episode. All things Halo are covered, from the amazing 60-second teaser to the novels.

AUDIO 1up’s Retronauts
Why you should listen: The official podcast of old people. While there are tons of podcasts out there to keep you up to date on the latest games, Retronauts takes a step back and reminds you where they came from. With a healthy dose of reminiscing in every episode, listeners can expect to feel plenty old while catching up on old games. The more interesting episodes draw comparisons between the games of yesteryear and the titles of today, as well as the systems of then and now.
Cream of the casts: The October 18th, 2006 episode takes a look back at the original Doom, in honour of it’s release onto Xbox Live Arcade. Aside from throwing digs at the game’s dated graphics, Retronauts also discusses how it pioneered first-person shooters.