Ever wonder what it would be like to run one of the boats on the Deadliest Catch TV show? Well now you have a chance, virtually that is, with the newly released Deadliest Catch game for the iPhone/iPod Touch. Players start from the very beginning and attempt to build a successful boat.

Players have to pick the boat they would like to operate, which is a pretty easy decision because you can only afford one boat in the beginning of the game. After the boat is bought, it is off to get crew to man the boat. The crew have different attributes and players can decide if they are looking for a crew that can last a while out in the elements, have a good work ethic or are upbeat type people. The crew have their attributes increased as they work. The better more crab the player is able to catch the more morale the crew will have.

After the boat and crew are selected and the bait is bought, it is time to start catching crab. The boat sets out into the Bering Sea to catch some crabs. The crab are marked on a radar screen and the player uses their finger to navigate the boat towards the crab. There are multiple areas with crab and the player needs to choose where to drop the crab pots. The player slides their finger across the screen to drop their crab pots in the water. They can drop as many or as little as they want. The pots have to soak to catch crab. There is a timer that lets the players know how long the pots have been soaking.

When it is time to pull up the crab pots, the player has to launch the hook and pull up the crab pot. The player launches the hook by touching the screen and sliding their finger in a throwing motion. The hook is thrown and hopefully lands on the rope to pull up the pot. Before the pot can be hauled in, the player has to click the two circles when they match up, which simulates the rope being put in the machinery that hauls the pot out of the water.

Players have a time limit to get the allotted crab. They need to get their boat and crew back safely while collecting the allotted crab. If the crab can be caught, the player will make money and eventually be able to upgrade their boat to a different boat.

Over all, the game is fun and entertaining, especially for a fan of the Deadliest Catch TV show. The game starts out slow enough to introduce the player to all of the game mechanisms and then picks up the pace. If you are into simulation games, check out Deadliest Catch in the Apple App Store.

Namco has announced the release of their first Facebook game, Hamster Pirates. The game challenges players to build the ultimate ocean regime. Players have to construct their boats and buildings from scratch.

The player has to build certain buildings to be able to construct other items. The Craftsman allows players to build other buildings on their island. If there is no Craftsman there are no buildings. The Craftsman can not be constructed in the water, so the player has to find a place that is not in the water to build their Craftsman. After the Craftsman is built, players can move onto other buildings, such as Lumber Mills. Lumber Mills give players a constant supply of wood for other buildings. Players can only build one building at a time. Players will have to determine the best buildings to build at a given time.

If you like simulation games on Facebook, check out Hamster Pirates.

BIT. TRIP Beat is a pong type game for the iPhone/iPad. The game challenges players to hit an object with a paddle as the object is streaming towards them. As the beat hits the paddle, music is created. The more balls the player can stop from getting by the more points they will earn.

The beat that is flying towards the player represents the beats of the music. Each beat that is deflected will create a song. The player tilts the iPhone/iPad to align the paddle with the beat to deflect the beat and create a song. The paddle easily moves, so the device does not need to be tilted that much. It is easy to tilt the device too much and have the paddle go all the way to the top or bottom of the screen, which causes the player to miss the beat. It took a bit of play time to get use to the control mechanism.

If enough beats are not deflected, the player is in danger of losing. The screen will go gray and the player needs to start deflecting more beats or they will lose the game. If the player manages to deflect the next beats, the screen will return to normal and the game will continue.

The graphics in the game are basic, but the game is about building music. The beat is represented by a square on the screen and as the game gets more difficult, there are more and more squares on the screen.

Over all, the game is entertaining, but challenging. The controls are sensitive and it can be hard to get the paddle to deflect the beat. BIT.TRIP Beat is unique and combines pong and music simulation games into one. It may sound like a strange idea for a game, but it works. If you are into arcade style games, check out BIT.TRIP Beat in the Apple App store.

Some of the captains may not be coming back for the next season of The Deadliest Catch, but you can play those captains in the mobile game. The mobile game has the same name as the show, Deadliest Catch. Players can choose which captain they would like to be and then pick the boat, crew and gear.

The game is much like the TV show. Players are in a race against time to stuff their tanks, have to battle harsh weather and get their crew home safely. The safety of the crew is paramount, but the captains have to balance safety and making money. Players have to stuff their tanks just like the captains on the show. This is your chance to find out what it is like to be a crab fisherman, but with much less risk and harsh weather.

Deadliest Catch mobile game is available for iPhone as well as other mobile devices. There are mini-games that give the player the option to play one of the mini-games as a stand alone casual game. If you like the Deadliest Catch show, check out the game.

Bumper Crop is another farm game for Facebook, but they attempt to set themselves apart from all other farming type games. They don’t just set players up with a farm and tell them to mindlessly click to harvest. Players will have to use their thinking skills for this farm game.

Granted, the game is not rocket science or brain surgery, but it does require players to choose between planting high profit crops or planting crops that are more resistant to weeds. That is right, there are weeds in this farming game. Most other farming games let players off easy and don’t expect them to deal with weeds, but not Bumper Crop. The weeds won’t show up right away, but as you progress in levels the weeds show up to make the game a bit harder.

Bumper Crop also offers special tree and crop seeds. The seeds are given out randomly to players. The players have to look after the seeds and nourish them. Only the chosen people will have the special seeds. They can choose to take care of the seeds and keep them all to themselves or share the seeds with their friends.

If Bumper Crop sounds interesting, check it out on Facebook or here.