iOS Gaming Watch List: Tiny Wings HD, Amazing Alex and Knights of the Round Cable

We're taking a look at the most promising iPhone and iPad releases for July 12, 2012.

Each week the iOS Gaming Watch List will inform you of some noteworthy releases coming to the App Store.

Major releases tend to hit on Thursdays, so we'll be coming at you every Wednesday with the games to look out for, as well as some of the bigger content updates on the way. While this won't be a comprehensive list of games releasing for a given week, it does offer a quick selection of games and upates that show promise or look interesting for one reason or another. Worth noting that we have not played many of these games, so you shouldn't take these as short reviews. Think of this more like a helpful guide of games to investigate as they launch on Thursday.

Unfortunately, since these are pre-release games, App Store links are not available, but if you search for the title within the App Store tomorrow, it should pop up.

There's been some confusion about whether this is Tiny Wings 2. It's not. Instead, Tiny Wings HD is an iPad-native version of the game, with Retina-quality graphics if you have the latest iPad. The developer has also added a new AI racing mode called Flight School and, exclusive to the iPad, a head-to-head racing mode against another player on the same device. If you already own it on iPhone, you'll the Flight School and Retina update for free. If you haven't been bitten by the Tiny Wings bug yet, now's a good time to start. It's nothing short of excellent. (iPad, $2.99)

Rovio's first new franchise since Angry Birds blew up is called Amazing Alex. It's actually based on Casey's Contraptions, an iOS game that featured Rube Goldbergian puzzles ala The Incredible Machine. Rovio bought the rights to Casey's Contraptions, re-branded and now they're re-releasing the game as Amazing Alex. It's hard to say just how much has been changed from the original game, though it's likely that Rovio will bring its famed presentation talents to bear. The game is available for Android devices but full pricing and platform support is still TBA since it's not even out in New Zealand yet. As with Angry Birds Space, Amazing Alex will launch in all regions at the exact same time in the next 24 hours. (Price/platforms TBA)

I'm sure there's a story in Knights of the Round Cable. Something to justify the ridiculousness of seeing knights spinning around on ropes. The game is all about momentum as you attempt to circle gem-laden poles scattered about the environment. Collect enough gems and you'll earn Fiesta mode. Eventually exploding chickens appear. Ok, my brain's starting to melt trying to make sense of this. Good thing it's fun and cheap! (Universal, $0.99)

A one-touch platformer with a steampunk theme, Professor Pym and the Secret of Steam has you jumping from gear to gear, trying to avoid an oncoming flood. It's free, but there's the standard in-game currency system for character upgrades which encourages people to spend real dough. Bonus points for being an iPhone game you can play vertically, which means you can hold a coffee with one hand and still go for a high score. Yes, coffee is the only thing you should be holding with that other hand. (Universal app, free)