Perhaps it's something about working as a reviewer or perhaps it's just being a huge fan of gaming in general, but Game Dev Story by Kairosoft has me hook, line and sinker. That's right, my name is Andrew and I'm addicted to Game Dev Story.

The first thing to point out about GDS is that it clearly seems to have been developed for mobile phones in general and not iDevices specifically. The game is for the most part driven by menus and selectable options, though this is streamlined a little for the iPhone despite the cramped interface the options and scroll bars respond correctly. GDS is, if you haven't already guessed, a business simulator (a 'Tycoon' game if you will) and you need to whip your company in to shape to develop a long-lasting and respected name in the industry. Over time you'll be able to hire (and fire) developers with specialty fields; create new games for platforms that mirror the real videogame history; and when not developing a game you can outsource your skills to earn more income to fund better projects.

The wasted visual space is a terrible shame and one that really hampers the game despite the clever and informative interface design. However despite this shortcoming the game is packed to the gills with clever references to popular culture including 'Gilly Bates' and 'Chuck Shultz' and there's a lot of depth in the process of not only selecting your next title, but also how to promote your company and train your staff.

Had Game Dev Story made their game suit iDevices correctly with a better interface and updated audio I'd not hesitate in making this a must-have, but if you can put these aside you'll be rewarded with an insanely addictive simulation title.