I’m not going to hide the fact that I’m a huge fan of LittleWing pinball sims. I have been since I first played Looney Labyrinth for the Mac back when Apple’s logo had multiple colors. Tristan was LittleWing’s first pinball sim, but because I bought it after playing through their subsequent machines, I never really enjoyed it that much. Until now.

The Deep Pinball is quite possibly the best pinball sim currently available for the iPhone. It has a fun, imaginative playing field that faithfully replicates the kind you can still find in truck stops and bowling alleys across the country. The graphics are attractive, the audio is authentic (although I could do without all the talking), and—most importantly—the gameplay feels natural. It should appeal not only to pinball fans, but also to those looking for a new quick-game option.

Although you’ve got a few pinball options on the iPhone, few currently look as good or play as well as Wild West Pinball. The board may be a bit empty of features and goals, and the lack of continuous audio makes it sound as if something’s broken internally, but this is still a solid pinball experience on the iPhone. Plus, it’s now free.

Last month, I launched a new Appletell series about games we’d love to see on the iPhone. My first article focused on LittleWing Co. Ltd. and their history of outstanding pinball games for the Mac. LittleWing and pinball seem a perfect match for the iPhone, after all. Good news, everyone; I received an e-mail this weekend from the good folks at LittleWing, and it seems they agree.

Without intending disrespect to app developers, I’m wondering why the iPhone doesn’t have the type of game I can’t wait to get home to play. There are no Fire Emblems, no Legends of Zeldas, and no Resident Evils. In this series of articles, I want to take a look at some games and developers who would help push the iPhone in the right direction if they were to pick up their iPhone 3.0 SDK. And I’m going to start out in the least likely of places: pinball. Specifically, LittleWing.