We don’t normally give you more than a quick update on point releases (like the one I posted yesterday), but there were so many new features included in this update that it felt much more like Flight control 2.0 than 1.2.  I just wanted to take a minute to give you a closer look at some of the new features.  Of course, before you read on, you can check out my original review.

The most noticeable upgrade in the new version are the two new maps.  You probably remember the original map (above). 

The first new map is the beachside resort.  Here, you will find the seaplane, which lands in the water, rather than on a runway. 

The most difficult new map is the aircraft carrier.  The runways are short and close together, meaning you have precious little maneuvering room.  And watch out, because those military jets sure do move fast as they approach the carrier for landing. 

All in all, there now a total of nine planes in the game (compared with four from the previous version).  I loved the new maps and planes.  This was one of the few complaints I had with the original version, and I was thrilled with the creativity of the new maps.  I did think it would have been nice if you could have used all nine planes in a single map, or at least choose which planes to use on each map.

Another complaint I had about the game was the lack of any way to speed up the game.  Sometimes, you get all of the planes into a pattern, and then you just have to wait for them to follow their trails to the runway.  Now, you can just hit the fast forward game to send the game into double time and move those planes to their runways.  Just don’t forget to slow it back down again or your game will end pretty quickly.

Finally, don’t forget to check out the online scoreboard.  Flight control uses your location to not only post the recent high scores, but also displays your proximity to other players. 

And, watch your rank increase from passenger to first officer, and higher.  The better your score, the higher your rank will climb. 

I found the original version to be one of the best, most addictive games, I have played on my iPod Touch.  And this version skyrocketed the game into the stratosphere. 

Once you download the game, don’t forget to check out the website, flightcontrol.cloudcell.com, where you can:

• See Google Maps mashups of Flight Controller scores.
• Link to your Twitter account to automatically tweet your new personal best scores.
• Add tags to your Cloudcell profile to help your friends find you and keep track of other Flight Controllers by ‘Following’ them.

Flight control was developed by Firemint, and is available in the iTunes App Store for $2.99.  For a limited time, however, you quick studies can find it for a mere $0.99.