Assassin's Creed II producer Ben Mattes on why the iPhone version is best

When Assassin's Creed II: Discovery accidentally appeared on the App Store the night of January 8th, the reaction of gamers was as surprising as the event itself.

Ubisoft's new-found role as an iPhone publisher has been met with tangible enthusiasm, the company's first major title among the most highly anticipated in the early months of the new year.

Producer Ben Mattes, who has been charged with remaking the original DS version, spoke with us ahead of the game's February 1 release about the effort to ensure that the iPhone is home to the definitive version of Assassin's Creed II: Discovery.

Deliver high quality gameplay and bring the experience closer in line with the console versions - Mattes explains these two fundamental goals drove the development process forward. "We've added quite a lot of content to reinforce the notion that Ubisoft is serious about iPhone."

New levels and objectives, a new character, embellishments to the combat mechanics, and an optional achievements system all differentiate the iPhone version from its DS original.

Select sword clashes prompt you to tap furiously at multiple spots on the screen to overpower foes. "Adding multi-touch battles keeps in line with the feel of the game, while offering something specific to iPhone," Mattes says.

Chase sequences, which proved popular in the console iteration of Assassin's Creed II, find their way here in new levels featuring an enigmatic female assassin that you must pursue with great haste.

The free-running gameplay that has made the console games so intriguing is included in this iPhone remix as a way of both differentiating it from DS and tying it closer to the main series. "We've added more spectacular gameplay moments to make it similar to the console game," he explains.

Noticeable changes to the presentation also show the measures taken to distinguish the game on iPhone. "More music has been taken directly from the console version," Mattes tells us. "Better hardware has enabled us to upscale the graphics and audio."

Most important are changes made to the controls, which substitute the DS physical D-pad with a virtual slider that moves protagonist Ezio Auditore da Firenze left and right.

"We tried three different control schemes: virtual analogue stick, accelerometer, and slider," Mattes says. "The accelerometer proved clumsy when it came to stealth kills, so we immediately ditched it."

The analogue stick option hardly fared better. "It covered up too much of the screen. Plus, you don't need the nuanced control multi-directional control provided by an analogue stick in a side-scroller." It was the slider which made the cut and appears in the final game. "It works the best."

Mattes is proud of the work done to enhance the game for iPhone release, but doesn't expect it to be the last appearance the series makes on the device. "As more happens in the Assassin's Creed universe, expect to see more on iPhone - it will continue to play a role in the franchise."

Until then, Mattes is content to relish in the game's completion. He even admits to spending time with Canabalt, geoDefense Swarm, and professes an admiration for Plants vs. Zombies.

Of course, he doesn't want that to get in the way of you downloading a copy of Assassin's Creed II: Discovery for iPhone and iPod touch on February 1st at a price of $9.99/£5.99.