Finally, Electronic Arts has released a version of its famous SimCity game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Nicely described by a site as "the grandfather of them all", SimCity now joins other EA-released games such as Spore, Scrabble, Monopoly and Tetris. The game is now available for $9.99 through the App Store.

SimCity is an open-ended city-building computer and console video game series, created by developer Will Wright. It is published by Maxis (now a division of Electronic Arts) and originally released for the Mac and Amiga in 1989.

And, if you're new to the SimCity universe, prepare yourself for one of the most engaging, addicting games you've ever played. Take charge and create entire cities from the ground up - the sky's the limit!

The game features including:

• Touch, tap, drag and flick to create a thriving metropolis!
• Zoom in and out of your vibrant cityscapes by pinching.
• Eight tool categories give you the ability to plan, zone, build, bulldoze, and manage your city.
• Tutorial, starter cities and 3 difficulty modes for fun and challenging gameplay.
• Take charge of the city budget and decide where best to spend taxpayers' hard-earned Simoleons.
• Public works management including Water, Power, Garbage and Recycling.
• Public and private transportation with roads and rail.
• Test your city infrastructure with disasters - UFOs, Fires, Tornados, Earthquakes and Toxic Clouds.

Yeah, with the recent announcements from the big game companies, seems gaming on the iPhone is going mainstream now -- it's hard to say that this wonderful device isn't a promising gaming platform.

Ryan Kim of SFGate said:

We're really seeing iPhone games mature and evolve. Games are getting more polished but they're also taking better advantage of the iPhone hardware.

Chris Foresman of Ars Technica wrote:

But its relatively fast processor and 3D-capable GPU—John Carmack compared the iPhone's specs to serious consoles like the PS2 and Xbox—gives the iPhone far more gaming mettle than other mobile handsets.

Since the iPhone gaming was backed-up by passionate developers and very strong business model, I've become more convinced that in the near future, iPhone gaming would be ubiquitous device. (Of course, it's something that already anticipated by other smartphone companies).

Btw, have you played SimCity on your iPhone? Let us know what you think here.