Today we're checking out two new apps coming to the iPhone and Touch this month. From Bravo Game Studios we have a wacky platformer that involves human sacrifice and lava called Volcano Escape. For gamers looking for some more lighthearted play, we've got Poker with Bob from the development team at Scary Robot.

Volcano Escape starts off with the wacky premise of a military colonel named Charlie Bravo who was captured on his summer vacation and must be sacrificed in order to take revenge on his captors. The game is less about story and more about frantic gameplay. You have two control sticks locked into the left and right side of the screen. On the left side of the screen is your standard directional thumbstick. The thumbstick on the right side of the screen is used to both aim and fire. There is a third button directly above the right thumbstick that controls your jump.

The goal of the game is to simply climb as far up the volcano as you can without dying. While there are tribal enemies on the screen to gun down, you'll spend most of your time trying to avoid the rising lava level. On the ground floor, the lava stays stationary. However, once you jump up to the next platform, the lava will begin to rise. Once it starts, there's no stopping it. You're constantly kept off balance as you search for the next opening above to jump to.

I found that you could cling to most walls you touch, allowing you to jump even higher by first touching a wall then using that wall as a springboard to jump to the next platform. Also some tribal minions would turn into platforms if you shoot them in time. It's a unique twist. However, I rarely used these platforms. The game constantly keeps you in such a fast and frantic upward race that you barely have time to take in your surroundings.

Volcano Escape has some spunk to it. You're only given one life so it behooves you to do the best you can with it to beat your high score and post it to the Game Center leaderboards.

Poker with Bob offers a more relaxing game as you battle head-to-head with a meathead named Bob in a game of five-card Poker. He starts off wearing an "I am stupid" shirt and gradually puts on more classy attire as you progress in levels.

The game uses full 3D animation for Bob's character model and movement. It makes his character just a little more annoying and cantankerous. He's the kind of poker player that likes to get in your face, see your cards and mock you for only having a high card. The full character voicing only adds to your desire to beat him.

In the levels I played, I was only allowed three bets: $5, $15, and $25. In level one, you start off with $700 dollars and your goal is to take all of Bob's money. The game follows standard poker rules. You start each hand with a $5 bet. You can raise or stay on the first deal. If both and Bob decide to stay without any additional wager, Bob will deal you new cards. Once a bet is "checked," then you can switch out up to four cards. The cards show up at the bottom of the iPhone screen (held vertically). You tap the cards you don't want and then click the Deal button to have Bob deal you new cards. Level 2 goes up to $1000.

Probably one of the best features in Poker with Bob is Bob's character animation. His comments are never really snide or egotistical. However, his expressions are extremely realistic for an iPhone poker game. You really get the sense that you're playing somebody with a personality, rather than just an AI player. It adds a subtle, but nice nuance to the plain vanilla gameplay.

Like most Casino games, Poker with Bob builds on the addiction of gambling without actually spending any real cash. While some gamers will no doubt want to play real players, the 3D animation makes for a fun single player experience.

Poker with Bob and Volcano Escape are both slated for release in mid to late February.