On Friday, February 5th, Space Miner: Space Ore Bust was released on the App Store worldwide. Within hours, the user reviews started coming in, and the players have made it abundantly clear: Space Miner is a hit! As of this morning (Monday, Feb 8th), Space Miner is sitting at #3 in the App Store’s "Top RPG" category, and at #33 in their "Top Arcade" category. After a mere two days, Space Miner has also landed at #95 on Apple’s "Top Grossing Apps" list.

In addition to the game’s solid performance on the App Store, positive reviews from all over the world have been pouring in, both from users and from internet publications. TouchArcade called the game "RPG Shooter Excellence", adding that "[every] now and then a game comes along that just dazzles and blows you away by getting things exactly right... That game is Space Miner: Space Ore Bust."

No Dpad rated Space Miner a "Must-Have App Store title, citing the "fantastic" visual presentation, "highly configurable and super tight" controls, humorous storyline, extensive upgrades, professional soundtrack, and fully-integrated Plus+ support. No Dpad summarizes by saying that "[like] comets, games like this are rarely seen. Don’t let this one pass you by."

Space Miner currently has a 5-star total rating on the App Store, with over 60 reviews.

To buy Space Miner for your iPhone or iPod Touch, just follow this link!

CROMWELL, Conn., Feb. 8, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Venan Entertainment, a premier developer of Nintendo DS™, iPhone, iPod, and mobile games, today announced the availability of SPACE MINER: SPACE ORE BUST, the flagship title for their Venan Arcade label. The title can currently be purchased on the App Store at a price of $4.99.

SPACE MINER: SPACE ORE BUST is an epic space adventure that pits players against the nefarious Mega Space Corporation as they attempt to take over your family's asteroid mining field. In the game, players battle enemies and destroy asteroids to collect valuable space ore, which can be used to purchase over 75 upgrades for the player's spaceship. The game features extremely high production values, including stunning 3D graphics, a humorous storyline, hundreds of sound effects, and 23 minutes of original music.

"Our goal was to build a console quality game experience that was accessible to the widest-possible audience," said Brandon Curiel, CEO and Creative Director at Venan. "We wanted to raise the bar for original App Store games, and to deliver a deeper, more meaningful game that really pulls the player in. When people buy SPACE MINER, they are getting a game that makes no compromises."

Curiel also credits the tax credit program for film and interactive media in Connecticut for helping to fund the game. "Without a doubt, we would never have been able to make this game without the support we've received from the State of Connecticut. Our ability to innovate and create a title of this scope is directly attributable to this program."

Released on Friday February 5, the game was met with immediate acclaim from the gaming press and community. On the App Store, the game has already surged to the top five in the RPG category and boasts over fifty five-star user reviews. Early media reviews are similarly enthusiastic. TouchArcade.com wrote, "Without a question, this is one of the best games I've played since the App Store went live over a year and a half ago." Nodpad.com was similarly impressed, stating, "I've been mining the app store for gems, and in Space Miner I've struck pay dirt. Like comets, games like this are rarely seen."

SPACE MINER: SPACE ORE BUST embodies Venan's simple philosophy for the Venan Arcade label - quality, originality and value. The game was built from the ground-up for the iPhone and iPod Touch, with top-notch presentation, fully-customizable controls, and social leaderboards and awards through the Plus+ network. There is truly nothing like it on the App Store.

For more information on SPACE MINER: SPACE ORE BUST or Venan Arcade visit www.venanarcade.com, become a fan at www.facebook.com/VenanEnt, or follow the Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/VenanEnt.

About Venan Entertainment, Inc.: A pioneer in the development of high-quality titles for mobile and handheld gaming platforms, Venan Entertainment, Inc of Cromwell, Connecticut has developed award-winning games for the Nintendo DS™, iPhone, iPod, and hundreds of mobile devices since it was founded in July, 2002. Their extensive body of work includes the critically acclaimed and BAFTA-nominated Nintendo DS™ strategy title NINJATOWN, the Mobile Excellence Game of the Year-winning MONOPOLY for mobile devices, the award-winning HIGH SEAS: GUNS AND GOLD, and the NBA LIVE series for both mobile devices and the iPhone and iPod Touch.

CONTACT: Sandbox Strategies
Edith Yang
415 673 3455
edith@sandboxstrat.com

Space Miner: Space Ore Bust, our fourth independently-produced game, is currently in the final polish stages in preparation for a submission date of 1/29 to Apple for release on the App Store.

Space Miner will be our very first independent iPhone title, and we are excited to begin unveiling new screenshots, trailers, previews, and behind-the-scenes info as the release date draws closer. To get the latest news related to Space Miner and Venan's other projects, check out our Twitter feed, our Facebook page, or our Youtube account.

CROMWELL, Conn., June 25, 2009 – Venan Entertainment, a premier developer of DS, iPhone, iPod, and mobile games, today announced the first title in its independent Venan Arcade initiative: Space Miner: Space Ore Bust.

Coming exclusively to the iPhone and iPod Touch this September, Space Miner: Space Ore Bust will follow the adventures of a humble asteroid miner as he fights to save the family asteroid claim from the nefarious machinations of Mega Space Corp. This title will mark Venan Entertainment’s fourth fully-independent release, following the award-winning mobile titles Super Putt Classic, Super Putt XTreme, and High Seas: Guns and Gold.

“With Space Miner: Space Ore Bust, we’ve set some lofty goals,” said Brandon Curiel, President and Lead Designer at Venan. “First, to create something that is entirely unique to the iPhone and not just another me-too game. Next, to make it accessible enough for the casual audience yet deep enough to excite the core gamer as well. And finally, to create a low-priced iPhone game that not only has hours of fun and compelling gameplay, but also has the top-notch production values missing in many of the App Store offerings these days.”

Space Miner: Space Ore Bust will allow players to freely explore a massive asteroid field, blasting apart the colossal space rocks for valuable ore while simultaneously fending off an army of deadly drones sent by the evil Mega Space Corp. Players will be able to spend their hard-earned Spacebucks on dozens of ship upgrades, take on a variety of action-packed missions throughout the asteroid belt, discover ancient alien artifacts lost to time, and unravel the quirky mystery behind Mega Space Corp’s arrival in the system.

Space Miner: Space Ore Bust will be available for purchase on the App Store this September, and will be followed by frequent content updates and new chapters in the Space Miner saga.

More information about the game, including new screenshots and gameplay videos, will be released as development continues.

About Venan Entertainment, Inc. - A pioneer in the development of high-quality titles for mobile and handheld gaming platforms, Venan Entertainment, Inc. of Cromwell, Connecticut has developed award-winning games for the Nintendo DS, iPhone, iPod, and hundreds of mobile devices since it was founded in July, 2002. Their extensive library of titles includes the critically and commercially acclaimed MONOPOLY HERE & NOW: THE WORLD EDITION for the iPhone and iPod Touch, the BAFTA-nominated DS strategy title NINJATOWN, the Mobile Excellence Game of the Year-winning MONOPOLY for mobile devices, the critically-acclaimed and award-winning HIGH SEAS: GUNS AND GOLD, the best-selling SUPER PUTT and SUPER PUTT X-TREME, and the NBA LIVE series, having developed NBA LIVE 07, 08, and STREET for mobile devices. For more information on Venan Arcade or Venan Entertainment, Inc., visit their website at www.venan.com, their Facebook company page, or their Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/VenanEnt.