IAHGames

The new iPhone 3GS is a pretty powerful little piece of hardware, and it wouldn't surprise anybody if it’s capable of running some pretty sweet games. Why wouldn't anybody want to play some really cool games when they're commuting? However, Apple clamps down pretty hard on the applications that it allows on its App Store, so it's not like there's a huge library of games available now.

But you've probably glanced over someone's shoulder on the train and noticed that they're playing some neat game on their iPhone that you haven’t seen at the App Store. So how do they do that??

Well, there are two basic ways, really. One way is to install third-party software, but this involves hacking your iPhone (or as it's commonly referred to, “jail-breaking” it). After hacking it, you can install these programs called “emulators”, which allow your iPhone to act as a gaming console like an old Sega Megadrive, a Super Nintendo or even a Playstation 1 (which the iPhone 3GS can run almost perfectly). This lets you play virtually any game that has come out on those platforms, like Golden Axe, Sonic the Hedgehog, and even Final Fantasy VII. The prospect of playing old favorites like these is awfully exciting, isn't it? But there's a catch:

Apple frowns upon any kind of hacking on its iPhone. Here's a statement: "Apple strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs on their iPhones. Users who make unauthorized modifications to the software on their iPhone violate their iPhone software license agreement and void their warranty."

And then there's also that technicality of being a little illegal. Or as Apple puts it: "The jail-broken OS enables pirated copies of Apple copyrighted content and other third-party content such as games and applications to play on the iPhone, resulting in further infringing uses of copyrighted works and diminished incentive to create those works in the first place."

Bottom line: Jailbreaking your iPhone could lead to lots of coolness and fun, but will have an impact on your conscience… and your iPhone's warranty.

There's another way to play games on the iPhone, and that is to use your iPhone's Internet browser to play web-based games. These games don't require anything to be downloaded onto your iPhone, so you can just log in and play them anytime.

There's quite a few of these games on the net right now, so you'll still have access to a lot of fun games like Connect 4, Battleship, and Atari has even released an iPhone version of the classic Missile Command! The catch is, you download the games each time you play them; but with bigger data-plans out there and fast download speeds, you don't have to worry too much.

So there you have it: two different ways to get more gaming out of your iPhone. Obviously, one method is safer than the other. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if it's worth the risk…