If you were a doubter that 2011 will be the year of social mobile, two announcements today should relieve you of any doubt.

First of all, Pocket Gems, makers of the Tap series of social games on the iPhone announced they have raised $5 million in funding led by Sequoia Capital. Pocket Gems games include Tap Zoo, Tap Farm, Tap Jungle and have been downloaded more than 15 million times. $5 million and 15 million downloads…those are big numbers!

Earlier this year, gamers were treated to a delightful fairy tale adventure about a magically-challenged princess. Awakening: The Dreamless Castle reached the #1 spot on BFG in its first week of release. Gamezebo sat down with Ran Wong and Christopher Natsuume of Boomzap to chat about the game’s sequel, Awakening: Moonfell Wood, whose launch is rumored to be right around the corner.

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Coming off the heels of a few cut-and-paste rehashes of earlier releases, we were starting to worry that iPhone games developer TeamLava might have lost their muse. Treasure Story has put those concerns to rest, as the team has gone back to doing what they do best: tackling popular Facebook formulas that have yet to make a successful transition to the iPhone.

A teaser for Maestro: Music of Death has appeared on the website of ERS Game Studios. We can't tell you much about this upcoming hidden object adventure so far, except that you're an inspector called to investigate a mysterious illness affecting one of the districts of 19th century Paris. Keep reading for a look at some screenshots.

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I have to confess that soap operas are not exactly my cup of tea. However I admit that it is quite fascinating to imagine what must be going on behind the scenes. And this is exactly the kind of experience Soap Opera Dash, the newest release by Playfirst, tries to provide. While the game’s theme is charming and a nice variation for the dash franchise, there are some shortcomings that prevent it from being a top-notch experience.

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Calling someone "heavy" would usually be quite an insult, but Heavy Hogur doesn't seem to mind too much - especially considering his knack for finding treasure galore. Unfortunately his weight does cause rather a problem, as levels crumble beneath him as he moves.