For a game that went nearly two full years with doing much to shake up it’s formula, 2011 is becoming quite the year for Doodle Jump. First we had the introduction of a level system in Doodle Jump: HOP. Then we’ve heard rumor that Doodle Jump for the iPad will finally be arriving before the end of the year, not to mention Xbox Kinect. Now the team at LIMA SKY have taken the next big jump, releasing an update for the original game that adds multiplayer functionality.

Thanks to a pair of announcements earlier this year, it seemed as though 2011 might just be the year of the movie tie-in. And while there haven’t been any other announcements that have cemented that prediction quite yet, the first movie tie-in game – Doodle Jump HOP – has arrived on the App Store, and much to our delight it offers some unique changes that fans of the Doodle Jump series have been asking for.

Over this past weekend, two of the App Store’s reigning game kings made separate though strikingly similar announcements. Angry Birds developer Rovio announced it was partnering with 20th Century Fox to promote the upcoming family film Rio with the release of Angry Birds Rio. Doodle Jump’s creators Lima Sky announced a deal with Universal Pictures to promote the upcoming family film Hop.

Is this the week that indie game development went Hollywood?

Doodle Jump! Not Angry Birds, Flight Control, or even Rappin’ Granny. How do we know? Apple has just released a collection of lists that detail the most successful paid and free iPhone and iPad apps to date.

Being the first real mega hit on the iPhone might make Doodle Jump an iconic name amongst gamers, but it also suffers the fate of feeling a little dated in the face of every jumping game that’s followed. As the second standalone release in the series, Doodle Jump Christmas Special had a chance to add some new twists to this growingly stale formula. Instead, it’s the same old experience with a snowy coat of paint thrown on top.

You know that feeling the first time you played theYeti game where you whack the penguin with a bat and send it flying across the screen? When I first played theYeti online game years ago, I kept trying to beat my high score (sending the poor penguin further and further) and before I knew it, an hour had gone by. That's what happened to me the first time I played Doodle Jump by Lima Sky. This simple, yet ridiculously addictive little game will suck you in . . . you'll find yourself playing over and over until you have to tear yourself away or risk spending your entire day on a quest to become the Doodle Jump master.