Even more exciting than Square Enix's predictable PSP-to-iPhone port announcement for Final Fantasy I and II (the latest iteration in a long series of adaptions trailing from GBA, then WonderSwan Color, then NES), French indie developer Pastagames formally announced an iPhone version of Maestro: Jump in Music, its fantastic Nintendo DS rhythm-based platformer that released only in Europe (with distribution difficulties).

The dual-screen edition should translate well to the iPhone's touchscreen, as players don't directly control the protagonist's movements. That hero, a pink bird named Presto, automatically runs across a series of guitar strings, and players must strum those strings in time with on-screen cues, making sure to hit them in the right direction to toss Presto onto other strings. Lots of distractions also appear, asking you to tap, spin, and stroke them to the beat.

It's still unclear if there will be any major differences between Maestro: Green Groove and the DS release, though if it keeps the same concept and music arrangements by Yubaba Smith & Fortune (Big Bang Mini, Soul Bubbles), I'm sure it will be great. French publisher Bulkypix is managing its release -- hopefully North Americans will receive the game this time around.

I embedded a long clip from the Nintendo DS edition uploaded by Pastagames above, as well as a couple more videos I recorded of myself playing through the "O Sole Mio" stage and a trial run through "House of the Rising Sun" after the break.

[Via @mister_raroo]