While it’s easy to discount some iPad reworks of existing iPhone games as mere updates, Firemint’s new game offerings for the iPad definitely fall into a category of their own. The games each feature extensive differences from their iPhone and iPod touch counterparts.

Real Racing HD

Real Racing already stands on its own in the pantheon of iPhone auto racing games for offering grittily realistic vehicle physics and detailed graphics. Real Racing HD, priced at $9.99, sports dramatically improved graphics and new touch screen controls optimized specifically for the iPad, of course, but new features include “car skins,” which lets you select photos from your Photo Album and “wrap” the image around the selected card. You can even create your own custom decals using a paint program, based on any of the existing car skins supplied with the game (Firemint will also release new skins through its Web site).

Ghost Racing lets you race against a pre-recorded ghost saved on the iPad or downloaded from the Real Racing HD servers. You can try to beat your own personal best or compete against the best players of Real Racing HD. Ghosts will also be shown in Online League races. You can also watch replays of your Time Trial races or any other races uploaded to the leaderboards from within the game, switching camera angles while watching.

Flight Control HD

Flight Control is Firemint’s enormously popular air traffic control game, in which you must safely guide aircraft to land on a variety of runways at an increasingly busy airport, while avoiding collisions with other planes and helicopters.

Flight Control HD, priced at $4.99, sports new multiplayer modes: split-screen “versus” mode that lets you play competitively by sending your planes to capture an opponent’s aircraft; cooperative multiplay on a single iPad that lets you share landing duties with a friend; and multiplayer on two devices (including an iPad, iPod touch or iPhone) in which you must land aircraft of your own color and direct others off-screen for your fellow controllers to land.

Flight Control HD also features bigger airports and more landing space; better graphics throughout, including a new menu and updated “Classic” graphics; a new “Snow” airfield and three “HD” airfields (for a total of eight single-player airfields, including the originals); and a “3D View” airfield you can look at using red/cyan glasses. Many other enhancements have also been made.