Apple has provided iLounge with exclusive cheat codes for two of its iPod Games—Vortex and Texas Hold ‘Em—that allow users to unlock special items such as secret levels, characters and weapons. “There’s a little bit more hidden depth to the games that people haven’t discovered yet,” said Apple senior director of iPod marketing Stan Ng. To find out how to enter the cheat codes and what items you can unlock - including a Dogs Playing Poker stage, Stonehenge, Apple Conference Room, and a New York iTunes Bar - check out this iLounge iPod games article. Apple released the first nine iPod video games, designed specifically for the fifth-generation iPod, alongside new iPod models at a special event in September.

Update: We’ve posed questions to Mr. Ng regarding the current state of iPod game development, and posted the answers in a new article here. The information may be of interest to some iPod game players, as well as potential iPod game developers.