It's hard to say for certain, but this might be our favorite iOS gaming story of the year so far. Back in February we reported on a game that we were pretty sure would ruffle a few feathers when it came out. It was called Smuggle Truck and the goal of the game was to transport illegal immigrants across the southern US border.

Today we got word that, perhaps predictably, Apple denied Smuggle Truck's approval. However, with tongue firmly in cheek, the game's developer has resubmitted the game with some changes. The game is now called Snuggle Truck [iTunes Link], and revolves around the player helping transport fuzzy woodland creatures out of the forest. Owlchemy Labs hasn't completely abandoned their original vision though. The Mac and PC versions of Snuggle Truck still come with an option to revert to Smuggle Truck.

The game was originally created to express Owlchemy Lab's frustrations after watching some of their friends try to legally immigrate to the United States. They apparently still want that message to be conveyed as the game still encourages users to learn about the story behind the game by following a URL link.

So Apple gets their politically correct app, and Owlchemy Labs gets their approval. Will it be a happy ending for all? Or will the de-clawing of Smuggle Truck take away the game's bite and sales potential?

Above: Smuggle Truck. Below: Snuggle Truck. Screenshots courtesy of Pocketgamer.co.uk.