In the short span of time that the iPhone has been around, it has become the go-to platform for inventive small game developers to show off their coding and design chops and compete against the big boys.

Bob Clagett and Jonathan Forby of BFG Interactive are tossing their game building hats in the crowded iPhone app ring with an interactive puzzle game called “Flu Fighter.”

The idea is the gamer is a hot-shot doctor who must detect and eradicate level after level of viruses using anti-virus capsules. One cool feature of “Flu Fighter” is the head-to-head feature that allows gamers using a local WiFi connection to play against each other.

Clagett and Forby took the time from their busy schedules to talk about developing Flu Fighter, why designing for the iPhone is so rewarding and their love for Nintendo’s Dr. Mario.

Q: How long have you both been at BFG Interactive and what are your jobs?

Clagett: Since its beginning June 2006. I’m VP and Senior Developer.

Forby: A year and a half. I’m a Web Designer.

Q: Where did you get the idea for Flu Fighter?

Clagett: We both have always loved the old Dr. Mario game and just wanted to be able to play it on the iPhone. So we thought we’d make our own version that was similar to the original. Since then, we’ve come up with lots of additions that we plan to add down the road. That will really make it stand out as a different game. Keep an eye out for those.

Q: How long did it take to create and build?

Clagett: We worked on it for about six months. All late nights and weekends, anywhere we could find the free time.

Q: Is this the first game you have built?

Clagett: This is the first iPhone game for both of us. I’ve built several flash games over the years, but that’s a different class of game development really.

Q: What attracts you both to the iPhone platform for a game?

Clagett: Unique controls, constant connectivity, accelerometer access and the fact that I ALWAYS have it with me.

Forby: It’s easier for smaller developers to create what they want [with iPhone] and reach more users, but that can also be a bad thing, depending on quality.

Q: What did you each bring to the process?

Clagett: Well, we both collaborated the entire time on functionality and usability. We were constantly bouncing ideas and re-evaluating. I handled all of the software development and coding.

Forby: I helped with the planning process and designed all the graphics and animation support.

Q: What’s the best part of building a game?

Clagett: Being finished with it. The process is really cool, because for me, as a programmer, it’s just problem solving. So you’re constantly bouncing from one problem to the next. But completing it and hearing how much people enjoy playing it is really awesome!

Forby: Watching your friends play it.  It doesn’t feel real until you see someone else playing it.

Q: Do you both have any plans for building more games?

Clagett: We’ve definitely got more plans. How those plans actually pan out is up in the air. We’ll definitely have something else out this year, as well as continuing updates to Flu Fighter.

Forby: If this one is well received, I’m sure we’ll have the incentive to make more.

Q: What is your all time favorite game and why?

Clagett: Just one? How about two? I think I’m going to have to go with Super Mario Brothers and Dr. Mario, both on the NES. Those games still hold up in playability even though they’re 20 years old.

Forby: I wasn’t much of a gamer as a kid, but I have fond memories of playing Super Mario Brothers a lot with friends. That would have to be it, though Dr. Mario is pretty close.

Flu Fighter is available for download on iTunes.