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‘Featured’ Category Articles

Freebie Alert: 'Edge Extended' Is Free Right Now

Friday, February 1st, 2013

Heads up: Edge Extended [$2.99] is now free for what we assume will be a limited time. The app is usually $2.99, so you'll be saving a few bucks if you jump on this sale.

Edge Extended, if you're not in the loop, is a re-mix of Edge, which is a block-based puzzle game that tasks you with rolling a cube through dynamic mazes. This version of the game uses a new engine and boasts other bits of unique content including 48 brand new levels and new mechanics to play around with.

Basically, if you like Edge you'll probably dig Extended. We've embedded a video below to give you an idea of what you're about to get into for zero bucks:

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Freebie Alert: "12-bit" Platformer 'Mutant Mudds' Free for Today and Tomorrow

Thursday, January 31st, 2013

In early December, Renegade Kid ported their popular and critically acclaimed platformer Mutant Mudds [$4.99], originally a Nintendo 3DS title, to the iOS platform. As we talked about in our review, it was quite a success. While the original price of the iOS version was the lowest tier possible at 99¢, a veritable steal, for today and tomorrow only Mutant Mudds can be had for the even more enticing price of FREE.

Mutant Mudds is somewhat of a different kind of platformer. For the most part, iOS is populated with twitchy speedrun-style platformers, often with a focus on very brief levels and fast action. Mutant Mudds is more of a tactical game, I would argue. You really need to have patience to work your way through its levels and past the dastardly Mudds. A simplistic item upgrading system gives the title legs as you go back through previously played levels and use your new abilities to discover alternate paths. Also, a big highlight of Mutant Mudds is the ability to hop in and out of the foreground and background, something that's mostly just neat but also plays into the puzzle and discovery design of the levels.

I love platformers, and I love a lot of iOS platformers, but to me there's really nothing quite like Mutant Mudds on the App Store. It was a wholly satisfying experience working my way through the game, and it's also quite challenging. The virtual controls hold up well though, and its slower pace is a perfect complement to my other twitchy platformers that also have a permanent home on my device. Definitely give Mutant Mudds a download while it's free, and stop by our forums to let us know what you think.

App Store Link: Mutant Mudds, $4.99 (Universal)

Coming Tonight: 'Baseball Superstars 2013', 'Pixel People', 'SlotZ Racer 2', 'Table Top Racing' and More

Wednesday, January 30th, 2013

It's Wednesday again, and this seems to be a weird one. I'm not sure why there's… So few games? Last week we were saying how it's nice that iTunes seems to be thawing out nicely allowing for a free flow of game releases and then we have this. Well, whatever. There's some great games this week regardless of overall quantity. If everything goes as planned all of these should be available at 11:00 PM Eastern.

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Baseball Superstars 2013, Free - Forum Thread - I've been a huge fan of this series since it hit the App Store a few years ago. Over the years some things have gotten better, others have gotten "worse" like the switch to a free to play system. Still, I always have fun.


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Pixel People, Free - Forum Thread - A city builder of sorts that hinges heavily on the whole pixel art thing. Sure, it might look a little Tiny Tower-esque, but at least you're not building a tower this time. We'll have a review when this hits tonight, so stay tuned.



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Slotz Racer 2 HD, Free - Forum Thread - The original
Slotz Racer was kind of a big deal when it was originally published under the Freeverse flagship many moons ago. Here's the sequel, and it looks rad.


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Sortee, Free - Forum Thread - A fast paced sorting-centric puzzle-ish game of sorts. It's also free, and seems worth checking out even if the premise is a little weird.


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Table Top Racing, $2.99 - Forum Thread - From the developers of WipEout (Yes, THE WipEout) comes this spiritual successor to Micro Machines if anyone remembers that classic racer. I couldn't be more excited for this.


Little Inferno, $4.99 - Forum Thread - Oh, hey, Little Inferno is coming to iPad tonight, too. If you didn't know, this is a sandbox meets puzzle game that tasks you with lighting various objects and electronics on fire. It came out on PC awhile back and was met with OK reviews. We're totally into the idea of playing this on our iPads, so expect some impressions soon.

Exclusive: First Look at NimbleBit's Upcoming 'Nimble Quest'

Monday, January 28th, 2013

We got a brief and color-shifted glimpse of NimbleBit's next game hidden in a seemingly innocuous "Happy Halloween" image released on Twitter late last year, but this is the first time we're getting real details and screenshots from NimbleBit's upcoming Nimble Quest which is slated to be released inside of the next few months. Here's the skinny, straight from the brothers Marsh:

From the creators of Tiny Tower, Sky Burger and Pocket Planes comes Nimble Quest! Lead a conga line of heros to glory against hordes of enemies across an endless number of stages. Swipe to steer your unstoppable (seriously, you can’t stop) party as they cut a path of destruction through levels filled with different enemies and power-ups. Collect loot to unlock more heros and upgrade your arsenal of power-ups to maximize the power of your party. Can your party make it from the tranquility of the Forest to the fire and brimstone of the Depths?

Tired of competing alone? Join a guild and compete with other players in special time-limited Guild Quests. Is your guild skilled enough to top the global leaderboards?

We'll have more details on Nimble Quest as they roll in. Either way, NimbleBit is typically pretty good about their estimated release windows, so worst case we're only a few months away from knowing everything there is to know about the game.

Freebie Alert: Casual Dungeon Crawler 'Dungelot' Currently Free

Monday, January 28th, 2013

Earlier this month, an interesting new puzzle-like dungeon crawler was released called Dungelot [$1.99]. It had you moving from floor to floor deep down into a randomly generated dungeon, collecting items and fighting monsters for as long as you possibly could last. What really made Dungelot work was how well-suited it was to mobile. Each floor was a 5x6 grid of covered tiles and tapping each one would reveal it and its surrounding tiles, uncovering items, treasures, enemies, and more. It felt a little like Minesweeper, and was a perfect fit for a touchscreen and gaming on the go.

Despite a few rough edges we really enjoyed Dungelot in our review, and right now you can snag the game for free for a limited time. The gameplay demo video below is a bit old, but it should give you a good idea what Dungelot looks like in action.

We are huge fans of taking one type of game and slapping some RPG-ish elements on top of it, and Dungelot does this really well. Based on the information in our forums, it sounds like there are plenty of neat updates planned for the game as well. Dungelot went free over the weekend so it's anybody's guess as to how long it will keep on being free, so don't hesitate to head to the App Store and grab it during this promotion.

App Store Link: Dungelot, $1.99 (Universal)

MAME Is Back in the App Store (For Now...) with 'Gridlee'

Saturday, January 26th, 2013

Yesterday, a game that was developed in 1982 for arcade hardware, but never officially released, quietly landed in the App Store. Gridlee [Free] is a simple game where you maneuver a little green fellow about a grid that stretches off into the distance, blasting upwards at bouncy red figures that try and squash you. That's Gridlee, but that's not the crux of the matter with this app.

As developer David Loureiro explains, Gridlee was developed for the Bally/Sente SAC I cartridge-based arcade machine. It has been brought to iOS devices by way of an emulation wrapper...namely MAME4iOS.

(more...)

Freebie Alert: Award-winning Puzzler 'Gesundheit!' Re-released and Free for a Limited Time

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

The App Store, being an entirely digital space and with Apple playing the gatekeeper, can be a tricky place. We've seen some sticky situations in the past when publishing deals expire and there's no easy way to transfer the rights to someone else so that a game can continue being sold. Sometimes that means a game simply gets pulled, never to be heard from again. More frequently, at least in my experience, is that a new publisher or the developer themselves will go ahead and put the game out again, but since there's no way for the App Store to recognize who bought the game already under the previous publisher your only option as a customer is to buy it again to ensure you have the newest version.

So really, the only good option in that scenario is to re-release the game for free for a brief initial period, and let your previous customers know that they should replace their current version with the new one while it's temporarily free. That's exactly the scenario we've currently got with Gesundheit! [$1.99 / $2.99 (HD)], an award-winning puzzle game developed by Revolutionary Concepts in conjunction with the fantastic artist Matt Hammill. Gesundheit! originally launched in July of 2011 and was published by Konami. At some point it disappeared, but today Revolutionary Concepts has re-released the game under their own name, and is offering it for free for a very limited time.

The happy side effect here (well, for the gamers anyway) is that even if you didn't have the previous version of Gesundheit! you can still take advantage of the freebie and grab it right now. And holy moly should you ever grab it. Not only is the art style and music incredibly charming, but Gesundheit! is also a clever puzzler that will tax your brain. It's also got a lot of snot, which is cool. You should give our original 5 star review a look if you need some more details, and you can always check out our forums for more impressions and discussion.

Whatever the case, everyone should definitely download and at least try Gesundheit! while it's temporarily free, and owners of the previous versions should grab this newly released one which will be the one that's maintained and updated going forward into the future.

App Store Links:
    Gesundheit!â„¢, $1.99
    Gesundheit!â„¢ HD, $2.99 (iPad Only)

Coming Tonight: 'Cracking Sands', 'Half Inch Heist', 'Might & Magic Clash of Heroes' and More

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

It's Wednesday again, which means it's time to break out your new game shoes for the same old new release song and dance we see every week. We've got a few stand outs and a bunch of other cool titles that seem worth checking out coming out tonight. As usual, all of these games should be available at 11:00 PM Eastern unless something goes horribly wrong.

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Banana Kong, 99¢ - Forum Thread - A weirdly Donkey Kong-like runner featuring sidescrolling banana collecting gorilla-centric gameplay.


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Cracking Sands, $4.99 - Forum Thread - This sick looking cart racer (or is it "kart" racer?) seems to hit all the features necessary for one of these games to be really great including but not limited to online multiplayer.


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Dingle Dangle, 99¢ - Forum Thread - A physics puzzler from Chillingo involving an interesting looking crane lowering mechanic with an added tilt control method. Curious.


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Half Inch Heist, Free - Forum Thread - This "ultimate test of skill and endurance" involves thwarting security systems to save a priceless diamond? Well, that's a premise.


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Happy Sheep, 99¢ - Forum Thread - A conveyer belt powered sheep sorting puzzler?


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Headshot Alley, 99¢ - Forum Thread - This game will probably likely be way more fun if you play it like FPS Doug. Is that reference too obscure? Maybe!


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Might & Magic Clash of Heroes, $4.99 - Forum Thread - I spent a lot of time with the pre-release version of this game and wish the port was a little better, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a great game.


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Old Clockmaker's Ridde, Free - Forum Thread - A story driven match three? It's free to try, and a plot-centric puzzler seems worth checking out.


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Tennis in the Face, 99¢ - Forum Thread - I'm not sure which is more ridiculous, the game title or the gameplay which involves hitting clowns with… tennis balls.

Freebie Alert: Endless Racer 'Cubed Rally Redline' Now Free

Friday, January 18th, 2013

This past November, Cubed Rally Racer [$0.99 / $1.99 (HD)] developer Nocanwin released a long-awaited follow-up title called Cubed Rally Redline [Free]. It traded in the traditional driving mechanics of its forebear for a more streamlined auto-runner type of setup, while still keeping the same awesome retro-inspired look and fantastic chiptune soundtrack.

Cubed Rally Redline turned out to be a pretty fun little arcade game, one that we rather enjoyed in our review. Right now, for no real reason other than just for the heck of it, you can pick up Cubed Rally Redline for free.

If you need another look at Cubed Rally Redline then be sure to check out our TA Plays video of the game embedded above. Also, since our original review, a big update hit that added a sweet new Rally Mode as a 99¢ IAP that came with 20 distinctive levels to race through in addition to the main endless mode. It's all a lot of fun, so don't hesitate to download Cubed Rally Redline while it's free until this Sunday.

App Store Link: Cubed Rally Redline, Free (Universal)

Five Alarm Freebie Alert: 'Angry Birds Rio' Goes Free for iPhone and iPad

Thursday, January 17th, 2013

This is a pretty big deal: Rovio, creators of the Angry Birds franchise and future world dominator, has just dropped the price of one of their games to free for the first time ever. Even cooler is that it's for both the iPhone and iPad versions. The game in question is Angry Birds Rio [Free / Free (HD)], a tie-in with the 2011 movie called Rio and one of the very few movie tie-in video games that doesn't absolutely suck.

Angry Birds Rio brought more of the same bird-flinging action that we all are quite familiar with by now, but also threw a couple of new very welcome twists into the formula. First and foremost are the boss fights, which were a first for the Angry Birds series and have you squaring off against the main antagonists from the Rio movie. The game also utilized more advanced graphics and recently was updated with tons of new power-ups and support for the widescreen of the iPhone 5.

You can read our original review if you're stuck on the fence for whatever reason about downloading a free game, but chances are you're familiar with the whole Angry Birds formula and the Rio edition is more of that with enough twists to set it apart from its many other variants. And I mean hey, it's free, just download the dang thing would ya?

App Store Links:
    Angry Birds Rio, Free
    Angry Birds Rio HD, Free (iPad Only)

Out Now: 'Temple Run 2' and 'Final Fantasy: All The Bravest'

Wednesday, January 16th, 2013

Hey, it's that time again when all the international releases from out weekly Coming Tonight post have finally gone live in the US App Store. There were some good games in this week's batch of new releases, so be sure to check out that post to see if anything strikes your fancy. Probably the two biggest releases this week are the sequel to Temple Run and an interesting new Final Fantasy game, both of which we took a look at earlier today and we'll go ahead and provide the links for you here in this post.


Temple Run 2

Temple Run 2, Free - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - This is basically the Temple Run you know and love, but bigger and better in every way. Better visuals, smoother performance, upgradeable items, four playable characters, and new environmental items like zip lines and mine cart rides. Just like its older sibling Temple Run 2 is free to download and play, so if you were the fan of the first or if it passed you by and you're curious what all this Temple Run business is all about then there's no reason not to give it a try.

App Store Link: Temple Run 2, Free (Universal)


FINAL FANTASY ALL THE BRAVEST

FINAL FANTASY ALL THE BRAVEST, $3.99 - [Forum Thread] - [TA Plays] - Square Enix has released a new Final Fantasy game for iOS, and it's something of a conglomeration of all previous Final Fantasy games mashed together into a combat-focused package. Not a bad idea in and of itself for a mobile spinoff title, but there are a couple of strange aspects to the game that have given us pause. The combat itself is quite basic for one thing, but beyond that there's a host of IAP options that seems like it might be an annoyance. We'll spend some more time with it to see for sure, but if you're a big Final Fantasy fan then it's probably worth at least dropping the initial 4 bucks to check it out firsthand.

App Store Link: FINAL FANTASY ALL THE BRAVEST, $3.99 (Universal)

Coming Tonight: 'Final Fantasy: All The Bravest', 'Heroes and Castles', 'Load Runner Classic', 'Temple Run 2' and More

Wednesday, January 16th, 2013

It's Wednesday again and the App Store is almost back up to being the fully armed and operational Death Star it was prior to the holiday freeze. There's some good games in here tonight, ranging from the surprise release of a Temple Run sequel to another Square game with enough IAP to choke a horse. As usual, all of these games will be available at 11:00 PM Eastern, or potentially way earlier if you're in a European or Asian region.

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Brooklyn Ninja, 99¢ - Forum Thread - I'm not sure where "Brooklyn" comes in to play with this action platformed is a bit of a mystery as none of the screenshots feature fixies or PBR.


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Busy Bags, 99¢ - Forum Thread - A baggage claim management game is an interesting premise, as I've always wanted to just act as baggage claim traffic controller in real life as everyone aimlessly mills around during (one of) the most irritating parts of flying!


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Final Fantasy: All The Bravest, $2.99 - Forum Thread - A strange Final Fantasy "greatest hits" title of sorts featuring Cloud, Terra, and other recognizable characters. According to the thread, it features a prize wheel IAP mechanic for unlocking new dudes, so strap in for that.


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Heroes and Castles, $1.99 - Forum Thread - This looks like a really cool genre blend between the typical castle defense game and an action RPG. Definitely excited to see how this plays out.


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Infestor, 99¢ - Forum Thread - The curious combination of Plague Inc-like infection-centric gameplay with Lemmings-style puzzle solving. Neat.


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Keep Moving by Dopame, 99¢ - Forum Thread - If you're fortunate enough to live in a dense area where people actually play geolocation-centric games, this one looks sort of cool.


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Lode Runner Classic, $2.99 - Forum Thread - I can't wait to relive childhood memories of failing to beat even the earliest levels of this classic gold collecting game.


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Momonga Pinball Adventures, 99¢ - Forum Thread - A cool looking adventure game played with a pinball mechanic. Think Sonic Spinball (and similar) games, but with a flying squirrel.


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Temple Run 2, Free - Forum Thread - Often imitated but never duplicated, Temple Run has gotten a little dated compared to similar games by other developers. Temple Run 2 ups the ante with better graphics, more variety, and other neat stuff.


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Terminal Escape, 99¢ - Forum Thread - Apparently the premise of this game is that airport security has been ramped up to the point of some sort of crazy gauntlet, and you're playing through it.


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Tin Man Can, 99¢ - Forum Thread - A race-y platformed of sorts that features cool art, a single player campaign, and online multiplayer.


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Undead Soccer, Free - Forum Thread - The end result of what happens when you run out of game genres to mash zombies into, I guess.


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Zen Training, 99¢ - Forum Thread - Another casual puzzler from Crescent Moon's Forest Moon spinoff label.

Freebie Alert: 'Bean's Quest' Goes Free to Celebrate the Release of 'Time Surfer'

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

To celebrate the release of Time Surfer [$0.99], a new endless runner that we took for a spin yesterday and are enjoying a great deal, developer Kumobius has dropped the price of their first iOS release, the platformer Bean's Quest [$0.99], for a limited time. Bean's Quest has a pretty interesting history. It originally launched in July of 2011, and we thought it was fantastic at the time but woefully short, calling it a "fun five minutes." The plan according to Kumobius was to add more levels and worlds to the game post-release, a promise we've heard many times on iOS but one that isn't always followed through with.

However, Kumobius came through, and through a series of updates they tripled the size of the original game by adding new worlds and levels, culminating in the final update last February. It took a bit of time, but Bean's Quest finally realized its potential and became the full-fledged platformer that we always knew it could be. And right now you can and should grab it for free for the first time ever.

Bean's Quest took a fresh approach to platformers when it released. It tasked you with successfully bouncing your way to the end of each level, which could be difficult in and of itself. But then it turned around and asked you to do it in the least amount of bounces as possible, which really turned up the intensity for those craving a serious challenge. Its level design, controls, and retro-aesthetic were all top-notch, and eventually the amount of content in the game matched that same high level.

Don't mess around, grab Bean's Quest while it's free, and have a look at Time Surfer while you're at it as a way to say thanks to Kumobius for this freebie.

App Store Link: Bean's Quest, $0.99 (Universal)

Coming Tonight: 'The Blockheads', 'Death Golf', 'I Am Vegend', 'Joe Danger', 'Zenonia 5' and More

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

Hey, it's Wednesday again. The second Wednesday of the new year, which thankfully, is bringing us a few more games than last week. We're still not back up to 100% of crazy nights of releases, but I feel like this is a good sign that more than three noteworthy games are out tonight. As usual, these will be available everywhere by 11:00 PM Eastern.

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The Blockheads, Free - Forum Thread - Imagine Minecraft, but set in a 2.5D world. We've spent some time with the game, and I'd go as far as to say due to the control limitations of iOS devices that this might almost be a better Minecraft than the actual real Minecraft.


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Death Golf, 99¢ - Forum Thread - Golf games, especially of the miniature variety, always have been a lot of fun on iOS devices. This one seems to have an almost Mutant League flavor, if anyone remembers those series of games.


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I Am Vegend: Zombiegeddon, $1.99 / Free - Forum Thread - A castle defense game of sorts, with a premise that seems totally crazy. It comes in a free variety as well as a "premium" version which comes with everything unlocked versus eventually hitting a pay wall.


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Joe Danger, $2.99 - Forum Thread - Another one of those bike jumping games, but this one looks awesome. Lots of folks have been talking about this game, and I'm really excited for it.


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Little Amazon, Free - Forum Thread - A free platformed from BulkyPix, seems worth checking out especially for the price.


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Take My Machete, Free - Forum Thread - A side scrolling slicing game, complete with a story mode and endless mode for your slicing pleasure.


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Wake The Cat, 99¢ - Forum Thread - We're really scraping the bottom of the barrel for things to do in puzzle games. In this one, you wake up cats. I can feel a Jared stirring in the distance...


Zenonia 5, Free - Forum Thread - The Zenonia series is back, in its fifth iteration. This one is free to play, but these sort of action RPGs hinge on grinding anyway so it's debatable whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Freebie Alert: 'Monster Wars' and 'Legendary Wars' Both Celebrate Anniversaries this Month by Going Free

Friday, January 4th, 2013

Liv Games' excellent strategy defense title Legendary Wars [$1.99] received a massive version 2.0 update back in November, adding fan requests, fixes, tweaks and heaps of new content that had been bubbling up since the game originally launched in January of 2011. Now its follow-up title Monster Wars [$0.99], which offers a lot of the same style of gameplay as Legendary Wars but from the bad guys' perspective, has also received a big update. And, since both titles had launched in January, both Legendary Wars and Monster Wars are celebrating their two and one year anniversaries this month, respectively. Because of these milestones both titles will be free over the weekend.

Now, this update for Monster Wars isn't quite as massive as Legendary Wars 2.0, but it's welcome nonetheless. The biggest addition is full iOS 6 and iPhone 5 widescreen support for the game, along with a lovely new icon and some new in-game graphics for loading screens and menus. There are some new Tier 4 monsters in the game, and you can now play the "Hero" campaign from Legendary Wars right from the main menu of Monster Wars. Finally some additional optimization and fixes should make Monster Wars an overall better performing game, especially on older devices.

It's been an interesting ride watching both Legendary Wars and Monster Wars release and evolve over the past couple of years. Legendary Wars really brought a fresh approach to the fairly stale castle defense genre, offering tons of content and variety as well as a great art style and a fun story. Monster Wars basically took those ideas and improved upon them, while also tying things into the original Legendary Wars in a lot of cool ways. The two games really complemented each other, and after so many updates and improvements that feels more true now than ever.

If you don't own either Legendary Wars or Monster Wars yet, definitely take advantage of this freebie promotion and pick them up, as they should keep you entertained well into their next anniversary milestones.

App Store Links:
    Legendary Wars HD, $1.99 (Universal)
    Monster Wars, $0.99 (Universal)


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