I’ve mentioned this before, but I have a list of games that I’d do practically anything to have them be updated for modern screen sizes and iOS versions. There have been a lot of amazing games released on iOS in its fairly short history, but not all of them are in a position to be continuously updated to keep up with new iOS software and hardware. Some of those games aren’t even available anymore, probably for that very reason. One of the games that was very high up on my update wish list is Venan Entertainment’s Space Miner: Space Ore Bust (Free). Well, I’m very happy to say that Venan has posted in our forums that an update is in the works for Space Miner that will bring support for all the different iOS screen sizes as well as iOS 8.
Long-time TouchArcaders should be very familiar with Space Miner: Space Ore Bust, as we loved the game in our original review and even chose it as our Game of the Year way back in 2010. Basically, besides having an amazing pun in its subtitle, Space Miner took one of the most well-suited genres for touchscreens–top-down dual-stick shooters-and fleshed it out to the max with an RPG-like progression system and a very interesting story. It felt like a game built with mobile touchscreen gaming in mind, and not just a quick “coffee break" style game (though you can definitely play in short bursts) but a full-blown game that would feel just as at home on a portable system from Sony or Nintendo as it does on Apple’s mobile devices.
In late 2010, about 9 months after the launch of Space Miner, Venan released a breezier, more arcade-focused version of the game called Space Miner Blast (Free). It was originally intended as an ad-supported free taste of the full Space Miner, with some optional IAP for buying different style ships. Well, iOS gamers are a fickle bunch and didn’t take kindly to Blast, so about a year later Venan ditched the “free taste" tactic and updated Space Miner Blast to be Universal while also removing the ads and IAP. Now it’s simply a 99¢ arcadey version of Space Miner, which is just fine by me. Venan didn’t mention whether Blast will be getting a modern update or not, but I have my fingers crossed.
Finally, while Venan has mentioned a few times over the past few years that a Space Miner sequel is in the works, they again confirm in the post in our forums that the sequel is still on its way. We’ll be prodding and poking at them for any details about that, but in the meantime get geared up to experience the excellence that is Space Miner once again (or possibly for the first time) when its new update hits. We’ll definitely give you a heads up when we get a release date for the new update or any other Space Miner news.
