Hello everyone, and welcome to the week! It’s time once again for our look back at the noteworthy updates of the last seven days. Now this is more like it. I haven’t had to be picky to fill out this article for a long while now, but this week saw tons of worthy candidates. Of course, you can keep an eye out for updates yourself using AppShopper Social (Free), the watchlist in the TouchArcade App (Free), or by participating in the TouchArcade forums, but this weekly summary is here to fill in the things you might have missed. Let’s dig in!
The Quest, $7.99 It’s a simple update but a good one. As of its latest version, The Quest HD can now be enjoyed on iPhone and iPod Touch as well as iPad. You’ve got to hand it to Redshift. Fans asked for wider device and iOS support, and they certainly delivered. You can show your appreciation by picking this great game up and playing it. Don’t worry, it’s good for you.
Star Traders 4X Empires Elite, $4.99 The Trese Brothers did the rounds on a few of their games last week, but I’m only including this one because this week is quite stuffed as is. Star Traders 4X Empires gets a new map, some new tech and upgrades, AI updates, balance adjustments, UI improvements, and more. Like any Trese Brothers update, there’s a lot of little stuff that has been tweaked here, so make sure to check out the full update notes if you’re interested.
Jetpack Joyride, Free Jetpack Joyride got some really wild updates over the last year, so you’ll have to forgive me if I feel like this one is rather tame. The game now includes 3D Touch support, so grip your device as hard as you can without breaking it if you want to go faster. The store has been changed so that there isn’t rolling stock anymore, which means as long as you have the coins for something, you can get it anytime you want. Finally, the team pays tribute to an out-going member of the original team with the Harwood costume. I mean, that’s all good by most standards. But it’s not Doc Brown, is it?
Demon's Rise, $7.99 Hey there, friends, do you like killing monsters? You do?! Well, do you like killing lots of monsters in a single turn in strategy games? Wow, really? Invisible audience, you are easily the most agreeable lot I’ve ever known! Since we’re getting on so famously, let me inform you that Demon’s Rise has a new feature called Divine Favor that will trigger when you kill enough enemies in a single round. It also has a number of lovely graphical enhancements and GUI improvements, and the gameplay balance has seen yet another pass to smooth things out. If you were having issues with the UI on the iPhone SE, you’ll be happy to know that’s been sorted.
A Noble Circle, $1.99 I love the style and writing in A Noble Circle, but at least for me, it’s been one tough game, and that’s no bull. The developer appears to have had mercy on me, as the latest update to the game adds auto-scaling difficulty to the game. If you die too many times in a particular section, the narrator will remove some of the enemies, making it easier to proceed. There are also some new text bits in the game to uncover, though it’s up to you to make sense of them.
Rush Rally 2, $0.99 I’m not sure if every racing game needs a cockpit view, but I haven’t run into one yet that wasn’t better for having it. Fortunately, I can now count Rush Rally 2 among the number that have lovely first-person driver’s seat views. You can even see the mirror from this one, which is both useful and kind of impressive. This update also includes some bug fixes, because those are also generally accepted to be a good thing.
Arcane Quest 3, Free No matter how tough you make a game, someone out there is going to want it to be tougher. Arcane Quest 3 is a pretty good challenge as it is, but if you need something with a little more force behind its punches, give the Hardcore mode a try. You can’t exit the game without saving, and if you die, you’ll have to restart the current dungeon from scratch. Some gameplay tweaks have been made, such as allowing the Dwarf to use hammers as is his god-given right, and the camera has been reined in a bit to make it more stable overall. The UI got a little adjustment, and the default brightness level has been increased a bit.
Galaxy Trucker, $4.99 Got a love of Galaxy Truckers and $4.99? This is your lucky day, champ. The new Alien Technologies expansion has hit the game, adding 42 single-player challenges, 15 new types of ship components, new adventure cards, new crew members, and a lot of new dialogue for everyone. There are also some new multiplayer missions built just for this expansion. As I alluded to, it’s a $4.99 IAP, but if you enjoyed the base game, it’s hard to go wrong here.
Pinball Arcade Plus, $0.99 Another month has passed, and that means it’s time for a new table for Pinball Arcade. As usual, it’s a $4.99 IAP, but if you used to chuck quarters or dollars into these machines back in the day, that’s probably not a huge concern. This month’s table is Eight Ball Deluxe, a 1980 table from Bally with a billiards theme. So yes, this is a parlor game inside a parlor game inside a mobile game. Whew! This one was designed by George Christian and served as a follow-up to the 1977 Eight Ball. Like many tables from its era, Eight Ball Deluxe is light on gimmicks, but it’s quite a fun game to master.
TIME LOCKER - Shooter, Free To tell the truth, I’m not quite as enamored with this shooter as some of the others here at TouchArcade Towers, but it’s at least inventive, if nothing else. This update has two big highlights. First, there are some new characters, many of whom are guest stars from Rodeo Stampede. Second, the game now has an IAP that increases your coin intake. It costs $2.99. There are also some new Game Center achievements and a few bug fixes packed in here. Lock on!
Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade, Free It’s the latest fad sweeping the nation, and all the kids are going on about it: multiplayer. Now the craze has come to Warhammer 40k Freeblade, and the world will never be the same again. I mean, we could say that every second as the exact configuration of atoms… you know what? Never mind. The important thing is that you can now battle your knight against those of other players. There’s also a new mechanic that allows you to HAVE FURY which in this game translates to extra damage and the first attack in battles. The package is rounded out with some new stats and wargear connected with the multiplayer mode.
LEGO® Star Warsâ„¢ - TFA, Free Maybe you’ve already finished all of the content from the seventh Star Wars film in this game. Maybe you just want to get a bit nostalgic. I’m not here to judge you, unless you are a game for iOS, in which case there is a high chance that I am in fact here to judge you. Either way, the Prologue: Battle of Endor level pack is now available in this game, giving you three levels based on Return of the Jedi, along with 15 classic characters for you to unlock. The Freemaker Adventures character pack is also available as of this update. If you own the season pass, this is all included in that. Otherwise, it’s a separate IAP, but come on, like you’re not going to stop your bus for Chewie. Thus, I’m giving this game the coveted Update Mondays Most Spider-Mans of the Week award. Way to go!
Fantasy War Tactics R, Free The latest update to the rather generically-titled Fantasy War Tactics adds a new defense mode update called Library in the Sky. There’s also a new hero to play around with named Celestia. In addition, there are some new equipment capsules and packages, and a couple of events that will help you earn more resources. You know I’m going to say it: there are also bug fixes and performance improvements. Wow!
Vainglory, Free It’s been a little while since the last new hero came to Vainglory, but someone must have stuck a broom up in the machine or something because dark mage Samuel has arrived. He’s a speedy fellow who dual-wields wands, throwing AOE damage and status ailments like they’re going out of style. This update also includes the data for some upcoming skins, a sale on older skins, some gameplay balance adjustments, and some new quests. Bug fixes? They’ve got a few.
The Simpsonsâ„¢: Tapped Out, Free The mighty Stephen Hawking is visiting Springfield, and if you guessed that all sorts of wacky cosmic phenomena would be following him, you guessed right. That means black holes, Robo-Burns and Doggy Smithers, shenanigans with Professor Frink, killer robots, and more. You’ll have to figure out a way to shut it all down in order to save the city. Happy crafting, Springfield tappers!
MARVEL Future Fight, Free You know, it’s weird. The way games used to be, if you got an off-camera reference to Reed Richards or spotted Daredevil somewhere, you’d be excited because someone other than Spider-Man, the X-Men, or the core Avengers got to be in a game. These days? Wait a few months after a character becomes hot in the comics and you’ll be seeing them in a game. This update is pretty awesome if you love the wackier side of Marvel, as it brings Gwenpool and Squirrel Girl to the game. It also adds Songbird, Hulkling, and Wiccan. Is he still called Wiccan? I thought Billy changed names again. Besides those additions to the roster, Wasp and Nebula get new costumes in this update. Since Doreen is here, this is the second week in a row that I get to tell you that it’s time to kick butts and eat nuts. Quite a month, friends.
DomiNations, Free If you’ve got a free-to-play game and you haven’t added chests to it by now, I don’t know what you’re doing with your life. Seriously. People love chests, okay? Just add them. They don’t even need to have anything inside, but if there is something? Bonus! DomiNations now has a Victory Chest that you can earn by battling daily. There are also some new upgrades, traps, and Winston Churchill. Yeah, that Winston Churchill.
That about wraps it up for last week’s significant updates. I’m sure I’ve missed some, though, so please feel free to comment below and let everyone know if you think something should be mentioned. As usual, major updates will likely get their own news stories throughout this week, and I’ll be back next Monday to summarize and fill in the blanks. Have a great week!
