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. It’s an interesting mix this week, with a lot of familiar faces and a few we don’t see quite so often. 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!
Pokémon GO, Free Pokemon Go actually got two updates this week. The first one added support for the Pokemon Go Plus accessory and the new Buddy feature, which can be accessed from the menu in your trainer status screen. The second update improved stability for the Pokemon Go Plus and added a bit of in-game help for using it. Wow, actually explaining a feature in-game? Niantic, you’re spoiling us!
Phoenix 2, Free Phoenix 2 has jumped on iOS 10’s ReplayKitLive feature, allowing you to stream the game live, provided you have some fairly new hardware. But if you’re not into the whole, you know, exhibition thing, this update still has ship previews, some visual improvements to help make gameplay elements clearer, and a bag of bug fixes. Oh, and the Essin is looking pretty slick with its new coat of paint. Lavendar is totally in this season. Probably?
Vainglory, Free It’s new hero time! It’s new hero time! Baron joins the fray, and he brought his buddy Mr. Rocket Launcher with him. Baron’s suit allows him to boost around the map with ease, and in a pinch, he can call in an orbital strike. It’s the only way to be sure. This update also sets up some upcoming skins, rewards, and events, many centered around autumn and the holidays that come with it. Some UI improvements, balance tweaks, and bug fixes round out the festivities.
Dungeon x Balls, Free This update adds a bunch of extra content to the game. Two additional chapters with six new roles will keep you busy in the main mode, and the new training and evolution systems can help give you the leg up you need to win. This update also adds a new mode called Expedition Mode. Honestly, one of the unique things about this game was how it used some things from social RPGs while still staying distinct. It feels like it has lost a lot of that over the course of the last few updates. Still fun, though.
Ascension: Deckbuilding Game, Free To say Playdek has had a rough go of things lately would be a pretty serious understatement. Even the old reliable plan of releasing a new Ascension expansion didn’t go as expected, with the new Dreamscape IAP expansion causing tons of crashing and instability for many players. A second update was issued and it seems to have solved most of the bugs, but some players are still reporting issues. Maybe wait until they’ve got another update or two out before jumping in?
Horizon Chase, Free Has it already been a year since this lovely slice of retro-style racing appeared? I guess so, because the notes say this update is celebrating the game’s one-year anniversary, and patch notes are often known for their sincerity. So how is the game celebrating? A whole new cup with nine tracks and two brand-new cars! The new cup is based in Australia, so you can expect to see the Sydney Opera House, some beautiful outback scenery, and Paul Hogan. Ha, just kidding on that last one. Sadly. Nevertheless, I’m willing to give this game the coveted Update Mondays Most Spider-Mans of the Week award simply as an anniversary present.
Hearthstone, Free If you’re somehow just starting on this game, you’ll enjoy the new $4.99 Welcome Bundle added in this update. It gets you 10 Classic card packs and a random Classic Class Legendary, which should get you on your way to kicking butt in no time. A new priest hero has been added to the game and will be unlockable through a future promotion. Let’s see, there are some new card backs, some updated deck recipes, a few cards have been booted out of the Arena, and a mess of bugs got fixed.
Crossy Road, Free Dinosaurs! Whether you like classic PROPER dinosaurs or the weird feathery INCORRECT modern dinosaurs, this Crossy Road update has something for you. For the former, there’s a T-Rex, stegosaurus, triceratops, and more. For the latter, you can have the chicken in a dinosaur suit. A PROPER dinosaur suit. In total, there are 13 new figures to collect, and as usual, some of them are secrets. PROPER secrets.
Disney Magic Kingdoms, Free Well, my stalwart podcast co-host Eric has gone missing again, and that can only mean one thing: Disney Magic Kingdoms got a new update. This one adds a bunch of Pirates of the Caribbean stuff to the park, including three characters, thirty quests, three new attractions, and four new decorations. There’s also a Pirates of the Caribbean parade float you can add to your collection. Savvy?
Dungeon Tiles, Free Dungeon Tiles has a new 5×5 board to play on that throws walls into the works. While they’ll block your tiles from moving, if you give them a bump seven times, they’ll disappear. The game now saves if it gets bumped out of the system memory, so you won’t lose your progress. Finally, there’s a new type of tile. The treasure box can be opened by sliding a key into it. Upon opening it, you’ll receive one of four different outcomes. Could be good, could be bad, could be nothing, could be Paul Hogan. Ha, no, I’m still kidding on that last one. Sadly.
World of Tanks Blitz - Mobile, Free Hey, lots of fun stuff in this update to Wargaming’s popular tank-em-up. A new stage called the Yamato Harbor lets you battle in an industrial area by the sea. Three new Soviet light tanks have been added, too. Perhaps the biggest thing is the addition of regular clan tournaments where you can win some valuable gold as a prize. There are a few other tweaks and additions, so make sure to check out the patch notes if you want the full details.
Assassin's Creed Identity, $1.99 So I think it was Talk Like A Pirate Day recently or something like that. It’s hard to keep track of all the obnoxious holidays we’ve invented on the Internet to keep us from having to look at spreadsheets. Anyway, Assassin’s Creed‘s previous mobile game was all about the pirates, so you might think that Ubisoft is all pirated out. But no, my friend, no they aren’t. Oh you know what? I bet that’s why the Disney game added the Pirates of the Caribbean stuff! Right, right, this game. Uh, well, it’s just some pirate outfits. But that’s alright, isn’t it? There’s a whole other game you can play if you want to go deeper into the piratey thing.
Dungeon Link: Adventure RPG, Free You know, I’m pretty sure Jake and Finn aren’t going to give this game back. Which is fine, I suppose. This update adds a new area called the Ancient Ruins, along with a new story hero and a new normal hero. Bug fixes? You bet! And even some adjustments and improvements, too! Arguably the finest Adventure Time game published by Gamevil at the moment.
Duet Game, $2.99 You were expecting the closing paragraph, but it was me, Duet! This new version adds a new gameplay mode called Continuance, which allows you to relax a little thanks to the lack of lives and a time limit. You can retry as many times as you want, so just chill out and enjoy. This update also adds ReplayKitLive support, so you can relax while people watch you. Live. Brrr.
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!
