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. Some really spiffy games in this week’s round-up, but which one is a bad enough dude to take home our coveted prize? Read on, friends. 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 Hard to believe that it wasn’t all that long ago you couldn’t even open this app half the time due to server over-loads. Maybe its cooling popularity has something to do with most of the updates to the game doing Twister-like contortions to avoid giving players anything they’re asking for? I don’t know, I’m not a doctor. But hey, if you wanted to know where you caught each of your Pokemon, kind of, this update is for you. It doesn’t even have the right city for most of mine, but then again, who really cares, anyway? Fix the Pokemon tracking, fools.
Phoenix 2, Free This update brings a new world to the game called Zhey Auna. Sure, it’s mostly just some new wallpaper for your daily blasting, but it’s very pretty wallpaper. Having a little visual variety goes a long way towards addressing one of the game’s weak points, at least in my opinion. The daily missions can start to feel repetitive after a while, so even something as simple as a new background can help spice things up a little.
Rick and Morty: Pocket Mortys, Free At some point, they’ve got to run out of new Mortys to add to Pocket Mortys. We’re yet to reach that point, however, as this latest version offers up eight new Mortys to collect and battle with. This update also allows you to send your Mortys for some hands-off training, while making some adjustments and improvements to the game’s UI. Oh, and bug fixes. They’re always in season!
Teeny Titans - Teen Titans Go!, $3.99 Aww yeah, more Teeny Titans! This update adds seven cool new figures to the game to collect, including the adorable Harley Quinn, Alfred the butler, and maybe even a certain flying caped guy with a letter on his chest? Nah, it can’t be! But if you want to check for sure, you’ll have to climb the ranks of the new JLA Recruitment challenge, where you can battle teams of figures under random conditions for prizes and other profits. There are also a couple of new side missions, and previously one-of-a-kind figures aren’t quite so hard to get your hands on anymore. Is this enough for the coveted Update Mondays Most Spider-Mans of the Week award? Naturally!
9th Dawn II, $1.99 There are only a few things in this update to 9th Dawn 2, but they’re very useful things, I assure you. First, we’ve got iOS 10 support. See, useful, right? Next, the multiplayer mode has been enabled. That’s pretty awesome. I’d like to say the third thing is even more awesome, but it’s more of a quality of life improvement. Quest items are now kept in a separate container from the rest of your items, so now you don’t have to dig through all your apples to find that item you need to hand over or use. I haven’t tried the multiplayer yet, but that really sounds like a blast.
Swords of Anima, $2.99 This update to Swords of Anima adds some new missions to the game, free of charge. You’ll return to the Khoda region and play through events at the Royal Colosseum. This adds four new maps to the game, along with three new enemy types. In keeping with the game’s story focus, you’ll also get some new music, cut-scenes, and artwork, as well. It’s nice to see new content for a paid app this far out from its initial release.
Subway Surfers, Free This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Or wait, no, it’s just another Subway Surfers update. The kids are heading to Havana, and as usual, there’s a new friend to pick up, a new outfit to earn, and a new board to unlock. Maracas! Salsa dancers! Pina outfits! What more could you need? Please don’t ask for Bogey, I don’t think they can do Bogey.
Real Racing 3, Free The newest version of EA’s premier mobile racer adds some new cars and a new event, as usual. This time, you’ll be headed to Australia’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 for some fine Supercar racing. As for new additions to the line-up, there’s the 2016 Ferrari F12tdf, the 2016 Ford Falcon FG X, and the 2016 Nissan Altima. Hey, that’s three different countries represented in a single update. Good luck getting any of them, though. There are also a couple of other new events and series, so check it out if you’re feeling good about your odds.
Modern Combat 5, Free Several things in this update, including a new game mode called Rush that will likely have a familiar ring to fans of other multiplayer FPS games. There are two new armor sets to pick up, a new tier 7 turret for the Sapper, and a new weapon rental system. Squad battles now need fewer minimum players than before, and the controls have been adjusted to be more like they used to be, based on player feedback. It seems like a pretty robust update, but many players aren’t exactly thrilled with it.
Sentinels of the Multiverse, $6.99 Season One has wrapped up for Sentinels of the Multiverse, and things seem to be going pretty well, so Season Two is on the way. If you can’t wait, you can buy the Season 2 pass via IAP and get instant access to a couple of cool things, to say nothing of the money saved compared to buying each expansion individually. Pick it up now and you’ll get immediate access to Setback, Chokepoint, and the Temple of Zhu Long. This update also includes a couple of new options and some UI and text fixes.
LEGO® Star Warsâ„¢ - TFA, Free WB is still rolling out content for this game, with the latest being a new adventure that follows Poe Dameron as he rescues Admiral Ackbar from the First Order. Be careful, Poe, it’s a tr- ah, he probably knows. You’ll unlock some new characters in this adventure, including Admiral Ackbar himself, all gussied up in his Episode 7 finest. This update also adds the Prequel Trilogy character pack. Pick it up and relive the days when we tried to convince ourselves that a trio of sub-par movies were okay, I guess. The pack includes Darth Maul, Padme, Captain Panaka, Jango Fett, Zam Wesell, and Damaged Anakin Skywalker. Wow, those are all of my favorite Pepsi can characters!
PAC-MAN 256 - Arcade Run, Free So, this is a pretty major change. Pac-Man 256 no longer has credits. From this version forward, your power-ups are always enabled. You can continue by spending coins or watching ads. Power-ups will now unlock over time, rather than being based on how many dots you’ve eaten, and there’s longer a timer on power-up upgrades. There are also two new themes available for purchase. Now, if you bought the Unlimited Credits IAP, you’re probably feeling pretty cranky, but there are offerings for you. First, you don’t have to pay anything to continue, just like before. No ads, no coins, nothing. Any themes you didn’t already buy? You’ve got them now. You also get a special theme that isn’t available to anyone else. It’s like a special club!
Skyline Skaters, Free Wow, it’s been a pretty long time since the last Skyline Skaters update. I mean, given their previous schedule, anyway. The skaters are going to London, where they’ll apparently skate through the pages of history, dodge flying pigs for whatever reason, and see such famous sights as Big Ben, London Eye, Westminster Abby, and Nigel Farage telling porkies. Wait, that last one might not be in there. Yeah, I just checked, it’s definitely not. Oh well.
MARVEL Future Fight, Free Daredevil events are all the rage in Marvel iOS games right now, and Future Fight is no exception. Well, I guess this is more of a Marvel Knights-themed event, but they’re basically interchangeable, right? The event is called Shadowland, and it brings with it two new characters. Shang Chi and Misty Knight are ready to join the battle and show off their moves. That’s not all, though. There are also some new uniforms for Moon Knight, Black Cat, Ghost Rider, and ol’ Hornhead himself. Throw in some new Tier 2 advancements and a bunch of unintended crash bugs, and you’ve got a… well, you’ve got a something, don’t you?
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!