The 32-bit Appocalype is a cruel and indiscriminate mistress, and while there may be legitimate compatibility concerns with the upcoming iOS 11 update, it’s still been disheartening to see some classic iPhone games that I grew up with slowly blast off into the horizon. Thankfully, The Last Rocket ($1.99) has today escaped such an unfortunate fate, as developer Shaun Inman has updated his classic retro platformer with 64-bit compatibility to survive the upcoming App Store purge. For those of you who may not be familiar with the game, The Last Rocket is an incredibly clever puzzle title with a stylish GBA-esque aesthetic, and involves blasting off throughout numerous obstacles and traps to escape a ship before it collides with a star. I’m incredibly glad to see The Last Rocket receive its first update in almost exactly five years, and it’s fantastic to have such a classic game secure on the App Store for many more months to come.

While many of us resolute TouchArcade veterans may be delighted by such news, some more recent readers may be questioning whether the constant 64-bit compatibility updates are really that big of a deal, nostalgic significance aside. A quick check of developer Shaun Inman’s Twitter feed emphasises how it’s far more difficult to update older titles than just flicking a hypothetical 64-bit switch. As well as numerous new system updates that needed to be accounted for, the developer describes how ‘a zillion icons’ were required, even if much of the code was modernised for the Apple TV port of the game. The abundance of requirements is probably the reason why pseudo-sequel Flip’s Escape has sadly disappeared from the App Store, which is a shame. However, seeing The Last Rocket receive 64-bit compatibility more than makes up for this – whether you played it back in the App Store’s heyday, or this is your first time hearing about the title, check out The Last Rocket on the App Store in its shiny new modern form today.