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. There were some interesting and controversial updates this week, and I’ve gathered up a nice bunch of them for you to look at while you’re getting your week on. Of course, you can keep an eye out for updates yourself using AppShopper or by participating in the TouchArcade forums. This weekly summary is just here to fill you in on the things you might have missed. Let’s dig in!
Dan The Man Platformer, Free Valentine’s Day is over! The Lunar New Year is all wrapped up! And Easter isn’t for at least a few more weeks! What is a game that prides itself on event-based updates to do? Oh wait, that’s right. St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. That’ll do, pig. That’ll do. This update adds some St. Patrick’s Day arenas to the Survival mode, a leprechaun you can catch for Gacha Tokens, and a couple of changes to the Weekly Events. You might even be able to play as Barry Steakfries sometimes even if you haven’t bought him. Not a bad deal, eh?
CHRONO TRIGGER (Upgrade Ver.), $9.99 Hrm. Hmm. Hmmmmmm. Well, this new version of Chrono Trigger got a lot of talk last week, mostly from PC players who were justifiably ticked off at the changes made from the original game that seemed mostly done in service of mobile players. But what does this update mean for mobile players? Well, the issues with the new scattershot high-res sprites are less noticeable on a smaller screen, and the pre-Retina graphics of the earlier version really didn’t look very good on modern displays. The new UI works fine with touch controls, and added features like MFi support, iCloud support, and the ability to save anywhere are definite positives. I still think the new graphics look hideous in places, but this one is a net positive for mobile players compared to the 2011 version.
Pocket Build, $0.99 Pocket Build has quietly become a huge hit, and it’s easy to see why. For one low price you can build away to your heart’s content without having to worry about having to refresh your stamina, check in every two hours to collect Wigglybucks, or other stuff like that. That shouldn’t be a rare experience on mobile, but here we are. Anyway, this new version adds more than 150 new items including fences, modern buildings, farm animals, a new tile type, forts, new plants and trees, and a whole lot more. This update also adds IAPs to the game, but don’t worry! The IAPs are nothing more than a way to tip the developer to support further development. You get nothing from them except a sense of happiness at backing a good developer. You know what? This is a coveted UMMSotW award-worthy effort, I think. Congratulations, MoonBear!
Gardenscapes, Free Okay, but suppose you like collecting Wigglybucks? Well then, you’d probably like Gardenscapes, an enjoyable hybrid of match-3 and sim that seems to have caught the attention of the not-small F2P puzzle fan demographic on iOS in recent times. This new update jumps right on to Easter, tasking you and Austin the Butler with organizing a massive Easter feast for the entire town. There are new decorations and rewards to earn in this event, so get cracking. You can also look forward to a new garden, complete with new obstacles and gimmicks. I will not rest until Austin is confirmed for the next Smash Bros. game.
Subway Surfers, Free It’s always interesting to see how the developers of Subway Surfers choose to depict the various locations the kids visit on their never-ending world tour. This time, they hit Tokyo, which isn’t too far from where I live. Cosmically speaking, anyway. Cherry trees in bloom lining the tracks? Sure, that works. Collecting Hina dolls to earn rewards? Accurate and timely! An unlockable schoolgirl character with an unlockable catgirl outfit and a kitty (but not That Kitty) board? Well, that’s not too bad I suppose. That schoolgirl’s socks are too colorful, though. She’d definitely be sent home to change.
Rules of Survival, Free Oh, hello lady with impeccable make-up who is glistening with sweat and eating her bandage. We missed you last week! So what do you have for us this time? A battle jeep? That’s neat. You say it holds five people and has a gun turret passengers can use to shoot at fools? I like it. On top of that, players can now shoot and jump during glider fights? Well, if I am ever in a glider fight I’m sure I will appreciate that. What’s that? This rhetoric device is played out and each sentence deeper I go with it, the more it falls apart? Quite correct! Next!
Shooty Skies, Free Shooty Skies is a nifty little game, and its updates always have a lot of great new things in them. I love the sense of humor behind the character designs, and this one is a real corker in that regard. The 7bit Future update includes a new tune from 7bit Hero, 12 new pilots including 2 free ones, an overhaul to Daily Missions, and a bunch of tweaks and improvements to the game’s UI. If you’re not convinced to give this a try yet, one of the new characters is a pig in a flying bathtub named Hog Tub Time Machine. See?
Bubble Witch 2 Saga, Free Okay, on the one hand, this is just the usual King update of 20 new levels that keeps the game and its players going on forever and ever. On the other hand, the update notes include the return of the absolutely bananas rhyme/song that has been a regular part of this game’s updates for the last while. I was worried for a while there that it was gone! But no, it is safe. And also there are 20 new levels. King can’t be bothered to say anything new about them, so I’m sure not going to either.
Mortal Kombat, Free It’s odd how these simple fighting games keep chugging along, making good cash for WB while helping to subsidize the next iteration of the mainline games. This update brings three new Gold Tier characters to the game, all available through current or upcoming challenges. Dragon Breath Bo Rai Cho, Shokan Warrior Kintaro, and Scorpion Hanzo Hasashi have all been added to the game, complete with their own sets of moves and abilities. This update also adds a few new types of Kard Packs for you to buy. Ha, I remember Kintaro. The Kintaro Morph fatality in Mortal Kombat 2 was probably the best secret-that-seems-fake-but-is-really-real of that era.
Marvel Contest of Champions, Free Ah, Marvel fans were starved of good X-Men content for so long that I don’t even mind how hard the company is leaning on them lately. This update includes new quests in a story called X-Men: Savage Future, a new challenge in the form of M.O.D.O.K.’s Lab, and a whole bevy of bug fixes and tweaks. Mutant menaces for all!
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!
