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. I’d say it’s mostly a crop of the usual suspects this time around, and perhaps that is to be expected as we find ourselves between major holidays and on the other side of the fiscal year’s end for many companies. I’m adding a couple of new faces just to keep things fresh, so hopefully we can make a decent salad from what we’ve got. Of course, you can keep an eye out for updates yourself 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 go for it!
Solitaire Stories, Solitaire Stories keeps on bringing the stories, which in turn bring some solitaire with them. It’s win-win, really. In this latest version, Joel McHale returns for Game Time Part 2. He’s covering the 4th Annual Synchronized Trampoline Laser Tag World Championships, and it’s going to be a heck of a time. This update also adds… a multiplayer mode?! In a solitaire game?! My monocle just popped out of my eye, friends. I’m preparing the swooning sofa as we speak. For its crimes against nature and humanity, I’m awarding this the coveted UMMSotW award for this week.
Zookeeper World, Zookeeper World has settled into a bit of routine with its updates, and this one follows the template. That means you get twenty-five new puzzle levels to complete, some new decorations and missions, and a new minigame called Chop & Slice where you have to slice ingredients and try to earn a high score. That minigame won’t be available until Thursday, mind you. Feel free to practice beforehand by chopping up some real vegetables. Then eat them. They’re good for you.
Patterned, How many ways can I dress up new versions that consist mainly of additional levels? I need to think of at least one more, because Patterned has a big ol’ truck full of new patterns to enjoy. Beep-beep-beep, one of those trucks. Backing up to dump a whopping 180+ spring and summer-themed patterns on you. There are also some new achievements, plus some additional improvements and fixes.
Angry Birds Reloaded, New Angry Birds levels without much arm-twisting to buy some IAPs? It feels like 2012, not 2022. This is one aspect of these Apple Arcade classics that I like. In this update, you get forty-five new levels to play. Zeta has been birdnapped by the eagles, and the birds and pigs must form an uneasy alliance to help her out. Hey, any excuse to keep flinging those birds.
Brawl Stars, Free One of my students absolutely loves Brawl Stars. He even streams it. I’m nearly 100% certain that he doesn’t read this site but on the off chance that he does, this one is for you, Hiroki. This update adds a new Chromatic Brawler, Janet (Damage Dealer), and a new Epic Brawler, Bonnie (Hybrid). There is a new seasonal game mode called Bot Drop, and a bunch of other improvements and tweaks. I can’t think of any better addition to this game than a new character, and here we’ve got two of them. I can’t think of any argument against that.
Royal Match, Free For this week’s obligatory free-to-play matching puzzle update, we’re bringing a new face in. One can only do so much Toon Blast, after all. So yes, Royal Match. You may have seen it if you watch incentivized ads. The King seems to find himself in all manner of troubles, and you have to remove the blocks to help him. That’s not what the actual game is about, of course. Mobile ads, what can you do? Anyway, this update adds a massive one hundred new levels to the game set in a new area called the Game Room. Sounds… completely expected, but that’s the field. Let’s keep moving!
MARVEL Strike Force: Squad RPG, Free The Living Tribunal. Kind of a cosmic jerk. I’m sure we’ll hear about them in a movie or something someday. In this game, it means that all Commanders will be judged with a series of trials in a new mode called Cosmic Crucible. There are five new characters joining the roster soon: Gambit, Spider-Woman, Nico Minoru, Fantomex, and Dazzler. Phew, that is digging deep into the bucket. There are some new costumes for Mordo, Wong, and Ms. Marvel. Those are the highlights, but there’s a ton of stuff here from balance adjustments to bug fixes to to updated abilities and more. Very spiffy.
World of Tanks Blitzâ„¢, Free I haven’t looked in on this one in a while, too. Well, no better reason than a somewhat slow week. Apparently there’s a new Battle Pass format that has been introduced along with the new Operation La Reunion event. The main difference seems to be that you don’t lose progress for missing days, and I think that’s probably a good thing. There’s also a Gold Rush event going on, plus a couple of modes to play and some Spring Games tournaments to participate in. Yes, that’s fine.
Disney Magic Kingdoms, Free Let’s see which beloved classic Disney characters are showing up in the Magic Kingdoms this time. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit? The Aristocats? Bonkers? None of the above! This time, Disney hero Disney’s Luke Skywalker returns in a special event based on Disney’s Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. New characters include Disney’s Yoda, Disney’s Lando Calrissian, and Disney’s Imperial Stormtrooper. There are also new costumes for Disney’s Luke Skywalker and Disney’s Boba Fett. Finally, you also get some new attractions based on Disney’s Cloud City and Disney’s Dagobah. It’s actually really fun to write those names like that. I’ll try that with Marvel stuff sometime to see if I can be even more obnoxious.
Merge Dragons!, Free I guess I should have saved that last one for the end, because that’s about as sharp as my wit is getting today. Sleep deprivation will do that to you. Well, let’s see what Merge Dragons has for us. This latest version allows you to meet the Bird Dragon, fixes a critical bug, and gives you a couple of new ways to spend your money on the game. Now that’s what I call an unsatisfying denouement. Sometimes that’s how things go, I suppose.
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!
