As explained by developer Chris Watts in the official thread on our forums, many parts of Mole – Quest for the Terracore Gem! have been completely reworked, and due to an international naming snafu, the title has been changed to simply Terracore Adventures [Free]. (As it would turn out, in some areas of the world, “mole" is seen as a bad word and was actually getting censored to “m**e" in some App Store listings.) We enjoyed the original version of the game in our review, and with the recent changes, there’s no reason to not download this game while its free.
The basic premise of the game is explained in our review:
Mole is a game that, on the surface resembles classic Dig Dug, but is really a deeper game (sorry) that’s much more about scoring up in order to better equip your character than simple arcade action. In Mole, you start off as a rather ill-equipped Mark the mole that can’t do much beyond burrow about the top-most layer of the six-layer underground world that hides the fabled Terracore Gem (in the deepest layer, of course). While burrowing, you can pick up various precious metals and gems, and they can be used to up your gear in the equip shop — and better gear is what really opens up the game. It’s a gear-to-gameplay dynamic that’s reminiscent of that in Hook Champ.
Aside from the renaming, Mole, now Terracore Adventures, has had a graphical overhaul of most of the UI elements to make everything more clear and easy to read. In addition, power-ups have been added along with 16 unique treasures to be found while you’re on the hunt for the terracore gem. Also, the controls have been tweaked and new medals have been added for players to unlock.
In the next update, there are plans for an entirely new level with both new gems and dirt types to explore. We liked the game before this update and name change, and it’s really hard to come up with a reason to not download Terracore Adventures while it’s free. The freebie promotion lasts until Wednesday, and after that the game will be 99¢.