It seems like only yesterday I was cruising around looking for a silly Wednesday-related image to include with last week’s game release post. Time flies when you’re having fun, I suppose. Anyway, if this is your first App Store Wednesday, here’s the gist- Developers can set specific release dates for their games on the App Store. Since the App Store is an international market, these specific launch dates occur at different times in the world. Games launch in New Zealand first, then slowly appear in other regions as the planet spins and it slowly becomes Thursday in other parts of the world. For us Americans, this actually means 11:00 PM EST tonight. Here’s what to expect tonight, or earlier, if you live to the east of North America:
Gears, 99¢ – [Forum Thread] – This hilariously epic trailer for a ball roller still makes me giggle, and we’re only a few hours away from discovering whether or not Crescent Moon Games’ Gears actually does all the amazing things its trailer suggests. I’m not saying a ball roller can’t be epic, as I’d certainly describe the Dark Nebula games that way, but this trailer brings about an entire new era of epic ball rollers. People on our forums are excited about Gears, I’m excited about Gears, and really, you should be excited about Gears. It looks really good, and we’ve liked what we’ve seen so far in previews to say the least.
Zenonia 3: The Midgard Story, $4.99 – [Forum Thread] – The Zenonia series has a huge fan following on our forums, and with two Zenonia games already on the App Store we’re expecting big things from the third installment. It seems Gamevil is prepared to deliver too, with four unique classes, three single player and two multiplayer modes, and they’ve even axed the annoying weight and hunger system of previous games. 227 unique maps and 136 quests are included along with 48 achievements, 200 monsters, and a ridiculous amount of equipment to earn. I’m just glad that mobile games like Zenonia 3 didn’t really exist before I was, you know, an adult with a job and responsibilities… because wow I can lose myself in games like this.
Snuggle Truck, $1.99 – [Forum Thread] – Smuggle Truck seems to have gotten a cuddly makeover and now features a truck full of stuffed animals instead of the previously planned illegal immigrants. This shift in theme shouldn’t make the game any less fun, as we had an absolute blast with it back at GDC and it seems people on our forums who have already picked it up are doing the same with the game. The iTunes description mentions community created levels coming in a future update, potentially allowing for nearly unlimited replay value.
Galaxy on Fire 2, $9.99 – [Forum Thread] – While the game itself is already available on the App Store (and has been for quite some time) the new Valkyrie add on should appear at some point today. It’s going to be $4.99, and includes a ridiculous amount of new features and content mentioned in a previous preview post. I’d go as far as to say this addon is a must-have for anyone who has enjoyed Galaxy on Fire 2.
Streets of Rage 3, $2.99 – [Forum Thread] – I think it’s about time we all pitch in together and hire one of those planes that tow the banners in the sky to circle Sega’s offices to get them to start releasing more RPG’s, puzzle games, and other games that actually work well within the constraints of their Genesis emulator. It’s the same old song and dance here, yet another action-oriented button masher with virtual controls layered on top. I guess if you’re just crazy about Streets of Rage games, this is worth downloading just for completion’s sake of having all three games neatly arranged on your phone.
Burn it All – Journey to the Sun, 99¢ – [Forum Thread] – Have you had your fill with rope burning puzzle games? No? GOOD. We got a look at Burn it All back at GDC, and it’s a great little game filled with a cool gameplay mechanic, colorful graphics, and tons of content. It’s universal too, which is always awesome.
Unpleasant Horse, Free – Popcap’s first released by their new studio 4th and Battery. This game is the result of a Popcap game jam, and while it sounds a little basic it’s both universal and free. I’m not sure why you wouldn’t download it to at least check it out.
