Magic Defenders Gets Update Fit for a Giant
No sooner did our Magic Defenders review go live than one of the developers dropped us a note presaging major improvements to the game. The first has just landed in the App Store, giving this top-down Castle Defense game a brand new map for its endless mode. This is definitely a step up from the original release, and we’ll be sure to report back when the extra player character hits!
Ents Begin Moving Hastily on iPhone 4
Mikrotie sent word via their plant messengers that Treemaker would soon be getting an update to improve performance on fourth gen iDevices. Whoa, they weren’t kidding! The game is absolutely blazing on Sean’s iPod Touch 4 now, to the point that his jaw fell on the floor when he realized how fluidly it was meant to run in the first place. Holy unreal updates, Batman!
Bug Heroes Quest Gets Slew of Welcome Updates
Again — holy unreal updates, Batman! Sean wanted to see two things in updates to Bug Heroes Quest: a better way of interacting with NPCs and some stop-motion when the player’s perusing the game’s level maps. Now both have been implemented! The best thing about being an iOS reviewer is that you know your complaints are likely to be nullified in due time.
1000 Heroz Enters the Bronze Age
Err, we think it might be the Bronze Age — we figure this running-addicted virtual civilization is getting there since they’re farming now. We’ll give them some more time to learn English. If you haven’t heard of it yet, RedLynx’s quirky level-based runner is one of the most interesting experiments in stretching game content on iOS. For the price of $0.99, you’re getting roughly three years’ worth of content! And lots of updates, too, by the looks of things. New in-game objects have been added for the player to take advantage of, but take care that they don’t send your ragdoll runner into a bottomless chasm!
Naught Rises Above Name With First Update
Naught enchanted Ruan with its “delightfully dark, brain-achingly brilliant” aesthetics and level design earlier this week. Now Blue Shadow Games has given it some bug fixes and, most interestingly, a story expansion to go with all that topsy-turvy iDevice rotating.
Pickpawcket Lite Looks Like a Real Steal
We purred adoringly over the full version of Pickpawcket. Loopycube has since been in touch to let us know that a Lite version just released: “It’s the same crafty character and game, but now with ten new levels and ten new cat paintings to steal.” Whether you’re already a fan or on the fence, grab it here.
Mighty Fin Repays Kudos From Down Under
You’ve gotta love heartwarming news stories. Mighty Fin, which just received a huge update as well as praise from Ruan when it first released, has risen to the very top of the Australian and New Zealand App Stores. Now everyone gets to turn the little fish into a Kiwi or pop a little Australian flag on him in their next playthrough.
Exitium Receives Crystal Clarity in Latest Update
Exitium has just been given full Retina treatment by Minoraxis — and don’t forget that we’re still running the in-game goodie giveaway announced in last month’s review! Even more interestingly, Minoraxis hinted at the possibility of “more RPGs” to come in a recent App Store writeup. There are several more properties in Minoraxis’ Korean-language lineup just begging for translation and iOS optimization, so we can’t wait to see what the future holds here.
Arno the Hunter Hits High Mark
To celebrate Arno the Hunter‘s 680,000th download(!), developers Jonathan Kreuzer and Khang Le have released an update that further optimizes the game and unlocks all levels so new players can experience everything from the start. Well, the game’s success is hardly a surprise to us — who could resist Arno‘s dreamy presentation and flawlessly crafted shoot ’em up action, let alone those tunes supplied by Kevin MacLeod? We, too, were helplessly slain by Arno‘s arrow.
Woozzle Celebrates Milestone, Gets More Accessible
“Only” 250,000 downloads for the Mugeaters, but we take that as good cause to celebrate! It’s small wonder that its smoothly crafted marble shooting formula has attracted this level of attention from puzzle fans. But what we’re most glad to see is Woozzle’s August 9 update, which makes the game more accessible to color blind players. It’s one thing to create a good game, but it is quite another to go the extra mile and make it compatible with the needs of players who experience the world a little differently from the assumed norm. Great work, Mugeaters!
SEGA Announces Brick People Story Contest
When Sonic the Hedgehog himself swooped by iFanzine earlier this week to drop a message, you can bet our ears perked right up. Here’s what he told us before we were too pooped to keep up with him any longer: “SEGA of America is now hosting a contest inviting fans to ‘Create Your Own Brick People Story’ from September 2 through September 15. Contestants are encouraged to submit stories based on the introductory video for Brick People and can win a chance to get their stories published along with an iTunes gift card. More information can be found at www.sega.com/brickpeoplecontest.
Like the contest FatCow Games ran for Idyllic (now closed), this is an especially intriguing opportunity for anyone who wants to become one of that dying breed — the videogame writer. It’s also fantastic to see such a marriage between fan creativity and big intellectual property holders, so let’s help get those creative juices flowing by sharing the video SEGA’s referencing on the linked blog:
Are you an iOS videogame developer or publisher with a cool update, video, or other news that you want to get out to the masses? iFanzine probably has an eye on you already, but don’t hesitate to get in touch via our Twitter feed or Contact page. We want to fill our iFriday Roundups with all your beautiful stuff!