It’s Wednesday afternoon, which means we are on the cusp of another batch of new releases.
Before I get into the titles I selected for this week, I want to say that I’m really excited to see that all of my choices are Universal apps!
Kicking things off this week is the largest (and most expensive of the featured new releases at $6.99), Sonic The Hedgehog 4™ Episode II. It is the sequel to SEGA’s hit revival of the Sonic franchise which originally launched In October 2010 and December of last year on the iPhone and iPad (respectively). The game picks up where Episode I left off and features an all-new engine with updated physics and Retina Display graphics. Players will also have the opportunity to team up with a friend (as Sonic and Knuckles) in a co-op mode via Bluetooth. Couple that with iCloud saves and the fact that it’s a Universal app, and it means you can pickup and play Sonic wherever you go, on whichever device you’d like.
Now that you’ve spent $6.99, why don’t we look at some of the freebies coming your way tonight…
If you are into deck building strategy games, then the free-to-play Master of Maya might fit the bill. Perhaps high-scorers are more your thing? Well then check out the “get the furthest” endless climber action of Circus Atari™ where you must help your human-cannonball clown reach new heights. Finally, if you are looking for a new match-three experience, then Boomlings could be the answer, offering some creative-looking power-ups and no price tag.
Next up is a brilliant looking rendition of the classic 30 year-old board game, Scotland Yard. I distinctly remember my older brother getting this game for Christmas and however I don’t recall the specifics of the gameplay other than you had the choice of playing as an agent or the spy, Mister X, that the agents were chasing. I know we had a lot of fun playing it and with Retina graphics and both local and online multiplayer play, I’ll likely be picking this one up (and trying to convince my brothers to do the same) for a little family competition.
Rounding out the new releases are four 99¢ titles, all of which feature some cute animal protagonists and appear to offer some entertainment value w/o breaking the bank.
Missile Monkey is a level-based “shooter” where you are a monkey using his war plane to bomb all of the evil viking gorilla’s “frightful orange balloons of terror” and restore tranquility to your homeland. Skippy the Squirrel and the birds from Bird Zapper! are back in Namco’s follow up defense game which reverses the roles. Now you must help Skippy using electric arcs, toxic gas and ginormous flyswatters to fend off the endless barrage of buggy retribution sent forth by the angry upset birds.
The final two titles prove that the bird really is the word. Chillingo comes out flapping with their cute looking new physics puzzle game Non Flying Soldiers. You must place various tools on the battlefield to help every member of your squad of flightless fowl make it home safely. Last but not least is adult swim’s own avian adventure, Extinction Squad. You must catch all manner of nearly extinct animals from Dodos to pandas, gorillas to lions using your “official Extinction Squad trampoline and bounce them to safety”. Featuring friendly graphics and adult swim’s unique brand of sick humor, this looks like some irreverent fun.
