angry-birds-friendsYou had better get those iTunes cards redeemed because it is shaping up to be another expensive night for iOS gamers, with a number of $2.99+ titles to tempt and entertain you.

Before I get into the pricier apps, lets start with a game that is expected to be released sometime tomorrow as a free-to-play title, Angry Birds Friends. This iOS port of Rovio’s more social version of Angry Birds currently playable on Facebook has players flinging birds and knocking down pigs as usual, but adds special power-ups and players compete against their friends and family to be the one wearing the golden crown for each level. If it plays just like the Facebook version, you earn an in-game currency called “Bird Coins” by playing tournaments, getting gifts and as daily rewards. The coins can be exchanged for single-use power ups and other purely cosmetic items. You can bet Rovio will be making a mint off the IAP on this title. Let’s just hope they finally embrace the universal app.

Next up is Mind Blitz, a fresh take on the traditional game of memory, complete with achievements, high scores, penalty cards and power ups that can be earned over time. Flip over cards to find matching pairs and successful matches fill up the power meter to give you points to purchase special power up cards in later levels. This looks like a fun update to the childhood classic.

oh-my-heroes!_605150550_ipad_02Prolific app developer Triniti Interactive comes out swinging with their latest game, Oh My Heroes!. A cartoony hack and slash title, it features both a mission-based single player campaign as well as four different real-time online multiplayer game types. With five different hero types to choose from as well as upgradable properties and power ups this looks like another fun game of mindless mayhem from the folks at Triniti.

AppEndix returns with a second batch of murders for you to solve in Crimes & Puzzlement 2, which is based on the murder mystery puzzle book series from Lawrence Treat. You are the detective, read the case notes, explore the sketch of the crime scene and then answer a series of questions to try to solve the crime.

And now it’s time to open up your wallets…

First up is Zoombies: Animales de la Muerte! a game starring zombie zoo animals and an abundance of weaponry with which to decapitate and otherwise dispatch of them. A path drawing game of a different ilk, players use their fingers to trace the path which their deadly projectiles will take when slicing, dicing and even chupacabra-ing (I guess that’s a verb right?) the undead to…err…death. Originally planned as a WiiWare title, the game was too big (size-wise) for Nintendo to accept, so it looks like their loss will be our gain tonight.

paper-titans_632546140_ipad_01Paper Titans is a gorgeous looking papercraft puzzle platformer from Blitz Games Studios, the same folks that developed Kumo Lumo and console titles like Epic Mickey 2! Set in a rich world built out of paper, players start by actually folding their papercraft character on screen and dragging a directional arrow for them to move to collect three stars in each level. As you progress, new characters are introduced with new abilities and they must be used in various combinations to reach all the stars. You will definitely want to check out the trailer for this one on the second page of this post, because Paper Titans looks absolutely stunning looking.

Next is a game that many thought would never actually see the light of day as it has taken 18 months since its successful Kickstarter campaign to finally get a release date. Star Command is a Trekkie’s dream game; a starship sim, which puts you square on the bridge of your very own spacecraft. Manage your crew, fight off enemy attackers and enjoy some sweet looking retro graphics and star trek campiness in what is likely to be one of the chart topping titles of the night.

sorcery!_627879091_ipad_01Last, but by no means least is Sorcery!. Based on the first book in Steve Jackson’s classic four-part adventure gamebook series, the talented team at inkle have created a whole new style of gamebook with a very intuitive and eye-catching presentation. This “create your own adventure” game writes and rewrites the story on the fly based on both the immediate decisions you make and the type of player your character has become through previous experiences and decisions. I had a chance to meet with the developers at PAX East earlier this year and this game is absolutely brilliant. There is a specially designed combat and spell system unlike the dice-based one used in the original physical book as well as an enormous amount of additional supplemental content written by the folks at inkle to add more branching paths to the game. You can expect a full review very soon but…spoiler alert…BUY IT!

As always, make sure to let us know which of these games you’ll be picking up tonight when these (and more) new releases go live at 11pm EST.

Note: All of the links below will go live at 11pm (EST) on Wednesday, May 1st.



Go to the second page of this post to watch the trailers for these games.