Welcome, friends, to the absolutely huge, totally massive, potentially too large final App Store Update of the year. This is the big one, the final push from publishers to catch your attention with their new releases and slashed prices – every studio wants their app to be the one that gets loaded up on all those new iPhones and iPads that people will be unwrapping on Christmas morning.
If you’re one of those lucky people, welcome! I hope this list of great picks serves you well. But don’t miss our previous installments, either! The sales from Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are almost all still active. Here are links to each of them:
App Store Update: Monday, December 17 App Store Update: Tuesday, December 18 App Store Update: Wednesday, December 19
And now, without further adieu, the largest ASU of 2012.
Pudding Monsters – ($0.99)
It’s the biggest App Store Update of the year! Get ready for more games than you could possibly hope to play, all starting with Pudding Monsters. This is an app you’ll be hearing much more about through the year ahead, as it’s ZeptoLab’s follow-up to Cut the Rope – and it’s even a tenth as successful as its predecessor, it’ll be another huge hit. Take a look at it in action:
Final Fantasy IV – ($15.99)
One of the most beloved sequels in Square Enix’s on-going Final Fantasy series returns today for another encore appearance. This new iOS edition is based on the 2008 3D remake the company produced for the Nintendo DS, a game that, at the time, we called “the definitive edition” of this adventure. You can read our full review of that version here.
Karateka – ($2.99)
Game designer Jordan Mechner is most associated with creating the Prince of Persia series, but before the Prince was born, there was Karateka. This new app is a modern remake of Jordan’s martial arts design from 30 years ago.
Where’s My Holiday? – (Free)
First, there was Where’s My Water? starring Swampy the Alligator. It became a huge hit, which inspired the follow-up Where’s My Perry? starring Perry the Platypus from the Phineas & Ferb cartoon show. Now, the third game in the series arrives and Swampy and Perry are teaming up together to take on some new Christmas-themed challenges. For free!
SolForge– (Free)
A successful Kickstarter campaign helped make this next game a reality – SolForge is an all-new digital trading card game developed by the makers of Magic: The Gathering and Ascension. This app is just a taste of what the full game will eventually offer, but it’s free, so download it and check it out.
Ravensword: Shadowlands – ($6.99)
A beautiful new sequel to the original Ravensword, Shadowlands is an open-world action RPG you won’t want to miss.
Ronin – ($0.99)
The look of this one reminds me of Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Not a bad association to have at all!
Anomaly Korea – ($0.99)
The sequel to Anomaly: Warzone Earth has arrived, and this time the alien invaders have set their sights on destroying the nations of Korea. (No word on whether the aliens are targeting North or South Korea first.)
Shadow Warrior – ($1.99)
Shadow Warrior may look or sound familiar, and that’s because this lesser-known title is a vintage first-person shooter/slasher from 1997 – and from the makers of Duke Nukem 3D.
Last Knight HD – ($0.99)
In the mood for a little jousting? Of course you are.
Lost Treasures of Infocom – (Free)
The latest classic gaming compilation to bring together an entire catalog of old-school titles, the Lost Treasures of Infocom will entice you with its free copy of Zork – and you may just be persuaded to then buy the rest of the 24 games included in this bundle.
Sushi Hero – ($0.99)
And our last featured Game Debut (of the year!) is Sushi Hero. Kids, never run and jump while holding a huge knife.
We’ve got an enormous volume of Price Drop selections for you today, so we’re going to organize things according to publisher. First up is Square Enix. As any long-time followers of the App Store know, it’s incredibly rare for S-E to lower the prices of their apps. So take advantage now!
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions – ($7.99)
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions for iPad – ($8.99)
Chaos Rings – ($3.99)
Chaos Rings II – ($9.99)
Chaos Rings Omega – ($3.99)
Taito is actually wholly owned by Square Enix, but I like Taito, so they get a separate section break.
Bubble Bobble Double – ($2.99)
Darius Burst SP – ($5.99)
New Bust-a-Move HD – ($1.99)
Arkanoid – ($1.99)
Space Invaders Infinity Gene – ($1.99)
Next up is the House of the Hedgehog, so of course you’re going to find plenty of Sonic titles on sale from them. But don’t miss the pair of Dreamcast classics that recently got App Stores ports, either!
Sonic CD – ($0.99)
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 HD – ($0.99)
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 – ($0.99)
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing – ($0.99)
Crazy Taxi – ($1.99)
Jet Set Radio – ($1.99)
Let off some holiday season steam by living these virtual lives of crime.
Grand Theft Auto III – ($0.99)
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars – ($0.99)
Max Payne Mobile – ($0.99)
Hadoken! Get your fighting fix right here.
Street Fighter IV Volt – ($0.99)
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 – ($0.99)
The WB brand is affixed to everything from gritty superhero action titles to kid’s fare. Enjoy!
Batman Arkham City Lockdown – ($0.99)
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 – ($0.99)
Bastion – ($0.99)
Enjoy waging war in one of two convenient sizes.
Great Big War Game – ($0.99)
Great Little War Game HD – (Free)
You can’t go wrong with these great digital board games.
San Juan – ($2.99)
Puerto Rico HD – ($2.99)
All of the above would already be way more than enough for a normal ASU, but we’re going big for the end of the year! So enjoy even more Price Drop picks:
Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies – ($2.99)
Verticus – (Free)
Trigger Fist – (Free)
Edna & Harvey: The Breakout – ($0.99)
Mirror’s Edge for iPad – ($0.99)
This is just one of the over 50 different games from Electronic Arts on sale right now. Check out yesterday’s update for more!
Avengers Initiative – (Free)
Rayman Jungle Run – ($0.99)
Waking Mars – ($0.99)
Dungeon Raid – ($0.99)
Words with Friends – ($0.99)
Roads of Rome 3 – ($1.99)
Realore, the publisher of Roads of Rome 3, has a lot more on sale than just this – check out the first two Roads installments, Jet Trains and more from them as well.
Real Boxing – ($0.99)
Coin Drop! – (Free)
Flick Golf Extreme – (Free)
The Walking Dead: Assault – ($2.99)
Walking Dead fans love Michonne and her zombie-slicing swords, and now she’s playable in the franchise’s newest game.
Cooking Mama Seasons Pro – ($6.99)
Just in time for Christmas, Mama’s got new recipes ready for cooking.
Order & Chaos Online – ($0.99)
Finally, a new playable race has been added to Gameloft’s epic mobile MMO. Say hello to the Mendels!
That’s it for this year! The App Store Update is signing off for 2012. Thanks so much for reading and using IGN as your resource for grabbing new apps, guys and gals. We put this crazy list together every day just for you, to help you save money and keep the best gaming options on your radar so you don’t have to go digging through App Store ratings and wondering whether or not those five-stars can be trusted. I personally appreciate it every time you click on one of our ASU installments and check it out, even on days when nothing catches your eye. Hopefully, with today’s huge volume of picks, at least a few fresh downloads will make it onto your device for you to enjoy through New Year’s Eve.
We’ll be back in 2013! I look forward to serving you even better in the New Year, and, as always, subscribe to the App Store Update via email if you haven’t already. It’s convenient, and it’ll alert you when our feature resumes in January. See you then!
Lucas M. Thomas is IGN Nintendo's longtime champion of downloadable titles across the Wii, DSi and 3DS. He's happy to now be helping Justin round up the best options for App Store shoppers. You can follow him on Twitter, @lucasmthomas.
Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com
No comments:
Post a Comment