PuzzleQuest2
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Dungeon Raid, Puzzle Quest 2, Pocket God, Disc Drivin' get big content updates
A lot of developers are apparently doing some spring cleaning, because there have been a whole lot of updates for popular apps swept out the door this week. One of my favorite Daily Apps in recent memory, Dungeon Raid, got updated with a bunch of new features, including character classes, plus more achievements, abilities and items than before. Great game, great update. Puzzle Quest 2 (which I played on XBLA, but is also great on iOS) also got an update recently that adds online multiplayer through Game Center. Popular asynchronous racing game Disc Drivin' (another Daily App choice) got updated with new tracks to play through and some UI improvements. Bolt Creative sends word that Pocket God has been updated with yet another mini-game, featuring hovercar stunt racing. And finally, Egg vs. Chicken got an Easter update, which adds Easter eggs into the egg-throwing mix and allows you to unlock 12 new levels, including a new boss fight. Plus, just for you guys, we'll tell you that if you keep playing and collect more Easter eggs after unlocking everything, you'll get even more bonus content in the next update. That's updates aplenty for lots of great apps, so make sure you sync your iPhone or iPad soon and check out some of these terrific titles you may have wandered away from.
Lots of big iOS releases today: Dungeon Hunter 2, Eternal Legacy, more
Ah, the holidays. December brings snow, hot chocolate, lights and mistletoe, and oh yeah -- lots and lots (and lots) of App Store releases. You may have already heard about (and bought) the great Infinity Blade, which has quickly moved into the running for iOS game of the year. But there were a ton of other high profile releases on the App Store today as well: Gameloft released Eternal Legacy (US$6.99), a Final Fantasy-style RPG with a nice long storyline and an excellent battle system. The long-awaited Dungeon Hunter 2 also arrived on the App Store for $6.99. This sequel to the terrific hack-and-slash title updates the game world and even provides multiplayer via Game Center integration. Gameevil released Illusia for $4.99, another great casual action RPG. Puzzle Quest 2 has finally arrived in a universal build for $9.99. EA has released Monopoly for iPad (also $9.99), featuring multiplayer play on the one surface, a teaching mode, and enhanced HD graphics. Natural Motion, the company that built their own physics engine for the iPhone, has released a version of Jenga that's $4.99 on the iPad and $2.99 for the iPhone. It's pretty impressive. And Namco has dropped Bit.Trip Beat Blitz, a free version of the popular Bit Trip game. This version doesn't have all of the levels, but it does have powerups, which offer a new twist on the gameplay. Whew! That's a lot of incredible new games. I doubt we're anywhere near done for the holidays, either -- I'm sure we'll see another flood of big releases next week as developers rush to get their big holiday titles out in time for Apple's annual holiday lockdown and the big Christmas bump.
Rock Band Reloaded out now on App Store, Puzzle Quest 2 out soon
Two big sequels have hit the App Store in the past day or so -- as the holidays are here, more big name titles will be forthcoming for sure. First up, EA has released Rock Band Reloaded, a new version of the popular Rock Band music game series for iOS. This one plays generally the same as the first game as you have to tap certain notes on the screen as they slide down the board, but there are quite a few new options, including new songs (15 now, more free tracks coming soon, and more available via in-app purchase) and a new vocal mode that allows you to sing into the iPhone's microphone. The game is also updated for Retina Display, and it has awards and achievements to earn, though strangely, EA hasn't embraced Game Center quite yet. The iPhone version is $4.99, and the iPad HD version is $9.99. And Namco should have Puzzle Quest 2 on the App Store, though at the moment I can't find it out there. The puzzler/RPG title is terrific (I really enjoyed it on Xbox Live Arcade), and it looks like Namco has decided to go with a full release for $9.99 rather than going episodic as they did with the first title. Either way, the game is great -- hopefully it'll be back out on the App Store soon.
Telltale releases Puzzle Agent on the iPhone, iPad
Just an FYI before you start your Labor Day weekend (and any associated trips): Telltale Games has released its latest title, Puzzle Agent, for the iPhone and the iPad. The game got middling reviews on Metacritic, but I think that's mostly because of the genre -- if you're a fan of sharp writing and interesting puzzles to play on the drive or flight out to the country for your vacation, it's a worthwhile title to fill the time with. Even if all of the puzzles aren't perfect, the game's atmosphere is excellent, and the art style is exactly the kind of thing we need more of on the iPhone. Nelson Tethers' adventures as a Puzzle Agent exploring the Scoggins Eraser Company are a worthy addition to the App Store. You can get the small-screen version for US$4.99. The game's also available on the iPad as Puzzle Agent HD, for a premium price of $6.99, though it doesn't offer up any extra features besides of course the larger graphics (and easier to read text in some cases). But whichever one you choose is mostly just a matter of practicality -- both are excellent to play through. And this is an extra bit of news unrelated except for the "Puzzle" connection, but it's always nice to go into a holiday weekend with something to look forward to: Namco has announced that it will be bringing the great Puzzle Quest 2 to the iPhone sometime this fall, complete with Game Center integrated for full multiplayer. We'll look forward to that one for sure.
