Hello everyone, and welcome to the week! It’s time once again for our look back at the noteworthy updates of the last seven days. I decided to dip a little bit into the Apple Arcade side of things this time around, but there’s a lot of stuff here from all corners of the App Store for you to enjoy. Of course, you can keep an eye out for updates yourself using AppShopper or by participating in the TouchArcade forums. This weekly summary is just here to fill you in on the things you might have missed. Let’s go for it!
High Rise – A Puzzle Cityscape, Free
High Rise is a game that has already consumed many of my hours and I don’t anticipate it slowing down anytime soon. I’ve recommended it to many people, but there was one problem: those with certain types of colorblindness found it difficult to play. Well, this update hopes to solve that issue with two new sets of colors you can choose from. On top of that, there’s a new toggle that makes it so that you have to double-tap to make a move. Finally, the game will now save mid-game if you have to close the app. Handy that. I love this game and this update makes it more accessible for everyone, so I’m going to give it the coveted UMMSotW award for this week. Yes, I gave it away that fast this time.
Sonic Forces – Racing Battle, Free
Oops, I’m playing this now. I guess I can’t have my phone without a free-to-play SEGA app of some kind. Oh well. So the latest update for this game introduces a new event where two characters are on offer. All-Star Amy and Slugger Sonic are up to bat if you can earn enough of their cards. There are also some free goodies going out right now to celebrate some anniversary or another. You know, that anniversary. Well, it’s not the fanciest game around but it makes some SEGA noises and that is apparently good enough for me.
Grindstone,
And now we begin our little streak of Apple Arcade game updates. It’s just that kind of week. Anyway, this one adds in 15 new levels, which is how you know this is an active mobile matching puzzle game. There’s a new boss to fight, and a new enemy named SNEKJERK. I knew a guy in school named Colin who had a nickname very similar to that, oddly enough. There’s also some new gear you can unlock, including the intriguingly-named Mild Discomfort Potion. Sure, that all sounds fine.
Assemble with Care,
Next on our little Apple Arcade tour is Assemble With Care, a rather enjoyable and lovely-looking game about putting things back together. This is a big update in that it includes a whole new chapter. Help Carmen assemble her new Espresso machine… with care. Seriously, those things are expensive. You’ll look like a fool if you strip a screw or something. Anyway, put it back together, pat yourself on the back, and enjoy a tasty latte. Make a latte in the real world for Maximum Immersion.
Crossy Road Castle,
Here is the last game on our Apple Arcade spree, but the Crossy Road series is certainly no stranger to these waters. This new version of the game adds in a very big feature: online multiplayer! Wow. Play with other people for fun and minimal profit. There’s also a new Construction Tower with new levels, characters, hats, secrets, challenges and more to discover. Also in this update: the ability to mute sound effects separately from the music, balance adjustments to the Unihorse Tower boss, and the usual bug fixes and improvements.
Subway Surfers, Free
Okay, back to the stuff you can play without a subscription. And it’s a usual face, naturally. Subway Surfers! The kids are off to a new city once again, and this time it’s none other than Zurich, where the kids will make a new friend named Hugo and pick up the cool Clockwork board. Hugo even has his own alternate outfit: a pirate. There’s those pirates again. What is up with that? At any rate, I love the design going on in the Zurich stage. Very colorful and stylish. Same old gameplay, of course.
AFK Arena, Free
Not going to lie: I was certain that the arrival of Ukyo Tachibana was heralding a whole series of cross-overs with SNK or something. But no, it looks like Tachibana is the only character from that brand for the time being. That doesn’t mean there aren’t new heroes to enjoy, however. A new Mauler hero in the form of Anoki – The Blood Guard is here, and let me tell you, this is one hero that is ready to guard your blood. Not one drop will escape on this crusader’s watch. Hm, I may have interpreted that title incorrectly. Oh well, no time for backspacing now! Let’s head to the next game.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Free
Is Nintendo done making new mobile games? Some say it is so, but at the very least the company seems to be continuing support for its existing titles. How much support seems to depend on the age of the app and how much cash it’s making, but hey, we take what we can get around these parts. This new version of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp allows you to save outfits and change the clothes of the various animals. You can also adjust your Fave Photo pose, which is handy. Finally, the maximum capacity for gathered materials and plants has been raised. I’m kind of baffled Nintendo isn’t doing more to connect this to the smash hit console game, but it’s not like I’m some kind of marketing genius. I’m just some chump that writes words for pocket change and the adulation of dozens.
ANOTHER EDEN, Free
I think most of here on the internets can appreciate a good cat now and then. Especially if they are tiny or odd-looking or are doing some stuff. If they are all three, we call that a Meowy Bingo. At least where I’m from, we do. But have you ever heard of Cats Beyond Time and Space? Yeah, me neither. Another Eden may have some clues in its latest version, though. Besides that stuff, there’s also a new encounter with Elga (Another Style), and a Fateful Encounter to go with it. As always, there are also some text fixes and a bit of general bug-smashery. Stellar.
Gardenscapes, Free
Let’s look in on Austin and see how he’s doing these days. Hmm, yes. Chocolate Day. I see. I guess you earn chocolates and decorate the garden to help some kids win a contest. I suppose Austin is thinking that if he can get the kids on his side, his chances of being invited to Smash will go up. Clever, clever. There’s also some kind of Sweet Delight event because the developers are mega-hungry at the moment. More story content brings a new character named Captain Susan Boyd, who no doubt will have some sort of weird request of our heroic and fighting game-ready butler. The new puzzle element is the Tarp, which you’ll have to make matches next to in order to remove.
That about wraps it up for last week’s significant updates. I’m sure I’ve missed some, though, so please feel free to comment below and let everyone know if you think something should be mentioned. As usual, major updates will likely get their own news stories throughout this week, and I’ll be back next Monday to summarize and fill in the blanks. Have a great week!