Looking to get up to speed on the week’s hottest apps? We’ve got your back!
In a week in which Apple announced record-breaking revenues, we’ve combed through the latest apps to bring you the cream of the crop. Whether you’re looking for Nintendo’s latest iOS game or a great sketching app, we think you’ll find something to entertain you…
Super Mario Run
Endless runner-type games don’t normally keep my attention past the first day or two, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the replayability of Super Mario Run.
Since first downloading it when it launched back in December, I’ve played through it multiple times, and despite the (necessary) simplification of controls for the iPhone and iPad’s touchscreen, it manages to distil a lot of what makes the console Mario games so addictive.
This week, it got an update, adding a new Easy Mode, giving players unlimited bubbles (which mean you won’t be thrown back to the start of the level when you die) and removing the time limit. There are also tweaks to the Toad Rally Mode, and — if it applies to you — compatibility with Korean.
Available for: iPhone, iPad
Cost: Free (with $9.99 in-app purchase unlocking all levels)
Get it from: App Store
Fire Emblem Heroes
Super Mario Run‘s update wasn’t Nintendo’s only mobile announcement of the week. The company’s latest mobile game, Fire Emblem Heroes, also made its debut over the past seven days.
It’s a tactical, turn-based role-playing game (which, like Super Mario Run is based on a popular pre-existing franchise), optimized for the iOS touch interface. Compared to the other console games in the series, maps are a bit smaller and armies are limited to only four Heroes, but in all it works surprisingly well.
Nintendo certainly has some bigger guns when it comes to franchises it can bring to iOS, but this is proof positive that it’s maintaining quality past its top tier games. It’s pretty darn addictive!
Available for: iPhone, iPad
Cost: Free (with in-app purchases)
Get it from: App Store
Linea
Photo: Iconfactory
Iconfactory, the awesome team behind apps like Twitterrific and Flare, this week launched their new drawing app for iPad. Perfect for your Apple Pencil, it’s a sketching app with a few nifty features.
You get five different layers to work with, a choice of brushes, and the ability to easily switch between plain paper, 3D isometric lines, traditional grids of different sizes, and other useful layouts and surfaces.
When your work is done, Linea then lets you export it as a layered Photoshop document, a transparent PNG, or a JPEG. It also takes advantage of the sharing options in iOS to allow you to send your images via a whole host of different services.
I’m a big user of Procreate for my sketching, but if you’re looking for a simple alternative this is well worth checking out.
Available for: iPad
Cost: $9.99
Get it from: App Store
Glitchskier
Glitchskier isn’t a game you won’t have played before, but, boy, is it a stylish remix!
Essentially a Space Invaders-esque vertical shooter in which you destroy wave after wave of enemies in randomly-generated levels, its genius is the retro Windows 3.1-inspired hacker interface, which gives it a stunningly original appearance.
There’s no shortage of pseudo-retro games on iOS, but Glitchskier eschews the obvious “chiptunes and pixels” approach for something a bit different — and I couldn’t be happier about it!
Available for: iPhone, iPad
Cost: $1.99
Get it from: App Store
