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. Twas the week before Christmas and all through the updates, holiday fixtures were arranged like rows of little cupcakes. A rush to get in before the yearly freeze, improvements for players who will surely be pleased. 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 dig in!
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Free The first big feature update has arrived for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. It adds a new gardening area to your campsite, allowing you to grow and cultivate various flowers. You can exchange the flowers for special furniture items, use them to cross-pollinate other flowers in hopes of creating new breeds, or just enjoy how they look all on their own. This update also adds a fully useless screenshot function and makes a few changes to animal behavior at your campsite. Yes, it’s still kind of boring and one-note. Oh well.
Mini Metro, $3.99 Mini Metro was one of my favorite games of last year, and as such I’m always happy to see it get an update. This one adjusts the tutorial text a bit to make things clearer, adds a new map based on Singapore, and allows you to see the direction trains are travelling in when the game is paused. All quite welcome additions. This game is apparently coming to the Switch as well, so I’ll likely buy it again there. Always plan to have Mini Metro with you at all times, regardless of battery charge on any one device, I say!
OK Golf, $3.99 OK Golf, which is apparently an okay golf game and doesn’t mind asking for that kind of assessment, has a new course called Lapland. It is apparently a winter-themed area, so be sure to pack your mitts and warm boots. And a hat! Oh yikes, I almost forgot the hat. That’s almost the most important thing due to the vulnerability of your ear lobes in sub-zero temperatures. I’m so sorry. Anyway there are some gifts to find, and should you sniff out all of them, you will unlock a secret area. This update also includes iPhone X compatibility.
NBA 2K18, $7.99 While I’m still bitter about NHL 2K, I guess it’s nice to see 2K Sports stand behind at least one of their franchises. The new update for the newest NBA 2K includes Legendary Teams, a new Practice Mode, a Spectator Mode for those who like to watch, and an updated “injury free" roster. It also includes bug fixes, which seems to be a never-ending battle for 2K and their sports games. Still, they’re out there taking shots, which counts for something, I suppose.
Star Warsâ„¢: Galaxy of Heroes, Free Looking at the reaction to the latest movie, it’s probably best if we stick to less-controversial conversations like the merits of free-to-play gaming and IAPs. So apparently there’s this new deal in Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes called Territory Wars. It’s a guild vs. guild battle where you have to conquer enemy territories while defending your own. Say, that sounds awfully familiar. Oh well, I’m sure it will come to me later. Anyway, if you’re itching to take shots at Star Wars-related things, you’ll find plenty to smack around in this game.
Hidden Folks, $3.99 Been looking everywhere for that red-stripe fellow but I can’t seem to spot him. If he were in this game, it would be easy to see him, especially in the new levels that were added in the latest version. Yes, it’s time to look for things in piles of snow in the three new snow-related levels that have been added. All the thrills of being a drunken Canadian who dropped your car keys in the snow outside the bar on a cold January night, with none of the frostbite.
Junk Jack, $4.99 Junk Jack, old bean! Where have you been? It’s been at least a minute since the last new version of Junk Jack, but with the holidays fast approaching, even a semi-retired crafter can’t sit out too long. This Christmas update adds new rare fossils on every planet that can be combined into wondrous things once you’ve collected all of the necessary pieces. There’s Christmas stuff everywhere, and a new Pocket Santa pet to find. Breedable reindeer? You bet! All this, plus iPhone X support. That kind of Christmas spirit is surely good for the coveted UMMSotW award for this week.
Dash Quest, Free Another game with a holiday update, Dash Quest is decking the halls with seasonal cheer in its latest version. There is some limited-time holiday gear in the equally limited-time holiday shop, a powerful new legendary sword that you can build by collecting pieces from loot chests, and some upgrades for your new holiday weapon that you can fund by collecting, what else, more pieces! Santa didn’t name one of his reindeer Dasher for nothing, you know? DASHER QUEST. Is the joke. Poorly framed. Sorry.
Fallout Shelter, Free Well, Fallout Shelter players know the deal by now. A big holiday is upon us, which means some temporary decorations and limited-time quests to work on for the next little while. Christmas in the vault means new themes, outfits, and so on. Complete special holiday quests to save Christmas, all without the help of Santa. Or… will it be without Santa’s help? Ho ho ho, all you can do is give a go, go, go. And um, mind the radioactive sludge behind the tree, eh? It’s not fruitcake, all appearances and smells to the contrary.
Modern Combat Versus, Free Another big game with another big holiday update, but this one comes bearing more gifts than mere decorations. You see, in addition to the Christmas event and associated content, this update also brings a new Agent named SEVEN, a new game mode called Bounty, a new Master League, clan support, and more. It’s a grab-bag of goodies sure to please any fan of this latest installment in Gameloft’s long-running shooter series. Did… did I do that right? Was that enthusiastic enough? I don’t know.
Injustice: Gods Among Us, Free Really? Still? The arrival of the sequel hasn’t put this one to rest yet? New characters, even? Well, I guess I can’t complain too much. Send some of that zest over to 2K now and then, WB. Anyway, fans of Ollie Queen will get just what they want in their stockings this year as the DC Rebirth version of Green Arrow joins the game. As usual, you’ll have to run through a challenge to get him, but that’s old quiver at this point for anyone still playing the game. There’s also some new Mythical Gear to collect, along with a new booster pack in the store.
Asphalt 8: Airborne, Free Asphalt is sneaking another update in before the end of the year, and it’s certainly in keeping with the real message behind the holiday: toys, toys, toys. Specifically, Hot Wheels. The popular toy car brand is perhaps as well-known for its freaky original designs as it is for its replicas of real cars, and three of those original designs have been added to Asphalt 8. The Bone Shaker, Twin Mill, and Rip Rod will be prizes in upcoming championships, so good luck there, I guess. And if you’re looking for a free present, simply participate in the Christmas Cup every day (from the 21st to the 27th) to get a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. Nice.
Demon's Rise 2: Lords of Chaos, $7.99 And we’ll sign things off with this update to a game I do so dig. There are lots of little fixes and improvements here, but the highlight is the new character. It’s a freaking Stone Troll! How cool is that? Besides that, it’s a lot of little things we saw in the recent update to the first game, like iPhone X support, enhanced graphical options, a new camera system, and a battery-saver option that turns down some of the visual bells and whistles.
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 (yes, on Christmas Day!) to summarize and fill in the blanks. Have a great week!