Games

You can now play Super Mario Run in Apple Stores around the world

Ahead of its scheduled December 15 debut, Nintendo's upcoming platformer Super Mario Run can now be experienced firsthand in your local Apple Store. That's because the iPhone maker has installed Super Mario Run demo stations at its brick-and-mortar retail locations for pre-release play, as announced during Wednesday evening's “The Tonight Show” starring Jimmy Fallon.

Alto’s Adventure creators announce new game Alto’s Odyssey is coming in 2017

Snowman, the brains behind the award-winning endless snowboard game titled Alto's Adventure, today said that the time has come for something new in the form of Alto's Odyssey, their brand new game scheduled for release some time in 2017 (we're thinking early-2017).

Snowman's Ryan Cash told me via email that long before Alto’s Adventure had even been released, they started working on an idea for what might come next.

App Store refund policy under fire from Korean game publishers

Apple's app refund policy on the App Store has come under fire from South Korean game developers who are complaining about a loophole that permits ill-minded users to purchase charged content multiple times, request refunds and continue to consume the content without actually paying for it.

The Korea Times is reporting that the issue stems from Apple's policy of withholding information about those who have been issued a refund.

Space, Capsule, Listables and other apps to check out this weekend

It's the weekend again, and you know what that means. It's time for another one of our Apps of the Week roundups. This week we've selected some great titles for you including a new interactive app for exploring space, an AI service for documenting your life experiences, and an app for creating and viewing shareable todo lists. And as usual, we've picked out two great new games for you to try.

Apple’s free app of the week: Toca Hair Salon 2

Like every Thursday, Apple today updated its Free App of the Week promotion on the App Store with a brand new item, a kids-friendly game called Toca Hair Salon 2. This means that for the next seven days, you’ll be able to download this app free of charge—a savings of $2.99.

In Toca Hair Salon 2, you play as one of the six charming characters and run a hair salon of your own.

There are lots of virtual tools of trade at your disposal which you'd find in any hair salon that let you cut, color and style any way you want, from a simple comb and scissors to a curling iron and a straightener.

Remember Tiny Wings? You can now play it on your Apple TV!

Tiny Wings, an addictive iPhone game with simple gameplay and subtle charm, is now available on the fourth-generation Apple TV more than five years since its App Store debut in February 2011. Developer Andreas Illiger released the Apple TV game as a new $2.99 app, called Tiny Wings TV.

Like its iOS counterpart, Tiny Wings TV has you playing as a cute little bird with aerial navigation issues. You must escape the darkness of night, but the hills in your way hinder your speed so you must have good reflexes and a good sense of timing.

Everything you need to know about Ditto in Pokémon GO

Ditto was released in a server-side Pokémon GO update last week, and while many players have already caught the shape-shifting purple Pokémon, others are still having trouble trying to bag it for their Pokédex collection.

In this piece, we’ll talk about everything you’ll need to know about catching and using Ditto in Pokémon GO.

Alto’s Adventure creators working on Distant, a platformer focused on “elegance of movement”

Snowman, the team that brought you the award-winning endless snowboard odyssey Alto's Adventure, is hard at work on a major new title, Distant. It's a brand new project that Snowman is co-developing in partnership with a talented Australian studio called Slingshot & Satchel.

As a platformer, Distant is quite a departure from Alto’s Adventure. The game is coming some time in 2017 to Macs, PCs, consoles and the fourth-generation Apple TV.

100+ new creatures coming soon to Pokémon GO

After analyzing new code in a Pokémon GO update coming next month, The Silph Road has discovered that developer Niantic Labs will be adding more than a hundred new creatures to the popular augmented-reality game, including normal and legendary ones.

In addition to the new species, the code confirms other new features like Pokémon trading, player vs. player battles, new ways to raise/train your monsters and more.

The most recent Pokémon GO update added a Nearby Pokémon feature, the purple shape-shifting Pokémon, called Ditto, and other perks.

Noise, Write.as, BeCasso and other apps to check out this weekend

If you're looking to relax this holiday weekend with leftover turkey and a new app or game, you've come to the right place. In the latest edition of our Apps of the Week roundup, we've selected some awesome titles including a music-making app, an anonymous blogging client, a paint-style photo editor, and some great new games for you to check out.

Microsoft brings Solitaire to iPhone and iPad

Microsoft's version of Solitaire has been available on Windows PCs for more than 25 years, but up until now the game has not expanded to other platforms. With Microsoft Solitaire Collection for iOS, the Windows maker is finally bringing its version of the classic card game to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Available free in the App Store, the app includes 5 of the top Solitaire games that you can play for free—Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Tripeaks and Pyramid.

As a bonus, daily challenges will extend longevity of the game and built-in support for Xbox Live will keep your achievements, competitions and game progress in sync between Windows 10 and iOS devices.

Niantic expands Nearby Pokémon feature as players begin catching Ditto in Pokémon GO

Millions of Pokémon GO players are in for a surprise this week as game developer Niantic is making some big server-side changes to the game.

A limited amount of players in certain regions of the world will be able to see Nearby Pokémon, a feature that has been in experimentation in just San Francisco, California for months.

The news of its expansion comes just a day after the announcement of the in-game Thanksgiving double XP event.