App Store Apps

Fightback review: old-school fighting action on iOS

Most gamers have played Street Fighter. Even if you weren’t born until after arcades went the way of the dinosaur, the classic fighting game has been ported to so many gaming consoles that it is nearly impossible to avoid. Street Fighter spawned decades of fighting games that, to this day, still include the same basic mechanics.

Fightback is a fighting game that features the tried-and-true punch/kick combos of our youth, but also adds a few fun aspects to make your street brawling adventure just a little cooler…

The best apps of 2013: iDB readers’ choice

For the past month or so, we've been compiling lists of what we think are the best apps of 2013. Divided into specific categories, each list is composed of 10 apps handpicked by iDB editors. For each category, iDB readers were able to vote for their favorite app, helping us come up with what we believe to be the best of the best apps of 2013.

In order to be eligible, apps had to have been released in 2013. This ensured that we were putting new apps under the spotlight, rather than always seeing the same ones at the top.

With your help, we present you the best of the best apps of 2013...

Tweetbot 3 gains support for viewing images in Direct Messages

One of the most-loved Twitter clients for the iPhone and iPad, Tapbots' Tweetbot, has been updated with the ability to view images included in Direct Messages.

Available as a free update in the App Store, Tweetbot version 3.2.1 brings various bug fixes and the ability to view images attached to Direct Messages.

Twitter has enabled image attachments in Direct Messages two weeks ago and Tweetbot is among the first apps to support this neat little feature...

Fitbit updated with MobileTrack feature via iPhone 5s’s M7 motion coprocessor

The list of apps enabled for Apple's power-efficient motion tracking chip, the M7, just keeps on growing. Fitbit, one of the finest fitness apps in the App Store, has been bumped up to version 2.1, now available in the App Store, and can now use the iPhone 5s's motion tracking chip to monitor your activity without draining your device's battery or having the app active for that matter.

M7 support has also made possible a new MobileTrack feature that allows you to use some of Fitbit's tracking features, but without buying the company's wearable tracking accessories. More on that and other changes in this Fitbit update right below...

Outpost Luna review: a city-building board game for sci-fi fans

Leave it to a bunch of MIT guys to make their own board game. According to the email we received at iDB, a group of MIT graduates gets together every Labor Day weekend to play games and finally decided to create their own. Put a couple of brilliant minds in a room together and they could end world hunger… or make a board game.

Outpost Luna is the end result of years of playing and tweaking a city-building game set in outer space, and then turning it in to an iOS game…

Day 5 of Apple’s 12 Days of Gifts: the movie Hugo

We are now on day 5 of the big 12 Days of Gifts event, meaning Apple has removed the Toca House game and has posted a new free item for download. Today’s gift is the award-winning historical adventure drama Hugo.

Based on Brian Selznick's novel 'The Invention of Hugo Cabret,' and directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, Hugo tells the story of a 12-year-old boy living in the walls of the Paris Gare Montparnasse railway station...

Day 4 of Apple’s 12 Days of Gifts: Toca House game for kids

We are now on day 4 of Apple’s 12 Days of Gifts event, meaning Apple has removed the Lonely Planet iBook and has posted a new free item for download. Today’s gift is a popular educational game for children called Toca House.

Parents love Toca House because it allows their children (intended for ages 2-6) to virtually participate in everyday household chores like doing the dishes, ironing, and planting flowers in the garden through various mini-games...

Apps of the week: Waterlogue, Wake for iPad, Writer Pro, and more…

Now that Christmas is over, the fun begins. I love thinking about how exciting it must be for new iPhone and iPad owners. I still remember what it was like when I downloaded my first apps. It’s like Christmas is happening all over again, every day.

If you are a brand new iPhone owner or just looking for something to keep you occupied this weekend, we have a list of apps and games that we think you will enjoy…

Day 3 of Apple’s 12 Days of Gifts: ‘Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2014’ iBook

We are now on day 3 of Apple’s 12 Days of Gifts event, meaning Apple has removed Tiny Thief and has posted a new free item for download. Today's gift is an iBook called "Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2014."

For those unfamiliar with Lonely Planet, it's one of the world’s leading travel guide publishers with guidebooks to almost every destination on the planet. And in this iBook, it highlights 10 of its favorite spots...

The 10 best news apps of 2013

How did the world get its news before the Internet was around? When I was a kid, you didn’t know about what was happening across the globe until 5:00. Now, news is reported within minutes of events. With the proliferation of mobile devices, people can even read breaking news from anywhere, anytime.

The writers at iDownloadBlog have come up with a list of what they think are the 10 best news apps of 2013. Check out our favorites and then vote for the one you like best to be added to our Best Apps of 2013 list…

Nokia pulls Here Maps because iOS 7 changes ‘harm user experience’

Nokia's long-standing mapping service rebranded as Here got announced in November 2012, with the native iPhone and iPad application arriving soon after with maps for around 200 countries, voice-guided walking navigation, public transportation directions and offline capability.

It was a nice little app that Nokia hoped would effectively fill the void in the App Store at the height of the iOS Mapsgate controversy.

Then, Google released its revamped standalone Maps for iPhone and spoiled the party for Nokia as its offering quickly tanked in App Store rankings. On Thursday, the embattled Finnish company has removed the Here application from the App Store, with a company spokesperson firing a potshot at Apple's iOS 7 in a written statement...

Once Upon a Light review: save the light of your life

I’ve tested dozens of physics-based casual games. Some of them are so hard I don’t like to play them. Others are so simple I get bored. Finding a middle ground isn’t as easy as it sounds. I guess I’m the baby bear of the app testing world.

Once Upon a Light is a pleasantly surprising casual game that requires you to think ahead to your next move, but doesn’t require precise aim or timing skills so you can enjoy a challenge without ripping your hair out from frustration…