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As a lot of you are already aware, Infinity Blade 2 [$6.99] has some crash issues on iPad and iPod Touch. Thankfully, Chair Entertainment and Epic Games have already identified the culprit and are speedily working on a fix to address the problem. “For some users, IB2 seems to be running out of memory on heavily-laden iPad and iPod Touch devices,” Epic’s Mark Rein wrote on the publisher’s message board. “We’re working on a quick fix and will submit an update to the store as soon as possible,” he continued later.

Rein explained that the game wasn’t tested on machines with a “massive” amount of apps. He suggested a user-end fix for the meanwhile. “When apps run out of memory at loading times, that is something often fixed by restarting your device. I recommend that people try restarting their device to see if that solves it for them.”

We touched on this very topic on this week’s show. We’re all pretty confident that an update is barreling down the pipeline as we write this — Infinity Blade 2 is going to get its share of promotion from every side, so it needs to be fixed very soon.

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You know, I’ve got to hand it to EA. They’re really really good at making money. The latest cash cow they’ve set loose on the App Store pasture is the updated version of Tetris [99¢] which as we mentioned last night isn’t an update to the existing Tetris. Instead, it’s a new app that everyone will need to purchase, even owners of the original Tetris if they want access to the (admittedly really cool) new features.

Aside from a massive visual overhaul, Tetris now comes with a “one touch” control mode which greatly simplifies playing the game on iOS devices. When a new piece appears, you’re given all the locations that you could drop said piece, and instead of steering the piece into place yourself you just tap where you want it to land. It works great, and effectively puts an end to those annoying moments that every single Tetris player has experienced where you drop a piece one block off from where you wanted it, ruining your perfect line-clearing setup.

Unfortunately, for all the cool new additions to Tetris, which would have made the asking price of 99¢ for the upgrade fairly easy to stomach, EA decided to throw in a ridiculous amount of in-app purchase options which weren’t initially apparent when we previewed the game. Also, like seemingly everything these days, there’s an entirely superfluous leveling up system that rewards you with coins, and challenges that encourage you to round up as many of your friends as possible through Origin.

Coins can be spent on unlocking power-ups as well as new groupings of challenge levels. (Or, “planets” inside of the Tetris “galaxy” as the game refers to them.) Low on coins? No problemo! EA has your back, with bundles of coins that you can buy from 99¢ all the way up to $99.99.

But wait, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “You know, buying coins doesn’t really appeal to me, but what I always thought Tetris needed was some kind of vague Call of Duty Elite-like service I could subscribe to!” Well, we’re on the same page, and thankfully, EA is as well. It’s called the “T-Club”, and members can join for $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year. Doing so will reward you a permanent bonus of earning 15% more coins and lines in game, as long as your subscription is valid. EA has also made mention of “exclusive discounts and content” for T-Club members as well.

This just seems to be the near-perfect representation of everything that is wrong with gaming these days. Tetris is an absolute classic of the highest order, and throughout my lifetime I couldn’t even begin go estimate the hours days worth of play time I’ve sunk into the game. To take such a timeless game that has always (save a few spinoffs) been about simplicity and adding all of these extraneous systems to juice more money out of the player just feels incredibly wrong.

I guess the good news is that all of the IAP, as well as the Origin integration does seem fairly optional if all you want to do is play the classic game of Tetris, but still. This trend of taking a game, releasing a barebones version of it, and giving players the ability to spend an unlimited amount of money through IAP and now subscriptions is a trend that really, really needs to go away before it gets even further out of control.

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In mid-November, True Axis finally released Space Tripper [$3.99] into the App Store. This was a big deal for a couple of reasons. First, Space Tripper was a straight up awesome indie shoot ‘em up that released a decade ago, and not only does it hold up extremely well today but it also makes a fantastic fit for the iOS platform. The second reason Space Tripper’s release was a big deal was that the development of the port hit just about every type of snag you can think of, and with what seemed like a black cloud looming over the game’s progress there was a strong possibility it would never see the light of day on the App Store.

However, determination won over, and even though it took more than 3 years True Axis completed their goal of releasing Space Tripper for iOS. And spoiler alert: it kicks major ass, as evidenced in our review. But it wasn’t all happy times and rainbows, as the one glaring omission from Space Tripper was any sort of option for touch controls. As it stood, the game only offered a tilt control scheme.

Now, I’m lukewarm at best towards tilt controls most of the time, but Space Tripper was different. The tilt controls feel wonderful, and by now I couldn’t imagine playing the game any other way. But I know that not everybody will have this sort of same epiphany, and there are other gamers who either are suffering through a control scheme that they don’t like or even worse have avoided Space Tripper altogether based solely on its tilt controls. True Axis knows this too, and that is why they have moved quickly to bring a relative touch control scheme to Space Tripper, which you can see demonstrated in the video below.

So there you go touch control enthusiasts, you’re finally getting your wish. If the lack of touch controls was preventing you from picking up Space Tripper, then soon enough you will have no excuse. Despite being a tilt control convert with this game, I myself am looking forward to giving the touch controls a try, just to see what they’re like. Also being wrapped up into this update is an auto calibration option for the tilt controls and a new Easy mode for the campaign. The 1.1 update for Space Tripper is currently submitted to Apple and is awaiting review, so you should keep your eye out for it to hit in the next week or two with any luck.

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You’d think from the buzz that the gamification of daily life was a new thing. That we need expensive devices and fancy apps to build rewards into the tasks and chores that otherwise fail to motivate us. But as anyone who’s spent time bagging groceries knows, you can turn anything into a game if you try. Bagging groceries is like Tetris – and your goal is to fit everything into place just perfectly that the bag is full, the eggs are unbroken, and you can still lift the thing into your car.

Bag It! [$0.99 / Universal HD] puts those life skills to good use. Turns out bagging groceries is actually so much fun. Seriously. This little gem almost slipped by us, but I’m sure glad it didn’t. In Bag It! you’re tasked with bagging up a friendly collection of grocery items, like Sir Eggward and Sunshine the juice carton. Like their real counterparts, they have weight to them, and fragility. A carton of eggs is easily crushed, a watermelon less easily so.

In the early levels of Bag It! you take items off a conveyer belt and stack them into a brown paper bag. You can drag the items around and tap to rotate them, fitting them together like pieces of a puzzle. You’ll have to take care not to stack too much on an item — weight accumulates, and one burrito too far will leave you with spilt milk to cry about. As you complete each level, you’re ranked on a three-star scale. Sometimes this scale ranks you on your speed, other times it’s on the fullness of your bag or the number of items you can pack. The stars are required to unlock later levels.

There are also medals to earn, two for each level. These increase the challenge of the levels and often require a re-visitation or two. You might need to complete the level under a certain time, or with every item upright. But the best are the ones that give you a hint, like “Crusty Rivals,” and leave you to discover which items will create that combo when placed together.

The medals are used to unlock new game modes, and that’s where things start to get really fun. Udder Mayhem will engage those with an appetite for destruction, bringing in new 16 levels. Forget about carefully balancing your bag — these levels are about crushing everything with abandon. Fresh Squeeze takes the opposite track, with 16 levels that won’t let you break a single item.

There are also three endless modes to play that mix things up even further. Ultimate Bagger lets you bag to your heart’s content, filling bag after bag until you something gets crushed. Endless rampage gives you extra time on the clock for extreme acts of destruction. Power Surge mode is something completely different — items that go too far on the conveyer belt are destroyed, costing you time. It’s also the hardest to unlock at 75 medals, so only dedicated baggers will see it.

Not only do these modes offer a lot of variety, the unlocking mechanism encourages players to try new things, learn new combinations and do the best they can. It offers such a sense of accomplishment that I didn’t even notice the lack of Game Center integration. But if that’s a dealbreaker for you, never fear — Hidden Variable Studios says it’s coming soon.

It’s rare to find a puzzle game that feels so fresh but also so obvious. I’ve never played a game about bagging groceries before, but why not? It should be mandatory training for everyone who moves out on their own, never mind the folks who work at grocers. I have a quibble with the controls — it can be hard to rotate an item and move it to a new area at the same time — but otherwise it’s hard to complain about Bag It! It turns something that ought to be a chore into an absolute blast, and it does so with a huge, rich game. So check it out, and visit our discussion thread to share your impressions.

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You might remember that way back in June we took a look at Super Stickman Golf [99¢] developer Noodlecake Studios‘ current project, called Lunar Racing at the time. This multiplayer-centric 2D side-scrolling racing game looked like it had all sorts of promise, especially considering how well Noodlecake nailed the multiplayer aspect of Super Stickman Golf. But, it’s been nearly six months and I’d started wondering just what the heck was going on with the development.

Well Noodlecake must have sensed my curiosity, because recently they sent over some new details and have released a trailer for their new game, now with the slightly adjusted title of Lunar Racer. Gameplay will involve racing against 3 other vehicles on each of our solar system’s moons. Each vehicle auto-accelerates at the same speed, so everybody is on equal footing. The key to doing well is performing tricks as you race to fill up your nitro boost, so the racer who can pull off the best stunts and land their jumps the cleanest will have more boost to surge ahead of the pack with.

There will also be a combat element to Lunar Racer, which is another way to gain advantages during a race. You’ll be able to collect a selection of powerups like missiles, shields,mines, and then unleash them on your opponents similar to the Mario Kart games. In fact, the select few who have been testing early versions of the game describe Lunar Racer as Tiny Wings meets Mario Kart and Death Rally. Sounds pretty good to me! Check out the trailer below for a glimpse into the gameplay.

At this point, none of the details for Lunar Racer are completely set in stone, so it’s possible there’s more facets to the gameplay that are still yet to materialize. But what I’ve seen so far definitely looks cool. With any luck the game will be ready to go in the next month or two, and we’ll definitely be keeping tabs on any new details. In related Noodlecake news, the superb Super Stickman Golf has just received a large update that adds 6 brand new courses, a new leaderboard and 100 points worth of achievements, and of course some ever important bug fixes. Make sure to check out the new update to Super Stickman Golf and keep your eyes peeled for some more Lunar Racer news soon.

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It’s been over a year since the last update, and many in our forums were worried that the app had been abandoned, but I’m happy to report that Manomio has released an update to C64 for iPhone [App Store], the Commodore 64 emulator and game store (at over 50 titles right now) for iOS, that we’ve been tracking since way back in 2008.

Stuart Carnie of Manomio filled me in on the license tangles he’s been dealing with since late last year which stymied work on the app, but indicates all is now resolved and that he’s excited to bring this update, as well as return his focus to development and the acquisition of new licenses for C64-loving iOS gamers.

The big news in this latest version of C64 for iPhone, version 2.2, is the addition of support for the iCade and compatible devices (such as the iControlPad and Gametel controller we recently covered), which is huge news given the nature of the typical Commodore 64 game title. In this initial implementation, iCade support means joystick and fire button emulation — certain games with extended features, such as The Last Ninja, still require tapping the screen for key input and the like. This update also brings full support for iOS 5.

It’s worth pointing out that, presently, C64 is not a Universal application, and so using it on an iPad in the iCade means running the iPhone app at 2x video magnification. However, Stuart has big plans for the app and shared a short-list of what’s coming, down the road…

• A new, Universal app!
  • This is a rewrite in order to add all the required features
  • PRO: By not replacing the iPhone version, we can keep existing users with old hardware on the current builds
  • PRO: For compatible games, we’ll continue to add them to C64 for iPhone
• Activate your original C64 for iPhone purchases if you have it installed
• Cycle-exact emulation — will require ARMv7 devices
• Same OpenGL ES 2.0 retro visual effects currently in progress for iAmiga
• iCADE / iControlPad / Gametel support
• TV-out
• Network play
• More in-app purchases, including existing titles
• A big pack of free games to get you started
• Retina display support
• BASIC mode, with 1541 “disk” save support

We’re very glad to see Stuart out of the woods and moving forward with his efforts to bring retro fun to today’s gamers. We will keep readers in the loop on the latest from Manomio as the news unfolds.

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Hey, here’s a thing: both Space Miner [Free] and Space Miner HD [Free] are totally free right now. Back in February of last year, Venan Entertainment released Space Miner to the masses and pretty much took everybody by surprise with the amount of depth, humor, personality, and most importantly stellar gameplay found within the title. It was almost as if they took the core mechanics of the classic Asteroids arcade game and built a fantastic, fully realized universe around it with copious amounts of RPG elements, space shooting, and a gripping storyline. In fact, that’s exactly what they did.

We loved Space Miner in our original review, and Venan kept the love flowing during 2010 with a huge update in April which enhanced the visuals for the then top-tier hardware and added a hardcore difficulty mode. With the arrival of Retina Display devices, Space Miner eventually jumped on board the high resolution gravy train and in December of last year an iPad native version of the game was released. All of this post-release attention didn’t go unnoticed either, as we chose Space Miner as our iPhone Game of the Year for 2010. In fact, if you ask Brad Nicholson, he’ll tell you that Space Miner is an even better game than Game Dev Story [$3.99/Lite]. That’s high praise!

Now, to celebrate the release of their latest title Book of Heroes [Free], Venan has gone and not only made the Space Miner games free through the weekend but have actually made their other games free as well. Don’t hesitate to jump all over Ninjatown: Trees of Doom! [Free/HD] while you’re busy mashing away at the download button on Space Miner.

The Space Miner games have seen several sales during their time on the App Store (and really what games haven’t), but this is the first time it’s ever gone completely free, although there is a free-to-play version called Space Miner Blast [Free] which is a more arcade-focused affair and is also totally worth a download as it offers a slightly different experience. But seriously, while you have the chance, grab the real-deal Space Miner for free during this weekend. I don’t want to sound like a jerk or anything, but if you don’t own Space Miner, we totally can’t be friends.

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The week of PR shenanigans is still going strong, the latest of which involving a late-day surprise release of EA’s new iteration of Tetris [99¢] which we mentioned seeing at EA’s recent winter preview event. Here’s what The Bearded One had to say about it:

Basically everybody on the planet knows the falling blocks puzzle game Tetris, and we’ve had an iOS version of the game almost since the very beginning of the App Store. While that is a fun and totally decent version of the game, the touch screen controls left a bit to be desired. That’s where the new One-Touch mode comes in. Here, when blocks appear at the top of the screen you’re given an assortment of spots to automatically place the block at the bottom of the screen, represented by outlines of the block’s shape.

This seemed like a weird idea to me at first, but after actually playing this mode I was a believer. It’s such a simple change but it dramatically changes how you would typically play Tetris, almost transforming it into a different game and bypassing any imprecise control issues from the touch screen. There’s regular Marathon mode as well as a progressive level-based Rush mode in addition to One-Touch, so this version of Tetris should appeal to purists as well as those looking for a fresh take on the classic gameplay.

Unfortunately, it seems that this new version of Tetris has replaced the old version of Tetris on the App Store. So, this will be a new purchase for everyone instead of an update, and you might as well back up the old Tetris .ipa somewhere in case you ever want to re-sync it to your device.

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Guys, Christmas is right around the corner. Real Racing creators Firemint delicately reminded us of that we’re zeroing in on the holiest of holidays with one well-positioned holiday-themed update to its awesome puzzle game, Spy Mouse [$.99 / HD].

Starting now with an update, World 1 in Spy Mouse and Spy Mouse HD have been turned into winter-y paradises, complete with snow, candy canes, and other decorations. The team has also turned the game’s icon on its head with a bit of Christmas cheer and even added a new challenge to Agent Squeak’s backpack.

Flight Control [$.99 / Lite] for the iPhone and iPod Touch have also been updated, though not with anything Christmas-related. These two versions now have a new level featuring a vicious thunderstorm with lightning that can damage your planes. The HD version [$4.99], on the other hand, now rocks a “Moon Base” map with asteroids and four new vehicles: land shuttles, satellites, rockets, and UFOs.

Interestingly, all three versions of Flight Control now have a “rewind” feature, which allows you to, er, rewind time in order to, say, avoid a collision. The catch? They need to be purchased.

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You wanted it, and now it’s here: The Game Bakers’s beautiful real-time strategy RPG, Squids [$1.99], is now on the iPad. The team dropped the support as Universal, which means if you already own it, you can now play the game on iPad for $0. Otherwise, you can pick up the iPad and iPhone version for the usual $1.99.

During review, we got a chance to see Squids on the big screen, and even that non-optimized state, we were really impressed with how it looked and technically played. But here’s some things we didn’t get to see: the new 3D “anaglyph” version of the Halloween map, which has been rolled into this update on top of screen rotation functionality, new bug fixes, and new localizations including Russian, Japanese, and simplified Chinese.

If you’ve got some of those silly 3D glasses, give the Halloween map a spin and tell us what you think. We’re currently digging around in TouchArcade’s toy box, but we’ve been coming up empty.

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