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The highly anticipated update to Jetpack Joyride [ Free ] which Halfbrick has been teasing us with since we first checked it out at GDC has finally gone live in the App Store. Version 1.3 brings the major new addition of Gadgets to good ol’ Barry Steakries’ arsenal. There are 15 Gadgets in all which are unlocked with coins in The Stash area of the game. You can assign up to 2 different Gadgets to Barry at a time, and each one brings with it a special ability.

For example, the “Air Barrys” Gadget gives Barry a pair of sneakers that let him immediately jump into the middle of the screen, rather than waiting for the jetpack to slowly raise him to the same point. Or the Missile Jammer which will cause the missiles that target you from offscreen to come at you wobbly and slow. Or the X-ray Specs, which lets you see ahead of time what vehicle is waiting for you in the icon, as demonstrated in this latest teaser trailer.

As you can tell, these new Gadgets can dramatically change how you play the game, and if you thought you’d had your fill of Jetpack Joyride before there’s now a bunch of new items to unlock and use to reinvigorate you. There’s also new Game Center achievements and new mission types that tie into the use of the new Gadgets. And of course Jetpack Joyride is free to download and play, so if you somehow still haven’t gotten on board yet then what are you waiting for?

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Another new Cut the Rope [$.99 / HD] update has tumbled down the pipeline, and our gut says this is easily the most interesting one creator ZeptoLab has put out. Today sees the introduction of 25 new levels packaged within the “DJ Box,” which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like — a new theme for the game that celebrates scratches, vinyl, bass drops, and … candy.

Much like any other update, the core game isn’t being changed for the new box, however it will introduce a couple of new mechanics. Take the turntable for example, which you can see below in the embedded video. Also, don’t freak out because it only shows the iPod or iPhone version: this has hit iPad, too.

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Heads up: Junk Jack [$2.99 / Lite] is going Universal really, really soon — provided nothing goes wrong in the certification process. Creator Pixbits has submitted the long-awaited, might-not-be-hey-it-could-happen update to Apple and are waiting for it to go live with just as much glee as we imagine the third-person mining game’s fans are.

This update also includes an exhaustive amount of fixes, tweaks, and changes, as we’ve come to expect from Pixbits. Of note, golems, mummies, frogs, new frogs, and headless zombies have joined the list of mobs. The game’s visuals have also been tweaked thanks to its “faster engine,” and cooking and farming are now a thing you can do. If you’re really into what’s new, definitely check out the game’s official blog. For example, there is no way you would have known that the maximum stack count is 65535 unless you read it somewhere else. Nope, no way.

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Even though The Heist’s [$.99] puzzle design is sharp enough to stand up alongside some of the better puzzle games on the App Store, its post-game rewards are still what makes waves. If you play and beat all of The Heist’s puzzles, you’ll be given codes for actual Steam titles, which have generally been worth more than the app itself. It’s a neat idea, and now its offerings have been expanded. Starting now, Puzzle Agent and World of Goo can be won by completing the game.

Developer tap tap tap’s math wizards say these two prizes, alongside a third game called Eets, total up to $25 worth of gaming goodness. The Heist is currently sitting at $.99, which makes this entire package something of a, uh, decent value.

A word of caution: World of Goo is only being award to the first 25,000 users who make it to 100 percent completion. Play fast!

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Rovio’s Angry Birds Space [$0.99 / $2.99 (HD)] hit the App Store close to a month ago, and we loved it in our review. (Shocker, I know.) The sole sticking point for us, and quite a few other people, was Rovio’s implementation of a new IAP mechanic. Some levels were only available via a 99¢ unlock, which made us question whether or not Rovio would keep the free level updates gravy train rolling. Also, the Mighty Eagle shifted gears from a buy-once-use-a- bunch item like Angry Birds proper to a consumable IAP.

Well, an update just hit which addresses our suspicions. 10 new levels are now available for free, and the way the Mighty Eagle works has been slightly tweaked. Just by downloading the update you’ll get a pack of 20 Mighty Eagles for free, and each day you’ll earn one additional Mighty Eagle. This goes a long way in making buying the Mighty Eagle feel a lot more optional, but I still can’t help but miss the unlimited use of the Mighty Eagle in completed levels like previous Angry Birds games.

But, whatever, if you just ignore the Mighty Eagle, Angry Birds Space is still a ton of fun, and highly recommended. If you’ve cleared all the initial launch levels, give these ten new ones a spin.

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On paper, Radiant Defense [Free] doesn’t stack up when compared to other tower defense titles. It shouldn’t be as good as it is. I mean, it only has ten levels, and its free-to-play model gives you just a handful of towers to work with unless you want to pay more. But Hexage is full of surprises, and this free tower defense game is certainly one of them. It might not work on paper, but it sure works in practice.

All too often, freemium titles either lock all the fun behind a paywall or let you skip right over the gameplay if you put down your money. Radiant Defense does neither. I can’t say for sure that you can get through all ten levels without making a purchase. I couldn’t, because Radiant Defense is crazy hard. Buying any (or all) of the four optional tower packs gives you more room to strategize, but it just barely makes the game easier. Paid or free, you’re going to have to get your hands dirty.

Radiant Defense offers a mix between static path defense and the ability to create complex mazes. Players are often handed a few loose modules between waves. These can be used to build walls. Sometimes this is advantageous—drawing enemies out along long, winding paths is a good way to make sure they die well before reaching their goal. Other times it’s suicidal. Some enemies regenerate, so luring them away from your carefully crafted kill zone just means they’ll continue on, fresh and ready for more.

The tower selection adapts to any situation the game throws at you. You start out with the ability to build or research ballistic weapons for pure damage, energy weapons to take out shields, and the other usual suspects—towers that slow or weaken the enemies, and powerful area-of-effect towers. The purchasable packs add variety, with mines and blades to bar passage, weapons of mass destruction, and a few things that are just plain odd. Each has its own cost and drawbacks, though, making for a decently balanced experience no matter how many (or few) packs you own.

That balance falls on the side of intensely challenging throughout. Radiant Defense is unforgiving, with brutally long levels (making up for their limited selection) and increasingly aggressive waves. The game never lets up—every time you think you might have a handle on all the tricks you’ll need, it throws even more enemies at you in even more aggressive combinations. It can be aggravating, but it makes winning all the sweeter.

Not every part of the challenge is as sweet, unfortunately. The worst bit is dealing with frustrating tower AI. Towers will happily shoot the first thing that crosses their paths, blithely ignoring targets that are about to hit the goal. This behavior is consistent, so you can plan for it. It might even be intentional—it certainly gives players a reason not to use tight corridors to their advantage each and every time. But as difficulty goes, this isn’t the fun sort. It can leave you floundering moments after you’re sure you have everything under control.

There are concessions to this frustration, though. Each wave can be restarted as many times as you need without penalty, so you’re free to experiment with the best possible moves you can make with the resources you have. Anything you do before beginning the wave will stick, though, and while you can sell back unused towers at cost, upgrades can’t really be reversed. Your strategy may hinge on what seems like a simple decision: whether to spend your cash in the lull between waves or save it for the madness in the midst of combat. The latter is easier to revert but much harder to pull off.

That sort of decision-making drives the strategy of Radiant Defense. It’s rarely just a matter of this tower or that tower. Instead you’re balancing upgrades, positioning, and pathing, all while you decide if you should meet the current threat with force or save up for an unknown future.

If you’re comfortable with difficult games, Radiant Defense is easily worth the download. It’s a nice little package—decent art and music wrapped around generally excellent gameplay—and the price is more than right. It’s refreshing to find a game that respects your intelligence, money, and time. All the better that it’s good fun, too. Take a look, and stop by our discussion thread to share your thoughts.

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When we said that Marvel vs Capcom 2 was hitting the App Store “next week” last week, I think we all assumed that meant it’d be in the standard barrage of Wednesday night releases. Well, this is not the case, as the game is already available in most international regions and should appear for download on the U.S. App Store at 11:00 PM Eastern tonight.

First impressions on our forums are starting to roll in, and so far it seems like the game is what you’d expect in that if you can handle the virtual controls, you’ll be in for a good time. Some forum members with 3GS-level hardware are noting some slowdown, but anything more recent than that seems to be A-OK. Also, the game is universal, which only makes things more awesome.

We’ll take a closer look at the game in the not too distant future.

App Store Link: Marvel vs. Capcom 2, $2.99 (Will be available in all regions at 11:00 PM Eastern.)

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Minecraft – Pocket Edition [$6.99] took another step towards becoming what the series’ fans had expected and wanted from the tablet and phone version of the PC indie darling. To put it another way, its name actually makes sense now courtesy last night’s update, which added crafting, damageable items, and tool-specific gathering.

We all knew this update was coming, but what’s interesting is the way the crafting part of the experience is presented. Unlike the PC version, Pocket Edition tells you what you can make and how to make it. Swathes of well-realized UI — which look a lot like the Xbox 360 version of the game’s UI — hold your hand while crafting, pointing out recipes and giving you feedback on what you need to gather next.

Image via Cult of Mac

Even though it might not jive with the game’s spirit or themes, we think this bit of added functionality is pretty neat. If anything, though, you can finally enjoy survival mode as it was basically intended. Go nuts!

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Man. Hatchi [Free] has come a long way since we’ve last visited it. One update ago, creator Portable Pixels made good on its promise of future iPad support by adding… iPad support. Also, it tossed in four new mini-games, a coin exchange mechanic that lets you use in-game coins to power up things like energy bars, new iPad retina support, and an evolution tree that displays what paths your pocket monsters have taken. That’s a lot of stuff for an app that already felt good without these additions and notable changes for those of you out there who may have fallen out of the loop like we have.

We’re bringing all of this up, by the way, because for the next 24 hours Hatchi is free of charge. We’re talking a zero dollar exchange for easily one of the best pocket monster growing game things currently on the market. Do yourself a favor and check this app out, but do note that we’re not responsible for any future digital pet deaths. You knew you should have fed the little guy.

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