Apple seemingly celebrates launch of Metal with Real Steel as its free App of the Week

If robot-versus-robot action keeps your nuts and bolts going, make sure to download Apple’s free App of the Week, Real Steel.

Based on the science fiction sports drama film of the same name starring Hugh Jackman, Real Steel is a fighting game that features lean machines fighting it off in futuristic boxing matches. As noted by Apple:

Each week, we select a great app and bring it to you, for free, as our App of the Week. (In-App Purchases sold separately.) A futuristic slugfest pitting robot against robot, Real Steel lets you jump into the ring as Atom, Noisy Boy, and other brawlers from the blockbuster film. Fighting-game fans will love unleashing fierce uppercuts and devastating special moves, while a generous mix of challenges, tournaments, tag-team bouts, and other modes ensures plenty of metal-smashing fun.

Real Steel

Normally priced at $0.99, Real Steel is downloadable free of charge on the App Store from today through Wednesday next week at least. It’s compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad running iOS 5.0 or later.

Real Steel is developed by Reliance Games, the same studio behind other movie tie-in iOS games including The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – Panem Run, Pacific Rim, After Earth, and Total Recall.

Interestingly, Apple’s selection of a “metal-smashing” title for its App of the Week coincides with the official launch in iOS 8 of the low-overhead hardware-accelerated graphics API Metal.