How to spend a $25 iTunes gift card for Nov. 14, 2014
Our list this week features a number of classic games and apps, plus the return of one of the most popular characters in American literature.
Toca Nature, $2.99, Universal game
Our favorite kids games developer, Toca Boca, is out with its latest masterpiece. Toca Nature teaches children about the world around them.
From iTunes:
Shape nature and watch it develop. Plant trees and grow a forest. Raise a mountain and enjoy the view. Collect berries, mushrooms or nuts, and feed the different animals. Learn who eats what and discover how much it takes to winkle a bear out. Walk through different landscapes and become friends with a fox. Capture the moment of woodpeckers zigzagging between trees, and watch the day turn into night.
Monument Valley, $3.99, Universal game, offers in-app purchases
This game continues to be one of our favorites on the App Store. The recent 2.0 update puts the 8-month-old game on our list (again) for two reasons.
First, the new worlds offered through the update are truly impressive and well worth the in-app purchase price of $1.99. Second, those folks taking to the App Store and giving 1-star reviews because ustwo is charging for the update should be called out for being despicable. Developers need to eat too, folks.
“Prince Lestat,” $10.99, E-Book
The latest book in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles is finally here. “Prince Lestat” is described on the iBookstore as “a stunning departure, a surprising and compelling return…From Anne Rice, perennial best seller, single-handed reinventor of the vampire cosmology–a new, exhilarating novel, a deepening of her vampire mythology, and a chillingly hypnotic mystery-thriller.”
Terraria, $4.99, Universal game
There are hundreds of Christmas-inspired games in the App Store. Those with a Thanksgiving Day theme are rare.
Terraria originally launched on PC and consoles, and arrived on iOS about a year ago. Since then, the game has received regular updates, including one on Nov. 5. Thanks to this update, the classic indie sandbox adventure now includes a new little friend … your very own Turkey pet.
Weather Live Reloaded, $1.99, Universal app
This popular weather app now includes a new iOS 8 widget for the Notification Center and is also now compatible with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Freebie of the week
Though many have come after it, the nearly 4-year-old Penultimate handwriting and sketching app for iPad remains one of the best.
The new 6.0 update includes:
- A complete redesign of the app for smoother writing and better organization.
- New UI for focused writing
- Write in full screen and keep writing without stopping to add new pages. Use two fingers to scroll up and down notes.
- Create new notes, and access different kinds of paper, more quickly
- New highlighting tool
- Improved connection process, writing quality, and accuracy for the Jot Script stylus
- More powerful search
- View by default all Evernote notebooks that contain Penultimate notes
- Access and add notes to your Evernote notebooks, including business notebooks
- View your Penultimate notes in Evernote
Another edition of “How to spend a $25 iTunes gift card” will be published next week. If you’d like your app or game featured on a future list, contact us on Twitter or through Facebook.
